US 11,939,172 B2
Method for operating a supply device, and supply device
Karlheinz Stollhof, Dannenfels (DE); and Christopher Blasius, Boerrstadt (DE)
Assigned to Koerber Supply Chain Automation Eisenberg GmbH, Eisenberg (DE)
Appl. No. 17/442,674
Filed by Koerber Supply Chain Automation Eisenberg GmbH, Eisenberg (DE)
PCT Filed Mar. 18, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/057484
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 24, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/193319, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 1, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102019204389.5 (DE), filed on Mar. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0340374 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 47/31 (2006.01); B65G 47/08 (2006.01); B65G 47/90 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/31 (2013.01) [B65G 47/084 (2013.01); B65G 47/907 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a supply device, the supply device comprising at least one feed conveyor, at least one intermediate conveyor, a discharge conveyor and at least one handling device, wherein individual products are continuously conveyed from the at least one feed conveyor to a work area of the at least one handling device; the method comprising:
displacing the products by the at least one handling from the at least one feed conveyor onto the at least one continuously running intermediate conveyor for forming an article layer according to a placement pattern;
wherein the article layer is transferred from the at least one intermediate conveyor to the discharge conveyor,
wherein during the formation of the article layer, the at least one intermediate conveyor runs at a transfer speed, in that during the transfer of the article layer, the at least one intermediate conveyor and the discharge conveyor run at an equal speed, wherein during the transfer of the article layer, the discharge conveyor and the at least one intermediate conveyor are accelerated to the discharge speed, and in that after the formation of the article layer, the discharge conveyor is accelerated to a discharge speed which is greater than the transfer speed, and in that the supply device comprises a first feed conveyor running at a first infeed speed and a second feed conveyor running at a second infeed speed, wherein the at least one handling device has an at least approximately circular work area which extends in a transport direction and in a transverse direction (y) over at least part of the at least one feed conveyor and over at least part of the at least one intermediate conveyor.