DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONVEYING ITEMS OF THE FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY

Description

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for conveying articles of the food processing industry and an arrangement for processing articles of the food processing industry, comprising a conveying device configured for conveying the articles along a conveying path in the transport direction, with a plurality of holding elements configured for receiving the articles, at least one guide extending in the transport direction, which is configured to guide guide elements arranged movably on it in the transport direction, wherein one of the holding elements is arranged height-adjustably on each of the guide elements, and controllable actuating means arranged on the conveying path and configured for adjusting the respective height position of the holding elements relative to the respective guide element, wherein the actuating means are configuredWhen passing the retaining elements, it is possible to control them by engaging in an adjustment mechanism to adjust the respective height position of the retaining element.

[0002] The invention further relates to a method for conveying articles of the food processing industry, comprising conveying the articles along a conveying path in the transport direction by means of a conveying device with a plurality of holding elements provided for receiving the articles, guiding guide elements by means of at least one guide extending in the transport direction, wherein the guide elements are movably arranged in the transport direction, and wherein one of the holding elements is arranged height-adjustably on each of the guide elements, controllable adjustment of the respective height position of the holding elements by means of controllable adjusting means arranged on the conveying path and provided for adjusting the respective height position of the holding elements relative to the respective guide element.wherein the adjusting means, as they pass the holding elements, come into controllable adjustment engagement with them to adjust the respective height position of the holding element.

[0003] The invention further relates to an arrangement and a method for processing articles of the food processing industry.

[0004] The products used in the food processing industry are primarily carcasses or parts thereof, such as poultry legs or entrails packages. During the evisceration of the carcasses, the entrails are removed from the abdominal cavity and conveyed separately. The organs are then separated, particularly into those suitable for human consumption and those inedible for humans. The height adjustability of the conveyor according to the invention is particularly advantageous during this process. In principle, the present invention is suitable for conveying a wide variety of products used in the food processing industry, provided they can be separated and conveyed as a single unit. The present invention is particularly suitable for conveying products that are suspended.

[0005] In the industrial processing of food processing industry articles, it is usually necessary during the handling and / or processing process to adjust the conveying height of the articles, i.e. the respective height level of the articles above ground, in a control variable during conveying.

[0006] For example, in the processing of poultry legs, it is well known that when deboning them, their height is changed during the conveying process in order to adjust them so that the poultry legs engage optimally with the respective tools.

[0007] Document WO 2020 / 162753A1 discloses shackles for suspended poultry handling, the height of which is adjustable. The shackle is adjustable in height relative to a support via a rod that passes through a bore in the support. The support also contains a locking pin that is movable perpendicular to the axial direction and moves between a first and second position. In the first position, the locking pin engages the rod, holding it in a predetermined axial position relative to the support. In the second position, the locking pin releases the rod, allowing it to move in the aforementioned axial direction relative to the support.

[0008] The known solution for height adjustment, however, has several disadvantages. Adjusting the locking pin between the first and second positions locks or unlocks the bar on the support. This requires moving the locking pin perpendicular to the axial direction. To set the desired height of the shackles, they must also be moved axially. Therefore, adjusting the shackle height requires moving both the locking pin perpendicular to the axial direction and the shackle itself axially. Consequently, different guide elements are needed to move the locking pin perpendicular to the axial direction and to adjust the shackle's height axially.

[0009] Another height-adjustable overhead conveyor is described, for example, in document DE 34 37 0701. The desired height is locked in place by radially sliding locking elements.

[0010] Document WO 2019 / 038231 A1 discloses a lifting device designed for lifting poultry legs suspended in a row. By means of a locking element in the form of a locking lever or the like, the foot support part can be preferably automatically locked and, if necessary, released from the normal hanging position on the support suspension part.

[0011] It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a device that allows the simplest possible adjustment of the height of the conveyed articles with minimal equipment. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that allows the aforementioned height adjustment of the articles in a robust and reliable manner. The object also includes proposing a corresponding method. Finally, the object is to propose an arrangement and a method for processing articles used in the food processing industry.

[0012] The problem is solved by a device with the aforementioned features in that each of the holding elements is arranged on the respective guide element by means of a self-locking device, which is designed such that the holding element is movable relative to the guide element in the upward direction against gravity and is releasably locked to the guide element in a locking position in the downward direction. The self-locking device according to the invention offers the advantage that the holding element automatically locks onto the guide element in a defined lower position, namely in the locking position, during a downward movement. In other words, the self-locking device is self-locking.

[0013] If, however, the holding element is lifted upwards by means of the adjusting devices, it is released from its locked position and can now move freely relative to the guide element to any desired height. This offers the advantage that adjusting the height of the conveyed items by means of the adjusting devices only requires axial action on the holding elements. Consequently, the equipment required to adjust the height of the holding elements and the items conveyed within them is reduced to a minimum. In areas where no adjusting devices are provided for lifting the holding elements, the holding element moves downwards under the influence of gravity and thus reaches the locked position, where it is releasably secured to the guide element by the self-locking mechanism.Advantageously, the present invention enables height adjustment of the holding elements using adjustment means that act exclusively in the axial direction. In this way, the equipment complexity is reduced to a minimum while simultaneously achieving robust and reliable height adjustment of the holding elements.

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the self-holding device comprises an inner cylinder guided by a hollow cylinder and an inner cylinder guided by the hollow cylinder, wherein the hollow cylinder is arranged on the guide element and the inner cylinder is arranged on the holding element, and wherein the hollow cylinder comprises at least one receiving space for receiving at least one locking element, which is configured to engage frictionally with the inner cylinder in the locked position. In particular, the receiving space and the locking elements are designed and configured such that they move exclusively in the axial direction. In other words, the locking elements are arranged in the receiving space such that they are free from radial movement.Furthermore, the geometry of the receiving space and the arrangement of the locking elements therein are preferably configured such that the locking elements in the locking position come into frictional engagement with the inner cylinder, so that the inner cylinder is releasably connected to the hollow cylinder via the locking elements and thus the retaining element is releasably locked to the guide element.

[0015] A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the receiving space is designed as an annular space for receiving a plurality of the locking elements. Advantageously, the locking elements are thus arranged without play between the outer surface of the inner cylinder and the inner surface of the hollow cylinder. In this way, the locking elements are in contact with the inner cylinder such that, during a relative downward movement of the retaining element, the aforementioned frictional engagement is achieved and the retaining element is releasably locked in its locking position against the guide element. Advantageously, the locking elements are spherically shaped.

[0016] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the receiving space tapers in the downward direction. This ensures that the locking elements, through a downward movement of the retaining elements in the locked position, enter a clamping position in which the frictional forces between the inner cylinder, the locking elements, and the outer cylinder are sufficiently large to secure the aforementioned components in a clamping fit against further relative movement. A further advantage is that, due to the tapered design of the receiving space, the locking elements are pressed against the outer surface with increasing contact pressure as the weight of the articles arranged on the retaining elements increases. Consequently, with increasing weight of the articles, the contact pressure acting on the outer surfaces of the inner cylinder also increases, thus increasing the frictional engagement.This supports the self-locking function of the self-holding device according to the invention.

[0017] A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that at least one spring element is arranged in the receiving space, which is configured to apply a spring force to the locking elements in the downward direction. Advantageously, the spring elements are thus pressed downwards under constant spring force – in addition to the force of gravity already acting upon them – so that they are always in preloaded contact with the inner tube and exhibit no radial play. This ensures that the locking elements immediately engage frictionally upon downward movement of the retaining elements and that the retaining element is locked in the locking position against the guide element.

[0018] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that a sliding sleeve is arranged around the inner cylinder in the receiving space below the locking elements. This sliding sleeve is designed to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the inner cylinder by means of an actuating element for releasing the locking elements from the frictional engagement in the locked position. This offers the advantage that by lifting the actuating element against the direction of gravity, the sliding sleeve is moved upwards, thus also lifting the locking elements in the longitudinal axial direction. This releases the frictional engagement existing in the locked position and disengages the retaining element from the guide element. The actuating element connected to the sliding sleeve is therefore designed to release the locking mechanism existing in the locked position by moving the actuating element upwards relative to the guide element.In this way, the actuating element enables both a control-variable release and a control-variable locking of the holding element on the guide element.

[0019] A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the actuating means are designed as pivotally movable sliding surface elements, which are pivotably arranged to lift the holding elements from a standby position into a lifting position. In other words, the sliding surface elements are designed such that they engage with the holding elements in such a way that, depending on their respective pivot position, the holding elements either remain at their respective height level or are lifted from the standby position into the lifting position by the respective pivot position of the sliding surface elements. This offers the advantage that the respective height of the holding elements can be variably changed as they pass the respective sliding surface element.

[0020] Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that a control head is arranged at the upper free end of the guide element, which is designed to engage with the sliding surface elements in a guide position. Preferably, the sliding surface elements are designed such that they comprise two pairs of sliding surfaces extending along the conveying path in the transport direction. These sliding surfaces are spaced apart from each other so that the guide element engages between them during the conveying process, with the control head resting laterally on the sliding surfaces.

[0021] By pivoting the sliding surface elements and thereby changing their angular position, the previously described height adjustment of the guide elements and the retaining elements is achieved. For this purpose, the width of the control head is preferably chosen to be greater than the smallest distance between the two sliding surfaces, so that it at least partially overlaps the sliding surfaces and thus comes into contact with the guides.

[0022] Preferably, pairs of ball bearings are arranged on opposite sides of the control head, configured to roll over the sliding surfaces. More preferably, the control head comprises four of these ball bearings, each arranged offset by 90° on the control head. This offers the advantage that the guide and the retaining elements can be pivoted about the longitudinal axis to rotate the workpieces about the longitudinal axis during machining, thus bringing them into a more favorable position for the respective machining operation.

[0023] A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the actuating means further comprise control means which are configured to lower the holding elements from the lifting position into the standby position and thereby engage with the actuating element to release the locking elements. In other words, the control means are configured to act on the actuating element in such a way that the locking mechanism between the holding elements and the guide element is released, allowing them to move freely relative to each other in the longitudinal axis at least substantially perpendicular or transverse to the conveying direction. Substantially perpendicular means either perpendicular or deviating from the perpendicular by a small angle. In this way, the holding elements can be lowered as described above.

[0024] Furthermore, the problem is solved by a corresponding arrangement with the aforementioned features, in that the arrangement comprises the previously described device for conveying articles from the food processing industry and at least one processing station designed for processing the articles. The device is configured to adjust the height of the articles during conveying according to the processing height specified for each article by the at least one processing station. Advantageously, this makes it possible to automatically and optimally adjust the height of the articles to the conditions of the respective processing station during the conveying process. This ensures optimal processing of the articles at all times.

[0025] According to a further preferred embodiment, the articles are poultry or poultry parts. In particular, the articles are poultry legs, and the processing stations are configured to debone them. The processing of poultry or poultry parts, in particular, requires regular changes in the height of the conveyed articles to ensure optimal processing by the processing stations. The arrangement according to the invention is therefore specifically designed and configured for the automatic processing of poultry legs.

[0026] Furthermore, the task is solved by a corresponding method with the aforementioned features, and is characterized by releasing the mobility of the holding element relative to the guide element in the upward direction against gravity and releasably locking each of the holding elements to the respective guide element in the locking position by means of a self-locking device.

[0027] The advantages associated with the device according to the invention also apply analogously to the method according to the invention. To avoid repetition, reference is therefore made to the advantages of the device already mentioned in connection with the method, and the advantages of the method will only be explained in more detail below.

[0028] Releasing and releasably locking the retaining elements to the respective guide element using the self-locking device offers the advantage that, during a downward movement, the retaining element automatically locks onto the guide element in a defined lower position, namely the locking position. Conversely, if the retaining element is lifted upwards using the adjusting mechanism, it is released from the locking position and can then move freely relative to the guide element to any desired height. The height of the conveyed items is thus adjusted by the adjusting mechanism in such a way that the retaining elements are acted upon exclusively in the axial direction to change their height. Consequently, the equipment and process engineering effort required to adjust the height of the retaining elements and the conveyed items is reduced to a minimum.

[0029] In areas where no actuating means are provided for raising the retaining elements, the retaining element moves downwards under the influence of gravity and thus reaches the locking position, in which it is releasably locked to the guide element by means of the self-locking device. Advantageously, the method according to the invention achieves that height adjustment of the retaining elements is possible with the actuating means, which act exclusively in the axial direction. In this way, the apparatus complexity is reduced to a minimum, and at the same time a robust and reliable height adjustment of the retaining elements is achieved.

[0030] Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the self-holding device comprises an inner cylinder guided by a hollow cylinder and an inner cylinder guided by the hollow cylinder, wherein the hollow cylinder is arranged on the guide element and the inner cylinder is arranged on the holding element, and wherein the hollow cylinder comprises at least one receiving space for receiving at least one of the locking elements, and the locking elements engage with the inner cylinder in a frictional manner in the locking position.

[0031] A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the frictional engagement is effected by a plurality of locking elements arranged in the receiving space, which is designed as an annular space. Advantageously, the locking elements move without play between the outer surface of the inner cylinder and the inner surface of the hollow cylinder. The locking elements are thus in contact with the inner cylinder in such a way that, during a relative downward movement of the retaining elements, the aforementioned frictional engagement is achieved and the retaining element is releasably locked in its locking position against the guide element.

[0032] Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that balls are used as locking elements.

[0033] Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized by achieving frictional engagement in the locking position by clamping the locking elements in the receiving space, which tapers downwards. The locking elements thus enter a clamping position through a downward movement of the retaining elements in the locking position. In this clamping position, the frictional forces between the inner cylinder, the locking elements, and the outer cylinder are sufficiently large to secure the aforementioned components in a clamped fit against further relative movement. A further advantage is that, due to the tapered design of the receiving space, the locking elements are pressed against the outer surface with increasing contact pressure as the weight of the articles arranged on the retaining elements increases.As the weight of the articles increases, the contact pressure acting on the outer surfaces of the inner cylinder also increases, thus increasing the frictional engagement. This supports the self-locking function of the self-holding device according to the invention.

[0034] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized by applying a spring force to the locking elements in the downward direction by means of at least one spring element arranged in the receiving space. Advantageously, the spring elements are thus pressed downwards under constant spring force – in addition to the force of gravity already acting upon them – so that they are always in pre-tensioned contact with the inner tube and exhibit no radial play. This ensures that the locking elements immediately engage in frictional engagement upon downward movement of the retaining elements and that the retaining element is locked in the locking position against the guide element.

[0035] A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by releasing the locking elements from their frictional engagement in the locked position by means of a sliding sleeve arranged in the receiving space below the locking elements around the inner cylinder. This release is achieved by moving the sliding sleeve longitudinally along the inner cylinder using an actuating element. By lifting the actuating element against the direction of gravity, the sliding sleeve is advantageously moved upwards, and the locking elements are also lifted in the longitudinal axial direction. This releases the frictional engagement existing in the locked position and disengages the retaining element from the guide element. By adjusting the actuating element, both a controllable release and a controllable locking of the retaining element from the guide element are therefore possible.

[0036] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized by lifting the holding elements from a standby position into a lifting position by controllably pivoting the locking elements, which are designed as pivotable sliding surface elements. By pivoting the angle of inclination of the sliding surface elements, it is possible to automatically and variably adjust the height to the desired height.

[0037] Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized by bringing the sliding surface elements into a guide position with a control head arranged at the upper free end of the guide element.

[0038] A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by the engagement of actuating means with the actuating element to release the locking elements and lower the holding elements from the lifting position into the waiting position.

[0039] The task is also accomplished by the aforementioned method for processing articles from the food processing industry, which comprises the previously described steps of the method for conveying articles from the food processing industry and further includes processing the articles using at least one processing station. The height of the articles is adjusted during conveying according to the processing height specified for each processing station. Advantageously, this allows the height of the articles to be automatically and optimally adjusted to the conditions of the respective processing station during the conveyor belt process. This ensures consistently optimal processing of the articles.

[0040] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the articles are poultry or poultry parts. The processing of poultry or poultry parts, in particular, requires regular changes in the height of the conveyed articles in order to process them optimally using the processing stations. The method according to the invention is therefore specifically designed and configured for the automatic processing of poultry legs.

[0041] According to a further preferred embodiment, the articles are poultry or poultry parts. In particular, the articles are poultry legs, and the processing stations are configured to debone them. The processing of poultry or poultry parts, in particular, requires regular changes in the height of the conveyed articles to ensure optimal processing by the processing stations. The arrangement according to the invention is therefore specifically designed and configured for the automatic processing of poultry legs.

[0042] Further preferred and / or advantageous features and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the description. Particularly preferred embodiments are explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 shows the holding and guiding element according to the invention for conveying the articles in cross-section, Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the in Figure 1The device parts shown in Fig. 3 are a top view of the device parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 1 and 2 The parts shown, Fig. 4 a perspective view of the arrangement according to the invention, Fig. 5 the in Figure 4 The arrangement shown is in side view, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the holding and guiding element as well as the self-holding device with the housing hidden, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a section of the Fig. 6 with regard to spring element 37.

[0043] The device according to the invention comprises a conveying device 12 configured for conveying the articles (not shown in the drawing) along a conveying path 10 in the transport direction 11. The conveying device 12 comprises a plurality of holding elements 13 configured for receiving the articles. We in Figure 4The device shown has at least one guide 14 extending in the transport direction 11, which is configured to guide guide elements 15 movably arranged on it in the transport direction 11. The guide elements 15 thus form movable receiving elements that preferably move continuously in the transport direction. One of the retaining elements 13 is arranged height-adjustably on each of the guide elements 15.

[0044] Controllable positioning devices are arranged along the conveyor section 10. These devices are designed to adjust the respective height of the retaining elements 13 relative to the respective guide element 15. The positioning devices are designed and configured to engage with the retaining elements 13 as they pass, thereby adjusting the height of the retaining element 13. In other words, the positioning devices are configured to act upon the retaining elements 13 as they pass, and, depending on their position, to change the height of the retaining elements 13.

[0045] Each of the retaining elements 13 is arranged on the respective guide element 15 by means of a self-locking device 17. The self-locking device 17 is designed such that the retaining element 13 is movable relative to the guide element 15 in an upward direction against gravity. In a downward direction, however, the retaining element 13 is releasably locked in a locking position on the guide element 15. An upward movement of the retaining element 13 is therefore always possible, while an automatic locking occurs during a downward movement. In other words, the self-locking device 17 is self-locking.

[0046] The self-holding device 17 is further configured to release the holding element 13 from its locked position, allowing it to move freely relative to the guide element 15 to any desired height, provided the holding element 13 is raised upwards by means of the adjusting means. Thus, to adjust the height of the conveyed items using the adjusting means, it is necessary to act on the holding elements 13 exclusively in the axial direction. Consequently, the mechanical effort required to adjust the height of the holding elements 13 and the conveyed items is reduced to a minimum.

[0047] Advantageously, the self-locking device 17 is designed to allow a gravity-induced downward movement of the respective holding element 13 in areas where no actuating means for lifting or holding the holding elements 13 are arranged, until it automatically reaches the locking position. The self-locking device 17 is designed to releasably lock the holding element 13 onto the guide element 15 upon reaching the locking position.

[0048] As in Figure 1The self-holding device 17, as shown, comprises a hollow cylinder 18 and an inner cylinder 19 guided through the hollow cylinder 18. The hollow cylinder 18 is arranged on the guide element 15 or is a component of the guide element 15. The inner cylinder 19 is arranged on the retaining element 13 or forms part of it. The hollow cylinder 18 comprises at least one receiving chamber 20, which is designed and configured to receive at least one locking element 21. The hollow cylinder 18 is, for example, as shown in the drawing, widened in the area of ​​the receiving chamber 20, thus having a correspondingly larger diameter compared to the other sections. Alternatively, the receiving chamber 20 can also be formed by a separate housing that is arranged on the hollow cylinder 18. Preferably, the hollow cylinder 18 is widened on the receiving chamber side and forms a housing seat 22 on which a cylindrical housing 23, enclosing the receiving chamber 20, is arranged.The housing 23 is optionally screwed to the housing seat 22 by means of screws 24 which are guided through a head side 36 of the housing 23.

[0049] The locking elements 21 engage with the inner cylinder 19 in a frictional manner in the locked position. As in Figure 1 As can be seen, during a downward movement of the inner cylinder 19, these are moved towards the retaining element 13 due to the frictional contact with the inner cylinder 19 and come to lie in the receiving space 20 on the retaining element side in order to form a clamping connection with the inner cylinder 19 and the hollow cylinder 20 in the locking position.

[0050] In particular, the internal geometry of the receiving space 20 is configured such that the locking elements 21 move exclusively in the axial direction. The locking elements 21 are therefore preferably arranged in the receiving space 20 such that they are free from radial movement. Furthermore, the geometry of the receiving space 20 and the arrangement of the locking elements 21 therein are preferably configured such that the locking elements 21, in the locked position, engage frictionally with the inner cylinder 19, so that the inner cylinder 19 is releasably connected to the hollow cylinder 18 via the locking elements 21. In this way, the retaining element 13 is releasably locked to the guide element 15.

[0051] As shown in the drawing, the receiving space 20 is preferably designed as an annular space to accommodate a plurality of the locking elements 21. The locking elements 21 are arranged between the outer surface 25 of the inner cylinder 19 and the inner surface 26 of the hollow cylinder 18 without play, in particular without radial play. This causes the locking elements 21 to be in contact with the inner cylinder 19 in such a way that, during a relative downward movement of the retaining element 13, the aforementioned frictional engagement is achieved and the retaining element 13 is releasably locked in its locking position against the guide element 15. Preferably, the locking elements 21 are spherical.

[0052] Preferably, as in Figure 1As can be seen, the receiving chamber 20 tapers downwards. The receiving chamber 20 thus has a conical section 27. The inner diameter of the hollow cylinder 18 decreases towards the housing seat 22 and towards the inner cylinder 19 to such an extent that the locking elements 21 develop sufficient clamping force in the locking position to ensure the retention element 13 is secured to the guide element 15.

[0053] The locking elements 21 are thus brought into the locking position by a downward movement of the retaining element 13, forming a clamping position or the aforementioned clamping assembly. In this position, the frictional forces between the inner cylinder 19, the locking elements 21, and the hollow cylinder 18 are sufficiently large to lock the aforementioned components together and thus secure them against any further relative movement.

[0054] Due to the conical section 27 of the receiving chamber 20, the locking elements 21 are pressed against the outer surface 25 of the inner cylinder 19 with a greater contact force as the weight of the articles arranged on the retaining elements 13 increases. Thus, as the weight of the articles increases, so too does the contact force acting on the outer surfaces 25 of the inner cylinder 19, resulting in a greater frictional engagement. This further supports the self-locking function of the self-holding device 17 according to the invention. To ensure the described locking function, it is not absolutely necessary to equip the receiving chamber 20 with a conical section 27. As described above, the clamping connection is also formed when the locking elements 21 are located at the end of the receiving chamber 20 on the retaining element side.However, the conical area 27 supports, on the one hand, the fastest possible response of the self-holding device 17 and, on the other hand, significantly increases the radially acting clamping force component compared to a solution without a conical area 27, thus significantly improving the clamping and locking effect.

[0055] Preferably, at least one spring element 28 is arranged and configured in the receiving space 20 to exert a spring force on the locking element 21 in the downward direction, i.e., towards the end of the receiving space 21 on the retaining element side. Advantageously, the locking element 21 is thus pressed downwards under constant spring force – in addition to the force of gravity already acting upon it – so that it is always in preloaded contact with the inner cylinder 19 and has no radial play. The locking element 21 thus comes into frictional engagement with the guide element 15 immediately upon a downward movement of the retaining element 13, in order to lock both together in the locked position. More preferably, several locking elements 21 are arranged in the receiving space 21. In this case, each locking element 21 is associated with one of the spring elements 28.

[0056] As in Figure 1In the receiving space 20, below the locking elements 21, i.e., on the retaining element side, a sliding sleeve 29 is movably arranged around the inner cylinder 19. The sliding sleeve 29 is designed and configured to be translationally movable in the longitudinal direction of the inner cylinder 19 by means of an actuating element 30, in order to move the locking element(s) 21 out of the frictional engagement of the locked position in the longitudinal direction. This offers the advantage that by lifting the actuating element 30 or moving the actuating element 30 away from the retaining element 13 against gravity, the sliding sleeve 29 is moved upwards, and thus the locking elements 21 are also lifted in the longitudinal axial direction. This releases the frictional engagement existing in the locked position and the locking of the retaining element 13 on the guide element 15 is released.The actuating element 30, in conjunction with the sliding sleeve 29, is therefore designed to both release and lock the retaining element 13 on the guide element 15 in a control-variable manner.

[0057] As in Figure 4The actuating means are preferably designed as pivotally movable sliding surface elements 31. These are configured to controllably raise the holding elements 13 from a standby position to a lifting position. For this purpose, the sliding surface elements 31 are designed such that they engage with the holding elements 13. Depending on their respective pivot position, the holding elements 13 then remain at their respective height level or are raised from the standby position to the lifting position by the respective pivot position of the sliding surface elements 31. This offers the advantage that the respective height of the holding elements 13 can be variably adjusted as they pass the respective sliding surface element 31.

[0058] As in Figure 1 As can be clearly seen, a control head 32 is arranged at the upper free end of the retaining element 13. This is designed to engage with the sliding surface elements 31 in a guide system. In the Figure 4 It is shown that the sliding surface elements 31 are preferably designed such that they comprise two paired sliding surfaces 33 which extend along the conveying path 10 in the transport direction 11. The sliding surfaces 33 are further preferably separated from each other such that the guide element 15 engages between them during the conveying process and the control head 32 rests laterally on the sliding surfaces 33.

[0059] By pivoting the in Figure 4 The sliding surface elements 31 shown, and the associated change in the angular position of the sliding surfaces 33, effect the previously described height adjustment of the retaining elements 13. The width of the control head 32 is preferably greater than the smallest distance between the two sliding surfaces 33. The control head 32 is therefore preferably designed such that it at least partially overlaps the sliding surfaces 33 and rests on both sides of them.

[0060] In the Figure 1 Advantageously, paired ball bearings 34 are shown on opposite sides of the control head 32. These are designed to roll over the sliding surfaces 33. Figure 3 Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment in which the control head 32 comprises four of the aforementioned ball bearings 34. These are arranged at 90° intervals on the sides of the control head 32. The control head 32 is thus designed and configured to pivot about the longitudinal axis in 90° increments by pivoting the guide element 15 about the longitudinal axis. In this way, the parts can be rotated about the longitudinal axis during machining and brought into a position favorable for the respective machining operation.

[0061] The actuating means preferably include further control means 35, which are configured to lower the holding elements 13 from the lifting position to the waiting position. These control means 35 are positioned and configured on the conveying section 10 such that they engage with the actuating element 30 to release the locking elements 21. In other words, the control means 35 are configured to act on the actuating element 30 via the control head 32 in such a way that the locking mechanism between the holding element 13 and the guide element 15 is released, allowing them to move freely relative to each other in the longitudinal axis transverse to the conveying direction 12. In this way, the holding elements 13 can be lowered as described above.

[0062] Figure 4Figure 1 schematically shows the arrangement according to the invention, which comprises the previously described device for conveying the aforementioned articles, as well as at least one processing station (not shown in the drawing) designed for processing the articles. As described above, the device according to the invention is configured to adjust the height of the articles during conveying according to the processing height specified for processing the articles by means of the at least one processing station, in order to automatically and optimally adapt the height of the articles to be processed to the conditions of the respective processing station during the conveying process. As described in Figure 4 As shown, the arrangement according to the invention comprises the conveying section 10, which is formed by the conveying device 12. The conveying device 12 comprises a plurality of the holding elements 13, on which - in the Figure 4 As shown by way of example, each poultry leg is arranged holding 38. In Figure 4 The guide elements 15 are also recognizable, which are conveyed in the transport direction 11 to the control medium 35.

[0063] Figure 5 shows a side view of the in Figure 4 The arrangement shown according to the invention includes the conveying section 10, which is formed by the conveying device 12. The conveying device 12 comprises a plurality of the holding elements 13, of which in the Figure 5 Two are shown. Each of these retaining elements 13 holds one of the poultry legs 38. Each of the retaining elements 13 is arranged to be longitudinally movable on the guide element 15. By means of the self-holding device 17, the retaining element 13 is arranged to be movable on the guide element 15 in the manner described above. Figure 5The control heads 32 with the ball bearings 34, which come into operative contact with the sliding surfaces 33, are also shown. It is also evident how the actuating element 30 interacts with the control means 35.

[0064] Preferably, the items are poultry or poultry parts. In particular, the items are poultry legs. Accordingly, the processing station is preferably designed and equipped as a deboning station.

[0065] The inventive method for conveying the aforementioned articles will only be described in more detail below with regard to selected aspects, since the process steps have already been described in most cases in connection with the inventive device.

[0066] As previously described, the release of the movement of the retaining element 13 relative to the guide element 15 in an upward direction against gravity is carried out on the one hand, and each of the retaining elements 13 is releasably locked to the respective guide element 15 in a locking position in a downward direction by means of the self-locking device 17.

[0067] Releasing and releasably locking the retaining elements 13 to the respective guide element 15 by means of the self-locking device 17 causes the retaining element 13 to automatically lock onto the guide element 15 in a defined lower position, namely the locking position, during a downward movement. Conversely, if the retaining element 13 is lifted upwards by means of the adjusting means, it is released from the locking position and can now move freely relative to the guide element 15 to any desired height. The height of the conveyed items is thus adjusted by means of the adjusting means in such a way that the retaining elements 13 are acted upon exclusively in the axial direction.

[0068] In areas where no actuating means are provided for raising the retaining elements 13, the retaining element 13 moves downwards under the influence of gravity and thus automatically reaches the locking position. In this position, it is releasably locked to the guide element 15 by means of the self-locking device 17. This allows height adjustment using actuating means that act exclusively in the axial direction.

[0069] The frictional engagement, or the clamping connection described above, is preferably effected by a plurality of locking elements 21 arranged in the receiving space 20, which is designed as an annular space. Advantageously, the locking elements 21 move without play, particularly radially without play, between the outer surface 25 of the inner cylinder 19 and the inner surface 26 of the hollow cylinder 18. The locking elements 21 are thus in contact with the inner cylinder 19 such that, during a relative downward movement of the retaining elements 13, the aforementioned frictional engagement is achieved and the retaining element 13 is releasably locked in its locking position against the guide element 15.

[0070] The frictional engagement, or the formation of the described clamping connection in the locked position, is facilitated by the clamping of the locking elements 21 in the receiving space 20, which tapers downwards or has a conical section 27. The locking elements 21 thus move into a corresponding clamping position through a downward movement of the retaining elements 13 in the locked position. In this clamping position, the frictional forces between the inner cylinder 19, the locking elements 21, and the hollow cylinder 18 are sufficiently large to secure the aforementioned components against further relative movement in a clamping fit and lock them together.

[0071] As previously described, by applying a spring force to the locking elements 21 in the downward direction by means of at least one spring element 28 arranged in the receiving space, the locking elements 21 are pressed downwards under constant spring force – in addition to the force of gravity already acting on them – so that they are always in preloaded contact with the inner tube 19 and therefore have no radial play. This ensures that the locking elements 21 immediately engage frictionally when the retaining element 13 moves downwards and lock the retaining element 13 in the locking position on the guide element 15.

[0072] According to the inventive method, the locking elements 21 are preferably released from the frictional engagement or clamping connection in the locked position by means of a sliding sleeve 29 arranged in the receiving space 20 below the locking elements 21 around the inner cylinder 19. For this purpose, the sliding sleeve 29 is moved translationally in the longitudinal direction of the inner cylinder 19 against the weight of the article, i.e., upwards, by means of an actuating element 30. By lifting the actuating element 30 against the direction of gravity, the sliding sleeve 29 is moved upwards and the locking elements 21 are also lifted in the longitudinal axial direction. This releases the frictional engagement or clamping connection existing in the locked position and disengages the retaining element 13 from the guide element 15.By adjusting the actuating element 30, both a control-variable release and a control-variable locking of the holding element 13 on the guide element 15 are therefore possible.

[0073] The lifting of the holding elements 13 from a waiting position to a lifting position is effected by controllable pivoting of the actuating elements, which are designed as pivotable sliding surface elements 31. By pivoting the inclination angle of the sliding surface elements 31, it is possible to automatically and controllably adjust the height to the desired height.

[0074] Figure 6Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the retaining elements 13 and the guide element 15. The self-holding device 17 is shown with its housing hidden, so that the spring element 37 and the locking elements 21 are visible. At the lower end, the inner cylinder 19 of the retaining element 13 is visible, which engages in the guide element 15. The upper end of the guide element 15 includes the actuating element 30 and the control head 32 with the ball bearings 34.

[0075] Figure 7 shows an enlarged view of a section of the Fig. 6 With regard to the spring element 37. The spring element 37 is operatively connected to the locking elements 21, which are pressed by it under spring preload towards the housing seat 22. The spring element 37 is preferably designed and configured as a wave spring element, as shown in the drawing. For this purpose, the spring element 37 has the features shown in the Figure 6 and 7The honeycomb-like cylindrical spring structure shown is used. The design as a wave spring element offers the advantage of providing a spring force that is as uniform as possible on the locking elements 21, which are distributed around the circumference. Alternatively, the spring element 37 can also be designed as a spiral compression spring.

[0076] The present invention also encompasses the aforementioned method for processing articles of the food processing industry, wherein it comprises the previously described steps of the method for conveying articles of the food processing industry and further comprises processing the articles by means of at least one processing station (not shown in the drawing). The height of the articles is adjusted during conveying according to the processing height specified for processing the articles by means of the at least one processing station.

Claims

1. Apparatus for conveying articles of the food-processing industry, comprising a conveying device (12) adapted for conveying the articles along a conveying line (10) in a transport direction (11) and having a plurality of holding elements (13) adapted for receiving the articles, at least one guide (14) extending in the transport direction (11), which guide is adapted for guiding guide elements (15) arranged thereon so as to be movable in the transport direction (11), wherein one of the holding elements (13) is arranged on each of the guide elements (15) so as to be adjustable in height, controllable adjusting means arranged on the conveying line (10) and adapted for adjusting the height position of the holding elements (13) relative to the respective guide element (15), wherein the adjusting means are configured to come into adjusting engagement in a controllable manner with the holding elements (13) as they pass in order to adjust the respective height position of the holding element (13), characterised in that each of the holding elements (13) is arranged on the respective one of the guide elements (15) by means of a self-holding device (17) which is so configured that the holding element (13) is movable relative to the guide element (15) in the upward direction against the force of gravity and in the downward direction the holding element (13) is releasably locked on the guide element (15) in a stop position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the self-holding device (17) comprises a hollow cylinder (18) and an inner cylinder (19) guided through the hollow cylinder (18), wherein the hollow cylinder (18) is arranged on the guide element (15) and the inner cylinder (19) is arranged on the holding element (13), and wherein the hollow cylinder (18) comprises at least one receiving space (20) for receiving at least one stop element (21), which are adapted to come into frictional engagement with the inner cylinder (19) in the stop position.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterised in that the receiving space (20) is in the form of an annular space for receiving a plurality of stop elements (21).

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterised in that the stop elements (21) are spherical.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the receiving space (20) is configured to taper in the downward direction.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that at least one spring element (28) is arranged in the receiving space (20), which spring element is adapted for applying a spring force to the stop elements (21) in the downward direction.

7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterised in that a sliding sleeve (29) is arranged around the inner cylinder (19) in the receiving space (20) beneath the stop elements (21), which sliding sleeve is adapted to be movable in the stop position in the longitudinal direction of the inner cylinder (19) by means of an actuating element (30) in order to release the stop elements (21) from frictional engagement.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the adjusting means are in the form of pivotable sliding surface elements (31) which are adapted to be controllably pivotable for lifting the holding elements (13) from a standby position into a lifted position.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that a control head (32) is arranged at the upper free end of the guide element (15), which control head is configured to come into guiding contact with the sliding surface elements (31).

10. Apparatus according to either claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that the adjusting means further comprise control means (35) which are adapted, for lowering the holding elements (13) from the lifted position into the standby position, to come into engagement with the actuating element (30) in order to release the stop elements(21).

11. Assembly for processing articles of the food-processing industry, comprising an apparatus for conveying the articles according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and further comprising at least one processing station configured for processing the articles, wherein the apparatus is adapted for adjusting the height position of the articles during conveying in accordance with the processing height specified for processing of the articles by means of the at least one processing station.

12. Assembly according to claim 11, characterised in that the articles are poultry or poultry parts.

13. Method for conveying articles of the food-processing industry, comprising conveying the articles along a conveying line (10) in a transport direction (11) by means of a conveying device (12) having a plurality of holding elements (13) adapted for receiving the articles, guiding guide elements (15) by means of at least one guide (14) extending in the transport direction (11), wherein the guide elements (15) are arranged so as to be movable in the transport direction (11), and wherein one of the holding elements (13) is arranged on each of the guide elements (15) so as to be adjustable in height, controllably adjusting the respective height position of the holding elements (13) by means of controllable adjusting means which are arranged on the conveying line (10) and are adapted for adjusting the respective height position of the holding elements (13) relative to the respective guide element (15), wherein the adjusting means come into adjusting engagement in a controllable manner with the holding elements (13) as they pass in order to adjust the respective height position of the holding element (13), characterised by permitting the movability of the holding element (13) relative to the guide element (15) in the upward direction against the force of gravity and releasably locking each of the holding elements (13) on the respective guide element (15) in a stop position in the downward direction by means of a self-holding device (17).

14. Method according to claim 13, characterised in that the self-holding device (17) comprises a hollow cylinder (18) and an inner cylinder (19) guided through the hollow cylinder (18), wherein the hollow cylinder (18) is arranged on the guide element (15) and the inner cylinder (19) is arranged on the holding element (13), and wherein the hollow cylinder (18) comprises at least one receiving space (20) for receiving at least one stop element (21), and in the stop position the stop elements (21) come into frictional engagement with the inner cylinder.

15. Method according to claim 14, characterised in that frictional engagement is effected by a plurality of stop elements (21) arranged in the receiving space (20) in the form of an annular space.

16. Method according to claim 15, characterised in that spheres are used as the stop elements (21).

17. Method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterised by effecting frictional engagement in the stop position by clamping the stop elements (21) in the receiving space (20), which tapers in the downward direction.

18. Method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterised by applying a spring force to the lock elements (21) in the downward direction by means of at least one spring element (28) arranged in the receiving space (20).

19. Method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterised by releasing the stop elements (21) from frictional engagement in the stop position by means of a sliding sleeve (29) arranged around the inner cylinder (19) in the receiving space (20) beneath the stop elements (21), by moving the sliding sleeve (29) in the longitudinal direction of the inner cylinder (19) by means of an actuating element (30).

20. Method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterised by lifting the holding elements (13) from a standby position into a lifted position by controllable pivoting of the stop elements (21) in the form of pivotable sliding surface elements (31).

21. Method according to claim 20, characterised by bringing the sliding surface elements (31) into guiding contact with a control head (32) arranged at the upper free end of the guide element (15).

22. Method according to any one of claims 20 or 21, characterised by engagement of adjusting means (16) with the actuating element (30) in order to release the stop elements (21) and lower the holding elements (13) from the lifted position into the standby position.

23. Method for processing articles of the food-processing industry, comprising a method for conveying the articles according to any one of claims 13 to 22, further comprising processing the articles by means of at least one processing station, wherein the height position of the articles is adjusted during conveying in accordance with the processing height specified for processing of the articles by means of the at least one processing station.

24. Method according to claim 23, characterised in that the articles are poultry or poultry parts.