Stair conveyor and method for conveying rod-shaped materials

Abstract

The present invention comprises a first staircase in which at least two first staircase elements (5a, 5b, 5c) are arranged at intervals from each other, and a second staircase that is vertically movable between an upper position and a lower position relative to the first staircase, and in which at least two second staircase elements (6a, 6b, 6c) are arranged at intervals from each other. The first and second staircase elements (6a, 6b, 6c) are arranged adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction (L). The lower first treads (51a, 51b, 51c) of the first staircase elements (5a, 5b, 5c) and the lower second treads (61a, 61b, 61c) of the second staircase elements (6a, 6b, 6c) jointly form a lower tread in the lower position. The upper first treads (52a, 52b, 52c) of the first staircase elements (5a, 5b, 5c) and the lower second treads (61a, 61b, 61c) of the second staircase elements (6a, 6b, 6c) form an upper tread in the upper position. The first staircase elements (5a, 5b, 5c) are connected to each other in the transition region between the first kick-in and the tread by first rails (16a, 16b, 16c) that form first sliding edges (17a, 17b, 17c) for the rod-shaped member (2), and / or the second staircase elements (6a, 6b, 6c) are connected to each other in the transition region between the second kick-in and the tread by second rails (11a, 11b) that form second sliding edges (12a, 12b) for the rod-shaped material (2). The present invention relates to a staircase conveyor for a rod-shaped material (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a stepped conveyor in general terms of claim 1. The present invention also relates to a method for transporting rod-shaped materials.

Background Art

[0002] In recent pipe cutting systems, in particular, pre-materials such as pipes are processed in multiple steps. These are supplied to the cutting system, the pipes are cut to a predetermined length with high precision, and the ends of the pipes are processed, i.e., chamfered, cleaned, etc. The pipes have to be supplied to the cutting system individually. The pipes have to be supplied to the cutting machine in batches. The pipes are usually delivered in batches and loaded into a batch loading magazine. With the help of a length-adjustable belt, the pipes are loaded onto a batch loading table. In the case of pipes with a small diameter, e.g., less than 10 mm, or pipes with low strength, e.g., aluminum pipes, the so-called "spaghetti effect" occurs in the pipe batch. This means that the pipes in the batch may be distorted, twisted, or bent, and therefore cannot be lifted onto the batch loading table as part of the batch, or even if lifted, the pre-materials cannot be properly separated there. This hinders the process.

[0003] German Patent Specification No. 102008059507 discloses a metalworking machine equipped with a feeding device for rod-shaped workpieces. The pre-material is separated from the batch loading magazine with the help of a stepped conveyor.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The separation concept based on a stepped conveyor is based on the fact that the stepped elements are arranged at predetermined positions along the pre-material. If the pre-material is twisted at the lower step, it will not be picked up by all the stepped elements even if it is lifted to the next step. If the bending resistance of the pre-material is sufficiently high, with the increase in the inclination of the pre-material, the pre-material will be dragged down from the upper step. After falling, the pre-material is arranged at a slightly different position and the attempt to convey is started again. If the pre-material is uniformly conveyed upward by all the conveying elements, the separation should be successful. The drawback of this principle is that separation occurs only when the bending resistance is sufficiently high. When the bending resistance is low, the pre-material is conveyed upward on one side and not conveyed on the other side and stays in a stable position. The pre-material does not fall, but it also cannot be conveyed further upward and it prevents other pre-materials from being conveyed upward. Furthermore, this state often leads to plastic deformation of the pre-material, making further processing within the machine impossible.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to further develop a stepped conveyor of the above type that minimizes the above-mentioned drawbacks.

[0006] Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for conveying a rod-shaped material that minimizes the above-mentioned drawbacks.

[0007] That object is solved on the first side thereof by a stepped conveyor for rod-shaped materials having the features of claim 1.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] A stepped conveyor for rod-shaped materials according to the present invention, comprising: a first step in which at least two first stepped elements are arranged at intervals from each other; and a second step that is movable up and down between an upper position and a lower position relative to the first step, and in which at least two second stepped elements are arranged at intervals from each other. The first and second stepped elements are arranged adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction. The lower first tread surface of the first stepped element and the lower second tread surface of the second stepped element jointly form a lower tread surface in the lower position, and the upper first tread surface of the first stepped element and the lower second tread surface of the second stepped element form an upper tread surface in the upper position. The steps have a tread surface on which the rod-shaped material is placed during conveyance, and a kick that extends substantially, preferably perpendicularly, to the tread surface. The rod-shaped material is prevented from rolling or sliding further when it hits the kick.

[0009] The first step is preferably in a stable position relative to the ground or floor during movement. The second step is movable up and down. The terms "up" and "down" and "up and down" refer to the direction relative to the ground or floor.

[0010] The first stepped elements are preferably arranged adjacent to each other at intervals in the longitudinal direction. The second stepped elements are preferably arranged between all the first stepped elements. The first and second stepped elements have extensions in the longitudinal direction, and the extensions are 10% or less, preferably 5% or less, of the distance between two adjacent stepped elements.

[0011] In the transition region between the first kick and the tread surface, the first stepped elements are connected to each other by a first rail that forms a first sliding edge extending in the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped member, and / or the second stepped elements are connected to each other by a second rail that forms a second sliding edge for the rod-shaped material in the transition region between the second kick and the tread surface.

[0012] This rail makes it easier for a rod-shaped material placed in a distorted position to slide down onto one of the lower steps. The distorted, twisted, bent, or curved states are collectively referred to as "distorted".

[0013] The first-stage elements preferably have one, two, three or more steps. The second-stage elements preferably have one, two, three or more steps, and the number of steps of the second-stage elements is preferably one less than the number of steps of the first-stage elements. Preferably, exactly one second-stage element is assigned to each first-stage element, and the second-stage element moves up and down in parallel with the first-stage element to which it is assigned during the lifting movement.

[0014] In the lower position, the lower first tread of the first-stage element and the lower second tread of the second-stage element form the lower tread, and they are aligned with each other. In the upper position, the upper tread of the first stage forms the upper tread together with the lower tread of the second stage, and they are also aligned. "Lower" and "upper" also refer to adjacent steps. These may be the first, second, third, or more steps.

[0015] The first and second-stage elements are arranged adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction. They are preferably arranged alternately along the entire length of the staircase conveyor.

[0016] The first-stage elements of the first stage may be connected to each other by the first rail in the transition region between their first kick-in and first tread. The first rail preferably extends over the entire longitudinal length of the staircase conveyor.

[0017] The second-stage elements of the second stage may be connected to each other by the second rail in the transition region between their second kick-in and second tread. The second rail preferably extends over the entire longitudinal length of the staircase conveyor.

[0018] The first and second rails can have a rectangular or polygonal cross-section. Preferably, the first and second rails have rolling edges along their entire length. The cross-section may also be variable in the longitudinal direction. The same applies to the second rail of the second-stage element.

[0019] The rails facilitate the deployment of the inclined rod-shaped material. The first rail preferably facilitates the deployment of the inclined material during the downward movement of the second step element, and the second rail preferably facilitates the deployment of the previous inclined material during the upward movement of the second step element. However, there are also interactions, and the effects are not always clearly distinguishable.

[0020] The first and second rails are preferably continuous over the entire length of the stepped conveyor, but they may have different lengths or may be partially interrupted.

[0021] The stepped conveyor according to the present invention is advantageously part of a processing system for rod-shaped materials. This processing system has an actual cutting system, a batch loading magazine, and the stepped conveyor according to the present invention. Here, the stepped elements of the stepped conveyor preferably mesh with the belt of the batch loading magazine, and the stepped conveyor advantageously transports the rod-shaped material onto the batch loading table. From the batch loading table, the rod-shaped material is supplied to an actual shaping machine, such as a pipe cutting machine or a pipe processing machine. The rod-shaped materials are preferably metal materials. They may be tubular, hollow, or solid materials. The rod-shaped materials are preferably rollable, but this is not necessarily the case.

[0022] The stepped conveyor for rod-shaped materials according to the present invention includes a first step having at least two first stepped elements and a second step having at least two second stepped elements. The second step is movable back and forth relative to the first step. Preferably, one stroke of the up and down movement has the height of one kick. Preferably, all the kicks of the first and second steps are of the same height.

[0023] Thereby, after the lift is performed, the rod-shaped material can then be lifted to the next higher step. When the second stepped element descends, it rolls or slides from there to the stopping position of the next higher kick, stays there, and can be lifted to the next higher step in the next lift.

[0024] Ideally, the tread surface is inclined in the direction of the next higher kick-in.

[0025] Preferably, the directly adjacent transition regions between the first staircase elements are connected to each other by the first rail, and / or the directly adjacent transition regions of the second staircase elements are connected to each other by the second rail.

[0026] Preferably, the adjacent transition regions between the second staircase elements are connected to the second rail, the lower first steps each have a first recess, the cross-section thereof is larger than the cross-section of the second rail, and during the downward movement, the second rail is hidden in the first recess to form a flat lower tread surface at the lower position.

[0027] At the lower position, the second rail is hidden in the lower tread surface to form a rolling surface or a sliding surface for the rod-shaped material.

[0028] Preferably, the adjacent transition regions between the upper first staircase elements are connected to the first rail, the tread surfaces of the lower second staircase elements each have a second recess, the cross-section thereof is larger than the cross-section of the first rail, and during the upward movement, the first rail is hidden in the second recess to form a flat upper tread surface at the upper position.

[0029] Here, the rolling surface or the sliding surface for the rod-shaped material is formed at the upper position.

[0030] In particular, it is preferable that the transition region has a recess in which a continuous rail connecting a plurality of staircase elements is guided.

[0031] Preferably, the outer shape of the rail matches the outer shape of the first or second staircase.

[0032] The second staircase elements are particularly preferably each connected to a continuous drive shaft, and the drive shaft is connected to two drive parts, and the drive parts can control the drive shaft to be twisted.

[0033] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the ascending and descending movements of the individual second-step elements are not carried out in exactly the same way, but in an alternating manner, whereby the ascending or descending movement starts from the same position. During the ascending or descending movement, the movements are different, but at the final position, i.e., the upper or lower position, the movements become the same again.

[0034] Preferably, the drive shaft is connected to one of the second-step elements via respective drive levers, the drive levers are connected to the drive shaft in a rotationally fixed manner, torsion is formed in the drive shaft by operating two drive parts, and at a predetermined time at a predetermined position, the drive levers rotate to different extents along the length of the drive shaft, and the second-step elements ascend or descend to different extents at least temporarily.

[0035] It has been shown that due to a slight offset in the vertical movement of the second-step elements, the inclined bar-shaped material falls more easily and is more easily conveyed during the second trial in the upward movement.

[0036] The object on the second side is achieved by the method having the features of claim 10.

[0037] The method according to the invention is suitable for implementation with one of the above-described stepped conveyors. Conversely, any of the methods described below can be implemented using any of the aforementioned stepped conveyors. Similarly, the embodiments of the stepped conveyor are also related to the method and are considered to be co-disclosed with respect to the latter.

[0038] According to the invention, by moving the second-step element onto the upper step, the bar-shaped material is lifted from the lower step, and the bar-shaped material sliding on one step automatically slides over one sliding edge.

[0039] Preferably, the inclined bar-shaped material slides off the upper tread over the first sliding edge when the second-step element moves downward.

[0040] It is particularly preferred that the inclined rod-shaped material slides down onto the lower tread when the second step element is moved upward on the second sliding edge.

[0041] In a particularly preferred further development, during the relative movement, the second step elements move offset from each other. In particular, one drive part and the other drive part start from the same position, one drive part advances ahead of the other drive part, and at the end point, the two drive parts advance in the same direction again.

[0042] The present invention will be described with reference to a plurality of embodiments shown in 26 figures. What the figures show is as follows.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0043]

Fig. 1a

Fig. 1b

Fig. 1c

Fig. 2a

Fig. 2b

Fig. 2c

Fig. 2d

Fig. 3a

Fig. 3b

Fig. 3c

Fig. 3d

Fig. 4a

Fig. 4b

Fig. 4c

Fig. 4d

Fig. 4e

Fig. 4f

Fig. 5a

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Fig. 5c

Fig. 5d

Fig. 6a

Fig. 6b

Fig. 6c

Fig. 6d

Fig. 6e

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0044] Figure 1 shows a stepped conveyor 1 for a preliminary material in the form of a tube 2 according to the prior art. The stepped conveyor 1 has three steps 3a, 3b, 3c. Figure 1 shows a side view of a first step element 5a stationary on the ground 4 and a second step element 6a movable up and down relative to the first step element 5a. The second step element 6a is movable up and down by a drive lever 7a attached to an elongated hole 8a by a pin 9a in the second step element 6a. The steps 3a, 3b, 3c of the stepped conveyor 1 are inclined towards the ground 4 from the open side to the closed side, and the tube 2 placed horizontally on the open side of the step can roll down the steps 3a, 3b, 3c. The stepped conveyor 1 has a batch holder 10 movable up and down for the tube 2.

[0045] In Figure 1, the second step element 6a is shown in the lower position. Figure 1b shows the stepped conveyor 1 in the same side view with the second step element 6a in the upper position. The drive lever 7a rotates about 70 degrees clockwise. In the lower position of Figure 1, the lower second tread 61a of the movable second step element 6a forms a flat tread with the lower first tread 51a of the first step element 5a, but in the upper position, the lower second tread 61a of the movable second step element 6a forms a flat tread with the upper first tread 52a of the first step element 5a. It should be noted that in Figures 1a and 1b, in addition to the lower tread 51a and the upper tread 52a of the first step element 5a, there is a tread 53a at a higher position.

[0046] Figure 1c shows an isometric projection view in the lower position of the stepped conveyor 1 in the prior art with several tubes 2 shown in various conveying positions. The step elements are arranged at intervals from each other. The first step elements 5a, 5b, 5c are arranged at equal intervals. The second step elements 6a, 6b, 6c movable relative to the first step elements are arranged immediately adjacent to each of the first step elements 5a, 5b, 5c. The batch holder 10 can move up and down independently of the second step elements 6a, 6b, 6c.

[0047] Figures 2a to 2d show the basic operating modes of a known stepped conveyor 1 with only two steps 3a, 3b. The first step elements 5a, 5b, 5c have two treads 51a, 52a, 51b, 52b, 51c, 52c, while the movable second step elements 6a, 6b, 6c have only one tread 61a, 61b, 61c. Due to the inclined and flat design of the lower step 3a, the tubes 2 adjacent to each other in parallel hit the next higher first kicks 54a, 54b, 54c in Fig. 2a and are conveyed to the higher step 3b by the uniform upward movement of the second step elements 6a, 6b, 6c. There, they roll off the edge of the step by the similarly inclined inclined plane of the upper step 3b formed by the upper first treads 52a, 52b, 52c and the upper second treads 61a, 61b, 61c and can be conveyed for further processing. This process is shown in individual steps in Figs. 2a to 2d.

[0048] Figures 3a to 3d visually show the problem of distortion of the tube 2 occurring in the prior art. The tubes 2 in Fig. 3a are not parallel to each other and are obliquely positioned relative to each other on the lower step 3a. As a result, especially when the second step elements 6a, 6b, 6c move upward, not all of the tubes 2 may be captured. As shown in Figs. 3b and 3c, the right part of the tube 2 is already positioned in front of the right second step element 6a at the starting position in Fig. 3a and thus cannot be lifted at all, while the left and central parts of the same tube 2 are gripped and lifted by the relevant central and left second step elements 6b, 6c. As shown in Fig. 3c, the tube 2 is then obliquely placed on different steps 3a, 3b in the upper position. Unfortunately, on the upper step 3b in the upper position, the distorted tube 2 prevents the deployment of the other two tubes 2, causing the processing process to stop.

[0049] Figures 4a - 4f show a first embodiment of a staircase conveyor 1 according to the invention, with a second rail 11a fixedly arranged on the movable second staircase elements 6a, 6b, 6c and extending over the entire longitudinal direction L of the staircase conveyor 1. The second rail 11a has a rectangular cross-section and is made of aluminum or metal, although other materials may be used. The second rail 11a is attached to the transition region between the tread and the kick of the second staircase elements 6a, 6b, 6c. Preferably, the second rail 11a has a second sliding edge 12a extending over the entire longitudinal direction L. The length of the second rail 11a is preferably at least the same as the length of the tube 2 to be conveyed. Figures 4a - 4d show schematic views of the staircase conveyor 1 in four process steps. As shown in Figure 4a, in the lower position, the tube 2 is located on the lower step 3a. The tube 2 is positioned obliquely. For example, it may be bent itself or placed obliquely on the lower step 3a. During the upward movement of the second staircase elements 6a, 6b, 6c, the tube 2 slides on the second sliding edge 12a of the movable second rail 11a and falls again onto the first step 3a as shown in Figure 4c. During the downward movement of the second staircase elements 6a, 6b, 6c in Figure 4d, the tube 2 may be picked up again after the staircase conveyor reaches the lower position. Since the position of the tube 2 is likely to be different from that in the case of Figure 4a, during the second lifting attempt, the tube 2 simply rests on the lower treads 51a, 51b, 51c of the first staircase elements 5a, 5b, 5c and rolls or slides down onto the lower second treads 61a, 61b, 61c of the second staircase elements 6a, 6b, 6c in the lower position, increasing the likelihood of being properly lifted.

[0050] Figures 4e and 4f show the staircase conveyor 1 in two isometric views, showing three additional movable lift arms of the batch holder 10. Figures 4a - 4d show two steps 3a and 3b, and Figures 4e - 4f show the third step 3c.

[0051] Figure 4f shows the state where the staircase conveyor 1 is in the lower position. The three second staircase elements 6a, 6b, 6c have moved to the lower position, and the two second rails 11a, 11b are completely hidden in the first recess 131 that is recessed respectively towards one of the first treads 51a, 52a, 51b, 52b, 51c, 52c of the first staircase elements 5a, 5b, 5c. The upper edges of the rails 11a, 11b, the first treads 51a, 52a, 51b, 52b, 51c, 52c, and the second treads 61a, 62a, 61b, 62b, 61c, 62c respectively form flat treads on which the tube 2 can slide or roll from the open side of the tread to the closed side of the tread.

[0052] Figure 4f shows the drive unit via the three drive levers 7a, 7b, 7c, one end of which is firmly connected to the drive shaft 14, and the other ends are movably attached to the slot holes 8a, 8b, 8c by pins 9a, 9b, 9c respectively.

[0053] In Fig. 4e, the second staircase elements 6a, 6b, 6c have already been lifted slightly. This position almost coincides with the position in Fig. 4d.

[0054] Figs. 5a - 5d show a second embodiment of the staircase conveyor 1 according to the present invention, which includes a continuous first rail 16a connected to the first staircase elements 5a, 5b, 5c at a fixed position. The first rail 16a is attached to the transition region between the tread and the kick. For this purpose, the first recess 20 may be embedded in the transition region. However, it is also conceivable that a rail piece is fixed between the side vertical members of the first staircase elements 5a, 5b, 5c. An analog device is also of course conceivable for the first embodiment with a second rail, similar to the embodiments with both the first and second rails 16a, 16b, 11a, 11b described below. Fig. 5a shows the lifting of the tube 2, and in Fig. 5b, the tube 2 is stationary obliquely on the upper step 3b.

[0055] Figure 5c shows the downward movement of the second - stage elements 6a, 6b, 6c. The right side of the tube 2 rests on the right - hand second - stage element 6a and is guided to move downward. During the downward movement, the tube 2 slides on the first sliding edge 17a of the first rail 16a and then comes to rest again on the first step 3a. After that, it can be lifted again.

[0056] Figures 6a - 6c show the stepped conveyor 1 in the third embodiment of the present invention. According to Figure 6b, the continuous first rails 16a, 16b, 16c are attached between the first - stage elements 5a, 5b, 5c, and the continuous second rails 11a, 11b are attached between the second - stage elements 6a, 6b, 6c. In Figure 6a, the stepped conveyor 1 is shown in a side view. Figure 6a shows the upper positions of the second - stage elements 6a, 6b, 6c.

[0057] Figure 6b shows the stepped conveyor 1 of Figure 6a in an isometric projection view, and the tube 2 is not arranged. Approximately half of the depth of the tread is formed by the depth of the first tread, and approximately half is formed by the depth of the second tread.

[0058] The second - stage elements 6a, 6b, 6c have a second indentation 132 on their treads, and the first rails (16b, 16c) are inserted into the indentation at the upper position. Thereby, a flat tread is formed.

[0059] Figures 6c and 6d show a further development of the stepped conveyor 1. Figure 6c shows that the continuous second rails 11a, 11b no longer run horizontally and parallel to the continuous first rails 16a, 16b, 16c, but are inclined at an angle with respect to the ground 4 at a position between the upper position and the lower position.

[0060] Figure 6d shows the position of Figure 6c where the tube 2 is in a predetermined position. Figure 6e shows a rear view of the stepped conveyor 1 of Figure 6c. The second stepped elements 6a, 6b, 6c are driven by the drive levers 7a, 7b, 7c. The drive levers 7a, 7b, 7c are non-rotatably connected to the drive shaft 14 and extend movably within the slot holes via pins 9a, 9b, 9c. However, in contrast to the prior art, the drive shaft 14 has separate drive parts 21, 22, preferably in the form of a motor or a servo motor, at its outer ends respectively. The drive parts 21, 22 may be controlled separately. During the lifting operation or the lowering operation, the drive parts are not controlled simultaneously but are offset-controlled, so that the drive shaft 14 is twisted. As a result, depending on the position along the drive shaft 14, the drive levers 7a, 7b, 7c rotate by different amounts, and the associated second stepped elements 6a, 6b, 6c rise or fall by different amounts. This results in the inclined positions of the treads of the second stepped elements 6a, 6b, 6c shown in Figures 6c and 6d, and accordingly, the inclined position of the tube 2 lying thereon. Preferably, during successive upward and downward movements, the first and second drive parts 21, 22 operate alternately back and forth. Due to the inclination of the tube 2 that changes during the lifting operation, the bent or curved tube 2 is more likely to slide off.

Explanation of Signs

[0061] 1 Stepped conveyor 2 Tube 3a Step 3b Step 3c Step 4 Ground 5a First stepped element 5b First stepped element 5c First stepped element 6a Second stepped element 6 Second stepped element 6c Second stepped element 7a Drive lever 7b Drive lever 7c Drive lever 8a Elongated hole 8b Elongated hole 8c Elongated hole 9a Pin 9b pin 9c pin 10 batch holder 11a second rail 11b second rail 12a second sliding edge 12b second sliding edge 14 drive shaft 16 first rail 16th first rail 16c first rail 17a first sliding edge 17b first sliding edge 17c first sliding edge 20 recess 21 drive part 22 drive part 51a lower first tread 51 lower first tread 51c lower first tread 52a upper first tread 52b upper first tread 52c upper first tread 53 next higher first tread 53b next higher first tread 53c next higher first tread 54a next higher first kick 54b next higher first kick 54c next higher first kick 61a lower second tread 61b lower second tread 61c lower second tread 62a upper second tread 62b upper second tread 62c upper second tread 131 first indentation 132 second indentation L longitudinal direction

Claims

1. A stepped conveyor for a rod-shaped material (2), comprising a first step in which at least two first step elements (5a, 5b, 5c) are arranged at intervals from each other, a second step that is movable up and down between an upper position and a lower position relative to the first step, and in which at least two second step elements (6a, 6b, 6c) are arranged at intervals from each other, and the first and second step elements (6a, 6b, 6c) are arranged adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction (L), a lower first tread surface (51a, 51b, 51c) of the first step element (5a, 5b, 5c) and a lower second tread surface (61a, 61b, 61c) of the second step element (6a, 6b, 6c) jointly form a lower tread surface at the lower position, an upper first tread surface (52a, 52b, 52c) of the first step element (5a, 5b, 5c) and the lower second tread surface (61a, 61b, 61c) of the second step element (6a, 6b, 6c) form an upper tread surface at the upper position, the first step element (5a, 5b, 5c) is connected to each other in a transition region between a first kick-in and a tread surface by a first rail (16a, 16b, 16c) that forms a first sliding edge (17a, 17b, 17c) for the rod-shaped member (2), and / or the second step element (6a, 6b, 6c) is connected to each other in a transition region between a second kick-in and a tread surface by a second rail (11a, 11b) that forms a second sliding edge (12a, 12b) for the rod-shaped material (2). A stepped conveyor for a rod-shaped material (2), characterized by the above.

2. One stroke of the up-and-down movement has a height of one kick-in (54a, 54b, 54c). The stepped conveyor according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The directly adjacent transition regions of the first step elements (5a, 5b, 5c) are connected to each other by the first rail (16a, 16b, 16c), and / or the directly adjacent transition regions of the second step elements (6a, 6b, 6c) are connected to each other by the second rail (11a, 11b). The stepped conveyor according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

4. The first and second step elements (5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c) are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction (L). The stepped conveyor according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

5. The adjacent transition regions between the second-stage elements (6a, 6b, 6c) are connected to the second rails (11a, 11b). The lower first treads each have a first recess (131), and the cross-section thereof is larger than the cross-section of the second rails (11a, 11b). The second rails (11a, 11b) are hidden in the first recess (131) during the downward movement and form a flat lower tread surface at the lower position. The staircase conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that.

6. The adjacent transition regions between the first-stage elements (5a, 5b, 5c) are connected to the first rails (16a, 16b, 16c). The tread surfaces of the lower second-stage elements each have a second recess (132), and the cross-section thereof is larger than the cross-section of the first rail. The first rails (16a, 16b, 16c) are hidden in the second recess during the upward movement and form a flat upper tread surface at the upper position. The staircase conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that.

7. The transition region has a recess (20). The continuous rails (11a, 11b, 16a, 16b, 16c) are guided through the recess (20), and the recess (20) connects a plurality of staircase elements (5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c) to each other. The staircase conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that.

8. Each of the second-stage elements (6a, 6b, 6c) is connected to a continuous drive shaft (14). The drive shaft (14) is connected to two drive parts (21, 22) and can be controlled by the drive parts so that the drive shaft (14) can be twisted and set. The staircase conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that.

9. The drive shaft (14) is connected to one of the second-stage elements (6a, 6b, 6c) via respective drive levers (7a, 7b, 7c). The drive levers (7a, 7b, 7c) are rotatably fixed to the drive shaft (14). The staircase conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that.

10. A method for conveying a rod-shaped material (2) by the staircase conveyor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The rod-shaped material (2) is lifted from the lower step (3a) to the upper step (3b) by the upward movement of the second-stage elements (6a, 6b, 6c). When the rod-shaped material (2) slides in one of the steps, it slides off independently over one of the sliding edges (12a, 12b, 17a, 17b, 17c). Method for transporting a rod-shaped material (2).

11. In the upper step (3b), during the downward movement of the second stepped element (6a, 6b, 6c), the inclined rod-shaped member slides down on the first sliding edge (17a, 17b, 17c). The method according to claim 10, characterized in that.

12. In the lower step (3a), during the upward movement of the second stepped element (6a, 6b, 6c), the inclined rod-shaped member slides down on the second sliding edge (12a, 12b). The method according to claim 10, characterized in that.

13. The second stepped elements (6a, 6b, 6c) are offset relative to each other during relative movement. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that.

14. The first drive unit (21) and the second drive unit (22) start from the same initial position. The first drive unit (21) precedes the second drive unit (22). At the end point, the first drive unit (21) and the second drive unit (22) travel in the same direction again. The method according to claim 10.

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