Repositionable extendable stop |
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申请号 | US14026463 | 申请日 | 2013-09-13 | 公开(公告)号 | US09004259B1 | 公开(公告)日 | 2015-04-14 |
申请人 | Intelligrated Headquarters LLC; | 发明人 | Bryan Dale Corn; | ||||
摘要 | Repositionable extendable stops for material handling applications include top loading/unloading stops which engage with actuator through quick disconnects. Actuators are easily repositioned to a new stop location, and the stop reconnected to the actuator by loading the stop through the top of the conveyor. | ||||||
权利要求 | The invention claimed is: |
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说明书全文 | The present invention relates generally to material handling conveyors, and is particularly directed to a device and method which simplifies the location and relocation of stops for product flow control. The invention will be specifically disclosed in connection with positionable pop up stops used in a row former of a case palletizer. In the world of material handling, case palletizers are machines that automate and speed up the creation of a palletized load by receiving loose cases or articles from a feed conveyor, forming the articles into formed layers with the row former, and stacking the formed layers onto a pallet with a layer-by-layer stacking process. Articles can include cases, cartons, and bags. In high volume factories, a case palletizer can be a custom product designed to palletize one article of one specific size. This solution has some downfalls. The custom built case palletizer is specifically designed for one article and must be reconfigured to palletize an article of a different size or shape. With some articles, a simple reprogramming of the palletizer control system is adequate. With other articles, the palletizer must be re-programmed and physical elements of the palletizer must be physically re-built or re-configured. The rebuilding or reconfiguration process can result in: lengthy reconfiguration downtimes, high labor costs, and reduced palletizer throughput. Although the present innovation will be described herein in connection with pop up stops for use with a row former, it will be understood that present innovation is not limited in use or application thereto. The teachings of the present innovation may be used in applications using any pop up stops that are desired to be location reconfigurable. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments, and, together with the general description given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The innovation disclosed and claimed herein, in one aspect thereof, comprises a pop up stop that is easily re-positioned to a new location. The pop up stops are located in a row former of a case palletizer. The row former includes a roller conveyor that receives an input of articles from a feed conveyor. One or more pop up stops can be located beneath the roller conveyor, and each pop up stop can be individually actuated to extend a barrier through a gap between the rollers. When the barrier is extended, an article traveling along the row former is stopped by the barrier. As subsequent articles are inputted into the row former, the pop up stops are activated sequentially to form a row of spaced-apart articles along the row former. When the row of articles is fully formed, the formed row is then moved from the row former and further into the palletizer to become part of a formed layer of articles on a pallet. The pop up stops are designed to be rapidly and easily re-positioned in the conveyor to change the spacing between the articles formed in a spaced-apart row. This enables a palletizer to be easily re-configured to operate with a different sized article. To re-configure a palletizer to operate with different sized articles, the pop-up stops can be easily re-positioned. To change number of articles in a row, the number of pop-up stops can be easily increased or decreased. The present innovation can provide features and benefits such as (i) rapid re-positioning of pop-up stops to reduce palletizer re-configuration downtimes; (ii) modularized pop-up stops minimize the need for custom components; (iii) reduced labor costs from reduced reconfiguration downtimes time; (iv) increased palletizer throughput; (v) replaces hard hydraulic lines with flexible hydraulic lines to allow movement of the pop up stops to other positions; (vi) provides wiring of sufficient length to allow movement of pop-up actuators without wiring modifications; and (vii) the modular design easily accommodates an increase or decrease in the number of pop up stops in a row to change the number of cartons in a formed row. In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also, in the following description, it is to be understood that terms such as front, back, inside, outside, and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms. Terminology used in this patent is not meant to be limiting insofar as devices described herein, or portions thereof, may be attached or utilized in other orientations. Referring to Referring to Once a row is formed, a row pusher bar 22 advances laterally (relative to the downstream direction of row former 4) and pushes the row, 10A, 10B, I0C and 10D, onto layer table 6. Pusher bar 22 can include notches 22a that clear the raised stops 16, 18, 20 as pusher bar 22 moves laterally. Layer table 6 may have an upper surface defined by rollers 7 disposed transverse relative to rollers 14 of former 4, and may be declined away from row former 4. Once row pusher bar 22 has advanced far enough, additional articles may be directed onto row former 4. As subsequent rows are formed on row former 4 and pushed out, as a row, onto layer table 6, an array of articles 10 arranged in rows and, in the depicted embodiment, columns. Once the entire layer of articles 10 has been formed on layer table 6, a transverse push bar 24 is advanced from adjacent edge 4A of row former 4 toward apron 8. The pusher bar advances the length of layer table 6, pushing the array completely onto elevator doors 140 on apron 8 as illustrated in The location and number of stops is dependent on the pattern being formed. Stops 16, 18, 20 may be positioned, or repositioned, to any desired location aligned with a gap between adjacent rollers 14, based on the pattern being formed. Referring to Frame members 32, 34 also carry and support a stop subassembly 36. Stop subassembly 36 is a support for and supports and carries a plurality of stops 16, 18, 20, which may be repositioned to any desired configured location of stop subassembly 36. Referring to stop 20 for example, as can be seen in Stop subassembly 36 is also a support for and carries actuators 38, 40, and 42. Stop subassembly 36 includes a plurality of actuator mounting locations, illustrated as holes 45 in the depicted embodiment, respectively aligned with gaps between rollers 14. The actuator mounting locations 45 are configured complementarily with actuators 38, 40, and 42 so as to carry and provide support therefor. In the depicted embodiment, actuators 38, 40 and 42 are disposed through respective holes 45, extending below central web 44, and are secured at the top of web 44 by suitable fasteners, such as nuts 46 ( Referring also to Frames 48, 50 may be secured to web 44 along the respective lower edges, and connected together such as by using J hooks, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,451, which is incorporated herein by reference. Each guide pair 52 and 54, and 56 and 58, includes a respective plurality of grooves 52A, 54A (not seen in As depicted in Referring to stop 20 as an example, slot 21A is received by the outward facing and parallel aligned pair of grooves 56A, 58A which sandwich upper portion 50A, and slot 21B is received by the outward facing and parallel aligned pair of grooves 52A,54A which sandwich upper portion 48A. This configuration aligns the grooves 52A, 54A, 56A, 58A with the rollers 14 to allows stops 16, 18, 20 to be slid into a pair of grooves 52A, 54A, 56A, 58A that aligns with a desired inter roller gap. This can be accomplished by aligning the stop with the desired roller gap and sliding the stop downward between the rollers 14. Since the gaps between the rollers 14 are aligned with the grooves 52A, 54A, 56A, 58A and the holes 45, the slots of the inserted stop 16, 18, or 20 will be guided into respective grooves. Referring to Referring to Positioning or repositioning any stop, such as stop 20, to another location is simple and efficient. Quick disconnect 60 quickly disconnects actuator 42 from stop 20, and stop 20 is withdrawn from the top through the inter roller space with which it is aligned. Actuator 42 is disconnected from central web 44, such as by undoing nut 46, and withdrawn downwardly through the hole. In the embodiment depicted, central web 44 includes a plurality of spaced apart openings 47 disposed to facilitate access to the disconnect features, including quick disconnect 60 and nut 46. Repositioning stop 20 to another location or position is the reverse procedure. If the actuators are pneumatic, the respective tube lengths may be long enough to accommodate all locations, or can be replaced as needed based on the position. The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Although only a limited number of embodiments of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the preceding description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, in describing the preferred embodiment, specific terminology was used for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims submitted herewith. |