Patent Application
20130209203
The purpose of the invention patent application herein is to register a pallet-removal device and a transelevator provided with such a device that incorporates significant innovations and advantages.
More specifically, the invention relates to a removal device for a transelevator suitable for handling pallets in a storage facility known as “automated warehouses” and also a goods storage system provided with the transelevator described according to the dependent claims 11 to 20.
Transelevators are machines that carry out operations related to storage at height and longitudinally along narrow aisles in storage facilities in a completely automated manner without an operator, such that significant functional benefits are provided, such as those related to speed, load heights and operational autonomy.
These transelevators typically comprise a pallet-removal device which travels vertically along the length of a lifting column, said device being provided with a fork for picking up and unloading the pallets to be handled, which move only in a lateral direction, therefore the load cannot be delivered and picked up frontally.
On the other hand, one drawback encountered in the transelevators known in the prior art is the provision of guide means located at the top of the vertical lifting column involving an additional structure and consequently a higher investment and maintenance cost in respect of the transelevator and the storage facility.
Furthermore, the applicant is not aware of the existence of a transelevator and a pallet-removal device having all the characteristics described in this memory.
The invention herein has been developed with the aim of providing a pallet-removal device and transelevator that resolves the aforementioned drawbacks, further providing other additional advantages that will be apparent from the description detailed hereinafter.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a pallet-removal device, particularly suitable for a pallet transelevator, comprising a lifting frame provided with guide means to travel vertically along a lifting column and characterised in that it comprises a lifting frame provided with lifting wheels which travel vertically along the guide means; a laterally mobile fixed frame and a mobile carriage that is displaceable in relation to the fixed frame and including a fork that can be moved laterally along axis Z by means of a lateral movement shaft actuated by motor means and which can be rotated in plane X-Z on a rotation shaft actuated by motor means.
According to another aspect of the invention, said mobile carriage comprises four hinged bodies, two of them being connected to the lateral movement shaft and the two remaining, to the rotation shaft of the fork, each of the hinged bodies being provided with a through hole that houses one end of the corresponding shaft, the interior of the through hole having plain bearings and friction discs that are in contact with the corresponding lateral movement shaft and rotation shaft of the fork.
Another object of the invention is to provide a transelevator for handling pallets, comprising a lower mobile frame fixedly supporting a vertical lifting column, along which a pallet-removal device can move, such as for example, the device described above.
It is therefore a further object of this invention to provide a transelevator, comprising a lower mobile frame fixedly supporting a vertical lifting column along which a pallet-removal device can move and characterised in that the lower mobile frame comprises two parts joined together by an intermediate section, each part having sides provided with wheels for moving the lower mobile frame, and at least one wheel being a driving wheel driven by a geared motor, therefore devoid of guide means located on the vertical lift column.
Particular embodiments of the transelevator of the invention are described in dependent claims 12 to 20.
A further object of the invention herein is to provide a goods storage system characterised in that it comprises at least two rows of spaced shelves between which a transelevator travels according to any of the claims 11 to 20, at least one goods receipt point, at least one goods issue point and a safety perimeter fence that surrounds the above elements.
Other characteristics and advantages of the pallet-removal device of the transelevator and system for storing goods, objects of the invention herein, will become apparent from the description of a preferred, although not exclusive embodiment, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the drawings appended, in which:
FIG. 1.—Perspective view of a transelevator for handling pallets according to the invention herein;
FIG. 2.—Perspective view of the lower mobile frame provided in the transelevator in
FIG. 3.—Perspective view of a lower mobile frame in which some parts have been sectioned;
FIG. 4.—Perspective view of the pallet-removal device according to this invention viewed from one side;
FIG. 5.—Perspective view of the pallet-removal device viewed from the opposite side to the view shown in
FIG. 6.—Section view of the pallet-removal device;
FIG. 7.—Detailed and section view of an upper section of the pallet-removal device;
FIG. 8.—Detailed and section view of a lower section of the pallet-removal device;
FIG. 9.—Elevation view of the pallet-removal device;
FIG. 10.—Side elevation view of the removal device with a shelf cell where a pallet to be handled is housed;
FIG. 11.—Perspective view of the stop device provided in the transelevator of the invention;
FIG. 13.—Side elevation view of the transelevator showing the fork at ground level fork under operating conditions;
FIG. 14.—Side elevation view of the transelevator showing a loading or unloading operation from the front.
FIG. 15.—Side elevation view of the transelevator moving onto a transfer system in direction X and on a fixed transfer rail at ground level;
FIG. 16.—Perspective view of a part of a storage facility utilizing the transelevator according to this invention for handling goods on the shelves;
FIG. 17.—Elevation view of a transelevator of the invention positioned between two columns of shelves under an operating condition in which the transelevator moves using guide rails located at ground level, and
FIG. 18.—Schematic plan view of a goods storage system according to the invention herein;
A transelevator provided with a pallet-removal device according to the invention herein is described below.
Firstly, and in reference to
This transelevator 1 enables goods, that would normally be loaded on wooden pallets, to be placed onto and removed from the storage cells on shelves at different heights and along the aisles located between the shelving, as can be seen in the facility shown in
As can be seen in
The use of four sets of two wheels 6, on the one hand, allows smaller wheels to be used and to better distribute the load and, on the other hand, in the case of a transfer operation on a double rail facilitates the option for the transelevator 1 to change aisle in Z direction, in a storage facility, by means of a known transfer system. By having sets of two wheels 6, the change from travelling in direction X on the transfer rails secured to the ground, to travelling on the rails on said transfer system is smoother, more stable and there is less danger of impacts or interference.
The profiles that form parts 2A, 2B of the lower mobile frame 2 are specially designed and calculated so their flexibility does not exceed the permissible limit that ensures the rigidity and stability of the transelevator 1, and at the same time for such flexibility to be sufficient for all transfer wheels to receive the proportional weight of the transelevator 1 corresponding to each of them according to the design and the centre of mass of said transelevator 1.
To maintain the stability of the transelevator assembly and to maintain the centre of gravity within the area between the eight wheels 6, a counterweight system is provided offsetting the off-centred weight of the load on the forks relative to the transelevator 1. This counterweight system consists of filling the hollow profiles 11 that form the lower mobile frame 2 structure with ferric material or scrap 12 left over from manufacturing processes, such as for example ferric waste from the process of punching the holes made on the various parts when manufacturing the transelevator 1. Thus, the counterweight system increases the weight in areas where it is required without increasing the outer volume of the transelevator 1, which facilitates the design, avoiding problems of interference with other elements in the transelevator 1.
Additionally, hydraulic stop devices 8 are provided, each comprising an elongated hollow inner housing 13 secured to the lower mobile frame 2 by means of fixing elements, inside of which a hydraulic cylinder 14, said cylinder having a rod 15 connected to a sleeve, the free end of the rod 15 and the sleeve having two stop elements 16, such that the rod 15 and the cylinder sleeve 14 can be moved longitudinally along the housing when one of the stop elements 16 makes contact with an outer cylindrical bar, as can be seen more clearly in
The vertical lifting column 3 has a box-girder type structure 28 having the functions of the lift guide for the removal device 4 as well as withstanding the moments created as a result of the weight of the load carried on the fork and the movements of said fork for loading and unloading, and inserting and removing the load transported in the warehouse shelving cells. The box-girder forming the vertical lifting column 3 is bolted to the lower mobile frame 2. Furthermore, the lifting column incorporates vertical guides 17 allowing the lifting wheels 18 incorporated in the pallet-removal device 4 to roll and absorbing the forces transmitted by said lifting wheels 18 as a result of the moments due to both the cantilevered weight of the load transported and the movements in the horizontal plane of loading and removing said load into and from warehouse shelving cells. The aforementioned vertical guides 17 further include joints bolted to the lifting column. The fact that the joints on the box-girder and the guides are bolted greatly facilitates the design of the transelevator in modules that can be easily standardised, stored and transported.
The pallet-removal device 4, shown in
In general, the pallet-removal device 4 comprises a lifting frame 20 provided with lifting wheels 18, a laterally mobile fixed frame 21 and a mobile carriage 22 capable of movement in relation to the fixed frame 21 and including a fork 23 which can be moved laterally along axis Z and which, in turn, can be rotated by means of the rotation shaft and by means of the geared motor rotating the fork in the plane X-Z, for the purpose of loading and unloading operations in three positions. In other words, to the right, to the left of an aisle and frontally, and can rotate 180°.
The fork 23 used comprises two L-shaped blades 24 joined together by an intermediate body 25.
The mobile carriage 22 has two hinged bodies, upper 26 and lower 27, in which a lateral movement shaft 29 is housed, by means of hinged joints based on a combination of plain bearings 30 and friction discs 31 enabling the lateral movement shaft 29 to rotate inside. The lower hinged body 27 comprises a wheel 32 which rests on the profile of a lower rack, such contact between the wheel 32 and the profile transmitting the total weight of the fork 23 and the load transported from the mobile frame 22 to the lateral movement fixed frame of the fork. Near the two hinged bodies 26, 27 two laterally moving gears 33 can be seen, which, coupled to the lateral movement shaft 29 and meshed with the upper 34 and lower 35 racks, communicate lateral movement when the shaft rotates; rotation which, in turn, drives the laterally moving geared motor 36. The mobile carriage frame 22, has upper 37 and lower 38 guide wheels on its upper and lower ends for lateral movement, which together with the upper 39 and lower 40 guides ensure the lateral movement of the mobile carriage 22, and absorb the reaction force produced by the meshing between the racks 34, 35 and gears 33 to produce lateral movement as well as the tilting moment due to the cantilevered load on fork 23 and the weight thereof, ensuring the vertical stability of the mobile carriage in the X-Y plane. This arrangement utilises the lateral movement shaft for dual use: transmission of movement by means of the gears 33 coupled thereto, typically by means of pins and, at the same time, the shaft serves as a structural element where the mobile carriage connects, communicating the weight thereof to the fixed frame by means of the two upper and lower hinged bodies, which in turn are formed basically by friction elements which simplify and reduce the price of manufacturing. In addition to the two upper and lower gears 33 communicating the lateral movement of the mobile carriage 22, they ensure vertical stability in the Y-Z plane of the mobile carriage, preventing the latter from overturning on said plane. It should be mentioned the upper and lower guides are interchangeable and reversible. Since the guides only wear down, under normal conditions, on one of the two guiding surfaces, they are designed symmetrically and once an allowable limit of wear occurs, the guides can be removed, reversed, reassembled such that the opposite roller guide surface, which is not yet worn, is used.
To facilitate rotation of the fork 23 in respect of the mobile carriage 22, a rotation shaft 44 driven by a geared motor located in the upper part thereof is provided. As further illustrated, the two ends of the rotation shaft are coupled to upper 48 and lower 49 hinged bodies.
As shown, the fork 23 is positioned at one end of the transelevator 1, outside the area occupied by the lower mobile frame 2 such that the fork 23 can be lowered, without interfering with the lower mobile frame 2, to the lower level required to load and unload pallets at ground level.
With reference to the bracing structure 5, it is formed by parallel bars 41 diagonally connecting the lifting column 3 with the rear of the lower mobile frame, the three elements forming a triangular structure in the X-Y plane ensuring the rigidity and stability of the transelevator 1 assembly.
For the purpose of compensating for the structural deformations of the transelevator and shelving 46 in the storage facility, a multi-detection system is provided, by means of a plurality of photoelectric sensors 42 incorporated in the pallet-removal device 4, in particular located on a plate 43 fixed to the intermediate body 25 situated between the two blades 24 of the fork 23, which detect the relative position of the shelving rail in different directions where the pallet 47 rests, in respect of the fork 23, and communicate this information to the control system ensuring the correct position of the fork in order to avoid impacts or force on the pallets.
Thus, inserting and removing the forks 23 in the pallets is ensured and inserting and removing pallets in the shelving cells without interference, absorbing deformation errors in shelving or defects in positioning pallets. The photoelectric sensors 42 utilised are distance meters and are located such that measurements are taken for both the vertical and horizontal distance to the nearest rail on which the pallet to be loaded should rest or where the pallet to be removed is supported.
In an alternative embodiment of the transelevator described, the lower mobile frame can be moved along the ground with the presence of lower lateral guide and anti-roll profiles, such that two profiles are installed in the transfer aisle of a storage facility which, by contrast with lower lateral guide wheels, ensure transfer along the aisle in a straight line, and in combination with specially positioned safety plates on the lower mobile frame, accidental tipping of the transelevator is avoided.
Finally,
At one end of the storage system a transfer device has been further provided, generally indicated 106 having a movement mechanism in a direction perpendicular to the rows of shelving, such that the transelevator is transferred from one aisle to another. The transelevator 101 can thus cross from one aisle to another quickly and easily.
The details, shapes, dimensions and other accessory elements as well as the materials used in the manufacture of the transelevator of the invention may be conveniently replaced by others that are technically equivalent and do not depart from the essential nature of the invention or from the scope defined by the claims appended hereinafter.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| P201031005 | Jun 2010 | ES | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/ES2011/070419 | 6/10/2011 | WO | 00 | 3/7/2013 |
