Method and device for the horizontal displacement of groups of articles

Abstract

Method for the horizontal displacement of a group of articles or article layer (10) while largely maintaining the relative positions of a plurality of articles (16) forming the group of articles or article layer (10) relative to each other by means of at least one pushing and / or conveying device (18, 20, 50), wherein a punching device (30, 32, 52) arranged or located above the group of articles or article layer (10) at least temporarily and shortly before or during the completion of a horizontal displacement process rests on a top side of the foremost articles (16) of the group of articles or article layer (10) or follows them with a small vertical distance in the conveying or feed direction (38, 42).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for the horizontal displacement of an article group or article layer having the features of independent claim 1. The invention also relates to a device for the horizontal displacement of an article group or article layer on a module or between at least two adjacent modules according to claim 10.

[0002] If groups of articles are shifted horizontally into a defined position using push beams or other suitable transfer devices or even with movable support levels, there is a certain risk, depending on the speed of the shifting movement, that the articles within the group will move relative to one another when the end position is reached. Under unfavourable circumstances, particularly in the event of a significant deceleration at the end of the transfer movement, individual articles may even fall over. As a rule, the articles at the front in the transfer direction are at the greatest risk of falling over or slipping, meaning that the previously existing layer pattern cannot be maintained as desired. For this reason, the achievable transfer speeds are limited. In particular, before the desired end position is reached, the speed may need to be reduced.moderately to avoid sudden deceleration, which could result in the loss of the layer pattern. When transferring via a frame surrounding the articles, other conveying or handling elements, such as lifting gear, must wait until the frame has retracted. As a result, the positive transfer cannot be used to increase the overall performance of a palletizer or similar system.

[0003] DE 603 ​​07 332 T2 discloses a device for transporting and boxing a group of objects, which are held in a predetermined position during conveyance by means of a holding device, so that the objects can be transported stably as a group. The objects are thereby prevented, in particular, from falling over during their conveyance and transfer to a further packaging unit.

[0004] A method for forming, holding, separating, and transporting stacks behind a stacking device is also known from DE 41 17 434 A1. Several stack supports ensure the stability of the stacks and, for this purpose, follow the movement paths of the stacks.

[0005] DE 44 35 981 A1 discloses a device for feeding objects to be packaged to a packaging machine. The objects are conveyed along a conveyor line and transferred into the packaging machine by means of pusher devices.

[0006] US 2004 / 0154902 A1 discloses a device and method for conveying and dividing products into product groups. The device comprises two independently driven conveyor mechanisms, wherein the products are conveyed from a first conveyor mechanism to a second conveyor mechanism and grouped there.

[0007] One aim of the present invention is to provide a method for transporting and transferring groups of articles in a predetermined formation that is universally applicable to different types of articles to be transported, and that can be carried out at high transfer speeds without impairing the article formation. A further aim of the invention is to provide a corresponding conveyor device that is particularly suitable for palletizing and / or depalletizing groups of articles in a predetermined formation.

[0008] The stated objectives are achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are described by the dependent claims. To achieve the stated objective, the present invention proposes a method for the horizontal displacement of an article group or article layer while largely maintaining the relative positions of a plurality of articles forming the article group or article layer relative to one another. The displacement takes place by means of at least one suitable pushing and / or conveying device, which can be formed, for example, by a horizontally conveying support plane or by pushing beams acting on the rear of the articles, or by a combination of such pushing and / or conveying elements.In principle, any conceivable device that can fulfill the desired purpose—the horizontal transfer of a bundle or article layer while maintaining its layer formation during the transfer or transfer from a first module to a subsequent module—can be used as a pushing and / or conveying device within the meaning of the present invention. Furthermore, the displacement is supported by a stamping device that, at least temporarily and shortly before or during the completion of a horizontal displacement process, rests on the upper side of at least some of the articles in the article group or article layer, in particular the foremost articles in the respective layer, or follows them at a short vertical distance in the conveying or feed direction.This stamping device should preferably be positioned in such a way that it can prevent the frontmost articles of the respective article layer or article group from tipping over or slipping. It is therefore advisable to position it approximately at the front of the article group or layer in the conveying direction. Extending the stamping device across the entire article layer or article group is normally not necessary, as it is sufficient to hold the front articles in their layer formation.

[0009] In the context of the present invention, the aforementioned pushing and / or conveying device can be formed, for example, by a suitable pushing device. In this case, it is provided that the desired displacement of the entire article layer can be achieved in an unchanged formation by means of at least one pushing device acting on the articles located to the rear of the article group or article layer with respect to a conveying or feed direction.

[0010] Optionally, the aforementioned conveyor device can also be formed by a revolving endless belt guided over at least two deflection rollers or cylinders and / or a revolving endless link chain, which forms a support for the article layer that moves in the conveying or feed direction and can interact with the raising and lowering stamping device in the manner mentioned above. If necessary, the alternative conveyor device can also interact with a suitable pushing device, e.g., with a pushing beam engaging the rear of the article layer, which can ensure the largely unchanging position of the individual articles relative to one another during the pushing and moving process in the conveying direction. A known mat chain, link chain, or the like can be used as such an endlessly revolving support belt forming the conveyor device.

[0011] Optionally, the stamping device, which is at least partially motion-coupled with the rear-engaging pusher device or the other pusher and / or conveyor device used for transferring the article layer, can be positioned on the top side of the article layer at least in a defined phase during, particularly at the end of, the transfer movement, or can follow it at a short vertical distance. It can also be provided that the pusher device and the stamping device execute approximately synchronous movements, at least temporarily.

[0012] The method can provide that the article layer to be handled is shifted between adjacent modules, in particular between a grouping station, a particularly vertically movable transfer station and / or a loading station, which can each have different and / or variable height levels.

[0013] A further variant of the method according to the invention can be used for the palletizing or depalletizing of groups of articles or layers of articles which are pushed and / or transferred between adjacent conveying and / or handling stations along a transfer path by means of at least one pushing device which is movable at least in sections approximately horizontally along and parallel to the transfer path and engages a rear side of the article layer, or by means of a differently designed pushing and / or conveying device as already explained above. This ensures that a layer pattern and / or a spatial arrangement of the articles in the article layer relative to one another is maintained during each transfer between adjacent modules. Preferably, the pushing and / or stamping devices are each assigned to individual modules and / or can optionally extend into adjacent modules.

[0014] With the aid of the method according to the invention and / or its aforementioned embodiments, it can be reliably ensured that article layers can be moved at high speed within conveyor modules or between adjacent conveyor modules without compromising their layered structure. While a pushing device acting on the rear of the article layer ensures its horizontal conveying movement, the maintenance of the layered structure is ensured in particular by a stamp that can be placed on top of the article layer. This stamp prevents individual articles in the layer from slipping or tipping over by stabilizing at least the frontmost articles in the layer.

[0015] The above-mentioned objective of the invention is further achieved by a device for horizontally displacing an article group or article layer on a module or between at least two adjacent modules of a transport line and / or a palletizing device while largely maintaining the relative positions of a plurality of articles forming the article group or layer relative to one another. This device according to the invention comprises a suitable pushing and / or conveying device, formed, for example, by at least one pushing device acting on the rear of the rear articles of the article group or article layer for horizontally displacing the article layer on the module or onto an adjacent module, as well as at least one stamping device arranged on top of the article layer, which is at least temporarily coupled to the pushing and / or conveying device in its movements in the transfer direction.

[0016] A variant of the device can provide for a first module to be formed by a grouping table and / or a second module to be formed by a transfer unit such as an elevator and / or a louvre gripper head. Furthermore, it can be provided for a third module to be formed by a loading unit for depositing multiple layers of articles one above the other on a stacking station.

[0017] At least the pushing and / or conveying device and / or at least the stamping device can be coupled to a continuously rotating traction drive for producing the pushing movements. Furthermore, it can be provided that the pushing device is formed by at least one pushing beam with a horizontal longitudinal extension direction oriented perpendicular to the feed direction of the article group or article layer. The stamping device can, for example, be formed by at least one stamping element that can be applied to and / or placed on an upper side of the article group or article layer and is movable in the feed direction together with the pushing device or the pushing beam.

[0018] The present invention can, for example, support the horizontal displacement of an article group or article layer from a first layer of a first module, e.g., from a grouping table, which can be part of a grouping system, to a second layer of a second module, which can, for example, be a lifting module of a transfer station or the like. Such an article layer can, for example, comprise a regular arrangement of a plurality of articles arranged in a rectangular configuration and which are to be pushed from the first module to the second module by means of a suitable pushing device, such as a pushing beam, without changing the layer pattern. The articles can, for example, be cartons, bundles with several individual articles or containers, or even individual containers arranged next to one another in a regular arrangement.Typically, the items have a height greater than one side edge of their base, so they may be prone to tipping during strong accelerations or decelerations. Even if this is not the case, i.e., for items with a relatively low height, the transitions could cause the containers or items to drift apart or slip during high accelerations, high transfer speeds, and strong decelerations when transferring the layer from one module to the next.

[0019] The push bar, which typically serves as a pushing device for shifting the article group or article layer, engages the articles located to the rear of the article group with respect to the conveying or feed movement, thereby shifting the entire article group or article layer, which can normally be guided laterally to maintain the layer pattern. Due to the rearward action of the push bar and the lateral guides arranged on both sides of the transfer path, the relative positions of the majority of articles forming the article group can be largely maintained relative to one another; i.e., the layer pattern of the shifted article group is largely maintained along the feed movement.

[0020] Such a feed movement does not normally occur at a constant speed, since the pushing movement of the pusher beam forming the pushing device gradually slows down, at least shortly before the article layer reaches its target position on the second module, so that it does not come to a sudden standstill. Nevertheless, there is a risk that individual articles at the front of the displaced article layer could slip or tip over if the article layer is decelerated significantly or comes to a sudden standstill, particularly when the article layer reaches its target position. Since the pusher beam typically displaces the article layer relative to a support plane of the first and / or second module on which the displaced articles slide, there is permanent sliding friction between the bottom surfaces of the articles and the support plane, which ensures frictional resistance between the sliding surfaces.For this reason, a significant delay in the position of the articles may cause individual articles to tip over or to shift relative to the adjacent articles, which can be effectively prevented by the present invention.

[0021] The method according to the invention provides that a stamping device, which is at least temporarily assigned to the articles located at the front in the conveying direction, follows an upper side of the article layer or is placed there. The stamping device can in particular be formed by a support plate or the like which is vertically movable and at least temporarily synchronously with the pushing device in the horizontal feed direction and which rests at least shortly before or upon reaching the rest position on the second module at a short distance from the upper sides of the foremost articles in the article layer. Preferably, the support plate can be moved horizontally between two end positions in the region of the second module parallel to the feed movement in such a way that the pushing movement of the support plate takes place at least temporarily parallel and in the same direction as the feed movement of the article layer and the pushing movement of the push bar.To prevent the foremost articles of the shifted article layer from being shifted or tipping over relative to the other articles or the intended layer pattern, the stamping device or support plate must be lowered vertically onto the top side of at least the foremost articles in the article layer in a timely manner. Furthermore, it must be ensured that the horizontal sliding movement of the support plate is approximately synchronous with the sliding movement of the push bar, at least during phases of significant deceleration of the article layer and / or during the final phase of the transfer movement, particularly during a braking or deceleration phase of the article layer when it is decelerated and comes to a standstill.

[0022] Optionally, the support plate can also be lifted and removed from the article layer prematurely, depending on the movement of the feed movement of the article layer, whereby the simultaneous feed movement until the article layer comes to a standstill on the second module no longer has to be exactly synchronized with the feed movement of the slider device. With this type of movement control, the support plate initially stabilizes the article group during its deceleration process, but can move away from the article group or layer again immediately before it reaches a standstill. This movement control of the stamping device can, for example, be related to the fact that the deceleration of the article layer does not occur evenly, but gradually becomes gentler shortly before reaching the rest position in order to avoid a sudden, jerky stop of the article layer.In such a gentle stopping process, which may be preceded by a deceleration phase with a greater deceleration from a higher conveying speed, contact of the article layer with the stamping device immediately before the standstill is no longer absolutely necessary, so that the stamping device can be lifted at least slightly in the vertical direction and removed from the article layer shortly before the article layer reaches a standstill on the second module.

[0023] Optionally, the transfer of article layers can also occur in multiple phases, e.g., from a first module to a second module and from there to a third module located downstream of the second module in the feed direction. These multi-phase transfer movements utilize the same transfer principles, with the pusher beams pushing from behind and the stamping devices stabilizing from above. For example, the first module can be replaced by a grouping table or a so-called "collecting table."

[0024] A layer-forming belt or the like can be formed, from which a transfer of article layers to a transfer station forming the second module, such as a lifting and / or transfer device, can be provided, which can be formed, for example, by an elevator, a lifting device or a pivoting and / or raising and lowering arm of a loading device or the like not shown in detail here. The adjoining third module can, for example, be a loading station, a blind loading station or the like, or optionally also a stacking station or a pallet loading station or the like for the stacking of the complete article layers, wherein the second module or the transfer station can ensure the correct height adjustment of the article layer depending on the stack height reached on the third module or the stacking station, so that a horizontal transfer of the entire article layer from the second module or the transfer station to the downstream third module orthe stacking area is possible. Optionally, all of the modules mentioned can be equipped with a track drive in the form of a suitable horizontal conveyor system. These track drives can each be controlled separately, with the drive speed being adjusted to the feed speed of the push beams and support plate. Normally, the conveyor speed of the belt is less than or equal to the transfer speed. In most cases, however, the belt speed is lower than the transfer speeds, as such belts are generally not designed for the high speeds desired for transfer processes.

[0025] If modules are used without their own track drives, it is advisable to design the support levels on which the article layers are moved to be as friction-free as possible. For example, wooden or plastic panels can be used for these support levels, which may have longitudinal profiles in the form of webs, ribs, or grooves.

[0026] For the fundamental success of the present invention and for the inventive interaction of the pushing and stamping devices, it is not crucial whether the third module is formed by a movable station, such as a blind loading station or the like, or by a stationary stacking station. The terms "first, second, and third modules" are therefore primarily to be understood as placeholders for various handling stations, between which the closed article layers are shifted using the transfer movements described above, without individual articles slipping, tipping over, or otherwise leaving the article formation.

[0027] In the following, exemplary embodiments will explain the invention and its advantages in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. The relative sizes of the individual elements in the figures do not always correspond to the actual sizes, as some shapes are simplified and others are enlarged relative to other elements for better illustration. Fig. 1 shows two schematic views of a beginning transfer movement of an article layer from one module to an adjacent second module. Fig. 2 shows in two views the transfer movement according to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows two schematic views of a transfer movement according to the invention of an article layer from one module to an adjacent second module. Fig. 4 shows the transfer movement according to Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows two schematic views of a beginning transfer movement of an article layer from one module to an adjacent second module. Fig. 6 shows a further phase of the Fig. 5 started over-thrust movement in two schematic views. Fig. Figure 7 shows a subsequent phase of the Fig. 5 started over-thrust movement in two schematic views. Fig. 8 shows a subsequent phase of the Fig. 5 started transfer movement in two schematic views, whereby a module receiving the article layer is lowered. Fig. 9 shows a similar to the Fig. 8 shows the subsequent phase of handling the article position in two schematic views. Fig. 10 shows the conveyance of an article layer within a transfer station in a total of seven schematic side views.

[0028] Identical reference numerals are used for identical or equivalently functioning elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only those reference numerals are shown in the individual figures that are necessary for the description of the respective figure. The illustrated embodiments merely represent examples of how the device or method according to the invention can be configured and do not represent a definitive limitation.

[0029] The Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view ( Fig. 1a) and in a schematic side view ( Fig. 1b) a horizontal displacement of an article group or article layer 10 from a first layer of a first module 12, for example from a grouping table, which may be part of a grouping system, into a second layer of a second module 14, which may be, for example, a lifting module of a transfer station or the like. The article layer 10 shown comprises, in the embodiment shown, a regular arrangement of a plurality of articles 16, which are arranged in a rectangular arrangement and can be moved without changing the layer pattern by means of a suitable pushing device 18, such as the one shown in the Fig. 1 are to be pushed from the first module 12 to the second module 14. The articles 16 can be, for example, boxes, bundles with several individual articles or containers, or even individual containers that are arranged next to one another in a regular arrangement. The articles 16 usually have a height that is greater than one side edge of their base area, so that they can tend to tip over in the event of strong accelerations or decelerations. Even if this is not the case, i.e. in the case of articles 16 with a relatively low height, the transitions could cause the bundles or articles 16 to drift apart or slip when the layer is pushed from one module to the next module if there are high accelerations, high transfer speeds, and strong decelerations.

[0030] The push bar 20, which is responsible for the displacement of the article group or article layer 10 and serves as a pusher device 18, engages the articles 16 located to the rear of the article group 10 with respect to the conveying or feed movement 22 and thereby displaces the entire article group or article layer 10, which may be guided laterally to maintain the layer pattern. The optional lateral guides are included in the Fig. 1a and in the Fig. 2a with the reference numeral 24. Due to the rearward action of the push bar 20 and the lateral guides 24 arranged on both sides of the transfer path, the relative positions of the plurality of articles 16 forming the article group 10 can be largely maintained relative to one another; ie, the layer pattern of the displaced article group 10 is largely maintained along the feed movement 22.

[0031] In the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the lateral guides 24 are not shown for reasons of clarity, but this does not mean that the guides are not present there.

[0032] As the two schematic representations of the Fig. 2 with the top view of the Fig. 2a and the side view of the Fig. 2b illustrates, the feed movement 22 does not normally occur at a constant speed, since the pushing movement 26 of the push bar 20 forming the pushing device 18 gradually slows down, at least shortly before reaching the target position of the article layer 10 on the second module 14, so that it does not come to a sudden stop. Nevertheless, there is a risk that individual articles 16 located at the front in the displaced article layer 10 may slip or tip over if the article layer 10 is decelerated significantly or comes to a sudden stop, particularly upon reaching the target position of the article layer 10.Since the push bar 20 typically displaces the article layer 10 relative to a support plane 28 of the first and / or second module 12, 14, on which the displaced articles 16 slide, a permanent sliding friction exists between the bottom surfaces of the articles 16 and the support plane 28, which creates frictional resistance between the sliding surfaces. For this reason, a significant deceleration of the article layer 10 can lead to individual articles 16 tipping over or to their displacement relative to neighboring articles 16, which is something the present invention is intended to prevent.

[0033] This is how the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 in schematic plan views ( Fig. 3a and Fig. 4a) and in schematic side views ( Fig. 3b and Fig. 4b) an essential aspect of the method according to the invention, in which it is provided that a stamping device 30, which is at least temporarily assigned to the articles 16 located at the front in the conveying direction, follows an upper side of the article layer 10 or is placed there. This stamping device 30 can be formed in particular by a support plate 32 or the like, which is vertically movable and at least temporarily synchronously with the pushing device 18 in the horizontal feed direction and which rests at a short distance on the upper sides of the foremost articles 16 of the article layer 10, at least shortly before or upon reaching the rest position on the second module 14.Preferably, the support plate 32 can be moved horizontally between two end positions in the region of the second module 14 parallel to the feed movement 22 in such a way that the sliding movement 34 of the support plate 32 takes place at least temporarily parallel and in the same direction as the feed movement 22 of the article layer 10 and the sliding movement 26 of the push bar 20.

[0034] In order to prevent the foremost articles 16 of the shifted article layer 10 from being shifted or tipping over relative to the remaining articles 16 or the intended layer pattern, the stamping device 30 or the support plate 32 must be lowered in a timely manner in the vertical direction 36 onto the upper side of at least the foremost articles 16 of the article layer 10, as can be seen from the Fig. 3b. Furthermore, it must be ensured that the horizontal sliding movement 34 of the support plate 32 occurs approximately synchronously with the sliding movement 26 of the push bar 20, at least during phases of strong deceleration of the article layer 10 and / or during the final phase of the transfer movement, particularly during a braking or deceleration phase of the article layer 10 when it is decelerated and comes to a standstill.

[0035] Optionally, depending on the movement path of the feed movement 22 of the article layer 10, the support plate 32 can also be lifted and removed from the article layer 10 prematurely in the opposite direction to the arrow 36, whereby the simultaneous feed movement 34 until the article layer 10 comes to a standstill on the second module 14 no longer has to be exactly synchronized with the feed movement 26 of the slide device 18. With such a movement control, the support plate 32 initially stabilizes the article group 10 during its deceleration process, but can move away from the article group or layer 10 again immediately before reaching a standstill. This movement control of the stamping device 30 can, for example, be related to the fact that the deceleration of the article layer 10 does not occur evenly, but gradually becomes gentler shortly before reaching the rest position in order to avoid a sudden, jerky stop of the article layer 10.In such a gentle stopping process, which may be preceded by a deceleration phase with a greater deceleration from a higher conveying speed, contact of the article layer 10 with the stamping device 30 immediately before the standstill is no longer absolutely necessary, so that the stamping device 30 can be lifted at least slightly in the vertical direction and removed from the article layer 10 on the second module 14 shortly before the article layer 10 reaches a standstill.

[0036] As the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 illustrate schematically, the method according to the invention enables very fast transfer and feed movements 22 and subsequent relatively strong decelerations due to the illustrated approximately form-fitting transfer of a layer 10 of articles 16 from one station (module 12) to an adjacent station (module 14), since the stamping device 30, which moves along with the feed movements 22 of the article layer 10, secures and stabilizes the layer 10. Here, too, lateral guides 24 for the article layer 10 are useful, as shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. In principle, it may be sufficient if the stamping device 30 or support plate 32 is brought into contact with the articles 16 conveyed first only at the end of the transfer movement, in particular during the deceleration of the article layer 10 to a standstill (cf. Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b), since essentially only in this phase does the front row of articles 16 tend to tip over in the conveying direction, which the stamping device 30 can effectively prevent after lowering in the direction of arrow 34.

[0037] As the Fig. As illustrated in Figures 5 to 9 using a further exemplary embodiment, the transfer can also take place in multiple phases, namely from a first module 12 to a second module 14 and from there to a third module (not shown here), which is arranged downstream of the second module 14 in the feed direction 22. In these multiple-phase transfer movements, the same transfer principles are used, with the pusher beams 20 pushing from behind and the stamping devices 30 stabilizing from above. In the variant shown, for example, the first module 12 can be formed by a grouping table 38 or a so-called layer forming belt or the like, from which a transfer of article layers 10 to a transfer station 40 forming the second module 14 can be provided, such as a lifting and / or transfer device, which can be operated, for example, by an elevator, a lifting device or a pivotable and / or raising and lowering arm of a loading device or the like (not shown in more detail here).can be formed. The adjoining third module (not shown) can be, for example, a loading station, a blind loading station or the like, or optionally also a stacking station or a pallet loading station or the like for depositing the complete article layers 10 one above the other, wherein the second module 14 or the transfer station 40 can ensure the correct height adjustment of the article layer 10 depending on the stack height reached on the third module or the stacking station, so that a horizontal transfer of the entire article layer 10 from the second module 14 or the transfer station 40 to the downstream third module or the stacking station is possible. Optionally, all of the mentioned modules can each have a track drive in the form of a suitable horizontal conveyor system. These track drives can each be controlled separately, wherein the drive speed is to be coordinated with the feed speed of the push beams 20 and support plate 32.Typically, the conveyor speed of the belt is less than or equal to the transfer speed. In most cases, however, the belt speed is lower than the transfer speeds, as such belts are generally not designed for the high speeds desired for transfer processes.

[0038] If modules 12 and / or 14 are used without their own track drives, it is advisable to design the support levels on which the article layers 10 are moved with as little friction as possible. For example, wooden or plastic panels can be used for these support levels, which may have longitudinal profiles in the form of webs, ribs, or grooves.

[0039] It should be noted at this point that whether the third module is formed by a movable station, such as a blind loading station or the like, or by a stationary stacking station is not crucial for the fundamental success of the present invention and for the inventive interaction of the pushing and stamping devices. The terms "first, second, and third modules" are therefore primarily to be understood as placeholders for various handling stations, between which the closed article layers 10 are shifted by means of the transfer movements shown, without individual articles slipping, tipping over, or otherwise leaving the article formation.

[0040] In the following described Fig. 5 to 9 show the upper views ( Fig. 5a, Fig. 6a etc.) show schematic top views of the article layer 10 transferred between the modules, while the lower views ( Fig. 5b, Fig. 6b etc.) each show schematic side views of the same process phases.

[0041] The Fig. 5 shows in two views the beginning of a transfer movement of the article layer 10 from the first module 12 or from the grouping station 38 to the second module 14 or the transfer station 40. The push bar 20 assigned to the grouping table 38 is located to the left behind the article layer 10, so that it can be pushed to the right in the feed direction 42 onto the loading station 40. The stamping device 30 acting from above on the article layer 10 is shown in the two views of Fig. 5a and the Fig. 5b, as it is not yet needed. During this phase of the transfer movement, it can still be located in readiness above the article layer 10 and at a distance from it. The stamping device 30 or the support plate 32 can approach the front articles of the article layer 10 in superimposed feed movements 34 and vertical lowering movement 36, as shown in Fig. 6b. Contact with the article layer 10 is normally not yet necessary in this phase of the transfer movement. The push bar 20 assigned to the grouping table 32 pushes the article layer 10 onto the loading station 40, which is at the same height. Synchronous feed movements of the devices 18 and 30 are normally not yet present in this phase.

[0042] According to the two views of the Fig. 7, the article layer 10 has been pushed completely onto the transfer station 40, whereby the stamping device 30 or the support plate 32 forms a stabilizing element for the layer 10, acting from above and possibly pressing the articles slightly against the surface of the second module 14, and secures it against falling containers or articles 16 during the necessary deceleration of the transfer movement. The push bar 20 of the first module 12 or the grouping table 38 has reached its end position and is stopped, while the support plate 32 is moved in the direction of arrow 34 to its end position in the front area of ​​the support surface of the transfer station 40 (cf. Fig. 8). The lifting mechanism of the transfer station 40 can now be Fig. 8 can be lowered or raised in order to be adjusted to the level of the third module (not shown here) or the stacking station. The push bar 20 moves back to its initial position against the conveying direction 42 of the article layer 10, while the support plate 32 can be lifted upwards again, since it has fulfilled its function of stabilizing the braked articles 16. This stamping device 30, which has become inoperative during this phase of the transfer movement, is identified by a broken line and by the broken arrow pointing diagonally upwards ( Fig. 8b) indicated.

[0043] As the two schematic views of the Fig. 9, the return movement of the push bar 20 continues, while the support plate 32 of the stamping device 30 is also returned to its starting position counter to the feed direction 42. Since the article layer 10 is still located on the transfer station 40, which has been lowered in the meantime, there are no obstacles to the support plate 32 during its return movement, so that it can be raised as shown and returned counter to the feed direction of the article layer 10. The article layer 10 can then be pushed from the second module 14 to a third module or the stacking station.

[0044] The seven schematic side views of the Fig. 10 ( Fig. 10a to 10g) show, based on an embodiment variant, the movement sequences during the conveyance of an article layer 10 in the conveying direction 42 and during its transfer into a conveying module which, as previously shown with reference to the first and / or second conveying modules 12, 14, can be, for example, a grouping module or a loading station or the like, but in particular a transfer station 44. A conveying module arranged upstream of the transfer station 44 shown as an example is not shown, nor is a further conveying and / or handling module arranged downstream. Within the transfer station there is a horizontal support and / or conveying plane 46 for the horizontal conveyance of the article layer 10, which can in particular be formed from a plurality of closely spaced individual articles which are to be pushed and transported as a whole through the transfer station 44 without further fastening means, without their spatial layer connection being dissolved or impaired.

[0045] Above the support and / or conveying plane 46, there are guide devices 48 for a movable slide element 50 and a movable stamp element 52, which serve to handle and convey the article layer 10 through the transfer station 44. The guide devices 48 can be formed, in particular, by one or more endless traction means, by linear drive devices or the like, which can serve for the horizontal movement of guided carriage elements 54 and 56, which are each part of the slide element 50 and the stamp element 52, respectively. On the first carriage element 54 of the slide element 50, there is a vertically movable holder 58, at the lower end of which a push bar 60 is arranged, which can be optionally lowered to the support and / or conveying plane 46, as shown in Fig. 10a. Due to the vertical mobility of the holder 58 guided on the carriage element 54, together with the push bar 60 attached thereto, the holder can be brought into engagement with an article layer 10 to be moved. Due to the horizontal mobility of the carriage element 54 along the feed direction 42 in the region of the transfer station 44 with the aid of the guide device 48 arranged in the upper region of the transfer station 44, the article layer 10 can be moved in the desired manner in the conveying direction 42 on the support and / or conveying plane 46 through the transfer station 44.

[0046] In the same way, on the second carriage element 56 of the stamp element 52 there is a vertically movable holder 62, at the lower end of which a support stamp 64 is arranged, which can optionally be lowered to the top of an article layer 10 located in the transfer station 44, as shown in Fig. 10e. Due to the vertical mobility of the holder 62 guided on the carriage element 56, together with the support stamp 64 attached thereto, the holder can be brought into engagement with the upper side of a displaced article layer 10. Due to the horizontal mobility of the carriage element 55 along the feed direction 42 in the region of the transfer station 44 with the aid of the guide device 48 arranged in the upper region of the transfer station 44, the individual articles of the article layer 10 can be prevented from falling over during a movement through the transfer station 44 and can be held in the layered assembly.

[0047] The basic functionality of the slide element 50 and the stamp element 52 was explained using the schematic representation of the Fig. 10a. Their mode of operation and movement sequences when handling an article layer 10 during its conveyance through the transfer station are explained below using the Fig. 10b to 10g. Thus, the slide element 50 and the stamp element 52 can basically be in any position when an article layer 10 is conveyed into the transfer station 44 and approaches it. However, the two vertically movable holders 58 and 62 with the push bars 60 and support stamp 64 arranged thereon must be located above the article layer 10, as shown in Fig. 10b, since otherwise the conveyance of the article layer 10 on the support and / or conveying level 46 would be disturbed or impaired.

[0048] The position of the slide and stamp elements 50 and 52, which are horizontally movable by means of the guide devices 48, can remain unchanged during the further conveyance of the article layer 10 into the transfer station 44, as can be seen from the Fig. 10c. Only during further conveying is it necessary to have the stamping element 52 follow the article layer 10 parallel to the conveying direction 42 in order to be able to place the support stamp 64 in the front area of ​​the article layer 10 on its upper side. This horizontal movement of the carriage element 56 of the stamping element 52 is based on the Fig. 10d. As the Fig. 10e, the horizontal movement of the carriage element 56 parallel to the conveying direction 42 lasts as long as the article layer 10 moves in the conveying direction 42, so that the stamping element 52 continues to be located in the front area of ​​the article layer 10.

[0049] Only during a deceleration of the article layer 10 or shortly before its standstill is the support stamp 64 lowered onto the upper side of the article layer 10, as shown in Fig. 10e. The horizontal movement of the carriage element 56 with the aid of the guide device 48 can continue, while at the same time the holder 62, which is vertically movable in the carriage element 56, with the support stamp 64 arranged thereon, is lowered to the top of the article layer 10 and comes to rest there, which prevents individual articles from falling over or slipping, which could become detached from the layered structure due to the deceleration of the article layer 10.

[0050] To continue the further conveying movement of the article layer 10 within the transfer station 44, the vertically movable holder 58 of the carriage element 54 of the rear pusher element 50 with the push bar 60 arranged thereon can be lowered behind the article layer 10, as shown in Fig. 10f. According to Fig. 10g, the push bar 60 can then, if necessary, ensure the further transport of the article layer 10 in the transfer station 44, as shown in Fig. 10g. The carriage elements 54 and 56 of the slide and stamp elements 50 and 52, respectively, expediently move synchronously with one another in the conveying direction 42, which can be achieved by means of the suitably controlled guide device 48, which can ensure the horizontal transport of the carriage elements 54 and 56.

[0051] Optionally, during the further conveyance of the article layer 10 in the conveying direction 42 out of the transfer station 44 (not shown), the stamp element 52 can be lifted again and returned to its starting position ( Fig. 10b) can be reduced.

[0052] Optionally, the aforementioned conveyor device can also be formed by a revolving endless belt guided over at least two deflection rollers or cylinders and / or a revolving endless link chain, which forms a support for the article layer that moves in the conveying or feed direction and can interact with the raising and lowering stamping device in the manner mentioned above. If necessary, the alternative conveyor device can also interact with a suitable pushing device, e.g., with a pushing beam engaging the rear of the article layer, which can ensure the largely unchanging position of the individual articles relative to one another during the pushing and moving process in the conveying direction. A known mat chain, link chain, or the like can be used as such an endlessly revolving support belt forming the conveyor device.

[0053] The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it is conceivable for a person skilled in the art that modifications or variations of the invention can be made without departing from the scope of the following claims. List of reference symbols 10 Article position, article group 12 first module 14 second module 16 items, containers 18 Pusher device 20 push beams 22 Conveying movement, feed movement 24 lateral guide 26 Sliding movement (of the sliding device) 28 support level 30 Stamping device 32 support plate 34 Sliding movement (of the support plate) 36 Lowering direction (of the support plate), lowering movement 38 grouping table 40 Transfer station, loading station, transfer unit 42 Feed direction 44 Transfer station, transfer unit 46 Support level, conveyor level 48 Guide device 50 slide element 52 stamp element 54 Slide element 56 Slide element 58 holders (vertically movable) 60 push beams 62 holders (vertically movable) 64 overlay stamps

Claims

[1] Method for the horizontal displacement of an article group or article layer (10) while largely maintaining the relative positions of a plurality of articles (16) forming the article group or article layer (10) relative to one another by means of at least one pushing and / or conveying device (18, 20, 50), wherein a stamping device (30, 32, 52) arranged or located above the article group or layer (10) at least temporarily and shortly before or during the completion of a horizontal displacement process rests on an upper side of the foremost articles (16) of the article group or article layer (10) or follows them with a small vertical distance in the conveying or feed direction (38, 42). [2] Method according to claim 1, in which the pushing and / or conveying device is formed by at least one pushing device (18, 20, 50) acting on the articles (16) located to the rear of the article group or article layer (10) with respect to a conveying or feed direction (38, 42). [3] Method according to claim 1, in which the conveying device is formed by a circulating endless belt and / or a circulating endless link chain forming a support for the article layer (10) moving in the conveying or feed direction (38, 42). [4] Method according to claim 2, in which the stamping device (30, 32, 52) which is at least partially movement-coupled with the rear-engaging pushing device (18, 20, 50) is applied to the upper side of the article layer (10) at least in a defined phase during, in particular at the end of the pushing movement or follows this at a small vertical distance. [5] Method according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the pushing device (18, 20, 50) and the stamping device (30, 32, 52) carry out at least temporarily approximately synchronous movements. [6] Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the article layer (10) is shifted between adjacent modules (12, 14), in particular between a grouping station (38), a particularly vertically movable transfer station (40, 44) and / or a loading station, which may each have different and / or variable height levels. [7] Method according to one of claims 2 to 6 for palletising or depalletising groups of articles or layers of articles (10) which are pushed and / or transferred between adjacent conveying and / or handling stations (12, 14, 38, 40, 44) along a transfer path by means of at least one pushing device (18, 20, 50) which is movable at least in sections approximately horizontally along and parallel to the transfer path and engages a rear side of the article layer (10). [8] Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which a layer pattern and / or a spatial arrangement of the articles (16) of the article layer (10) relative to one another are maintained during each transfer between adjacent modules (12, 14, 38, 40, 44). [9] Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, in which the pushing and / or stamping devices (18, 20, 50, 30, 32, 52) are each assigned to individual modules (12, 14, 38, 40, 44) and / or can extend into adjacent modules (12, 14, 38, 40, 44). [10] Device for the horizontal displacement of an article group or article layer (10) on a module or between at least two adjacent modules (12, 14, 38, 40, 44) of a transport line and / or a palletizing device while largely maintaining the relative positions of a plurality of articles (16) forming the article group or layer (10) relative to one another, comprising at least one pushing and / or conveying device (18, 20, 50) for horizontally displacing the article layer (10) on the module (12, 44) or onto an adjacent module (14, 38) and at least one stamping device (30, 32, 52) arranged on top of the article layer (10), which is at least temporarily coupled in its movements in the transfer direction (22, 42) to the pushing and / or conveying device (18, 20, 50) in such a way that the stamping device (30, 32,52) can be placed at least temporarily and shortly before or during the completion of a horizontal shifting process on an upper side of the foremost articles (16) of the article group or article layer (10) or can follow them with a small vertical distance in the conveying or feed direction (38, 42). [11] Device according to claim 10, wherein the pushing and / or conveying device comprises at least one pushing device (18, 20, 50) acting on the rear side on the rear articles (16) of the article group or article layer (10) for horizontally displacing the article layer (10) on the module (12, 44) or onto an adjacent module (14, 38). [12] Device according to claim 10, wherein the conveying device comprises at least one circulating endless belt and / or one circulating endless link chain, which forms a support for the article layer (10) which is movable in the conveying or feed direction (38, 42). [13] Device according to one of claims 10 to 12, in which a first module (12) is formed by a grouping table (38) and / or in which a second module (14) is formed by a transfer unit (40, 44) such as an elevator and / or a louvre gripper head and / or in which a third module is formed by a loading unit for depositing several article layers (10) one above the other on a stacking location. [14] Device according to one of claims 10 to 13, in which at least the pushing device (18, 20, 50) and / or at least the stamping device (30, 32, 52) are coupled to a guide device (48) such as an endlessly rotating traction drive for producing the pushing movements. [15] Device according to one of claims 11, 13 or 14, wherein the pushing device (18) is formed by at least one pushing bar (20, 60) with a horizontal longitudinal extension direction oriented perpendicular to the feed direction of the article group or article layer (10). [16] Device according to one of claims 10 to 15, in which the stamping device (30) is formed by at least one stamping element (32, 64) which can be placed on and / or placed on an upper side of the article group or article layer (10) and which can be moved in the feed direction (22, 42) together with the pushing device (18) or the pushing bar (20, 60).

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