Apparatus for driving take-up elements for palletizable load units, particularly for storage and transport installations and the like

Claim 2

Method for driving take-up elements (7) for palletizable load units (4), which are intended to carry out cycles of movement each comprising at least a first and a second horizontal movement in- opposite directions to each other, with a vertical movement in between, characterised in that the three movements are driven so as to follow each other without intermediate stoppages and with a continuous and substantially harmonic variation of the velocity and acceleration of the take-up elements (7).

Claim 3

Method as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the vertical movement of the take-up elements (7) starts immediately before and ends immediately after the moment of reversal of the horizontal movement.

Claim 4

Method as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that each cycle of movement comprises a further vertical movement which follows the second horizontal movement or precedes-the first horizontal movement without intermediate stoppages and with a continuous variation of velocity and acceleration, the two vertical movements being in opposite directions.

Claim 5

Apparatus (1) for driving take-up elements (7) for palletizable load units (4), which are intended to carry out cycles of movement each comprising at least a first and a second horizontal movement in opposite directions from each other, with a vertical movement in between, said apparatus (1) including a motor (13), guide means (5) for the horizontal movement of the take-up elements (7), a mechanical transmission (10, 12) connected between the motor (13) and the take-up elements (7) for driving the horizontal movement of the latter, and means (24, 25) for driving the vertical movement, characterised in that: - the mechanical transmission connected between the motor (13) and the take-up elements (7) is constituted by a linkage including a crank (12) driven by the motor (13) and a connecting rod (10) of substantially the same length as the crank (12), which is articulated at one end to the crank (12) and at the other end to a part (8) movable with the take-up elements (7), and - the means for driving the vertical movement of the take-up elements (7) comprise cam means (24, 25) driven by the motor (13) and arranged to operate close to the end of the first horizontal movement to cause a continuous variation in the velocity and the acceleration of the take-up elements (7) during the vertical movement, whereby the operation of the motor (13) drives the three movements in succession without intermediate stoppages and with a continuous and substantially harmonic variation in the velocity and the acceleration of the take-up elements (7).

Claim 6

Apparatus (1) for driving take-up elements (7) for palletizable load units (4), which are intended to carry out cycles of movement each comprising at least a first and a second horizontal movement in opposite directions from each other, with a vertical movement in between, said apparatus (1) including a motor (13), guide means (5) for the horizontal movement of the take-up elements (7), a mechanical transmission (10, 12) connected between the motor (13) and the take-up elements (7) for driving the horizontal movement of the latter, and means (24, 25) for driving the vertical movement, characterised in that: - the mechanical transmission connected between the motor (13) and the take-up elements (7) is constituted by a linkage including a crank (12) driven by the motor (13) and a connecting rod (10) of substantially the same length as the crank (12), which is articulated at one end to the crank (12) and at the other end to a part (8) movable with the take-up elements (7), and - the means for driving the vertical movement of the take-up elements (7) comprise cam means (24, 25) driven by the motor (13) and arranged to operate close to the end of the first horizontal movement to cause a continuous variation in the velocity and the acceleration of the take-up elements (7) during the vertical movement, whereby the operation of the motor (13) drives the three movements in succession without intermediate stoppages and with a continuous and substantially harmonic variation in the velocity and the acceleration of the take-up elements (7).

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the crank is constituted by a first gear wheel (12) which meshes with a pinion (16) rotated by the motor (13), in that the end of the connecting rod (10) articulated to the crank (12) carries a second gear wheel (19) which meshes with a third fixed gear wheel (17), coaxial with the first gear wheel (12), with the interpositioning of an auxiliary gear wheel (18) .freely rotatable on the first gear wheel (12), and in that the second gear wheel (19) has a diameter of half the diameter of the third fixed gear wheel (17).

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the cam means comprise a wheel (24) having a cam profile operating with one end of a lever (26) for operating a lifting machanism (29, 30, 32) connected between a fixed structure (6) and a vertically movable frame (5) which supports the apparatus (1).

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the crank is constituted by a first gear wheel (12) meshed with a pinion (16) rotated by the motor (13), in that the end of the connecting rod (10) is articulated to the crank (12) and carries a second gear wheel (19) which meshes with a third gear wheel (17) coaxial with the first gear wheel, with the interpositioning of an auxiliary gear wheel (18) freely rotatable on the first gear wheel (12), in that the second gear wheel (19), has a diameter of half the diameter of the third gear wheel (17), and in that the third gear wheel (17) is rotated through a limited angle by an auxiliary motor (47).

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 and Claim 7, characterised in that the take-up elements (7) are intended to carry out their cycles of movement equally well on the two opposite sides of the frame (5) of the apparatus (11), in that the apparatus (1) includes an auxiliary connecting rod (40) articulated to the first gear wheel (12) at a symmetrical point diametrally opposite the point of articulation of the connecting rod (10), and in that the take-up elements (7) are provided with a pair of coupling elements (56, 57) spaced frer each other in the direction of the horizontal movement of the take-up elements (7) each for selectively engaging the free end of a respective connecting rod, the end of the auxiliary connecting rod (40) articulated to the first gear wheel (12) being fixed to a fourth gear wheel (43) of a diameter equal to that of the second gear wheel (19) which meshes with the third gear wheel (17) with the interpositioning of a further auxiliary gear wheel (44).

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 and Claim 7, characterised in that the take-up elements (7 are arranged to carry cut their cycles of movement equally well on two opposite sides cf the frame (5) of the apparatus (1) and in that the apparatus (1) includes a further linkage (40, 41) identical to the said linkage (10, 12) and driven in synchronism therewith by the motor (13), in that the take-up elements (7) carry a coupling element (48) for selectively engaging the free end of the connecting rods (10, 40) of the two linkages according to the side of frame (5) on which the cycle of movement is to be carried out, and in that the third gear wheel (45) of the further linkage (40, 41) is rotated through a limited angle in synchronism with the third gear wheel (17) of the other linkage (10, 12) by means of the auxiliary motor (47).