AU2003204232B2 - Carton handling method & apparatus - Google Patents

Description

15/05 2008 TI 15:30 FAX Smoorenburg Attorneys 44~- IP ALUSTRALIA IjO/3 IA006/037 00 CKI fRegulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

kn Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

Name of Applicant: LAYER TECH HOLDINGS PTY LTD Actual Inventor: WILLIAM LAURENCE PEARCE Address for Service: SMOORENBURG PINI PATENT TRADE MARK

ATTORNEYS

11231 MAROONDAH HIGHWAY RINGWOOD VIC 3134 Invention Title: CARTON HANDLING METHOD APPARATUS Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): Australian Provisional Patent Application No. PS2500 Filed: 1 7 th May, 2002 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: COMS ID No: ARCS-i 90691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 200&-05-15 15/05 2008 THU 15:30 F-\X Smoorenburg Attorneys -4 IP AUSTRALIA R007/037 00 2 STITLE: CARTON HANDLING METHOD AND APPARATUS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention concerns a method and apparatus for handling goods arranged in ^t layers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ^C Cartoned goods, which are generally arranged in layers as so called layered goods, C1 leave the factory on pallets and reside in a warehouse until purchased by a supermarket.

They are taken from a warehouse rack by a robot selector or a forklift and are loaded onto (C a truck for transport to the retail premises. Thus the goods remain on pallets from the factory, through the warehouse, on the truck and into the supermarket. The pallets are Cri standard size 1200 x 1200 mm and a pallet load may consist of several superimposed layers of cartons. Supermarkets commonly order in multiples of pallet layers.

Conventionally a pallet carries only one type of good, for example, a full load of butter.

If an order from a supermarket is for two pallet layers of margarine, the margarine pallet will leave the warehouse with only two layers. The loader who supervises the composition of the road truck must use the road truck volume as best he may, but presently as much as 6t of the 35t load represents the timber of the pallets. This is uneconomic, the consequence of the carton by carton assembly of a customers order at the warehouse. Systems designers in the distribution business have sought savings in records, ordering programs and software, but the physical handling of the cartons which compose the individual orders has remained unchanged for a period of years.

International pallets used in air freight do not correspond to the standard pallet in Australia and all goods must be transferred from one to the other. This is all done manually and the volume of work at airports and warehouses causes a correspondingly large number of injuries, such as RSI.

Furthermore, the warehousing and logistics industries are highly competitive and normally operate on very low operating margins. Accordingly, it may be that the highest operating cost faced by this industry is that of labour followed by the cost of materials handling. It is desirable to control all costs wherever possible and as such warehouse and distribution centre operators may try and minimise the amount of materials handling equipment on site.

Any discussion of documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the invention. It should not be taken as an admission COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15 15/05 2008 THU 15:31 FAX Smooreriburg Attorneys IP AUSTRALIA Q008/037 00 3 that any of the material forms a part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art in Australia or elsewhere on or before the priority date of the disclosure and claims herein.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate at least one disadvantage of the prior art discussed herein.

SSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of preferred embodiments there is provided a method of assembling a warehouse order comprising at least one layer of goods, the method comprising the

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steps of: engaging goods by applying a partial vacuum between gang lifting means and substantially from above a layer of goods disposed immediately below the gang lifting means, where the gang lifting means is detachably mounted to the lifting portion of a forklift and has a head comprising a vacuum chamber and a plurality of suction devices each having a tube which rides telescopically on a hollow projection extending from the head, the rise and fall being used to open and close a check valve operatively associated with the vacuum chamber and situated between each individual suction device and the vacuum chamber; and transferring the engaged goods forming at least a partial layer to and/or from a pallet.

The method aspect of a preferred embodiment of the invention provides a method of assembling a warehouse order comprising transferring a pallet layer of cartons or part thereof as a group to or from a pallet. Accordingly, the method described herein provides a lifting platform, preferably mobile, that allows the selection and lifting of full layers of multiple cartons of goods and/or individual sheets of product within a warehouse environment.

Preferably the pallet size is 1200 x 1200mm. One layer may correspond to 1-24 cartons. The transfer may be from a warehouse rack to a pallet. The transfer may be powered by a forklift truck equipped with a vacuum generator.

In another aspect of preferred embodiments there is provided a pick up assembly for carriage by a forklift comprising: gang lifting means capable of loading and unloading a layer of goods; means to apply a partial vacuum between a head of the gang lifting means and substantially from above the layer of goods, wherein the head comprises a vacuum COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15 15/05 2008 THU 15:31 FAX Smooreriburg Attorneys IP AUSTRALIA R009/037 00 4

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chamber and a plurality of suction devices each having a tube which rides telescopically on a hollow projection extending from the head, the rise and fall being used to open and close a check valve operatively associated with the vacuum chamber and situated between each individual device and the vacuum chamber; and means capable of detachably mounting the assembly on the lifting portion of a Sforklift.

SOne apparatus aspect of a preferred embodiment of the invention provides a pickup assembly for cartoned goods comprising;- "gang lifting means capable of overlaying a layer of cartooned goods; and means to apply a partial vacuum between the gang lifting means and the cartons Cfor the purpose of lifting an entire layer and means capable of mounting the assembly on a forklift.

The lifting means may be a horizontal head of substantially the same area as the pallet with an array of suction devices projecting downwardly from the mount having ends which lie substantially in a common plane so as to contact the upper surface of the group of cartons on a pallet.

The mount may contain a vacuum chamber common to the array and the chamber may be connectable to a vacuum pump on the forklift truck.

The tubes may terminate in a resilient bellows so as to seal against the carton surface. The devices may be normally closed until the whole assembly is lowered by the forks to displace the tubes causing connection to vacuum. The tubes may ride telescopically on projections extending from the mount, the rise and fall being used to open and close a check valve such as a ball situated between the individual tube and the common chamber. This is a convenient arrangement of parts, but clearly any arrangement which will offer lost motion will be useful. Accordingly, embodiments described herein offer an advantage over known devices that employ clamping mechanisms, which are unsuitable to many packaging and product types.

Preferable the vacuum pump is driven by its own motor so that the pump and motor may be accommodated as a unit in a box offering sound proofing.

The box may be mountable on the forklift, for example on the roof above the driver. The pump and the gang lifting means may be connected by a vacuum hose fed from a reel. The reel may take up the rise and fall motion of the fork. Thus the pick up assembly may be supplied with its own vacuum generator unit as retro fittable equipment COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15 15/05 2008 THU 15:31 FAX Smoorenburg Attorneys IP AUSTRALIA Z010/037 00 for a standard forklift truck. As the forks are at a standard spacing, the flat rectangular gang lifting part is preferable provided with a pair of parallel shoes into which the forks imay slide.

The pickup assembly is capable of lifting cartons made of waxed paperboard, plastic film wrapped articles and cellophane wrapped boxes. The aim is to provide a conversion kit which will offer the warehouse staff a q.d. accessory for a standard forklift.

The suction devices will lift goods such as cartons of slightly differing heights because the 20mm or so of lost motion in the telescoping action copes with minor irregularities.

c, While a pallet of size 1200 x1200mm is a convenient size for the head, a larger size is used for airport operations. A still larger size is useful for flat articles such as glass mdf,

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plywood, plasterboard and other building panels, sheet metal and the like. The suction devices for larger heads are not so densely packed. Accordingly, the person skilled in the art would recognise that the gang lifting means of the pick up assembly may comprise in one embodiment, more than one lift head. In this respect the term "gang lifting means" is to be taken as reference to a combination of two or more implements or components arranged to work together to perform the relevant lifting function. In a preferred embodiment such gang lifting means may be suitable for the purpose of lifting long sheet type goods such as wall panelling or similarly dimensioned packaged goods.

When the assembly is used on a forklift which travels up and down the aisles of a warehouse with racks on one or both sides, the assembly may be modified to allow the head to project into a rack and pick up or put down goods. Thus, the embodiments herein offer advantages over fixed materials handling equipment such as robots, cranes or gantries that comprise fixtures limiting their application and are expensive to install and operate.

A further apparatus aspect provides a forklift truck with a pick up assembly carried in the fork position and a vacuum generator being part of the truck equipment.

This may all be original equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Certain embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a side view of the forklift truck with the lifting assembly in position.

Figure 2 is a plan of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan of the pick up assembly.

COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 .Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15 05 2008 THU 15:31 FAX Smoorenburg Attorneys IP AUSTRALIA [011/037 00 6 Figure 4 is an end view of the part in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of the part in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a side section of a single vacuum tube in the pick up assembly.

Figure 7 is a plan of the head mounted on a sub assembly which permits the head to move to one side of the forklift.

CFigure 8 is a plan of the head of Figure 7 extended to the pick up/put down Sposition.

All views are diagrammatic.

C€ DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the drawings, the forklift truck 2 is the type which has a mast 4 Cl pivoted to the chassis enabling it to turn 900 to the longitudinal axis to the truck. Bars 6 create a roof platform 8. The mast has conventional rise and fall forks 10. The top of the mast has a vacuum hose reel 12.

The 1273 x 1273mm pickup assembly 14 is suspended from the forks and is connected by a self-sealing coupling 16 to hose 18 paid out by the reel. The opposite end of the hose is connected to a vacuum generator 20 housed in a sound proof box 22 mounted on the roof platform. The vacuum pump 24 is propriety equipment and is belt driven by a standard 24hp LPG engine. Vacuum exhaust 26 and engine exhaust 28 discharge into the warehouse.

Pick Up Assembly Referring now to Figures 2-6, an alloy top plate 30 and an alloy bottom plate 32 are bolted together at their perimeters but separated by a gasket 34. The plate 30 has a pair of longitudinal shoes 36 of top hat section. These allow the assembly to be lifted by the forks or parked when not required. The space between the plates 30, 32 is the vacuum chamber. Apertures 38 in the top plate discharge into a pair of plenums 40 alongside the shoes 36. The plenums 40 are emptied by ducts 42 (figure 3) which join and meet selfsealing coupling 16 (figure 1).

With particular reference to figure 6, the bottom plate 32 has a 23 x 23 array of downwardly projecting sleeves 44. The sleeve has a seat closed by a spring loaded ball 46. Each sleeve mounts a slidable tube 48. The lower end of tube 48 carries rubber bellows 50 intended to contact the top of carton 52. The upper end of the tube 48 lifts the ball 46 off its seat and imposes vacuum in the bellows. The pump operates continuously.

The driver controls vacuum to the lifting assembly by a switch in his cab. This operates COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15 15/05 2008 THI 15:32 FAX Smoorenburg Attorneys IP AUSTRALIA [a012/037 00 7 an electric dump valve. To maximize the lift capability and performance of the pickup assembly 14 in relation to a range of goods, as many tubes and resilient bellows 50 as possible are employed within the surface area of the pickup assembly 14. This aspect of a _3 _large number of suction devices is shown clearly in figures 4 and The purpose of each tube is to act as a sensing valve that controls the amount of Ssub atmospheric pressure to be created in each resilient bellow 50. This sensing system is e¢3 Scontrolled by the metal ball 46 being of a slightly smaller diameter than that of the bore of the tube 48 in which it sits. This ball 46 also acts as a one way valve. On lowering the Cpickup assembly 14 onto a target layer of goods most of the available air within the resilient bellow 50 is evacuated. Assuming that the resilient bellow 50 is fully sealed then Son engagement of the vacuum generator 24 substantially all remaining air within the bellow 50 is evacuated and the ball 46 is sucked part way up the tube 48 and a sub atmospheric pressure differential is created whilst the vacuum source still remains engaged maintaining a pressure differential to provide constant lifting force. A diminished airflow prevents the ball 46 fully sealing on the uppermost seat of the tube 48 and as such the airway is kept open. However when the suction cup is fully sealed on a carton, the air in the cup is substantially evacuated and provides sub atmospheric pressure. There is not however sufficient air flow to allow the ball 46 to be fully sucked up the tube 48 to seal on the upper seat thereof. If the resilient bellow 50 is not fully sealed, for example, in the case of aligning with a gap between the target layer of goods, then on engagement of the vacuum generator 24 the air flow though the bellow 50 will cause the ball bearing to be fully drawn up the tube and seal on the uppermost seat. This in turn seals the tube 48 so as not to allow any loss of vacuum efficiency. This system provides a clear advantage, particularly over systems that may use bellows type suction cups without the one way valve arrangement embodied by the ball 46, whereby the present system is capable of lifting any configuration of stack no matter how many gaps may occur between individual goods or cartons.

In use the operator starts with an empty pallet. From his Order list he visits the rack holding cartons of fruit and transfers two layers of cartons to the waiting pallet. He next visits the racks holding cartons of laundry powder and transfers two layers to the same pallet. The pallet is full and a standard forklift removes the full pallet to a waiting road truck.

COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15 15/05 2008 TI'H 15:32 VAX Smoorenburg Attorneys IP AUSTRALIA Q013/037 00 8 Sub Assembly Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, the shoes 36 support a pair of cross slides 54 which have rail extensions 56. The head is moved at 900 to the drive axis of the truck by a central ram 58. The hose pays out from a tubular guide 60 which takes it to the reel as in Figure 1. Counterweight 62 balances the head.

In a non-illustrated version, the sub assemble has a radius arm instead of cross slides.

We have found the advantages of the above embodiment to be:- 1. Human handling of cartons is unnecessary with consequent savings in injury claims.

C 2. The proportion ofpartially filled pallets on road trucks can be reduced.

It is to be understood that the word "comprising" as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form, ie. use of the word "comprising" does not exclude the addition of other elements.

It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention.

COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15

Claims (27)

1. A pick up assembly for carriage by a forklift comprising: V' gang lifting means capable of loading and unloading a layer of goods; means to apply a partial vacuum between a head of the gang lifting means and NC substantially from above the layer of goods, wherein the head comprises a vacuum chamber and a plurality of suction devices each having a tube which rides telescopically on a hollow projection extending from the head, the rise and fall being used to open and close a check valve operatively associated with the vacuum chamber and situated between each individual device and the vacuum chamber and; means capable of detachably mounting the assembly on the lifting portion of a forklift.

2. A pickup assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the gang lifting means comprises a horizontal head with an array of the suction devices projecting downwardly from the mount, having ends which lie substantially in a common plane so as to contact the upper surface of the goods located within the layer of goods.

3. A pickup assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the vacuum chamber is common to the array and the chamber is connectable to a vacuum source on the forklift.

4. A pickup assembly as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein the devices each terminate in a resilient bellows so as to seal against the goods.

5. A pickup assembly as claimed in Claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the devices are in use normally closed until the assembly is lowered by the forklift to displace the devices causing connection to vacuum.

6. A pick up assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2-5, wherein the head has means which is engageable and disengageable by the forks on the forklift.

7. A pickup assembly as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the means is a pair of shoes into which the forks are slidable. COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15 15(05 200S THI 15:32 FAX Smoorenburg Attorneys IP AUSTRALIA [015/037 00 O 1

8. A pickup assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1-5, wherein the means mounting the assembly is one or more connectors capable of fixing the assembly to the mast of the forklift.

9. A pickup assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1-8, wherein the horizontal area occupied by the head is substantially the same as that of a forklift pallet.

A pickup assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1-9, wherein the means 1 capable of mounting the assembly on the forklift comprises a sub assembly capable of moving the head transversely of the fork direction in order to reach into racks lining an 1 aisle.

11. A pickup assembly as claimed in Claim 10, wherein extendable support means allows the head to move parallel to the ground between a retracted carrying position and an extended pick up/put down position and a ram moves the head between the two positions.

12. A pickup assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 9, wherein the head has a connector for a radius arm mounted on the forklift to enable the assembly to swing through a vertical axis.

13. A pick up assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1-6 and as modified by Figures 7-9.

14. A forklift as claimed in any one of Claims 1-9, wherein the head is connected by a hose to a self-rewinding hose reel for carriage by the forklift.

A forklift bearing a pick up assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1-9, wherein the mount is connected by a hose to a vacuum source via a self-rewinding hose reel.

16. A pick up assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gang lifting means comprises more than one head. COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15 15/05 200S THU 15:32 FAX Smoorenburg Attorneys IP AI STRALIA [016/037 00 CD 11

17. A method of assembling a warehouse order comprising at least one layer of goods, Sthe method comprising the steps of: engaging goods by applying a partial vacuum between gang lifting means and substantially from above a layer of goods disposed immediately below the gang lifting means, where the gang lifting means is detachably mounted to the lifting portion of a C forklift, and has a head comprising a vacuum chamber and a plurality of suction devices C¢€ C, each having a tube which rides telescopically on a hollow projection extending from the head, the rise and fall being used to open and close a check valve operatively associated Swith the vacuum chamber and situated between each individual suction device and the vacuum chamber; C transferring the engaged goods forming at least a partial layer to and/or from a pallet.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the step of engaging goods comprises the step of: engaging the goods located within the layer with the plurality of suction devices formed within an array where the array substantially covers the layer.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17 or 18 wherein the step of engaging the goods comprises the steps of: lowering the gang lifting means so as to displace only those suction devices that contact the goods within the layer and causing the devices to open and make connection to partial vacuum.

20. A method as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein the gang lifting means comprises at least one head which houses the array of suction devices.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 further comprising the step of: moving the gang lifting means transversely of a forklift direction to engage and/or transfer goods into or from racks lining an aisle. COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15 15/05 2008 T'IH 15:32 FAX Smoorenburg Attorneys IP AISTRAL.IA (017/037 00 O 12 O

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the step of moving comprises the steps of: extending the head to pick up and put down goods; retracting the head to carry goods.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21 or 22 wherein the step of moving comprises the step of: swinging the gang lifting means through a vertical axis.

24. A method as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 23 further comprising the step of: cN maintaining the suction devices as closed when not engaging goods.

A method substantially as herein described with reference to at least one of the accompanying drawings.

26. A pick up assembly substantially as herein described with reference to at least one of the accompanying drawings.

27. A forklift substantially as herein described with reference to at least one of the accompanying drawings. COMS ID No: ARCS-190691 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:34 Date 2008-05-15