WO1988007014A1

WO1988007014A1 - Handling device for pallets

Info

Publication number: WO1988007014A1
Application number: PCT/SE1987/000129
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anders Lindell; Hans Werner Siebert
Original assignee: TRI TEKNIK AB
Current assignee: TRI TEKNIK AB
Priority date: 1985-09-20
Filing date: 1987-03-12
Publication date: 1988-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-12

Abstract

Handling device for pallets (12), upon which e.g. components are stored and transported to a converting machine, assembly station or the similar in which the components are picked by help of a robot or the similar from the pallets (12), including one or a plurality of pallet platforms (3) with pallets (12), and upon which the pallets (12) are displaceable arranged in lines extending in two mutually normal directions. Respective pallet platform (3) shows an outfeed and an infeed side which are mutually opposite and parallel. At least one picking section (10, 20) is arranged extending between the outfeed side and the infeed side on the same level as each pallet platform (3) when components are to be picked from or to the pallets (12) upon this platform. Feeding means (8, 21, 23, 25) are arranged at the sides of the pallet platform (3), by help of which pallets (12) can be displaced from the pallet platform (3) to the picking section (10, 20).

Description

HANDLING DEVICE FOR PALLETS

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention concerns a handling device for pallets upon which e.g. components are stored and transported to a converting machine, assembly station or the similar, at which the components are picked by help of a robot or the similar from the pallets, including one or a plurality of pallet platforms, which are complete filled up with pallets, and upon which pallets are dis- placeably arranged in lines extending in two mutually normal directions. BACKGROUND TECHNICS

At automation feeding of converting machines, assembly stations or the similar with components whic are to be shaped or assembled, e.g. a robot is utilized by help of which the components are picked from a buffer store showing a defined picking location. The components as a rule are furnished to the buffer store by hand from load carriers e.g. in the shape of pallets and transpor¬ ting boxes. The components are stored before and after the shaping upon these pallets or in transporting boxes in separate storage rooms.

A drawback whith the up to now known way to pro- vide picking robots with components is that usually a manual transloading must be done between the load car¬ rier, upon which the components have been transported from the storage room, and the buffer store which is con¬ nected to the picking station. "Another drawback is that the picking robot must be programmed with a great number of picking positions corresponding the number of compo¬ nents. When the memory of the picking robot is utilized, e.g. with complex assembling motions, the great number of picking positions demand for an extra large capacity in the memory of the robot by help of which the picking is controlled.

From the Swedish patent publication no SE-C- 30 682 a magazine is known for serving conver¬ ting machines by help of a robot. Article which are to be shaped are furnished upon pallets upon a first conveyor. A robot collects an article from a pallet upon this, and places the same in the converting machine. After that the robot collects the shaped article and places it upon a pallet upon a second conveyor. At this the robot must keep in mind a great number of picking positions as well vertically as horisontally. The robot is connected to an empty pallet and moves this from the first to the second conveyor.

A drawback with the magazine according to SE-C- 30 682 is that the robot must move the pallets from the first to the second conveyor. Another drawback is that the pallets at storing in a storage room on one hand must be lifted up upon the first conveyor when supplying pallets and on the other hand must be lifted off from the second conveyor and placed upon another pallet or the si¬ milar for transporting to an storing in the storage room. Another drawback is that the great number of picking po¬ sitions at the locactions for collecting respective dis¬ position. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose with the present invention is to achive a handling device for pallets which not shows the drawbacks as at the known devices. The purpose has been achived by help of a handling device for pallets, upon which e.g. components are stored and transported to a converting machine, assembly station or the similar, in which the components are picked by help of a robot or the similar from the pallets, including one or more above each other arranged pallet platforms along which the pal¬ lets are displaceably arranged in lines extending in two mutally normal directions. Each pallet platform is rec- tangular or square and complete filled up with likewise rectangular or square pallets and showing an outfeed side and an infeed side, which are mutually opposite and parallel.

The invention is characterized in that the pal¬ let platforms are vertically adjustable arranged relative to a picking section by help of a lifting device so that they each can be brought on the same level as the picking section, that the picking section is arranged extending between the outfeed side and the infeed side on the ac¬ tual pallet platform, and that feeding means are arranged at the sides of the pallet platform, by help of which pallets can be displaced from the pallet platform to the picking section along the outfeed side, or from the pic¬ king section to the pallet platform along the infeed side.

Preferably a feeding means is travelling along the outfeed respective infeed side of the pallet plat¬ form and provided with a carrier means, which can be brought in at a pallet, or between two adjacent pallets, in the pallet line close to the feeding means and bring this to move at least one length of a pallet in the tra- veiling direction along the outfeed respective infeed side along the pallet platform. Each feeding means also can be moved in a right angle to its travelling direction and bring a line of pallets, which extends normal to the travelling direction, to move at least one length of a pallet in its length direction along the outfeed respective infeed side of the pallet platform.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention a first feeding means is movable along the outfeed side of the pallet platform and provided with a carrier means, by help of which pallets can be fed out to the picking sec¬ tion. A second feeding means is movable along the infeed side of the pallet platform and provided with a pushing means, by help of which pallets can be fed in to the pal¬ let platform from the picking section.-A third feeding means is arranged at the infeed side of the pallet plat¬ form and movable normal to the infeed respective outfeed side and provided with a pushing means by help of which pallets can be fed from the infeed side to the outfeed side.

In a preferred type of the invention the picking section is constituted by a picking platform, which shows a picking location at one end of the platform, close to a first corner of the pallet platform, and a holding point at the other end of the platform, close to a second cor¬ ner on the same side as the first corner on the pallet platform. The picking platform can include a transporting device by help of which the pallets can be transported from the picking location to the holding point. The pic¬ king section also can be constituted by a picking con¬ veyor extending in a loop along the pallet platform. The pallet platform also can be arranged upon a load carrier, which is disposed upon the lifting device close to the picking section during picking of articles from the pal¬ lets, e.g. for shaping, at which the load carrier can be moved e.g. to a storage room when no articles are picked from the pallets for shaping. Each pallet is constituted by a flat plate, the lower side of which, resting against the pallet platform, shows a projection extending around the pallet. When the pallets are placed close to each other upon the pallet platform grooves will originate by the projection between the upper parts of the pallets. When moving the pallets in the travelling direction of the feeding means the car¬ rier means is brought down in the groove between the up¬ per parts of the pallets. The upper part can be provided with cavities in which components to be shaped or assem- bled are kept in a fix position.

When picking components from a pallet platform by help of a device including a picking platform a pallet adjacent to the picking location on the picking platform is brought to move to the picking location by help of the feeding means. After components have been picked from the pallet this is transferred to the holding point on the picking platform. In order to return the pallet to the original pallet platform a pallet position must be made free close to the holding point. This will be done by moving pallets in two mutually parallel rows along the sides of the pallet platform at the feeding means and a row normal to these are moved in the way that an empty pallet position arises close to the holding point. The procedure is repeted until the components are picked off from all pallets.

When picking components from a pallet section constituted by a picking conveyor the pallet nearest the picking conveyor is moved out to this by help of the fee¬ ding means at the outfeed side of the pallet platform. The pallet is moved on the picking conveyor to one or more picking stations from which it is brought back to the picking platform by help of the feeding means which is located at the end of the infeed side of the pallet platform. Pallets which have been located along the in¬ feed side before that has been moved one pallet step nor¬ mal to the outfeed side by which space will be free along the infeed side of the pallet platform.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the picking of components only is done from certain pal¬ lets on the pallet platform. The pallets on the pallet platform in this alternative are numbered and their posi- tion on the pallet platform is known on forehand. By help of a dator each changes in the position of the pallets on the pallet platform is registrated, by which picking only is done from the on forehand intended pallets.

By the present invention a device has been pro- vided by help of which components can be stored in a storage room as well as placed in a buffer storage for picking components by help of a robot or the similar whithout moving the components between different load carriers. A semi-finished prυduct never must leave its place on the load carrier before it will be picked to the first shaping respective after it has been brought back to the pallet for the storage in the storage room. The device according to the invention provides a system as well for storing of semis or assembled components as for providing these components to shaping respective assembly stations whithout the components have to leave its posi- tion on the pallet except for shaping or assembling. DESCRIPTION TO DRAWINGS

The invention is described below in form of an embodiment in connection to drawings enclosed.

Figure 1 shows schematically a complete pallet handling device according to the invention in a perspec¬ tive.

Figure 2 shows a pile including four pallet platforms arranged upon another pallet.

Figure 3 shows a pallet intended for handling of one single component.

Figure 4 shows a pallet intended for handling of sixteen components.

Figure 5 shows a schedule for the movement of the pallets between a pallet platform and a picking platform which is a part of the pallet handling device.

Figure 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the device according to figure 1.

A pallet handling device according to figure 1 for feeding a robot-serwed shaping station includes a vertically movable lifting table 1 upon which a pallet 2 is placed. The pallet 2 carries a pile of pallet plat¬ forms including four mutually parallel and horisontal pallet platforms 3, which is closer shown on figure 2, at which each pallet platform 3 is carried by two vertical uprights 4 arranged at two opposite sides of the pallet 2. Each pallet platform 3- is surrounded by *a rim 5 show¬ ing two openings 6 situated at one and the same side of the pallet platform 3 each close to a corner of the same.

The lifting table 1 shows an outfeed side, along which pallets 12 are fed out from the pallet platform 3, and an infeed side, along which pallets 12 are fed into the pallet platform 3- The outfeed respective infeed side are mutually oposite and parallel. At the outfeed respec¬ tive infeed side of the pallet platform 3 a handling unit is arranged, comprising a base 7, extending along the outfeed respective infeed side, in the length direction of the same a feeding head 8 is travelling. The two bases

7 are mutally parallel and extending along each other. Also the feeding head 8 is movable normal to the travel¬ ling direction on the base 7 and carrying a carrier arm 9 extending in the feeding direction of the feeding head 8. A picking platform 10 is arranged on posts 11 at one end of the bases 7. The feeding head 8 respective the carrier arm 9 can be brought in contact with pallets 12, which are situated in adjacent lines along the side of the pallet platform 3 and thereby move the nearest line parallel to the travelling direction of the feeding head

8 or the lines normal to this one in a direction normal to the travelling direction of the feeding head 8. At the parallel movement of the pallet lines at the outfeed res¬ pective infeed side a pallet 12 is moved out to respecti- ve away from the picking platform 10. Pallets 12 in a pallet line normal to the outfeed respective infeed side after that is moved out to the outfeed side of the pallet platform. The picking platform 10 is mainly rectangular and extending between the opposite sides of the bases 7. The left end of the picking platform 10, according to figure 1 , constitutes a picking location while its right end constitutes a holding point. According to same figure 1 the picking location and the holding point, respective the outfeed side and the infeed side change places. In the picking location a handling robot can catch compo¬ nents from one pallet 12 at a time and bring it into e.g. a converting machine. The handling robot is not shown on the figures .

On each pallet platform 3 according to figure 1 , pallets 12 are arranged and movable in two mutally normal directions, i.e. partly in the travelling direction of the feeding head 8 along the base 7 and partly in the moving direction of the feeding head 8. The pallet 12 is constituted by a flat plate the lower side of which, res¬ ting against the pallet platform 3, shows a projection 13 surrounding the pallet 12. When the pallets 12 are dis- posed close to each other upon the pallet platform 3 a groove 14 is obtained between the upper parts 15 of the pallets 12 through the projection 13- The upper part 15 is provided with cavities T6 In which components to be shaped are kept in place. The pallets 12, shown on figure 1, are proposed to carry four components, while the pal¬ let 12, shown on figure 3, is proposed for one component and the pallet 12 shown on figure 4, is proposed for sixteen components .

An example of moving pallets 12, according to figure 1, within a pallet platform 3, respective between this pallet platform 3 and the picking platform 10, is symbolic shown on figure 5. The symboles on the figure has the following meaning: o = a pallet filled whith components to be picked x = an- empty pallet or a pallet with shaped components -Ξ> = movement.

In position 1 according to figure 5 sixteen pallets 12 filled with components are placed on a pallet platform 3- In position 2 the carrier arm 9 of the feeding head 8 is brought behind the outermost left pallet 12 in the upper line of the figure, i.e. at the outfeed side, whereafter the feeding head 8 is brought to travel one length of a pallet along the left base 7 according to figure 1 in a^: direction against the picking platform 10. The outermost left pallet 12 thereby is fed out in the picking location on the picking platform 10 in which the pallet 12 can be emptied from components by help of e.g. a handling robot. In position 3 the emptied pallet 12 is moved from the picking location to the holding point on the picking platform 10 by help of a transporting device on the picking platform. On the same time the feeding head 8, on the right base 7 according to figure 1, is brought to move the outermost right line of pallets 12 parallel to the movement on the picking platform 10 in order to make a free pallet position in the lowermost right corner of the pallet platform 3, i.e. the infeed side.

In position 4 the complete lower line of pallets 12 at the infeed side is moved by help of the right fee¬ ding head 8 one step of a pallet to the right, on the same time as the complete upper line of pallets 12 at the outfeed side is moved one step of a pallet to the left, at which a new pallet 12 is fed out on the picking plat¬ form 10 as in position 2.

The procedure is repeted after that in the positions 5-33 until all pallets 12 on. the pallet plat¬ form 3 is emptied from their components.

Finished components on the same time and in the same order can be placed on empty pallets 12 by help of the handling robot in a lower on an upper pallet platform 3, at which the lifting table is raised or lowered bet¬ ween each operation.

An alternative embodiment of the pallet handling device according to figure 6 includes a lifting table 1 upon which a pallet 2 is placed. The pallet 2 carries a pile of other pallets comprising four pallet platforms 3- Each pallet platform 3 is surrounded by a rim 5 according to figure 2, showing two openings 6 located at one and the same side of the pallet platform 3 each close to a corner on the same. The pallet platform 3 shows an out- feed and an infeed side which are mutually opposite and parallel.

In this alternative embodiment the picking plat¬ form 10, according to figure 1, is substituted by a pic¬ king conveyor 20, extending horisontally in a loop along the end of the pallet platform 3, at which the openings 6 are located. An outfeed cylinder 21 provided with a car¬ rier arm 22 extends along the outfeed side of the pallet p_latform 3, normal to the connected section of the pic¬ king conveyor 20 and extending a bit outside the pallet platform 3, so that the carrier arm 22 can be moved out of the pile when the lifting table 1 is raised or loward. By help of the outfeed cylinder 21 one pallet 12 at a time is fed out to the picking conveyor 20, on which it will be moved to picking locations for picking robots, not shown on figure 12.

Two cross-feed cylinders 23, provided with a common first pushing means 24 are arranged at the infeed side of the pallet platform 3 which is opposite to the outfeed side. By help of the cross-feed cylinders 23 pal¬ let lines are fed against the outfeed side filling empty pallet positions along these side making that outfeed on the picking conveyor 20 can be made with the outfeed cy¬ linder 21.

An infeed cylinder 25, provided with a second pushing means 2β, is arranged the way that it can be moved parallel to the outfeed means 21 , across the pic- king conveyor 20 and Into the pallet platform 3 along the infeed side of the pallet pile which is opposite to the outfeed side. By help of the infeed cylinder 25 one pal¬ let 12 at a time is fed Into the pallet platform 3 from the picking conveyor 20. The outfeed cylinder 2T is hori- sontally turnable making the carrier arm 22 to be removed from the pallet pile in a situation when the other pallet 2 is lifted away from the lifting table 1. At this oc- cation the cross-feeding cylinder 23 and the infeed cy¬ linder are retracted In positions making the pallet pile to be lifted away from the other pallet frily. In this embodiment the pallets 12 thus have not to be provided with projections 13 accordning to figure 4.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Handling device for pallets (12), upon which e.g. components are stored and transported to a conver¬ ting machine, assembly station or the similar, in which the components are picked by help of a robot or the si¬ milar from the pallets (12), including one or a plurali¬ ty, above each other arranged pallet platforms (3), along which the pallets (12) are displaceable arranged in lines, extending in two mutually normal directions, at which each pallet platform (3) is rectangular or square and complete filled up with likewise rectangular or square pallets (12) and showing an outfeed side and an infeed side, which are mutually opposite and parallel, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the pallet platforms are vertically adjustable relative to a picking section (10, 20), by help of a lifting device (1), so that they each can be brought on the same level as the picking section (10, 20), that the picking section (10, 20) is arranged extending between the outfeed side and the in- feed^" side on the actual pallet platform (3), and that feeding means (8, 21, 23, 25) are arranged at the sides of the pallet platform (3), by help of which pallets (12) can be displaced from the pallet platform (3) to the pic¬ king section (10, 20) along the outfeed side or from the picking section (10, 20) to the pallet platform (3) along the infeed side.

2. Handling device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a feeding means (8) is travelling along the outfeed respective infeed side of the pallet platform (3) and provided with carrier means

(9), which can be brought in at a pallet (12), or between two adjacent pallets (12), in the pallet line nearest the feeding means (8) and bring this to move at least one length of a pallet in the travelling direction along the outfeed respective infeed side of the pallet platform (3), and that each feeding means (8) also can be moved normal to its travelling direction and bring a pallet line, located normal to the travelling direction, to move at least one length of a pallet in its length direction along the outfeed respective infeed side of the pallet platform (3).

3. Handling device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a first feeding means (21 ) is movable along the outfeed side of the pallet platform (3) and provided with carrier means (22), by help of which pallets (T2) can be fed out to the picking section (20), and that a second feeding means (25) is movable along the infeed side of the pallet platform (3) and provided with a pushing means (26), by help of which pallets (12) can be fed in to the pallet platform (3) from the picking section (20), and that a third feeding means (23) is arranged at the infeed side of the pallet platform (3) and movable normal to the infeed respective outfeed side and provided with a pushing means (24) by help of which pallets (12) can be fed from the Infeed side to the outfeed side.

4. Handling device according to claim 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the picking section is constituted by a picking platform (10), showing a picking location at one end of the platform (10), close to a first corner of the pallet platform (3), and a holding point at the other end of the platform (10), close to a second corner on the same side as the first corner of the pallet platform (3)-

5. Handling device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the picking platform (10) includes a transporting, device by help of which the pallets (12) can be moved from the picking location to the holding point.

6. Handling device according to claim 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the picking section is constituted by a picking conveyor (20) extending in a loop along the pallet platform (3).

7. Handling device according to claim 1-6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the pallet platforms (3) are arranged on a load carrier (2), which is placed upon the lif ing device ( 1 ) close to the picking section (10, 20) during picking of details from the pallets (12), e.g. for shaping, at which the load carrier (2) can be moved, e.g. to a storage room, when no details are picked from the pallets (12) for shaping.