GB2308348A

GB2308348A - Drive for Shuttle Fork System

Info

Publication number: GB2308348A
Application number: GB9626394A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Antonio Gago-Carro; Otto H Sauter
Original assignee: Mannesmann AG
Current assignee: Vodafone GmbH
Priority date: 1995-12-22
Filing date: 1996-12-19
Publication date: 1997-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 2016-12-19
Also published as: ES2133079A1; GB2308348B; ITMI962364A1; GB9626394D0; DE19549288C1; ES2133079B1; IT1287160B1; ITMI962364A0

Description

1 2308348 A SYSTEM FOR RETRACTING OR EXTENDING A GRIPPING MEANS FOR PIECE

GOODS The invention relates to a system or retracting or extending a gripping means for piece goods, in particular for loading units stored in the bays of shelf stores.

Such systems are known with a lifting means and a telescopic fork which can be extended at least doubly thereon in a shelf system to the left or the right. The telescopic sections of the fork are each driven by means of traction means arranged in pairs. Each traction means, starting from a drive on a base frame, is guided over a deflecting roll arranged on an end of the base frame and is attached on the following first telescopic section to the end of the telescopic section remote from the end of the base frame.

In one known system, described in International Patent Application (PCTWO 94/04447), the traction means are designed as pairs of chains, with a hydraulic motor driving a pinion which engages in a toothed rack as well as an equiaxial pinion on which the chain is driven. The chain is fastened by its ends to the next-outer telescopic section. When the rack pinion moves, both the middle telescopic section is moved and the outermost telescopic section is extended by the attachment points. One such drive unit consisting of hydraulic motor/pinion/toothed rack/chain pinion is provided for each fork prong side. The movements may take place alternately in both directions. An additional motor bears two chain pinions on a continuous shaft, each of which drive a chain of one fork prong side, which are guided around idling rollers which are arranged on the central telescopic section and drive the foremost telescopic section. With this construction, the drive movement is applied via three motors.

Accordingly, in the known arrangement the movement of the first telescopic section causes the movement of the 2 second telescopic section. The third telescopic section requires the actuation of the third drive motor. Accordingly, the third drive motor is required f or the third telescopic section. Only overlapping telescopic sections can be moved, with the foremost telescopic section always having to be fully extended. Such a construction requires more costly and more complex control, which is a disadvantage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide simpler extension kinematics and simpler extension control between the individual telescopic sections, without such high mechanical and electrical costs.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a system for retracting or extending a gripping means for piece goods with lifting means and telescopic forks thereon which can be extended at least doubly to the left or the right, the telescopic sections of the forks being driven by each traction means arranged in pairs a main drive on a base frame for driving the traction means in the base frame and in the following first telescopic section, each traction means extending from the main drive and being guided over a deflecting roll arranged on an end of the base frame and on the following first telescopic section and attached to the end of the telescopic section remote from the said end of the base frame and an auxiliary drive for driving traction means guided around further deflecting rolls on the base frame and deflecting rolls on the first telescopic section and attached to the ends of a second telescopic section, wherein for a relatively shorter extension path the main drive is braked and for a relatively longer extension path the auxiliary drive is braked.

This arrangement yields the following advantages: the 3 individual telescopic sections can be controlled, stopped or extended in a simple manner. For a first pallet positioning location, e.g. the first telescopic section does not need to be extended. This saves on mechanical means and control means.

In addition to the provision of a main drive with an additional auxiliary drive, it is furthermore advantageous for traction means to be guided from an attachment point on the first telescopic section end via deflecting rolls of a second telescopic section end as far as attachment points at the ends of a third telescopic section. This permits actuation by means of a single drive motor, in which case the second drive is braked or somehow otherwise blocked.

In one embodiment, provision is made for the main drive and the auxiliary drive to be combined via a single motor, in which case driving is effected via a common shaft. In each case a clutch and a brake are associated with a driving wheel of the main drive and a driving wheel of the auxiliary drive on the shaft.

Advantageously with this embodiment each driving wheel consists of a chain wheel with the clutches being structurally connected to the chain wheels. The brake in each case is arranged adjoining a frame wall of the base frame and the chain wheel or the clutch.

The invention will now be described by way of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of a shelf system with pallet positioning locations arranged to the right and left, Fig. 2 shows a telescopic fork extended to the left 4 across the first pallet positioning location, with axially arranged main and auxiliary drives, Fig. 3 shows the telescopic fork unit in the central position, i.e. non- extended position, Fig. 4 shows the telescopic fork unit extended alternatively to the left or right as far as the first pallet positioning location, Fig. 5 shows the telescopic fork unit extended alternatively to the left or right as far as the second pallet positioning location, Fig. 6 shows the traction means guide for the main and auxiliary drives, Fig. 7 shows a cross-section along line A-B of Fig. 6 through parts of the main and auxiliary drives arranged axially one behind the other, Fig. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the arrangement of the main and auxiliary drives in the central position of the telescopic fork unit on a larger scale than in Fig. 3, Fig. 9 shows the telescopic fork unit with a partially extended first and second telescopic fork section, and Fig. 10 shows the telescopic fork unit with three telescopic fork sections extended.

Fig. 1 shows a shelf store with a shelf system 1, loading units 3 stored in pallet positioning locations 2 on pallets 4 at different heights by means of shelf supports Sa and 5b. Pairs of shelf supports 5a and 5b form a bay 6 between them.

The retraction or extension of a gripping means, i.e. a telescopic fork unit 7, is effected at distances which can be set as desired, such as a centre distance 8 of the second pallet positioning location 2, with one length 9a of a base frame 9 being illustrated relative to an equal pallet width 4a.

The telescopes can be controlled by means of a main drive 12 and an additional auxiliary drive 13 such that (Fig. 2) rigid partial extension lengths 14 or 15 are produced as shown in Fig. 2. In this case, the first bay 6 (on the left) is at a slightly greater distance 16 from the centre 17 of the shelf system than half the base-frame length 9a.

The basic parts of the system are the base frame 9, a first telescopic section 18, a second telescopic section 19 and a third telescopic section 20, so that an extension of at least twice the length of a section can be obtained.

The system, has either one main drive 12 and one adjacent auxiliary drive 13, which are mounted on the base frame 9, as shown in Fig 3, or axially arranged, combined main and auxiliary drives 12 and 13 (as shown in Figs. 6 and 7).

The main drive 12 in each case acts on a traction means 21, usually designed as a chain. The traction means 21, starting from the main drive 12, extends across idling deflecting rolls 22a and 22b, see Fig. 6 and a deflecting roll 23 in the base frame 9 and is attached in the first telescopic section 18 at an attachment point 24 by means of a chain joint 24a see Fig. 8.

6 As also shown in Fig. 8, the auxiliary drive 13 f or its part drives an additional traction means 25, which is guided over deflecting rolls 26a and 26b connected in parallel, and the deflecting rolls 23 in the base frame 9. the traction means 26 is further guided in the first telescopic section 18 over additional deflecting rolls 27 and is attached by its ends in each case in the second telescopic section 19 by means of chain joints 24a.

As shown in Fig. 4, the telescopic unit can be extended either to the left or to the right, relative to the centre 17 of the shelf system. In so doing, the first pallet positioning location 2 is approached. In this case, the auxiliary drive 13 is actuated, whereas the main drive 12 is braked, i.e. blocked. As the main drive 12 is not switched on, the first telescopic section 18 cannot be moved. This control results in great stability of the apparatus. Control is effected via a path measuring system (not shown), which operates, for example, via the number of rotations of the motor shaft. The system is based on the fact that the main drive 12 is braked for a short extension path of the telescopic section 18 and the auxiliary drive 13 is braked for a long extension path.

It can be seen from Fig. 5 that the traction means 21 driven by the main drive 12, is guided to the attachment point 24 of the first telescopic section 18.

From the auxiliary drive 13, the traction means 25 extends over deflecting rolls 23 in the base frame 9 over other deflecting rolls 23 in the first telescopic section 18 and is attached in the second telescopic section 19.

In the arrangement of Figures 6 and 7, a common shaft 29 is provided for the main drive 12 and the auxiliary 7 drive 13. A clutch 32, 33 and a brake 34, 35 is associated with a driving wheel 30 of the main drive 12 and a driving wheel 31 of the auxiliary drive 13 on the shaft 29.

The driving wheels 30, 31 are each formed of chain wheels 30a, 31a. The clutches 32, 33 are each structurally connected to the relevant chain wheel 30a, 31a, as shown in Fig. 7. The brakes 34 and 35 are each arranged adjacent to a frame wall 9b of the base frame 9 and the respective chain wheel 30a or 31a.

Fig. 8 shows Fig. 3 on a larger scale and with additional details. From the main drive 12, the traction means 21 runs on the right-hand side over the deflecting roll 23 to the attachment point 24 of the first telescopic section 18. Likewise, the traction means 21 runs towards the left from the main drive 12 over a deflecting roll 23 in the base frame 9 to the attachment point 24a in the first telescopic section 18.

From the auxiliary drive 13, an additional traction means 25, indicated by dashes, extends to the right over another deflecting roll 23 in the base frame 9 and in the first telescopic section 18 until its attachment point 24 in the second telescopic section 19. The attachment points 24 are each located on the outer ends of the respective telescopic section 18, 19 or 20. The other section of the traction means 25 runs from the auxiliary drive 13 then over a deflecting roll 26a to the left over a further deflecting roll 23 in the base frame 9 and deflecting roll 23 in the first telescopic section 18 and up to the lefthand attachment point 24 in the second telescopic section 19. The deflecting rolls 23 shown offset in the base frame 9 are shown offset in Fig 8.

Additional traction means 25a are guided from the 8 left-hand and right-hand attachment points 24 in the first telescopic section 18 via deflecting rolls 23 in the second telescopic section 19 as far as the attachment points 24 in the third telescopic section 20 and are attached there.

In Fig. 9, the position of the telescopic fork unit is shown on a larger scale than that of Fig. 5. This, as has already been explained with reference to Fig. 5, shows the approach to the first pallet positioning location 2, with the traction means 25 driven by the auxiliary drive 13, only moving the second telescopic section 19 and the third telescopic section 20. Thus the main drive 12 is blocked.

Fig. 10 shows the right-hand half of Fig. 5 on an enlarged scale to the right of the centre 17 of the shelf system. The second pallet positioning location 2 on the right-hand side of the shelf system 1 is being approached. Here, only the main drive 12 is in action, so that the first telescopic section 18, the second telescopic section 19 and the third telescopic section 20 are extended.

The telescopic sections 18, 19 and 20 and the base frame 9 are illustrated in Figures 3 to 5, 8 to 10 as located in the event of operation in the horizontal position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The individual guides of the telescopic sections 18, 19 and 20 are not shown in detail.

9

Claims

1. A system for retracting or extending a gripping means for piece goods with lifting means and telescopic forks thereon which can be extended at least doubly to the left or the right, the telescopic sections of the forks being driven by each traction means arranged in pairs a main drive on a base frame for driving the traction means in the base frame and in the following first telescopic section, each traction means extending from the main drive and being guided over a deflecting roll arranged on an end of the base frame and on the following first telescopic section and attached to the end of the telescopic section remote from the said end of the base frame and an auxiliary drive for driving traction means guided around further deflecting rolls on the base frame and deflecting rolls on the first telescopic section and attached to the ends of a second telescopic section, wherein for a relatively shorter extension path the main drive is braked and for a relatively longer extension path the auxiliary drive is braked.

2. A system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein traction means is guided from an attachment point of the first telescopic section via deflecting rolls of the second telescopic section as far as attachment points at the ends of a third telescopic section.

3. A system as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the main drive and the auxiliary drive are combined via a single motor, driving being effected via a common shaft, a clutch and a brake being associated with a driving wheel of the main drive and a driving wheel of the auxiliary drive on the shaft.

4. A system as claimed in Claim 3 wherein each driving wheel comprises a chain wheel, the clutch in each case 1 being connected to the chain wheel and wherein each brake is arranged adjoining a frame wall of the base frame and the associated chain wheel or the clutch.

5. A system substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.