Abstract:
A separating conveyor for transferring unit loads, in particular air luggage, from a conveyor belt ( 3 ) to at least one adjacent branching conveyor, has traveling undercarriages ( 7 ) arranged one after the other in the transport direction (F), movable along a guiding rail ( 6 ) and interconnected by driven traction means ( 4 ) to form an endless revolving chain, and tilting arms ( 8 ) arranged on the undercarriages ( 7 ), a coupling rod ( 12 ) being joined to each tilting arm ( 8 ) outside of its axis ( 9 ) to ensure the tilting movement of the tiling arms ( 8 ). In order to ensure the rotation of the tilting arms ( 8 ) about the axis ( 9 ) over a switchable switching element ( 17 ), the guiding roller ( 14 ) can be deflected into a tilting rail ( 16 ) vertically offset in relation to the guiding rail ( 15 ). The switching rail ( 41 ) can be swiveled by a cam gear in the manner of a Maltese cross having a driven pin disk ( 34 ) oriented transversely to the transport direction and which engages with a pin ( 35 ) a slot ( 36 ) in a slotted disk ( 37 ). A connection rod ( 40 ) is mounted on the slotted disk ( 37 ) for converting the rotary movement of the slotted disk ( 37 ) into an up and down movement of the switching rail ( 41 ).

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention refers to a separating conveyor for the transfer of unit loads, in particular of pieces of airplane luggage, as per the preamble of Claim 1. From the (printed) German Pat. specifications DE 42 25 491 C1, an installation/ device for emptying containers is known, which is arranged along the conveyor&#39;s path. The containers serve primarily to transport individual pieces of airplane luggage. The installation for emptying the containers consists essentially of several fixed, spaced out and consecutively mounted tilting arms, pivotably mounted in the transport direction; their centers rest on an axis extending in the transport direction and allowing the arms to be swiveled to both sides. Furthermore, the area of the installation for emptying the containers is provided with disc-shaped carrier rollers of the roller conveyor type, which—seen in the transport direction—are arranged consecutively and in single file. The design/ execution of the carrier rollers and the lower surface of the containers provided with a central, continuous slot in the transport direction are chosen in such a way that carrier-roller-supported containers can be tilted on the carrier rollers—to either side—to up to approx. 45°. The tilting movement that serves to let the transported container contents slide down to the branching (off) conveyor that runs adjacent to the emptying installation is carried out by the two-armed tilting arms. For this purpose, the tilting arms are provided, at their opposite ends, with guides in the form of guide rollers that are pivotable around horizontal axles, which engage- in correspondingly arranged guide bars-webs on the container in order to transfer the tilting arms&#39; swivel movement to the containers. The distance between the tilting arms, successively arranged in the transport direction, is less than the length of the containers, so that the containers can be transferred during the tilting action to the following transport-direction-oriented tilting arm, which is in the same tilting position. 
     This emptying/unloading installation is suitable for a large number of applications, its outstanding characteristic being the fixed placement of the tilting arms. However, the transfer (flow) rate is limited by the fact that there has to be a sufficiently large gap between each of the containers to be emptied, so that the tilting arms have sufficient time to return from the swung-out position to the horizontal position for accepting the next container. 
     Furthermore, also already known from the German patent specifications DE 21 51 439 C2, is a tilting installation for unit loads that is arranged along the path of the conveyor, and consists, essentially, of dish-shaped carrier units, movable in the transport direction, which—in order to off-load the unit loads—are pivotable, either to the right or the left side, around an axis proceeding in the transport direction. As a result, the unit loads can be transferred, specifically, to an adjacent separation conveyor. Each of the dish-shaped carrier units is mounted, via a tilting arm, on individual traveling undercarriages, which are linked consecutively to each other in the transport direction. Thus, the traveling undercarriages form an endless revolving chain, that is guided around a reversing guiding wheel at the junction points with the adjacent conveyor belt. For the tilting action, the load units are transferred from the adjacent conveyor belt to the chain&#39;s upper stringer, and will either be tipped out in the direction of the branching off conveyor belt, or will be transferred, for further transport, to the conveyor belt that adjoins the tilting installation. The dish-shaped carrier unit&#39;s tilting movement is effected by a lever arm that engages the tilting arm. Essentially, this lever arm extends perpendicularly downwards, and at its end, facing away from the tilting arm, it is provided with a guide roller. The guide roller is carried in a track that runs alongside the stadium-shaped, circular-running traveling path of the carriers units. This locks the dish-shaped carrier unit into its horizontal position. For tilting purposes, switchable switches are provided along the guide, which permit rerouting—according to the desired tilting direction, either to the right or left of the guide roller—to a tilting rail that is arranged either above or below the guiding rail. By rerouting the guide roller, the lever arm is drawn, accordingly either downwards, or it is pushed upwards, whereby the dish-shaped carrier unit is swiveled to the right or left. The shifting of the switching elements is effected via a double-acting pneumatic cylinder, whose horizontally oriented movement is converted—via two interacting rollers, each provided with a guide bar bracket—into swiveling the switches in a vertical direction. 
     It is the task of the present invention to create a separation conveyor for unit loads, specifically for pieces of airplane luggage, that is provided with an optimized drive for moving the switch rails, in order to initiate the tilting movement of the tilting arms. This goal is achieved, as per the characteristics stated in Claim 1, with a tilting installation for unloading unit loads from containers. Advantageous further developments of the invention are indicated in the sub-claims 2 through 10. 
     In order to execute the containers&#39; tilting movement, each tilting arm is provided with a lever arm that is pivotably joined outside its axis. Essentially, the lever arm is vertically aligned and is provided with a guide roller at its end facing away from the tilting arm. In order to hold the tilting arm in its horizontal transport position, the guide roller engages a guide rail that runs parallel to the stadium-shaped track. In order to be able to swing out the tilting arms, switchable rails have been provided along the guide rails, which are pivotable around a switching joint, whose axis is aligned horizontally and at right angles to the transport direction, and via which the guide rollers can be rerouted from the guiding rail to a tilting rail that is vertically off set in relation to the guiding rail. Due to the resulting traction or, respectively, the pressure force that is exerted on the lever arm in the vertical direction, the tilting arm and, consequently, the container attached to it, is swung out either to one or the other side of the tilting device. This development of the tilting mechanism has turned out to be very simple as to its structure/design, since, essentially, it is based on mechanical component parts. Furthermore, this type of mechanical solution is, relatively, much less trouble prone. 
     A switch rail—with its pivotably mounted switch element and arranged along the guide rail,—has been found to be advantageous. The length of this switch rail is approximately the same length as that of a container. This results in a relatively gentle tilting movement of the tilting arms and, thus, of the tilting container. The switch rail can be swung from its resting position to its operative position by means of a drive (actuator). In its operational position, the switch rail connects the guide rail with a tilting rail that is assigned to it. 
     As a drive for the swivel movement of the switch rail, the use of a flat cam gear with rectilinear and swivel joints of the Geneva-type stop has been found advantageous, since this guarantees that, both in the resting and the operational position of the tilting rail, the drive, which preferably consists of a series-connected electric motor, is not under torsional strain, and that the switch rail&#39;s supporting forces are fed directly into the gear&#39;s driving shaft, making the cam gear self-locking. 
     This cam gear is executed as a rotatable plate with a fixed stud, arranged on a driven shaft, that consists essentially of a stud—arranged off-set in relation to the driven shaft that engages the slot of a slotted disc that rotates coaxially to the rotatable stud plate. The slotted disc&#39;s end opposite the slot has a pivotably joined connecting tie rod that is connected to the switch rail, and which serves to convert the slotted disc&#39;s rotary movement into a lifting or lowering movement of the switch rail. In order to make possible the previously described self-locking of the cam gear, the rotatable stud plate, as well as the slotted disc have been provided with arch-shaped (curved) contact surfaces, which adjoin both in the resting and the operational position of the rotatable stud plate and the slotted disc and, thereby, relieve the stud. While between the two positions, the rotatable stud plate can be swiveled by 90°, and in both swivel positions of the slotted disc, the slot&#39;s longitudinal section is arranged tangentially to the stud&#39;s shaft and at a distance from it. 
     Furthermore, it is also advantageous to provide a double set of guide rails and tilting rails, which—seen in the transport direction—are located at the right and left side below the tracks. This allows a switching element to be provided on the left side at the beginning of the tilting device&#39;s track rails and to be followed shortly by a further switching element on the right side. The distance between switching elements corresponds to the spacing of the consecutively arranged tilting arms that jointly carry a container, which makes a simultaneous swing-out movement possible. Due to the staggered arrangement on the sides of the switching elements, it is possible to increase the speed of the traveling undercarriages, since the distance between the individual guide rollers is twice as long on one side of the tilting rails and, thus, there remains enough time—even at higher transporting speeds—to switch the switch rails into the desired position before the arrival of the next guide roller. For this purpose, the tilting arms that are arranged on the undercarriages are turned around by 180°, and—seen in the transport direction—guide rollers are provided which alternately engage the right-side or left-side rails. 
     The execution that allows the tilting arms to move along in the transport direction is achieved in that at least two tilting arms are assigned to a container during the entire tilting process and, thus, the tilting arm&#39;s return movement into the horizontal position occurs together with the container; this makes it unnecessary to allow for additional time for the return of the tilting arms, thus optimizing the flow/transfer rate or, respectively, the length of the tilting device. Transfer rates of 2500 containers per hour can be achieved with a tilting device of the described type. 
     An especially advantageous means of attaching the containers on the tilting arms is to arrange permanent magnets at the ends of the tilting arms, as well as a material that the magnetic force will hold, in particular steel sheet metal that is placed on the outer bottom surface, if the container is made of plastic. The connection between the permanent magnets and the container is easily undone at the end of the tilting movement by the tilting arms&#39; downward tipping (dumping) out movement, and the container can safely be passed on to the subsequent conveyor belt. Due to the tilting movement—at the beginning and the end of the tilting device, seen in the transport direction—of the permanent magnets around an axis (oriented at right angles to the transport direction) that places them either into or out of their essentially horizontal position at the tilting arms, a gentle coupling and/or uncoupling process of the container is achieved. Furthermore, the disc-shaped design of the holding means—where one disc surface faces towards the container to be attached—and the slightly angled movable positioning of the holding means on the tilting arms, result in the contact of the holding means being as holohedral as possible at the containers&#39; lower surface, and, consequently, the containers are held securely on the tilting arms and are held also during the tilting movement. 
     It has also proven to be an advantage that the undercarriages are provided with rollers, which roll on a stadium-shaped track—seen in the transport direction—, that the traction medium, together with the undercarriages arranged on it, is guided over/via two reversing guide wheels, which are positioned in the area at the ends of the track rails. 
     Below follows a detailed explanation of the invention, based on the attached drawings. Shown are in 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention refers to a tilting device for emptying containers carrying unit loads (in particular pieces of airplane luggage), which is arranged along the course of a conveyor belt; the tilting device has at least one adjoining branch-off conveyor; with tilting arms arranged consecutively and in the transport direction, which—in order to empty the containers—can all be swiveled sideways around an axis that extends mostly horizontally in the transport direction; the tilting device is also provided with at least two tilting arms for passing the containers on between the conveyor belts; at least two of the tilting arms are detachably connected to a container by holding means. 
     In order to create a container-emptying tilting device that has an optimized flow/transfer rate, it is proposed that for the tilting movement of the containers ( 2 ), each tilting arm ( 8 ) flexibly (articulated) engage—outside of its axis ( 19 )—a coupling rod ( 12 ), that essentially is vertically aligned, and on whose end facing away from the tilting arm ( 8 ), a guide roller ( 14 ) is mounted, which—in order to hold the tilting arms ( 8 ) in their horizontal transport position—is carried/guided in a guiding rail ( 15 ) that proceeds parallel to a track rail ( 6 ); in order to swivel the tilting arms ( 8 ) around an axis ( 9 ), the guide roller ( 14 ) can be rerouted via a switchable switching element ( 17 ) to a tilting rail ( 16 ), arranged off-set to the guiding rail ( 15 ); the switching elements ( 17 ) consist of a switching rail ( 14 ) that, in its horizontal resting position, is arranged along the extent of the guiding rail ( 15 ); it can be swung, by means of a drive ( 32 ) into a swung-out operational position that connects the guiding rail ( 15 ) with the assigned tilting rail ( 16 ); the switching rail ( 41 ) can be swiveled via a cam gear of the Maltese Cross type. (See Illustration 4). 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention refers to a separating conveyor for the transfer of unit loads, in particular pieces of airplane luggage, from a conveyor belt ( 3 ), to at least one adjoining branching-off conveyor with—in the transport direction (F) consecutively arranged—traveling undercarriages ( 7 ), movable along a track rail ( 6 ), which—via a driven traction medium ( 4 )—are interconnected to form an endless, revolving chain; the traveling undercarriages ( 7 ) are provided with tilting arms ( 8 ), each of which, in order to transfer to load units, can be swung sideways around a mostly horizontally (in the transport direction F) extending axis ( 9 ); for the tilting movement of the tilting arms ( 8 ) around the axis ( 9 ) via a switchable switching element ( 17 ), the guiding roller ( 14 ) can be rerouted to a tilting rail ( 16 ), that is off-set and vertically aligned to the guiding rail ( 15 ). The switching rail ( 41 ) can be swiveled by a cam gear of the Maltese Cross type, which is provided—aligned in the transport direction—with an impellable (drivable) pin disc ( 34 ), which by means of a pin ( 35 ) engages a slot ( 36 ) arranged on a slotted disc ( 37 ) which bears a tie rod ( 40 ), that converts the turning movement of the slotted disc ( 37 ) into a lifting or lowering movement of the switching rail ( 41 ). (See FIG.  4 ). 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a lateral view of a separating conveyor—arranged along a unit load conveyor—to transfer transported pieces of airplane luggage; 
     FIG. 2 is a view of a cross section of FIG. 1, along the section line  11 — 11 ; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 1 from the area of the tilting actuator/drive, but with the tilting arm in its tilting position; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 1 from the area of the switching elements; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 4 from the area of a switching element&#39;s drive; and 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows a lateral view of a tilting device  1  as per the invention, that serves to empty containers  2 , in particular, containers transporting pieces of airplane luggage. The tilting device  1  is arranged along the path of a conveyor  3 , which is executed, preferably, as a belt conveyor from which the transport containers are laterally removed by one belt each. The conveyor  3  serves to feed or carry away the containers to, or respectively from, the tilting device  1 . The task of the tilting device  1  is to swivel the containers  2 —unilaterally and at right angles to the transport direction F—in order to deliver/transfer the unit loads, transported by the containers, to branching off conveyors (not shown) which, preferably, will be designed/executed in the form of chutes. 
     Essentially, the tilting device  1  consists of an endless revolving traction device  4 , which is guided at the beginning and end of the tilting device via guide wheels  5 , and which are pivotably mounted on axes that extend horizontally and at right angles to the transport direction F. The traction medium  4  (shown only partially) is preferably designed as a chain and, accordingly, the guide wheels  5  will be designed as gear (sprocket) wheels. Between the gear wheels  5 , the traction medium  4  is guided via open-sided guide rails  6  which extend in the transport direction F (see also FIGS.  3  and  4 ), whose guiding surfaces are made, preferably, of plastic. The traction medium  4  is provided with bolt-fastened (traveling) undercarriages  7 , which, thus, can be driven in the transport direction F in the area of the upper stringer of the traction medium  4 . A large number of traveling undercarriages  7  are arranged along the traction medium  4 ; their spacing (to each other) has been chosen in such a way that two subsequent undercarriages  7  in the transport direction will always form a pair, each of these pairs carrying a container  2 . Each pair is spaced, in dependence of the length of the container  2 , and keeps a minimum distance to the subsequent container  2 . For the swiveling movement of the containers  2 , a tilting arm  8  is attached to each traveling undercarriage  7 ; the tilting arm  8  is pivotably attached to an axis  9  that extends horizontally in the transport direction (see FIGS.  2  and  3 ). 
     Basically, the traveling undercarriage  7  consists of a frame  10 , on which the tilting arm  8  is mounted via the axis  9 . The description refers to a traveling undercarriage  7 , that moves in the transport direction F, in the area of the traction medium&#39;s ( 4 ) upper stringer. Furthermore, the traveling undercarriage  7  is provided with  4  track rollers,  11 , which—seen in the transport direction F—are arranged in consecutive pairs and, thus, also side by side (see also FIGS.  2  and  3 ). The track rollers  11  are arranged on the tilting device  1 , and move in guide rails  6  which extend along the traction medium  4 . Viewed laterally, the track  6  is stadium-shaped, i.e. it consists of two parallel, straight rails—that face each other, each of their ends being connected via a semi-circular rail. 
     The tilting movement of the tilting arms  8  is effected via a coupling rod  12 —which is pivotably arranged on the tilting arm  8  in the transport direction F, via an axis  13  of a universal joint (see FIGS.  2  and  3 ), which essentially extends perpendicularly downwards. At the end of the coupling rod  12  that faces away from the tilting arm  8 , a guide roller  14  has been arranged, which engages a guide rail  15   a ,  15   b , that runs parallel to the track  6 , and thus extends also in a stadium-shaped fashion. In order to move the tilting arms  8  from their horizontal transporting position to their tilting position, tilting rails  16   a ,  16   b  have been provided parallel to, and either above or below, the guide rails  15   a ,  15   b . The guide rails  15   a ,  15   b , and the tilting rails  16   a ,  16   b  are interconnected via switching elements  17   a ,  17   b . By switching over the switching elements  17   a ,  17   b , it becomes possible to initiate the tilting movement of the tilting arms  8 , due to the rerouting of the guide roller  14  from the guide rail  15   a ,  15   b  to the tilting rail  16  assigned to the coupling rod  12 **, which is either pushed upwards or pulled downwards, thus swiveling/swinging out the tilting arm  8 . (** Seemingly, in the original the word “Koppelstange” [coupling rod] was given the wrong gender, both in line 1 and 14 of page 14, i.e. “der” instead of “die”; the article “die” was used in the translation, because, otherwise, it would not have been possible to translate the two sentences). 
     FIG. 2 shows an enlarged sectional view of FIG. 1 along the cutting line  11 — 11 , which—among others—shows the execution of the containers. The containers  2  are particularly suitable for an outward transfer/discharge of the transported unit loads—such as suitcases, backpacks or hold-ails—by tilting them at an angle of 45°. The term “tub-shaped” is to be understood in this context to mean that the containers  2  show side walls  18 , erected at right angles to the transport direction F, which are aligned almost vertically to the bottom  19  of the container  2 , in order to prevent the unit loads from leaving (falling out of) the container  2  during their transport on the conveyor belts  3  over upwards, downwards and curved stretches. In the present execution example, the inner side walls  18  of the container  2 —aligned in transport direction F—are arranged at a wall  18  to bottom  19  angle of approximately 20°. This sloping design of the side wall  18  (not  19 , as stated in the original) is helpful in sliding out the unit loads onto the adjoining branching off conveyor when the container  2  is being tilted. 
     During the transport movement of the tilting device in the transport direction F, the containers  2  are locked onto the tilting arm  8  via holding means  20 , while, at the same time, the bottom  19  of the container  2  rests on the tilting arm  8 . The holding means are designed preferably as permanent magnets and, accordingly, the container, that is preferably made of plastic, is provided with a sheet metal profile in the area on the outside of its bottom; this sheet metal profile also serves as protection of the plastic container  2 . 
     It is also possible to design the holding means  20  in the form of a mechanical locking device and to provide the container  2  with corresponding recesses, or to utilize electromagnets. 
     Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows that the tracks  6  for the traveling undercarriages  7  are formed by two upright U-profiles, whose open sides face each other, and in which the outer side of the flange is arranged on the side of a support/bearing frame  23 . In each case, the track rollers  11  of the traveling undercarriages  7  roll on the lower web of the U-profile-shaped tracks  6 . The diameter of the track rollers  11  is chosen in such a way that a small clearance remains between the track rollers  11 —resting on the lower web of the track  6 —and the upper web of the track  6 . This permits, on the one hand, that the track rollers  11  can roll on the track  6  without jamming, and on the other hand, that due to the lateral displacement of the container  2  during the tilting process, the tilting moment that is applied to the traveling carriage  7  can be absorbed by same, because the track roller  11 , facing away from the protruding part of the tilting arm  8 , lifts off from the lower web of the track  6 , and then immediately comes to lie against the upper web of the track  6 . As a result, the tilting forces resulting from the tilting moment are safely fed into the track  6  and the support frame. The side-by-side running track rollers  11  of the traveling undercarriage  7  are each located in sections, coaxially arranged to each other, of a running axle  23 , which is connected to the frame  10  of the traveling undercarriage  7  between the track rollers  11 . The frame  10  is bolt( 24 )-connected to the traction medium  4  by means of carrier/driver elements, which extend in the direction of the support frame  22 , as well as downwards, when seen in reference to the upper traveling undercarriage  7 . In the event that the traction medium  4  is fashioned as an inverted tooth-type chain, the bolt  24  will be of the laterally elongated type, used for a chain&#39;s side bars. 
     The tilting arm  8  consists, essentially, of a profile/section extending at right angles to the transport direction F which, in the center of its longitudinal range/extension is mounted on an axis  9  that proceeds in the transport direction F and, consequently, rests on the frame  10  of the traveling undercarriage  7 . The holding elements  20  are arranged at the ends of the tilting arm  8  and serve also as an extension of same. The holding elements  20  are designed in the form of permanent magnets, and are connected to the tilting arm  8  via connection elements  21  of limited flexibility, specifically sheet metal strips. The flexible connection allows the entire surface area of the holding means  20  to be in contact with the lower surface of the bottom  19  of the container  2 . This optimizes the holding force/capability of the holding element  20 . It is also feasible to position the magnets in a pan or cup-shaped plastic element and to rigidly join it to the tilting arm  8 , or to attach the holding elements  20  directly on the tilting arm  8 . 
     Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of the guide rails  15   a ,  15   b , and of the tilting rails  16   a  and  16   b . It can be seen that, in the transport direction F, in the area of the upper stringer of the traction medium  4  and below the tracks  6 , a pair each of guide rails  15   a ,  15   b  with tilting rails  16   a ,  16   b  is provided. In the area of the lower stringer of the traction medium  4 , only one guide rail  15   a ,  15   b  is arranged at each side of the tilting device  11 , but no tilting rail  16   a ,  16   b . FIG. 2 shows a traveling undercarriage  7  with a tilting arm  8 , whose coupling rod  12  engages—via its guide roller  14 , seen in the transport direction F—the guide rail  15   a , arranged on the right side and, as needed, it engages its assigned tilting rail  16   a . The traveling undercarriage  7  with the tilting arm  8  that follows in the transport direction F, is arranged—shown mirror-inverted—to the traveling undercarriage  7  shown in FIG. 2, with the two tilting arms  8  forming a pair in order to carry a container, so that the coupling rod  12  is articulation-fastened, via its axis  13 , at the left side of the tilting arm  8  that is executed as a double arm. FIG. 3 shows the pair&#39;s other traveling undercarriage  7  in a swung out tilting position. 
     For the joint swivel movement of the two tilting arms  8 , which in each case jointly carry a container  2 , the foremost tilting arm  8  in the transport direction F can be swiveled due to the fact, that the guide roller  14  is rerouted, via a switching element  17   a  (see FIGS. 4 and 5) from the lower or respectively inner guide rails  15  at the right side, to the tilting rail  16   a , arranged between the guide rail  15   a  and the track  6 . As a result, the coupling rod  12  is moved vertically upwards, and the tilting arm  8  is swiveled counter clockwise by 45° around the axis  9 . 
     Since in the area of the lower stringer of the traction means  4  there exists no need to swivel the tilting arms  8 , only one guide rail  15   a  has been arranged on the right side, and one guide rail  15  on the left side, off-set upwards. 
     Compared with FIG. 3, which shows an enlarged detail of FIG. 2 of the tilting drive&#39;s (actuator&#39;s) area, but which shows (seen in the transport direction F) the rearmost traveling undercarriage  7  with one of the tilting arms  8  of the pair of tilting arms  8 , it can be seen (viewed in the transport direction F) that the guide rail  15   b  that is arranged on the left side, and the tilting rail  16   b , opposite it on the right side, have been interchanged. Thus, the tilting rail  16   b  is located below the guide rail  15   b . This arrangement is also shown in FIG. 2, where in the area of the lower stringer of the traction means  4  it can be seen that the guide rail  15   b  is arranged at the left side in the neighboring area, and practically adjoining the track  6 , and that the guide rail  15  at the right side is off-set—vertically upwards, by approximately the height of a tilting rail  16  plus a clearance—from the upper side of the lower track  6 . 
     Furthermore, it can be seen in FIG. 3 that, at the side of the tilting arm  8  (fashioned as a double arm) that faces away from the coupling rod  12 , a traction rod  25  is pivotably arranged on an axis  26  which extends in the transport direction F. In all positions of the tilting arm  8  the traction rod  25  is aligned essentially vertically, and its end facing away from the tilting arm  8  is supported, via a spring element, by the frame  10  of the traveling undercarriage  7 . The task of this spring element  27  is to prestress/-tension the tilting arm  8  against the frame  10  of the traveling undercarriage  7 , so that on the one hand in the horizontal transport position, but also in its sloping tilting position, the guide roller  14  proceeds along the U-shaped flange and open-sided guide rail  15   a ,  15   b , or along the tilting rail  16   a ,  16   b . This stabilizes the tilting arm  8  throughout the entire tilting process, as well as during the return movement in the area of the lower stringer of the traction element  4 . 
     Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows that a trailing/drag arm  28  connects the guide roller  14 , via an axis  29 , to the end of the coupling rod  12  that faces away from the tilting arm  8 . This trailing arm  28  is also shown in the lateral view in FIG.  4 . The axis  29  is aligned horizontally and at right angles to the transport direction F. 
     With regard to the seating of the coupling rod  12  at the trailing arm  28 , the FIGS. 3 and 4 show that same is effected via an axis  30 , aligned at right angles to the transport direction F. Both axes  13  and  30  are components of ball joints that serve to compensate for the set-offs that occur during the spatial movement of the tilting arm  8  during the tilting process. Due to the connection of the guide roller  14  to the frame  10  via the trailing arm  28 , and the coupling rod engaging the trailing arm  28  above the seating of the guide roller  14 , it is possible to omit an additional, vertically oriented guide for the coupling rod  12 . Due to the trailing arm  28  being articulated—viewed in the transport direction F—at the front end of the frame  10 , the guide roller  14  and the trailing arm  28  are being pulled behind the traveling undercarriage  7 . This type of movement of the guide roller  14  in the guide rail  15  and the tilting rail  16  increases the stability of the swivel joint connection between the trailing arm  28  and the coupling rod  12 . 
     Furthermore, by comparing FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be observed that, additionally, at one side of the tilting arm&#39;s  8  lever, a connecting metal sheet  31  is provided that is connected to the tilting arm  8  either via the traction rod  25  or the coupling rod  12 , depending if it involves the front or rear tilting arm  8  of the pair of tilting arms  8  for the transport of a container  2 . This achieves that identically fashioned coupling rods  12  can be used, even though on the sides facing each other, the guide rail  15   a ,  15   b  and the tilting rail  16   a ,  16   b  have been exchanged in the vertical direction and thus are vertically set off. 
     FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detail from FIG. 1 from the area of the two consecutively arranged (in the transport direction F) switching elements  17   a  and  17   b , which basically consist of a drive  32  (see FIG. 6) and a flat cam gear with swivel and rectilinear joints of the Geneva stop type. The drive  32  consists of an electric motor with a series connected gear. The drive  32  is positioned at the support frame  22  of the tilting device  1 , and its output side is connected to a shaft  33 , (aligned horizontally and at right angles to the transport direction F) on which a rotatable plate  34  with fixed stud(s)is mounted. The studded plate&#39;s  34  function is that of a lever arm arranged on one side of the shaft  33 . The end of the lever arm facing away from the shaft  33  is provided with a stud/pin  35  that is coaxially aligned to the shaft  33 . Preferably, the stud  35  will be provided with a roller. The stud  35  engages the oblong-hole-shaped slot  36 —open at one side—of a slotted disc  37 , which is pivotably mounted on a further shaft  38  that is coaxially aligned to the shaft  33  of the studded plate/disc  34 . The nearly square, slotted disc  37  is eccentrically mounted on the shaft  38 , and has two concave contact surfaces  37 ′ that serve for self-locking the cam gear in its final positions. In accordance with its function, the slotted disc  37  is designed as a double lever, where the slot  36  is arranged on one lever arm, and the slot&#39;s assumed elongation of its longitudinal extension centrally crosses the shaft  38 . On the opposite lever arm of the slotted disc  37  and, thus, on the side opposite the slot  36 , a connecting rod  40  is mounted via an axis  39 , aligned coaxially to the shaft  38 ; the end of the connecting rod  40  facing away from the axis  39  is attached at a switch rail  41 , via a further axis  45 , which is aligned parallel to the axis  35 . The stud-slot connection serves to swing out the switching rail  42 ; the anchoring of the switching rail  42  in its final positions is effected via the contact surfaces  34 ′,  37 ′. 
     This switching rail  41  has a length, extending in the transport direction F, which roughly approximates the length of a container  2  and, via an articulated switch  42 , it can be swiveled from its resting position—in which it is arranged along the guide trail  15   b —to its operational position. In the operational position, the switching rail  41   b  connects the guide rail  15   b  with the tilting rail  16   b  and, seen in the transport direction F, it is arranged on a gradient (slope). The articulated switch  42  for the switching rail  41   b  is not shown in FIG. 4, since same, due to its length which achieves a gentle tilting movement of the containers  2 , falls outside the right edge of the drawing. However, the switch joint  42  for the switching rail  41   a  can be seen in a top view in FIG. 4 and 6. In order to cut down on its length, the switching rail  41  is executed in two parts in the execution example. The first part is connected to the articulated switch  42 , and a second part  41   a  is stationary attached at the beginning of the tilting rail  16   b . In the operational position, the second part  41   b  is aligned at an angle to the tilting rail  16 , in accordance with its alignment to the first part. 
     In FIG. 4, the switching rail  41   b  is shown in its horizontally proceeding resting position; the operational position of the switching rail  41   b  is only hinted at by the penciled in stationary end  41   b′ . Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows that the switching rail  41   b , apart from being held by the switching joint  42 , is also held at its front end in the vertical direction—facing away from the switching joint  42  and, thus, in the transport direction F—via guide elements  43 . The guide elements  43  consist of a U-shaped part, attached to the support frame  22 , whose open side (seen in the transport direction F) is frontwards oriented. The opening is engaged by a strip-shaped element that is attached to the switching rail  41 . The connecting rod  40  engages the switching rail  41   b  near the guide elements  43  and at a distance from the switching joint  42 . 
     Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows the corresponding execution of the switching rail  41   a  of the switching element  17   a . Here as well, the switching rail  41   a  is shown in its resting position, and the operational position is only hinted at by the front end—seen in the transport direction F—of the stationary part of the switching rail  41   a′ . The slot  36  of the slotted disc  37  of the switching element  17   a  is not show here in its two feasible positions. 
     Using FIG. 5 as a guide—which shows an enlarged segment of FIG. 4 from the area of the switching element  17   b —the following explanations offer more detail regarding the operational mode and the advantages of the motor  32  of the switching elements  17 . The switching rail  41   b  is in its raised and horizontal position, so that the guide roller  14  of the coupling rods  12  of the traveling undercarriages  7  are guided along the guide rail  15   b , and that, thus, the tilting arm  8  (not “18”, as written in the original) is in its transport position. In this resting position, the switching rail  41   b  is held via the connecting/tie rod  40 , which—for this purpose—is pivotably connected, via a connecting bracket  44  and the axis  41 , to the switching rail  41   b  that is supported at one end by the slotted disc  37 , which in its resting position is held by adjoining contact surfaces  34 ′,  37 ′ of the slotted disc  37  and the stud plate  34 . Since the longitudinally extending slot  36  is aligned tangentially with/to the shaft  33 , both in the operational as well as the resting position of the switching rail  41   b , forces in the direction of the shaft  33  are fed only to the stud plate  34  via the contact surfaces  34 ′,  37 ′, and, thus, the motor  32  is not exposed to torsional strain. Therefore, this cam gear is described as being self-locking. 
     The lever conditions at the slotted disc  37  are chosen—in adaptation to the shifting path of the switching rail  41   b— in such a way that also in the operational position of the stud plate  34  and the slotted disc  37  ( see FIG. 4, switching elements  17   a ), the longitudinal extension of the slot  36  is tangentially aligned with the shaft  33 , and the contact surfaces  43 ′,  37 ′ adjoin. By turning the stud plate  34  by 90°, it will be possible to swivel the switching rail  41  out of its operational position and into its resting position or vice versa. Further to that, the gear connection of the switching rail  41  via the stud plate  34  and the slotted disc  37  has also the advantage—particularly in the case where a drive  32  is in the form of an electric motor—that very little start-up moment is required, since at the beginning of its movement the stud  35  moves relatively easily along the extent of the slot  36  in the longitudinal direction, and only with increasing swiveling of the stud plate  34  will the share of the force increase that is to be transferred to the side walls of the slot  36 . 
     Furthermore, FIG. 5 shows that the length of the tie rod  40  can be adjusted. The result is that the transition from the end of the switching rail  41  to the beginning of the guide rail  15 , or the tilting rail  16 , is easily adjusted. 
     Furthermore, FIG. 6, which is a top view of FIG. 4, shows that the switching joint  42  is designed as a hinge joint. This hinge joint has a swivel axis, aligned horizontally and at right angles to the transport direction F, and it consists, basically, of an arm-shaped bearing element (attached to the support frame  22 ), which at the end facing away from the support frame  22 , is provided with a drill hole for accommodating an axis; onto the end of the axis that protrudes from the end of the fastening element, a fork-shaped joint part is slipped that is bracket-connected to the switching rail  41   a.    
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 REFERENCE LIST 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                  1 
                 Tilting Installation/Device 
               
               
                   
                  2 
                 Container 
               
               
                   
                  3 
                 Conveyor Belt 
               
               
                   
                  4 
                 Traction means/medium 
               
               
                   
                  5 
                 (Reversing) Guide Wheel 
               
               
                   
                  6 
                 Track 
               
               
                   
                  7 
                 Traveling Undercarriage 
               
               
                   
                  8 
                 Tilting Arm 
               
               
                   
                  9 
                 Axis 
               
               
                   
                 10 
                 Frame 
               
               
                   
                 11 
                 Track Rollers 
               
               
                   
                 12 
                 Coupling/Tie Rod 
               
               
                   
                 13 
                 Axis 
               
               
                   
                 14 
                 Guiding Roller 
               
               
                   
                 15a,b 
                 Guiding Rail 
               
               
                   
                 16a,b 
                 Tilting Rail 
               
               
                   
                 17a,b 
                 Switching Elements 
               
               
                   
                 18 
                 Side Wall 
               
               
                   
                 19 
                 Bottom 
               
               
                   
                 20 
                 Holding Means 
               
               
                   
                 21 
                 Connection Element 
               
               
                   
                 22 
                 Support Frame 
               
               
                   
                 23 
                 Running Axis 
               
               
                   
                 24 
                 Bolt 
               
               
                   
                 25 
                 Pulling (Traction) Rod 
               
               
                   
                 26 
                 Axis of 25 
               
               
                   
                 27 
                 Spring Element 
               
               
                   
                 28 
                 Trailing/Drag Arm 
               
               
                   
                 29 
                 Axis of 28 
               
               
                   
                 30 
                 Axis of 12 
               
               
                   
                 31 
                 Connector Metal Shoe 
               
               
                   
                 32 
                 Drive 
               
               
                   
                 33 
                 Shaft 
               
               
                   
                 34 
                 (Driven) Pin/Stud Disc 
               
               
                   
                 35 
                 Pin/Stud 
               
               
                   
                 36 
                 Slot 
               
               
                   
                 37 
                 Slotted Disc 
               
               
                   
                 38 
                 Shaft 
               
               
                   
                 39 
                 Axis 
               
               
                   
                 40 
                 Connection Rod 
               
               
                   
                 41a,b 
                 Switching Rail 
               
               
                   
                 42 
                 Switching joint 
               
               
                   
                 43 
                 Guide Element 
               
               
                   
                 44 
                 Connection Bracket 
               
               
                   
                 45 
                 Axis 
               
               
                   
                 F 
                 Transport Direction