Method and apparatus for combining and aligning packing unit groups
A method for combining and aligning packing unit groups, having the steps of supplying, on an allocating conveyor, individual packing units and/or packing unit groups in an abutting relationship, operating a transportation conveyor downstream of the allocating conveyor with a first transportation speed, forming batches of packing units and/or packing unit groups, wherein predefined gaps are created between the batches by controlling the speed of the allocating conveyor in a corresponding manner, and transferring the batches with the gap predefined between them onto a row or layer forming conveyor, wherein the row or layer forming conveyor is operated at a second speed.
1. A method for combining and aligning packing units and/or packing unit groups to form rows for a layer of a pallet, comprising the following steps:
supplying, on an allocating conveyor, individual packing units and/or packing unit groups in an abutting relationship, wherein the allocating conveyor is drivable by a first motor;
operating a transportation conveyor downstream of the allocating conveyor with a second motor driven at a constant transportation speed;
forming batches of a desired length of packing units and/or packing unit groups having a desired gap between the batches, wherein a speed of the allocating conveyor is controlled according to the batches to be formed and the speed of the allocating conveyor is essentially equal to the speed of the transportation conveyor so that the batches of the desired length are transferred to the transportation conveyor;
reducing the speed of the allocating conveyor, if the last unit of the respective batch with the desired length is transferred from the allocating conveyor to the transportation conveyor, so that the desired gap is between a current batch on the transportation conveyor and a next batch to be transferred from the allocating conveyor to the transportation conveyor; and,
transferring the batches with the gap predefined between them onto a row or layer forming conveyor, which is driven by a third motor.
2. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the row or layer forming conveyor has a robot associated with it for displacing and/or turning the batches coming in from the transportation conveyor for layer formation in the transporting direction and/or transverse to the transporting direction.
3. The method recited in claim 2 , wherein a layer of a plurality of rows is formed on the row or layer forming conveyor.
4. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the transportation conveyor has an orienting means associated with it, which brings the incoming batches in a predetermined orientation, and wherein the batches are transferred onto the row or layer forming conveyor with this adjusted orientation.
5. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the packing units and/or packing unit groups are supplied on the allocating conveyor in the orientation required for the transportation conveyor and the row or layer forming conveyor.
6. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein a programmable control is provided for controlling the first motor associated with the allocating conveyor, the second motor associated with the transportation conveyor and/or the third motor associated with the row or layer forming conveyor in such a way that the predefined lengths of the batches and their gaps are maintained on the transportation conveyor, where the transportation conveyor and the layer forming conveyor are driven at a constant speed as far as possible.
7. The method recited in claim 6 , wherein a light barrier arrangement is associated with the allocating conveyor for checking whether or not the packing units and/or packing unit groups are transported on the allocating conveyor in an abutting relationship, and wherein, on detection of a gap between the packing units and/or packing unit groups on the allocating conveyor by the light barrier arrangement in combination with the programmable control, control the transportation conveyor and the allocating conveyor in such a way that the batches with a predefined length of packing units and/or packing unit groups are transferred to the transportation conveyor with a gap within a respective batch.
8. The method recited in claim 6 , wherein at least one light barrier arrangement is arranged in the area of the transition between the allocating conveyor and the transportation conveyor, with which the predefined gaps between the batches and the desired length of the batches are determined and in that, if there is a deviation from the predefined gap, the speed of the allocating conveyor is controlled in a corresponding manner.
9. An apparatus for combining and aligning packing units and/or packing unit groups, comprising:
an allocating conveyor with a first motor configured as an accumulating conveyor, a transportation conveyor with a second motor and a row or layer forming conveyor with a third motor; and,
a control for controlling at least a speed of the allocating conveyor to form from the packing units and/or packing unit groups, transported on the allocating conveyor in an abutting relationship, a plurality of batches of packing units and/or packing unit groups on the transportation conveyor, spaced from each other by a predefined gap and having a predefined length, wherein the transportation conveyor is driven with a constant speed.
10. The apparatus recited in claim 9 , wherein the row or layer forming conveyor has a robot associated with it for displacing and/or turning the batches coming in from the transportation conveyor in a transporting direction and/or transverse to the transporting direction for layer formation, and wherein the row or layer forming conveyor is configured in such a way that a layer consisting of a plurality of rows is creatable.
11. The apparatus recited in claim 9 , wherein an orienting means is associated with the transportation conveyor for bringing the incoming batches into a predetermined orientation, and wherein the oriented batches are transferable as a row onto the layer forming conveyor.
12. The apparatus recited in claim 9 , wherein the packing units and/or packing unit groups are provided on the allocating conveyor in the orientation required for the transportation conveyor and the row or layer forming conveyor.
13. The apparatus recited in claim 9 , wherein the control is a programmable control for controlling the first motor associated with the allocating conveyor, the second motor is associated with the transportation conveyor, and/or the third motor is associated with the row or layer forming conveyor in such a way that the plurality of batches are provided on the transportation conveyor with a predefined length and a predefined gap.
14. The apparatus recited in claim 13 , wherein a light barrier arrangement associated with the allocating conveyor checks the abutting relationship of the packing units and/or the packing unit groups.
15. The apparatus recited in claim 13 , wherein at least one light barrier arrangement is arranged in the area of the transition between the allocating conveyor and the transportation conveyor for determining the predefined gaps between the batches and the predefined lengths of the batches, and wherein, if there is a deviation from the predefined gap, the control controls the speed of the allocating conveyor and/or the speed of the transportation conveyor in a corresponding manner.