Durkopp Adler Aktiengesellschaft

Thomas Zahn

Paul Janzen

Klaus Niesen

Thomas Blattner

Frank Kuhnt

Martin Luke

Rainer Brannahl

Siegfried Goldbeck

Werner Heer

Thomas Diekmann

Uwe Petermeier

Dirk Kuhlemann

A method and apparatus for conveying material hanging on hangers. The material is transported from a loading region to a conveyance region, and then to a delivery region. Grip units of various lengths are formed by combining individual materials into groups. A theoretical maximum length for a grip unit is established. Clock pulses are produced in the conveyance region and are counted. Grip units stowed in the loading region are individualized to form well-defined spaces between the materials. Individualized grip units fed to the conveyance region are switched into the conveyance region when a gap sufficiently large to accommodate the grip unit is present in the conveyance region, determined by the maximum length established and counting of the clock pulses. The distance to be moved by the grip unit in the conveyance region to reach its destination is established, and progress of the grip unit is tracked. The grip unit is switched out to the delivery region, the switch-out mechanism remaining in effect to accommodate the length of the grip unit.

Method of conveying articles hanging on hangers and devices for use in

An adapter for use with a hanging conveyor system in which articles hanging on hangers and particularly articles of clothing, are transported for sorting or ordering by means of a conveyor along a transport path. The adapter is codable with data concerning the articles. The adapter is insertable between each article hanger provided with a hanger hook and the conveyor means. The adapter has a hook-shaped head region and a receiving region located below the head region. The receiving region has at least one section having a U-shaped cross section formed by an upward-extending arm. The receiving region contacts the hanger hook over such a region that the hanger hook, once inserted, will not twist in the receiving region. In a preferred embodiment, the receiving region is made up of two sections that are adjacent to each other, forming between them an intermediate space. Methods and arrangements for automatically loading hangers into and unloading hangers from the adapters also are provided.

Codable adapter for use with a hanging conveyor system

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Bielefeld, Germany

Thomas Zahn