GB2126556A

GB2126556A - A transfer station for intersecting conveyors

Info

Publication number: GB2126556A
Application number: GB08323413A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rainer Graber
Original assignee: Mannesmann AG
Current assignee: Vodafone GmbH
Priority date: 1982-09-03
Filing date: 1983-09-01
Publication date: 1984-03-28
Also published as: DE3232764C2; IT1168279B; IT8322766A0; SE8304491L; GB2126556B; GB8323413D0; SE8304491D0; DE3232764A1

Abstract

<IMAGE> <H0> A transfer station for intersecting conveyors </H0> A transfer station 3 has longer support rollers 4 pertaining to the direction of a conveyor track 1 and, between these, roller holders 18 for shorter support rollers 5 pertaining to the direction of a conveyor track 2. A motor 19 driving cam discs 10 and 11 with opposing flattened portions for the alternate lowering of the support roller 4 or the small support rollers 5. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Conveyors It is known to transfer goods, for example airfreight containers, from one conveyortrackto another conveyor track using separate roller systems on individual movable support frames which are respectively raisable and lowerable and drivable relative to each other. A similar arrangement may also be used where conveyor tracks intersect, the intersection being provided with longer rolls pertaining to one track and shorter rolls arranged between them per taining tothe othertrack. When transferring goods from one system to the other, the rollers are raised and lowered alternately, the material to be conveyed also partaking in this rising and lowering movement.

To raise and lower airfreight containers which can weigh up to 15t, two motors each having a power requirement of 1.5 kW are needed, making the energy consumption considerable in an airfreightdistributing system of average size containing from 10 to 20 transfer stations. Another disadvantage lies in the fact thatthe transporting systems must be of differing heights.

The present proposal therefore seeks to overcome these problems in such awaythatenergyconsumption is low and yet a load may be conveyed in a longitudinal and transverse direction at a high level.

This is achieved by supporting each roller support frame on cam discs provided with flattened peripheral portions. The flattened portion of the cam disc for one support frame is offset relative to that of the cam disc for the other support frame, and the cam discs of the two support frames can be driven together. Ofthetwo cam discs, one always holds its supportframe for one conveying direction atthe upper level, while the other cam disc lowers the othersupportframeforthe other conveying direction and is therefore allowed to be ineffective. Byfurtherturning the two cam discs, the Iowersupportframe is initially raised and the other then lowered.During this changeover, the two sup portframes are temporarily in the upper position and together bear the material to be conveyed until one of the supportframes is lowered. In this way, the goods to be conveyed can be changed overfrom one conveying direction to the other without having to be raised or lowered. Conveniently, the flattened portion on each disc extends through substantially 1 80" so that one rotation moves a frame from the lowered to the raised position.

The supportframes may be provided with vertical guides which prevent lateral movement ofthe support frame relative to the adjacent conveyor tracks. The two can discs may be circular in design over a total region of at least 3600, and the cam discs ofthe two systems can have different roller radii forthe short support rollers. The transitions from the arc-shaped bearing surfaces of the cam discs are preferably rounded so that a rounding of one cam disc begins where the rolling radius of the other cam disc is still effective.

In a practical embodiment there is a group of cam disc pairs, and the cam discs for one of the support frames may have greaterflattened portions than the other cam discs. These greaterflattened portions allow a greater lowering pathforthesupportframe which, in the raised position, projects beyond the level of the conveyor tracks and therefore forms guide rails for the goods to be conveyed. The cam discs are preferably arranged at the corners of the support frame and are connected to each other and to a drive motor by means of shafts and toothed wheels arranged rigidly thereon and roller chains.

The supportframe pertaining to a first conveying track preferably bears longer support rollers between which shortersupport rollers are mounted in roller holders for a track crossing the first track, and a track branching from it. Holders for the short rollers are supported on theircommon supportframe and the supportframes forthe longersupport rollers are arranged in front oftheirface ends and form the above-mentioned guides in the raised position.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan isa planviewofatransferstation, Figure 2 is an elevation looking in direction A, Figure 3 is a fragment taken from Figure 2, but showing the short support rollers raised, Figure 4 shows a driving mechanism for the small support rollers, Figure 5 is an elevation looking in the direction of arrow B in Figure 2, to an enlarged scale with raised longer support rollers, Figure 6 is a view looking in the direction of arrow X in Figure 5, Figure7 is a viewsimilarto Figu re 5 but with the shorter support rollers raised, Figure 8 is a view looking the direction Yin Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings, goods are conveyed along two intersecting roller conveyors (not illustrated in detail) in the directions 1 and 2. To enable goods to continue along either path orto be switched from either path to the other, a transfer station is provided between the two conveyors. The station may constitute a seperate unit or be incorporated into the frames of the conveyors to suit individual requirements.

The station comprises independentsupportframes 12 and 13, the former being equipped with longer rollers 4 and the latterwith shorter rollers 5. Goods following path 1 travel on the rollers 4, and those following path 2travel on rollers 5. The rollers 5 are mounted individually by holders 18, whereas the rollers 4 extend between bearings 16 in the cheeks of the frame 12.

The rollers 4 are drivable from an electric motor 21 through a chain 22 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The shorter rollers 5 are drivable through further chains 22 from a further motor 21 shown in Figure 4, the chains being arranged alternately on either side of the shorter rollers.

For bringing the transfer station into operation, an actuating mechanism is provided which includes a motor 19, shown in Figure 1 in which the rollers and bearing face have been broken away. Respective chains 20 are used to enable the motor20to drive two chain wheels 9 fixed on respective shafts 8, together with a pairof cam discs 10 and 11.Theshafts8 are supported in bearing blocks 7 on a base plate 6.

The cam discs are adapted as will be described shortlyto raise and lowerthe frames in guides 23. For this purpose, the cam discs 10 and 11 on each of the shafts 8 have flattened peripheral portions, the flattened portion of one disc being opposite that of the other, and each flattened portion being offset th rough substantially 1800 relative to the other. Each ofthe cam discs 10 acts through followersupport rollers 14a on the support frame for the shorter roller holders, while each ofthe cam discs 11 acts through follower rollers on the otherframe.

Thus, in Figures Sand 6, the cam discs 10with their flattened surfaces uppermost hold in its lower position the frame with the shorter roller holders 18 for the rollers 5, whilethe cam discs 11 with the solid radii at the top keep the support frame 1 2 with roller bearings 16forthelongersupportroilers4raised.

In the alternative extreme position as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the flattened portions 11 b ofthecam discs 11 have lowered thesupportframe 12 with the longer support rollers 4 via the small support rollers 14. The cam discs 10 with the effective bearing surface 1 Oa uppermost via support rollers 14a, keep the shorter roller holders 18 and shorter bearing rollers 5 at the level at which the support rollers4 previously were.

Figures 6 and 8 showthe cam discs 10 and 11 with their bearing surfaces 1 ova and 1 1a and the flattened peripheral portions 1 0b and 11 band the shorter support rollers 14 and 14a of the supportframe 12 and 13 rolling on the bearing surfaces 10a and 1 lea as well as the transitional roundings. These begin at the smaller cam disc 10 after a bearing surface radius 1 Oa of 270 and with the larger cam disc 11 after a bearing surface radius 1 1a of 120', so that an overlap of 15 is present in each case (270 + 120 = 390 - 360" = 30 : 2=15).

Claims

1. A transfer station for goods to be conveyed from one conveyor track to another conveyor track, includ ing two roller systems each having a respective support frame, both frames being supported on cam discs provided with flattened peripheral portions, the flattened portions of the discs for one frame being offset relative to those of the other cam discs, the cam discs of both frames being drivable together.

2. Atransferstation according to claim 1, wherein the flattened portion of each cam disc is offset substantially 1 80" relative to that of the other.

3. A transfer station according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the support frames are provided with follower rollers bearing against the cam discs and rolling on the bearing surfaces thereof.

4. Atransferstation according to claim 3,wherein the two cam discs are circular over a total region of at least 3600, the cam discs ofthetwo systems having different rolling radiiforthefollowerrollers.

5. Atransfer station according to claim 3, wherein the transitions from the arc-shaped bearing surfaces ofthetwo cam discs on the flattened portions are rounded.

6. Atransfer station according to claims 4 and 5, wherein the roller radius of the small cam disc is 270 up to the roundings of the flattened portion and is 1 20" with the large cam discwith the more marked flattened portion.

7. A transfer station according to claim 1, wherein the cam discs are arranged on the four corners ofthe support frame and are joined together and to a rotary motor by shafts and toothed wheels arranged rigidly thereon and roller chains.

8. Atransferstation according to Claim 1, wherein the supportframe for one conveying direction bears longer support rollers between which there are mounted shorter support rollers in roller holders for a direction crossing the conveying direction ofthe support rollers or a direction branching from it.

9. Atransferstation according to claim 7, wherein the shorter roller holders are supported on their common supportframe.

10. Atransfer station according to claim 1, wherein the support frame for longer support rollers is arranged upstream oftheirface ends.

11. Atransferstation according to claim 9, wherein the supportframeforthe longer rollers projects upwards beyond the longer support rolls.

12. A transfer station according to Claim 1, wherein the support frames are provided with vertical guides.

13. Atransfer station as described and illustrated herein.

14. Aconveyorsystem including two tracks which intersect, there being provided at the point of intersection two roller systems each having a respective support frame, both frames being supported on cam discs provided with flattened peripheral portions, the flattened portions ofthe discs for one frame being offset relative to those of the other cam discs, the cam discs of both frames being drivable together.