FR2491899A1 - APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING TRAYS OR OTHER - Google Patents

Abstract

A. DEVICE FOR TRANSFERING TRAYS OR OTHERS IN EITHER DIRECTION, BETWEEN A TRAY TRANSPORTING TROLLEY AND A CONVEYOR. B. CHARACTERIZED BY A TROLLEY 4 MOVABLE, PER MOTOR, ENDLESS BELT 34, ALONG HORIZONTAL GUIDES 2, 3, TROLLEY SUPPORTING A VERTICAL AXIS 21 ON WHICH A FRAME 5 IS FIXED SUPPORTING A LIFT 9 MOVABLE BY MOTOR AND TOOTHED BELT 18 PASSING OVER PULLEYS, ONE STRAND OF WHICH CARRIES A SUPPORT FROM PLATE 11 TO PLATE 37. C. APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO TRANSPORT IN HOSPITALS, RESTAURANTS AND THE LIKE.

Description

1.-

  The invention relates to a device for transferring

  plate or similar objects, in either direction,

  between a tray transport cart and a con-

  voyeur. To transfer in both directions, trays

  such as baking or other plates, between a

  riot transport trays and a conveyor track, in hospitals, restaurants, bakeries or other, there

  Until now, it was conventional to use a com-

  taking at the same time, in one and the same frame, a conveyor

tical and a horizontal conveyor.

  the vertical conveyor then comprises a number of pairs of horizontal support strips attached to endless chains, and capable of receiving a tray on each pair of strips. the horizontal conveyor has a length

  enough to enter the tray trolley in

  vertical conveyor, and this horizontal conveyor can

  up and down in a horizontal position and move in a horizontal position on a straight path such that the trays are placed between the tray trolley

  and the conveyor track, or vice versa.

  The apparatus further comprises a pull arm movable horizontally so as to move the trays closer to or apart from the next horizontal conveyor

  or tuck the trays onto the conveyor track.

  This device has the disadvantage of being of complicated design, which makes its manufacture difficult, and to be bulky which requires a lot of room for the

tidy up and mount it.

  The invention aims to overcome the disadvantages

  above-mentioned in the prior art by creating a beautiful handset

  simpler blow that allows, through a combined movement of

  tion and rotation, to quickly transfer trays, in either direction, between a tray trolley and a conveyor track, this apparatus being moreover relatively

compact.

  For this purpose, the invention relates to an apparatus for transferring trays or the like in one or the other direction,

  between a transport trolley and a conveyor,

  characterized in that it comprises a carriage movable by f1 2.- a motor and an endless toothed belt or chatne, along two horizontal guides, the carriage supporting in rotation a vertical axis on which is fixed a supporting frame, preferably, two vertical columns along which a freight elevator body can go up or down under the action of a motor and an endless toothed belt, this belt passing over a pulley mounted on the frame and on a pulley mounted on a transverse piece located at the upper end of the columns, one of the strands of the toothed belt being fixed to the

  hoist body carrying a tray carrier for supporting

wear at least one tray.

  The invention will be better understood when reading

  the following detailed description of a non-limiting example of

  embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which - Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of the apparatus according to the invention, - Figures 2 and 3 are side views of

  different parts which with the part shown in the

  1, constitute the apparatus according to the invention,

  FIGS. 4 and 5 represent horizontal views;

  1 to 3, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view, in vertical section along the line VI-VI of FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a view from above, at

  large scale and partly in section, of the part

  FIG. 8 is a view on a larger scale, in horizontal section along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 1; FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view along the line IX-IX of FIG. FIG. 10 is a view in vertical section along line XX of FIG. 6; FIG. 11 is a view on a larger scale, in horizontal section along the line XI-XI of FIGS. 1 and 2, in FIG. 12 is a vertical section along the line XII-XII of FIG. 6; FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a portion of a conveyor associated with the apparatus, FIG. a block diagram of the electronic part 3.- of the apparatus, and - Figures 15 and 16 are respectively a

  side view and a horizontal view of the apparatus according to the invention.

  schematically and on a smaller scale.

  The apparatus shown in FIGS.

  takes a rectangular horizontal support frame 1 suppor-

  both in the longitudinal direction two stainless steel guides

  These guides support a carriage 4, which in turn carries a frame 5, as will be described in more detail.

in detail below.

  This frame 5, as can also be seen in Figure 6, supports two vertical steel columns 6, 7 whose length is for example of the order of 2 meters. The

  columns 6, 7 are connected at the top by a piece tranaver-

  8. A freight elevator 9 can slide along the

  6, 7 thanks to the presence of bearings bearings to

  91 balls, and 9 "spacers, as can be seen in the

  9. This freight elevator body 9 is provided with a support arm

  equipped, as shown in Figures 8, 9, with a carrier

  fork-shaped trays 11 (see also FIGS.

  4) carrying two trays 37 as shown in FIG.

  The frame 5 and the transverse part 8 (FIGS. 6, 7) each support a toothed pulley 16, 17 by means of a pair of arms marked respectively by the references 12, 13 and 14, 15. An endless toothed belt 18 is mounted between the pulleys 16, 17 so as to pass over them. One strand of the belt 18 is rigidly connected to the support arm 10 of the freight elevator body 9, as shown in FIG. 9. On one arm

  13 of the mount 5, is mounted a hydraulic lifting motor Ve-

  engaged with toothed pulley 16, an impulse generator

  20 being connected to this motor.

  In the carriage 4 (FIG. 10) is mounted a vertical axis fixed on the guides 2, 3 so as to be able to rotate

  easily thanks to the presence of axial pads 22 and

  diaux 23, but without being able to move in the axial direction.

  On the upper end of this axis 21, the mount 5 indicated

  above is fixed by means of a keyed joint 24. At the extremity

  lower part of the axis 21 is provided a guide arm 25 provided with

  of a guide body 26 which is housed in a horizontal groove

  27 (FIG. 5) between a pair of guide strips 4.-

  28, 29, and in a guide plate 30. The groove 27 is of

  right edge and parallel to the guides 2, 3, then tilts

a quarter turn on the side.

  At the right-hand end of the frame I of FIGS. 1 and 5 is mounted a hydraulic motor 31 engaging a toothed pulley 32. On the left end of the frame 1 of FIGS. 1 and 4 is mounted a like toothed pulley. 33. Between and around these pulleys 32, 33 passes an endless belt 34, one end of which is rigidly connected to the carriage 4, as shown in FIG. 12. This figure also shows that the sliding form of the carriage 4 on the guides 2, 3 is the same

  than that of the freight elevator 9 on the columns 6, 7 of FIG. 9.

  the carriage 4 has the same shape on the guide 2.

  In FIG. 1, a part of a trolley

  trays 35, provided with guides 36 or others, for supporting the trays 37, is schematically indicated by dashed lines. FIG. 13 shows a conveyor 38 mounted in parallel on the side of the frame 1, as indicated by the dotted lines of FIG. 5, and an auxiliary conveyor 39 mounted in the same position and moving in the same direction.

  conveyor 38 from which it is separated by an intermediate space

  40. Conveyors are mechanically and alternatively

  in one or the other longitudinal direction. the length of the

  auxiliary conveyor 39, in the direction of transport, is lightly

  shorter than the distance between the arms of the tray carrier 11, so that these arms can lower each one of a side of the auxiliary conveyor to bring or remove the

  trays of the auxiliary conveyor 39.

  the control electronics of the device,

  shown in the block diagram of FIG. 14, comprises a microcomputer 51, a program memory 52, a chassis memory 53, a signal injection circuit 54 in the microcomputer 51 and a signal output circuit 55. from the microcomputer 51. The elements 51 to 55 thus form a

control circuit.

  In the program memory 52, a program for loading the trays between the conveyors 38, 39 and the carriage 35 is stored, and a program for unloading the

trolley trays.

  5.- In the memory 53 are stored the signals

  of the pulse generator 20. the microcomputer 51 is capable of

  It is also possible to progressively advance the calculation program in the conventional manner and thus to output an output signal to the output circuit, thereby producing the movements of the apparatus in response to the program and the height position of the tray carrier 11, this position being indicated by the number

  pulses stored in the memory 53.

  In the block diagram of FIG. 14, the reference 56 designates a control block provided with buttons

  start, stop, emergency stop, automatic operation

  and buttons associated with the control circuits 64 to 67 described hereinafter. the electrical switch 58 is intended

  to indicate which of the programs should be monitored by the micro-

  calculator, and reference numeral 20 designates the pulse generator

  intended to produce the lifting motion of the engine of

freight elevator 19.

  reference 53 designates a device for detecting

  and indication of a tray rack in storage position

  is lying. The reference 57 designates an inductive detection device.

  when the tray trolley is in place. The reference S5 designates a device indicating respectively that a plateau

  is removed or brought on the conveyor 39.

  The reference S4 designates a device indicating whether or not a load is present on the tray-trays 11. The references S1 and S3 designate devices for indicating the limit positions of the carriage 4. The elements 56, 57, 58 and S1 to

  S5 constitute a transmission circuit whose signals are transmitted

  by the circuit 54 and the microcomputer 51, in the

  moire 54 where they are stored.

  The control circuit 51 to 55 being of well-known type and not forming part of the invention, will not be described in more detail here. The elements 51 to 55 of the control circuit are of the type easily found in trade, as well as the pulse generator 20 and the

devices 56 to 63.

  Reference 64 designates relays or

  ristors for directing the movement of the carriage 4; the reference

  Reference 65 designates relays or thyristors for rotating the tray holder 11 to come respectively in storage position and output position; 66 denotes the relays or thyristors for triggering the lifting movement of the charging motor 19, and the reference 63

  relay or thyristor of the drive motor 31 of the carriage 4.

  the rotational movement of the tray carrier is produced by the same motor as that operating the carriage. The actual rotation movement is obtained and

mechanically controlled.

  Figures 15, 16 show in schematic form

  the setting up of position indicating devices.

  and detectors of the apparatus according to the invention,

  15 is a side view and 16 is a horizontal view.

  This apparatus comprises a frame 1, columns 6, a holder

  trays 11, a pulse generator 20, a trolley

  trays 35 and an auxiliary conveyor 39. arrows P1 and P2

  indicate the translational movement of the respective carriage 4

  in the negative sense and in the positive sense, the arrows

  P3 and P4 indicating the lifting movement of the lifting body

  charge 9 respectively in the negative direction and in the direction

positive.

  FIG. 15 represents the various position detectors of the carriage 4 and therefore of the columns, the detector S1 detecting an extreme position, the detector S2 the zero position and the detector S3 the housing position. Two detectors S4 are provided on the tray rack and two detectors S5 are provided on the auxiliary conveyor 39. These detectors can

  micro-switches, diodes

  luminescent devices associated with photo-transistors, or

magnetic transmitters.

  the process of introducing the trays into the tray trolley is described below assuming that

  the tray rack is in the zero position and is used

  read the detector S2, the carriage 35 is also assumed in the right position to receive the trays and this position

  being indicated by the detector 57.

  The process is controlled by the micro-calcula-

  in such a way that the carriage 4 is driven into the

  P2 by the devices 64 and 65, the device 64 indicates

  the direction and the device 65 actuating the engine of

  During this movement, the tray carrier 11 rotates

7._ 2491899

  900 inwards to come below the conveyor 39.

  When the detectors 85 indicate the presence of trays on the conveyor 399 the trays 11, after triggering of the detector S3, that is to say at the end of its rotational movement, begins to rise under the action of the devices. 64 and 66 of which

  device 66 starts the freight elevator motor 19. The movement

  As the ascension continues, the detectors

  trays indicate the presence of trays on the carrier.

trays.

  Then the drive motor is put in

  by the devices 64 and 65 to drive the carriage into

  the direction P1, and the tray-carrier goes back in turn.

  90. This rotation movement stops by triggering

  of the detector 32. Next, the height position of the carrier

  trays is adjusted by the hoist motor using the devices 64 and 66. To perform this position adjustment in heights, the

  number of pulses previously indicated by the generator of

  pulses associated with the hoisting motor, and stored in the

  frame, is compared to the nominal value calculated by the microcomputer in response to the level at which the trays

  were previously loaded into the cart.

  The number of pulses used in the above introduction operation in the carriage, is recorded in

  the chassis memory, this memory also containing the information

  nation of amplitude of the vertical distance between two compartments of trays placed one above the other, this

  which allows the microcomputer to calculate the number of

  impulses to match the desired height of the holder

  trays at the time of the next introduction, ie the nominal height. On the basis of this actual number of pulses, the actual value and the nominal value, the microcomputer

  controls the movement of the hoist motor by means of the

  64 and 66, so that the actual number of pulses corre-

  at nominal value. When the tray has taken the correct height position, the carriage starts in the direction P1 under the action of the devices 64 and 67, and advance until the detector S1 is triggered. The cart is then

in its extreme position.

  Then the motor is operated in such a way as to

  go down the tray carrier in the direction P3 which

2 49 1899

  8.- thus allows to place the trays on the desired supports of the

  carriage. When the trays have thus taken their place, the

  trays 34 are triggered in such a way as to stop

  per the descent movement. The signal from the detectors 94, indicating that the trays have reached their desired position, is also used to start the truck motor,

  devices 64 and 67, so as to drive the

  riot in the P2 direction. The triggering of the S2 detectors stops the truck. After stopping the truck, the engine climbs

  charge functions in a manner corresponding to that described above.

  above, to bring the tray rack to a predetermined height

  born in relation to the level of the conveyor 39. The tray rack II

  then performed a complete operating cycle. The charge-

  begins with the upper plate and continues until

  that the cart is completely filled with trays.

  the process of unloading the trays out of the carriage is exactly the opposite of the loading process described above. From the start, the trays are removed successively from the carriage until it is empty, or loaded into the carriage until it is full.

  after which the device stops automatically.

  The main advantages of the type of structure used by the invention are related to the fact that the entire apparatus obtained is very simple and consists of easy to manufacture elements. In addition, the device takes up little space and can operate at high speed for transfer

fast trays or others.

  The invention is not limited to the form of

  described above and shown in the drawings below.

  joints, many modifications and variations that can be made to this embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. Conveyors placed on the side of the frame can,

  for example, instead of being parallel, by their long-term leadership

  longitudinal direction of the chassis, form a certain angle with the longitudinal direction above, since the

  rotation of the tray carrier relative to the chassis can be

  gler, that is to say, be greater or less than 90. You can also change the position of the motors and design the rack so that it can carry one or more trays. The two vertical columns may be further replaced by a single column, provided with axial guide grooves or the like, to guide the lift truck body.

along the column.

10.-

Claims (4)

REVEND I C A T I 0 N S   1. Apparatus for transferring trays or the like in one direction or the other between a trolley for transporting trays and a conveyor, characterized in that it comprises a trolley (4) movable by a motor (31). ) and an endless toothed belt or chat (34), along two horizontal guides (2, 3), the carriage (4) rotatably supporting a   vertical axis (21) on which is fixed a mount (5) supporting   preferably two vertical columns (6, 7) along the   a hoist body (9) can be raised or lowered by a motor (19) and an endless toothed belt (18), which belt passes over a pulley (16) mounted on   mount (5) and on a pulley (17) mounted on a trans-   at the upper end of the columns (6, 7), one of the strands of the toothed belt (18) being fixed to the lifting body (9) carrying a tray carrier (11) for support at least one tray (37).   2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized   characterized in that at the vertical axis (21) carrying the mount (5), a guide arm (25) is fixed with a guide body (26) passing through a guide groove (27) located in a map   horizontal, this guide groove comprising a straight portion   parallel to the guides (2, 3) and a lateral curved portion   preferably 90 at one end.   3. Apparatus according to any of the claims   cations 1 and 2, characterized in that the drive motor (31) supports on its axis a pulley (32) engaging an endless toothed belt (34) running parallel under the guides (2, 3) and extending substantially the entire length of these guides, one of the strands of the toothed belt (34) being rigidly fixed to the carriage (4).   4. Apparatus according to any of the claims   1 to 3, characterized in that the hoisting motor (19) for raising and lowering the tray carrier (11) and the drive motor (31) of the carriage (4) are connected to an electronic circuit. comprising a control circuit (51 to) provided with a microcomputer (51), program memories   and chassis (52, 53) and circuits (54, 55)   to bring in and out signals from the micro-cal-   driver (51), a transmission circuit (56 57, 58, 20, S1 to S5)   and an implementation circuit (64 to 675.