Indexing Device for Sausage Transfer Guide Bar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for transferring sausage-shaped products to a rod-like element, such as smoking rods, require complex synchronization of multiple drives and components, leading to potential misalignment and increased control effort, resulting in production losses and incorrect transfer.
Innovation Solution
A transfer arrangement featuring an infeed device with a guide bar, a transport device with conveyor elements, and an indexing device with reversible indexing pins that alternately engage and disengage with the guide bar, synchronized by a drive device, ensuring secure transfer of sausage-shaped products onto the rod-like element with reduced control complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple drives and components are used for transferring sausage-shaped products, then the transfer function can be achieved, but synchronization complexity increases and misalignment risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple indexing functions into a single indexing device that controls both the guide bar and the rod-like element. This single indexing device synchronizes the movement of multiple components through a unified mechanical indexing mechanism, eliminating the need for separate drives and reducing control complexity while maintaining transfer accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The indexing pins act as intermediaries between the indexing device and the guide bar/rod-like element. These pins mechanically transmit the indexing motion and ensure synchronized positioning of multiple components without requiring complex electronic control systems, thereby reducing misalignment risk while maintaining reliability.
2Ease of operation
If indexing pins are used to support the guide bar, then passage of suspension elements is enabled, but the indexing mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The indexing mechanism is segmented into multiple independent indexing pins that can move individually between engagement and disengagement positions. Each pin can be independently controlled to allow passage of suspension elements while maintaining support when needed, simplifying the overall operation without requiring a complex centralized mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The indexing pins perform periodic movements between engagement and disengagement positions in a rhythmic cycle. This periodic action allows suspension elements to pass through at specific intervals when pins are disengaged, while providing continuous support when engaged, achieving ease of operation through a simple repeating mechanical cycle rather than complex continuous control.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a transfer arrangement (TA) for transferring sausage-shaped products (S), like sausages, to a rod-like element, like a smoking rod, provided in a loading position in a hanging line, each of the sausage-shaped products (S) contain a flowable filling material in a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing provided with a suspension element (L), like a suspension loop, through which the sausage-shaped products (S) can be suspended on the rod-like element. The transfer arrangement (TA) comprises an infeed device (100) having an infeed conveyor (110) and a guide bar (130) along which the suspension elements (L) of the sausage-shaped products (S) are guided in an infeed direction (ID) to the rod-like element, a transport device (200) which is arranged above the rod-like element and the guide bar (130) and which has a conveyor device (210) with transportation elements (240) for transporting the sausage-shaped products (S) along the guide bar (130) towards the rod-like element, and a drive device for driving the conveyor device (210), and an indexing device (300) for supporting the guide bar (130). The indexing device (300) includes at least two pairs of indexing pins (402, 502; 404, 504) configured to be reversibly moved pairwise and alternately into an engagement position for engaging with the guide bar (130) for supporting the guide bar (130) and into a release position for disengaging with the guide bar (130) for allowing the passage of a suspension element (L) of a sausage-shaped product (S) to be suspended on the rod-like element in the loading position, wherein the indexing pins (402, 404, 502, 504) of each pair of indexing pins (402, 502; 404, 504) are arranged on opposite sides of the guide bar (130) and at least substantially opposite to each other, and transmission means for driving and controlling the movement of the indexing pins (402, 502; 404, 504). The transmission means are driven by the transport device (200).