Transport device with contact-free transmission coupling
AssigneeBleichert Forderanlagen GmbH
InventorsLudwig Zoller, Dirk Watzlawek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transport conveyor for workpieces, pallets, or workpiece carriers which includes a drive transmission that includes a traction coupling that interrupts the transfer of torque and driving force to the conveyor rollers, belt or the like upon an interruption in the movement of the workpieces, pallets or workpiece carriers on the conveyor. The transmission traction device includes contact-free couplings which can be integrated in the rollers or be mounted outside the drive path of the rollers. Because the couplings operate without physical contact, they are free from wear commonly incurred in the drive transmission as an incident to the interruption of workpiece movement.
Claims47
A workpiece transport conveyor (1, 38, 50) comprising a workpiece transport support (4, 41, 52) having a workpiece transport surface (16, 43, 44) for carrying and transporting a workpiece, a drive (34) with a drive transmission (12, 45, 57) for moving the workpiece transport support (4, 41,45) in a transport direction, a traction device (18) for transferring drive energy between said drive (34) and workpiece transport support (4, 41, 52) for moving the workpiece transport support (4, 41, 45) in the transport direction, said traction device (18) having an input element (21, 46, 55, 54) and an output element (19, 44, 53), said traction device (18) having a contact free hysteresis coupling (22) for coupling the input and output element without physical contact therebetween, said hysteresis coupling (22) including a magnetic coupling element (19, 24, 31, 44, 53) and a hysteresis coupling element (32, 29, 48, 58), one of said coupling elements being coupled to said input element (21, 46, 55, 54) and the other of said coupling elements being coupled to said output element (19, 44, 53), said hysteresis coupling being operable for coupling said input element to said output element for transmitting drive energy from said input element to said output element and said workpiece support for causing unimpeded movement of said workpiece support in said transport direction, and said hysteresis coupling being uncouplable in response to movement of said workpiece transport support being interrupted for permitting contact free relative movement of said input element to said output element that interrupts the transmittal of drive energy from said input element to said output element and said workpiece transport support.
A pallet circular conveyor for workpieces comprising a frame (2), at least one pallet (4) mounted for guided movement relative to said frame (2) in a transport direction, a drive (34) with a drive transmission (12, 45, 57) for moving said pallet (4), a traction device (19) having an input element (21, 46, 55, 54) connected to said transmission (12, 45, 57) and an output element (19, 44, 53) connected to said pallet (4), said input element (21, 46, 55, 54) being rotatable relative to said output element (19, 44, 53), said traction device (19) including a contact-free hysteresis coupling (22) by means of which the input element (21, 46, 55, 54) can be coupled to the output element (19, 44, 53) for transferring drive energy from said transmission (12, 45, 57) to said pallet (4) to drive the pallet in the transport direction, said hysteresis coupling (22) including a magnetic coupling element (19, 24, 31, 44, 53) and a hysteresis coupling element (32, 29, 48, 58), one of said coupling elements being coupled to said input element (21, 46, 55, 54) and the other of said coupling elements being coupled to said output element (19, 44, 53), said hysteresis coupling being operable for coupling said input element to said output element for transmitting drive energy from said input element to said output element and said pallet for causing unimpeded movement of said pallet in said transport direction, and said hysteresis coupling being uncouplable in response to movement of said pallet being interrupted for permitting contact free relative movement of said input element to said output element that interrupts the transmittal of drive energy from said input element to said output element and said pallet.
A roller conveyor (38, 50) for workpieces comprising a frame (39, 51) having at least two rollers (41, 52) rotatably supported thereon, a drive (54, 45) with at least one transmission (12, 45, 57) for transmitting drive energy to said rollers (41, 52) for causing unimpeded movement of a workpiece along the roller conveyor, a traction device associated with each roller (41, 52), each traction device having an input element (21, 46, 55, 54) for connection to the transmission (12, 45, 57) and an output element (19, 44, 53) connected to a respective roller (41,52) to rotate the roller to provide a drive force in a transport direction, said input element (21, 46, 55, 54) of each traction device being rotatable relative to the respective output element (19, 44, 53), and at least one contact-free hysteresis coupling (22) for connecting said input elements without physical contact therebetween for permitting the transmission of drive energy between said drive device (54, 45) and said rollers (41, 52), said hysteresis coupling (22) including a magnetic coupling element (19, 24, 31, 44, 53) and a hysteresis coupling element (32, 29, 48, 58), one of said coupling elements being coupled to said input element (21, 46, 55, 54) and the other of said coupling elements being coupled to said output element (19, 44, 53), said hysteresis coupling being operable for coupling said input element to said output element for transmitting drive energy from said input element to said output element and said rollers for causing unimpeded movement of a workpiece along said rollers in said transport direction, and said hysteresis coupling being uncouplable in response to movement of a workpiece being interrupted for permitting contact free relative movement of said input element to said output element that interrupts the transmittal of drive energy from said input element to said output element and said rollers.
A pallet circular conveyor for workpieces comprising at least one pallet (4), a frame (2) having at least two guide rails between which said pallet (4) is guided for movement in a transport direction relative to said frame (2), a drive (34) with a drive transmission (12, 45, 57) for moving said pallet (4), a traction device (19) having an input element (21, 46, 55, 54) connected to said transmission (12, 45, 57) and an output element (19, 44, 53) connected to said pallet (4) to drive the pellet in the transport direction, said input element (21, 46, 55, 54) being rotatable relative to said output element (19, 44, 53), said traction device (19) including a contact-free device (19) including a contact-free coupling (22) by means of which the input element (21, 46, 55, 54) can be coupled to the output element (19, 44, 53) for transferring drive energy from said transmission (12, 45, 57) to said pallet (4), said hysteresis coupling being operable for coupling said input element to said output element for transmitting drive energy from said input element to said output element and said pallet for causing unimpeded movement of said pallet in said transport direction, and said hysteresis coupling being uncouplable in response to movement of said pallet being interrupted for permitting contact free relative movement of said input element to said output element that interrupts the transmittal of drive energy from said input element to said output element and said pallet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.