Apparatus for producing a reinforcing mesh and a spinning station therefor

Abstract

To provide an apparatus for manufacturing reinforcement mesh, and a spinning station therefor.SOLUTION: A spinning station of the present invention includes: a spinner head unit; an upper wire coil and a lower wire coil; a support body; feeding means; a first rod; a first guide wheel; and a cylinder unit. The first guide wheel functions as a wire brake. The cylinder unit acts on the first rod to position the first guide wheel at a first position where a part of a first wire is relatively tightened and position the first guide wheel at a second position where a part of the first wire extending between the spinner head unit and the first guide wheel is relatively loosened.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a reinforcing mesh, and to an apparatus and spinning station for use in such a method. [Background technology]

[0002] In an attempt to reduce the manufacturing costs associated with reinforcement for civil engineering works, particularly the reinforcement of larger areas of concrete such as decks, stone slabs, or other elements, it is known in the art to manufacture reinforcing nets or meshes, typically defining a mesh of reinforcing rods and wires (e.g., WO 2008119357 or U.S. Pat. No. 7,909,067). Such nets or meshes can be wound onto reels, allowing for easy storage and transportation.

[0003] WO 2006 / 097100 discloses a method and apparatus for producing such a reinforcing net or mesh. However, the disclosed apparatus requires a significant amount of space on at least one side of the apparatus because the reinforcing rod to be joined with the wire must be fed by an advancement means from the side of the apparatus to introduce the reinforcing rod between the spinner head and the point where two wires from each spool of the spinner head meet to be spun. Because the net or mesh can be produced in entities having very large dimensions, the space required for the reinforcing rod to enter laterally is significant.

[0004] WO 2008119357 attempts to solve this problem by providing an apparatus in which a reinforcing rod to be joined with the wire is fed by an advancing means from the rear end of the apparatus. A particular drawback of this type of apparatus is that the wire tends to break when the reinforcing rod is forced under the wire during loading operations.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2008119357 Brochure [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 7,909,067 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2006 / 097100 Brochure Summary of the Invention

[0007] In one aspect, a spinner head unit adapted to form a wire spacer by rotating first and second wires around a reinforcing rod and subsequently rotating the two wires relative to one another; an upper wire coil and a lower wire coil, respectively, the upper wire coil supplying the first wire and the lower wire coil supplying the second wire, the lower wire coil attached to the spinner head unit; a support extending above and behind the spinner head unit, the upper wire coil being attached to the support; feeding means adapted to introduce a reinforcing rod between the first wire and the second wire from a position rearward of the spinner head unit to a position forward of the spinner head unit; a spinning station for an apparatus for producing a reinforcing mesh, comprising: The spinning station comprises: a rod having a first end and a second opposing end, the first end being hingedly connected to the support; a first guide wheel rotatably mounted on the second end of the rod; a cylinder unit operatively connected to the rod and configured to control the spatial position of the first guide wheel by acting on the rod; Furthermore, the first wire is looped around the first guide wheel, causing the first guide wheel to function as a wire brake; The cylinder is configured to act on the rod to position the first guide wheel at a first position where a portion of the first wire extending between the spinner head unit and the first guide wheel is relatively tightened, and to position the first guide wheel at a second position where a portion of the first wire extending between the spinner head unit and the first guide wheel is relatively loosened.

[0008] A second aspect relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a reinforcing mesh, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of spinning stations according to the present invention arranged in a side-by-side relationship; a programmable control unit configured to control the synchronized activation of said spinning stations; Equipped with.

[0009] It should be noted that embodiments and features described in relation to one aspect of the invention also apply to other aspects of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of an apparatus for manufacturing a reinforcing mesh according to various embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 showing a rod and a first guide wheel according to various embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is an enlarged view of a portion of a spinning station showing a locking device according to various embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4]1 is an enlarged view of a portion of a spinning station showing a locking device according to various embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus having six spinning stations according to various embodiments of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view of an apparatus for manufacturing reinforcing mesh according to various embodiments of the present invention. The apparatus includes multiple spinning stations, arranged side by side so that only one is visible. While six spinning stations 100 are visible in FIG. 5, the apparatus may include any number of spinning stations. The spinning stations 100 are adapted to form essentially parallel wire binders to form a mesh with rods spaced at a desired distance from one another. The wire binders are formed by two wires, each extending above and below each individual reinforcing rod and clamping around the individual rods as they are twisted. The spinning stations include a spinner head unit 110, an upper wire coil 130, a lower wire coil 120, a support 140, a feeding means 150, a first rod 160, a first guide wheel 170, a second guide wheel 172, and a third guide wheel 174, a cylinder unit 180, and a guide system 190. The feeding means 150 can take reinforcing rods from a reinforcing rod rack 200 located behind the spinning station 100. The formed reinforcing mesh can be wound around itself on a mesh rolling means below the spinning station 100, so that the reinforcing rods remain essentially parallel and the wire binders of the mesh form a spiral path. The mesh rolling means may preferably be formed by a winding chain system.

[0012] The spinner head unit 110 is adapted to rotate a first wire 132 and a second wire (not shown) around a reinforcing rod (not shown) and subsequently rotate the two wires relative to one another to form a wire spacer. An upper wire coil feeds the first wire 132, and a lower wire coil 120 feeds the second wire. The lower wire coil 120 is attached to the spinner head unit 110. A support 140 extends above and rearward of the spinner head unit 110, to which the upper wire coil 130 is attached. A feeding means 150 is adapted to introduce the reinforcing rod (not shown) between the first wire 132 and the second wire from a position rearward of the spinner head unit 110 to a position forward of the spinner head unit 110. These components of a spinning station are commonly known in the art.

[0013] The following components of the spinning station combine to form a mechanism for preventing wire breakage during the reinforcing rod loading operation: A first guide wheel 170 is rotatably mounted on a first rod 160 that is hingedly connected to the support 140. A first wire 132 extends from the upper wire coil 130 through the first guide wheel 170 towards the spinner head unit 110. A cylinder unit 180 is operably connected to the first rod 160 and is configured to control the spatial position of the first guide wheel 170 by acting on the first rod 160. The cylinder unit 180 is configured to act on the first rod 160 to position the first guide wheel 170 in a first position (as shown in FIG. 1) where a portion of the first wire 132 extending between the spinner head unit 110 and the first guide wheel 170 is relatively tightened, and to position the first guide wheel 170 in a second position (not shown) where a portion of the first wire 132 extending between the spinner head unit 110 and the first guide wheel 170 is relatively loosened. The first position is required when the spinner head unit 110 is operating to form wire spacers, and the second position is required during loading operations. When the first wire 132 is loosened, the reinforcing rod slides and is guided under the first wire 132, reducing the risk of the wire breaking when the reinforcing rod comes into contact with it. This reduces friction between the first wire 132 and the reinforcing rod.

[0014] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing the first rod 160, as well as the first guide wheel 170, the second guide wheel 172, and the third guide wheel 174, according to various embodiments of the present invention, with a portion of the upper wire coil 130 removed to better show the other portions.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the spinning station further includes a second guide wheel disposed above and in front of the first guide wheel, and the first wire extends from the upper wire coil through the second guide wheel to the first guide wheel.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the second guide wheel is mounted to a support.

[0017] As can be seen in FIG. 2 , the first wire 132 is looped around the first guide wheel 170, which functions as a wire brake. To prevent the first wire 132 from getting caught on the first guide wheel 170 during operation of the cylinder unit 180, a second guide wheel 172 is disposed above and in front of the first guide wheel 170. As a result, the first wire 132 extends from the upper wire coil 130 through the second guide wheel 172 to the first guide wheel 170. Furthermore, a third guide wheel 174 may be disposed below and in front of the first guide wheel 170 to fix the direction of the first wire 132 toward the spinner head unit 110.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the spinning station further includes a third guide wheel disposed below and in front of the first guide wheel, and the first wire extends from the first guide wheel to the third guide wheel.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, a third guide wheel is rotatably mounted to the second end of the first rod.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the first guide wheel and the third guide wheel are rotatably mounted to a mutual bracket that is part of the second end of the first rod.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the cylinder unit further comprises a piston rod and a programmable control unit configured to control the movement of the piston rod relative to the first rod, such as controlling whether the piston rod is in an extended or retracted position at a given time and / or period. The movement of the piston rod 182 and the first rod 160 is indicated by the double-headed arrow in FIG.

[0022] As described above, the feeding means 150 is adapted to introduce a reinforcing rod (not shown) between the first wire 132 and the second wire 132 from a position rearward of the spinner head unit 110 to a position forward of the spinner head unit 110. The feeding means 150 may also be adapted to supply a reinforcing rod from a reinforcing rod rack 200 located rearward of the spinning station to the site of the spinner head unit 110 where the first wire 132 and the second wire 132 are spun to form the wire binder. The feeding means 150, in this embodiment, is an arm rotatably mounted on the spinning station chassis 197 and includes means 152 for retrieving a reinforcing rod, gripping or holding the reinforcing rod through its path toward a position forward of the spinner head unit 110, and releasing the reinforcing rod at the spinning site into a guide system 190 located preferably forward of the spinner head unit 110 and adapted to receive the reinforcing rod from the feeding means 150. At the spinning site, the reinforcing rods may be placed by the feeding means 150 into a guide system 190 comprising pick-up grippers (FIGS. 3 and 4) 192. The pick-up grippers 192 may be adapted to move downward from an upper position close to the spinning site / twisting point to a lower position further away from the spinning site / twisting point as the spinner head unit 110 rolls the reinforcing rods into the wire binder of the mesh. When the reinforcing rods are secured to the wire binder by spinning, the guide system 190 may comprise a set of transport grippers 194 adapted to hold the individual reinforcing rods rolled into the mesh as they move further away from the spinning site, for example towards a mesh rolling means. The spinning station may further comprise drive means for driving the spinner head unit 110, the pick-up grippers 192 and the transport grippers 194.Preferably, the guide system 190 further comprises a locking device 194 adapted to fix the reinforcing rod in the pick-up gripper 192 during the operation of rotating the first wire 132 and the second wire around the reinforcing rod and subsequently forming a wire spacer by rotating the two wires relative to one another. The locking device can be operated by a cylinder (pneumatic or hydraulic) 198 and may be configured as a hook, and the pick-up gripper 192 may also be configured as a hook.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the spinning station further comprises a guide system positioned forward of the spinner head unit and adapted to receive the reinforcing rod from the feeding means from a position rearward of the spinner head unit.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, the guide system includes a pick-up gripper, and preferably further includes a locking device adapted to secure the reinforcing rod within the pick-up gripper during the operation of rotating the first and second wires around the reinforcing rod, and subsequently rotating the two wires relative to one another to form a wire spacer.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, the reinforcing rods are moved gradually away from the twisting point during the twisting operation, which may be performed by either the pick-up gripper 192 and / or the transfer gripper 194.

[0026] By alternating the direction of the twisting action performed by the spinner head unit 110 between each wire spacer formed, the resulting reinforcing mesh is perfectly straight. The spinning action can be thought of as slightly displacing the reinforcing rods in one direction. Thus, when the spinning action is performed in alternating directions, the displacement is offset.

[0027] In one or more embodiments, multiple side-by-side spinning stations operate simultaneously at multiple locations along the length of each of multiple reinforcing rods positioned consecutively. This allows for the production of reinforcing meshes wider than the individual reinforcing rods. Alternatively, multiple reinforcing meshes may be produced simultaneously in a line. In the latter situation, the reinforcing rods are positioned consecutively with a predetermined distance between them prior to operating the spinner head unit.

[0028] The rod storage rack 200 may include shelves for storing reinforcing rods having different properties, for example, with respect to length, diameter, or material properties. Thus, reinforcing rods may be selected to provide reinforcing meshes with various properties suited to their end use.

[0029] A second aspect relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a reinforcing mesh, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of spinning stations according to the invention arranged side by side; a programmable control unit configured to control the synchronized activation of said spinning stations; Equipped with. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 100 spinning stations 110 Spinner Head Unit 120 Lower Wire Coil 122 Second Wire 130 Upper Wire Coil 132 First Wire 140 Support 150 feeding means 160 First Rod 162 first end 164 Second End 166 Bracket 170 First guide wheel 172 Second guide wheel 174 Third Guide Wheel 180 Cylinder Unit 182 Piston rod 190 Guide System 192 Pickup Gripper 194 Locking device 196 Transfer Gripper 197 chassis 198 cylinders

Claims

1. a spinner head unit (110) adapted to form a wire spacer formed by rotating first and second wires around a reinforcing rod and subsequently rotating the two wires relative to one another; an upper wire coil (130) and a lower wire coil (120), respectively, the upper wire coil supplying the first wire (132) and the lower wire coil (120) supplying the second wire, the lower wire coil (120) being attached to the spinner head unit (110); a support (140) extending above and behind the spinner head unit (110), the upper wire coil (130) being attached to the support (140); feeding means (150) adapted to introduce a reinforcing rod between the first wire (132) and the second wire (122) from a position behind the spinner head unit (110) to a position in front of the spinner head unit (110); A spinning station (100) for an apparatus for producing a reinforcing mesh, comprising: a first rod (160) having a first end (162) and a second opposing end (164), said first end being hingedly connected to said support (140); a first guide wheel (170) rotatably mounted on the second end (164) of the rod (160); a cylinder unit (180) operatively connected to the first rod (160) and configured to control the spatial position of the first guide wheel (170) by acting on the first rod (160); Furthermore, The first wire (132) is looped around the first guide wheel (170), so that the first guide wheel (170) functions as a wire brake; The cylinder unit (180) is configured to act on the first rod (160) to position the first guide wheel (170) at a first position where a portion of the first wire (132) extending between the spinner head unit (110) and the first guide wheel (170) is relatively tightened, and to position the first guide wheel (170) at a second position where a portion of the first wire (132) extending between the spinner head unit (110) and the first guide wheel (170) is relatively loosened. A spinning station (100) characterized in that:

2. 2. The spinning station (100) of claim 1, further comprising a second guide wheel (172) disposed above and forward of the first guide wheel (170), wherein the first wire (132) extends from the upper wire coil (130) through the second guide wheel (172) to the first guide wheel (170).

3. 2. The spinning station (100) of claim 1, further comprising a second guide wheel (172) disposed above and forward of the first guide wheel (170), the first wire (132) extending from the upper wire coil (130) through the second guide wheel (172) to the first guide wheel (170), and the second guide wheel (172) attached to the support (140).

4. 2. The spinning station (100) of claim 1, further comprising a third guide wheel (174) disposed below and forward of the first guide wheel (170), wherein the first wire (132) extends from the first guide wheel (170) to the third guide wheel (174).

5. 2. The spinning station (100) of claim 1, further comprising a third guide wheel (174) disposed below and forward of the first guide wheel (170), the first wire (132) extending from the first guide wheel (170) to the third guide wheel (174), and the third guide wheel (174) rotatably attached to the second end (164) of the first rod (160).

6. 2. The spinning station (100) of claim 1, further comprising a third guide wheel (174) disposed below and forward of the first guide wheel (170), the first wire (132) extending from the first guide wheel (170) to the third guide wheel (174), the third guide wheel (174) rotatably attached to the second end (164) of the first rod (160), and the first guide wheel (170) and the third guide wheel (174) rotatably attached to a mutual bracket (166) that is part of the second end (164) of the first rod (160).

7. 2. The spinning station (100) of claim 1, wherein the cylinder unit (180) further comprises a piston rod (182) and a programmable control unit configured to control the movement of the piston rod (182) relative to the first rod (160), such as controlling whether the piston rod (182) is in an extended or retracted position at a given time and / or period.

8. 2. The spinning station (100) of claim 1, further comprising a guide system (190) disposed in front of the spinner head unit (110) and adapted to receive a reinforcing rod from the feeding means (150) from a position behind the spinner head unit (110).

9. 2. The spinning station of claim 1, further comprising a guide system disposed in front of the spinner head unit and adapted to receive a reinforcing rod from the feeding means from a position behind the spinner head unit, the guide system comprising a pick-up gripper and a locking device adapted to fix the reinforcing rod in the pick-up gripper during an operation of rotating the first wire and the second wire around the reinforcing rod, and subsequently rotating the two wires relative to one another to form a wire spacer.

10. 1. An apparatus for manufacturing a reinforcing mesh, comprising: A plurality of spinning stations (100) according to claim 1 arranged in a side-by-side relationship; a programmable control unit configured to control the synchronized activation of said spinning stations; An apparatus comprising:

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