Apparatus for singulating bulk material and sorting system for singulating delivery of oriented bulk material parts - Patents.com

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for singulating bulk material, such as ammunition parts, e.g. cases and / or projectiles, comprising an endless conveyor which is arranged relative to a source of bulk material and which is transported past the source of bulk material so that the bulk material falls under the influence of its weight into conveyor trays which are arranged in particular in a line on the endless conveyor, the conveyor trays having receiving spaces for bulk material which decrease in size during transport.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for singulating bulk material such as ammunition parts, e.g., cases and / or projectiles. The present invention further relates to a sorting system for the singulation of oriented bulk material parts, preferably bulk material parts with at most uniaxial symmetry. The present invention further relates to the use of the corresponding apparatus and sorting system. Finally, the present invention relates to a system for producing ammunition having cases, ignition elements, and projectiles. [Background technology]

[0002] An apparatus for singulating bulk materials, also referred to as a singulation apparatus hereinafter, is known, for example, from DE 10 2013 208 422 A1. This apparatus comprises an endless conveyor in the form of a transport tray chain that is transported through a bulk material source so that the bulk material falls onto a conveyor tray under the influence of its weight, which is then transported via a chain to a transfer station, where it is transferred via a chute to a discharge conveyor belt under the influence of its weight, and the bulk material parts are then removed from the discharge conveyor belt via a handling robot. Unremoved bulk material parts can be returned to the bulk material source via a return chute. An embodiment is also provided in which the handling robot removes the bulk material directly from the transport tray.

[0003] To prevent bulk material components from getting stuck between the chain links, i.e., between the transport trays of the transport tray chain, which could lead to stoppages or damage to the equipment, the transport trays are tightly connected together so that they have surfaces that are only interrupted by receiving pockets and do not form any relevant gaps or cracks when two adjacent transport trays are rotated along the transport tray chain. This is achieved by transport trays that are articulated together, with their side edges facing each other having aprons that are concentrically curved around the connection axis and that tightly abut the other side edge regardless of the bending angle between the two transport trays. Furthermore, the freedom of the transport link chain from gaps in relation to the guide is intended to be achieved by transport trays that have guide cheeks on both sides, via which the transport tray chain is supported along its entire length on the guide.

[0004] However, the proposed transport tray has a more complex structure, which makes it time-consuming and expensive to both design and manufacture. Furthermore, the guides on the transport trays on both sides reduce flexibility in terms of the arrangement of the trays relative to each other.

[0005] Furthermore, there is a need to singulate more bulk material parts in a shorter time (to increase the singulation capacity). For this purpose, the conveying speed of the transport tray chain can be increased by known devices. However, this increases the risk of damaging the bulk material or, due to the increased speed, of not receiving any bulk material at all. Alternatively, known devices can provide the transport tray with multiple receiving spaces so that multiple bulk material parts can be singulated by the transport tray. However, the smaller the receiving space, the higher the risk that said receiving space will remain empty when it passes through the bulk material source. In this respect, an increase in the singulation capacity is also only possible to a limited extent with this solution.

[0006] In addition to the singulation capacity, especially in the case of bulk materials that are to be further processed after singulation, it is necessary to ensure that said bulk materials are transported while maintaining the singulation already performed at the corresponding further processing station. In this respect, the solutions known from known devices with chutes and conveyor belts have not proven sufficiently reliable. An alternative solution with grippers that remove the singulated bulk materials directly from the transport tray is certainly reliable, but it significantly reduces the singulation capacity.

[0007] Further challenges exist in the case of bulk materials with at most uniaxial symmetry that are intended to be further processed in an automated manner following singulation. An example of this is when, following singulation, ignition elements and projectiles are provided to provide ammunition. Automation can be implemented, for example, in that after singulation, the cases are transferred to a workpiece carrier that carries them to different stations where they are processed.

[0008] However, a limiting factor in automated manufacturing is the correct orientation of bulk material parts, especially those with at most uniaxial symmetry. For example, to increase production capacity, in order to be able to simultaneously receive multiple cases on a workpiece carrier, all cases must be fastened to the workpiece carrier in the same orientation, e.g., with the case open upwards. No solutions are known in the prior art that allow this step to be performed in an automated manner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] DE 10 2013 208 422 A1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, in particular to enable automated further processing of bulk material parts, and to provide a singulation device and a sorting system which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art and in particular has an increased singulation capacity and enables reliable transfer of singulated bulk material parts to further processing stations such as workpiece carriers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] This object is achieved by the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. Further advantages, features and characteristics of the invention are explained in the following description of preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawings.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus (singulating apparatus) for singulating bulk material, such as ammunition parts, e.g., cases and / or projectiles. The apparatus includes an endless conveyor arranged relative to a bulk material source such that the bulk material falls under the influence of its gravity onto conveyor trays, particularly those arranged in a row on the endless conveyor, which are transported past the bulk material source. As described in detail below, the endless conveyor preferably has a drum, with the conveyor trays arranged in series around the drum's rotation axis. Particularly preferably, multiple rows of conveyor trays are arranged adjacent to one another along the rotation axis. As described in detail below, the bulk material source may have a bulk material supply section that opens onto the endless conveyor. The endless conveyor may be arranged relative to the bulk material supply section such that the drum of the endless conveyor closes the open side of the bulk material supply section, particularly such that the bulk material supply section and the endless conveyor together define a circumferentially closed bulk material supply space. The bulk material supply section preferably has a longitudinal wall, in particular a chute, located opposite the endless conveyor, in particular the drum of the endless conveyor. The longitudinal wall is preferably inclined relative to the horizontal, in particular inclined upward, preferably at least 30°, 40°, 60°, or 70° upward. The longitudinal wall and the endless conveyor particularly preferably converge in the direction of gravity, so that the bulk material supply space is particularly V-shaped or wedge-shaped, particularly tapering in the direction of gravity. Furthermore, the bulk material supply section preferably has opposing side walls extending between the longitudinal wall and the transfer station and defining the bulk material supply space on opposite sides. In particular, the opposing side walls extend outwardly relative to the drum in the direction of the drum's rotation axis. In particular, a gap is provided between the opposing side walls and the drum, the dimensions of which allow relative movement of the drum with respect to the opposing side walls but prevent the bulk material from slipping into the gap. In particular, the gap between the drum and the opposite side wall extends for this purpose, in particular in the axial direction, between 1 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 2 mm and 8 mm, particularly preferably between 3 mm and 5 mm. The receiving space is preferably closed in the direction of gravity by an endless conveyor and a bulk material supply, apart from a gap which may have the same dimensions as the aforementioned gap.The bulk material supply space may be open vertically upward.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment in which the endless conveyor is a drum, the endless conveyor is preferably driven to rotate about the drum's rotation axis so that the drum shell constitutes a movable wall for the bulk material supply space. The drum is preferably driven to rotate so that the drum shell has a vertically upwardly directed movement component. As a result, bulk material parts in the bulk material supply section can enter the conveyor tray in a lower area in the direction of gravity and then be raised by the rotation of the drum to be supplied to the transfer station, which will be described in detail below. As will be described in detail below, the conveyor tray can be formed by a notch in the drum extending radially inward from the drum coat. In particular, as a result, the bulk material can fall into the lower area of the bulk material supply section under the influence of its gravity force into the conveyor tray as it is transported through the bulk material supply section. The rotation axis of the drum is vertically spaced above and / or below the base of the bulk material supply section, preferably defined by the lowest point in the direction of gravity through which bulk material entering the bulk material supply section from above can pass, by up to 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 5%, 3%, or 1% of the radial extension of the drum. Particularly preferably, the rotation axis of the drum is substantially at the same height as the base of the bulk material supply section in the vertical direction. As a result, in particular, a notch formed in the drum can be positioned below the base in the direction of gravity upon entry into the bulk material supply space, forming a hole through which the bulk material parts can fall under the influence of their gravity. As a result, particularly reliable reception of the bulk material parts in the conveyor tray is ensured. Bulk material in the sense of the present invention should be understood to mean, in particular, a plurality of bulk material parts. Bulk material parts should be understood to mean, in particular, single bulk material parts, in particular, individualized from the bulk material.

[0014] The singulation devices and / or sorting systems according to the present invention are preferably designed to singulate or orient axisymmetric, in particular rotationally symmetric, bulk material parts. They are particularly preferably designed to singulate or orient rotationally symmetric bulk material parts having a front side and a rear side defined along an axis of symmetry and / or whose extension parallel to the axis of symmetry is at least twice as long as its extension perpendicular to the axis of symmetry. It has been found that such bulk material parts can be singulated or oriented particularly reliably using the apparatus according to the present invention. In particular, due to the greater extension along the axis of symmetry, the initial and target orientations described below are simplified, in particular by utilizing gravity forces. In particular, the singulation devices and / or sorting systems are designed to singulate or orient ammunition parts, in particular cases and / or projectiles. For this purpose, the receiving space of the carrier tray can be adapted to the dimensions of the corresponding bulk material parts. In particular, the receiving space of the conveyor tray can have a longitudinal extension along a predetermined initial orientation direction of 100% to 195%, preferably 105% to 150%, particularly preferably 110% to 130%, of the extension of the bulk material part to be singulated along the axis of symmetry, in particular the axis of rotational symmetry, regardless of their state, in particular the receiving state and the singulating state. The initial orientation direction should be understood to mean, in particular, the direction in which the bulk material part to be singulated is intended to be oriented in addition to singulation. In the case of axisymmetric bulk material parts, the initial orientation particularly relates to the orientation of the axis of symmetry, in particular the axis of rotational symmetry, of the bulk material part. Preferably, the axis of symmetry of the bulk material part in the initial orientation is oriented parallel to the rotation axis of the drum. This allows the bulk material part to be received in the conveyor tray in the initial orientation in the initial orientation direction, while simultaneously preventing a second bulk material part from being adjacent to the first bulk material part in the initial orientation direction. As a result, in the case of a reduction in size of the receiving space to a separated state, as described below, the reduction in the initial orientation direction can be omitted, thereby reducing the risk of incorrect orientation.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, the conveyor tray has a receiving space for the bulk material, which decreases in size during transport. As a result, a relatively large receiving space can be provided to allow at least one bulk material part to enter the receiving space, and the subsequent reduction in size of the receiving space allows bulk material parts, possibly larger than one bulk material part, to be pushed out of the conveyor tray through the decreasing receiving space. The conveyor tray is preferably transported in the conveying direction from a bulk material source, particularly the base of a bulk material supply, to a further processing station, particularly an orientation station and / or a transfer station, as will be described in more detail below. The receiving space preferably decreases in size in the conveying direction between the bulk material source, particularly the bulk material supply, particularly the base of the bulk material supply, and the further processing station. The size reduction from the bulk material receiving state with the largest receiving space to the separated state with the smallest receiving space preferably occurs completely during a rotation of the endless conveyor drum of 10° to 180°, preferably 20° to 150°, particularly preferably 30° to 120°, most preferably 50° to 100°. In particular, the size reduction occurs during the movement of the conveyor tray from the 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock position to the 12 o'clock position.

[0016] The receiving space preferably decreases in size during conveyance from a bulk material receiving state, in which a plurality of, particularly identical, bulk material pieces fit into the receiving space, to a separated state, in which only separated bulk material fits into the receiving space. In this case, the receiving space preferably has a constant longitudinal extension along the aforementioned initial orientation direction, in particular along the rotation axis of the drum. The receiving space preferably decreases in size in a decreasing direction extending transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the initial orientation direction, in particular the rotation axis of the drum. The receiving space preferably decreases in size in the decreasing direction such that the extension of the receiving space in the decreasing direction in the singulated state is smaller than the extension of the bulk material along its axis of symmetry. This allows the separated bulk material to be displaced in the predetermined initial orientation direction or to fall out of the receiving space in the singulated state, so that the receiving space becomes completely empty. To avoid the latter, the predetermined initial orientation preferably corresponds to an orientation of the axis of symmetry substantially parallel to the horizontal. Substantially should be understood to mean, in particular, a deviation from the horizontal of at most ±30°, 25°, 20°, 15°, 10°, 5°, 3° or 1°. This horizontal initial orientation ensures that, in particular, bulk material parts whose longitudinal extension is at least twice their radial extension are driven by gravity into the predetermined initial orientation. The aforementioned constant longitudinal extension of the receiving space also ensures in this case that bulk material parts already positioned in the initial orientation are not pushed out of the initial orientation.

[0017] In particular, the receiving space in the singulated state is preferably adapted to the shape of the bulk material so that the bulk material is in a predetermined initial orientation. In addition to the aforementioned measures such as dimensioning, a certain longitudinal extension, a decreasing direction, and a horizontal initial orientation, this can be further ensured by the receiving space in the singulated state approximating the shape of the bulk material. This should be understood to mean, for example, in the case of a cylindrical bulk material part such as a case, that the receiving space has a cylindrical cross-sectional shape in the singulated state, and in particular that the receiving space can have a semi-cylindrical shape in the singulated state. In particular, the radius of the semi-cylindrical receiving space can be 100% to 195%, preferably 105% to 150%, and particularly preferably 110% to 130% of the radius of the cylindrical bulk material to be singulated.

[0018] The receiving space preferably decreases in size so that bulk material located beyond the separated bulk material in the receiving space falls out of the receiving space, in particular is pushed out of the receiving space. As mentioned above, this can be achieved, in particular, by reducing the size of the receiving space radially outward relative to the initial orientation or relative to the drum's rotation axis. This can particularly preferably be achieved by a movable tray wall, which will be described in more detail below, which pushes excess bulk material parts out of the receiving space, in particular radially outward in the direction of the drum coat, when the size of the receiving space decreases from the receiving state to the separated state.

[0019] The receiving state is a state in which the receiving space of the conveyor tray, especially in the region of the bulk material source, is at its maximum. In the receiving state, preferably at least 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, or 12 bulk material parts fit into the receiving space, and preferably only one bulk material part finds space along the longitudinal extension of the receiving space. Therefore, it is preferable that the multiple bulk material parts that can be received in the receiving state can be received in a predetermined initial orientation, in other words, one above the other perpendicular to the initial orientation direction. In the singulating state, the receiving space can be smaller than the dimensions of the bulk material parts to be singulated, as long as it is still large enough so that the separated bulk material parts oriented in the initial orientation do not fall into the bulk material source. For this purpose, the receiving space in the singulating state can be semi-cylindrical in design, for example, in the case of cylindrical bulk material parts.

[0020] Preferably, each conveyor tray has a movable tray wall for reducing the size of the respective receiving space. In particular, each conveyor tray has a tray base, in particular a concave tray base, with the respective tray walls movable relative to the tray base. Preferably, the tray walls are rotatable, in particular rotatably mounted on the conveyor tray. In order to reduce the size of the receiving space from the bulk material receiving state to the separated state, it is preferable that the tray walls are movable, in particular rotatable, from the bulk material receiving position to the separated position. Preferably, the tray walls have recesses for receiving the separated bulk material parts in the separated state. Preferably, the recesses are designed with a cylindrical cross-sectional shape. Particularly preferably, the tray walls extend substantially along a plane in which the recesses are recessed radially relative to the rotation axis of the drum.

[0021] The receiving space in the bulk material receiving state preferably has a substantially disk-shaped cross-section. In the receiving state, the disk cross-section preferably extends between 10° and 90°, particularly preferably between 20° and 70°, and in particular between 30° and 60°. The disk-shaped receiving space is preferably bounded on one side by the tray wall in the circumferential direction, particularly relative to the rotation axis of the tray wall and / or relative to the central axis of the disk cross-section, and opens on the opposite circumferential side toward the bulk material source. While the size of the receiving space decreases, the tray wall preferably moves toward the open side, so that the circumferential extension, particularly the angle, of the disk-shaped cross-section decreases in size. In the singulation position, it is particularly preferred that the tray wall assumes an open-side position, so that the disk-shaped receiving space is completely eliminated. In this preferred embodiment, in the singulation state, the receiving space is formed only by a recess, particularly a cylindrical cross-section, of the tray wall. The tray wall is preferably rotatably mounted on the conveyor tray. In the case of a receiving space having a disk cross-section, the pivot axis is preferably mounted rotatably radially inward relative to the central axis of the disk cross-section, in particular substantially at the level of the central axis of the disk cross-section (± 20 mm, 15 mm, 10 mm, 5 mm or 3 mm), and / or the radially outer coat section is formed by a tray base, in particular a concave tray base.As will be explained in part below, in a preferred embodiment in which the endless conveyor has a drum, the receiving space is in particular completely submerged in the drum coat, in other words is formed by a cutout starting from the drum coat and extending in particular exclusively radially inward.

[0022] A further aspect of the present invention also relates to an apparatus for singulating bulk material, such as ammunition parts, e.g., cases and / or projectiles. The apparatus also includes an endless conveyor arranged relative to a bulk material source such that the bulk material falls into the conveyor tray of the endless conveyor under the influence of its gravity as it is conveyed through the bulk material source. The apparatus can be designed as described above, with the conveyor tray having or without a receiving space for bulk material that decreases in size during transport. For this aspect of the invention, it is essential only that the endless conveyor has a drum, with the conveyor trays arranged in series around the drum's rotation axis. By using the drum according to the present invention, multiple ammunition parts can be singulated in a short time and in a small space. In this case, a drum coating surface that is large relative to its radial extension, preferably of cylindrical design, is used. Additionally, a curved profile of the drum coating has been found to be particularly favorable for conveying the conveyor tray through the bulk material source so that the bulk material parts fall into the conveyor tray under the influence of their gravity. Furthermore, the use of a drum for an endless conveyor has been found to be particularly advantageous for forming the aforementioned V-shaped or wedge-shaped bulk material supply space. In particular, a curved coating surface, in particular a coating section spanning 60° to 120°, for example 90°, can be used as the end of the V-shaped bulk material supply space, so that the bulk material parts therein fall by gravity along the end (coated section) onto a conveyor tray that is transported through the bulk material supply.

[0023] The conveyor tray is preferably formed by a cutout in the drum, preferably starting from the drum coat and extending radially, in particular exclusively inward. A conveyor tray designed in this way may also be called a dished conveyor tray. The dishing of the conveyor tray, in particular, prevents protruding paddles from damaging bulk material components in the bulk material source. At the same time, at high drum rotation speeds, bulk material components are prevented from jumping out of the device by protruding tray elements. The conveyor tray, in particular the aforementioned tray wall and / or the aforementioned tray base, are preferably countersunk so that, at least in the bulk material receiving state, and preferably also in the separated state, they do not or only slightly protrude radially relative to the drum rotation axis beyond the drum coat, in particular beyond the theoretical drum coat if the conveyor tray is not present. In this context, "slightly" is understood to cover, in particular, sections protruding relative to the coated surface with a radial extension of at most 10 mm, 8 mm, 5 mm, 3 mm, or 1 mm, and / or convex sections, for example, between the plane and the recess of the movable tray wall.

[0024] Preferably, the endless conveyor has at least two rows of conveyor trays, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve rows, each arranged around the rotation axis of the drum. Preferably, the individual rows are arranged adjacent to each other in the direction of the rotation axis. Preferably, the rows are arranged symmetrically with each other so that conveyor trays arranged adjacent to each other in the direction of the rotation axis are aligned with each other. As a result, in addition to rows of conveyor trays in the circumferential direction, rows of conveyor trays along the rotation axis (axial direction) are also formed. As a result, in particular, multiple bulk material parts can be singulated simultaneously and can also be simultaneously transferred to the orientation station and transfer station described further below, which allows for rapid loading, in particular charging, of workpiece carriers with multiple singulated bulk material parts.

[0025] Preferably, the conveyor trays are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction (relative to the rotation axis of the drum) and / or axial direction (in the direction of or parallel to the rotation axis) by less than the maximum extent of the bulk material to be singulated. In particular, the aforementioned rows of conveyor trays are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction by preferably at most 50%, particularly preferably at most 30% or 15%, of the maximum extent of the aforementioned longitudinal extension of the bulk material to be singulated or of the conveyor tray. As a result, the installation space required for the endless conveyor, in particular the drum, can be reduced. In particular, the distance between the axially spaced rows of conveyor trays can be set very narrow, in particular by a relatively narrow web between the conveyor trays, so that when passing through the bulk material source, the bulk material parts between the conveyor trays can fall through the narrow web into the receiving space of the conveyor tray, in particular tilting.

[0026] Preferably, the receiving space of each conveyor tray is adapted to the shape of the axisymmetric bulk material part so that the axis of symmetry of the bulk material part is driven by its gravity force in an orientation parallel to the rotation axis of the drum. This parallel orientation preferably corresponds to the above-mentioned predetermined initial orientation. To ensure this, in particular the dimensions and / or shape of the receiving space can be designed as above, the positioning of the endless conveyor relative to the bulk material source can be designed as above, the dishing of the conveyor tray in the drum can be realized as above, and / or the reduction in the size of the receiving space can be realized as above.

[0027] For this purpose, it is particularly preferred that the rotation axis of the drum be oriented substantially horizontally. Here, "substantially" should be understood to mean, in particular, a deviation from horizontal of at most ±30°, 25°, 20°, 15°, 10°, 5°, 3°, or 1°. Alternatively or additionally, and preferably additionally, the initial orientation substantially corresponds to the horizontal orientation of the bulk material to be singulated, in particular to the axis of symmetry of the bulk material to be singulated. In particular, in combination with a rotation direction having a vertically upwardly directed movement component during transport between the bulk material receiving state and the singulating state, it is possible to initially utilize the weight force of a bulk material part not yet positioned in the initial orientation to drive the bulk material part not yet positioned in the initial orientation into the initial orientation. This works particularly reliably for bulk material parts that have an extension in the direction of the symmetry axis, in particular in the radial direction, that is at least twice as large as the maximum extension perpendicular to the symmetry axis.

[0028] The apparatus preferably includes a bulk material source with a bulk material supply opening onto the endless conveyor. The bulk material supply is preferably designed as described above. The bulk material source preferably further includes a conveying means, particularly a conveyor belt, for moving the bulk material in the bulk material source relative to the endless conveyor. The conveying means preferably conveys the bulk material in the conveying direction and extends perpendicularly along the width direction. The bulk material source preferably includes a chute starting from the conveying means and inclined downward in the direction of gravity. It is particularly preferred that the chute, together with the drum, form a V-shaped or wedge-shaped bulk material supply space, as described above. The bulk material source preferably includes a frame extending partially around the conveying means and interrupted in the region of the chute, so that the bulk material can pass from the conveying means into the chute. To force the bulk material from the conveying means in the direction of the chute, the frame preferably includes an inclined portion extending across the conveying means to reduce the width of the bulk material in the conveying direction. In particular, the inclined portion extends from a side of the conveying means facing away from the chute in the width direction to a side of the conveying means facing the chute in the width direction, so that the width extension of the conveying means tapers in the conveying direction towards the chute, as a result of which the bulk material is forced via the inclined portion into the chute.

[0029] A further aspect of the invention relates to a sorting system for the singulation of oriented bulk material parts, particularly ammunition parts having at most uniaxial symmetry. The sorting system comprises a singulation station for singulating the bulk material. The singulation station may be designed similarly to the aforementioned devices, particularly the singulation devices, and the receiving spaces of the conveyor trays according to this aspect of the invention may or may not decrease in size during transport, and / or the endless conveyor according to this aspect of the invention may or may not have a drum.

[0030] According to this aspect of the invention, the sorting system includes an orientation station for identical orientation of each singulated bulk material. The sorting system further includes a transfer station capable of transferring the singulated and oriented bulk material to a further processing station. As a result of the inventive possibility of identically orienting each bulk material part, the bulk material parts can be transferred in an automated manner to further processing stations, such as the workpiece carriers described below, which allows for fully automated processing of the bulk material parts. This is particularly advantageous in the case of bulk material parts that are axisymmetric but have different sides, particularly front and rear sides, along the axis. This is the case, for example, for ammunition parts such as cases and projectiles. As a result of the possibility of always identically orienting the bulk material parts, the bulk material parts can be transferred in an automated manner to the workpiece carriers for further processing.

[0031] Preferably, the orientation station is designed to transfer the singulated bulk material parts from an initial orientation in the singulation station to a target orientation. Preferably, for this purpose, the orientation station is designed to transfer bulk material parts having an axis of symmetry, in particular an axis of rotational symmetry, to the target orientation, in particular by rotating or tilting the axis of symmetry by 10° to 270°, preferably 30° to 180°, particularly preferably 60° to 120°, for example 90°. In a preferred embodiment in which the singulation station has an endless conveyor with a drum and the conveyor trays are arranged in series around the rotation axis of the drum, the initial orientation preferably corresponds to a substantially parallel orientation of the axis of symmetry of the bulk material parts relative to the rotation axis of the drum, and the target orientation corresponds to a perpendicular orientation of the axis of symmetry of the bulk material parts relative to the rotation axis of the drum. Particularly preferably, the rotation axis of the drum is oriented substantially horizontally.

[0032] Preferably, the orienting station has an orienting channel configured to taper towards the transfer station such that bulk material parts having a longitudinal axis, in particular an axis of symmetry, are oriented with their longitudinal axis towards the transfer station, in particular under the influence of their weight forces. For this purpose, the orienting channel can preferably taper in the circumferential direction, in particular in the circumferential direction in which the drum rotates during conveying, in particular during singulation.

[0033] Preferably, the orienting station is designed to orient each singulated bulk material part independently of other singulated bulk material parts. The orienting station is preferably designed to orient singulated bulk material parts from conveyor trays arranged in series about the rotation axis of the drum, i.e., bulk material parts that are oriented one after the other independently of each other. Alternatively or additionally, the orienting station is designed to orient singulated bulk material parts that are singulated in conveyor trays arranged axially adjacent to each other, i.e., that are oriented simultaneously in the orienting station independently of each other.

[0034] Preferably, the orienting station for orienting has at least one movable orienting means. In order to simultaneously and independently orient the individualized bulk material parts in the adjacently arranged conveyor trays, the orienting station preferably has separate movable orienting means for each row of at least two, particularly preferably axially adjacently arranged conveyor trays, which are movable independently of each other, in particular movable in different directions.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the movable orientation means is a gripper designed to grip each individualized bulk material, transfer the bulk material from the initial orientation to the target orientation, in particular by rotation, and then transfer the bulk material to a transfer station, where the transition from the initial orientation to the target orientation is performed by a rotation of 90°.

[0036] In an alternative embodiment, at least one movable orientation means is a tilt gate, which can be moved to two positions and tilts the bulk material from the initial orientation in different directions depending on the position, and preferably the tilt gate defines an orientation channel, in particular the aforementioned orientation channel, such that the orientation channel tapers from different sides in the two positions of the tilt gate. As a result, the target orientation can be achieved by a simple tilt movement, which leads to a significant increase in production capacity, reduced maintenance intensity, and improved reliability, in particular with regard to gripper solutions. In particular, the tilt gate is pivotally mounted at its downstream end in the conveying direction and is driven, in particular to perform the pivot movement.

[0037] The singulation station is preferably designed to singulate bulk material pieces having an axis of symmetry, in particular an axis of rotational symmetry, such as a case and / or a projectile, by displacing the axis of symmetry of each bulk material piece in a predetermined initial orientation. For this purpose, the singulation station can be designed as described above in connection with the singulation device according to the invention, with or without the above-described aspects of the invention being realized. This in particular ensures that the singulated bulk material is fed to the orientation station in a predetermined initial orientation, thereby ensuring reliable orientation to the target orientation.

[0038] The sorting system preferably further includes an orientation detection device designed to detect the initial orientation of the singulated bulk material in the singulation station, particularly in the case of bulk material having side surfaces, especially front and rear sides, that can be distinguished from one another along the axis of symmetry. The orientation detection device is preferably designed to detect the initial orientation of the individual bulk material parts. In particular, the orientation detection device is designed to detect the individual orientation of each individual bulk material part, even in the case of different orientations of the singulated bulk material parts in transport trays located axially adjacent to one another. For this purpose, the orientation detection device can include at least one optical detection unit, particularly at least one camera. The orientation detection device preferably includes at least three optical detection devices arranged axially offset from one another. The orientation detection device is preferably oriented toward the transport tray that directly follows the transport tray in the transport direction in which the singulated bulk material part is currently facing. As a result, the risk of the initial orientation of the bulk material part changing after detection and before orientation in the orientation station can be avoided.

[0039] The sorting system preferably further comprises a controller designed to control the different orienting stations in case of different initial orientations, in particular in case of bulk material parts. To this end, the controller preferably receives signals corresponding to the different initial orientations, in particular from the aforementioned orientation detection device. Preferably, the controller is designed to control the aforementioned movable orienting means simultaneously and / or independently of each other.

[0040] The singulation station is preferably designed to simultaneously feed at least two, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve singulated bulk material parts to the orientation station, and to this end, the singulation station is preferably designed as described above in connection with one or both aspects of the invention relating to the singulation apparatus.

[0041] Preferably, the orientation station is designed to simultaneously orient at least two, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve individualized bulk material parts independently of one another, and for this purpose the orientation station preferably has at least two, in particular at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve movable orientation means, in particular as described above.

[0042] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a sorting system for the singulation of oriented bulk material components, in particular ammunition components with at most uniaxial symmetry. The sorting system can be designed as described in connection with the previous aspect of the present invention with respect to the sorting system, and the orientation station may or may not be suitable for the same orientation of each singulated bulk material component. The sorting system comprises a singulation station for singulating the bulk material. The singulation station can be designed similarly to the singulation device described in connection with the aspect of the present invention related thereto, and its conveyor trays may or may not have receiving spaces that decrease in size during transport, and / or the endless conveyor may or may not have a drum.

[0043] According to this aspect of the present invention, the sorting system includes a transfer station with at least one chute track, through which singulated bulk material components can be transported to a further processing station while maintaining their singulation under the influence of their gravity. To utilize gravity, the chute can be tilted downward relative to the horizontal in a vertical direction. To maintain the singulation of the bulk material components, the chute track can have a chute channel adapted to the dimensions of the bulk material to be singulated so that only one bulk material can pass through the channel at a time. Furthermore, in the case of a singulation station designed for simultaneous singulation of multiple bulk material components, multiple chute channels can be configured to maintain the singulation of each singulated bulk material. For this purpose, each chute channel can have a boundary wall that prevents transfer from one chute channel to another. In particular, each chute channel can have a channel base and channel sidewalls protruding from the channel base. The channel sidewalls can extend perpendicularly from the channel base, particularly vertically upward. In particular, the channel walls and the channel base can define a U-shaped cross section of the chute channel.

[0044] Preferably, at least one chute track is adapted to the dimensions of the bulk material so that the bulk material pieces to be separated pass through it in a predetermined orientation. In particular, for this purpose, the distance between the channel sidewalls of the chute track can be designed to be smaller than the extension of the bulk material pieces in the direction of their initial orientation, in particular in the direction of their symmetry axes, in particular their rotational symmetry axes. This, in particular, can prevent bulk material pieces oriented along their symmetry axes from tilting by 90°, thereby preventing the bulk material pieces from rotating from their target orientation. The chute channel preferably tapers in the direction of the further processing stations so that play in possible tilting movements of the symmetry axes of the bulk material pieces is reduced. Particularly preferably, the distance between the sidewalls defining the chute channel in the region of the loading device described below is reduced to be at most 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, or 10% greater than the maximum radial extent of the bulk material pieces. This ensures that no tilting of the bulk material components can occur in the region of the loading device, or at least no significant tilting, and in particular that the bulk material components can be forced to be oriented in the region of the loading device.The distance between the side walls defining the chute channel, also in the region of the loading device, is preferably greater than the maximum radial extension of the bulk material components, in particular at least 1%, 2%, 3%, 5% or 10% greater than the radial extension, in order to avoid clogging of the bulk material components in the chute channel.

[0045] The chute preferably has an acceleration section inclined in the direction of gravity, where the bulk material parts accelerate under the influence of their gravity, and an exit section less inclined in the direction of gravity relative to the acceleration section, in particular oriented substantially horizontally, where the bulk material parts decelerate. The acceleration section is preferably of arcuate design. In particular, the acceleration section has an acceleration start section adjacent to the singulation station in the conveying direction and an acceleration end section adjacent to the exit section. The acceleration start section preferably has an inclination with respect to the horizontal of between 30° and 90°, preferably between 50° and 80°, particularly preferably between 60° and 70°, in particular measured along a tangent to the acceleration start section. The acceleration end section preferably has an inclination with respect to the horizontal of less than 20°, 15°, 10°, 5°, 3°, or 1°, in particular oriented horizontally.

[0046] The singulation station preferably has a drum, as described above, by which the bulk material can be singulated in multiple transport trays and fed to a transfer station, in particular a chute track. The rotation axis of the drum is preferably oriented horizontally. Particularly preferably, the singulation station transfers the singulated bulk material to the transfer station in a transfer section extending between the vertically uppermost region of the drum, in particular the drum coat, and a region offset from the uppermost region by 90° about the rotation axis of the drum, in particular the drum coat, in the conveying direction. The transfer section is preferably used as a pre-acceleration section. The transfer section preferably extends in an arcuate shape, in particular complementary to the arcuate profile of the drum coat. Particularly preferably, the pre-acceleration section has at least one pre-acceleration channel along which the singulated bulk material can be accelerated under the influence of its gravity while maintaining its singulation in the direction of the transfer station, in particular the chute track. The pre-acceleration channel preferably has at least one base, in particular formed by the drum coat, and at least two side walls, preferably formed by arcuate ribs extending above the drum coat, in particular along the contour of the drum coat. The pre-acceleration channel and the chute track channel preferably merge with each other. It is particularly preferred that the pre-acceleration channel and the chute track channel form an S-shaped channel profile. The aforementioned orienting station is preferably arranged within the region of the apex of the S-shaped channel. "Within the region" is preferably understood to mean a region of ±300 mm, 250 mm, 200 mm, 150 mm, 100 mm, 80 mm, 50 mm, 30 mm, 20 mm, 10 mm, or 5 mm from the apex, as viewed in the conveying direction. Preferably, the movable orienting means of the aforementioned transfer station, in particular the aforementioned tilted gate, is arranged within the S-shaped channel. Particularly preferably, the tilted gate is arranged in the center of the channel, in particular with respect to the axial direction of the drum, and can be tilted with respect to both the side walls, in particular the ribs, defining the respective acceleration channel.The acceleration channel preferably tapers from the transition from the pre-acceleration section to the acceleration section, particularly preferably to an axial extension that substantially corresponds to the maximum radial extension of the bulk material to be singulated. It is particularly preferred that the orientation channel widens again before the outlet section, in particular to avoid clogging in this area. In the outlet section, the orientation channel preferably tapers again, in particular to an axial extension that preferably substantially corresponds to the maximum radial extension of the bulk material to be singulated. Substantially should in each case be understood to mean, in particular, that the axial extension of the channel is at most 30%, 25%, 20%, 15% or 10% greater than the maximum radial extension of the bulk material part.

[0047] The transfer station preferably has a loading device designed to receive the singulated bulk material parts from the chute track and to transfer the bulk material parts to a further processing station, in particular in the form of workpiece carriers movably guided through the sorting system. The loading device preferably has at least one loading channel adjacent to at least one of the aforementioned chute track channels, in particular such that the singulated bulk material parts pass through, in particular slide into, and in particular enter the loading channel as a result of acceleration in the region of the acceleration section, preferably such that they are decelerated by an exit section adjacent to the acceleration section so that they come to a standstill in the region of the loading channel.

[0048] The loading device preferably has a pusher designed to push the singulated bulk material components into receptacles of the further processing stations, in particular adapted therefor. For this purpose, the pusher preferably has a drop flap above the loading channel, which is designed to allow the bulk material components coming from the chute track to pass through and to carry the bulk material components during the pusher's subsequent movement in the direction of the processing stations, in particular to push the bulk material components in the direction of the processing stations. For this purpose, the drop flap is preferably pivotally fastened to the pusher, in particular to the chute track above it, in particular so that the rocker arm protrudes into the loading channel, in particular under the influence of gravity, and is pivoted out of the loading channel, in particular against the direction of gravity, by the bulk material components coming from the chute track. Preferably, the rocker arm is designed so that after the bulk material components have passed through it returns into the loading channel, in particular so that it is pushed back into the channel by the force of gravity. The rocker arm preferably further has a contact edge designed relative to the rotation axis of the rocker arm so that during movement of the pusher towards the loading device, the rocker arm is not rotated out of the loading channel and transmits the relative movement of the pusher to the bulk material part, in particular pushing the bulk material part into a receptacle of the processing station.

[0049] The pusher is preferably movable, in particular horizontally, relative to the workpiece carrier and / or preferably relative to the loading channel. Particularly preferably, the pusher is movably mounted via two bolts. In particular, the pusher is driven via an actuator, in particular a linear motor. The pusher is preferably arranged above said at least one loading channel.

[0050] The singulation station is preferably designed to simultaneously feed at least two, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve singulated bulk material parts to the transfer station, for which purpose the singulation station is preferably designed as described above.

[0051] The sorting system preferably has at least two, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten, or twelve, chute tracks, in particular one chute track per bulk material simultaneously singulated by the singulation station, through which the singulated bulk material parts can be simultaneously transported to further processing stations while maintaining their singulation under the influence of their weight forces. For this purpose, each chute track is preferably designed as described above and particularly preferably has one chute track channel and preferably one pre-acceleration section, in each case, particularly as described above. Preferably, a movable orientation means, particularly as described above, is assigned to each chute track upstream in the conveying direction. It is particularly preferred that a movable orientation means, particularly as described above, in particular an inclined gate, is formed in each of the aforementioned S-shaped chute tracks formed between the chute track and the pre-acceleration section. The individual chute tracks preferably converge in the direction of the further processing stations in order to move the singulated bulk material parts closer to each other while maintaining their singulation. As mentioned above, the bulk material parts in the area of the singulation station, particularly their axes of symmetry, are preferably oriented parallel to the drum's rotation axis and then rotated 90° in the orientation station. In the case of bulk material parts that are preferably singulated and oriented and have a greater extension along their axes of symmetry than perpendicular thereto, the rotation allows the singulated bulk material parts to be positioned adjacent to one another in a smaller space. As a result of the chute tracks converging, this situation can be exploited to position the singulated bulk material parts in the smallest possible space and transport them to the smallest possible further processing station, particularly a workpiece carrier.

[0052] The transfer station preferably has a loading device designed to receive the singulated bulk material parts from the chute tracks and simultaneously transfer the bulk material parts to a further processing station, in particular in the form of workpiece carriers movably guided through the sorting system. For this purpose, the loading device preferably has a pusher designed as described above. The pusher preferably has a tilting gate for each chute track, through which each singulated bulk material can be pushed into a workpiece carrier by means of its own loading channel.

[0053] The present invention further relates to a system for manufacturing ammunition having cases, ignition elements, and projectiles. The system may also be referred to as an ammunition manufacturing system. The system comprises at least one sorting system according to one or both of the aspects of the invention described above in relation to the sorting system and / or at least one singulating device according to one or both of the aspects of the invention described above in this regard. The sorting system is designed to singulate at least one ammunition part, in particular a case and / or a projectile.

[0054] The system preferably has at least two sorting systems, each of which may be designed like at least one of the above-mentioned sorting systems, in order to singulate cases or projectiles, in particular cases, in one sorting system and further ammunition parts, in particular projectiles, in the other sorting system, and for this purpose the two sorting systems are preferably adapted in each case to the geometry and dimensions of the ammunition parts, in particular projectiles and / or cases, to be singulated.

[0055] The system further preferably comprises an ignition element insertion station for inserting an ignition element into the case. The system further preferably comprises a propellant filling station for filling the case with propellant powder. The system further preferably comprises a projectile assembly station for placing projectiles on the case. The system further preferably comprises a circulating conveying system for transporting a plurality of munitions parts, in particular a plurality of cases and / or projectiles, to, from or between a plurality of manufacturing stations. The circulating conveying system preferably comprises at least one, preferably a plurality of workpiece carriers, which are guided through at least one sorting system so that the individualized munitions parts can be loaded, in particular charged, via the transfer station.

[0056] The system can have multiple manufacturing or processing stations where different assembly or manufacturing steps are performed. For example, the multiple manufacturing stations can include an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and / or a projectile insertion station, for inserting at least one of the multiple ammunition parts into the system's manufacturing process, multiple quality inspection stations, at least one ammunition part processing station, such as a case formation station, a propellant filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station, and / or a discharge station for transporting manufactured ammunition from the system's manufacturing process. The discharge station can also function to discharge defective products from the manufacturing process. The multiple manufacturing stations can be arranged with respect to the manufacturing process so that ammunition parts can be supplied to the manufacturing stations one by one to enable manufacturing steps that build on each other to be performed.

[0057] The system may further comprise one or more workpiece carriers for holding and transporting several of the ammunition components to, from, and / or between the multiple manufacturing stations. The workpiece carrier, which may also be referred to as a conveyor device, therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the workpiece carrier can hold the ammunition components required for the ammunition and enable access to or processing of the ammunition components at the individual manufacturing stations. On the other hand, the transport device is responsible for the automated transport or transport of the individual ammunition components along the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations. In particular, the workpiece carrier defines a closed, circulating transport track along which the individual ammunition components are at least partially transported depending on their impact on the manufacturing process and which defines an interior space enclosed by the transport track and an exterior space defined from the interior space. The conveyor track may have a structure or shape similar to an endless racetrack. In particular, the system comprises a plurality of workpiece carriers, such as slides, distributed along the conveyor track and having, in particular, identical configurations. Multiple workpiece carriers can be independently actuated to move along the conveyor track, allowing each workpiece carrier to access an individual manufacturing station with an individual movement profile, thus providing a manufacturing process that is significantly more flexible than if the workpiece carriers were fixed together along the conveyor track.

[0058] At least one, particularly several, of the multiple manufacturing stations can be arranged in the interior and / or exterior space and can act from the inside and / or outside on the workpiece carrier, particularly on the munitions components transported or conveyed along the conveying direction. The lateral or horizontal acting surface of the manufacturing stations on the workpiece carrier or on the munitions components transported therewith allows for a space-saving and clean design of the system. Such lateral access to the conveying device allows for better fulfillment of high production capacity requirements. This is because, as a result of the lateral arrangement of the manufacturing stations with lateral access to the workpiece carrier, the individual manufacturing stations can be designed completely independent of the workpiece carrier and can be freely or flexibly positioned, repositioned, and exchanged relative to the conveying device.

[0059] The workpiece carriers can further be moved independently from, to, and / or between the manufacturing stations. In particular, the system comprises a plurality of workpiece carriers, such as slides, distributed along a conveyor track, and in particular of identical configuration. The workpiece carriers can be individually actuated and moved along the conveyor track, thereby allowing each transport device to approach each manufacturing station with an individual movement profile. The manufacturing process is therefore much more flexible than if the workpiece carriers were fixed to one another along the conveyor track.

[0060] The system may further include at least two propellant filling stations arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. The propellant filling stations are essentially designed to fill ammunition components, particularly cases, with propellant powder. The propellant filling stations may be designed based on gravimetric or volumetric weighing. Gravimetric weighing allows for advantages in terms of the accuracy of the weighed amounts. Volumetric weighing allows for important advantages in terms of processing speed, which has a positive effect on cycle speed, particularly during the integration of the propellant filling station into a system for the automated production of ammunition. The device is particularly useful for simultaneously filling at least two ammunition cases with propellant powder. This means that the filling of at least two ammunition cases is carried out in a filling operation, particularly without a change in direction of more than 90°. Simultaneous here should not necessarily be understood to mean that at least two ammunition cases are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a fairly specific time offset between the filling, particularly the complete filling, of ammunition cases arranged along the path. The equipment can be designed to fill at least two cartridge cases with predetermined, particularly substantially identical, quantities in each case, taking into account the inherent imprecision of the process. The propellant powder can be, for example, a propellant powder for small-caliber ammunition, particularly those with calibers ranging from 4.5 mm to 13 mm, typically having a spherical, tubular, rod, or flake shape, and / or formed like a powder, typically of one or two bases. Alternatively, extruded propellant powder can be used. If the propellant powder is spherical, it can be, for example, rolled, and the propellant powder can have a spherical diameter of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. In the case of rod-shaped propellant powder, for example for 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, the rod can have a length of up to 1.1 mm and / or a diameter of up to 0.7 mm. In the case of nitrocellulose (NC), the density of the propellant powder used can be, for example, within the range of 0.5 to 1 g / cm3. For such propellant powders, the bulk density ranges from 0.6 to 1 g / cm³ for combat cartridges and up to 0.4 g / cm³ for subsonic or blank cartridges.

[0061] Furthermore, one of the manufacturing stations can be an ignition element insertion station that brings the ignition elements through the manufacturing process of the system and inserts the ignition elements into the cases. The ignition element insertion station can be designed to simultaneously insert a plurality of ignition elements, in particular at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 ignition elements, in particular in one insertion operation, into a corresponding number of cases.

[0062] One of the manufacturing stations can further be a fluid application station, in which a sealing compound is applied to the annular joint between the case and the ignition element received therein and / or between the case and the projectile inserted therein to seal and / or mark the annular joint. It has been found that incorporating the application of the sealing compound into an automated manufacturing process entails considerable advantages in terms of manufacturing capacity and manufacturing precision. As a result of the system that ensures that the individual components are oriented relative to one another, the fluid application station can benefit from this predetermined orientation of the individual components relative to one another and can apply the sealing compound very precisely.

[0063] Furthermore, one of the production stations can be a quality monitoring station, where the cases and projectiles are individually monitored, in particular before assembly in each case, monitoring being understood to mean quality control with respect to predetermined parameters.

[0064] The workpiece carrier and the manufacturing station can be further coordinated with one another within a cycle, with at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, or at least 12 ammunition parts being processed into ammunition per cycle at the manufacturing station. The manufacturing capacity is achieved, among other things, by parallel processing of multiple ammunition parts per cycle.

[0065] The conveyor track may further comprise rails that are oriented towards the interior space and / or the exterior space, extend along the conveyor track and secure the coupling interface of the conveyor device in the presentation position.

[0066] The present invention further relates to the use of a singulation device according to one or both of the aspects of the invention relating thereto and / or a sorting system according to one or both of the aspects of the invention relating thereto, in particular for the singulation of ammunition parts onto workpiece carriers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0067] [Figure 1a] FIG. 1a shows a perspective view of a sorting system according to the invention with a singulation station. [Figure 1b] FIG. 1b shows a side view of the sorting system of FIG. 1a. [Figure 1c] FIG. 1c shows a front view of the sorting system of FIG. 1a. [Figure 1d] FIG. 1d shows a bird's-eye view of the sorting system of FIG. 1a. [Figure 1e] FIG. 1e shows an enlarged view of the orienting means of FIG. 1a. [Figure 2a] FIG. 2a shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a sorting system according to the invention with a singulation station. [Figure 2b] FIG. 2b shows a side view of the sorting system of FIG. 2a. [Figure 2c] FIG. 2c shows a front view of the sorting system of FIG. 2a. [Figure 2d] FIG. 2d shows a bird's-eye view of the sorting system of FIG. 2a. [Figure 2e] Figure 2e shows an enlarged view of the orienting means of Figure 2a. [Figure 3a] FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of the drum of FIGS. 1a to 2e. [Figure 3b] Figure 3b shows an enlarged view of a section of the drum of Figure 3a. [Figure 3c] FIG. 3c shows an enlarged view of another section of the drum of FIG. 3a. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the sorting system of FIG. 1a with the charging station and workpiece carriers. [Figure 5a] FIG. 5a shows an exemplary schematic view of the interior of the loading station of FIG. 4 with the drop flaps and the munitions parts in front of the drop flaps. [Figure 5b] FIG. 5b shows an exemplary schematic view of the interior of the loading station of FIG. 4 with the drop flaps and munitions components at the height of the drop flaps. [Figure 5c] FIG. 5c shows an exemplary schematic view of the interior of the loading station of FIG. 4 with the drop flaps and munitions components behind the drop flaps. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an ammunition manufacturing system. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment of an ammunition manufacturing system. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a more detailed schematic diagram of a further exemplary embodiment of an ammunition manufacturing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0068] In this description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a system for manufacturing ammunition, also referred to as an ammunition manufacturing system or inspection laboratory system, is generally designated by the reference numeral 1. A workpiece carrier for holding and transporting a plurality of ammunition parts to and from a plurality of manufacturing stations is generally identified by the reference numeral 100, and a completed ammunition is identified by the reference numeral 101.

[0069] According to the exemplary embodiment of the inspection laboratory system 1 of Figures 6 to 8, the inspection laboratory system 1 comprises the following production stations: a sorting system in the form of a case insertion station 11, in which bulk material in the form of cases 3 is individualized and oriented and then transferred to workpiece carriers 100; and a sorting system in the form of a projectile insertion station 13, in which bulk material in the form of projectiles 5 is individualized and oriented and then transferred to workpiece carriers 100. Furthermore, the inspection laboratory system 1 may comprise the following further manufacturing stations as shown: a propellant filling station 15 designed to fill the cases 3 with propellant powder 9; a case mouth expansion station 46; an ignition element supply station 49 for supplying ignition elements 7; an ignition element insertion station 47 for inserting one of the ignition elements 7 into the case; an ignition element crimping station 48; a case mouth sealing station 57; several quality monitoring stations 59 and quality testing stations 69 for visually and / or tactilely ensuring the quality of the ammunition 101; and a discharge station 25 for finally discharging the finished ammunition 101.

[0070] The workpiece carrier 100 is part of a transport system that transports workpiece carriers between a plurality of manufacturing stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 along a closed, circular conveying track 29 that defines an inner space 33 enclosed by the conveying track 29 and an outer space 31 defined from the inner space 33. According to the exemplary embodiment of Figures 6-8, the conveyor track 29 is composed of two parallel straight sections 27 connected by a curved section 43 to form a racetrack-shaped conveyor track profile. The manufacturing stations are arranged transverse to the conveying direction E in the inner space 33 (Figure 6) or the outer space 31 (Figure 7) of the conveyor track 29.

[0071] 6 and 7, schematic diagrams of an exemplary embodiment of the system 1 can be seen. FIG. 6 shows a system configuration in which ammunition components are introduced into the workpiece carrier 100 from the outside. FIG. 7 shows the reverse approach, in which ammunition components are brought into the workpiece carrier 100 from the interior space 33. The main production sequence is the same in both system configurations according to FIGS. 6 and 7. The principle of both systems involves the following production sequence: the workpiece carrier 100, located in the buffer zone 45, is fed into the case insertion station 11 via the curved section 43. This is followed by the projectile insertion station 13, in which the projectile 5 is fed into the workpiece carrier 100. The entire workpiece carrier 100, with the projectile 5 and case 3 thereon, is then optically inspected at the quality control station 59. In the subsequent stations, the ignition element 7 is first introduced into the system 1 via the ignition element supply station 49 and then transferred together with the slide 51 to the ignition element insertion station 47 to be finally introduced into the tail of the case 3. After insertion, the case 3 is calibrated in the case-forming station 17 and then sealed with an annular joint lacquer in the fluid application station 53. The workpiece carrier 100 is then guided over the second curved section 43, followed again by the straight section 27 with multiple manufacturing stations. Before the case 3 is filled with propellant powder 9 in the propellant filling station 15, the quality monitoring station 59 checks whether the ignition element 7 has been correctly received in the case 3. After filling, the filling level is checked, particularly tactilely, in the quality testing station 69. The actual assembly of the projectile 5 and the case 3 takes place in two stages: first, the projectile 5 is slightly brought onto the case 3 in the projectile insertion station 19, and then in a subsequent step, it is finally pushed into the case 3 in the projectile assembly station 21. The resulting completed ammunition 101 is then also checked in the quality monitoring station 59 and / or the quality testing station 69 and then discharged via the discharge station 25.

[0072] FIG. 8 shows a detailed view of the system 1. To increase production capacity or production reliability, the system 1 can be envisioned with at least two propellant filling stations 15, arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. This special configuration allows two workpiece carriers 100 to be alternately filled with the propellant charge powder 9. As a result, the propellant powder has more time per cycle to drip into the case 3, which leads to improved metering accuracy. In the case of the system 1, labor-intensive stations can generally be designed twice, so that the station's workload is correspondingly halved. An example of a labor-intensive step is the supply and insertion of ignition elements 7 into the tail of the case 3. For this purpose, FIG. 8 shows an exemplary development of the system 1, in which two ignition element supply stations 49, arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction, are used to equip the ignition element insertion station 47 with the ignition element 7. In FIG. 8, the ignition element insertion station 47 is arranged between the ignition element supply stations 49 in the conveying direction E. This has the advantage of significantly increasing production capacity, since operations can be performed in parallel.

[0073] 6 to 8 show a schematic representation of a sorting system according to the present invention and a singulation device according to the present invention. FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of a sorting system 201 according to the present invention, including a singulation device 203 according to the present invention. The singulation device 203 has an endless conveyor 205 in the form of a drum, as shown in FIGS. 3a to 3c. The conveying direction of the singulated bulk material parts is identified by arrow F in FIG. 4. A bulk material source 207 is arranged upstream of the endless conveyor 205 in the conveying direction. An orientation station 209 is arranged downstream of the endless conveyor 205 in the conveying direction. A transfer station 211 is arranged downstream of the orientation station 209 in the conveying direction, via which the singulated bulk material parts are transferred to a loading device 213. The singulated bulk material parts are transferred to a workpiece carrier 100 via the loading device 213.

[0074] As can be seen in particular from FIG. 1a, the endless conveyor 205 is arranged relative to the bulk material source 207 so that the bulk material falls under the influence of its weight G into the conveyor trays 215, which are arranged in series, and the conveyor trays 215 are transported past the bulk material source. For this purpose, the endless conveyor 205 has a drum 205, around whose rotation axis 217 the conveyor trays 215 are arranged in series. The direction parallel to the rotation axis 217 is hereinafter referred to as the axial direction A. In the axial direction A, multiple rows of conveyor trays 215 are arranged adjacent to each other, and in particular, are arranged adjacent to and aligned with each other, thereby forming rows of conveyor trays extending in the axial direction A in addition to the rows of conveyor trays arranged in the circumferential direction U around the rotation axis 217. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 3a, the conveyor trays 215 are formed by cutouts in the drum 205 that proceed from the drum coat 219 and extend inward in the radial direction R (relative to the rotation axis 217). In the illustrated embodiment, the endless conveyor 205 has 12 rows of conveyor trays 215 extending around the rotation axis 217, these rows being arranged adjacent to one another in the axial direction A. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 3b, the distance between the conveyor trays 215 in the circumferential direction U (relative to the rotation axis 217) and in the axial direction A is smaller than the axial extension 221 of the conveyor trays 215. The axial extension 221 of the conveyor trays 215 is adapted to the axial extension of the bulk material to be singulated, in particular along its axis of symmetry, in particular along the axis of rotational symmetry. In particular, the axial extension 221 of the conveyor trays 215 is somewhat larger than the axial extension of the bulk material parts to be singulated, so that under the influence of their weight forces they are urged into a lying position (vertically parallel axis of symmetry) and into an orientation parallel to the rotation axis 217 of the drum 205.

[0075] 3b and 3c show enlarged views of the conveyor tray 215 at different circumferential positions 223′, 223″. FIG. 3b shows the conveyor tray 215 at the position 223′ identified in FIG. 3a, and FIG. 3c shows the conveyor tray at the downstream circumferential position 223″ shown in FIG. 3a. As can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 3b and 3c, the receiving space 225 for the bulk material decreases in size during the transfer from circumferential position 223′ to circumferential position 223″. FIG. 3b shows the conveyor tray 215 in a bulk material receiving state, where multiple, in particular identical, bulk material parts fit into the receiving space 225. FIG. 3c shows the conveyor tray 215 in a separated state, where only separated bulk material parts fit into the receiving space 225. The receiving space 225 in the singulated state is adapted to the shape of the bulk material parts so that the separated bulk material parts are in a predetermined initial orientation. For this purpose, the receiving space 225 has a cylindrical cross-sectional shape in the individualized state, which is defined by a tray wall 227 having a plane 229 in which a recess 231 is recessed in a radial direction R relative to the rotation axis of the drum 205. The recess 231 (recess 231) is formed by a cylinder coat section that starts from the plane (plane section) 229 and extends inward in the radial direction R, in particular in the shape of a cylindrical cross-section.

[0076] As can be seen from a comparison of Figures 3b and 3c, the size of the receiving space 225 decreases so that bulk material located beyond the separated bulk material parts in the receiving space 225 is pushed out of the receiving space 225. To this end, the conveyor trays 215 each have a movable tray wall 227 for reducing the size of the respective receiving space 225. The movable tray wall 227 has the aforementioned planar section 229 and a recess 231. The tray wall 227 is rotatable about a pivot axis 233 shown schematically in Figures 3b and 3c. As can be seen from a comparison of Figures 3b and 3c, each tray wall 227 pivots outward in the radial direction R relative to the pivot axis 217 from the bulk material receiving state to the separating state. The conveyor trays 215 further each have a concave tray base 235 relative to which the respective tray wall 227 is movable, in particular rotatable. In particular, as a result of the pivotable tray walls 227, the receiving space 225 decreases in size during transfer from the bulk material receiving state to the separation state.

[0077] The bulk material source 207 has a bulk material supply section 237 that opens toward the endless conveyor 205 and a transport means 239, in particular a conveyor belt 239, that moves the bulk material in the bulk material source 207 relative to the endless conveyor 205. The bulk material supply section 237 defines a bulk material supply space 241 that opens toward the endless conveyor 205. The bulk material supply space 241 tapers in the direction of gravity G. The bulk material supply space 241 is bounded on opposite sides by a chute 243 of the bulk material supply section on the one hand and by the drum 205 of the endless conveyor 205 on the other hand. In the axial direction A, the bulk material supply section 237 is preferably bounded by opposing side walls 245 of the bulk material supply section 237. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 4, the bulk material supply space 241 or bulk material supply section 237 tapers in the direction of gravity G in a wedge shape, in particular in a V shape.

[0078] The conveyor belt 239 is adjacent to the upper section, particularly the end, of the chute 243, so that the bulk material transported along the conveyor belt 239 can enter the bulk material supply space 241 via the chute 243. The conveyor belt 239 is surrounded by a frame 247 that opens toward the chute 243. The frame 247 has a slope 249 that extends laterally over the conveyor belt 239, so that the size of the width 251 of the conveyor belt 239 (orthogonal to the conveying direction F of the conveyor belt 239) in which the bulk material can be placed decreases in the conveying direction F of the conveyor belt 239. As a result of the illustrated arrangement of the endless conveyor 205 relative to the bulk material source 207, the bulk material is caused to fall under the influence of its gravity force into the conveyor tray 215 of the endless conveyor 205 that is transported past the bulk material source 207. In particular, the conveyor trays 215 are formed as cutouts in the drum coat 219 on the inside of the radial direction R, so that when the conveyor trays 215 are conveyed past the bulk material source 207, the bulk material is caused to fall under the influence of its gravitational force into the conveyor trays 215 conveyed past the bulk material source. The individualization of the bulk material is ensured by the subsequent reduction in the size of the receiving spaces 225 of the conveyor trays 215.

[0079] The orientation station 209 of FIG. 4 is shown from the other side in FIG. 1e. Another embodiment of the orientation station 209 is shown in FIG. 2e. Both orientation stations 209 are designed for the same orientation of each singulated bulk material part. To this end, both singulation stations 203 transfer the singulated bulk material parts from an initial orientation to a target orientation. In this case, the initial orientation corresponds to an orientation of the bulk material part's axis of symmetry parallel to the rotation axis 217 of the drum 205. In this case, the initial orientation is defined in particular by the cylindrical cross-sectional recess 231 of the movable tray wall 227, whose cylindrical axis 253 is designed parallel to the rotation axis 217 of the drum 205. In particular, rotationally symmetric bulk material parts are brought to this initial orientation by the aforementioned configuration, dimensioning, and size reduction of the conveyor tray 215, in particular the receiving space 225.

[0080] The transfer of the bulk material parts from an initial orientation, in which the axis of symmetry of the bulk material parts is parallel to the rotation axis 217 of the drum 205, to a target orientation is achieved by rotating the axis of symmetry by 90°. In particular, the rotation is performed by 90° about an axis that corresponds radially to the rotation axis 217 of the drum 205, so that the axis of symmetry of the bulk material parts in the target orientation is oriented in the direction of the transfer station 211 and extends parallel to the tangent of the drum coat 219. In the two embodiments shown in Figures 1e and 2e, the orientation is achieved by movable orienting means 255. In both embodiments, separate orienting means 255 are provided for each row of conveyor trays 215 arranged around the rotation axis 217, so that the bulk material parts in the individual rows of conveyor trays can be oriented independently of each other.

[0081] In the embodiment according to FIG. 1e, the movable orienting means 255 is a tilt gate 255 that can be moved to two positions and tilts the bulk material parts from an initial orientation in different directions depending on the position. For this purpose, the tilt gate 255 is rotatable about a pivot axis 257. Preferably, the tilt gate 255 is tilted back and forth between the two positions by a drive 259. In the illustrated position, the tilt gate 255 defines an orienting channel 285 (see FIG. 1c) that is configured to taper toward the transfer station 211 so that bulk material parts having longitudinal axes are pushed, particularly under the influence of their weight force, into a target orientation in which the longitudinal axes are oriented toward the transfer station 211. In the illustration of FIG. 1c, the tilt gate 255 is tilted to the left for this purpose. As a result, the orienting channel 285 tapers from left to right in the conveying direction F. As a result, for example, a bulk material part in the form of a case whose axis of symmetry extends parallel to the rotation axis 217 of the drum 205 in an initial orientation and whose case base is oriented to the right can be tilted so that the case initially tilts into the orienting channel 285 together with the case base. If the case base is initially oriented to the left, the tilting gate 255 can be rotated to the right, resulting in the orienting channel 285 tapering so that the case also initially tilts into the tapering orienting channel 285 together with the case base. As a result, the same target orientation can be achieved for each bulk material part. In particular, as a result of the possibility of individually controlling the movable orienting means 255 arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction A, bulk material parts that are initially oriented differently can also be transferred simultaneously and independently of each other to the same target orientation.

[0082] 1e, the singulation station transfers the singulated bulk material to the transfer station in a pre-acceleration section 256 extending between the vertically uppermost region of the drum coat 219 and a region offset by 90° from the uppermost region about the axis of rotation of the drum 205 in the conveying direction F. The pre-acceleration section 256 has a base formed by the drum coat 219 and two side walls 254 formed by arcuate ribs 254 that extend above and along the contour of the drum coat 219. The pre-acceleration section 256 and the chute track channel 287 thereby form an S-shaped channel with the orienting channel 285 located at the apex.

[0083] 2e shows another embodiment in which the movable orienting means 255 is formed as a gripper. The gripper 255 is designed to grasp each singulated bulk material part, transfer the bulk material part from an initial orientation to a target orientation, and then release the bulk material part again, in particular to release the bulk material part to the transfer station 211. Similar to what was described above for the tilted gate 255, depending on the initial orientation (e.g., case base to the left or right), the gripper 255 can be designed to rotate the case in a different direction, for example 90° to the left or right, in order to transfer the case to the target orientation.

[0084] The above-described configuration of the singulation station 203 allows multiple singulated bulk material pieces to be transferred to an initial orientation to be simultaneously fed to the orientation station 209. In either case, simultaneous orientation of each bulk material piece to a target orientation can be ensured by using a single orientation means 255 for each singulated bulk material piece that may be simultaneously fed to the orientation station.

[0085] To ensure the same orientation of each individual bulk material part even in the case of different initial orientations of simultaneously supplied bulk material parts, the sorting system further includes an orientation detection device 261 designed to individually detect the initial orientation of each singulated bulk material part. For this purpose, the orientation detection device 261 may include multiple cameras 263. The cameras 263 may be oriented toward the conveyor trays 215 following the conveyor trays 215 in the conveying direction F where the singulated bulk material parts are currently being oriented by the orienting station 209. For this purpose, the orientation detection device 261, and in particular its cameras 263, may be arranged above the orienting station 209, in particular in the direction of gravity. In particular, the cameras 263 may be fastened to a holding structure 265. The holding structure 265 may be a frame structure. In particular, the holding structure 265 may have a U-shaped structure, the limbs of which are fastened to the sorting system 201, in particular to the singulation device 203. The sorting system may further include a controller designed to control the orientation station 209 differently for different initial orientations detected by the orientation detection device 261 .

[0086] Following the orientation station 209, the singulated and oriented bulk material parts are transferred to a transfer station 211. The transfer station 211 has a chute track 267 via which the singulated bulk material can be transferred to a further processing station (in the form of the illustrated workpiece carrier 100 in FIG. 4 ) while maintaining its singulation under the influence of its gravity force G. The chute 267 has an acceleration section 269 inclined in the direction of gravity G, in which the bulk material parts are accelerated under the influence of its gravity force G. The chute 267 further has an exit section 271 that is not very strongly inclined in the direction of gravity G relative to the acceleration section 269, in particular is oriented substantially horizontally, and in which the bulk material is decelerated. The exit section 271 is adjacent to the loading device 213 in the conveying direction F.

[0087] In this case, the transfer station 211 has twelve chute tracks 267 that are adjacent to one another in the axial direction A (relative to the rotation axis 217) and converge toward the loading device 213 to move the singulated bulk material parts toward one another while maintaining their singulation. Each of the chute tracks 267 has a chute track 267 ( FIG. 1 c) that is adapted to the dimensions of the bulk material so that the singulated bulk material parts pass through the chute track channel 287 in a predetermined orientation, in particular a target orientation. For this purpose, the axial direction A extension 289 of the chute track channel 287 is designed to be smaller than the extension of the bulk material parts to be sorted along their symmetry axis, so that a tilt of the symmetry axis in the chute track channel 287 exceeding 90° is avoided. In particular, for this purpose, the chute track channel 287 is defined in the axial direction A by a side wall 291 protruding from a chute track base 293. As can be seen particularly from FIG. 1 c, the chute track channel 287 is adjacent to the orientation channel 285 in the conveying direction F. As can be seen in the conveying direction F of the chute track 267, from the beginning, the chute track channel 287 first tapers in the conveying direction and then remains constant in terms of its width within the acceleration section 269 over a certain range. In the transition region to the outlet section 271, the chute track channel 287 widens again. Upon joining the outlet section 271, the chute track channel 287 tapers again in the conveying direction F. At the downstream end of the chute 267 in the conveying direction, in particular at the downstream end of the outlet section 271, the bulk material is transferred to the loading device 213.

[0088] The loading device 213 has a pusher 273 and a loading channel 275 extending below the pusher 273. The pusher 273 is designed to be movable relative to the loading channel 275. In particular, the pusher 273 is mounted axially movably via two bolts 277. The loading device also has a drive 280 with which the pusher 273 can be moved. As a result of the movement of the pusher 273 in the conveying direction F, the individualized and oriented bulk material parts are pushed into the workpiece carrier 100. An exemplary embodiment of the interior of the loading device 213 is shown in FIGS. 5a to 5c. Here, a bulk material part in the form of a case 3 passing through the loading device 213 is shown schematically. A loading channel base 281 is designated by the reference number 281. A drop flap 279 is pivotally fastened to the pusher 273 via a pivot shaft 283. As can be seen from a comparison of Figures 5a-5c, with such an embodiment, the drop flap 279 is first pivoted away from the loading channel 275 by the approaching bulk material component 3 in the direction opposite to the direction of gravity G, so that the case 3 can pass through the loading channel 275 (Figure 5b). After passing through (Figure 5c), the drop flap 279 falls into the loading channel 275 by gravity. The drop flap 279 has a contact edge 295 through which the bulk material component 3 is subsequently pushed into the workpiece carrier 100 by moving the pusher 273 in the conveying direction F. Such a drop flap 279 is preferably provided for each chute track channel 287 or for each loading channel 275 adjacent to a chute track channel, so that all singulated bulk material components 3 can be pushed into the workpiece carrier 100 simultaneously.

[0089] The features disclosed in the above description, in the drawings and in the claims may be important both individually and in any desired combination for realizing the invention in different configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1 Laboratory system, system 3 Bulk material parts, case 5. Projectile 7 Ignition Elements 11 Case Insertion Station 13 Projectile Insertion Station 15 Propellant Filling Station 17 Case Forming Station 19. Projectile Insertion Station 21 Projectile Assembly Station 25 Emission Station 27 Straight Section 29 Conveyor Track 33 Interior Space 43 curved section 45 Buffer Zone 46 Case Mouth Expansion Station 47 Ignition Element Insertion Station 48 Ignition Element Crimping Station 49 Ignition Element Supply Station 51 Pusher 53 Fluid Application Station 57 Case mouth sealing station 59 Quality Monitoring Station 69 Quality Testing Station 100 Workpiece Carriers 101 Ammunition 201 Sorting System 203 Individualization equipment, individualization station 205 Endless conveyor, drum 207 Bulk Material Sources 209 Orientation Station 211 Transfer Station 213 Loading equipment 215 Conveyor Tray 217 Rotational Axis 219 Drum Shell 221 Axial extension 223', 223'' circumferential position 225 Reception Space 227 Tray Wall 229 plane 231 recess 233 Rotating shaft 235 Tray Base 237 Bulk Material Supply Department 239 Conveyor Belt 241 Bulk material supply space 243 Shoot 245 Opposite side wall 247 frames 249 Slope 251 width 255 Orientation means, tilt gates, grippers 256 Pre-acceleration section 257 Rotating shaft 259 Drive 261 Orientation detection device 263 Camera 265 Retention structure 267 Shoot Truck 269 Acceleration Section 271 Exit Section 273 Pusher 275 Loading Channel 277 volts 279 Drop Flap 280 Drive 281 Loading Channel Base 283 Rotating shaft 285 Orientation Channel 287 Chute Track Channel 289 Axial extension 291 Side wall 293 Shoot Truck Base 295 Contact Edge

Claims

1. an endless conveyor (205) arranged relative to a bulk material source (207) in such a way that the bulk material falls under the influence of its gravity into conveyor trays (215) arranged in particular in a line on the endless conveyor (205), said conveyor trays (215) being transported past said bulk material source (207); 1. A device for singulating bulk materials such as ammunition parts, for example cases and / or projectiles (5), comprising: The conveyor tray (215) has a receiving space (225) for the bulk material that decreases in size during the conveyance.

2. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiving space (225) reduces in size during the transport from a bulk material receiving state in which a plurality of, in particular identical, bulk material parts fit into the receiving space (225) to an individualized state in which only individualized bulk material parts (3) fit into the receiving space (225).

3. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the receiving space (225) is adapted to the shape of the bulk material so that, in particular in the singulated state, the bulk material is in a predetermined initial orientation.

4. 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving space (225) is reduced in size such that bulk material located in the receiving space (225) beyond the individualized bulk material parts (3) falls out of the receiving space (225), in particular is pushed out of the receiving space (225).

5. 5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each of the conveyor trays (215) has a movable tray wall (227) for reducing the size of the respective receiving space (225).

6. 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the conveyor trays (215) each have a particularly concave tray base (235) relative to which the respective tray walls can be moved.

7. an endless conveyor (205) arranged relative to a bulk material source (207) such that the bulk material falls under the influence of its gravity into a conveyor tray (215) of the endless conveyor (205), said conveyor tray (215) being transported past said bulk material source (207); 7. A device for singulating bulk material, such as ammunition parts, for example cases and / or projectiles (5), in particular according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: The apparatus is characterized in that the endless conveyor (205) comprises a drum (205) around whose rotation axis (217) the conveyor trays (215) are arranged in a row.

8. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the conveyor shell (215) is formed by a cutout in the drum (205) which preferably starts from the drum coat (219) and in particular extends exclusively radially inwards.

9. 9. Apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the endless conveyor (205) has at least two, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve rows of conveyor trays (215), each arranged around the axis of rotation (217) of the drum (205).

10. 10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the conveyor trays (215) are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential and / or axial direction by less than the maximum extent of the bulk material to be singulated, in particular the rows of conveyor trays (215) according to claim 9 are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction by at most 50%, particularly preferably at most 30% or 15% of the maximum extent of the bulk material to be singulated.

11. 11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the receiving space (225) is adapted to the shape of the axisymmetric bulk material such that the axis of symmetry of the bulk material is driven by the weight force of the bulk material in a direction parallel to the rotation axis (217) of the drum (205).

12. a bulk material source (207) with a bulk material store, said bulk material store opening onto said endless conveyor (205), preferably onto a conveying means, in particular a conveyor belt (239) that moves said bulk material in said bulk material source (207) relative to said endless conveyor (205); 12. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that

13. A sorting system (201) for the individualized supply of oriented bulk material parts, in particular ammunition parts, having at most uniaxial symmetry, comprising: - a singulation station (203, 205) for singulating the bulk material, in particular a device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, an orientation station (209) for the identical orientation of each individualized bulk material part (3); a transfer station (211) capable of transferring said individualized and oriented bulk material parts to further processing stations; A sorting system (201) comprising:

14. 14. The sorting system (201) of claim 13, wherein the orientation station (209) is designed to transfer the singulated bulk material parts (3) from an initial orientation in the singulation station (203, 205) to a target orientation.

15. 15. The sorting system (201) according to claim 14, wherein the orientation station (209) is designed to transfer bulk material parts having an axis of symmetry, in particular an axis of rotational symmetry, into the target orientation by rotating the axis of symmetry, in particular by an angle of 10° to 270°, preferably 30° to 180°, particularly preferably 60° to 120°, for example 90°.

16. 16. The sorting system (201) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the orientation station (209) has an orientation channel (285) designed to taper towards the transfer station (211) so that bulk material parts having a longitudinal axis, in particular a longitudinal axis of symmetry, are oriented in a target orientation in which the longitudinal axis is oriented towards the transfer station (211), in particular under the influence of their weight forces.

17. 17. The sorting system (201) of any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the orientation station (209) is designed to orient each individualized bulk material part (3) independently of other individualized bulk material parts.

18. 18. The sorting system (201) of claim 17, wherein the orienting station (209) has at least one movable orienting means (255) for orienting.

19. 19. The sorting system (201) of claim 18, wherein the at least one movable orienting means is a tilted gate (255), which can be moved to two positions and preferably tilts the bulk material parts in different directions from the initial orientation depending on the position of the tilted gate, and preferably the tilted gate (255) restricts the orienting channel (285) of claim 16 to taper from different sides at the two positions of the tilted gate (255).

20. 19. The sorting system (201) of claim 18, wherein the at least one movable orientation means is a gripper (255) designed to grip each individualized bulk material part (3), transfer the bulk material part (3) from an initial orientation to a target orientation, in particular by rotation, and then release the bulk material part (3) again and, in particular, transfer the bulk material part (3) to the transfer station (211).

21. A sorting system (201) according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the singulation stations (203, 205) are designed to singulate bulk material having an axis of symmetry, in particular an axis of rotational symmetry, such as a case and / or a projectile (5), by shifting the axis of symmetry of each bulk material part into a predetermined initial orientation, and for this purpose the singulation stations (203, 205) are preferably designed as described in claim 11.

22. an orientation detection device (261) designed to detect the initial orientation of the singulated bulk material parts (3) in the singulation stations (203, 205), in particular designed to detect the position of the flanks along an axis of symmetry, in particular an axis of rotational symmetry, in the case of bulk materials having flanks that can be distinguished from one another along said axis of symmetry; 22. The sorting system (201) of any one of claims 13 to 21, further comprising:

23. a controller designed to control the orientation station (209) differently in case of different initial orientations of the bulk material part; 23. The sorting system (201) of any one of claims 13 to 22, further comprising:

24. 24. A sorting system (201) according to any one of claims 13 to 23, wherein the singulation stations (203, 205) are designed to simultaneously supply at least two, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve singulated bulk material parts to the orientation station, and are preferably designed according to any one of claims 7 to 11.

25. 25. The sorting system (201) of claim 24, wherein the orientation station (209) is designed to simultaneously orient the at least two, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve individualized bulk material parts independently of one another, and for this purpose the orientation station (209) preferably has at least two, in particular at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve movable orientation means, preferably designed as described in claim 18 or 20.

26. A sorting system (201), in particular according to any one of claims 13 to 25, for the individualized supply of oriented bulk material parts, in particular ammunition parts, with at most uniaxial symmetry, comprising: - a singulation station (203, 205) for singulating the bulk material, in particular a device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, a transfer station (211) with at least one chute track (267) capable of transporting the singulated bulk material parts (3) to a further processing station while maintaining their singulation under the influence of their gravity forces; A sorting system (201) comprising:

27. 27. The sorting system (201) of claim 26, wherein the at least one chute track (267) is adapted to the dimensions of the bulk material such that the individualized bulk material parts (3) pass through the chute track (267) in a predetermined orientation.

28. 28. The sorting system (201) according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the at least one chute track (267) has an acceleration section (269) that is inclined in the direction of gravity and in which the bulk material parts are accelerated under the influence of their gravity, and an exit section (271) that is less inclined in the direction of gravity relative to the acceleration section (269), in particular oriented substantially horizontally, in which the bulk material parts are decelerated.

29. 29. A sorting system (201) according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the transfer station (211) has a loading device (213) designed to receive the individualized bulk material parts (3) from the chute track (267) and to transport the individualized bulk material parts (3) to the further processing station, in particular in the form of a workpiece carrier (100) movably guided through the sorting system (201).

30. 30. The sorting system (201) of claim 29, wherein the loading device (213) has a pusher (273) designed to push the individualized bulk material parts (3) into receptacles of the further processing station, in particular those adapted for the individualized bulk material parts (3).

31. 31. A sorting system (201) according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein the singulation stations (203, 205) are designed to simultaneously supply at least two, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve singulated bulk material parts to the transfer station (211), and are preferably designed according to any one of claims 8 to 12.

32. 32. A sorting system (201) according to claim 31, comprising at least two, preferably at least three, four, six, eight, ten or twelve chute tracks (267) via which the singulated bulk material parts (3) can be simultaneously transported to further processing stations while maintaining their singulation under the influence of their weight forces.

33. 33. The sorting system (201) of claim 32, wherein the chute tracks (267) converge towards each other in the direction of the further processing station to bring the singulated bulk material parts (3) closer to each other while maintaining their singulation.

34. 34. The sorting system (201) of claim 32 or 33, wherein the transfer station (211) has a loading device (213) designed to receive the individualized bulk material parts (3) from the chute track (267) and simultaneously transfer the individualized bulk material parts (3) to the further processing station, in particular in the form of a workpiece carrier (100) movably guided through the sorting system (201).

35. A system for the manufacture of ammunition having a case, an ignition element, and a projectile (5), comprising: at least one sorting system (201) according to any one of claims 13 to 34 and / or a device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 for singulating at least one ammunition part, in particular the case and / or the projectile (5), A system comprising:

36. at least two sorting systems according to any one of claims 13 to 34 and / or devices according to any one of claims 1 to 12 in each case, for singulating cases or projectiles (5), in particular cases, in one sorting system (201) and for singulating further ammunition parts, in particular projectiles (5), in another sorting system, 36. The system of claim 35, comprising:

37. - an ignition element insertion station (47) for inserting an ignition element into said case; a propellant filling station (15) for filling said case with propellant powder; - a projectile mounting station (19, 21) for placing said projectiles (5) on said cases; a circulating transport system for transporting in each case a plurality of said ammunition parts, in particular a plurality of cases and / or projectiles (5), to, from and / or between a plurality of production stations; 37. The system of claim 35 or 36, further comprising:

38. 38. The system according to claim 37, wherein the circulating transport system comprises at least one, preferably a plurality of workpiece carriers (100) transported through the at least one sorting system (201) to be loaded with the singulated munitions parts via the transfer station (211).

39. Use of an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12 for singulating ammunition parts or a sorting system (201) according to any one of claims 13 to 34, in particular for the singulated feeding of ammunition parts to a workpiece carrier (100).

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