GB2278097A - Box tippler - Google Patents

Abstract

A box tippler comprising a loading station L at which a box to be emptied is loaded onto the box tippler, a tipping station T at which a box is tipped to discharge contents from the box, a discharge station D at which an emptied box is discharged from the box tippler, a first transfer means to transfer a box between the loading station and the tipping station and a second transfer means to transfer a box between the tipping station and the discharge station. The boxes are loaded onto a boat at L, raised, clamped and tipped and returned to L and emptied. Arms of the boat are laterally opened and the box transferred to a raisable and lowerable support for movement to D. Preferably hydraulic rams do all the movement and clamping. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: "Box Tipplers Description of Invention This invention relates to a box tippler in which a box containing articles is tipped to discharge articles from the box.

A box tippler for boxes of, for example, potatoes and carrots has to be capable of handling relatively heavy boxes typically boxes weighing one ton.

Hitherto, a forklift truck has loaded a box to be emptied onto a box tippler, the box tippler has then tipped the box to discharge articles from the box and then the forklift truck has removed the empty box. The forklift truck then fetches another box to be emptied and then loads it onto the tippler.

Whilst the forklift truck is fetching the next box the tippler is idle and this is inefficient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a box tippler which overcomes or reduces the abovementioned disadvantage.

According to the present invention, we provide a box tippler comprising a loading station at which a box to be emptied is loaded onto the box tippler, a tipping station at which a box is tipped to discharge contents from the box, a discharge station at which an emptied box is discharged from the box tippler, a first transfer means to transfer a box between the loading station and the tipping station and a second transfer means to transfer a box between the tipping station and the discharge station.

The first transfer means may transfer a loaded box from the loading station to the tipping station and the box, when emptied, from the tipping station to the loading station.

The first transfer means may transfer the box along an arcuate path from the loading station to the tipping station so as to tip a box as a result of such movement.

The second transfer means may transfer an emptied box from the loading station to the discharge station.

The second transfer means may transfer the box downwardly from the loading station to the discharge station.

The second transfer means may transfer the box rectilinearly downwardly from the loading station to the discharge station.

The first transfer means may comprise a boat adapted to be pivoted about a horizontal axis and a clamping means adapted to clamp a box against an abutment part of the boat during movement of the loaded box from the loading station to the tipping station and of the emptied box from the tipping station to the loading station.

The clamping means may be disengageable from the box to permit of the second transfer means moving the emptied box from the loading station to the discharge station.

The second transfer means may comprise a box support adapted to receive and support an emptied box at the loading station and to transfer the emptied box from the loading station to the discharge station.

In one more specific aspect of the invention, the clamping means may comprise an abutment part to engage an upwardly facing part of the box and a pair of boat arms adapted to engage the underside of a box at the loading station and to be moved upwardly to engage the upwardly facing part of the box with the abutment part, the clamping means being carried by the boat so that the upwardly facing part of the box is maintained in engagement with the abutment part during movement from the loading station to the tipping station and from the tipping station to the loading station.

The boat arms may also be movable laterally to permit the emptied box to be moved downwardly between the boat arms when the emptied box is moved from the loading station to the discharge station by the second transfer means.

The boat arms may be mounted on a carriage for said lateral movement.

The boat arms may be moved laterally relative to the carriage by fluid operated ram means.

The carriage may be mounted on the boat for rectilinear movement towards and away from the abutment part.

The carriage may be movable towards and away from the abutment part by fluid operated ram means.

In another more specific aspect of the invention the clamping means may comprise an abutment part comprising a pair of boat arms adapted to engage a downwardly facing part of a box at the loading station and a clamping member adapted to engage an upwardly facing part of the box and to be moved downwardly to clamp the downwardly facing part of the box against the abutment part, the clamping means being carried by the boat so that the downwardly facing part of the box is maintained in engagement with the abutment part during movement from the loading station to the tipping station and from the tipping station to the loading station.

The boat arms may be movable laterally to permit the emptied box to be moved downwardly between the boat arms when the emptied box is moved from the loading station to the discharge station by the second transfer means.

The boat arms may be mounted on the boat for said lateral movement.

The boat arms may be moved laterally relative to the boat by fluid operated ram means.

The clamping member may be mounted on the boat for rectilinear movement towards and away from the abutment part.

The clamping member may be movable towards and away from the abutment part by fluid operated ram means.

In both more specific aspects: The second transfer means may comprise a support adapted to engage a downwardly facing part of a box and disposed between the boat arms.

The support may be moved up and down by fluid operated ram means.

The boat may be pivoted about said horizontal axis by fluid operated ram means.

The boat may be provided with a door to prevent discharge of contents from the box when the door is closed and means to open the door to permit of discharge of contents from the box.

The door may be mounted for sliding movement relative to the boat.

The door may be slidable rectilinearly in a direction parallel to the plane at the top wall of the box.

The door may be movable by fluid operated ram means.

In said one more specific aspect of the invention the boat may be generally rectangular having a top wall providing said abutment part against which the box is clamped by the clamping means and the top wall having an opening which is closable by said door.

In the other more specific aspect of the invention the boat may be generally rectangular having a top wall which is movable relative to the boat to provide said clamping member and the movable top wall having an opening which is closable by said door.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a box tippler embodying the invention; FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the box tippler of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the box tippler of Figure 1; FIGURE 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3; FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view, to an enlarged scale, on the arrow A of Figure 3; FIGURE 6 is a section to an enlarged scale, on the line VI-VI of Figure 3; FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the box tippler of Figures 1 to 6 in use; FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic side elevation of another embodiment of box tippler embodying the invention; FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary section, with parts omitted, on the line 9-9 of Figure 8; ; FIGURE 10 is a front elevation of the box tippler of Figures 8 and 9, and FIGURE 11 is a plan view of a top wall of the box tippler of Figures 8 10.

Referring to the drawings, a box tippler 10 comprises a frame 11 having two spaced upright members 12 at the front and two spaced upright members 13 at the rear which are taller than the members 12.

At their upper ends the members 12 have horizontal rearwardly extending members 14 which are connected to the rear upright members 13 and which have brackets 15.

At their upper ends the rear upright members 13 carry bearings 16 in which pivot pins 17 of a boat 18 are pivotally mounted.

The boat 18 comprises spaced parallel side plates 20 which carry the pivot pins 17. The end plates 20 are connected together by a cross member 21 at the top front and by a cross member 22 at the top rear and bottom rear.

The top of the boat is closed by a top plate 23 and by a slidable door 24 which is movable, from the full line position shown in Figure 2 in which it is closed to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 in which it is open, by means of two hydraulic ram means 25 connected between the cross member 21 and a cross member 26 of the door 24.

At the rear of the boat are provided two vertical generally channel shaped members 27, the limbs of the channel having inturned lips 28 which partially close an open mouth 29 which faces forwardly. Received within the interior of the channel and retained therein by the lips 28 are two rollers 30 rotatably mounted on trunnions (not shown) mounted on cross members 31, 32 of a carriage 33 so that the carriage 33 is mounted for up and down vertical reciprocatory movement on the channel members 27 under the control of a pair of hydraulic ram means 34, the rams of which are connected to the carriage 33 and the cylinders of which are connected to brackets 35 connected to the upper parts of the channel members 27.

The cross members 31, 32 of the carriage 33 have a pair of boat support arms 40 mounted thereon by means of linear guide bearings 39 (Figure 6) for lateral reciprocatory movement. The arms 40 are moved by means of hydraulic rams 41 the piston rods of which are connected to an associated arm 40 and the cylinders of which are connected to an associated one of the cross members 31, 32.

Between the uprights 12, the frame 11 is provided with a pair of channel section members 50, the mouths of the channels facing each other and receiving therein a pair of rollers 51 carried on a support frame 52. The support frame 52 is connected by upwardly and inwardly inclined members 53 to a cross head member 54 which is also provided, at opposite ends, with a single roller (not shown) which is also received within the channel of the channel members 50.

The cross head member 54 is connected to the piston rod 55 of a hydraulic ram means 56 the cylinder of which is fixed to a lower cross member 57 extending between and fixed to the channel members 50. The support frame 52 carries a support 58 comprising a pair of forwardly extending support arms. If desired the support 58 may comprise a platform.

Hydraulic ram means are connected between the brackets 15 and the side plate 20 of the boat 18.

In use, a loaded box B is transported by, for example, a forklift truck, to the loading station L provided by the boat 18 so as to rest on and be supported by the boat support arms 40.

The hydraulic ram means 34 are then actuated to move the carriage 33 upwardly so that the clamping arms 40 clamp the top of the box against the underside of the top of the boat with the lid 24 in the closed position.

The hydraulic ram means 60 are then actuated to pivot the boat about a horizontal axis provided by the pivot pins 17 and bearings 16 until the boat has been rotated through an angle of, for example, 1350 to the tipping station T. The rams 25 are then actuated to open the door 24 to allow articles to fall from the box. The articles may fall onto a desired delivery position which typically may be transversely extending conveyor 61 disposed under the box and located at a level substantially equivalent to the level of the axis of pivot as shown, for example, in Figure 7.

The extent of opening of the door may be controlled to control the flow of articles from the box.

After articles have been discharged from the box, the rams 60 are again operated to return the boat 18 to its original position and hence to return the emptied box B to the loading station L.

In the meantime, a previously emptied box B1 supported on the support 58 at a discharge station D is withdrawn from the box tippler by the forklift truck and transported by the forklift truck to a desired location.

The support 58 then rises by virtue of actuation of the ram means 56 until its top surface is at a level slightly above the top surface of the boat arms 40 in their lowest position so that they are ready to receive the emptied box B as it is pivoted back to the loading station L by reverse actuation of the ram means 16 and lowering of the boat arms 40 by reverse action of ram means 34.

Whilst the forklift truck is transporting the previously emptied box B1 to the desired location and collecting the next full box to be emptied, the support arms 58 engage the box B as the boat is pivoted to the loading station.

When the box B has been supported by the support 58, the boat arms 40 are lowered fully and moved transversely outwardly by actuation of the ram means 41 so that the box B can be moved downwardly between the boat arms 40 by operation of the ram means 56 to lower the carriage 52 and hence the support 58 to move the thus emptied box B from the loading station to the discharge station.

After the emptied box B has been lowered to the discharge station, the boat arms 40 are moved towards each other again by operation of the rams 41 in the reverse direction so that they are ready to receive the next full box which the forklift truck can then lower into the apparatus at the loading station L. The sequence of operations is then repeated.

Accordingly, the box tippler does not have to stand idle whilst the forklift truck is removing an emptied box and fetching a further box to be emptied.

Another advantage of the box tippler described hereinbefore arises because the box is clamped against the top of the boat. As a result, different sizes of box, in particular different depths of box, can be presented to the receiving means, i.e.

the conveyor 61 in the present example, in exactly the same relationship. If the box were held on the boat so that the bottom of the box was maintained in a fixed relationship to the boat then, when the boat is pivoted, the distance at which articles would fall would vary. In the present invention, because the top of the box, from which articles are discharged, is maintained in a fixed relationship relative to the axis of pivot, then the distance through which articles fall onto the receiving means remains constant.

Referring now to Figures 8 to 10, a second embodiment is illustrated. A box tippler 110 comprises a frame 111 having two spaced upright members 112 at the front and two spaced upright members 113 at the rear which are taller than the members 12. At their upper ends the members 112 have horizontal rearwardly extending members 114 which are connected to the rear upright members 113 and which carry brackets 115. At their upper ends the rear upright members 113 carry bearings 116 in which pivot pins 117 of a boat 118 are pivotally mounted. The boat 118 comprises generally triangular side frame members 120. The vertical members 120a of the side frames are connected together by upper and lower cross members 121, 122 respectively.

The vertical members 120a are, in the present example, box section elements and have welded thereto a pair of plates 120b so as to form opposed vertically extending channels in which vertical members 123 of a top wall member 124 are slidably received for vertical reciprocatory movement.

The top wall member 124 comprises, in addition to the vertical members 123, horizontal forwardly extending members 125 connected to the verticals 123, and horizontal and transverse members 126a-c.

The cross-member 126a has a horizontal plate 127 fixed thereto to partially close the top wall, whilst a further plate 128 closes the space between the members 126b & c with additional longitudinally extending members 129 extending therebetween on top of the plate 128. The resultant opening 130 provides for the discharge of the container as hereinafter to be described, and is closable by a door 131 which is slidably mounted on guideways provided on the horizontal members 125 under the control of a hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement 132 connected between the door 131 and brackets 133 provided on the transverse member 126c.

The transverse member 126a has two pairs of brackets 134 to which are pivotally connected piston rods of a pair of piston and cylinder units 135, the lower ends of which are pivotally connected to brackets 136 fixed to the lower transversely extending member 122 of the boat.

The plates 127,128 are arranged to abut the upwardly facing surface of an article so as to clamp the article against an abutment means 140 now to be described.

The abutment means 140 comprises a pair of generally "L"-shaped members, one limb of each member providing a forwarding projecting arm 141 and the other limb providing a vertical member 142 connected to a slider 143 which is mounted for rectilinear lateral sliding movement on a pair of guide blocks 144 fixed to vertical members 145 extending between the upper and lower members 121, 122.

A channel section member 146 also extends between the upper and lower transverse members 121, 122 and carries brackets 147 to which the cylinders of piston and cylinder units 148 are connected, the pistons of which are connected to the vertical members 142.

A boat tilt ram 150 is pivotally connected between the brackets 115 and stub axles 151 carried by the vertical members 120 of the boat.

Between the uprights 112 the frame 111 is provided with a pair of channel section members 160 with the mouths of the channels facing each other and receiving therein a pair of rollers 161 carried on a support 162. A roller 161a runs on the outer surface of the box of each channel. A chain 163 is connected at one end to the support 162 and at its other end is connected to a transverse member 111a of the frame 111. Intermediate its ends the chain passes over a sprocket 166 connected by the piston rod 164 of a piston and cylinder device, the cylinder 165 of which is connected to a bracket 167 carried on the main frame 111.

In use, a loaded box B is transported, by for example, a fork lift truck, to the loading station L provided by the boat 118 so as to rest on and be supported by boat support arms 140. The hydraulic ram means 135 are then actuated to move the clamping means provided by the clamping member 124 downwardly so as to clamp the box B against the abutment means 140 provided by the boat support arms 141.

The hydraulic ram means 150 are then actuated to pivot the boat about a horizontal axis provided by the pivot pins 117 and bearings 116 until the boat has been rotated through an angle of, for example, 135 to the tipping station. The door opening rams 132 are then actuated to open the door 131 to allow articles to fall from the box. The articles may fall onto a desired delivery position which typically may be a transversely extending conveyor such as a conveyor 61 of the first embodiment.

The extent of opening the door may be controlled to control the flow of articles from the box.

After articles have been discharged from the box the rams 150 are again operated to return the boat 118 to its original position and hence to return the emptied box B to the loading station L. In the meantime, a previously emptied box B1 supported on the support arm 162 at a discharge station D is removed from the box tippler by the fork lift truck and transported by the fork lift truck to a desired- location. The support 162 is then raised by virtue of actuation of the ram means 165 until its top surface is at a level slightly above the top surface of the boat support arms 141 in their lowest position so that it is ready to receive the emptied box B as it is pivoted back to the loading station L.

Whilst the fork lift truck is transporting the previously emptied box B1 to its desired location and collecting the next full box to be emptied, the support 162 engages the box B as the boat is pivoted back to the loading station.

When the box B has been supported by the support 162, the clamping means 124 is raised and the boat support arms 141, from which the box has now been lifted, are moved transversely outwardly by actuation of the ram means 148 so that the box B can be moved downwardly between the boat support arms 140 by operation of the ram means 165 to lower the support 162 to move the thus emptied box B from the loading station to the discharge station.

After the emptied box B has been lowered to the discharged station D, the boat support arms 141 are moved towards each other again by operation of the rams 148 in the reverse direction so that they are ready to receive the next full box which the fork lift truck can then lower into the operators at the loading station L. The sequence of operation is then repeated.

Accordingly, the box tippler does not have to stand idle whilst the fork lift truck is removing an emptied box and fetching a further box to be emptied.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in the terms or means for performing the desired function, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (32)

CLAIMS:

1. A box tippler comprising a loading station at which a box to be emptied is loaded onto the box tippler, a tipping station at which a box is tipped to discharge contents from the box, a discharge station at which an emptied box is discharged from the box tippler, a first transfer means to transfer a box between the loading station and the tipping station and a second transfer means to transfer a box between the tipping station and the discharge station.

2. A box tippler according to claim 1 wherein the first transfer means transfers a loaded box from the loading station to the tipping station and the box, when emptied, from the tipping station to the loading station.

3. A box tippler according to claim 2 wherein the first transfer means transfers the box along an arcuate path from the loading station to the tipping station so as to tip a box as a result of such movement.

4. A box tippler according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second transfer means transfers an emptied box from the loading station to the discharge station.

5. A box tippler according to claim 4 wherein the second transfer means transfers the box downwardly from the loading station to the discharge station.

6. A box tippler according to claim 5 wherein the second transfer means transfers the box rectilinearly downwardly from the loading station to the discharge station.

7. A box tippler according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first transfer means comprises a boat adapted to be pivoted about a horizontal axis and a clamping means adapted to clamp a box against an abutment part of the boat.

8. A box tippler according to claim 7 wherein the clamping means is disengageable from the box to permit of the second transfer means moving the emptied box from the loading station to the discharge station.

9. A box tippler according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second transfer means comprises a box support adapted to receive and support an emptied box at the loading station and to transfer the emptied box from the loading station to the discharge station.

10. A box tippler according to claim 7 or claim 8 or claim 9 when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 7 wherein the clamping means is carried by the boat and comprises an abutment part to engage an upwardly facing part of the box and a pair of boat arms adapted to engage the underside of a box at the loading station and to be moved upwardly to engage the upwardly facing part of the box with the abutment part.

11. A box tippler according to claim 10 wherein The boat arms are also movable laterally to permit the emptied box to be moved downwardly between the boat arms when the emptied box is moved from the loading station to the discharge station by the second transfer means.

12. A box tippler according to claim 11 wherein the boat arms are mounted on a carriage for said lateral movement.

13. A box tippler according to claim 12 wherein the boat arms are moved laterally relative to the carriage by fluid operated ram means.

14. A box tippler according to claim 12 or claim 13 wherein the carriage is mounted on the boat for rectilinear movement towards and away from the abutment part.

15. A box tippler according to claim 14 wherein the carriage is movable towards and away from the abutment part by fluid operated ram means.

16. A box tippler according to claim 7 or claim 8 or claim 9 when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 7 wherein the clamping means is carried by the boat and comprises an abutment part comprising a pair of boat arms adapted to engage a downwardly facing part of a box at the loading station and a clamping member adapted to engage an upwardly facing part of the box and to be moved downwardly to clamp the downwardly facing part of the box against the abutment part.

17. A box tippler according to claim 16 wherein the boat arms are movable laterally to permit the emptied box to be moved downwardly between the boat arms when the emptied box is moved from the loading station to the discharge station by the second transfer means.

18. A box tippler according to claim 17 wherein the boat arms are mounted on the boat for said lateral movement.

19. A box tippler according to claim 18 wherein the boat arms are moved laterally relative to the boat by fluid operated ram means.

20. A box tippler according to any one of claims 16 to 19 wherein the clamping member is mounted on the boat for rectilinear movement towards and away from the abutment part.

21. A box tippler according to claim 20 wherein the clamping member is movable towards and away from the abutment part by fluid operated ram means.

22. A box tippler according to any one of claims 10 to 21 wherein the second transfer means comprises a support adapted to engage a downwardly facing part of a box and disposed between the boat arms.

23. A box tippler according to claim 22 wherein the support is moved up and down by fluid operated ram means.

24. A box tippler according to claim 7 or any one of claims 8 to 23 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 7 wherein the boat is pivoted about said horizontal axis by fluid operated ram means.

25. A box tippler according to claim 7 or any one of claims 8 to to 24 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 7 wherein the boat is provided with a door to prevent discharge of contents from the box when the door is closed and means to open the door to permit of discharge of contents from the box.

26. A box tippler according to claim 25 wherein the door is mounted for sliding movement relative to the boat.

27. A box tippler according to claim 26 wherein the door is slidable rectilinearly in a direction parallel to the plane at the top wall of the box.

28. A box tippler according to claim 26 or claim 27 wherein the door is movable by fluid operated ram means.

29. A box tippler according to any one of claims 10 to 15 or any one of claims 22 to 28 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 10 wherein the boat is generally rectangular having a top wall providing said abutment part against which the box is clamped by the clamping means and the top wall having an opening which is closable by said door.

30. A box tippler according to any one of claims 16 to 21, or any one of claims 22 to 28 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 10 wherein the boat is generally rectangular having a top wall which is movable relative to the boat to provide said clamping member and the movable top wall having an opening which is closable by said door.

31. A box tippler substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7 or Figs. 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

32. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.