Singling device and a singling method

Abstract

A singling device and a singling method for singling sheet metal panels comprises two tendering positions arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction to offer a respective sheet metal panel stack, said two tendering positions being provided with a lifting means able to be reciprocated in the longitudinal direction and for feeding the sheet metal panels in the longitudinal direction to a working site. A longitudinal conveying means is arranged between the two tendering positions, which is able to be moved in the longitudinal direction, and which terminates in a first longitudinal position moved toward the working site on the one hand in the vicinity of the first tendering position remote from the working site and on the one hand bridges over the second tendering position so that the lifting means feeds the sheet metal panels lifted from the first sheet metal panel stack onto the longitudinal conveying means which in a second longitudinal position moved away from the working site frees the second tendering position.

1 . A singling device for singling sheet metal panels comprising two tendering positions arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction to offer a respective sheet metal panel stack, said two tendering positions being provided with a lifting means able to be reciprocated in the longitudinal direction for lifting individual sheet metal panels and for feeding the sheet metal panels in the longitudinal direction to a working site, wherein a longitudinal conveying means is arranged between the two tendering positions, which is able to be moved in the longitudinal direction, and which terminates in a first longitudinal position moved toward the working site on the one hand in the vicinity of the first tendering position remote from the working site and on the one hand bridges over the second tendering position so that the lifting means feeds the sheet metal panels lifted from the first sheet metal panel stack onto the longitudinal conveying means which in a second longitudinal position moved away from the working site clears the second tendering position.  
     
     
         2 . The singling device as set forth in  claim 1 , comprising in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the first tendering position and on the side opposite to the working site, a reject deposit position, at which defective sheet metal panels and/or sheet metal panel stacks may be deposited with two or more unsingled sheet metal panels.  
     
     
         3 . The singling device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein in a second longitudinal position thereof the longitudinal conveying means bridges over the first tendering position.  
     
     
         4 . The singling device as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein in a second longitudinal position thereof the longitudinal conveying means conveys the defective sheet metal panels and/or sheet metal panel stacks deposited on it by means of the lifting means, past the first tendering position to the deposit position.  
     
     
         5 . The singling device as set forth in  claim 1 , comprising at the first and/or second tendering position at least one pull-apart means and more especially at least one pull-apart magnet for pulling off the respectively top sheet metal panel clear of one or more underlying sheet metal panels.  
     
     
         6 . The singling device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal conveying means includes a conveyor belt.  
     
     
         7 . The singling device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the conveying means of the longitudinal conveying means are opposite to each other in the first and in the second longitudinal position.  
     
     
         8 . The singling device as set forth in  claim 1 , comprising a detection means for unsingled panels, in the case of which the lifting means has lifted more than one sheet metal panel from the first and/or second stack.  
     
     
         9 . The singling device as set forth in  claim 1 , comprising a first and/or a second transverse conveying means, more particularly in the form of transport carriages, for tendering the first or, respectively, the second sheet metal panel stack at the first or, respectively, second tendering position.  
     
     
         10 . The singling device as set forth in  claim 1 , comprising a second longitudinal conveying means arranged between the second tendering position and the working site, the panels being transferred in the first longitudinal position of the first longitudinal conveying means from the first longitudinal conveying means and in the second longitudinal position of the first longitudinal conveying means from the lifting means to the second longitudinal conveying means.  
     
     
         11 . A method of singling two sheet metal panels which are tendered at two tendering positions arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction, said sheet metal panels being tendered on two sheet metal panel stacks, in the case of which a lifting means able to be reciprocated in the longitudinal direction lifts individual sheet metal panels and in the longitudinal direction feeds same to a working site, wherein a longitudinal conveying means, which is arranged between the two tendering positions, moves in the longitudinal direction toward the working site into a first longitudinal position whereat the longitudinal conveying means terminates on the one hand in the vicinity of the working site and on the other hand bridges over second tendering position, the lifting means lifting in the first longitudinal position of the longitudinal conveying means sheet metal panels from the first sheet metal panel stack and feeding same to the longitudinal conveying means, and the longitudinal conveying means is moved into a second longitudinal position away from the working site, in which it clears the second tendering position, the lifting means lifting, when the longitudinal conveying means is in the second longitudinal position of the longitudinal conveying means, sheet metal panels from the second sheet metal panel stack and feeding same to the working site.