Space-saving safety gate for stored goods type 1

Abstract

Lock for the safe receipt of stored goods on a higher level, characterized in that the floor area is used in a space-saving manner by the railings (1) and (7), as well as the outer (2) and inner gates (5) (Fig. 18 page 18), in order to use as little space as possible for the construction of the actual lock and at the same time to have plenty of space for the stored goods to be locked.

Description

[0001] Many storage systems that hold materials utilize more than one level. Heavy goods, especially palletized goods, are typically lifted or lowered to a higher level, the platform, using a forklift. The safe receipt of goods by employees at this higher level is the function of the airlock.

[0002] The airlocks described above come in various designs. What they all have in common is the temporary separation from access to the edge of the platform, so that access for the stored goods is free, while access for people is denied in order to prevent a fall at that very edge.

[0003] State-of-the-art manually operated airlocks consist of horizontally or vertically moving partitions which, due to their design, require considerable space for their movements. This space is used in width or height and is therefore not available for the stored goods during the airlock process. Special feature

[0004] The lock presented here Fig. 1 (page 7) represents a combination of a mechanism in conjunction with a special design. Together, these enable space-saving use of the floor area and allow for stored goods whose height is not limited by the lock, see page 16. The structure

[0005] Except for a few small parts, the following components are made of steel. The dimensions of the described lock can vary, but are approximately 2 x 2 m.

[0006] The lock consists of four main components: a central section (fixed railing) component (1), two movable gates, an outer gate (2), and an inner gate (5), all in Fig. 2 (page 8) and an opposite railing (7) in Fig. 4 (page 9).

[0007] The inner gate consists not only of the actual gate (5) but also of part (3), which forms the pivot point for the inner gate. Parts (3) and (5) are connected to each other by means of pivot bands (4), all in Fig. 2 (page 8).

[0008] Depending on the position of the lever (6) in Fig. 9 (page 12), the inner gate can either only be around the part (3) or only around the bands (4) in Fig. Turn to page 7 (page 11).

[0009] When the inner gate is opened by 90°, the mechanism at the base prevents it from opening further than 90°. The mechanism at the base is described in more detail below.

[0010] The aforementioned mechanism is located in the hollow body of the foot point (8) in Fig. 6 (page 10) of the railing is protected. The mechanism consists of the connecting rod (9) in Fig. 11, the smaller eccentric (10) Fig. 12 and the larger eccentric (11) in Fig. 13, (all three figures on page 13). The small eccentric is connected to the outer gate and the large eccentric to the inner gate, each by means of axles. If the inner gate (5) and thus the coupled part (3), both in Fig. 6 (page 10) moves, the large eccentric (11) rotates in Fig. 13 (page 13) by max. 90° and meets at point (13) in Fig. 13 (page 13) inside against the metal body of the housing (base point) (8) in Fig. 13 (page 13).

[0011] Shortly before this, the aforementioned eccentric (11) overcomes the culmination point (12) in Fig. 13 (page 13), which prevents the inner and outer gates from swinging back uncontrollably, thus ensuring the gates remain in position during loading and unloading operations. Only with sufficient force from the employee can the point of maximum movement be overcome, freeing the gates to move.

[0012] The movement is driven by the large eccentric (11) in Fig. 13 via the connecting rod (9) in Fig. 11 to the small eccentric (10) in Fig. 12 (all on page 13) and thus passed on to the outer gate. Since the eccentrics are of different sizes, they describe a path of different lengths on their respective radii. The 90° rotation of the inner gate thus becomes a 135° rotation of the outer gate, both in Fig. 11 (page 13). The advantage of the 135° opening of the outer gate is the improved loading of the lock from the outside with a forklift, since the gate is not in the way of the stored goods; one does not have to maneuver excessively precisely. Locking procedure

[0013] The stored goods, for example a pallet loaded with merchandise, are lifted from the floor of the warehouse to the height of the platform (and the airlock) using a forklift.

[0014] The lock operation is depicted on pages 14 and 15, with a perspective view on the left and a top view on the right. The same process is thus shown from two different perspectives. For clarity, the cargo being stored has been omitted from the perspective views.

[0015] The lock is in the position shown in Fig. 14 A or B, the outer gate (2) is open and the inner gate (5) is closed. The pallet is moved into the airlock and placed down. Fig. 14 B.

[0016] An employee opens the inner gate. While the force is transferred to the outer gate via the mechanism already described, Fig. 15 A and B. The inner gate opens while the outer gate closes simultaneously. The outer gate now provides the safety measure against falls from the stage edge, which was previously provided by the inner gate.

[0017] The pallet is accessible from the inside through the open inner gate and could, for example, be pulled out of the airlock using a pallet jack. Fig. 16 A and B.

[0018] As an additional advantage, the inner gate can now be rotated a further approximately 170° to exit the maneuvering area for the stored goods. For this purpose, the lever (6) already described is used. Fig. 9. Page 12 is turned over. Now the inner gate (which is already open) can be turned around the band (4). Fig. 7 Page 11 as pivot point (independent of the mechanics at the base point) can be further rotated Fig. 16 A and B. This provides the greatest possible freedom of movement for loading and unloading the lock from the inside, Fig. 17 A and B.

[0019] For the reverse journey of the stored goods, the process of moving them from the stage back down, the described process simply needs to be reversed. Note regarding the stage edge

[0020] The lock described here is secured with standard railings at any open edge of the platform to the left or right of the lock. These railings are not part of the lock itself and were not mentioned in the text above, as they are irrelevant to the actual locking process.

[0021] Furthermore, according to current technology, railings on the outer edges of the platforms are secured with a roll-off protection device to prevent small parts from falling off. This safety device is also installed at the outer gate (2), but is less important for the entry procedure.

Claims

[1] Lock for the safe receipt of stored goods at a higher level, characterized by , that the floor area is used in a space-saving manner by the railings (1) and (7), as well as the outer (2) and inner gates (5) ( Fig. 18 Page 18), in order to use as little space as possible for the construction of the actual lock and at the same time have plenty of space for the stored goods to be locked through. [2] Lock according to claim 1, characterized by The height of the goods being transported through the lock is not limited by the lock's design. The arrangement of the railings (1) and (7) together with the gates (2) and (5) plays a crucial role in this. Furthermore, the gates' movement, which does not occur above the stored goods, is essential. This ensures that the height of the stored goods is not restricted. [3] Lock according to claim 1, characterized by, that the lock, by opening the outer gate (2) to 135°, allows the storage goods to be driven in from the outside with, for example, a forklift without time-consuming threading. [4] Lock according to claim 1, characterized by , that the lock, by opening the inner gate (5) to approximately 170°, simplifies the movement of the stored goods on the stage without the gate restricting the path of the stored goods. [5] Lock according to claim 1, characterized by The outer gate (2) is opened or closed simply by operating the inner gate (5), without requiring an employee to approach the edge of the stage to operate the outer gate. This eliminates the risk of falling from that edge of the stage. [6] Lock according to claim 1, characterized by , that the culmination point (i.e., the securing of the gates against swinging back) prevents the gates from opening uncontrollably and losing their fall-protection function. [7] Lock according to claim 1, characterized by The inner gate (2) is closed by the mechanism (interaction of the connecting rod (9), the eccentrics (10) and (11)) when the outer gate is open, and the outer gate is closed when the inner gate is open. Thus, a gate is always closed, preventing the employee from falling off the edge of the stage.

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