Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Robot control
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-15
2001-11-20
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Robot control
C700S247000, C700S249000, C700S213000, C700S215000, C700S222000, C700S230000, C414S744300, C414S273000, C414S331040, C198S346100, C198S465100, C312S287000, C312S295000, C901S031000, C901S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321138
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Large manufacturers, for example bakeries, require long product runs for economies. When one product is switched to another, the entire production system is cleaned and rearranged where necessary, resulting in down time on production. It is useful to make the production runs as long as possible so that the ingredient receiving and loading, the mixing, product forming and shaping, and baking processes remain uniform in long production runs.
To achieve the economies of long production runs in a bakery, it is necessary to provide interim storage for products.
It is particularly beneficial when a bakery is producing several different products that it produce all of each particular product needed for that day during one production run. Often in large bakeries, the production of products occurs twenty-four hours a day. It is also desirable that most of the products leave the bakery within a few hours in the early morning for proper distribution to retailers so that fresh baked goods can be sold. Orders are received in a bakery to produce so many products of each type every day. When adequate interim storage facilities are available the production runs may be long and continuous, with one production run for each product in each day.
Needs exist for storage facilities which reliably and quickly move products from the bakery output and which reliably and quickly move the products from the storage facility to trucks for delivery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides interim storage for production run surges of individual products among many output products in a bakery, for example, basket storage and retrieval apparatus for a bakery. Spaced parallel rows of storage racks with multiple horizontal tiers are provided with aisles between the storage racks. Guides are connected to the aisle, and a stacker retriever is connected to the guides. The stacker retriever has at least one vertical member. A carriage is mounted on the vertical member for moving up and down the vertical member and for aligning with storage rack tiers on opposite sides of the aisle. At least one carrier is mounted on the carriage for moving into the horizontal tiers and for lowering baskets within the tiers for resting on the tiers and raising baskets from the tiers for moving the raised baskets toward the carriage. At least one robotic input lane extends through the storage racks. At least one robotic output lane extends through the storage racks. Input and output transfer conveyors are on sides of the storage racks opposite the aisle. An input transfer conveyor is connected to the robotic input lane and an output transfer conveyor is connected to the robotic output lane. An input conveyor is connected to the input transfer conveyor for supplying loaded baskets to the robotic input lane. An output conveyor is connected to the output transfer conveyor for receiving loaded baskets from the robotic output lane. A dolly loader or conveyor loop is connected to the output conveyor. The conveyor loop carries loaded baskets and stacks of loaded baskets directly to truck loading stations. The dolly loader loads dollies with baskets or stacks of loaded baskets for loading on trucks.
Preferably, at least one robotic input lane extends through the second storage rack from the aisle to an outer side of the second storage rack. An input transfer conveyor is connected to the second robotic input and is connected to the input conveyor for delivering loaded baskets and stacks of loaded baskets to the second robotic input lane. Preferably, at least one robotic output lane extends through the second storage rack from the aisle to an outer side of the second storage rack. A second robotic output is connected to the second robotic output lane. A second output transfer conveyor is connected between the second robotic output lane and the output conveyor for moving loaded baskets and stacks of loaded baskets from the second robotic output lane to the output conveyor.
The output conveyor preferably consists of a loop for receiving loaded basket stacks from the output transfer conveyors. Trucks may be docked for loading on opposite sides of the interim storage racks. In that case, a second dolly loader or conveyor loop is connected to the output conveyor for receiving loaded baskets or stacks from the output conveyor and moving the loaded basket stacks for insertion in trucks.
Preferably, at least one conveyor input lane and at least one conveyor output lane extend through each of the racks. The input transfer conveyors are connected to the conveyor input lanes and the input conveyor for moving loaded baskets and stacks onto the conveyor input lane. The output transfer conveyors are connected to the conveyor output lanes and to the output conveyor for moving loaded baskets and stacks of loaded baskets from the conveyor output lanes to the output conveyor.
Preferably, an input inspection station inspects the loaded baskets and identification on the loaded baskets before admitting the loaded baskets to the input conveyor. A rejection conveyor is connected to the input inspection station for moving rejected baskets from the input inspection station.
Output tagging and/or reading stations are connected to the robotic output lanes and the conveyor output lanes for tagging and/or reading loaded baskets leaving the output lanes before moving the loaded baskets to the output conveyor.
The stacker retriever preferably has two spaced vertical members. The carriage rides up and down on the vertical members. The carriage holds parallel carriers capable of moving to either side for entering the racks and depositing baskets and stacks deeply within the racks and retrieving baskets and stacks from deeply within the racks.
One preferred apparatus for temporarily storing surges of the product and retrieving the product has an input conveyor which is connected to a source of the product-loaded baskets. An identification station is connected to the input conveyor for checking identification of the loaded baskets. A rejection conveyor is connected to the identification station for removing loaded baskets with no or improper identification. A storage rack having multiple rows of storage is arranged in multiple tiers which provide multiple storage locations roughly equivalent to a number of tiers times a number of rows times the number of basket stacks. Each of the storage locations has an elongation capable of receiving and storing multiple loaded baskets. An aisle is adjacent to the storage racks, and the storage locations open into the aisle for access from the aisle. A stacker retriever is mounted in the aisle and has two vertical members for moving horizontally along the aisle in front of the openings of the storage locations. A carriage is movable up and down the vertical members for aligning with the storage locations. Carriers mounted on the carriage move from the carriage into the storage locations for depositing loaded baskets and stacks into the storage locations and for retrieving loaded baskets and stacks from the storage locations. A robotic lane is connected to the rack. An input transfer conveyor is connected between the input conveyor and the robotic input lane. A tag station is connected to the output transfer conveyor. An output transfer conveyor is connected between the output conveyor and the robotic output lane. An output tag station is connected between to the output conveyor and the robotic output lane for tagging and/or reading loaded baskets moving onto output transfer conveyor. A loading output is connected to the output conveyor for loading the loaded baskets for movement away from the storage apparatus.
A second rack is spaced from the first rack. It is positioned adjacent to the aisle with second storage locations opening into the aisle for receiving the carriers with loaded baskets and stacks of loaded baskets in the second storage locations. Second robotic lanes are connected to the second rack for transferring stacks of loaded baskets into and out of the racks. A second input transfer conv
Livesay Mark F.
Woodson, III J. Thomas
Creighton Wray James
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Marc McDieunel
Narasimhan Meera P.
Woodson Incorporated
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