US 8,827,065 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for transporting articles in a plurality of parallel buffer sections

AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft

InventorPeter Enenkel

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Abstract

An apparatus and a method transport articles by way of a plurality of parallel buffer sections. A feeding device transports the articles to a buffer device at a predetermined feeding speed. Each article is then directed into in each case one buffer section, which is either in a feeding mode or in a transporting-away mode. Each buffer section transports the articles which have been directed into this buffer section to a transporting-away device. In the feeding mode, the buffer section transports to the transporting-away device at a feeding buffer speed which depends on the feeding speed. In the transporting-away mode, the buffer section transports to the transporting-away device at a transporting-away buffer speed which depends on the transporting-away speed. The transporting-away device transports the articles away at a predetermined transporting-away speed.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An apparatus for transporting articles, comprising:

a feeding device;
a buffer device having a branching device and at least two buffer sections being disposed parallel to each other relative to a transport direction;
and
a transporting-away device;
wherein:
each of said buffer sections connects said feeding device to said transporting-away device, said feeding device is configured to transport the articles to said buffer device, and said transporting-away device is configured to transport the articles away at a predetermined transporting-away speed;
said branching device is configured to direct each article received at said buffer device into a respective one of said buffer sections, and said buffer sections are configured to transport each respective article to said transporting-away device;
said feeding device is configured to transport the articles at a predetermined feeding speed and said transporting-away device is configured to transport the articles away at a predetermined transporting-away speed;
a regulator connected to and configured to actuate said branching device and said buffer sections such that each buffer section is in at least one of the following modes:
a feeding mode of said buffer section, wherein said branching device directs an article transported to said buffer device into said buffer section and said buffer section transports each article in said buffer section, in direction, to said transporting-away device at a feeding buffer speed that depends on the feeding speed;
a transporting-away mode of said buffer section, wherein said buffer section transports each article in said buffer section to said transporting-away device at a transporting-away buffer speed that depends on the transporting-away speed;
and
said regulator further being configured to actuate each said buffer section such that:
each buffer section is at any one time in at most one of the feeding or transporting away modes or a third mode;
there is a gap present between an article that is farthest forward, in the transport direction, in said buffer section and said transporting-away device while the said buffer section is in the feeding mode;
and
said regulator switching the said buffer section into another mode in such a way that the said buffer section is in the other mode before the article that is farthest forward reaches said transporting-away device.

14 more elements

A method for transporting articles, the method which comprises:

providing a transport system including a feeding device, a transporting-away device, and a buffer device with at least two buffer sections;
transporting the articles with the feeding device to the buffer device at a given feeding speed;
directing each article transported to the buffer device into in each case one of the buffer sections;
transporting the respective articles with the buffer section to a transporting-away device;
transporting the articles away with the transporting-away device at a given transporting-away speed;
operating each buffer section in a feeding mode or in a transporting-away mode, or in a third mode and wherein:
when a buffer section is in the feeding mode, an article transported to the buffer device is directed into the buffer section and the buffer section transports any article located in the buffer section, in direction, to the transporting-away device at a feeding buffer speed that depends on the feeding speed;
and
when a buffer section is in the transporting-away mode, the buffer section transports any article located in the buffer section to the transporting-away device at a transporting-away buffer speed that depends on the transporting-away speed;
each of the buffer sections is, at any one time, in at most one of the feeding mode or the transporting-away mode or the third mode;
and
transporting the articles, with a given buffer section in the feeding mode, such that there is a gap between a forward-most article, as seen in the transport direction, in the buffer section and the transporting-away device while the given buffer section is in the feeding mode;
and
switching the buffer section into another mode such that the buffer section is in the other mode before the forward-most article reaches the transporting-away device.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/218,488Filed 26 Aug 2011
Priority: DE 10 2010 035 47226 Aug 2010
Published: US 2012/0048680 A11 Mar 2012
Granted: 9 Sep 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B65H 29/60
Article switches or diverters: diverting the stream into alternative paths
B65H 2301/4453
Stream of articles separated from each other: and performing dynamic accumulation
B65H 2301/4454
Stream of articles separated from each other: merging two or more streams
B65H 2513/10
Dynamic entities; Timing aspects: speed