HK1018434A - Conveyor device for shelf channels in shelf-storage systems - Google Patents

Description

Transportation device for goods shelf channel of goods shelf type warehouse facility

The present invention relates to a transport device for rack storage facilities' rack ways as described in the preamble of claim 1.

The transport devices for rack aisles of rack-type warehouse facilities of the type mentioned here usually have two parallel, circularly revolving conveyors with which goods can be loaded and unloaded into and out of the respective aisle. The transfer device is not driven but is moved by a discharge vehicle, such as a forklift, during loading and unloading of the goods. Usually, half of the conveyor is designed as a roller chain or carrier roller chain, while the other half is made of wire ropes, which connect the roller chains to form an endless revolving conveyor. Such a configuration reduces both the cost and the weight of the conveyor as compared to a conveyor designed with a roller chain around its entire circumference.

Since the two conveyors of a rack aisle are not coupled to one another, there is the risk that the two conveyors move relative to one another. The reasons for this movement are: the first pallet is placed obliquely and/or dislocated on the current conveyor when the goods are loaded; or the following steps: the last tray is removed obliquely or in a dislocation. Over time, such errors can lead to increased relative misalignment between the two conveyors, which can ultimately lead to the load no longer being placed only on the roller chain, but on the wire rope on one side. It goes without saying that this phenomenon is undesirable and can cause operational malfunctions and breakdowns.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a transport device for a rack aisle of a rack-type warehouse facility, which can be returned to its initial state determined in time when the last pallet is removed, so that the two transport devices are aligned with one another both relatively and absolutely.

The object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

In the case of a transport device designed according to the invention, the transport device is pulled up to an end stop when the last pallet is removed. Thereafter, the last pallet can be pulled off the roller chain with considerable ease, since the last chain link has a smooth surface. After the last tray is removed, the two conveyors are aligned in parallel. When a new pallet is loaded, it slides over the link with smooth surface until it rests on the toggle member arranged in the initial range of the pallet push-in side of the conveyor concerned. Then, both conveyors are carried by the pallet.

Preferred embodiments of the transport device specified in claim 1 are briefly described in the dependent claims 2 to 9.

In order to ensure that the two conveyors are not carried along by the pushed-in tray before it rests on the toggle element, a stop element is provided in a preferred embodiment, which can position the transport devices in the end position.

In a further preferred embodiment, in the end region of the discharge side of each rack channel, a stationary slideway is provided, the upper edge of which extends at least partially over the link with the smooth surface. Preferably, the upper side of the ramp extends at least partially under the part of the conveying mechanism that ensures non-rigid coupling between the roller chain and the pallet. With a slide of the kind described above, when the last pallet is discharged, the roller chain is carried with it until the last chain link with the non-rigid coupling settles down at the turning point. In this way, after the last tray is discharged, the two conveyors are again aligned parallel to each other.

The slide of the type described above has a further advantage: after the removal of the foremost pallet, the conveyor in operation, or the foremost pallet at this time, can be removed on the chute without the risk of the loaded goods being removed beyond the end of the rack.

An embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Illustrated in the drawings are:

FIG. 1a is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conveyor of a rack aisle;

FIG. 1b is an enlarged view of a portion of the conveyor shown in FIG. 1a with the last tray removed;

fig. 2a is a detailed view of the first embodiment of the transfer device in the region of the turning point on the discharge side;

fig. 2b is a detailed view of the second embodiment of the conveyor in the region of the turning point on the discharge side.

Fig. 1a shows a schematic longitudinal section of a conveyor 2 of a transport device 1, which is used in a rack aisle of a rack-type warehouse facility.

In order to be able to load and unload the goods in succession in the rack channels, each rack channel is assigned a transport device 1 which is essentially composed of two parallel, endless conveyors 2. The schematically depicted carrier roller chain 3 is provided as a real carrier element of the above-mentioned conveyor 2. To optimize the production costs and the weight of the device, only approximately half of the conveyor 2 is designed as a roller chain 3. The other half of which is made of a wire rope 4 fixed to the two terminal links of the roller chain 3. To effect the turning of the conveyor 2, a front turning device 5 facing the discharge side of the rack aisle and a rear turning device 6 facing away from the discharge side of the rack aisle are provided. By means of the two deflection devices 5, 6, the conveyor 3 is divided into an upper and a lower return path 7, 8. A guide rail, which is not shown in the drawing, is provided as a raceway for the upper run 7. The lower run 8 of the roller chain 3 is supported below the guide rail by components not shown in detail. In the area of the deflecting device 5 on the pallet insertion side, a chute 10 is provided, which is important for loading and unloading goods.

At the beginning of the insertion side, the roller chain 3 is provided with a corner piece 12 which serves as a stop and against which the first pallet rests during insertion, so that a non-rigid connection between the pallet and the conveyor 2 is ensured.

Some of the chain links preceding the corner pieces 12 are provided with toggle elements 13, which are designed as projections to ensure a non-rigid coupling between the pallet and the roller chain when the last pallet is removed. In order to ensure a non-rigid coupling between the pallets and the conveyor 2, all carried on the roller chain 3, each chain link is provided with a pointed projection on the upper side. However, the links between the toggle member 13 and the stop 12 all have a smooth surface. The structure of the diagonal member 12 and the toggle member 13 will be explained in more detail below with reference to fig. 2a and 2 b. The chute 10, which is arranged in the region of the push-in side deflection 5, preferably surrounds the respective conveyor 2 on both sides.

In the end region of the tray insertion side, the conveying device is provided with an end stop 15 which cooperates with a fixedly mounted buffer 16 and limits the travel of the roller chain 3 in the discharge direction.

Fig. 1b shows an enlarged view of the region of the discharge-side deflection device of the conveyor 2 shown in fig. 1a, the conveyor 2 also being shown only schematically. The operation of the transport device when the last pallet is removed is explained in more detail on the basis of this figure, for which purpose the transport device is intended in this embodiment for such pallets, the floors of which are not connected to one another in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor.

When the last pallet is discharged, the conveyor 2 is carried along by the pallet until the central bottom B2 of the pallet leaves the roller chain 3 and reaches the ramp 10. Since the last few links of the roller chain 3 between the toggle member 13 and the stop 12 each have a smooth surface, the non-rigid coupling between the pallet P and the roller chain 3 is completely eliminated when only the last base plate B1 is still on the roller chain 3. Thus, the pallet P on the roller chain 3 can slide forward. However, as soon as the last base plate B1 comes to rest against the toggle member 13, the non-rigid coupling is immediately restored and the roller chain 3 is again brought into play. As the roller chain 3 is driven further forward, the toggle part settles down at the diverting device 5 on the discharge side, so that the non-rigid coupling between the pallet P and the roller chain 3 is absolutely eliminated. By means of the kinetic energy, the roller chain 3 continues to advance until the end stop 15 comes to rest against the buffer 16 (fig. 1 a).

Fig. 2a shows a double enlarged schematic view of a preferred form of the conveyor in the region of the discharge-side turning device, where the conveyor is drawn in the end position adjacent to the discharge side.

The illustrated transport device 1 is particularly suitable for transporting pallets provided with a continuous bottom BB. As can be seen from this figure, the first link 3A on the pallet insertion side is provided with a corner piece 12; the last four links 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D all have smooth surfaces; the remaining links are provided with pointed projections 9 for ensuring a non-rigid coupling. The surface of the ramp 10 arranged in the region of the front deflection device 5 extends a few millimeters above the upper side of the roller chain 3 or of the links 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D with a smooth surface. On the other hand, the pointed protrusion 9A is higher than the surface of the chute 10. The effect of this design is: the roller chain 3 is carried along for a while when the pallet P is unloaded, until the last chain link provided with a tip settles downwards at the deflection means 5. The roller chain 3 then continues to run driven by kinetic energy until its end stop.

When the first pallet is pushed in, the roller chain 3 is not carried along for a while by means of the slide 10 until the pallet P rests on the corner fitting 12.

Instead of the horizontally running ramp 10 shown in the figures, it is of course also possible to provide a ramp 10A which runs obliquely or is provided with a ramp in the starting section.

Fig. 2b shows a further embodiment of the transport device shown in fig. 2 a. In this embodiment, the upper side of the ramp 10A extends to a height approximately equal to the upper side of the last smooth surfaced link 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D. In order to stop the conveyor 2 in the end position, a catch 20 is provided, which is rotatably mounted on the first chain link 3A. When the roller chain 3 is in the end position shown in the figure, the pawl 20 engages with its detent shoulder 20A in a recess 22 formed in the slideway 10A. By means of the claw 20, it is ensured that the first pallet P is guided away from the slide 10A or from the smooth surface of the chain link during loading, without the roller chain 3 being carried along.

Only when the pallet P rests with its end faces on the catches 20 is the catch rotated about the axis of rotation by its inclined end face facing the pallet P, so that the detent shoulder 20A rises in the direction indicated by the arrow 21 and is released from the recess 22. The roller chain 3 is then carried by the pallet P, the jaws 20 acting as toggle members.

In order to ensure a non-rigid coupling between the pallet and the roller chain 3 when the last pallet is unloaded, after the central bottom B2 of the pallet leaves the roller chain 3, a toggle member 13 is arranged on the chain link connected to the chain link having a smooth surface.

Claims (9)

1. Transport device (1) for rack aisles in rack-type warehouse facilities, provided with two parallel, circularly running conveyors (2) for receiving the goods (G) to be loaded, which are placed on pallets (P), whereby the conveyors (2) are designed partly as roller chains or carrier roller chains (3), the ends of which are connected to each other by means of a wire rope (4); the two roller chains (3) are equipped, on their upper side, with means (9) to ensure a non-rigid coupling between the conveyor (2) and the pallet (P), characterized in that: a plurality of links (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) having a smooth surface are arranged in the end region of the discharge side of each roller chain (3); each conveyor (2) is provided with an end stop (15,16) which limits the travel of the roller chain (3) in the discharge direction; the two conveyors (2) are each provided with a toggle part (12, 19) in the starting section of the tray pushing-in side thereof, which toggle parts ensure a rigid and/or non-rigid coupling between the conveyors (2) and the first tray (P) to be loaded in the tray pushing-in direction.

2. A transport device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: each conveyor (2) is provided with a brake element (20, 20A) which can stop the relevant conveyor (2) in an initial position.

3. A transport device (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: a rotatably mounted pawl (20) is provided as a detent element, which is provided with a detent element (20A) and is intended to cooperate with a recess or recess 22 formed in a carrier element.

4. A transport unit (1) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: the catch (20) is arranged on the last chain link (3A) in the discharge direction, wherein the catch (20) extends beyond the last chain link (3A) to such an extent that the first pallet (P) to be loaded rests on the catch (20) during insertion and the catch rotates in order to release its catch part (20A) from the recess (22), so that the conveyor (2) can be moved.

5. A transportation device (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: the chain link (3E) associated with the last chain link (3D) with a smooth surface in the discharge direction is provided with a projection (13) in order to ensure a non-rigid coupling between the pallet (P) and the conveyor (2).

6. A transportation device (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: in the end region of the discharge side of each rack channel, a stationary slide (10) is provided, the upper side of which extends at least partially above the links (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) with smooth surfaces.

7. A transportation unit (1) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: the upper edge of the stationary ramp (10) extends at least partially below the upper side of the mechanism (9A), thereby ensuring a non-rigid coupling between the roller chain (3) and the pallet (P).

8. A transportation device (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: the mechanism provided for ensuring a non-rigid coupling between the roller chain (3) and the pallet (P) is designed as a pointed projection (9, 9A).

9. A transportation device (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: at least the first four links (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) are smooth-surfaced, viewed in the direction of insertion of the pallet.