US 7,950,896 B2Granted

Material handling apparatus

AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.

InventorsWilliam John Scholtes, Matthew A. Job, Roger T. Johnston, Mark Nunn

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Abstract

A handling apparatus can be used to transfer objects from a first location to a second location along a defined path, without the need for a conveyor along the path. Instead, the handling apparatus can be moved along the path by a controllable transport device, such as a robot arm. The handling apparatus can comprise a plurality of unpowered rollers which are selectively rotated by way of a transfer assist mechanism during loading and/or unloading of the objects to be transferred. The transfer assist mechanism can comprise a separate component that can power the rollers directly or indirectly. The transfer assist mechanism can comprise a belt which imparts rotational force to the support rollers via contact in some embodiments, with the amount of force controlled by varying the relative inclination of the support rollers and the transfer assist mechanism.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A handling apparatus for receiving, lifting and placing objects, the handling apparatus comprising:

a controllable transport device movable between a loading position and an unloading position, the controllable transport device including an articulated robot arm;
a material handling assembly carried by the controllable transport device, the material handling assembly including a plurality of support rollers which, when in a first position, can receive and support objects at a support plane defined by the material handling assembly, the support rollers being selectively positionable between the first position wherein the objects are supported at the support plane and a second position wherein the objects can be released to pass through the support plane, the support plane being of a generally rectangular shape including two opposite sides extending along a length of the support plane and two opposite ends extending along a width of the support plane, the plurality of support rollers including first and second portions, each portion respectively including support rollers laying on opposite sides of a center line of the material handling assembly, the center line extending parallel to the ends of the material handling assembly, an edge of the first and second portions of support rollers meeting adjacent the center line when in the first position and being spaced apart from the center line when in the second position, the material handling assembly including a drive for moving the support rollers of the first and second portions between the first and second positions;
and
a transfer assist mechanism including an excitation conveyor fixed at the loading position having a continuous loop drivable so as to rotate at least some of the support rollers when the controllable transport device is in the loading position, to thereby draw objects onto or off from the material handling assembly at the support plane, the articulated robot arm capable of moving the material handling assembly between the transfer assist mechanism where the support rollers contact the continuous loop and a pallet stack location.

1 more element

A handling apparatus attachable to a controllable transfer device, for receiving, lifting and placing objects, the handling apparatus comprising:

a material handling assembly configured for attachment to a controllable transfer device and defining a support plane, the material handling assembly including a frame and a plurality of support rollers, the support rollers being orientable so as to receive and to support objects at the support plane, the support rollers being selectively positionable between a first position wherein the objects are supported at the support plane and a second position wherein the objects can be released to pass through the support plane, the support plane being of a generally rectangular shape including two opposite sides extending along a length of the support plane and two opposite ends extending along a width of the support plane, the plurality of support rollers including first and second portions, each portion respectively including rollers laying on opposite sides of a center line of the material handling assembly, the center line extending parallel to the ends of the material handling assembly, an edge of the first and second portions of support rollers meeting adjacent the center line when in the first position and being spaced apart from the center line when in the second position, the material handling assembly including a drive for moving the support rollers of the first and second portions between the first and second positions;
and
an excitation conveyor including a drivable continuous loop, the material handling assembly being positionable over the excitation conveyor via the controllable transfer device to provide contact between the continuous loop and at least some of the support rollers, whereby operation of the continuous loop rotates the contacted support rollers so as to draw objects onto or off from the material handling assembly.

A method of moving one or more objects to a pallet stack location, the method comprising:

(a) arranging one or more objects into a layer at an assembly location;
(b) drawing the layer onto a material handling assembly using a transfer assist mechanism located beneath and in contact with support rollers mounted on the material handling assembly, a frame and a plurality of support rollers, the support rollers being orientable so as to receive and to support objects at the support plane, the support rollers being selectively positionable between a first position wherein the objects are supported at the support plane and a second position wherein the objects can be released to pass through the support plane, the support plane being of a generally rectangular shape including two opposite sides extending along a length of the support plane and two opposite ends extending along a width of the support plane, the plurality of support rollers including first and second portions, each portion respectively including rollers laying on opposite sides of a center line of the material handling assembly, the center line extending parallel to the ends of the material handling assembly, an edge of the first and second portions of support rollers meeting adjacent the center line when in the first position and being spaced apart from the center line when in the second position, the material handling assembly including a drive for moving the support rollers of the first and second portions between the first and second positions, the material handling assembly being positioned so the support rollers are off-tangent relative to cylindrical members of the transfer assist mechanism, whereby operation of the transfer assist mechanism applies rotational force to the support rollers, the transfer assist mechanism including at least one drivable continuous loop having a first surface which contacts the support rollers and a second, opposite, surface which contacts the cylindrical members of the transfer assist mechanism;
(c) moving the layer to a second location via a controllable transport device including an articulated robot arm attached to the material handling assembly, without moving the transfer assist mechanism to the second location;
and
(d) placing the layer at the second location, the second location comprising the pallet stack location.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.