DE29912726U1 - Transport system - Google Patents

Description

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Leuze-textil GmbH + Co.
73277 Owen/Teck

The invention relates to a transport system according to the preamble of claim 1.

With this transport system, combed laps produced in a winding machine are fed to at least one combing machine. The combed laps consist of wound cotton ribbons.

In known systems of this type, the combed laps are transported manually from the winding machine to the combing machine. To do this, the combed laps are removed from the winding machine and loaded onto individual transport trolleys. The transport trolleys are then pushed to the combing machine and fed to the combing machine.

Such manual transport is not only extremely labor-intensive and therefore correspondingly costly. It also requires a considerable amount of physical effort from the operating personnel, as the individual comb rolls typically weigh around 25 kg.

Alternatively, the combing laps can be transported from the winding machine to the combing machine using a crane system.
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The crane system is mounted on the ceiling of the factory hall in which the winding machine and the combing machine are located.

The disadvantage here is that after the combed rolls have been taken from the winding machine, they must first be lifted by the crane and then guided close to the ceiling to the combing machine, where the combed rolls are lowered back to the combing machine. Such a vertical transport

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Transporting the combed laps is very time-consuming and expensive. Another disadvantage is that the factory hall often has other machines with large heights or pillars, which significantly hinder the transport of the combed laps.

The invention is based on the object of designing a transport system of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the fastest, smoothest and most cost-effective transport of combed laps from a winding machine to a combing machine is ensured.

To solve this problem, the features of claim 1 are provided. Advantageous embodiments and expedient developments of the invention are described in the subclaims.

The transport system according to the invention has at least one driverless transport vehicle which has a receptacle for at least one combing lap.

The driverless transport vehicle is controlled via a radio control system. Transponders are laid in the transport vehicle's path. Data from the transponders is read into the transport vehicle for its rough positioning.

In addition, markings are attached to the track to position the transport vehicle at the wrapping machine, which can be detected by a sensor.

Using the driverless transport vehicle, the combed rolls are automatically transported from one winding machine to one or more combing machines without any personnel intervention. Navigation is carried out by radio control based on the data provided by the transponders and the sensors that scan the markings on the track.

The travel routes are conveniently the floors in a factory hall. The transport vehicle is moved along the aisles between the individual machines in the factory hall, so that no additional travel routes have to be created for the transport vehicle.
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The transport system according to the invention therefore requires almost no reconstruction work in the factory hall, which leads to relatively low installation costs.

It is particularly advantageous if the holder for the combed rolls on the transport vehicle is located at approximately the same height at which the combed rolls are taken out of the winding machines and at which the combed rolls are introduced into the combing machine. This means that no or almost no vertical transport of the combed rolls is necessary when feeding them from a winding machine to a combing machine. In addition, the combed rolls can be guided automatically and therefore without any personnel from the winding machine to the transport vehicle and fed from there to the combing machine.

The invention is explained below with reference to the drawings. They show:

Figure 1: Top view of the transport system for transporting combed laps.

Figure 2: Schematic representation of a driverless transport vehicle for the transport system according to Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a transport system for transporting combed laps 1.

The combed rolls 1 consist of cotton ribbons and are produced in a winding machine 2. They have a substantially cylindrical

Form with a diameter of about one meter. The transport system ensures transport to at least one combing machine 3. In the present embodiment, a winding machine 2 and several combing machines 3 are located in a factory hall. In general, several winding machines 2 can also be provided, which supply a certain number of combing machines 3 with combing rolls 1.

The transport system comprises a driverless transport vehicle 4, which has a holder 5 for at least one combed lap 1.
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The transport vehicle 4 is guided by means of a radio control 6 along a travel path 7 from the winding machine 2 to a combing machine 3. The return path of the transport vehicle 4 to the winding machine 2 is also controlled via the radio control 6.

The travel routes 7 are formed by corridors in the factory hall. The radio control 6 is installed in a fixed location within the factory hall. The radio signals are sent out by a transmitting/receiving unit (not shown) in the radio control 6 and received by a transmitting/receiving unit (also not shown) in the driverless transport vehicle 4, whereby the transmitting/receiving unit of the transport vehicle 4 preferably sends back to the radio control 6 in the response signal in response to each command from the radio control 6. The radio signals in the transport vehicle 4 are evaluated in a computer unit (not shown).

For rough positioning of the driverless transport vehicle 4, transponders 8 are laid out at predetermined locations in the track 7. The transport vehicle 4 has a reading unit with which the data from the transponders 8 is read and evaluated in the computer unit. The transponders 8 are also arranged in particular at intersections and branches of the track 7, which makes it easier to guide the transport vehicle 4 in the factory hall.

Finally, markings are applied to the travel paths 7, by means of which the transport vehicle 4 is guided to the respective combing machine 3 and positioned at it. In the present embodiment, the markings consist of colored strips 9a, b, c, which are arranged running in the middle of the travel path 7 and which are detected by means of an optical sensor (not shown) on the transport vehicle 4.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the markings consist of three coloured stripes 9a,b,c running parallel and next to each other in the middle of the track 7, whereby the two outer coloured stripes 9a,c have the same colour and whereby the middle coloured stripe 9b stands out from the outer coloured stripes 9a,c. Preferably, two outer white coloured stripes 9a,c and a central black coloured stripe 9b are provided.
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The optical sensor in the transport vehicle 4 continuously reads the color patterns of the color strips 9a, b, c, and the data is evaluated in the computer unit. The computer unit uses this data to control the transport vehicle 4 so that the optical sensor and thus also the transport vehicle 4 are aligned with the middle color strip 9b.

In this way, the transport vehicle 4 is guided centrally along the travel path 7 to a combing machine 3, wherein in the event of a branching of the travel path 7, the travel path is selected based on the transponder signals via the radio control 6 and thus also the selection of the combing machine 3 to be approached.

In addition, a laser scanner can be provided at the front and rear, with which the area in front of and behind the transport vehicle 4 can be monitored. This prevents collisions between the transport vehicle 4 and the operating personnel in the factory hall.

As can be seen in particular from Figure 2, the holder 5 for the comb rolls 1 is arranged on the top of the transport vehicle 4. The holder 5 is formed by an upwardly open segment of a hollow cylinder, on the surface of which several comb rolls 1 can be arranged next to one another. The radius of curvature of the holder 5 is adapted to the diameter of the comb rolls 1.

The holder 5 itself sits on a tilting device 10 which is mounted on the ceiling of the transport vehicle 4.

The combed rolls 1 that are created in the winding machine 2 are first output to a conveyor belt system 11. The conveyor belt system 11 typically has several conveyor belts, with the majority of the conveyor belts serving as a buffer for the individual combed rolls 1. Such a buffer is required because the transport vehicle 4 cannot usually immediately transport all of the combed rolls 1 away from the winding machine 2.

The comb rolls 1 that are to be loaded onto the transport vehicle 4 are fed to a feed device 12 via a conveyor belt. The loading takes place as soon as the transport vehicle 4 is in front of the conveyor belt 11 at the feed device 12. The top of the holder 5 is approximately at the same height as the conveyor belt, so that the comb rolls 1 can be pushed from there onto the holder 5 one after the other in a simple manner using the feed device 12.

The introduction of the combing rolls 1 stored on the transport vehicle 4 into the combing machine 3 also takes place automatically. For this purpose, the driverless transport vehicle 4 is positioned on the combing machine 3 using the markings on the track 7 directly in front of an introduction ramp (not shown).

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The comb rolls 1 on the holder 5 of the transport vehicle 4 are located at approximately the same height as the feed ramp. By means of the tilting device 10, the holder 5 on the transport vehicle 4 is tilted so that the comb rolls 1 roll or slide on the feed ramp into the combing machine 3.

Claims (12)

1. Transport system for transporting combed rolls produced on at least one winding machine to at least one combing machine, characterized by at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 4 ) with a holder ( 5 ) for at least one combed roll ( 1 ), a radio control ( 6 ) for controlling the driverless transport vehicle ( 4 ), wherein for the rough positioning of the transport vehicle ( 4 ) data from transponders ( 8 ) laid in the travel path ( 7 ) of the transport vehicle ( 4 ) can be read into the transport vehicle ( 4 ), and wherein for the positioning of the transport vehicle ( 4 ) on the combing machine ( 3 ) markings are attached to the travel path ( 7 ), which can be detected by means of a sensor on the transport vehicle ( 4 ). 2. Transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that the signals of the transponders ( 8 ) are detected by means of a reading unit and read into a computer unit in the transport vehicle ( 4 ). 3. Transport system according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the markings are designed as coloured stripes ( 9 a, b, c) running in the middle of the travel path ( 7 ), wherein three parallel coloured stripes ( 9 a, b, c) are provided, and the outer coloured stripes ( 9 a, c) have the same colour, which differs from the colour of the middle coloured stripe ( 9 b). 4. Transport system according to claim 3, characterized in that the color stripes ( 9 a, b, c) are detected by means of an optical sensor, the signals of which are read into the computer unit of the transport vehicle ( 4 ), the transport vehicle ( 4 ) being aligned as a function of these signals so that the optical sensor is directed at the middle color stripe ( 9 b) of the markings. 5. Transport system according to one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the radio control ( 6 ) is arranged stationary, wherein a transmitting/receiving unit is provided for communication with the transport vehicle ( 4 ). 6. Transport system according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the holder ( 5 ) for the comb rolls ( 1 ) is arranged on the upper side of the transport vehicle ( 4 ) and is mounted on a tilting device ( 10 ). 7. Transport system according to claim 6, characterized in that the receptacle ( 5 ) is formed by an upwardly open segment of a hollow cylinder, on the surface of which several comb rolls ( 1 ) are arranged next to one another. 8. Transport system according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the comb rolls ( 1 ) are pushed individually one after the other by means of a feed device ( 12 ) automatically from the winding machine ( 2 ) onto the holder ( 5 ) of the transport vehicle ( 4 ). 9. Transport system according to one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the combed rolls ( 1 ) are output from the winding machine ( 2 ) onto a conveyor belt system ( 11 ) which forms a buffer for the combed rolls ( 1 ). 10. Transport system according to claim 9, characterized in that the feeding device ( 12 ) is located on a conveyor belt of the conveyor belt system ( 11 ). 11. Transport system according to one of claims 6-10, characterized in that the combing rolls ( 1 ) on the holder ( 5 ) of the transport vehicle ( 4 ) can be automatically introduced into the combing machine ( 3 ) by means of the tilting device ( 10 ). 12. Transport system according to claim 11, characterized in that the combing machine ( 3 ) has an insertion ramp for receiving ( 5 ) the combing laps ( 1 ).