Abstract:
Please add the Abstract of the disclosure as set forth on the separate accompanying sheet. That Abstract of the Disclosure is essentially the same, in content, as the Abstract which is a part of the published PCT application WO 03/080484 A1. No new matter is being added by the presentation of this Abstract of the Disclosure.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is the U.S. National Phase, under 35 U.S.C. 371, of PCT/DE02/04748, filed Dec. 24, 2002; published as WO 03/080484 A1 on Oct. 2, 2003 and claiming priority to DE 102 13 459.6 filed Mar. 26, 2002, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention is directed to a transport system for articles and to a method for operating a transport system for articles. The transport system includes a network of tracks and a number of transport carts which can be moved on the tracks.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     A transport system for articles is known from WO 98/12313. Transport carts are used for transporting and for the intermediate storage of paper rolls which are intended for use in a printing press. The tracks of this transport system are arranged below the level of the surrounding ground, and the transport carts each have a support plate slightly projecting above the ground level for receiving the paper rolls.  
         [0004]     Paper webs of varying properties, such as grain, surface quality, and the like can be used at the same time in a web-fed rotary printing press. They must be brought to the correct roll changer at the correct time. To simplify this process, it is proposed, in WO 98/28213, to equip paper rolls, which are transported in a transport system, with a contactless read/write data support, which can be written on and from which data can be read out by read/write devices installed at defined locations on the tracks. Information regarding important properties of a paper roll can be written on each of these data supports, so that it is possible, by reading out this property with the aid of a read/write device installed at a suitable location, to gain information regarding the properties of the roll present at the location of the read/write device in order to pass this roll, in accordance with its properties, along to a roll changer intended to receive it.  
         [0005]     With these previously known transport systems, each roll of material, which is within the range of the transport system, must be equipped with such a read/write data support in order to be automatically correctly transported.  
         [0006]     If the data supports are not recovered after a roll of material has been used the cost of each roll of material is increased by the cost of the data support. However, the recovery of the data supports entails outlay for labor and organization. If the data supports are installed by the manufacturer of the rolls of materials, it is necessary to assure that the user of these rolls of material conveys the data supports from used-up rolls of material back to the manufacturer. If the user of the rolls of material obtains these rolls of material from various different manufacturers, the compatibility of the data support from all of the various different manufacturers must be assured. If the user himself equips the rolls of material with data supports, he is forced to determine the data of each roll of material which is brought within the range of the transport system because of the roll being placed into a storage facility or in other ways, and to enter that data in the data support attached to the roll of material.  
         [0007]     Since it is necessary to provide every roll of material within the range of the transport system, in other words possibly the entire stock, with a data support, a large number of data supports is required for implementing the system.  
         [0008]     DE 39 42 009 C2 describes a system for the control and monitoring of the distribution of freight. Containers are each provided with a data carrier which can be repeatedly written on.  
         [0009]     DE 44 46 203 A1 discloses a method for the digital recording of the circulation of beer barrels.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The object of the present invention is directed to providing a transport system for articles and to providing a method for operating a transport system for articles.  
         [0011]     In accordance with the present invention, the object is attained by the provision of a transport system for articles that includes a network of tracks and a number of transport carts which can be moved on the tracks. Data supports are arranged on the transport carts and read/write devices are arranged along the tracks. The transport cart tracks are typically below floor level while the transport carts have article supports that extend above floor level. The carts each have at least one data support below floor level. When the cart has been unloaded, the data on the data support is erased or is altered .  
         [0012]     In accordance with the transport system for articles of the present invention, at least one data carrier, which data carrier may be, in particular, a transponder, is mounted on each transport cart, and can record the data of a roll of material being conveyed on the transport cart. It is thus no longer necessary to supply each article to be transported individually with data supports and to remove those data supports from the article after the article has been used up. The number of transport carts employed in such a transport system is generally less than the number of articles to be transported, which number of articles could be simultaneously within the range of the transport system. The number of required data carriers is thus simultaneously reduced, so that the cost of implementing such a system is less than if data carriers were mounted on each of the articles to be transported. Because the data carriers do not leave the system and are therefore provided, in the system, with the relevant data of the articles to be transported, compatibility problems are also avoided. Such problems could otherwise arise in connection with the conventional system when articles are transported which had been provided with different data supports, each provided by the article&#39;s manufacturer.  
         [0013]     In a transport system, in accordance with the present invention, with tracks enclosed by a housing, the data supports are mounted on a portion of the undercarriage within the housing of each vehicle. They are well protected against soiling or damage, and a high degree of dependability is achieved. With such a system, the read/write devices are also preferably arranged in the housing.  
         [0014]     The goods transport system, in accordance with the present invention, is preferably structured as an underfloor transport system, so that it is a transport system in which the housing for the tracks is located below the level of the surrounding ground. In this system, the data supports, as well as the associated read/write devices, are also arranged below the floor, so that they are also below the level of the surrounding ground.  
         [0015]     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tracks of the transport system have a cross-section which is mirror-reversed, in relation to a horizontal plane, and which has two legs, wherein a lower leg supports the wheels of the transport cart, and an upper leg extends at a short distance above the wheels. With such a system the read/write devices are preferably arranged at a level which is half the height of the tracks. This simplifies the mounting of the tracks. The installation height of a read/write device is always the same, regardless of which of the two legs of the rail of the system is mounted at the bottom and which one is mounted on top.  
         [0016]     The data carriers, which are mounted on the transport carts, are preferably mounted at the height of the axles, so that they lie substantially at the same level as the read/write devices and can move past them, spaced from these read/write devices at a short distance. In particular, in case the data supports are mounted on the transport cart on a wheel hub of the transport cart, it is possible to achieve a very short distance between the read/write device and the data carrier when a transport cart passes the read/write device.  
         [0017]     Since empty transport carts in the system are also each equipped with a data carrier, the position of such carts within the framework of the system can be easily detected. For this purpose, it is furthermore advantageous if identification information is stored in each data carrier, which information unequivocally identifies the particular transport cart on which the data carrier is mounted.  
         [0018]     Because of the large reading range, an almost complete tracking of the transport carts in the rail system is possible.  
         [0019]     In case of a loss of electrical current supply, a retention of the complete amount of data of the transport cart is possible.  
         [0020]     In the course of the operation of the transport system for articles in accordance with the present invention, data pertaining to an article is written into the data carrier of the transport cart each time the transport cart is loaded with an article. This data is then erased when the article is unloaded.  
         [0021]     ln a transport system for articles, which system is comprised of a plurality of loading stations for loading articles on transport carts, it is useful to make articles having the same properties available at each one of these loading stations. In that case, the data to be entered into the data carrier, in the course of loading a transport cart at this loading station, can always be the same. This means that, for an operator of the transport system for articles, it suffices to make the articles to be transported available, sorted in accordance with their properties, at the various loading stations of the system. The correct recording of the values of the properties of the articles on the data supports can then be performed automatically by the system, without the recording of the properties of each individual article being required.  
         [0022]     If articles are transferred from one transport cart to another within the system, these articles will be preferably transferred at the transfer point where the data regarding the article are transferred from the data carrier of the transport cart being unloaded to that of the cart being loaded.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]     Preferred embodiments of the present invention are represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows.  
         [0024]     Shown are in:  
         [0025]      FIG. 1 , a schematic top plan view of a first preferred embodiment of a transport system for articles in accordance with the present invention, in  
         [0026]      FIG. 2 , a cross-sectional view through a track and through a transport cart of the transport system for articles, and in  
         [0027]      FIG. 3 , a top plan view of a portion of a second preferred embodiment of a transport system for articles, which is modified from the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0028]     A schematic top plan view of a transport system for transporting rolls  04  of material, for example paper rolls  04 , from a storage facility  01  to the roll changers  02  of a web-fed rotary printing press, in accordance with the present invention, is represented in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0029]     The storage facility  01  is divided into a plurality of areas or zones, which zones, as shown in  FIG. 1 , are delimited by dashed lines and which zones are respectively provided for receiving articles  04 , in particular paper rolls  04 , of varying properties. For example, a comparatively large area or zone  03  for rolls  04  of material of a quality from which the inside of a magazine is to be produced is provided. In addition, smaller areas or zones  06 ,  07  for rolls  04  of material with different paper qualities, for example for producing the cover of a magazine are also provided.  
         [0030]     A track  08 , on which transport carts  09  can be moved, extends along the storage facility  01 . A loading station  11 ,  12  or  13  is assigned to each area or zone  03 ,  06 ,  07  and is located at the track  08  along the storage facility  01 . Rolls  04  of material can be loaded on the transport carts  09  at each loading station  11 ,  12  or  13  with the aid of loading gear which is not specifically represented in  FIG. 1 . A read/write device  14  is located at each loading station  11 ,  12 ,  13 , which device  14 , that is depicted in  FIG. 2 , is used to write a set of data into a data support  39 , also shown in  FIG. 2 , of a transport cart  09 , which transport cart is being loaded at a selected one of the respective loading stations  11 ,  12 ,  13 . A connection with, for example, automatic data reading options, by the use of a bar code reader, is also possible. Each one of these read/write devices  14  always writes the data set characteristic for the area or zone  03 ,  06  or  07  of the storage facility  01  assigned to it, or the data associated with the properties of the rolls  04  of material stored there, or of the automatically or manually recorded data sets of the bar code reader, into the data support  39  of a loaded transport cart  09 . The data supports  39  each have a storage area, which can be overwritten, for storing this data set, as well as a read-only area, in which at least one unequivocal identification of the specific transport cart  09  is stored, and which is mounted on the data support  39 .  
         [0031]     In  FIG. 1 , the rolls  04  of material are represented lying prone in the storage facility  01 . An upright storage of the rolls  04  is also possible. The gear then used for loading the rolls  04  of material on the transport carts  09  must be capable of bringing these rolls  04  into a horizontal position.  
         [0032]     The rolls  04  of material loaded up at the storage facility  01  are transported by the transport carts  09  on which they are carried. They initially reach an unwrapping station  16 , in which station  16  their wrapping is removed.  
         [0033]      FIG. 1  shows the unwrapping station  16  as being located adjacent a single track  08 . This arrangement makes it necessary to load an unwrapped roll  04  on the same transport cart  09  on the same track  08  on which the roll  04  of material had been delivered to the unwrapping station  16 .  
         [0034]     If the same transport cart  09  is used for loading the now unwrapped roll  04  of material, no data transfer is required.  
         [0035]     In the variation of the transport system in accordance with the present invention, as represented in  FIG. 3 , the unwrapping station  16  constitutes an interface between a delivery track  08 , on which the rolls  04  of material are delivered, and a conveying track  08 ′, on which they are then conveyed.  
         [0036]     Two read/write devices  14  at the track  08  and at the track  08 ′ are assigned to the unwrapping station  16  of this second preferred embodiment. The first of these devices  14  reads data regarding a roll  04  of material taken up in the unwrapping station  16  from the data support  39  of a first transport cart  09 , which has brought the roll  04  of material and transfers this data to the second read/write device. The second read/write device  14  transfers this data to a data support  39  of a transport cart  09  which is waiting on the track  08 ′ for the unwrapped roll  04  of material.  
         [0037]     As represented in  FIG. 3 , with this second preferred embodiment, the rolls  04  of material can be stored upright in the storage facility  01 . These rolls are only tipped over into a prone orientation at the unwrapping station  16 .  
         [0038]     The structure and mode of operation downstream of the unwrapping station are identical in both embodiments of the transport system in accordance with the present invention, unless otherwise indicated. They will be described in what follows by making reference to  FIG. 1 .  
         [0039]     After [the] passage of the transport cart or carts  09  through the unwrapping station  16 , the transport cart  09  with the now unwrapped roll of material  04  passes by another read/write device  14  and arrives at a turntable  17 . The transport cart  09  is rotated on this turntable  17  by 90°, either in a clockwise or in a counterclockwise direction, and is further moved over a short piece of track  18 , of the same type as the track  08 , to a first transport track  19 , on which a first carrier cart  21  can be moved. To the right of the turntable  17 , as depicted in  FIG. 1 , the carrier cart  21  is shown loaded with a transport cart  09  and with a web  04  of material carried on the transports cart  09 . The carrier cart  21  is shown without a load on the transport track  19  to the left of the turntable  17 . It can be seen that each carrier cart  21  also supports a cart turntable  17  which is analogous to the turntable  17 .  
         [0040]     Track pieces  22 , which extend at right angles from the transport tracks  19  constitute an intermediate storage area or zone for transport carts  09 . The transport carts  09  in this intermediate area or zone are loaded with rolls  04  of material that is intended for immediate use.  
         [0041]     The track pieces  22  each terminate at a second transport track  23 , on which a second carrier cart  24  can be moved, which second carrier cart  24  is capable of receiving a transport cart  09  together with its roll  04  of material. The second carrier cart  24  does not have a turntable  17 . Instead, it has a read/write device  14  for reading the data values entered into the data support  39  of the transport cart  09 . It is possible to decide, by the use of these documents, to which one of a plurality of roll changers  02 , which are arranged alongside the second transport track  23 , the second carrier cart  24  is to be moved for unloading its freight. Two parallel track pieces  26  and  27  are assigned to each roll changer  02 , one track piece  26  of each pair  26 ,  27  is for transport carts  09  loaded with full rolls  04  of material. The second track piece  27  of each pair  26 ,  27  is designated for empty transport carts  09 , on which empty carts  04  cores of rolls  04  of material used up in the roll changer  02 , or cores of only partially used-up rolls  04  of material are loaded. Each one of the parallel roll changer track pieces  26 ,  27  is provided with a read/write device  14  for recording the data of freshly delivered rolls  04  of material, or for entering the data from used-up rolls  04  of material or from partially used-up rolls  24  of material, which are being moved away from the roll changer  02 . Transport carts  09 , which are loaded with an empty core at a roll changer  02 , are moved back via the second transport track  23  and by a return track piece  28  to a waiting zone  29  of the track  08 , where they wait for being loaded again at the storage facility  01 . A read/write device  14  is situated at the entry to the waiting zone  29  and records the identification of the arriving transport carts  09  by reading their data supports  39 .  
         [0042]     In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, in accordance with  FIG. 3 , two such waiting zones  29  can be provided, one on the delivery track  08  for transport carts  09  waiting to be loaded at the storage facility  01 , and one on the conveying track  08 ′ at the unwrapping station  16  for transport carts  09  waiting for an unwrapped roll  04  of material.  
         [0043]      FIG. 2  shows a vertical cross-sectional view through the track  08 , 18 ,  22 ,  26 ,  27  or  28  at the level of a read/write device  14 . A transport cart  09  is depicted as running on the track.  
         [0044]     The track  08 ,  18 ,  22 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28  is a part of an underfloor transport system with a housing  31  embedded in a surrounding floor. Two rails  32 ,  33 , each having a C-shaped cross section, lie facing each other in the housing  31 . A lower leg  34  of the C-shape rail constitutes a running surface for wheels  36  of the transport cart  09 . An upper leg  37  of each C-shape rail extends symmetrically in respect to the lower leg  34 , above the wheels  36 . An opening, in which a read/write device  14  is mounted, is located at half the height of a lateral flank  38  of the left C-shape rail  32 , which lateral flank  38  connects the legs  34 ,  37 . The read/write device  14  is configured to radiate a radio signal in a direction toward the transport cart  09  and to receive a response signal from there.  
         [0045]     A tractor chain, for use in driving the transport carts  09 , extends in a conduit  41  below the tracks  32 ,  33 . This chain receives downwardly projecting legs from the transport carts  09 .  
         [0046]     The running gear of the transport cart  09  lies within the housing  31 . A support plate  42  portion of the transport cart  09 , for supporting the webs  04  of material to be transported, lies outside of the housing  31  and above the floor level which surrounds it, as may be seen in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0047]     The transport cart  09  has a cart data support  39  in the form of a transponder  39  on the hub of a wheel  36  facing the right track  33 , or possibly alternatively positioned at another part of the transport cart  09 , which transponder is capable of extracting coded data from a writing radio signal that is radiated by the read/write device  14  and to store this coded data, as well as to provide a response signal, which is coded with the stored data, upon receipt of a read radio signal, and to function as a data support which can be written upon. Such transmit/receive devices, or transponders  39 , are generally well known and need not be described in detail here.  
         [0048]     In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are described here, the read/write devices  14  and the cart data support devices or transponders  39  are each arranged on one side of the rail  32 ,  33 , or on one side of the transport carts  09 . This does not lead to any practical problems as long as the turning of the transport carts  09  on the turntable  17 , or on or by the carrier cart  21  are performed uniformly. The transponders  39  are located on the same side of all of the transport carts  09  which are located on the same track piece  08 ,  18 ,  22 ,  26 ,  27 .  
         [0049]     It is, of course, also possible to arrange the read/write devices  14  and the transponders  39 , each in pairs, on different sides of the tracks  08 ,  18 ,  22 ,  26 ,  27 , or on different sides of the transport carts  09 . It is only necessary that these pairs be able to communicate with each other.  
         [0050]     While preferred embodiments of a goods transport system, and of a method for operating a goods transport system, in accordance with the present invention, have been set forth fully and completely hereinabove, it will be understood by one of skill in the art that various changes in, for example the drive assembly for the transport carts, the sizes of the paper rolls being conveyed and the like could be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly to be limited only by the appended claims.