Conveyor Device for Bar Articles Using Vacuum Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor devices for rod articles face challenges in gentle and process-safe removal from storage, often resulting in jamming or grinding, which can damage the articles and reduce machine lifespan due to high frictional effects during transfer to a central drum.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor device with a rotatable transfer element and insert wheels that use negative pressure to gently guide rod articles into the central drum, minimizing friction and jamming risks, and featuring servo-driven transfer elements for precise control, along with pivot or oscillating pins to facilitate smooth transition from multi-row to single-row arrangement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If rod articles are removed from storage using conventional conveyor devices, then transport capacity is achieved, but jamming or grinding occurs which damages articles and reduces machine lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary transfer element with a groove that acts as a mediator between the storage device and the central drum. This groove receives individual rod articles and transports them gently without direct contact with other articles or machine parts, eliminating jamming and grinding while maintaining high transport capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical contact-based transfer mechanisms with a vacuum-based holding system. The groove is subjected to negative pressure to hold rod articles without mechanical contact, substituting mechanical force with vacuum pressure to eliminate friction and wear during transfer
2Productivity
If the central drum is driven at high speed to increase transport capacity, then productivity improves, but frictional effects increase causing jamming and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer element with groove acts as an intermediary that decouples the high-speed central drum from the gentle handling required for article transfer. The groove receives articles from the storage device and delivers them to the central drum without direct mechanical contact, allowing the drum to run at high speed without causing frictional damage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses vacuum pressure in the groove to hold rod articles during transfer, replacing mechanical friction-based holding with pneumatic pressure. This allows the central drum to operate at high speed without direct mechanical contact between articles and machine parts, eliminating frictional harmful effects
3Reliability
If deep troughs or enlarged walls are used in the central drum to ensure reliable removal, then transfer reliability improves, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transfer element with groove as an intermediary that simplifies the overall system. Instead of modifying the central drum structure with deep troughs, the groove temporarily holds articles and presents them to the drum, reducing structural complexity while maintaining transfer reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the transfer function into a separate transfer element with groove, distinct from the central drum. This segmentation allows the drum to maintain its simple cylindrical structure while the groove handles the complex transfer operation, reducing overall device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables gentle and process-safe conveyance of rod articles with reduced risk of jamming or crushing, maintaining high product quality and extending machine lifespan by minimizing friction and ensuring precise control during transfer.
Implementation Method 1
The groove of the transfer element can be subjected to negative pressure. Rod articles delivered by the insert wheel are held in the groove by means of negative pressure.
Implementation Method 2
The supply of the rod articles from the storage to the central drum is effected by gravity, in that the storage is arranged above the central drum and has an opening facing the central drum through which the rod articles exit in the direction of the central drum.
Data Source
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Figure 6
AI summary
The invention relates to a conveyor device (1) for removing bar-form articles (2) from an article store (3), -having at least one shaft (4) for guiding the bar-form articles (2) cross-axially in single file, wherein -a rotatable transfer element (5) having a groove (6) for a bar-form article (2) is arranged downstream of the shaft (4) with regard to a transporting direction of the bar-form articles (2), said transfer element (5) introducing the bar-form articles (2) into hollows (7) in a central drum (8) in order to be conveyed away cross-axially, wherein -a rotatable introduction cog (9) is provided between the downstream opening of the shaft (4) and the transfer element (5), said introduction cog (9) being designed to transfer bar-form articles (2) individually and cross-axially to the transfer element (5), wherein -the groove (6) in the transfer element (5) is designed to receive the bar-form articles (2) discharged from the introduction cog (9) and is able to be subjected to negative pressure, bar-form articles (2) discharged from the introduction cog (9) being able to be retained in said groove by means of negative pressure. The invention also relates to a corresponding operating method.