Patent Description:
Generally speaking, wood-based boards manufactured on a continuous-action press line are stored for a certain time in intermediate storage before the downstream work phases, such as sanding and sawing.

The typical mass of large stacks in factories fabricating particle boards, OSB boards and MDF boards is <NUM>-<NUM> tons. The typical stack height is <NUM>-<NUM>, width <NUM>-<NUM> and length <NUM>-<NUM>. The stacks in the storage system that is the object of the invention are transported on two wagons running on rails under the stack in the longitudinal direction of the storage, which wagons transfer the stack to rows of the storage resting on three longitudinal supports. These wagons moving in the longitudinal direction are hereinafter called satellite wagons and they always operate in pairs. The transfer of stacks to a storage row and the fetching of stacks from a storage row occurs in such a way that a satellite wagon pair lifts a stack from the bottom surface of the stack, such that the stack detaches from its longitudinal supports, and transports the stack to a storage row and lowers the stack onto the longitudinal supports in the storage or, when fetching from the storage, onto the supports on the main wagon. The moving of a satellite wagon pair in a crosswise direction, i.e. from one longitudinal row to another longitudinal row, occurs by driving the satellite wagon pair onto the main wagon, which then transports the satellite wagon pair to the next worksite, i.e. to some other longitudinal row.

Storing systems with apparent resemblances are already known in the state of the art and exemplary shown with<CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> or <CIT>.

The current supply of a satellite wagon pair is arranged by means of a cable reel. In other words, there is a cable reel on the satellite wagon, from which cable is unwound as the satellite wagon pair draws away from the main wagon. Correspondingly, cable is wound back onto the cable reel when the satellite wagon pair approaches the main wagon. This arrangement, however, requires the main wagon to be at the same point of the longitudinal row during the work phase of the satellite wagon pair so that the cable can be unwound from the reel. Since the main wagon must be at the point of the row of the satellite wagon pair, it cannot perform another work phase of its own during the work phase of the satellite wagon pair, but instead must await the return of the satellite wagon pair.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a new type of storage system for large stacks, wherein a satellite wagon pair or satellite wagon pairs transporting a stack can function independently on the longitudinal rows of the storage in such a way that they are not in physical contact with the main wagon moving crosswise, and wherein the main wagon can perform another task when the satellite wagon pair is in the storage area for the stacks.

Another aim of the invention is also to provide a new type of storage system for large stacks, wherein in the case of a possible fault situation a satellite wagon can quickly be replaced with another satellite wagon without time-consuming installation and connection procedures and/or wherein one or more satellite wagons can be serviced during production hours without time-consuming installation and connection procedures.

The storage system for a factory fabricating particle boards, OSB boards and MDF boards is provided with battery packs, the longitudinal movement and also lifting movement of a satellite wagon pair being achieved by means of the energy stored in said battery packs and that the battery packs are disposed on the satellite wagons. A charging station for the battery packs is arranged on the main wagon.

The invention is characterized in that one or more replacement stations for battery packs are arranged on the main wagon for replacing the battery packs of the satellite wagons with charged battery packs.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the storage system according to the invention is characterized in that the main wagon has two separate replacement stations for a battery pack, one on both sides of the main wagon, i.e. one for each satellite wagon.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the storage system according to the invention is characterized in that in the battery pack replacement station of the main wagon are two battery packs, which are transferable onto a satellite wagon, or off it, without moving the satellite wagon in its longitudinal direction.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the storage system according to the invention is characterized in that the main wagon and the satellite wagon are provided with an actuator for moving the battery packs from the main wagon to the satellite wagon and vice versa.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the storage system according to the invention is characterized in that the actuator is a conveyor belt system comprising two parallel conveyor belts.

One advantage of the invention that can be mentioned is that the capacity of the storage system rises because more than one storage task can be at least partly performed simultaneously.

In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by the aid of some preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:.

<FIG> thus presents an overview of a storage system for a factory fabricating particle boards, OSB boards and MDF boards. The board stacks, of which there are three, are marked with the reference number <NUM>. There can, of course, be more board stacks but for the sake of clarity not all are presented. The board stack at the bottom edge of <FIG> is on top of a wagon moving in a crosswise direction, i.e. the main wagon <NUM>. The main wagon moves along rails <NUM>. This direction of movement is therefore called the crosswise direction.

On the right-hand side of the main wagon <NUM> the figure presents a conveyor <NUM>, along which the board stacks come into the storage and exit it. The current supply of the main wagon current takes place via the cable <NUM> of the current supply unit <NUM>. When the crosswise wagon moves towards the current supply unit <NUM>, the cable <NUM> winds onto the cable reel <NUM>. Correspondingly, when the main wagon moves away from the current supply unit <NUM>, the cable <NUM> unwinds from the cable reel <NUM>.

<FIG> presents three longitudinal storage rows <NUM>, each of which is formed from three longitudinal supports <NUM>. There can, of course, be considerably more of these storage rows <NUM> than three. Additionally, they can be on both sides of the main wagon <NUM>. They are presented here now only on the left-hand side of the main wagon <NUM> when looking at the figure.

<FIG> also presents a wagon pair comprising two wagons <NUM> moving side-by-side in a longitudinal direction. They are referred to hereinafter as satellite wagons, and they lift and move board stacks from below. Presented in the top part of <FIG> is a satellite wagon pair that is just going under or coming away from a stack <NUM>. The satellite wagon pair <NUM> is able to lift a stack into the air and to transfer it either from the main wagon <NUM> onto a storage row <NUM> or from a storage row <NUM> onto the main wagon <NUM>. A satellite wagon pair <NUM> is thus disposed in such a way that one satellite wagon is located between the centermost support <NUM> and one of the outermost supports <NUM>. Correspondingly, the second satellite wagon is located between the centermost support <NUM> and the other outermost support <NUM>. Therefore, there are always two satellite wagons side by side and they are called a satellite wagon pair <NUM>.

<FIG> also presents a second pair of satellite wagons, which can be seen slightly under the stack <NUM> on the left-hand side. The main wagon <NUM> can therefore be arranged to serve more than one satellite wagon pair <NUM>. This second satellite wagon pair is not necessarily needed but, particularly in very large storages, it adds capacity. At the bottom edge of <FIG> a satellite wagon pair <NUM>' can also be seen, which can be a back-up. In other words, one satellite wagon <NUM>' or both satellite wagons <NUM>' are taken into use from it if a defect occurs in the regular satellite wagons <NUM> or if they otherwise need servicing. In the storage system according to the invention, commissioning of the replacement satellite wagon <NUM>' is easy without requiring installation work or connection work.

<FIG> presents a side view of a main wagon <NUM>. On top of the main wagon is a board stack <NUM> and below the wagon is a satellite wagon pair <NUM>. When viewing <FIG>, the main wagon thus moves from left to right and vice versa, i.e. in the so-called crosswise direction, and the satellite wagon pair <NUM>, for its part, at a right angle to it, i.e. in the so-called longitudinal direction. <FIG> also shows the current supply cable <NUM> for the main wagon, and the cable reel <NUM> for the cable.

<FIG> presents a magnification of detail A of <FIG>. The replacement station and charging station for a battery pack is marked with the reference number <NUM>. The battery packs of the satellite wagons are, for their part, marked with the reference number <NUM>. Reference is made herein to a battery pack because in practice it comprises more than one battery. Of course, the number of batteries is not restricted and could also be one. Thus, on both sides of the main wagon <NUM> are one replacement station and charging station <NUM> for a battery pack <NUM>, i.e. <FIG> shows a replacement station and charging station for a battery pack for the left-hand side as well as a replacement station and charging station for a battery pack for the right-hand side. Thus, each battery pack <NUM> for a satellite wagon <NUM> has its own replacement & charging station. The satellite wagons <NUM> move in their longitudinal direction and perform lifting movements by means of the energy stored in the battery packs. They do not therefore need any external fixed energy supply. When the charge of a battery pack <NUM> has lowered sufficiently, it is replaced in the battery pack replacement station <NUM> of the main wagon <NUM>, where the emptied battery pack <NUM> is in turn charged in the charging station. That being the case, the main wagon <NUM> takes a satellite wagon pair <NUM> to a certain storage row <NUM> and can immediately afterwards move to perform another storage task, moving in a crosswise direction at the same time as the satellite wagon pair <NUM> performs a storage task on said storage row <NUM>.

<FIG> presents a main wagon <NUM>, on top of which is a board stack <NUM>. <FIG> also shows the satellite wagon <NUM> under the main wagon as well as the current supply cable <NUM> for the main wagon, and the cable reel <NUM> for the cable. <FIG> thus presents a detail B of <FIG>. The detail shows one replacement & charging station <NUM> of a battery pack <NUM> deployed in a main wagon <NUM>. In the replacement & charging station <NUM> is an empty space for removing a battery pack from a satellite wagon <NUM> as well as a fully charged battery pack <NUM>, which correspondingly is transferred onto the satellite wagon <NUM>. On the other side of the main wagon <NUM> is a similar arrangement for another satellite wagon <NUM>, but the arrangement is not presented in <FIG>.

The replacement & charging station for a battery pack <NUM> is presented in more detail in <FIG> and <FIG>. In <FIG> the replacement & charging station for a battery pack on the main wagon is marked with the arrow A, and the replacement station for a battery pack on the satellite wagon with the arrow B. The arrow C indicates the transfer of a fully charged battery pack <NUM> onto a satellite wagon. An actuator, e.g. a conveyor belt system <NUM>, is arranged for the purposes of the transfer, the system comprising two parallel conveyor belts.

Correspondingly, the discharged battery pack <NUM> on the satellite wagon is transferred into the replacement & charging station on the crosswise wagon in the manner presented by the arrow D. Again the transfer occurs with the conveyor belt system <NUM>. The busbar for a battery pack <NUM> is marked with the reference number <NUM>. Charging current is supplied to the battery pack <NUM> on the crosswise wagon side A via the busbar <NUM> and correspondingly, current is supplied to the battery pack <NUM> on the satellite wagon side B via the busbar <NUM> for operating the satellite wagon. The circuits needed for these functions have not been presented in the drawings because they are regarded as being obvious to a person skilled in the art.

<FIG> presents a side view of an arrangement for a conveyor belt system <NUM> and also the busbars <NUM> for battery packs. The crossover point between the main wagon and the satellite wagon is marked with the reference number <NUM>, i.e. the point where the battery pack transfers from the replacement & charging station marked with the arrow A on the main wagon to the replacement station of the satellite wagon, which in turn is marked with the arrow B.

Claim 1:
A storage system for storing board stacks (<NUM>) for use in factories fabricating boards, the storage system comprising at least one main wagon (<NUM>) moving in a crosswise direction and at least one pair of satellite wagons (<NUM>) travelling in a longitudinal direction, the satellite wagons of which satellite wagon pair are arranged to move side by side and to carry the board stacks (<NUM>) from below, and comprising storage rows (<NUM>) that comprise three longitudinal supports (<NUM>), from which or onto which storage rows (<NUM>) the board stacks (<NUM>) are transferred, which storage system is provided with battery packs (<NUM>), the longitudinal movement and also lifting movement of a satellite wagon pair (<NUM>) being achieved by means of the energy stored in said battery packs, the battery packs (<NUM>) being situated on the satellite wagons (<NUM>), and on which main wagon (<NUM>) a charging station for the battery packs is arranged, characterized in that one or more replacement stations (<NUM>) for battery packs (<NUM>) are arranged on the main wagon (<NUM>), for replacing the battery packs (<NUM>) of the satellite wagons (<NUM>) with charged battery packs (<NUM>).