Apparatus for storing and automatically sorting items

• US 5,253,783 A
• Filed: 09/17/1992
• Issued: 10/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knapp Logistik Automation GmbH
• Original Assignee: Knapp Logistik Automation GmbH
• Inventors: Freudelsperger, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): SKAGGS JR, H GRANT
• Application Number:
  US07/945,940
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 414/276, 198/535, 198/536, 221/124, 221/131, 221/133, 221/197, 221/92, 221/93, 221/94, 221/282
• US Class Current: 221/131
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1376 the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor

Abstract

An apparatus for storing and automatically sorting items, in which the items are stored in bins or magazines arranged on bin-bases affixed to a frame from which individual bin-bases can be pulled out, includes a horizontal conveyor, each bin including an item dispenser through which items are dispensed onto the horizontal conveyor. The horizontal conveyor is positioned beneath the bin-bases and transversely to their end faces, and extends width-wise only across a central part of the apparatus. The apparatus further includes guide plates sloping down toward the conveyor in a part of the apparatus to which the conveyor does not extend for guiding items from the item dispensers to the conveyor. The frame includes an upper beam resting on a row of pillars mounted above the conveyor on A or inverted V-shaped supports whose legs rest on opposite lateral sides of the conveyor, one row of bin-bases being mounted on each side of the columns.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the storage and automated sorting of items, comprising a plurality of bin-bases mounted in sloping manner in at least one row and affixed to a frame from which they can be pulled out, and item-specific bins on the bin-bases, each bin having one dispenser at a lower end, and at least one horizontal conveyor positioned beneath the bin-bases and transversely to their end faces, wherein the horizontal conveyor extends width-wise only across a central part of the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus further comprises guide plates sloping downward toward the horizontal conveyor in a part of the apparatus to which the conveyor does not extend, the frame comprising an upper beam resting on a row of pillars mounted above the horizontal conveyor and supported on lateral sides of said conveyor by supports having two legs, each leg being located on one side of the conveyor, and wherein one row of bin-bases is mounted on each side of the rows of pillars.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bin-bases comprise horizontal support rails which are affixed to the upper beam and which can be pulled out.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rails are guided by rollers mounted on the upper beam.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upper beam projects laterally above the at least one row of bin-bases.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support rails projects laterally beyond the bin-base into the inside of the apparatus.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein mutually opposite bin-bases are mounted in a height-offset manner.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support rail is mounted on support-rail braces extending upwardly from the bin-bases.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bin-bases include at least one item stocking shaft mounted to the support-rail braces.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the horizontal conveyor is a roller conveyor.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two-leg supports are A-shaped.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a lower end face of each item-specific bin includes a dispensing aperture and wherein the dispenser includes a retractable stop at least partly blocking the dispensing aperture.