Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Endless conveyor having means for suspending load
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-12
2004-09-07
Ridley, Richard (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Endless conveyor having means for suspending load
C198S681000, C198S682000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06786323
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a suspended conveyer device for conveying supports for goods to be conveyed along conveyer paths, comprising a running rail arrangement with running rails which are associated with the conveyer paths and on which the supports for goods to be conveyed can be guided.
In this case, the primary thought is given to a suspended conveyer device for conveying supports for goods to be conveyed which in each case comprise a supporting element having two running rollers, projecting from the supporting element on opposite sides, to roll on running rails associated with the conveyer paths, running rails being assigned to the conveyer paths and having a running roller guide groove which is open at the top to guide supports for goods to be conveyed which, in each case, as based on the conveying direction, are suspended by a left or right running roller on the running rail, engage with this running roller in the guide groove, and, with the supporting element, extend downward into a conveyer path clearance laterally beside the running rail.
Suspended conveyer devices of the type mentioned above find widespread use, for example in the clothing industry, and are predominantly used there to transport articles of clothing suspended on clothes hangers. In this case, the supports for goods to be conveyed which are used are hanger supports, as they are known, having a supporting element which, at its lower end, has a hook area for the suspension of a clothes hanger and, at its upper end, has a pair of running rollers that project from the supporting element from opposite sides. The hanger supports are generally in each case suspended by one running roller on a running rail, it being possible for this running roller to roll in a guided manner in a guide groove of the running rail during conveying operation. The supporting element of the hanger support extends laterally downward beside the running rail into a conveyer path clearance. In order to drive the hanger supports, a drive belt or the like guided along the running rail is usually provided. In the case of a frictional belt drive, the drive belt is a frictional belt which, for example, as an endless belt, is driven in circulation around two deflection stations and which can drive hanger supports along the respective running rail by friction. Suspended conveyer devices having such frictional belt drives normally enable optional backup of a number of supports for goods to be conveyed as the frictional belt continues to run. Such a suspended conveyer device with frictional belt drive is described, for example, in EP 0 582 047 B1.
Suspended conveyer devices are also known in which the hanger supports are driven to move by means of a conveyer chain which is driven in circulation around two deflection stations and is guided along relevant running rails.
In the case of the suspended conveyer devices mentioned above, a coherent running rail stream section (a coherent running rail path) normally runs from one deflection station of the relevant drive belt to the next deflection station. The transfer of hanger supports from one conveyer path section to another conveyer path section, or the removal of hanger supports from the respective conveyer path in the case of the known suspended conveyer devices, is carried out at the deflection stations by means of appropriate hanger support transfer devices on rotating deflection drums belonging to the deflection stations. With reference to the prior art, reference is again made in this regard to EP 0 582 047 B1.
German patent application 199 43 141 (filing date 09.09.1999) from the applicant describes a branching station or diverter for a suspended conveyer device of the type explained above, which permits the selective removal of supports for goods to be conveyed from a running rail stream section of a first conveyer path, in order to supply the removed supports for goods to be conveyed to a second conveyer path. The branching station therefore provides the possibility of selectively removing supports for goods to be conveyed from a first conveyer path and supplying them to a second conveyer path, that is to say—expressed in another way—selectively rerouting the supports for goods to be conveyed from the first conveyer path to a second conveyer path or leaving them on the first conveyer path. The branching station is not functionally bound to a deflection station for drive belts, but can also be connected to an approximately rectilinear course of the first conveyer path. In addition to supplying the supports for goods to be conveyed to the diverter or branching station in such a conveying direction such that the diverter or branching station can be used selectively for rerouting, the laid-open specification also considers supplying the supports for goods to be conveyed to the diverter in conveying directions opposed thereto.
Furthermore, EP 0 926 083 A1 discloses a crossover for a suspended conveyer which permits a first and a second conveyer path to cross. Removal of the supports for goods to be conveyed from the first or second conveyer path and supplying the removed supports for goods to be conveyed to the other conveyer path is not possible in the case of the known crossover.
The object of the invention is to provide a possible way of transferring supports for goods to be conveyed between a first conveyer path and a second conveyer path, which provides high flexibility with regard to the guidance of streams of goods in the suspended conveyer device. In order to achieve this object, the invention proposes that the suspended conveyer device has a rerouting station, which is constructed to selectively reroute supports for goods to be conveyed from a first conveyer path to a second conveyer path or to leave them on the first conveyer path, and to selectively reroute supports for goods to be conveyed from the second conveyer path to the first conveyer path or to leave them on the second conveyer path.
According to the invention, the rerouting station, which can also be referred to, if appropriate as a crossover diverter or X-diverter, permits both selective removal of supports for goods to be conveyed from the first conveyer path and the supply (the insertion) of the supports for goods to be conveyed to the second conveyer path (rerouting from the first conveyer path to the second conveyer path) and also the removal of supports for goods to be conveyed from the second conveyer path and the supply (the insertion) of the removed supports for goods to be conveyed to the first conveyer path (rerouting of the supports for goods to be conveyed from the second conveyer path to the first conveyer path). The following streams of goods are therefore possible: supports for goods to be conveyed supplied on the first conveyer path are rerouted to the second conveyer path, supports for goods to be conveyed supplied on the first conveyer path remain on the first conveyer path, supports for goods to be conveyed supplied on the second conveyer path are rerouted to the first conveyer path, supports for goods to be conveyed supplied on the second conveyer path remain on the second conveyer path.
By appropriate use of the rerouting station, it is, moreover, possible to combine, in the rerouting station, a first stream of goods supplied to the rerouting station on the first conveyer path by using supports for goods to be conveyed, and a second stream of goods supplied to the rerouting station on the second conveyer path by using supports for goods to be conveyed and, if appropriate, to mix said streams, and to carry the resultant stream of goods away from the rerouting station on the first or the second conveyer path. Furthermore, by appropriate use of the rerouting station, it is possible to distribute goods, which are supplied to the rerouting station by using supports for goods to be conveyed via the first conveyer path and/or via the second conveyer path, to two resultant streams of goods, by the goods supplied being selectively allocated in the rerouting station to the first or the second conveyer path for
Ridley Richard
Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck P.C.
WF Logistik GmbH
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