Patent GB-765373-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveying plant for gathering and dispensing collections of different kinds of goods
IPC: B65G1/137
Filed: 1954-10-04
Abstract: 765,373. Endless band conveyers. SCHICKEDANZ, G., and REINICKE, G. Oct. 4, 1954 [Oct. 5, 1953; Nov. 26, 1953], No. 28510/54. Class 78 (1). [Also in Group XVIII] Goods are gathered from various storage locations and collected together to form complete collections by a system of conveyers comprising a main conveyer, e.g. an endless band or a live rollerway driven at a fixed speed, a plurality of collecting receptacles open at the top and arranged in a continuous succession of predetermined groups on the main conveyer, and a plurality of additional endless conveyers arranged above the main conveyer and provided with holding means adapted to receive articles from store and deliver them to predetermined receptacles on the main conveyer, the drives of the main and additional conveyers being synchronized for this purpose. As shown, in a preferred form, the main conveyer comprises an endless band 1, and each additional conveyer band 3 has three hundred containers numbered as shown and made up of ten columns of thirty, i.e. fourteen on each ascending or descending run and one top and one bottom in each column. The containers are adapted to discharge in their bottom positions (not shown) into containers 2 secured or removably located on the band 1. Containers 2.extend in transverse rows of ten in a continuous block which for convenience is regarded as groups A, B, C, &c., of three hundred each. The speeds of the bands 1 and 3 are so related that successive transverse rows of containers on bands 3 deliver to successive containers on band 1, and the phases of operation of the bands 3 are so interrelated that transverse rows of containers having the same numbers on the several bands 3 deliver to the same transverse row of containers on the band 1, i.e. with the numbering shown the spacing of bands 3 along band 1 is equal to the length of ten of the containers 2, so that goods required for a particular order stored in shelves in various parts of the system of bands 3 are all delivered to the same box on band 1 by inserting them in the container having the same number on each of the various bands 3, provided they deliver to the same group of containers A, B or C. To ensure that operatives feeding goods to the containers on bands 3 know to which group of containers 2 the goods will be delivered, indicating means are provided which preferably comprise sets of warning lights 11 which exhibit the letters A, B, C, &c. opposite each transverse row of containers on the bands 3, the letters being changed automatically as the bands 3 move by a device driven from the drive to the bands 1 and 3. The bands 3 may extend through several floors of a building in which the goods are stored. Each operative is given a list of goods required with the group and container number beside it in ascending number and group order. Incomplete orders owing to certain goods being out of stock may be removed from band 1 automatically by diverting means or travelling grippers, by locating the containers 2 loosely on the band 1 and providing the operatives with devices which are added to a container on a band 3 in place of the goods for delivery to the respective container 2 and which are adapted, when the container 2 carrying the device passes a mechanical or magnetic device located, e.g. above the band 1, to emit a sound of audio or preferably supersonic frequency which is detected by a microphone and caused to actuate the diverting means or grippers. Each band 1 or 3 may be replaced by a number of parallel bands for greater accessibility. The containers on bands 3 may be replaced by grips or clips.