METHOD FOR MONITORING AND/OR CONTROLLING A TRANSPORT DEVICE, TRANSPORT DEVICE FOR CARRYING OUT SAID METHOD AND CLAMP FOR DETACHABLY HOLDING AND TRANSPORTING

• US 20100134253A1
• Filed: 05/11/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ferag AG (WRH Walter Reist Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Ferag AG (WRH Walter Reist Holding AG)
• Inventors: Mäder, Carl Conrad
• Granted Patent: US 8,378,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/0266 relating to the load carrier(s)
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/043 Magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/11 indicating that the input or output entities exclusively relate to machine elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/54 for managing processing of handled material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/55 Rail guided gripping means running in closed loop, e.g. without permanent interconnecting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/40 Identification
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/52 Age; Duration; Life time or chronology of event
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/52 RFID sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/81 on a movable element
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/82 with regard to the direction of transport of the handled material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/652 need of maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2601/324 Removability or inter-changeability of machine parts, e.g. for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/003 by grippers B65H29/02 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring and/or controlling a transport device (10) wherein a plurality of similar products (17), in particular printed products, such as newspapers, magazines or similar are held in a detachable manner by means of individual clamps (12) that are arranged in a row, one behind the other, and are transported in sequence along a transport path (19). Improved operational reliability and controllability is characterized in that a contract-free read-in or read-out tag (T1-T5, Tn) is provided on the clamps (12), and that a reading-in/reading-out device (30) is disposed in the vicinity of the respective clamp for reading-in or reading-out data in the tags of a clamp (12), and is displaced with the respective clamp (12) over a selected section of the transport path (19).

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and/or controlling a transportation apparatus (10, 20) in which a multiplicity of like products (17), particularly printed products such as newspapers, magazines or the like, are held detachably by means of individual clamps (12) arranged in succession to one another and are transported along a transportation path (19) in succession, the method comprising:

providing tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) which can be read in and/or out contactlessly on the clamps (12);

bringing a read in/out apparatus (30) close to the respective clamp for the purpose of reading in and/or out prescribed volumes of data in the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on a clamp (12); and

moving the read in/out apparatus (3) along with the respective clamp (12) over a selected section of the transport path (19).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tags used are tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) which can be read in and/or out by radio, particularly in the form of RFIDs, and in that the read in/out apparatus (30) is in a form and/or moved along such that the respective tag(s) (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on a clamp can be read in and/or out undisturbed by the adjacent clamps.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

matching a trajectory for read in/out apparatuses with a profile for a transportation path over the selected section of the transportation path, wherein the read in/out apparatus (30) is moved along with the respective clamp (12) on a parallel trajectory (35) over the selected section of the transportation path (19).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the read in/out apparatus (30) is moved along with the respective clamp (12) on an essentially arcuate trajectory (37) over the selected section of the transportation path (19), said transportation path (19) having an approximately tangential profile with respect to said trajectory.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a limited number of read in/out apparatuses (30) are used, and in that the limited number of read in/out apparatuses (30) are moved in a closed-end revolution such that the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on each clamp (12) can be read in and/or out in the selected section of the transportation path (19).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the clamps (12) respectively comprise a plurality of separate clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27), in that the clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27) are respectively provided with at least one tag (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn), and in that a plurality of the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) arranged on the clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27) are read in and/or out on the selected section of the transportation path (19).

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

externally accessing a selected tag (T1) for the purpose of reading in and/or out the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) arranged on the clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27), and in that the data in the other tags (T2, . . . , T5) are read in and/or out via the selected tag (T1).

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on a clamp (12) are used to store and/or read out data for individualizing or identifying the clamp (12) or the clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27).

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on a clamp (12) are used to store data about the type and/or manufacture and/or period of use or useful life of the clamp (12) or clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27).

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) are used to monitor the state of the clamps (12), and in that the discovery of malfunctions in the clamp (12) or defective or incorrect clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27) on the clamp (12) prompts production of an appropriate report.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tags are used for monitoring the open, closed and fill state of the clamps (12).

12. A transportation apparatus (10, 20) for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1, said transportation apparatus (10, 20) comprising:

a multiplicity of clamps (12) which can be moved along a transportation path (19) in an arrangement in succession to one another and are designed for detachably holding like products (17), particularly printed products such as newspapers or the like, wherein tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) which can be read in and/or out contactlessly are arranged on the clamps (12), and in that for the purpose of reading in and/or out prescribed volumes of data in the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on a clamp (12), a transmission apparatus (34, 36, 38, 40) which interacts with the transportation apparatus (10, 20) and has at least one read in/out apparatus (30) is provided, which read in/out apparatus (30) is brought close to the respective clamp by means of the transmission apparatus (34, 36, 38, 40) and can be moved along with the respective clamp (12) over the selected section of the transportation path (19).

13. The transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the tags are tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) which can be read in and/or out by radio, particularly in the form of RFIDs, and in that the read in/out apparatus (30) is in a form and/or can be moved along with the clamps (12) such that the respective tag(s) (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on a clamp can be read in and/or out undisturbed by the adjacent clamps.

14. The transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein a trajectory for read in/out apparatuses and a profile for a transportation path match one another over the selected section of the transportation path, wherein preferably the at least one read in/out apparatus (30) is moved along with the respective clamp (12) on a parallel trajectory (35) within the transmission apparatus (34) over the selected section of the transportation path (19).

15. The transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the at least one read in/out apparatus (30) is moved along with the respective clamp (12) on an essentially arcuate trajectory (37) within the transmission apparatus (36, 38) over the selected section of the transportation path (19), said transportation path (19) having an approximately tangential profile with respect to said trajectory.

16. The transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the transmission apparatus (34, 36, 38, 40) comprises a plurality of read in/out apparatuses (30), and in that the read in/out apparatuses (30) are moved in a closed-end revolution such that the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on each clamp (12) can be read in and/or out in the selected section of the transportation path (19).

17. The transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the clamps (12) respectively comprise a plurality of separate clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27), and in that the clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27) are respectively provided with at least one tag (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn).

18. The transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) arranged on the clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27) can interchange data with one another.

19. The transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on a clamp (12) store data for individualizing or identifying the clamp (12) and/or the clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27).

20. The transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on a clamp (12) store data about the type and/or manufacture and/or period of use or useful life of the clamp (12) or clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27).

21. The transportation apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the transmission apparatus (34, 36, 38, 40) is part of a handling apparatus which interacts with the transportation apparatus (10, 20) for the purpose of handling the transported products (17).

22. A clamp (12) for detachably holding and transporting flat products (17), particularly printed products such as newspapers, magazines or the like, comprising:

at least one tag (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) which can be read in and/or out contactlessly is arranged on the clamp (12).

23. The clamp as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

a plurality of separate clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27), and in that a plurality of the clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27) are respectively provided with at least one tag (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn).

24. The clamp as claimed in claim 23, wherein the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) can be read in and/or out by radio, particularly in the form of RFIDs, in that at least one selected instance of the tags (T1) can be read in and/or out externally, and in that other tags (T2, . . . , T5) can be read in and/or out only via the selected tag (T1).

25. The clamp as claimed in claim 22 wherein the clamp (12) at least partially comprises plastic, and in that tags are embedded in the plastic.

26. The clamp as claimed in claim 22 wherein the tags (T1, . . . , T5;

Tn) on the clamp (12) store data for individualizing or identifying the clamp (12) or the clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27) and/or data about the type and/or manufacture and/or period of use or useful life of the clamp (12) or clamp portions (13, . . . , 16;

21, . . . , 27).