Granted Patent B2

US 12,623,867 · App. 18/549,404 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Roland Kampmann (Witten, DE); Manuel Bügler (Essen, DE); Michael Böhm (Hückeswagen, DE)

Assignee: Schleuniger AG

B65G57/186B65G21/2072B65G47/24B65G47/44B65G2201/0217B65G2203/042

Abstract

Claims (27)

1 . A cable stacker ( 20 ) having a first belt conveyor ( 21 a ) for conveying a cable ( 80 ) along a conveying direction (X), wherein the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ) has a conveyor path ( 22 ) with an input path portion ( 221 ) and an output path portion ( 222 ) and a main frame ( 23 ) is provided, on which the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ) is arranged, wherein a counter barrier ( 40 a ) is provided on a first side of the first belt conveyor for guiding the cable ( 80 ) along the conveyor path ( 22 ), a first drop barrier ( 31 a ) is arranged on the main frame ( 23 ) in a region of the input path portion ( 221 ) of the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ), positioned on a second side of the first conveyor belt opposite the first side, to prevent uncontrolled slipping of a leading end of the cable ( 80 ) from the conveyor path ( 22 ) into a collection area ( 24 ) for collecting the cables ( 80 ), and wherein the first drop barrier ( 31 a ) is movable relative to the counter barrier ( 40 ; 40 a ) into an active position for preventing during dropping of the leading end of the cable the uncontrolled slipping of the leading end of the cable ( 80 ), and

wherein the first drop barrier ( 31 a ) is movable orthogonally to the conveying direction (X) of the conveyor path ( 22 ) from the active position into an inactive position below the conveyor path ( 22 ) allowing slipping of the cable ( 80 ) into the collecting area ( 24 ) and/or movable along the conveying direction (x) of the conveyor path ( 22 ).

2 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first drop barrier ( 31 a ) is mechanically connected to a drive device ( 32 a ) having at least one drive for moving the first drop barrier ( 31 a ).

3 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 2 , wherein this drive device ( 32 a ) is a pneumatic drive device which has at least a pneumatic cylinder ( 321 a , 321 b , 321 c ) and a valve ( 322 ).

4 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a sensor device ( 33 ) is provided by means of which at least the inactive position and/or the active position of the first drop barrier ( 31 a ) is detectable.

5 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the counter barrier ( 40 a ) is movably arranged on the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ).

6 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ) is arranged on the main frame ( 23 ) tilted relative to the horizontal, wherein the tilt (a) is between 1 degree and 15 degrees.

7 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the tilt (a) is 6 degrees.

8 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first drop barrier ( 31 a ) is arranged adjacent to the collection area ( 24 ) and the collection area ( 24 ) is designed as a movable collecting trough ( 241 ).

9 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one fixing device ( 35 ) is provided for fixing at least the first drop barrier ( 31 a ) in the active position.

10 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ) comprises a plurality of module frames ( 212 ) which are connectable to the main frame ( 23 ), wherein the module frames ( 212 ) are arranged to be separable from one another and/or from the main frame ( 23 ).

11 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one guide element ( 50 ) is provided and in the region of the guide element ( 50 ) a sensor device ( 52 ) with at least one sensor for determining a first position of the guide element ( 50 ) is provided, wherein the sensor device ( 52 ) is electrically connected to a control device ( 29 , 99 ) of the cable stacker or to a central control ( 99 ) of a cable processing apparatus ( 90 ) and/or a drive device ( 51 ) for moving the first guide element ( 50 ) is connected to the first guide element ( 50 ).

12 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the counter barrier ( 40 a ) is movable relative to the conveying direction (X) in order to set a gap (SY, SZ) to the conveying path of the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ).

13 . The cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 12 , wherein the counter barrier is movable perpendicularly to the conveying direction, in order to vertically set a horizontal gap (SZ) between the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ) and the counter barrier ( 40 a ).

14 . A method for safely conveying a cable ( 80 ) on a cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 as part of a cable processing device ( 90 ), wherein the cable stacker ( 20 ) has at least the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ) and the first drop barrier ( 31 a ), wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a) selecting at least one cable parameter, wherein the at least one cable parameter is retrieved from a database

b1) transferring the first drop barrier ( 31 a ) into an active position relative to a counter barrier ( 40 )

b2) dropping a leading end of the cable ( 80 ) on an input path portion ( 221 ) of the first belt conveyor ( 21 a )

c) conveying the cable ( 80 ) on the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ).

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein at least one of the steps takes place after step c):

d) transferring the first drop barrier ( 31 a ) into an inactive position

e) dropping the cable ( 80 ) with a dropping device ( 60 ).

16 . A cable processing apparatus ( 90 ) comprising at least one cable processing station ( 70 , 71 ) with at least one cable processing tool for processing the cable ( 80 ) and a cable stacker ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a dropping device ( 60 ) is provided for dropping the cable ( 80 ) from the first belt conveyor ( 21 a , 21 b , 21 c ) arranged on the cable processing device ( 90 ) or for dropping the cable ( 80 ) on the cable stacker ( 20 ), which dropping device is connected to a control device ( 29 ) of the cable stacker ( 20 ) for the exchange of control data or the dropping device is electrically connected to a central controller ( 99 ) of the cable processing device ( 90 ) for the exchange of control data.

17 . A method for safely conveying a cable ( 80 ) onto a cable stacker ( 20 ) as part of a cable processing apparatus ( 90 ) according to claim 16 , wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a) selecting at least one cable parameter, wherein the at least one cable parameter is retrieved from a database

b) transferring the first drop barrier ( 31 a ) into an active position relative to a counter barrier ( 40 )

c) conveying the cable ( 80 ) on the first belt conveyor ( 21 a ).

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (22)