Consignment system and method of loading a freight carrier

A method of automatically loading a freight carrier with freight units forming a freight stack with a device, the freight units being of different dimensions, geometries, dimensional stability or surface properties, the device comprising:

• i) a positioning conveyor unit having
• a first conveyor track equipped with a first conveyor means;
• a second conveyor track equipped with a second conveyor means, the first and second conveyor tracks being arranged parallel to each other;
• ii) a feeding conveyor system which is configured to be movable in a first direction (x-direction) by a first displacement device horizontally alongside the freight carrier;
• and
• (iii) a lifting station for raising and lowering the freight carrier;
• the method for stacking freight units comprising the steps of:
• i) entering consignment orders each including a plurality of freight units,
• ii) determining first conveying properties for each of the freight units and second loading positions (x-position, y-position, z-position) for each of the freight units in the freight stack each on the basis of at least one of the dimension, geometry, dimensional stability and surface property of the freight unit by means of a computer system,
• iii) determining a distance between the first and second conveyor tracks on the basis either of the conveying property of the freight unit to be stacked or a gap width of a stack gap in a stack position of the freight stack by means of the computer system,
• iv) delivering the freight units of an order in a sequence to the feeding conveyor system,
• v) picking a first freight unit onto the feeding conveyor system and moving in the first direction (x direction) until it is disposed at the x-position determined by the computer system,
• vi) adjusting the first and second conveyor tracks relative to one another in the first direction (x-direction) by means of a second displacement device so as to adjust a distance between the first and second conveyor tracks on the basis either of the conveying property of the first freight unit to be stacked or the gap width of the stack gap in the loading position of the freight stack,
• vii) after adjusting the first and second conveyor tracks, transferring the first freight unit from the feeding conveyor system onto the first and second conveyor tracks,
• viii) extending the first and second conveyor tracks synchronously in a second direction (z-direction) between a retracted transfer position and an extracted loading position by means of a third displacement device, wherein in the retracted transfer position the first freight unit is picked up by the first and second conveyor tracks and in the extracted loading position the first freight unit is in the z-position determined by the computer system,
• ix) stacking the first freight unit in the z-position in such a manner that a conveyor plane of the conveyor means is moved opposite to a reverse direction of the first and second conveyor tracks are moved back into the retracted transfer position, as a result of which the freight unit is transferred to the set loading position without any displacement relative to the conveyor plane,
• x) picking the second freight unit onto the feeding conveyor system and moving the feeding conveyor in the first direction (x-direction) until the second freight unit is disposed at the x-position determined by the computer system,
• xi) adjusting the first and second conveyor tracks relative to one another in the first direction (x-direction) by means of the second displacement device so as to adjust the distance between the first and second conveyor tracks on the basis of either the conveying property of the second freight unit to be stacked or the gap width of the stack gap in the loading position of the freight stack,
• xii) after adjusting the first and second conveyor tracks, transferring the second freight unit from the feeding conveyor system onto the first and second conveyor tracks,
• xiii) extending the first and second conveyor tracks synchronously in the second direction (z-direction) between the retracted transfer position and an extracted loading position by means of a third displacement device, wherein in the retracted transfer position the second freight unit is picked up by the first and second conveyor tracks and in the extracted loading position, the second freight unit is in the z-position determined by the computer system, and
• xiv) stacking the second freight unit in the z-position in such a manner that the conveyor plane of the conveyor means is moved opposite to the reverse direction of the conveyor tracks are moved back into the retracted transfer position, as a result of which the freight unit is transferred to the set loading position without any displacement relative to the conveyor plane.

A method of positioning freight units forming a freight stack on a freight carrier with a device in a consignment system, the freight units being of different dimensions, geometries, dimensional stability or surface properties and the device comprising:

• i) a positioning conveyor unit having
• a first conveyor track,
• a second conveyor track, the first and second conveyor tracks are arranged parallel to each other;
• ii) a feeding conveyor system which is configured to be movable in a first direction (x-direction) by a first displacement device horizontally alongside the freight carrier and relative to the positioning conveyor unit;
• and
• iii) a lifting station for raising and lowering the freight carrier;
• the method for stacking freight units comprising the steps of:
• i) entering consignment orders each including a plurality of freight units,
• ii) determining conveying properties for each of the freight units on the basis of at least one of the dimension, geometry, dimensional stability and surface property of the freight unit by means of a computer system,
• iii) determining a distance between the first and second conveyor tracks on the basis of the conveying property of the freight unit to be stacked by means of the computer system,
• iv) delivering the freight units of an order to the feeding conveyor system,
• v) picking a first freight unit onto the feeding conveyor system,
• vi) before the first freight unit is transferred from the feeding conveyor system onto the positioning conveyor unit,
• the freight unit is moved in the first direction (x-direction) horizontally alongside the freight carrier and relative to the positioning conveyor unit by the feeding conveyor system, and
• the positioning conveyor unit is moved to a park position and remains in that position, and
• the first and second conveyor tracks of the positioning conveyor unit are adjusted relative to one another in the first direction (x-direction) by means of a second displacement device so as to adjust the distance between the first and second conveyor tracks on the basis of the conveying property of the first freight unit to be stacked,
• vii) after adjusting the first and second conveyor tracks,
• transferring the first freight unit from the feeding conveyor system to a standby position on the first and second conveyor tracks, and
• picking the first freight unit from the first and second conveyor tracks by a staff member and placing on the freight carrier or an already stacked freight unit,
• viii) and afterwards picking a second freight unit onto the feeding conveyor system,
• ix) before the second freight unit is transferred from the feeding conveyor system onto the positioning conveyor unit,
• the second freight unit is moved in the first direction (x-direction) horizontally alongside the freight carrier and relative to the positioning conveyor unit by the feeding conveyor system, and
• the first and second conveyor tracks of the positioning conveyor unit are adjusted relative to one another in the direction (x-direction) by the second displacement device so as to adjust the distance between the first and second conveyor tracks on the basis of the conveying property of the second freight unit to be stacked,
• x) after adjusting the first and second conveyor tracks,
• transferring the second freight unit from the feeding conveyor system to the stand-by position on the first and second conveyor tracks, and
• picking the second freight unit from the first and second conveyor tracks by the staff member and placing on the freight carrier or an already stacked freight unit.