BTM/250/1000/B/G Mechanical Parcel Handling SystemThis Mechanical Parcel Handling System is designed to lift and tip the Royal Mail York Container at a discharge height of 1000mm. The Parcel Handling System is a fully welded steel construction and is designed to be bolted to the floor. This Parcel Handling System would be powered via a Helical Bevel gearbox and would tip the York Containers to an angle of 170 degrees. The Parcel Handling System would be wheeled into the lift frame and would be raised by rotation of the lifting carriage by the motor gearbox. As the York Container is tipped over, the discharge of mail and parcels will be in a controlled manner to a full tip angle of 170 degrees. The York Container would be securely retained in the lift carriage in the fully tipped position. Safety Guard to BS EN 14120:2015 Safety of Machinery Guards
The safety guard is constructed from 40 x 40 x 3mm box section and 3mm wire, 40mm aperture weld mesh to meet the guidelines of BS EN 14120:2015 Safety of Machinery. It encloses the Parcel Handling System to a height of 2200mm on two sides with a pair of interlocked hinged guard doors on the fourth side. The guard doors are electrically and mechanically interlocked to prevent the Parcel Handling System from operating if either door is open. Additionally, the guard doors can only be opened when the lift carriage is at the full down position to prevent access whilst a load is raised. There were also a pair of electrically interlocked safety guard doors that allowed access into the side of the safety guard at the tipping area to retrieve any parcels that may fall out at this position and also to allow access for cleaning and maintenance.
Infeed Conveyor
The Parcel Handling System discharged into a Hopper mounted on the infeed end of an Inclined Conveyor.
Parcel Handling System Electrical Control
The Parcel Handling System is fitted with an IP65 Stainless Steel Control Panel which is mounted on the main frame at a convenient position to give good maintenance access under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulation 1998 (PUWER). It incorporates all of the controls for the Tipper and the Inclined Infeed Conveyor. Both the Tipper and the Conveyor Control were controlled by Inverters to allow for speed control.
The Parcel Handling System uses a Rotary Position Sensor to stop at the full up and full down positions. It also uses Over Travel Proximity Sensors which are independent of the Rotary Sensor.
The Control Panel is fitted with a HMI that also allows various features including:-
• Adjustment of the Full Up position
• Adjustment of the Full Down position
• A Tipper Counter
• Selection of the Mail Sweep Mode
The Tipper control sequence is as follows:-
• The York Container is loaded into the parcel handling system and the Guard Door closed
• There is a photo sensor inside the safety enclosure that senses that the York Container is loaded correctly before the container can be tipped
• The Control On button is pressed followed by the System Start button which would cause the parcel handling system to lift and tip
• The tipping cycle is automated so that once the full up position is reached and all of the mail is tipped out, the parcel handling system will return to the full down position to allow the empty York to be replaced
• The guard gate interlock switch is released via a ‘Guard Release’ push button which allows the safety guard door to be opened
• The empty container can then be removed and replaced with a full container and the whole cycle repeated
Mail Sweep
There is a safe method of entering the safety enclosure to retrieve any mail that may have dropped to the floor within the enclosure. The procedure is as follows:-
• An Engineer will select the Mail Sweep mode using the HMI and then drive the lift carriage to the full up position using a hold to run key switch
• Once the tipper activates both the Full Up position on the Rotary Sensor and then the Over Travel Proximity Switch, the parcel handling system will stop and the motor gearbox brake will automatically engage preventing the parcel handling system from moving
• The Engineer can now use the Guard Release Button to open the Safety Guard Gate
• As soon as the Interlock is released, the tipper safety circuit is disabled preventing the parcel handling system from operating
• With the safety circuited disabled it is now safe to enter the safety enclosure and retrieve any mail
• Once the mail is retrieved, the safety guard door is closed and the Engineer uses the key switch to drive the parcel handling system to the full down or home position
• Once at this position, normal operation can be resumed
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