Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit – System includes a load supported by a conveyor portion which...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-07
2002-11-05
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit
System includes a load supported by a conveyor portion which...
C198S685000, C198S687000, C198S860100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06474463
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus, in particular overhead conveying apparatus, for transporting conveyable articles along at least one conveying route, comprising a carrying-profile arrangement which extends along the conveying route and has a running-rail arrangement for guiding conveyable-article carriers.
Such a conveying apparatus is known, for example, from EP 0 582 047 A1 and EP 0 623 497 B1. A further such conveying apparatus and a set of assembly profiles for assembling a rail system of the overhead conveying apparatus is known from EP 0 623 530 A1.
FIG. 1
of EP 0 623 530 A1 shows a typical carrying profile with an integral running rail and integral guide for a frictional-belt drive. The carrying profile is an extruded aluminum profile. Said carrying-profile component makes it possible, in particular in conjunction with the rest of the system components shown in EP 0 623 530 A1, to construct high-performance conveying apparatuses. In contrast to the exemplary embodiments explained in EP 0 623 530 A1, it is also considered, at the end of the Offenlegungsschrift, to fasten a separate rail on a carrying profile (carrier profile) rather than forming it integrally therewith. No more detail is said in this respect, and it is unclear as to whether the rail is intended to be a rail having a running surface, that is to say a running rail, which, in the exemplary embodiment of
FIG. 1
, is formed in a single piece with the carrying profile. If it is concluded that such a running rail is intended, then it is arguable what is to be achieved by the carrying profile and the running rail being designed as separate components, since, as will be immediately obvious to the person skilled in the art, the assembly outlay is increased to a considerable extent as a result.
However, it has now unexpectedly been found that the increased assembly outlay involved in separate running rails can be accepted as being less important, in relation to the advantages which can be achieved by separate running rails, if it is ensured that the respective running rail is mounted on a running-rail arrangement such that, at least in certain areas, compensation for a change in length is made possible. For the conveying apparatus mentioned in the introduction, it is proposed according to the invention, for this purpose, that at least one running rail of the running-rail arrangement be designed as a running-rail component which is separate from the carrying-profile arrangement and is mounted in a floating manner on the carrying-profile arrangement such that, at least in certain areas, it can compensate for a change in length by moving relative to the carrying-profile arrangement.
This is because it has been found that, at least under special use conditions for the conveying apparatus, for example in laundries having an ambient temperature of from 30° to 40°, temperature-induced fluctuations in length of the profiles cause problems which can only be controlled with high outlay by carrying profiles with integral running rails, whereas fluctuations in length can be controlled considerably more easily by a conveying apparatus according to the invention, with the result that, overall, more straight forward handling and even, surprisingly, a higher capacity for loading by transporting loads are achieved. According to the invention, the carryingprofile arrangement may be assembled such that carrying profiles of the carrying-profile arrangement are assembled with a gap or with an expansion joint between successive carrying profiles, with the result that it is readily possible to accommodate the expected changes in length of the carrying profiles. With a carrying profile comprising an integrated running rail, this would be possible, at most, to a limited extent since gaps or expansion joints between adjacent carrying profiles, and thus between adjacent running-rail portions, render the satisfactory guidance of conveyable-article carriers difficult. This is because, if no additional steps are taken, the conveyablearticle carriers could get caught at the gaps or expansion joints, with the result that a proper continuous conveying operation is not ensured.
According to the invention, in contrast, the separate running rail can bridge expansion joints or gaps between adjacent carrying profiles of the carrying-profile arrangement, with the result that the conveyable-article carriers are also guided properly in the region of the expansion joints or gaps.
According to the invention, relative changes in length between the carrying-profile arrangement, on the one hand, and running rail, on the other hand, are controlled by the “floating mounting”, which, at least in certain areas, makes it possible to compensate for a change in length by moving relative to the carryingprofile arrangement. This prevents the situation where, during changes in temperature, the running rail and/or the carrying-profile-arrangement portion which bears the running rail are subject to a build-up of stressing, which, in particular in conjunction with high conveying loads, could result in a higher level of wear or in the service life of the relevant components being shortened. A higher loading capacity of the respective conveying route is thus ensured at least indirectly.
In order to accommodate, on the one hand, absolute changes in length of the at least one running rail and, on the other hand, relative changes in length between the running rail and the running-rail arrangement portion which bears the running rail, it is proposed that the running-rail component, which is mounted on the carrying-profile arrangement, has at least one free end which can be moved relative to the carrying-profile arrangement in order to compensate for in particular temperature-induced-fluctuations in length of the running-rail component and/or of the at least one carrying profile of the carrying-profile arrangement. Accommodating relative changes in length between a running-rail component, on the one hand, and carrying-profile arrangement, on the other hand, is important, in particular, when the carrying profiles of the carrying-profile arrangement and the running-rail components are produced from different materials and the two materials differ in terms of their coefficient of thermal expansion.
In this context, it is proposed as particularly preferable that the free end be arranged in the region of a corner-turning deflecting drum for the conveyablearticle carriers or of a transfer arrangement for transferring the conveyable-article carries from a first conveying route to a second conveying route. The arrangement may then be designed such that the conveyable-article carriers no longer run over the free end, or that, as they run over the free end, the conveyable-article carriers are additionally guided by further guide means, with the result that (relative) fluctuations in length manifested as changes or displacements in position of the free end along the carrying-profile arrangement are not problematic as far as the guidance of the conveyable-article carriers is concerned.
To be on the safe side, however, it is possible to provide, in the region of the free end or at some other location of the running-rail component, that the running-rail component has at least one first engagement portion, which is in, or can be brought into, form-fitting engagement with an associated first mating engagement portion of the carrying-profile arrangement, the first engagement portion and the first mating engagement portion being provided in order to limit an—in particular temperature-induced—relative movement between the running-rail component and carrying-profile arrangement. This measure ensures that the running-rail component can only assume well-defined positions relative to the carrying-profile arrangement. In this context, it is also proposed that the runningrail component be, or be capable of being, secured on the carrying-profile arrangement in a locally nondisplaceable manner at precisely one fastening location. It is also ensured by this measure, which may be p
Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn
Deuble Mark A.
Ellis Christopher P.
WF Logistik GmbH
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