Method for shifting goods and apparatus therefor

• US 5,332,363 A
• Filed: 11/04/1992
• Issued: 07/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Nobuhiro, Hirata, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bucci, David A.
• Application Number:
  US07/971,538
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 414/403-405, 414/414, 414/419, 414/421, 414/276, 414/281-283, 221/75, 221/112, 221/114, 221/115, 221/153, 221/253
• US Class Current: 414/283
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1376 the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor

Abstract

A method for shifting goods in which goods arranged in a predetermined manner within a container having an opening portion are taken out of the container in such a manner as to correspond to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods. The method comprising the steps of superposing a goods take-out tool including partitions which are formed in such a manner as to correspond to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods on the opening portion of the container, and inverting the superposed container and goods take-out tool. The goods in the container can be taken into the goods take-out tool without changing the arrangement of the storing state of the goods.

Claims

1. An apparatus for shifting goods in which the goods are arranged in a predetermined manner within a container having an opening portion, the goods are taken out of the container corresponding to an arrangement of a storing state of the goods, said apparatus comprising:

a goods take-out tool including crisscrossing partitions for separating the goods contained in the container according to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods by inserting foremost ends of the partitions into the opening portion of the container, the goods take-out tool having a shutter on an end thereof opposite to an end having the foremost ends of the partitions, the shutter being openable and closeable and the goods being removable from the goods take-out tool when the shutter is opened, the goods entering the goods take-out tool through the end having the foremost ends of the partitions and the goods exiting the goods take-out tool through the end having the shutter; and

an inverting device for inverting the container and goods take-out tool and taking the goods from the container into the goods take-out tool, the partitions maintaining the goods in the arrangement of the storing state, said inverting device including a superposing device for superposing the goods take-out tool on the container by inserting the foremost ends of the partitions of the goods take-out tool into the container through the opening portion of the container.

2. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the container having the goods is initially located in a storing facility and wherein the apparatus is readily movable both in a vertical and horizontal direction toward and away from the storing facility.

3. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the container having the goods is initially located in a storing facility and wherein the apparatus for shifting goods is readily movable in at least one direction toward and away from the storing facility.

4. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 3, wherein the inverting device comprises a frame mounted on a table, the frame being movable on the table toward and away from the storing facility, and the frame having a rotary shaft about which the superposing device is pivotable, the superposing device being pivoted onto a container to insert the foremost ends of the partitions into the opening portion of the container in the storing facility and the superposing device and container being pivotable away from the storing facility to remove the goods from the container into the goods take-out tool.

5. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the inverting device comprises a frame mounted on a table, the frame having a rotary shaft about which the superposing device is pivotable, the superposing device being pivoted onto a container to insert the foremost ends of the partitions into the opening portion of the container and the superposing device and container being pivotable together about the rotary shaft to remove the goods from the container into the goods take-out tool.

6. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 5, wherein the superposing device comprises first holding hands, second holding hands and a guide member, the second holding hands being mounted on the guide member and the guide member being mounted on the first holding hands, the first holding hands being mounted on the frame of the inverting device, the second holding hands being vertically movable along the guide member, the goods take-out tool being held by the first holding hands and the container being gripped by the second holding hands.

7. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 6, further comprising a container take-out device for moving containers to the second holding hands, the container take-out device comprising a pivoted conveyor having first and second sections pivoted at an intermediate pivot point, the first section being pivotable to engage a container and the second section being located beneath the second hands when the inverting device is pivoted to a position to receive a container, the first section of the conveyor being pivoted to engage a container, the container being movable from the first section to the second section whereat the second hands engage the container and the foremost ends of the partitions are inserted into the opening portion of the container.

8. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the partitions form a plurality of storing portions provided in columns and rows within the goods take-out tool, the storing portions corresponding to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods in the container, each of the partitions being arranged in either a first or second direction and the first and second directions being generally perpendicular.

9. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the goods take-out tool comprises a transferable casing with a plurality of sides, the foremost ends of the partitions extending beyond the sides of the transferable casing and edges of the partitions adjacent the sides of the casing being chamfered.

10. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the shutter is a single sheet plate movable from one side to an opposed side of the goods take-out tool, the partitions dividing the goods take-out tool into a plurality of storing portions, the storing portions being arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, the storing portions in each row being simultaneously opened as the sheet plate moves to an open position and the columns of storing portions being sequentially opened as the sheet plate moves to the open position.

11. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the foremost ends of the partitions are generally flat except for a chamfer of the partitions around a periphery thereof.

12. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein intersections of the foremost ends of the partitions have conical upper portions, a guide piece being provided at an apex of at least one of the conical portions at the intersections of the partitions, the guide piece as well as the conical portions of the partitions being insertable into the opening portion of the container, the guide piece and the conical portions repositioning goods in the container which are displaced from the arrangement of the storing state.

13. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the goods have a first periphery at a first end and a second periphery at a second end thereof, the first end of the goods being adjacent the opening portion of the container and the second end being distal from the opening portion when the goods are in the container, the first periphery being less than the second periphery such that the goods have a neck, the partitions of the goods take-out tool having intersections at the foremost ends which have conical upper portions, the foremost ends of the partitions having a sufficient length to extend into the container past the first ends of the goods in order to reposition goods in the container which are displaced from the arrangement of the storing state.

14. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein sides of the goods take-out tool are open and the goods take-out tool has a basic portion, the shutter being located within the basic portion and the partitions being mounted on the basic portion of the goods take-out tool.

15. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 14, wherein the basic portion includes at least two c-shaped bars, the shutter being received between the bars and an opening being provided in at least one of the bars, the superposing device including at least one pair of hands, the hands being engageable with the c-shaped bars of the basic portion of the goods take-out tool, at least one of the hands having a protrusion which projects through the opening in the bar when the hands engage the bars, the projection projecting through the opening engaging the shutter to prevent movement thereof.

16. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 15, wherein the shutter slides between the c-shaped bars to open and close, the hands of the superposing device extending in a direction in which the shutter slides as the shutter opens and closes and each of the hands further includes at least one protrusion for engaging a recess on the basic portion.

17. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the goods take-out tool comprises a transferable casing with a plurality of sides, intersections of the foremost ends of the partitions having conical upper portions, the conical portions of the partitions being insertable into the opening portion of the container and extending beyond the sides of the transferable casing, the partitions including sloped edges forming the conical portions and flat edges between the conical portions, an angle greater than 90°

being formed between the sloped edges and flat edges of the partitions.

18. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the foremost ends of the partitions include alternating first and second serrated protrusions, the first serrated protrusions being larger than the second serrated protrusions.

19. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 1, wherein the shutter comprises a plurality of shutter sections for sequentially removing the goods from the container, the shutter sections being independently movable.

20. The apparatus for shifting goods as recited in claim 19, wherein sides of the goods take-out tool are open, the shutter sections engaging the goods in the container when the foremost ends of the partitions are inserted in the opening portion of the container and when the shutter sections are in a closed position.

21. An apparatus for shifting goods in which the goods are arranged in a predetermined manner within a container having an open portion, the goods are taken out of the container corresponding to an arrangement of a storing state of the goods, said apparatus comprising:

a goods take-out tool including criss crossing partitions for separating goods contained in the container according to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods by inserting foremost ends of the partitions into the opening portion of the container, the goods take-out tool having a shutter on an end thereof opposite to an end having the foremost ends of the partitions, the shutter being openable and closeable and the goods being removable from the goods take-out tool when the shutter is opened, the goods entering the goods take-out tool through the end having the foremost ends of the partitions and the goods exiting the goods take-out tool through the end having the shutter;

an inverting device for inverting the container and goods take-out tool and taking the goods from the container into the goods take-out tool, the partitions maintaining the goods in the arrangement of the storing state, said inverting device including a superposing device for superposing the goods take-out tool on the container by inserting the foremost ends of the partitions of the goods take-out tool into the container through the opening of the container; and

a traveling table being able to travel toward storing facilities, a lifting table for travelably supporting the said traveling table, and a traveling body for vertically movably supporting the said lifting table, the said traveling table and the said traveling body being disposed such that they travel in generally perpendicular directions with respect to each other, the said lifting table being provided with a passage for the said container to be dropped and discharged therethrough.