Patent Publication Number: US-2023150772-A1

Title: Separating device

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2021 129 997.7, filed on Nov. 17, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a separating device for providing lids, containers or laboratory vessels made of glass or plastic in a predetermined positional state. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conveyor device comprises a conveyor belt (also assembly line, conveyor belt, or in technical terms belt conveyor, belt band conveyor or belt conveyor) and is usually a stationary conveyor system. The conveyor belt is usually friction driven by means of one or more drive pulleys. A conveyor device is suitable for both solid bulk material as well as individually packaged goods. Conveyor devices have a high level of operational safety and have proven themselves in many fields of application. 
     Vibration helical conveyors (or helical conveyors) are vibration conveyors for vertical conveying. Dusty to coarse-grained bulk material as well as lumpy goods are conveyed. In addition to transport, they are often used to sort small parts in bulk material (e.g. screws, electronic components) or to prepare them in the correct position for automatic further processing. 
     Such an oscillating conveyor device is known from WO 2021/008646 A1. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the present invention is to provide a conveyor device, in particular a separating device, with which it is possible to provide one or a few conveyed goods, in particular lids, in a predetermined positional state. 
     In addition, one of the tasks of the present invention is to provide a separating device that is safe and reliable in operation. 
     In addition, one of the functions of the present invention is to provide a separation device that can be operated as quietly and with as little vibration as possible. 
     One or more of these tasks are solved by the features of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the subclaims depending on them. 
     According to the invention, a separating device is provided for providing one or more conveyed goods, in particular lids, containers or laboratory vessels made of glass or plastic, in a predetermined positional state. This comprises a conveyor device for receiving and transporting lids in one transport direction, with a conveyor belt and several receiving areas formed on the conveyor belt for receiving at least one lid each, the conveyor device being inclined with respect to the horizontal at least in a pre-separation section in such a way that the transport direction is designed for the upward transport of the lids, and wherein the receiving areas are each limited at least downwards by a stud, and a detection device with a detection area for detecting a predetermined positional state and/or for detecting a number of the lids arranged on the conveyor in a respective receiving area. 
     With the present invention, a separating device is provided which comprises a detection device for detecting a predetermined positional state and/or a number of the lids arranged on the conveyor device. The fact that a detection device is provided means that the lids are not separated solely by means of a structural design of the receiving areas and corresponding studs, but that the number of lids and/or their positional states are also detected. In this way, the separation device according to the invention is also suitable for different types of conveyed materials, in particular of lids that differ in terms of diameter and height. 
     Due to the design of a separating device according to the invention with a conveyor device with a conveyor belt, the separating device is designed to be relatively low-vibration and quiet. 
     Furthermore, the design according to the invention has the advantage that contaminations, such as those that occur in vibration helical conveyors due to friction, are safely and reliably avoided. 
     By conveying the lids by means of the conveyor device, one or more lids are always arranged in the receiving area. This results in a grouping of the lids in the receiving area, so that one or a few lids are arranged in the respective receiving area. This is referred to below as pre-separation. 
     In the separating device according to the invention, it can be provided in particular that the pre-separation of individual lids, i.e. the arrangement of one or more lids, is effected by the ascending arrangement of the transport device and/or by the structural design of the receiving area. By means of such a pre-separation, one or more lids or a predetermined number of lids can be arranged in the receiving area and in an ideal case excess lids can be discharged. 
     Preferably, the receiving area is designed in such a way that a perfect separation takes place, so that one lid is arranged for each receiving area. 
     Since this separating device is used to handle lids (or also other conveyed goods, such as laboratory vessels or containers) with different formats (diameter; height) and/or different weights, it is possible that the receiving areas are designed in such a way that the lids are perfectly separated during upward transport alone, as shown above on the basis of pre-separation. 
     In the case of small lids in particular, it may be possible for two or more lids to be located in a receiving area after pre-separation. In this case, the detection device and a discharge device are used to detect the multiple lids per receiving area and either all lids of the receiving area are discharged or discharged in such a way that only a single lid remains in the receiving area. This is referred to below as separation. 
     In the context of the present invention, a lid or a cap preferably means a closure, in particular a screw cap for reaction vessels. The lids can have a diameter of at least 0.5 cm or 1 cm up to a maximum of 3 cm or 5 cm or 7 cm. 
     In principle, the present invention is also suitable for a wide variety of individually packaged goods and bulk materials. Bulk materials and individual packaged goods are therefore referred to as conveyed goods in the following. 
     In the context of the present invention, a predetermined positional state is preferably understood to mean a state in which a closed side of a lid, a container or a laboratory vessel rests directly on the conveyor belt. However, alternatively, a reverse arrangement in which an open side of a lid, container or laboratory vessel rests directly on the conveyor belt may also be provided. For other conveyed goods, of course, another suitable predetermined positional state can be provided. 
     By means of the detection device, as soon as a receiving area is arranged in a detection area of the detection device after the pre-separation, it is then checked whether a predetermined number of lids, preferably one lid, is arranged per receiving area and whether this/these is/are arranged in the predetermined positional state. 
     A detection area is an area or a section of the conveyor device that is arranged downstream in the transport direction from the area in which the pre-separation takes place. As soon as a corresponding receiving area is arranged in the detection area, the number and/or position of the lids in this receiving area can be defined by means of the detection device. 
     An incorrect position is understood to be a positional state of a lid that does not correspond to the intended or predetermined positional state. For example, if a lid is arranged at an angle in the receiving area or rests on the conveyor belt with an incorrect side. 
     In the context of the present invention, a stud is understood to be a holding structure arranged on a conveyor belt and connected to it. By means of the studs, the individual adjacent receiving areas of the conveyor belt are structurally and spatially separated from each other. 
     Preferably, the separating device comprises a discharge device with a discharge area for removing one or more lids from a receiving area of the conveyor belt. The ejection device can be designed, for example, as a sliding device with a corresponding actuator or as a pneumatic nozzle device. 
     By means of such a discharge device, lids that are arranged on the conveyor belt in an incorrect positional state and/or excess lids from a corresponding receiving area can be removed. In this way, a perfect separation is then achieved. 
     The discharge area is located downstream of the detection area in the transport direction. 
     Thus, the different areas are arranged in the transport direction in the following order, first the pre-separation section, then the detection section and finally the discharge section. 
     The detection device can generate a detection signal when a predetermined number of lids in a receiving area is exceeded and/or when one or more lids are not arranged in the predetermined position in one of the receiving areas, wherein a control device is provided that receives the detection signals from the detection device and controls the discharge device on the basis of these detection signals in order to remove one or more lids from a receiving area. 
     Thus, according to the invention, a receiving area arranged in a detection area is checked by means of the detection device, and as soon as a predetermined number of lids in a receiving area is exceeded and/or if one or more lids are not arranged in the predetermined position in the receiving area, a detection signal is generated. 
     This detection signal is then received by a control device, which then controls the discharge device based on these detection signals in order to remove one or more lids from a receiving area. 
     In a top view, the stud or the holding structure may extend orthogonal to a surface of a conveyor belt of the conveyor device approximately orthogonal to the direction of transport or may be inclined with respect to the direction of transport. Boundary walls extending parallel to the transport direction can be arranged on one or both sides next to the conveyor belt to limit the receiving area. A stud can be V-shaped in a top view orthogonal to a surface of the conveyor belt. 
     By means of the above-mentioned structural design, the receiving area is designed in such a way that at least one (or more) lid (lids) can be held safely and reliably in a receiving area in the predetermined positional state. 
     Preferably, the receiving area can be designed or dimensioned or structurally configured and/or limited by at least one stud in such a way that only a single lid can be arranged in a receiving area. 
     Preferably, a stud spacing in the transport direction extends in the range between at least 1.2 or 1.3 or 1.4—and at most 1.5 or 1.6 or 1.7 or 1.8 or 1.9—times a diameter of the conveyed material or a lid diameter or a diameter of a container or laboratory vessel, and in particular less than twice the diameter of the lid. 
     In this way, only one lid can ever be arranged in a receiving area between two adjacent studs. 
     According to an alternative embodiment, it can also be provided that two or more lids can be arranged in a receiving area in a predetermined positional state. 
     A height of the holding structure or a stud orthogonal to the surface of the conveyor belt is selected in such a way that as soon as two lids are arranged one above the other, the upper lid falls back down into the storage container due to the ascending arrangement of the conveyor belt. 
     A preferred stud height orthogonal to a surface of the conveyor system is at least approximately 10% or 20% or 25% or 33% or 50% or 60% or 75% or 100% and at most 110% or 125% or 150% of a height of a conveyed material. 
     The holding structures preferably do not extend over the entire width of the conveyor device. They may be arranged either centrally or preferably at a lateral edge of a conveyor belt of the conveyor device. 
     The free space next to the holding structures on the conveyor device can then also be provided for discharging conveyed material that cannot be arranged in a receiving area. 
     In this case, a side wall section adjacent to the studs can limit the conveyor device in order to support or guide the conveyed material in addition to the holding structures. 
     The holding structures can be arranged in a top view from above or orthogonal to the conveyor belt of the conveyor device in an approximately rectangular or V-shaped or U-shaped or semi-circular shape. 
     In addition, the rectangular holding structures may be arranged diagonally from one edge of the conveyor device in a top view in the transport direction or ascending in the transport direction. Such an arrangement can be referred to as a half-V-shaped configuration. 
     The detection device may comprise at least one first sensor device for detecting the number and/or the position of the lids, wherein a sensor of the sensor device is an optical sensor, such as a camera, in particular a stereo camera, a color sensor, a distance sensor, a light barrier or a 3D sensor with acoustical logging or triangulation. 
     Furthermore, the detection device may comprise a second sensor device for triggering the receiving area in the detection area (“focusing”), wherein one sensor of the second sensor device is an optical sensor. A trigger sensor with an incremental encoder is provided as the optical sensor. Basically, the same sensors are suitable for this purpose as for the first sensor device. 
     In addition, a storage container can be provided in which the conveyed material or the lids can be stored, whereby the transport device, for example, is arranged in the storage container or coupled thereto in such a way that lids can be discharged from the storage container by means of the conveyor device. 
     The storage container can be connected to a pre-hopper for placing lids in the storage container, the prehopper having a slide so that the lids can be inserted from the pre-hopper into the storage container through an opening of the slide. 
     Furthermore, an output device can be provided with an output area which opens into a chute means and which is arranged downstream of the detection area and the discharge area, wherein the output device is designed as an output element arranged parallel to a surface of the conveyor belt, wherein the output element, in a top view orthogonal to a surface of a conveyor belt, comprises an output edge inclined with respect to the transport direction, or wherein the output direction is a sliding device or a nozzle device. 
     The output area is arranged downstream of the discharge area in the transport direction. 
     According to an advantageous further development of the separating device according to the invention, a discharge transport device for receiving and further transporting conveyed material can also be provided. This discharge transport device also represents a separate independent idea of the invention. 
     The discharge transport device comprises a conveyor belt device for receiving and further transporting lids in a discharge transport direction, with a conveyor belt, wherein the conveyor belt device comprises a receiving section and a transport section adjacent thereto, and wherein the receiving section of the conveyor belt device is inclined in such a way that a chute means can be coupled to it so that the conveyed material can continuously slide from the chute means onto the conveyor belt device in the receiving section, wherein the conveyor belt in the receiving section is aligned with its transport direction approximately orthogonal to the sliding direction, and a stop device, the stop device being arranged on the side of the conveyor belt opposite the chute means in the receiving section and being designed to stop conveyed material slipping from the chute means onto the conveyor belt. 
     This means that the stop device is arranged at a lower edge of the inclined receiving section. 
     In such conveyor devices known from the state of the art, buffer areas are mostly provided to push the conveyed material onto a horizontal conveyor belt by means of a back pressure. To change the conveyed material or the lids, such a buffer area must always be emptied. 
     By providing a discharge transport device according to the invention, such buffer areas are no longer necessary, since the coupling of the conveyor belt of the conveyor belt device to the chute means allows an automatic further transport of the conveyed material or of lids by gravity alone or by the inclination of the chute means and of the receiving section of the conveyor belt device. 
     Preferably, the conveyor belt is twisted or turned in a transition from the receiving section to the transport section in such a way that the conveyor belt inclined in the receiving section is arranged horizontally in the transport section. 
     Accordingly, a twist angle from the inclined receiving section of the conveyor belt to the transport section is always a sharp angle less than 90°. 
     Furthermore, according to the invention, a method for separating and providing lids is provided, in particular with a separating device shown above. The method comprises the following steps: 
     Providing lids in a storage container, 
     Conveying the lids from the storage container by means of a conveyor device, 
     Pre-separating of the lids by means of an ascending arrangement of the conveyor device and/or by means of a structural design of a receiving area of the conveyor device, 
     Detection of the number and/or position of the lids in a receiving area arranged in a detection area by means of a detection device. 
     Preferable, the method according to the invention may further comprise the following steps: 
     Generating a detection signal by means of the detection device when a predetermined number of lids in a receiving area is exceeded and/or when one or more lids are not arranged in the predetermined position in one of the receiving areas, wherein a control device is provided that receives the detection signals from the detection device and controls the discharge device on the basis of these detection signals in order to remove one or more lids from a receiving area when this receiving area does not contain the predetermined number of lids and/or one or more incorrectly oriented lids. 
     Discharge of one or more lids from a receiving area arranged in a discharge area by means of a discharge device. 
     Output of one or more lids from a receiving area arranged in an output area using an output device. 
     Further transport of the lid or lids by means of a chute means 
     Furthermore, according to the invention, a method is provided for receiving and further transporting conveyed material, preferably lids, in particular according to the above-mentioned method, with a discharge transport device shown above. This comprises the following steps: 
     Receiving lids from a chute means by means of a conveyor belt device, the conveyor belt device comprising a receiving section and a transport section adjacent to it, and the receiving section of the conveyor belt device being inclined in such a way that a chute means can be coupled to it, so that the material to be conveyed can slide continuously from the chute means onto the conveyor belt device in the receiving section, the conveyor belt in the receiving section being aligned with its transport direction approximately orthogonal to the sliding direction, and stopping the conveyed material sliding from the chute means onto the conveyor belt by means of a stop device, whereby the stop device is arranged on the opposite side of the conveyor belt in the receiving section on the chute means. 
     Preferable, the method according to the invention may further comprise the following step: Transferring the conveyed material from the receiving section, wherein the conveyor belt is twisted in a transition from the receiving section to the transport section in such a way that the conveyor belt inclined in the receiving section is arranged horizontally in the transport section, so that the conveyed material is discharged in the horizontal direction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. These show in: 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of a separating device according to the invention in a lateral view, 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic diagram of a discharge transport device according to the invention in a further lateral view, 
         FIG.  3    is a lateral representation of a further embodiment of the discharge transport device according to the invention, 
         FIG.  4    is a top view of an embodiment of a transport device according to the invention of the separating device according to the invention, 
         FIG.  5    is a top view of further embodiment example of a transport device according to the invention, 
         FIG.  6    is a top view of further embodiment of a transport device according to the invention, 
         FIG.  7    is a schematic top view of a further embodiment of a transport device according to the invention, 
         FIG.  8    is a schematic top view of a further embodiment of a transport device according to the invention, 
         FIG.  9    is a schematic top view of a further embodiment of a transport device according to the invention, 
         FIG.  10    is a schematic top view of a further embodiment of a transport device according to the invention, 
         FIG.  11    is a schematic side view of a further embodiment of a transport device according to the invention, and 
         FIG.  12    is a schematic side view of a further embodiment of a transport device according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following, a separating device  1  according to the invention is described in more detail on the basis of an embodiment example ( FIG.  1   ). The separating device  1  is provided for providing one or more lids in a predetermined positional state. 
     The separating device  1  has a storage container  2  for holding material to be conveyed, in particular lids  26  or caps. 
     The storage container  2  is connected to a pre-hopper  27  for inserting lids into the storage container  2 . The pre-hopper  27  comprises a slide  28 , so that the lids  26  can be inserted from the pre-hopper  27  into the storage container  2  through an opening of the slide  28 . 
     A conveyor device  3  for receiving and transporting lids  26  in a transport direction  4  is arranged in sections in the storage container  2 . 
     The conveyor device  3  comprises a conveyor belt  5  on which a plurality of receiving areas  6  arranged adjacent to one another are formed for receiving at least one lid  26  in each case. 
     In addition to the conveyor belt, the conveyor device  3  also comprises the usual components required for forming conveyor devices, such as, for example a supporting structure made of structural steel sections; it carries the conveyor roller bearings of the upper and lower run, the drive and tensioning devices; drive station (drive roller, often rubberized, bearings, gears, engine, with or without coupling); reversing station; conveyor rollers, usually in three parts and with toe-in; lower belt rollers; guide rollers; conveyor belt; tensioning station; receiving station; discharge station with transfer funnel; scraper. Even if not all the features of conveyor device  3  are described in detail below, a subject matter expert knows which components are required to form such a device. 
     The conveyor device  3  or the conveyor belt  5  is inclined, at least in certain areas, at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal in such a way that the transport direction  4  is designed for the upward transport of the lids  26 . 
     The pre-determined angle is an angle between 85° and 35° or between 85° and 45° or between 85° and 75° and preferably of approximately 80°. 
     A pre-separation section  7  is formed on the conveyor device  3 . The pre-separation section  7  is formed in an area in which the conveyor belt is arranged in an ascending manner, whereby receiving areas  5  arranged in the pre-separation section  7  or the lids  26  arranged therein are subject to pre-separation. This is achieved by the ascending arrangement of the conveyor device  3  and/or by the structural design of the receiving area  6 , in order to arrange one or more lids  26  or a predetermined number of lids  26  in the receiving areas  6  and to discharge excess lids  26 . 
     Adjacent to the pre-separation section  7 , a detection section  8  is connected to it in transport direction  4 . 
     In addition, a detection device  9  is provided, which is designed to detect a predetermined positional state or a predetermined position and/or a number of lids  26  arranged on the conveyor device  3  in a respective receiving area  6 . 
     The detection device  9  comprises a first sensor device (not shown) for detecting the number and/or the position of the lids, wherein a sensor of the sensor device is an optical sensor, such as a camera, in particular a stereo camera, a color sensor, a distance sensor, a light barrier or a 3D sensor with acoustical logging or triangulation. 
     Furthermore, the detection device  9  comprises a second sensor device (not shown) for triggering the receiving area in the detection area (“focusing”), wherein one sensor of the second sensor device is an optical sensor. A trigger sensor with an incremental encoder is provided as the optical sensor. Basically, the same sensors are suitable for this purpose as for the first sensor device. 
     As soon as a detection area  6  is arranged in the detection section  8 , this receiving area  6  is detected by means of the detection device  9 . 
     A discharge section  10  follows the detection section  8  in transport direction. 
     A discharge device  11  is provided in the discharge section  10 . The discharge device  11  is provided for removing one or more lids from a receiving area of the conveyor belt. Preferably, the discharge device is designed as a slide device  12  with an actuator to avoid unnecessary turbulence of dust or the like. 
     The detection device  9  and the discharge device  11  are connected to a control device (not shown). 
     The detection device  9  generates a detection signal when a predetermined number of lids are exceeded in a receiving area and/or when one or more lids are not arranged in the predetermined position in a receiving area. 
     The control device is provided to receive the detection signals from the detection device and to control the discharge device on the basis of these detection signals in order to remove one or more lids from a receiving area  6 . In this way the separation is carried out. 
     The receiving areas  6  are designed and/or limited by at least one stud  13  in such a way that only a single lid can be arranged in a receiving area. 
     For this purpose, a corresponding stud distance between two adjacent studs in the transport direction  4  is approximately between 1.2—and 1.5—times a lid diameter, but in particular less than 2. Of course, this also depends on the diameter of the lid. 
     The receiving areas  6  are preferably limited by the studs  13  or holding structures. 
     In a top view, a stud  13  extends orthogonally to a surface of conveyor belt  5  of the conveyor device  3  approximately orthogonal to the transport direction  4 . 
     Alternatively, it can also be inclined with respect to the transport direction ( FIG.  5   ) or be V-shaped in a top view orthogonal to a surface of the conveyor belt  5  ( FIGS.  6  and  8   ). 
     A preferred stud height of the holding structures or studs  13  orthogonal to a surface of the conveyor device  3  is at least approximately 10% or 20% or 25% or 33% or 50% or 60% or 75% or 100% and at most 110% or 125% or 150% of a height of a conveyed material. 
     The holding structures  13  preferably do not extend over the entire width of the conveyor device  3 . They may be arranged either centrally or preferably at a lateral edge of the conveyor belt  5  of the conveyor device  3 . 
     The free space next to the holding structures  13  on the conveyor device  3  is then provided for the discharge of conveyed material  26  that cannot be arranged in a receiving area  6 . In this case, a boundary wall (not shown) is provided adjacent to the studs  13  in order to limit the conveyor device  3  to support or guide the conveyed material  26  in addition to the holding structures. 
     The holding structures  26  can be arranged in a top view from above or orthogonal to the conveyor belt  5  of the conveyor device  3  in an approximately rectangular ( FIGS.  4  and  7   ) or V-shaped ( FIGS.  6  and  8   ) or U-shaped ( FIG.  10   ) or semi-circular shape ( FIG.  9   ). 
     In addition, the rectangular holding structures  26  may be arranged diagonally from one edge of the conveyor device  3  in a top view in the transport direction  4  or ascending in the transport direction  4 . Such an arrangement can be referred to as a half-V-shaped configuration. 
     In the present case, boundary walls (not shown) extending parallel to the transport direction  4  are arranged on both sides next to the conveyor belt to limit the receiving area  6 . 
     When an inclined stud  13  is provided, a single limiting chance may be sufficient. If the studs  13  are V-shaped in a top view orthogonal to a surface of the conveyor belt  5 , no limited changes are usually necessary. However, these may also be optionally provided. 
     An output area  14  is connected to the discharge section  10  in the transport direction  4 . An output device  15  is arranged in the output area  14 . The output device  15  is preferably designed as an output element  16  arranged parallel to a surface of the conveyor belt. The output device  15  can also be designed as a sliding device or a nozzle device. 
     By means of the output device  15 , one or more lids  26  can be removed from a corresponding receiving area  6 . The output area  14  empties into a chute means  17 . 
     The chute means  17  is arranged or inclined in a descending manner relative to the horizontal in such a way that a slide direction  18  is formed in an in descending manner. 
     A discharge transport device  19  is attached to the chute means  17 , which, as already shown above, represents a separate inventive concept. 
     The discharge transport device  19  comprises a conveyor belt device  20  and a stop device  21  ( FIGS.  1  and  2   ). 
     The conveyor belt device  20  is designed for receiving and transporting conveyed material. 
     For receiving conveyed material, the conveyor belt device  20  comprises a receiving section  24  in which a conveyor belt  23  with a transport direction  22  is arranged orthogonal to the slide direction  18 , with the conveyor belt  23  in receiving section  24  comprising approximately the same inclination as the slide device  17 . It is of crucial importance here that the conveyor belt  23  in the receiving section  24  is inclined in such a way that the conveyed material conveyed on the chute means  17 , in particular lids  26 , automatically slide onto the conveyor belt  23  in the receiving section  24 . 
     The stop device  21  is arranged on the side of the conveyor belt  23  opposite the chute means  17  in the receiving section  24 . The stop device  21  can be designed as a plate-shaped element, which extends in an approximately vertical direction in order to stop the conveyed material on the receiving section. 
     The receiving section  24  merges into a transport section  25  arranged adjacent thereto. 
     The conveyor belt is twisted in a transition from the receiving section  24  to the transport section  25  in such a way that the conveyor belt inclined in the receiving section  24  is arranged horizontally in the transport section  25 . Thus, the conveyor belt has a changing inclination relative to the horizontal over its length, being inclined relative to the horizontal at least in certain areas in the receiving section and being arranged horizontally at least in certain areas in the transport section. 
     According to an alternative embodiment, the conveyor belt  23  of the discharge transport device is not twisted, but is normal or planar and straight. 
     In the following, a method according to the invention for separating and providing lids with a separating device shown above is described. 
     First, the lids are provided in a storage container. 
     Subsequently, the lids are conveyed from the storage container by means of a conveyor device and arranged on a conveyor belt. 
     Thereafter, a pre-separating of the lids is performed by means of an ascending arrangement of the conveyor device and/or by a structural design of a receiving area of the conveyor device. 
     Finally, the number and/or position of the lids in a receiving area arranged in a detection area are detected by means of a detection device. 
     In this way, a detection signal is generated by means of the detection device when a predetermined number of lids are exceeded in a receiving area and/or when one or more lids are not arranged in the predetermined position in one of the receiving areas. 
     A control device is provided, which receives the detection signals from the detection device and controls a discharge device on the basis of these detection signals to remove one or more lids from a receiving area if this receiving area does not contain the predetermined number of lids and/or one or more incorrectly oriented lids. 
     Then, one or more lids are removed from a receiving area arranged in a discharge area by means of a discharge device. 
     One or more lids are then discharged from a receiving area arranged in an output area using an output device. 
     The lid or lids are then discharged from the output area by means of a chute means. 
     In the following, a method according to the invention for receiving and further transporting conveyed material, in particularly lids, according to the above-mentioned method, with a discharge transport device shown above, is explained. 
     First, the lids are received by a chute means using a conveyor belt device, the conveyor device comprising a receiving section and a transport section adjacent thereto. The receiving section of the conveyor belt device is inclined in such a way that a chute means can be coupled to it, so that material to be conveyed can slide continuously from the chute means onto the conveyor belt device in the receiving section. In the receiving section, the conveyor belt is aligned with its transport direction approximately orthogonal to the slide direction. 
     Then the lids sliding from the chute means onto the conveyor belt are stopped by means of a stop device. The stop device is arranged on the opposite side of the conveyor belt to the chute means in the receiving section. 
     The lids are then transferred from the receiving section to the transport section by means of the conveyor belt device, so that the conveyed material is discharged in the horizontal direction. 
     The conveyor belt is twisted in a transition from the receiving section to the transport section in such a way that the conveyor belt inclined in the receiving section is arranged horizontally in the transport section. 
     The devices according to the invention and the methods according to the invention are in principle also suitable for other types of conveyed material. 
     REFERENCE LIST 
       1  Separating device 
       2  Storage container 
       3  Conveyor device 
       4  Feeding direction 
       5  Conveyor belt 
       6  Receiving area 
       7  Separation section 
       8  Detecting section 
       9  Detecting device 
       10  Discharge section 
       11  Discharge device 
       12  Sliding device 
       13  Studs 
       14  Output area 
       15  Output device 
       16  Output element 
       17  Chute means 
       18  Slide direction 
       19  Drainage transport device 
       20  Conveyor belt device 
       21  Stop device 
       22  Feeding direction 
       23  Conveyor belt 
       24  Receiving section 
       25  Transport section 
       26  Transported material