Device for applying a frame on a pallet

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for applying a rectangular frame consisting of angled profiles around the upper rim of a pallet.

[0002] When a pallet is used for the transport of cans, these cans are positioned in a number of layers, whereafter a rectangular frame consisting of angled profiles is positioned around and onto the upper layer of cans. This frame is connected to the pallet in one way or another in order to prevent that cans may drop from the pallet during transport.

[0003] When afterwards the cans have to be removed from the pallet first the frame is lifted, whereafter the cans can be taken away. Thereafter the frame is placed on the pallet and preferably in such a way that the frame extends around and onto the upper rim of the pallet. This assembly can be passed to a storage yard till it is used again.

[0004] In practice it appears to occur rather often that the frame is not accurately applied on the upper rim of the pallet. This causes disadvantages for the storage of a number of pallets, which have to be stacked one on top of the other.

[0005] Now the object of the invention is to remove these disadvantages and to that end provides a device which is characterized in that the device comprises a mainly rectangular horizontally positioned frame work, within which said frame and said pallet can be positioned the one above the other, and at least four centring means spaced apart around the four sides of said frame work, each of said centring means consisting of an upper and a lower centring member, said upper and lower centring members being pivotally mounted to shafts connected to said frame work and running parallel to each other and in horizontally planes one above the other, each of said upper centring members comprising a leg extending downwards from its pivot shaft and the lower portion of said leg extending mainly inwardly into said frame work for obtaining a guiding cam for the frame to be handled, which leg can be, by mechanical means pivoted between a position in which the distance between the guiding cams of two opposite upper centring members is smaller than the width of the frame to be handled and a position in which this distance is such that the frame may pass said upper centring members, each of said lower centring members consisting of an arm exteding upwards from said pivot shaft, said arm comprising a support surface for the frame to be handled positioned such that in the most inwardly pivoted position of said lower centring members the distance between two opposite support surfaces is such that opposite angled profiles of a frame to be handled will be supported by said surfaces just after said frame has passed the guiding cams of said upper centring members, said arm further carrying a leaf spring extending obliquely upward from said arm and inwardly into said frame work such that it is lying inwardly in respect of said support surface, said arm being biased inwardly into said frame work in such a way that in the most inwardly position of said arm the distance between two opposite leaf springs will be smaller than the dimensions of a pallet to be handled in said direction, the dimension of the leaf springs in mainly horizontal direction normal to the vertical plane running through the pivot shaft of the lower centring member being such that the leaf spring can be received between the inner surface of a vertical leg of a angled profile of said frame work and the vertical wall of a pallet to be handled.

[0006] When using a device according to the present invention a frame will be brought downwardly onto the guiding cams of the upper centring means when the legs of these are extending substantially vertically downwards from the pivot shafts. By said guiding cams the frame will be centred and will move along the guiding cams downwardly onto the support surfaces of the lower centring members. The leaf springs of these lower centring means will be positioned within the angled profiles of said frame and will be at some distance from the related profile. Now a pallet is moved upwardly to the frame and during this it is guided by the leaf springs which are gradually biased towards the inner side walls of the frame. In this way a proper guidance of the pallet is obtained so that the frame will fit over it in the right way.

[0007] Obviously at least four sets of centring members will be needed to with one at each side of said frame work to obtain a proper guidance of a frame and a pallet. It might by recommendable in certain circumstances to use two sets of centring members near at least one side of the frame work.

[0008] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention it can be provided that the lower surface of the cam of the leg of the upper centring member has the shape of a circle segment, such that this circular portion, in the most inwardly pivoted position of said upper centring member, will be present above the support surface of the lower centring member when this member is pivoted to its most outwardly position in respect of the frame work.

[0009] By moving the legs of the upper centring members after a frame is passed and has arrived on the support surfaces of the lower centring members, the circular portions of the upper centring members can be brought above the frame. In this way it is avoided that the frame is lifted by the pallet before the pallet is completely moved into the frame.

[0010] Pivoting of the leg might be used as well to check whether the frame has come to rest on the support surfaces of the lower centring members. If the framework should still be present, either completely or partly, on the legs of the upper centring members, no inward pivoting of all the legs would be possible and the device might be stopped.

[0011] According to a further elaboration of the invention the lower centring member comprises two side plates with a support block between them, said block carrying the leaf spring and being pivotable in respect of the side plates and being biased by means of a spring to a pivoted position inwardly of the frame, the rotation of said block being limited by abutments, said side plates being positioned on either side of the leg of an upper centring member.

[0012] In this way a simple and strong device is obtained in which specific parts of the upper and of the lower centring members are cooperating with each other.

[0013] In particular the side plates of the lower centring member will be outwardly pivotable in order to bring the leaf spring outside the formed assembly of pallet and frame so that this assembly can be removed out of the device downwards.

[0014] For operating the centring means in particular use will be made of pressurized medium cylinders which are controlled by a relay- or PLC-control.

[0015] It can be remarked that by DE-A 3 143 093 a device is known for bringing a rectangular lid onto a box positioned on a fixed support. To that end the upper edge of the side walls of the box are pressed inwardly by means of rotatable supported cams. Said cams are biased towards the position in which they are pressing the upper edge of the side walls of the box inwardly and are moved downward by the lid which is applied on the box from above. So this device is only suitable for bringing a lid onto a box made from a flexible material such as cardboard or such like. So the known device is not suitable for bringing a rectangular frame onto a stiff pallet as is the aim of the present invention.

[0016] The invention will now be further elucidated by means of an embodiment represented in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 schematically shows a side view of the centring means according to the invention together with a cross-section of a portion of a pallet and of a frame when these are brought into the device;

Fig. 2 shows a side view according to Fig. 1 but during moving the pallet into the frame;

Fig. 3 shows a side view according to Fig. 1 and 2 but with the parts in the position during removing the assembly of frame and pallet out of the device;

Fig. 4 schematically shows a top view of a device according to the invention with a frame in it;

Fig. 5 shows a view along the line V-V of Fig. 1.

[0017] The figures 1-3 show the centring means of a device according to the invention comprising an upper centring member 1 and a lower centring member 2. The upper centring member 1 is pivotable around a shaft 4 over an angle p shown in Fg. 2, for example by means of a pneumatic cylinder 3. The angle p will be 45° at the most.

[0018] As in particular appears from Fig. 4 two sets of upper and lower centring members are present near each side 6 of a frame 5, only the shafts 4 of the upper centring members 1 being indicated.

[0019] The upper centring member 1 substantially comprises the leg 7 with a cam portion 8, the upper surface 9 of which is forming a guide for the angled profiles 6 of the frame 5.

[0020] The lower centring member 2 comprises the side plates 10, as in particular appears from Fig. 5, a protruding portion 11 of said plates being pivotable supported by means of the shaft 12, while pivoting can take place by means of the pneumatic cylinder 13.

[0021] Between the side plates 10 a support block 14 is provided which is pivotable around the shaft 15 in respect of the side plates 10. The support block 14 is composed of the parts 16 and 17 between which the leaf spring 18 is clamped by means of the screws 19, which are screwed into the part 16.

[0022] The support block 14 is biased to the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of a spring 20, the other end of which is connected to the protruding portion 11. In said position a protruding portion 21 of the support block 14 engages an abutment 22 of a side plate 10.

[0023] The side plates 10 each are provided with an oblique surface 24 near its upper end, said surfaces serving to guide a frame 5 and joining a support surface 25 on which the lower rim of the frame can come to rest.

[0024] As appears in particular from Fig. 1 the support block 14 may be pivoted in the direction of arrow P over an angle 8 of about 25_° while the related side plates 10 can be pivoted around the shaft 12 over an angle y, as is in particular shown in Fig. 3. The angle y will be 45° at the most.

[0025] It will be clear that the shafts 4 and 12 and the outer ends of the pneumatic cylinders 3 and 13 are supported by portions which can form part of a frame, said frame not being shown in the drawing.

[0026] When using the device the procedure is as follows: The upper and lower centring members 1 and 2 respectively are in the position as represented in Fig. 1. A frame 5 now is introduced into the device from above so that it may pass over the slanting edges 9 of the legs 7 to the position 5' as represented with dashed lines in Fig. 1, the lower rim of the frame then resting on the support surfaces 25 of the side plates 10. So during this the frame 5 substantially will move in the direction of arrow A.

[0027] After doing this a pallet 26 is moved from below into the device in the direction of the arrow B by means not shown in detail. When doing this the side surfaces 27 of the pallet 26 initially engage the support block 14 and thereafter the leaf springs 18 extending from this block, so that the block 14 will be pivoted in the direction of the arrow P against the force of the spring 20. By this the leaf springs 18 will be received in the space 28 which is present between the vertical inner surface of the angled profile 6 of the frame 5 and the side wall 27 of the pallet 26.

[0028] In the meantime the leg 7 of the upper centring member 1 is pivoted counter clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 by means of the pneumatic cylinder 3. When doing so the curved lower surface 29 of the cam 8 of the leg 7 will be positioned above the frame 5 so that when moving the pallet 26 into the frame 5 the latter can not be moved upwards or over a small distance only.

[0029] When the pallet 26 is completely moved into the frame 5, as shown in Fig. 2, the leg 7 of the upper centring member 1 is pivoted away by means of the cylinder 3 so that the assembly of frame 5 and pallet 26 can be moved further upwards to remove the springs 18 out of the spaces 28.

[0030] Once this has been done the lower centring member 2 is pivoted to the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of the pneumatic cylinder 3 so that the assembly of pallet 26 and frame 5 can move downward to be removed from the device. After this the centring members will reassume the position shown in Fig. 1.

[0031] It can be remarked, that the means for bringing the frame 5 and pallet 26 below and above the device respectively and for moving the frame and pallet either separate or together are not shown in the drawing, because for these objects known devices can be used.

Claims

1. Device for applying a rectangular frame (5), consisting of angled profiles (6), around the upper rim of a pallet (26), characterized in that the device comprises a mainly rectangular horizontally positioned frame work, within which said frame (5) and said pallet (26) can be positioned the one (5) above the other (26), and at least four centring means (1, 2) spaced apart around the four sides of said frame work, each of said centring means consisting of an upper and a lower centring member (1, 2), said upper and lower centring members being pivotally mounted to shafts (4, 12 respectively) connected to said frame work and running parallel to each other and in horizontal planes one (4) above the other (12), each of said upper centring members (1) comprising a leg (7) extending downwards from its pivot shaft (4) and the lower portion of said leg (7) extending mainly inwardly into said frame work for obtaining a guiding cam (8) for the frame (5) to be handled, which leg (7) can be, by mechanical means (3), pivoted between a position in which the distance between the guiding cams (8) of two opposite upper centring members (1) is smaller than the width of the frame (5) to be handled and a position in which this distance is such that the frame (5) may pass said upper centring members (1), each of said lower centring members (2) consisting of an arm (10, 14) extending upwards from said pivot shaft (12), said arm (10, 14) comprising a support surface (25) for the frame (5) to be handled positioned such that in the most inwardly pivoted position of said lower centring members (2) the distance between two opposite support surfaces (25) is such that opposite angled profiles (6) of a frame (5) to be handled will be supported by said surfaces (25) just after said frame (5) has passed the guiding cams (8) of said upper centring members (1), said arm further carrying a leaf spring (18) extending obliquely upward from said arm (10, 14) and inwardly into said frame work such that it is lying inwardly in respect of said support surface (25), said arm (10, 14) being biased inwardly into said frame work in such a way that the most inwardly position of said arm (10, 14) the distance between two opposite leaf springs (18) will be smaller than the dimensions of a pallet (26) to be handled in said direction, the dimension of the leaf spring (18) in mainly horizontal direction normal to the vertical plane running through the pivot shaft (12) of the lower centring member (2) being such that the leaf spring (18) can be received between the inner surface of a vertical leg of an angled profile (6) of said frame (5) and the vertical wall (27) of a pallet (26) to be handled.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower surface of the cam (8) of the leg (7) of the upper centring member (1) has the shape of a circle segment, such that this circular portion, in the most inwardly pivoted position of said upper centring member (1), will be present above the support surface (25) of the lower centring member (2) when this member is pivoted to its most outwardly position in respect of the frame work.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lower centring member (2) comprises two side plates (10) with an intermediate block (14) between them, said block carrying the leaf spring (18) and being pivotable in respect to the side plates (10) and being biased by means of a spring (20) to a pivoted position inwardly of the frame, the rotation being limited by abutments (21, 22), the side plates (10) being positioned on either side of the leg (7) of the upper centring member.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the side plates (10) of the lower centring member (2) can be pivoted outwardly in respect of said frame so that the distance between two opposite leaf spring (18) forming part of said members (2) is greater than the dimension of a frame (5) in said direction.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for operating the centring means (1, 2) use is made of pressurized medium cylinders (3, 13) being controlled by a relay or PLC control.

Ansprüche

1. Vorrichtung zum Anbringen eines rechteckigen Rahmens (5), bestehend aus Winkelprofilen (6), um den oberen Rand einer Palette (26) herum, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vorrichtung ein im wesentlichen rechteckiges horizontal gelagertes Rahmenwerk umfasst, in dem genannter Rahmen (5) und genannter Palette (26) angebracht werden können der eine (5) über der anderen (26), und mindestens vier Zentrierglieder (1, 2) die im Abstand um den vier Seiten des genannten Rahmenwerkes herum angeordnet sind, wobei jedes der genannten Zentrierglieder aus einem oberen und einem unteren Zentrierglied (1, 2) besteht, wobei genannte obere und untere Zentrierglieder drehbar gelagert sind an Achsen (4 bzw. 12) die verbunden sind mit genanntem Rahmenwerk und sich parallel zueinander in horizontalen Flächen erstrecken, wobei jedes der genannten oberen Zentrierglieder (1) ein Bein (7) umfasst, das sich abwärts von seiner Drehachse (4) erstreckt, wobei das untere des genannten Beines (7) sich im wesentlichen einwärts in genanntem Rahmenwerk erstreckt, um einen Führungsnocken (8) zu erhalten für den zu handhabenden Rahmen (5), wobei genanntes Bein (7) von mechanischen Mitteln (3) gedreht werden kann zwischen einer Position in der die Distanz zwischen den Führungsnocken (8) von zwei gegenüberliegenden oberen Zentriergliedem (1) kleiner ist als die Breite des zu handhabenden Rahmens (5) und einer Position in der diese Distanz derartig ist, dass der Rahmen (5) genannte obere Zentrierglieder (1) passieren kann, wobei jedes der genannten unteren Zentrierglieder (2) aus einem Arm (10, 14) besteht, der sich aufwärts von genannter Drehachse (12) erstreckt, wobei genannter Arm (10, 14) eine Auflagefläche (25) für den zu handhabenden Rahmen (5) enthält, so dass in der weitest einwärts gedrehten Position der genannten unteren Zentrierglieder (2) die Distanz zwischen zwei gegenüberliegenden Auflageflächen (25) derartig ist, dass gegenüberliegende Winkelprofile (6) eines zu handhabenden Rahmens (5) von genannten Flächen (25) gestützt werden sollen gleich nachdem genannter Rahmen (5) an den Führungsnocken (8) der genannten oberen Zentrierglieder (1) vorbei gegangen ist, wobei genannter Arm weiter eine Blattfeder (18) trägt, die sich schräg aufwärts vom genannten Arm (10, 14) und einwärts im genannten Rahmenwerk erstreckt, derartig dass sie einwärts liegt in bezug auf genannte Auflagefläche (25), wobei genannter Arm (10, 14) federnd einwärts im genannten Rahmenwerk bewegt wird in solcher Weise, dass in der weitest einwärtsen Position des genannten Armes (10, 14) der Abstand zwischen zwei gegenüberliegenden Blattfedern (18) kleiner sein wird als die Abmessungen einer Palette (26) die in genannter Richtung geführt werden muss, wobei die Abmessung der Blattfeder (18) in im wesentlichen horizontaler Richtung winkelrecht zur senkrechten Fläche die sich durch die Drehachse (12) des unteren Zentriergliedes (2) erstreckt derartig ist, dass die Blattfeder (18) zwischen der Innenfläche eines senkrechten Beines eines Winkelprofils (6) des genannten Rahmens (5) und der senkrechten Wand (27) einer zu handhabenden Palette (26) aufgenommen werden kann.

2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die untere Fläche des Nockens (8) des Beines (7) des oberen Zentrierglieds (1) die Form eines Kreisabschnitts hat, so dass dieser kreisförmige Teil, in der weitest einwärts gedrehten Position des genannten oberen Zentrierglieds (1), sich oberhalb der Auflagefläche (25) des unteren Zentrierglieds (2) befinden werden wird wenn dieses Glied zu seiner weitest auswärtsen Position in bezug auf das Rahmenwerk gedreht worden ist.

3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das untere Zentrierglied (2) zwei Seitenplatten (10) mit einem zwischenliegenden Block (14) umfasst, wobei genannter Block die Blattfeder (18) trägt und drehbar ist in bezug auf die Seitenplatten (10) und hin gedrückt wird mittels einer Feder (20) nach einer gedrehten Position, wobei die Rotation von Anschlägen (21, 22) beschränkt wird, und die Seitenplatten (10) an jeder Seite des Beines (7) des oberen Zentrierglieds angeordnet sind.

4. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Seitenplatten (10) des unteren Zentrierglieds (2) auswärts gedreht werden können in bezug auf genannten Rahmen, so dass der Abstand zwischen zwei gegenüberliegenden Blattfedern (18), die einen Teil der genannten Glieder (2) bilden, grösser ist als die Abmessung eines Rahmens (5) in genannter Richtung.

5. Vorrichtung nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass zur Betätigung der Zentriermittel (1, 2) Druckmediumzylinder (3, 13) verwendet werden, die von einem Relais oder PLC-Steuerung gesteuert werden.

Revendications

1. Un dispositif pour appliquer une structure rectangulaire (5), comprenant des profilés à angles (6) autour du rebord supérieur d'une palette (26), caractérisé en ce que le dispositif comprend un bâti de structure principalement rectangulaire positionné horizontalement, dans lequel ladite structure (5) et ladite palette (26) peuvent être placées l'une (5) par dessus l'autre (26), et au moins quatre moyens de centrage (1, 2), placés séparément autour des quatre côtés dudit bâti de structure, chacun desdits moyens de centrage consistant en un élément de centrage supérieur et en un élément de centrage inférieur (1, 2), lesdits éléments de centrage supérieur et inférieur étant montés de façon à pouvoir pivoter sur des axes (4, 12, respectivement), connectés audit bâti de structure et fonctionnant parallèlement l'un à l'autre dans des plans horizontaux l'un (4) par dessus l'autre (12), chacun desdits éléments de centrage supérieurs (1) comprenant une jambe (7) s'étendant vers le bas à partir de son axe pivot (4) et la partie inférieure de ladite jambe (7) s'étendant principalement vers l'intérieur dans ledit bâti de structure pour obtenir une came de guidage (8) pour la structure (5) à manipuler, laquelle jambe (7) peut être, par des moyens mécaniques (3), pivotée entre une position dans laquelle la distance entre les cames de guidage (8) de deux éléments de centrage supérieurs opposés (1) est plus petite que la largeur de la structure (5) à manipuler et une position dans laquelle cette distance est telle que la structure (5) peut passer lesdits éléments de centrage supérieurs (1), chacun desdits éléments de centrage inférieurs (2) consistant en un bras (10, 14) s'étendant vers le haut à partir dudit axe pivot (12), ledit bras (10, 14) comprenant une surface de support (25) pour la structure (5) à manipuler placée de façon à ce que dans la position qui pivote le plus vers l'intérieur desdits éléments de centrage inférieurs (2) la distance entre deux surfaces de supports opposées (25) est telle que les profilés à angles opposés (6) d'une structure (5) à manipuler soient supportés par lesdites surfaces (25) juste après que ladite structure (5) a passé les cames de guidage (8) desdits éléments de centrage supérieurs (1), lesdits bras portant de plus un ressort à lame (18) s'étendant obliquement vers le haut à partir dudit bras (10, 14) et vers l'intérieur dans ledit bâti de structure de façon à ce qu'il s'étende vers l'intérieur par rapport à ladite surface du support (25), ledit bras (10, 14) étant dévié vers l'intérieur dans ledit bâti de structure d'une manière telle que dans la position la plus avancée vers l'intérieur dudit bras (10, 14) la distance entre les deux ressorts à lame opposés (18) soit plus petite que les dimensions de la palette (26) à manipuler dans ladite direction, la dimension du ressort à lame (18) dans une direction principalement horizontale perpendiculaire au plan vertical s'étendant à travers l'axe pivot (12) de l'élément de centrage inférieur (2) étant telle que le ressort à lame (18) peut être reçu entre la surface intérieure d'une jambe verticale d'un profilé à angles (6) de ladite structure (5) et la paroi verticale (27) d'une palette (26) à manipuler.

2. Un dispositif selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la surface inférieure de la came (8) de la jambe (7) de l'élément de centrage supérieur (1) a la forme d'un segment de cercle, de façon à ce que cette portion circulaire, dans la position qui pivote le plus vers l'intérieur dudit élément de centrage supérieur (1), soit présente au-dessus de la surface de support (25) de l'élément de centrage inférieur (2) quand cet élément est pivoté vers sa position la plus avancée vers l'extérieur par rapport au bâti de structure.

3. Un dispositif selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que l'élément de centrage inférieur (2) comprend deux plaques de côté (10) avec un blocage intermédiaire (14) entre elles, ledit blocage portant le ressort à lame (18) et pouvant pivoter par rapport aux plaques de côté (10) et étant dévié au moyen d'un ressort (20) vers une position de pivotement vers l'intérieur de la structure, la rotation étant limitée par des butées (21, 22), les plaques de côté (10) étant placées sur chaque côté de la jambe (7) de l'élément de centrage supérieur.

4. Un dispositif selon la revendication 3, caractérisé en ce que les plaques de côté (10) de l'élément de centrage inférieur (2) peuvent être pivotées vers l'extérieur par rapport à ladite structure de sorte que la distance entre deux ressorts à lame opposés (18) faisant partie desdits éléments (2) est plus grande que la dimension d'une structure (5) dans ladite direction.

5. Un dispositif selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que pour faire fonctionner les moyens de centrage (1, 2), on utilise des cylindres en fonctionnant en milieu pressurisé (3,13) qui sont commandés par un relais ou une commande PLC.

Drawing