Apparatus and method for moving or positioning wider or narrower of objects

• US 20050135913A1
• Filed: 12/11/2002
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visser's-Gravendeel Holding B.V.
• Original Assignee: Visser's-Gravendeel Holding B.V.
• Inventors: Visser, Cornelis Frans Taco
• Granted Patent: US 7,819,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/623
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/088 Handling or transferring pots
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/12 Platforms; Forks; Other load supporting or gripping members
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/195 for pushing the load

Abstract

An apparatus is for displacing objects which can be picked up. The apparatus includes a fork-like member provided with teeth for picking up the objects, a transporting device connected to this member, a device for moving the fork-like member vertically, and a control device for controlling the transporting and moving devices. The apparatus includes at least one pair of mutually adjacent teeth of the fork-like member which is equipped with one flexible carrier arranged on each tooth and drivable in longitudinal direction of the tooth. When the objects are set down, this carrier can impart a determined speed to the objects such that the distance between two rows of set-down objects standing perpendicularly of the direction of the teeth can be regulated in a flexible manner by way of adjusting the speed of the carrier.

Claims

1. Apparatus for displacing objects which can be picked up, comprising:

a fork-like member provided with teeth for picking up the objects,

transporting device connected to this member,

device for moving the fork-like member vertically,

control device for the transporting and moving devices, wherein at least one pair of mutually adjacent teeth of the fork-like member is equipped with one flexible carrier arranged on each tooth and drivable in longitudinal direction of the tooth.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible carrier is provided with means for holding the flexible carrier in its place relative to the teeth in the case of transverse load.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible carrier is a toothed belt.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible carrier is a chain.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the chain is provided with fingers for holding the chain in its place relative to the teeth in the case of transverse load.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transporting and moving devices are a fork-lift truck.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one flexible carrier is arranged on all teeth of the fork-like member.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein all flexible carriers are driven by of a common drive shaft.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the speed of the flexible carriers is adjusted via a controller.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the speed of the flexible carriers can be regulated as a function of the speed of the transporting device using the controller.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible carrier is a toothed belt.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible carrier is a chain.

12. Method for displacing objects which can be picked up, wherein a fork-like member provided with teeth picks up and subsequently sets down objects at another location at a determined transporting speed, comprising:

regulating, during at least one of picking up and setting down of the objects, the speed of the objects relative to the teeth using flexible carriers movable in longitudinal direction on the teeth, wherein each tooth has a maximum of one carrier.

13. Method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the objects are all picked up at the same time, and wherein, when the objects are set down, the speed of the picked-up objects relative to the teeth is regulated so as to be lower than the transporting speed of the teeth.

14. Method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the objects for picking up are disposed in accordance with a checkerboard pattern consisting of rows placed perpendicularly of the forks, and wherein the speed of the flexible carrier relative to the teeth is regulated during setting down such that the distance between two set-down rows is greater than their mutual distance in the original checkerboard pattern.

15. Method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the objects are all picked up at the same time, and wherein the speed of the flexible carrier relative to the teeth during setting down is regulated so as to be higher than the transporting speed of the teeth.

18. Apparatus for displacing objects, comprising:

first means, provided with teeth, for picking up the objects; and

means for moving the first means vertically, wherein at least one pair of mutually adjacent teeth of the first means is equipped with one flexible carrier arranged on each tooth and drivable in longitudinal direction of the tooth.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

means for transporting the first means; and

control means for controlling the means for transporting and the means for moving.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the flexible carrier is provided with means for holding the flexible carrier in its place relative to the teeth in the case of transverse load.