A method for automatically storing and retrieving pipe fittings and a compartment-type material rack

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for automatically storing and retrieving pipe fittings and a compartment-type material rack. The compartment-type material rack is arranged between a feed roller and a discharge roller, and has a high end and a low end on the top, so as to facilitate the automatic transmission of the pipe fittings from the feed roller to the discharge roller. The compartment-type material rack has a plurality of compartments, and each compartment is provided with an independent control device, including a pipe blocking device, a compartment door opening and closing device, a width adjustment device and a pipe fitting lifting device. The pipe blocking device is used to block and limit the pipe fittings, the compartment door opening and closing device is used to open or close the compartment, the width adjustment device is used to adjust the width of the compartment, and the pipe fitting lifting device is used to control the pipe fittings to move up and down in the compartment. The method for automatically storing and retrieving pipe fittings of the compartment-type material rack is realized by the above-mentioned control device. The pipe fittings are stored according to specifications and retrieved as needed by the method, so as to realize intelligence and improve the production efficiency of the material rack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of pipe processing equipment, and in particular to a method for automatically storing and retrieving pipes and a bin-type material rack. Background Art

[0002] With the acceleration of my country's industrial modernization, various boiler manufacturers are also upgrading their industries and actively promoting intelligent and information-based construction. In the boiler manufacturing process, the manufacture of serpentine tube units accounts for a large proportion. Therefore, it is necessary to realize intelligent and information-based manufacturing of serpentine tubes. In the transmission and storage process after the pipe fittings are connected and before the pipes are bent, traditional slope racks are currently used for storage. Pipe fittings of various specifications are placed together. When they are transported to the next process, they can only rely on manual intervention to take out materials, which is inefficient and cannot achieve automatic production scheduling according to product specifications.

[0003] It can be seen that the shortcomings of the traditional solution are: high production cost; high labor intensity for workers; each device will require multiple people to perform loading and unloading operations; therefore, there is an urgent need for a material rack that can automatically store and retrieve pipes of various specifications. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for automatically storing and retrieving pipe fittings and a compartment-type material rack, which are used for automatically storing and retrieving pipe fittings of different specifications after extension and before bending.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a compartment-type material rack is arranged between the feed roller and the discharge roller, and the top of the compartment-type material rack has a high end and a low end, which is convenient for the automatic transmission of pipes from the feed roller to the discharge roller to realize automatic loading;

[0006] The compartment-type material rack has a plurality of compartments, and each compartment is provided with an independent control device; the control device includes a pipe blocking device, a compartment door opening and closing device, a width adjustment device and a pipe lifting device, the pipe blocking device is used to block and limit the pipes, the compartment door opening and closing device is used to open or close the compartment, the width adjustment device is used to adjust the width of the compartment, and the pipe lifting device is used to control the up and down movement of the pipes in the compartment, and the automatic storage and retrieval of the pipes are realized through the above-mentioned control device.

[0007] Furthermore, the pipe blocking device is a cylinder baffle structure, a rotating baffle structure, a rotating baffle rod structure or a cylinder baffle rod structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the cylinder stop rod structure comprises: a stop rod, a cylinder and a sleeve, and the cylinder drives the stop rod to extend and retract up and down in the sleeve to achieve blocking and releasing of the pipe fitting.

[0009] Furthermore, the warehouse door opening and closing device includes an opening and closing cylinder, a flap and a first transmission shaft. The flap is fixedly arranged on the first transmission shaft, and the first transmission shaft and the flap are driven to rotate by the opening and closing cylinder to realize the opening and closing of the warehouse door.

[0010] Furthermore, the compartment type material rack is also provided with support columns, through which the flap is supported and limited.

[0011] Furthermore, the pipe lifting device includes a first control motor, a second transmission shaft, a wire rope and a lifting trolley, the first control motor is connected to the second transmission shaft, the second transmission shaft is connected to the lifting trolley through the wire rope, and the lifting trolley is used to control the pipe to move up and down in the compartment.

[0012] Furthermore, the width adjustment device includes a second control motor, a screw elevator, a third transmission shaft, a guide mechanism and a silo baffle. The screw elevator is driven by the second control motor to move the silo baffle left and right, and is guided by the guide mechanism to achieve silo width adjustment.

[0013] Furthermore, the pipe blocking device, the bin door opening and closing device, the width adjusting device and the pipe lifting device are all provided with sensors.

[0014] Furthermore, the compartment-type material rack is arranged front and back, and the corresponding compartments in the front and back are controlled by the same control device, and the control device is transmitted through a transmission shaft, and the transmission shaft is made of seamless steel pipes.

[0015] At the same time, the technical solution adopted by the present invention also includes a method for automatically storing and retrieving pipe fittings, using the above-mentioned compartment-type material rack, the method includes the following steps:

[0016] To store pipe fittings, the qualified pipe fittings are conveyed to the high end of the bin-type rack through the feeding roller, and the bin width is adjusted to suit the size of the pipe fittings. The pipe lifting device is lifted to a height reserved for one pipe fitting, the corresponding bin door is opened, and the pipe blocking device is extended to limit the position of the pipe fittings, so that the pipe fittings are rolled to the corresponding bin to complete the storage of the pipe fittings;

[0017] Retrieve the pipe fittings, retract the corresponding pipe blocking device, open the bin door opening and closing device, and use the pipe lifting device to make the pipe fittings roll out of the bin smoothly. The pipe fittings roll from the high end to the low end and roll to the discharge roller to complete the retrieval of the pipe fittings.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0019] The technical solution of the present invention is specially designed for the serpentine tube production line in the boiler industry. Compared with the existing material rack, by setting up bins and independent control devices in the bins, the pipe fittings are positioned and stored according to specifications and retrieved on demand, which greatly improves the efficiency of pipe storage and retrieval, reduces the labor intensity of workers, and realizes automatic scheduling according to actual production needs. It has the advantages of high degree of automation, suitability for assembly line operations, reducing the labor intensity of workers, reducing labor costs, etc.; it also saves time and improves production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the combination of the compartment type material rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a compartment-type material rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 A is a three-dimensional diagram of a compartment-type material rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 FIG. B is a three-dimensional diagram of a compartment-type material rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a pipe retaining device of a compartment type material rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a pipe lifting device of a compartment type material rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the right side of the bin door opening and closing device of the bin type material rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the left side of the bin door opening and closing device of the bin type material rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Fig. 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of a width adjustment device for a compartment-type material rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Reference numerals:

[0030] 1- pipe fittings, 2- feed roller, 3- discharge roller, 4- main bracket, 201- cylinder, 202- stop rod, 203- sleeve, 301- wire rope, 302- lifting trolley, 303- first control motor, 304- second transmission shaft, 401- opening and closing cylinder, 402- chain, 403- flap, 404- first transmission shaft, 501- screw lift, 502- second sprocket transmission mechanism, 503- silo baffle, 504- guide mechanism, 505- second control motor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following description is used to disclose the present invention so that those skilled in the relevant art can implement the present invention. The embodiments described below are only examples, and those skilled in the relevant art can think of other obvious variations that fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0032] The following is combined with Figure 1-9 The scheme of the present invention is further described with embodiments.

[0033] In the boiler industry, after the pipes are lengthened, they are transported to the rack through the feed roller, and then transferred to the discharge roller for bending and other processing. The present invention provides a compartment-type rack. Through a pre-set program, the pipes automatically enter the corresponding compartments of the compartment-type rack to realize automatic material discharge; when taking materials, the compartment door of the corresponding specification pipe is opened, and the lifting device assembly sends the pipes to the inclined surface of the compartment-type rack, and automatically rolls into the discharge roller to realize automatic material taking. The entire process is controlled by the PLC program. According to the production rhythm, the pipes are stored according to the specifications, and retrieved according to the specifications through the corresponding retrieval device, so as to realize the automatic storage and retrieval of the compartment-type rack.

[0034] According to the length of the pipe, you can choose to use multiple groups of warehouse-type racks in combination, and each group of racks can be linked and controlled to achieve coordinated actions of each mechanism. The following is an introduction based on a single group of warehouse-type racks:

[0035] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the compartment type material rack of the present invention is arranged between the feed roller 2 and the discharging roller 3, wherein the discharging roller 3 is arranged on the left side of the compartment type material rack, and the feed roller 2 is arranged on the right side of the compartment type material rack, and the top of the compartment type material rack is arranged on an inclined surface, and the right side is higher than the left side, to ensure that after the pipe fitting 1 enters the compartment type material rack from the feed roller, it can roll along the top of the compartment type material rack to the side of the discharging roller, thereby entering the discharging roller to realize automatic loading.

[0036] like Figure 3-4 As shown, the compartment type material rack of this embodiment includes a support base, a main support, a pipe blocking device, a compartment door opening and closing device, a width adjustment device and a pipe lifting device; the support base is placed on the ground, and is used to support and install the entire compartment type material rack; the main support is fixedly installed on the support base, and the compartment type material rack is divided into a plurality of compartments by the main support; the pipe blocking device is arranged on the main support, and is used to block and limit the pipe fittings, and the compartment door opening and closing device is used to open and close the compartment door of the compartment, and the pipe fittings are stored in the corresponding compartments through the pipe blocking device and the compartment door opening and closing device; the width of each compartment is adjusted by the width adjustment device, so that pipe fittings of various specifications can fall into the corresponding compartment, thereby realizing separate storage of pipe fittings of different specifications, and similarly, it is also beneficial for the pipe lifting device to control the rising of the pipe fittings and transmit them to the discharging roller, so as to realize automatic loading of the pipe fittings according to specifications.

[0037] Specifically, the support base of this embodiment is a rectangular structure, preferably a rectangular frame structure, wherein a plurality of main brackets are evenly arranged on the long sides of the support base, so that the main brackets are arranged in a straight line front and back, and a square bin is formed by four adjacent main brackets for storing pipe fittings. Preferably, each compartment-type rack is provided with 14 main brackets, forming 6 square bins.

[0038] Among them, the four main brackets forming the square cell include the first main bracket, the second main bracket, the third main bracket and the fourth main bracket, wherein the first main bracket and the second main bracket are arranged at the rear side of the square cell, and the first main bracket is arranged on the left side of the second main bracket; the third main bracket and the fourth main bracket are arranged at the front side of the square cell, and the third main bracket is arranged on the left side of the fourth main bracket. It should be noted that the second main bracket and the fourth main bracket of the cell may be the first main bracket and the third main bracket of the cell on the right side thereof. Now, the first main bracket, the second main bracket, the third main bracket and the fourth main bracket are used for explanation, mainly to explain the specific installation positions of the components of this embodiment.

[0039] In another embodiment, Figure 5 As shown, the pipe blocking device is arranged on the right front side of the third main bracket and the fourth main bracket, including a blocking rod 202, a cylinder 201 and a sleeve 203, wherein one end of the cylinder is fixedly arranged on the front side of the main bracket 4, and the sleeve 203 is arranged above the front side of the main bracket 4. The blocking rod 202 passes through the sleeve 203 and is connected to the other end of the cylinder 201, so that the blocking rod can be extended and retracted up and down in the sleeve under the action of the cylinder, thereby completing the blocking and releasing of the pipe fittings and ensuring that the pipe fittings enter the bin on the right side of the pipe blocking device.

[0040] It should be noted that the pipe blocking device can also be arranged at other positions, and can also adopt a cylinder baffle structure, a rotating baffle structure, a rotating baffle rod structure or other structures that can block the movement of the pipe by the pipe blocking device. And by arranging the pipe blocking device at the lower end of the bin, the pipe can enter the corresponding bin and be stored in the bin.

[0041] In another embodiment, Figure 7-8 As shown, the door opening and closing device includes a chain sprocket assembly, a first transmission shaft 404, a flap 403, and an opening and closing cylinder 401, etc.; each compartment is provided with a door opening and closing device, the first transmission shaft is arranged on the main bracket 4 through a bearing seat, the sprocket and flap of the chain sprocket assembly are fixedly arranged on the first transmission shaft, a chain 402 is arranged on the sprocket, and the two ends of the chain 402 are respectively connected to two opening and closing cylinders 401, and the opening and closing cylinders are fixedly arranged on the support seat. The chain sprocket assembly is controlled by the opening and closing cylinder to drive the first transmission shaft and the flap to rotate, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the door.

[0042] Preferably, a support column is provided on the main support, and the flap is supported and limited by the support column, so that when the bin door opening and closing device is closed, the top of the flap coincides with the top of the opening and closing device, so that when the bin door of the loading device is closed, the top is flat, ensuring that the pipes can smoothly enter the next bin or the discharge roller.

[0043] It should be noted that the bin door opening and closing device can also use other transmission devices to realize the opening and closing of the bin door. The bin door opening and closing device of this embodiment serves as a bridge for the opening and closing of the bin compartment bin door and the rolling of the pipe fittings, and can also make the pipe fittings roll from the high end to the low end, that is, roll from one end of the feed roller to one end of the discharge roller. When the bin door is opened, the pipe fittings can automatically fall into the bin compartment or be taken out of the bin compartment; when the bin door is closed, the pipe fittings will pass over the bin compartment and enter other bin compartments or directly enter the discharge roller.

[0044] In another embodiment, Figure 6 As shown, the pipe lifting device includes a first control motor 303, a first sprocket transmission mechanism, a second transmission shaft 304, a wire rope 301 and a lifting trolley 302, etc. The first control motor 303 is connected to the second transmission shaft 304 through the first sprocket transmission mechanism, the wire rope 301 is wound around the transmission shaft, and the other end of the wire rope is connected to the lifting trolley 302, and the lifting trolley is equipped with a pulley and a guide mechanism. The first control motor controls the first sprocket transmission mechanism to drive the transmission shaft and the wire rope to rotate, and drives the lifting trolley to move up and down. When the lifting trolley moves upward, the pipe can be taken out of the bin; when the lifting trolley moves downward, the bin will leave a gap to allow the incoming pipe to be stored, thereby controlling the feeding and discharging of the pipe.

[0045] In another embodiment, Fig. 9 As shown, the width adjustment device includes a spiral elevator 501, a second sprocket transmission mechanism 502, a third transmission shaft, a silo baffle 503, and a second control motor 505. The second control motor 505 is connected to the third transmission shaft through the second sprocket transmission mechanism 502, and the end of the third transmission shaft is connected to the spiral elevator, which is connected to the silo baffle; the spiral elevator 501 is driven by the second sprocket transmission mechanism to drive the silo baffle 503 to move left and right to achieve the width adjustment of the silo. Preferably, the spiral elevator is provided with a guide mechanism 504, which guides the spiral elevator 501 so that the silo baffle will not be blocked when it moves left and right.

[0046] It should be noted that the width adjustment device can also be other structures, such as an opening and closing width adjustment device, a width adjustment device controlled by a cylinder, etc. The width adjustment device can be used to adjust the opening of the bin to meet the storage needs of pipes of different diameters.

[0047] In another embodiment, the first transmission shaft, the second transmission shaft and the third transmission shaft are all made of 45# seamless steel pipes. The light weight and bending and torsion resistance of the seamless steel pipes are utilized to enable the transmission shafts to transmit a large torque without distortion, thereby ensuring that the front and rear bins of each group of bin racks can be uniformly controlled. The first control motor and the second control motor are both composed of an AC motor and a reducer, so that the control motors can control the direction and speed of the controlled device.

[0048] Preferably, the pipe blocking device, the bin door opening and closing device, the width adjustment device and the pipe lifting device are all provided with sensors. For example, the pipe lifting device obtains the specifications of the pipe through sensors, and automatically adjusts the lifting stroke according to the specifications of the pipe through PLC program control. The width adjustment device is equipped with a displacement sensor, and the system can automatically control the movement stroke of the baffle according to the changes in the specifications of the pipe to ensure the appropriate silo width. Sensors are used to control each control component to ensure that each bin door is in the correct open and closed state set by the system, and an alarm prompt is issued when an abnormality occurs.

[0049] The drive mode of the compartment-type rack of the present invention is not unique. As long as it can meet the corresponding adjustment and transmission functions of the pipe blocking device, the compartment door opening and closing device, the pipe lifting assembly and the width adjustment device to operate, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to this solution. A separate control device is set for each compartment, and each compartment can be controlled by the PLC program to perform separate operations, and the control device can be uniformly controlled so that the storage and retrieval of pipe fittings can be carried out simultaneously without interfering with each other. It can run uninterruptedly 24 hours a day, realize automatic production scheduling of the production line, and greatly improve the efficiency of pipe storage and retrieval.

[0050] The specific working process of the compartment-type material rack of the present invention is as follows:

[0051] Storage and use process: Through the production order issued by the workshop production scheduling system, the pipes that have passed the flaw detection are extended and transported to the high end of the compartment rack through the feed roller to start storage. The silo width adjustment device automatically adjusts the width of each compartment to the appropriate size; the cylinder of the pipe blocking device at the storage compartment corresponding to the pipe to be stored pushes the blocking rod to extend, and the cylinders of the pipe blocking devices in the other compartments pull the blocking rod back; at the same time, the corresponding compartment door opening and closing device opens the compartment door, the pipe lifting device is lifted to the top, and a pipe placement position is reserved to avoid a large impact after the pipe falls; the pipe is fed from the feed roller to the compartment rack through the pneumatic flip device, and the pipe rolls from the high end of the rack to the corresponding compartment, and the compartment door is closed. The cylinder of the pipe blocking device pushes the blocking rod back, and storage is completed. Repeat the above actions to store the next pipe.

[0052] Retrieval process: Through the production order issued by the workshop production scheduling system, it is necessary to retrieve the pipes of the specified specifications in the bin-type rack: the cylinder of the corresponding bin blocking device and all the blocking rods on the side of the discharge roller of the corresponding bin are retracted, the bin door opening and closing device opens the bin door, the pipe lifting device lifts the pipe to roll out of the bin smoothly, closes the bin door, and the pipe rolls along the slope rack to the discharge roller, and the retrieval is completed. Repeat the above actions to retrieve the next pipe.

[0053] The above-mentioned embodiments only express the specific implementation of the present invention, and the description thereof is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, which all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compartment-type material rack, arranged between a feed roller and a discharge roller, characterized in that: The top of the compartment-type material rack has a high end and a low end, which facilitates the automatic transmission of pipe fittings from the feed roller to the discharge roller to realize automatic loading; The compartment-type material rack has a plurality of compartments, and each compartment is provided with an independent control device; the control device includes a pipe blocking device, a compartment door opening and closing device, a width adjustment device and a pipe lifting device; the pipe blocking device is used to block and limit the pipes; the compartment door opening and closing device is used to open or close the compartment; the width adjustment device is used to adjust the width of the compartment; the pipe lifting device is used to control the pipes to move up and down in the compartment; and the automatic storage and retrieval of the pipes are realized through the above control devices; The pipe blocking device is a cylinder baffle structure, a rotating baffle structure, a rotating baffle rod structure or a cylinder baffle rod structure; the cylinder baffle rod structure includes: a baffle rod, a cylinder and a sleeve, and the cylinder drives the baffle rod to extend and retract in the sleeve to achieve the blocking and release of the pipe fittings; The bin door opening and closing device includes an opening and closing cylinder, a flap and a first transmission shaft. The flap is fixedly arranged on the first transmission shaft, and the opening and closing cylinder drives the first transmission shaft and the flap to rotate to realize the opening and closing of the bin door; the pipe lifting device includes a first control motor, a second transmission shaft, a wire rope and a lifting trolley. The first control motor is connected to the second transmission shaft, and the second transmission shaft is connected to the lifting trolley through a wire rope. The lifting trolley controls the pipe to move up and down in the bin; the width adjustment device includes a second control motor, a spiral elevator, a third transmission shaft, a guide mechanism and a bin baffle. The spiral elevator is driven by the second control motor to drive the bin baffle to move left and right, and is guided by the guide mechanism to realize the width adjustment of the bin.

2. The compartment-type rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compartment-type material rack is also provided with support columns, through which the flap is supported and limited.

3. The compartment-type rack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The pipe blocking device, the bin door opening and closing device, the width adjusting device and the pipe lifting device are all provided with sensors.

4. The compartment-type rack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The compartment-type material rack is arranged front and back, and the corresponding compartments in the front and back are controlled by the same control device. The control device is driven through a transmission shaft, and the transmission shaft is made of seamless steel pipes.

5. A method for automatically storing and retrieving pipe fittings, characterized in that: Using the compartment-type material rack according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the method comprises the following steps: To store pipe fittings, the qualified pipe fittings are transported to the high end of the compartment rack through the feed roller, and the width of the compartment is adjusted to suit the size of the pipe fittings. The pipe lifting device is lifted to a height reserved for one pipe fitting, the corresponding compartment door is opened, and the pipe retaining device is extended to limit the pipe fittings so that the pipe fittings are rolled into the corresponding compartment to complete the storage of the pipe fittings; to retrieve the pipe fittings, the corresponding pipe retaining device is retracted, and the compartment door opening and closing device is opened. The pipe fittings are smoothly rolled out of the compartment through the pipe lifting device, and the pipe fittings roll from the high end to the low end and to the discharge roller to complete the retrieval of the pipe fittings.

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