METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR POSITIONING OF ARTICLES ON CONVEYING BELTS

Abstract: A method and a device for positioning and performing operations on pieces of material (4) arranged on a transport means, where the pieces of material arrive preferably oriented, but possibly randomly to the area of picking, whereby a first transport means (1) supplies the pieces of material to a second transport means (5), which after reaching a predetermined condition is transferred upstream the flow of pieces of material against the first means (1) with a speed that is equal to the speed that the first means (1) has when transporting the pieces of material downstream. Consequently the speed of the pieces of material (4) is equal to zero relative to a free chosen spot whereby a means (16) during a certain time period may pick, position, treat or mount said pieces of material (4), which during this time period are at rest on the second transport means (5), as new pieces of material (4) may arrive simultaneously and be transferred to this means (5). After completion of the picking the second transport means (5) returns to its original position without by any means blocking the possibility to receive new pieces of material (4) from the first means (1).

Description: Method and arrangement for positioning of articles on conveying belts The present invention relates to a method and a devuce for positioning, machining or assembling of pieces of material, which may be transported in a random fashion on a first transport means, be transferred to a second transport means, be kept still on this second transport means and be positioned, machined or assembled without interrupting the material flow on the first means. In many industrial processes pieces of material are transported on a continuously running conveyor. The pieces of material may however very well arrive irregularly but are often rather well oriented. It may, however, be troublesome to take care of these pieces for i.e. packing or manipulating them in some way, whereby it may be necessary for instance to use fast working picking apparatuses or to arrange the pieces of material in order to create rows or piles. The problem is obvious. Fast apparatuses are often expensive and can scarecely handle heavy goods. During ranging, the pieces of material will become arranged close together, which often creates a problem. The present invention presents a solution to the said problem accomplishing in a simple way that the pieces of material during a certain time is at rest, without in any way disturbing the flow of the pieces of material upstream the device according to the invention. The invention is applicable when it is desired to pick pieces of material from the said second conveyor with some kind of arrangement, as well as when some kind of operation is to be executed, whereby the actual operation is dependent on known positions for the said pieces of material and/or a certain time period when the pieces are at rest without in any way disturbing the flow on the first transport means. When said first means has left a piece of material to a second transport means, the piece of material is further transported with unchanged direction and suitably chosen speed, preferably the same as that of the first transport means or faster, a certain distance whereafter this second means automatically stops and remains at rest until another piece of material arrives and is also taken over by said second means from the first means. At a predetermined condition, for example when a certain filling stage has been reached, the second transport means starts to move against the transport direction, with exactly the same speed as that of the first transport means. The pieces of material on this second transport means will consequently remain at rest irrespectively of whether new pieces of material arrive on the first transport means or not and if the second transport means thereby has to work in order to receive these new pieces of material. The deadlock time can be chosen. The limits for the deadlock time are given by the time that the deadlock dependent operation at least requires and the combination of the length of the second means, the speeds of the transport means, the distance between the pieces of material on each of the conveyors and the frequency with which pieces of material arrive. During the deadlock time, planned operations may be performed, for example picking, preferably with a multi arrangement, or machining with some known method, whereby the pieces of material accordingly either are picked from said second transport means or are machined and further transported downstream of the material flow where they are to be turned over to a third transport means. During the return movement of said second transport means a transport movement may if necessary be performed and if so preferably which such a speed in relation to the return movement speed of the transport means, that the pieces of material may be transferred safely. The invention will be described in detail in the following. The description relates to an example of a specific embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG 1 A shows an arrangement according to the invention, intended for picking with a multihead, FIG 1 B is a section along 1 B-l B in FIG 1 A, FIG 1 C is a section along 1 C-l C in FIG 1 A, FIG 1 D is a section along 1 D-l D in FIG 1 A, FIG 2 shows the arrangement when the second transport means has been filled to the limit when its frame begins to move counter to the material flow during further filling and during activation of the picking head, FIG 3 shows in a simplified fashion the pick head grasping stationary pieces of material and that the second transport means has received yet further pieces of material after the start of the picking cycle without moving the pieces of material already in picking position, FIG 4 shows in a simplified fashion picked pieces of material as well as further received pieces of material in the second transport means without influencing the picking, and FIG 5 shows in a simplified fashion a position during the return movement of the second transport means. In the following an embodiment of the invention will be explained. It is however obvious to the skilled man that many other different embodiments than those described here are possible. FIGS 1:A to 1:D show how a first transport means 1 comprises a conveyor which is designed with three narrow parallel bands 2, which run over common rollers and are driven by an electric motor 3. The band conveyor 1 runs continuously, with constant speed. On the band conveyor 1 pieces of material 4 are transported with relative positions randomly distributed. The band conveyor 1 connects downstream the transport direction (shown with an arrow) to a second transport means 5, consisting of a carrier conveyor. The carrier conveyor is so designed that carriers 6 are mounted on two parallel gearbelts 7, 7', and so constructed that the carriers form compartments 8, wherein the pieces of material 4 exactly fit. The carrier conveyor 5 is driven by an electric servo-motor 9. The carriers 7, 7' penetrate in the spaces created between the bands 2 in the first conveyor. The carrier conveyor 5 has a framework 10 which is linearly moveably held in another framework 11 and has another electric servo-motor 12. In the beginning of the work cycle the carrier conveyor 5 and its framework 10 are situated in the start position 13 (see FIG 1 A and FIG 2) with regard to the second framework 11. When a piece of material 4 arrives to the transition between the band conveyor 1 and the carrier conveyor 5, a photocell 14 reads the position of the piece of material 4, whereby the servo-motor 9 via a control system drives the carrier conveyor 5 one step. Consequently the piece of material 4 is taken over to the carrier conveyor 5 and is positioned between two carriers 6, 6". When the next piece of material 4", after an arbitrary time, however longer than the advancing or indexing time for the carrier conveyor, arrives to the transition between the conveyors 1, 5, the process is repeated. When a predetermined number of pieces of material, for example five, is situated on the carrier conveyor 5, the control system will activate the servo-motor 12 over new pieces of material are transferred to the carrier conveyor, so that the motor 12 moves the frame 10 of the carrier conveyor against the transport direction. The two servo-motors 9, 12 are so controlled, that the position relative to the surroundings of the said five pieces of material on the carrier conveyor 5 remain unchanged in spite of that new pieces of material are taken over by the carrier conveyor. When the fifth piece of material has been taken over by the carrrier conveyor 5 and the latter has reached its rest position a picking head 16 having five suction cups 17 is activated. This head descends and sucks on to the pieces of material in order to lift them from the carrier conveyor 5 and to move them to packages standing beside, and which have been positioned by another system not shown in this connection. During the time needed for the picking head 16 to descend, suck on to and lift the pieces of material 4, the servo-motor 12 is running as previously described. Consequently the pieces of material are at rest in a carefully determined position during the time required by the picking head, irrespective of whether more pieces of material arrive and are taken over by the carrier conveyor or not during this time. When the picking head 16 and the pieces of material 4 have reached beyond the movement area av the carriers, the control system controls the servo-motor 12 in such a way, that the body of the carrier conveyor re-assumes its original position 13. Thereafter and when also the picking head has returned to its original position the cycle is complete. It is obvious to the skilled man that many embodiments and variants are covered within the scope of the invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Method for positioning of pieces of material in order to perform operations thereon, which pieces are transported by a first means with varying, possibly randomly distributed mutual distances, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the first means (1) leaves said pieces of material (4) to a second transport means (5) , which is so constructed that when reaching a predetermined condition, suitably after performing a preset number of indexations/feeding operations, the second means is translated against its own transport direction, during exactly the same time and with the same speed as that of the transport movement, so that the pieces of material on this second means consequently remain at rest independently of whether a transport movement is performed or not and that a head, during this controlled time, is brought simultaneously to perform an operation on two or more pieces of material, whereafter said second means returns to its original position, whereby new pieces of material consequently are positioned for the said operation. 2. Method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the operation is a picking. 3. Method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the operation is a machining process. 4. Method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the operation is an assembly of a further part or parts on said pieces of material. 5. Device for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1-5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the first means (1) comprises components which deliver pieces of material onto a second transport means (5) , which is so constructed that the transport movement is intermittent and is only performed in connection with the transfer of pieces of material (4) and at a predetermined condition, as is best when a preset number of indexations/feeding operations have been performed, whereby this second means (5) , by means of a servo-motor (12) is translated against its own direction of transport, during the exact same time and with the same speed as the transport movement, so that the pieces of material (4) and the second means (5) consequently are at rest independent of whether transport movement is performed or not, that an operational head (16) , during this control time, simultaneously performs an operation on two or more pieces of material, whereafter this second means returns to its original position, whereafter feeding and operation respectively is repeatedly. 6. Device according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the head (16) has one or more shafts for performing several operations. 7. Device according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the head (16) is a picking type head arranged to move pieces of material from said second transport means. 8. Device according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the head (16) is a multi operational head. 9. Device according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the head (16) is a cutting tool. 10. Device according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the head (16) is a soldering head. 11. Device according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the head (16) is a welding head. 12. Device according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the head (16) is an assembly head in order to assemble one or more parts on said pieces of material. 13. Device according to any one of claims 5-12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said first transport means (1) is a band conveyor. 14. Device according to any one of claims 5-12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said first transport means is a chain conveyor. 15. Device according to any one of claims 5-12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said first transport means (1) includes several load carriers (2) . 16. Device according to any one of claims 5-12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said second transport means (5) is a band conveyor. 17. Device according to any one of claims 13-15, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said second transport means (5) is a chain conveyor. 18. Device according to any one of claims 13-15, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said second transport means (5) includes several load carriers (8, 7'). 19. Device according to any one of claims 16-18, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said second transport means (5) is provided with carriers (6, 6') . 20. Device according to any one of claims 16-18, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said second transport means (5) has fixture appliances in order to keep said pieces of material fixed in relation to the moveable transport part of said second transport means. 21. Device according to any one of claims 5-18, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said second transport means (5) is driven by two accurately controllable servo¬ motors (9, 12) . 22. Device according to claim 19, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the head (16) is driven by an accurately controllable motor or by a motor which is controlled by a control system common for the whole device.

Inventors: JOHANSSON PER, JOHANSSON, PER
Applicants: JOHANSSON PER, JOHANSSON, PER
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B65G47
IPC codes: B65G43, B65G47