Material or article handling – Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into – within,... – Stack forming apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-22
2001-05-22
Fischetti, Joseph A. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into, within,...
Stack forming apparatus
C414S794900, C414S795000, C414S795300, C211S150000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234743
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a stacking column for storing articles one above the other or one beside the other on ratchet elements, which have a carrying arm and a control arm.
Stacking columns of this type are known, and available on the market, in a wide variety of shapes and designs. Stacking columns are used, in particular, for the production of vehicle-body parts in the automobile industry. Robots are used to remove the appropriate vehicle-body parts from the presses and to store them intermediately in stacking columns before they are processed further. It is usual for four stacking columns to be set up in a rectangle. Each stacking column has a multiplicity of ratchet elements which are arranged one above the other. A first ratchet element is located in the standby position. If an article is positioned on this ratchet element, the ratchet element pivots into the operating position and, at the same time, carries along a following ratchet element, which in this way passes into the standby position. A stacking column of this type is known, for example, from DE 38 11 310 C2.
There are also horizontal stacking columns, for example those presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,121, which serve a similar function.
In the case of all of these stacking columns, the successive ratchet elements are arranged alternately one beside the other, with the result that the corresponding carrying arms of successive ratchet elements are located in an offset manner in relation to one another. This results in the carrying arms of successive ratchet elements being positioned beneath the articles at different locations. Depending on the articles, this different arrangement of the carrying arms in relation to a stacking column may be problematic since uniform storage of the articles is desired.
The object of the present invention is to provide a stacking column of the above-mentioned type which eliminates the foregoing disadvantage, namely provides carrying arms which always grip beneath the articles at the same location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing object is achieved by the control arm of each ratchet element being arranged in an offset manner in relation to the carrying arm.
Whereas in the case of the known stacking columns the control arm and carrying arm run approximately in one plane, the control arm and carrying arm according to the invention are intended to be arranged in an offset manner in relation to one another. This has the considerable advantage that, when two different ratchet elements are arranged successively, the carrying arms are located approximately in one plane, with the result that they always grip beneath the articles at the same locations. In the case of the two different types of ratchet element, the control arms are offset to the left or right in each case.
However, the present invention also results in the fact that, when just one type of ratchet element is used in a stacking column, it is possible for carrying arms which are offset from another to a relatively great extent to be arranged successively, which is desirable when, for example, two differently shaped articles are to be stacked successively. However, this is just a secondary effect of the present invention.
In one exemplary embodiment, the idea is for the control arm and carrying arm to be connected directly to one another or even to be produced in one piece, although this is relatively difficult since, for example, the ratchet element according to DE 38 11 310 C2 also has to have bores for a pivot pin and a stop pin. Furthermore, there are various means integrally formed on the ratchet element to provide for controlled movement from a rest position into a standby position and from a standby position into an operating position. It is therefore expedient to arrange a basic body between the actual control arms and the carrying arms. Said basic body may extend widthwise from an outer surface of the control arm to the outer surface of the carrying arm since it does not disturb any element of the following ratchet element as it moves.
It is preferable for the basic body and control arms to be produced in one piece from plastic, with the result that the corresponding bores and recesses for controlling the ratchet-element movement can be formed in the basic body and the control arm during production. In this case, it is also possible for the carrying arm to consist, for example, of a metallic material since it is merely a flat punched element. Said carrying arm is pushed into a slit in the basic body and is connected to the basic body via any desired fastening element, in particular a rivet. An inner wall of the slit runs approximately in a plane of an inner surface of the control arm, and it can be seen that the control arm and carrying arm are arranged in an offset manner in or on the basic body.
This invention makes it possible in a straight-forward manner for the carrying arms of successive ratchet elements of a vertical or even of a horizontal stacking column to be arranged approximately in one plane, with the result that articles are always gripped at the same locations.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5005712 (1991-04-01), Niederprum
patent: 5046343 (1991-09-01), Miwa
patent: 5217121 (1993-06-01), Walker
patent: 5301824 (1994-04-01), Scholler
patent: 5373756 (1994-12-01), Scholler
patent: 5433096 (1995-07-01), Janssen et al.
patent: 5468035 (1995-11-01), Fountain
patent: 5938051 (1999-08-01), Scholler et al.
patent: 5988777 (1999-11-01), Scholler
patent: 3811310 A1 (1989-10-01), None
Bachman & LaPointe P.C.
Fischetti Joseph A.
mts Maschinenbau GmbH
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