Material transfer machine and material transfer method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a material transfer machine, comprising: a storage and transportation mechanism, which has a first sling for rotatable transmission inside; a material picking mechanism, which includes a base frame, a lifting drive, a slide, a swing drive and a material picking frame, the base frame is located beside the storage and transportation mechanism, the lifting drive is connected to the base frame, the slide is connected to the lifting drive, the lifting drive can drive the slide to slide up and down, the swing drive is connected to the slide, the material picking frame is connected to the swing drive, a material picking hook is connected to the material picking frame, and the swing drive can drive the material picking frame to swing back and forth to approach or move away from the first sling. The present invention reduces manual operation and uses machinery to store, transport and pick and place materials, which is conducive to realizing automated production, and the space volume required for the material picking mechanism during activity is small, the overall structure is more compact, and the production cost can be effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device, and in particular to a material transfer machine and a material transfer method. Background Art

[0002] In industrial production, conveyor lines are often required to load and unload products. For example, when loading and unloading mold blanks, in order to improve work efficiency, a robot can be used to pick up the mold blanks from the conveyor line and transfer them to the next process. However, due to the limited range of motion of the robot arm, for larger conveyor lines, the required range of motion is longer when loading and unloading operations are required. As a result, the space required for the robot arm to occupy a larger volume, and the manufacturing cost of the robot arm is also higher, which increases production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a material transfer machine and a material transfer method to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art and at least provide a beneficial option or create conditions.

[0004] The solution of the present invention to solve its technical problems is:

[0005] The material transfer machine includes: a storage and transportation mechanism, which has a first sling that can be rotated and transported inside; a material picking mechanism, which includes a base frame, a lifting drive, a slide, a swing drive and a material picking frame. The base frame is located next to the storage and transportation mechanism, the lifting drive is connected to the base frame, the slide is connected to the lifting drive, the lifting drive can drive the slide to slide up and down, the swing drive is connected to the slide, the material picking frame is connected to the swing drive, and a material picking hook is connected to the material picking frame. The swing drive can drive the material picking frame to swing back and forth to approach or move away from the first sling.

[0006] This technical solution has at least the following beneficial effects: the workpiece can be hung on the first sling, and as the first sling rotates in the storage and transportation mechanism, the workpiece can be stored and transported. When the workpiece needs to be taken out of the first sling or hung on the first sling, the swing drive drives the material picking rack to swing close to the first sling, and at the same time the lifting drive drives the slide to move upward, so that the material picking hook moves to the first sling to realize the picking and placing of the workpiece. After completion, the swing drive drives the material picking rack away from the first sling, and the lifting drive drives the slide to move down and reset. This reduces manual operation and uses machinery to store, transport and pick and place materials, which is conducive to realizing automated production. In addition, the space required for the material picking mechanism to occupy when it is active is smaller, and the overall structure is more compact, which can effectively reduce production costs.

[0007] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the storage and transportation mechanism includes: a storage rack; a conveying group, which is arranged on the storage rack, and the conveying group has a rotatable conveying chain; a hanging group, which includes a connecting seat and a hanging rod, the connecting seat is rotatably connected to the chain, the hanging rod is connected to the connecting seat, and the first hanger is connected to the hanging rod; a positioning group, which includes a fixing part, a top block and a linear drive arranged on the storage rack, the linear drive is connected to the storage rack, the linear drive is transmission-connected to the top block, and the linear drive can drive the top block close to or away from the fixing part. The workpiece can be hung on the first hanger, and the first hanger is connected to the chain through the hanger and the connecting seat, so that the workpiece can be placed in the storage rack for storage. The chain in the transmission group can circulate and rotate on the storage rack to realize the transportation of the workpiece. During use, if the workpiece needs to be hung on the first hanger or taken out from the first hanger, the linear drive in the positioning group drives the top block close to the fixing part, so that the top block presses the hanger on the fixing part, thereby positioning the first hanger on the hanger and avoiding chain shaking. At this time, the peripheral mechanical equipment moves to the first hanger to realize the hanging or taking out of the workpiece. After completion, the linear drive drives the top block away from the fixing part. This improves the accuracy of workpiece positioning when the chain stores and transports workpieces, which is conducive to the automatic picking and placing of workpieces, reduces manual labor intensity and cost, and improves production efficiency.

[0008] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the conveying assembly includes a drive motor and sprockets. A plurality of sprockets are rotatably connected to the storage rack, the chain is driveably connected to the plurality of sprockets, and the drive motor is driveably connected to any one of the sprockets. The chain passes around the plurality of sprockets and engages with them, enclosing the plurality of sprockets. When the drive motor drives any one of the sprockets to rotate, the chain is caused to circulate and rotate, and the hanging assembly on the chain can circulate and convey along with the movement of the chain.

[0009] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, guide plates are connected to the top and / or bottom ends of the fixing member, and the guide plates extend obliquely away from the chain. Before the chain drives the hanging group from top to bottom or bottom to top past the fixing member, the hanging group first passes over the inclined guide plates. At this time, the guide plates can abut against the hanging rod of the hanging group and guide it. This can preliminarily define the position of the first hanger on the hanging rod, reduce the displacement of the hanging rod when the lifting block subsequently presses the hanging rod against the fixing member, and improve the stability of the chain positioning.

[0010] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the storage and transportation mechanisms are arranged in a plurality along a straight line, and the picking mechanism further comprises a chassis, the chassis being connected to a translation drive, the base frame being connected to the translation drive, and the translation drive being capable of driving the base frame to reciprocate along the straight line arrangement direction of the storage and transportation mechanisms. Workpieces can be stored in different storage and transportation mechanisms according to their processing status, and the first sling drives the workpiece transfer to achieve the placement and waiting of the workpieces. The same picking mechanism can be used to pick up and place the workpieces from the storage and transportation mechanism. When the corresponding workpiece needs to be picked up and placed in the storage and transportation mechanism, the translation drive drives the base frame to first translate to face the storage and transportation mechanism, and then the picking hook approaches the storage and transportation mechanism to achieve the picking and placing of the workpieces.

[0011] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a limiting wheel set is connected to the base frame, a limiting rail is set in the bottom frame, and the limiting rail extends along the arrangement direction of the multiple storage and transportation mechanisms. The limiting wheel set includes a first rotating wheel connected to the base frame at intervals along the up and down directions, and a second rotating wheel connected to the base frame, the two first rotating wheels respectively abut against the top and bottom surfaces of the limiting rail, and the second rotating wheel abuts against the side of the limiting rail. The limiting wheel set on the base frame can improve the smoothness of the sliding of the base frame on the bottom frame. The two first rotating wheels are located on the upper and lower sides of the limiting rail, which can effectively limit the jumping of the base frame during translation. The second rotating wheel abuts against the side of the limiting rail, which can limit the deviation of the base frame along the width direction of the bottom frame, thereby improving the accuracy of the material picking hook during mobile positioning.

[0012] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the base frame is connected to a transfer rack, which is connected to a second sling. During use, the material removal mechanism can remove the workpiece from the storage and transportation mechanism and place it on the second sling on the transfer rack. The workpiece on the second sling can then be transferred to an external workstation for processing and then returned to the storage and transportation mechanism upon completion, thereby improving operational flexibility.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the present invention also includes a transfer line comprising a fixed frame, a rotary transfer chain mounted on the fixed frame, and a plurality of third slings spaced along the length of the transfer chain, with the transfer chain passing through all of the storage and transportation mechanisms. Completed workpieces can be placed on the third slings of the transfer line, which are driven by the transfer chain to rotate, thereby transferring and unloading the completed workpieces.

[0014] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a limit group is provided between the plurality of storage and transportation mechanisms and the transfer line. The limit group includes a clamping drive and a limit clamp. The clamping drive is connected to two limit clamps, and the clamping drive can drive the two limit clamps toward or away from each other, and any of the third slings can be moved between the two limit clamps. When a workpiece needs to be placed on the third sling of the transfer line, the clamping drive drives the two limit clamps toward the third sling, and the two limit clamps clamp and position the third sling. This avoids the problem of the third sling shaking and being difficult to position. The material picker can more accurately hang the workpiece on the third sling, thereby improving the stability of the overall operation.

[0015] A material transfer method can be applied to the above-mentioned material transfer machine, including the following steps: S1, a robot places the workpiece on the first sling of a storage and transportation mechanism, and the workpiece is rotated and transported in the storage and transportation mechanism to meet the placement time; S2, the material picking hook in the material picking mechanism swings close to the first sling and takes out the workpiece, and then transfers it to the side of the transfer rack, and places the workpiece on the second sling, another robot moves the workpiece in the second sling out, and then places it on the first sling of another storage and transportation mechanism, and the workpiece is rotated and transported in the storage and transportation mechanism to meet the placement time; S3, the workpiece that meets the placement time in step S2 is transferred to the third sling of the transfer line, and the transfer line sends the workpiece out for unloading.

[0016] This technical solution has at least the following beneficial effects: the robot places the processed workpiece onto the first sling of the storage and transportation mechanism, and the workpiece can be placed in the storage and transportation mechanism for transfer. As the workpiece is rotated and transported a certain distance in the storage and transportation mechanism, the time required for the workpiece placement can be met. Then the picking hook in the picking mechanism takes the workpiece out of the first sling and transfers the workpiece to the second sling of the transfer rack. At this time, another robot moves the workpiece in the second sling out to the peripheral work station for the next processing. After completion, the workpiece is placed on the first sling of another storage and transportation mechanism. Similarly, the workpiece can be rotated and transported in the storage and transportation mechanism to meet the required waiting time. After completion, it is transferred to the third sling of the transfer line, and the transfer line sends the workpiece out for unloading. In this way, workpieces in different processing states can be placed in different storage and transportation mechanisms for transfer storage, and can be moved out again after the waiting time is met for the next processing or unloading. The overall use is more flexible and can meet the needs of material transfer in complex production and processing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly describes the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described only illustrate some embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Those skilled in the art can derive other design solutions and drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0018] Figure 1 It is an overall top view of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a partial perspective view of the storage and transportation mechanism of the present invention after omitting the hanging group;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the transmission group and the hanging group of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the material taking mechanism of the present invention after omitting the base frame;

[0022] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the transfer rack and the base frame of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 It is a perspective view of the first sling of the present invention.

[0024] In the accompanying drawings: 100-storage and transportation mechanism, 110-storage rack, 210-chain, 220-sprocket, 310-connecting seat, 320-hanging rod, 330-first sling, 331-hanging plate, 332-hook, 333-baffle, 410-fixing part, 420-top block, 430-linear drive, 440-guide plate, 510-base frame, 520-lifting drive, 530-slide, 540-swinging drive, 550-feeding rack, 560-feeding hook, 570-base frame, 571-limiting rail, 581-first rotating wheel, 582-second rotating wheel, 610-transfer rack, 620-second sling, 700-transfer line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0026] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, "several" means one or more, "many" means more than two, "greater than," "less than," and "exceed" are understood to exclude the number itself, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the number itself. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is solely for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, implicitly specifying the number of the indicated technical features, or implicitly specifying the order of the indicated technical features.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, and connecting should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 4 The material transfer machine includes a storage and transportation mechanism 100 and a material-retrieving mechanism. A first sling 330 for rotatable transmission is provided inside the storage and transportation mechanism 100. The material-retrieving mechanism includes a base frame 510, a lifting drive 520, a slide 530, a swing drive 540 and a material-retrieving frame 550. The base frame 510 is located next to the storage and transportation mechanism 100. The lifting drive 520 is connected to the base frame 510. The slide 530 is connected to the lifting drive 520. The lifting drive 520 can drive the slide 530 to slide up and down. The swing drive 540 is connected to the slide 530. The material-retrieving frame 550 is connected to the swing drive 540. A material-retrieving hook 560 is connected to the material-retrieving frame 550. The swing drive 540 can drive the material-retrieving frame 550 to swing back and forth to approach or move away from the first sling 330. The swing drive 540 can use a reduction motor.

[0030] From the above, it can be seen that the workpiece can be hung on the first hanger 330. As the first hanger 330 rotates in the storage and transportation mechanism 100, the workpiece can be stored and transported. When the workpiece needs to be taken out from the first hanger 330 or hung on the first hanger 330, the swing drive 540 drives the material picking rack 550 to swing close to the first hanger 330, and at the same time the lifting drive 520 drives the slide 530 to move upward, so that the material picking hook 560 moves to the first hanger 330 to realize the picking and placing of the workpiece. After completion, the swing drive 540 drives the material picking rack 550 away from the first hanger 330, and the lifting drive 520 drives the slide 530 to move down and reset. This reduces manual operation and uses machinery to store, transport and pick and place materials, which is conducive to realizing automated production. In addition, the space required for the material picking mechanism to be active is smaller, and the overall structure is more compact, which can effectively reduce production costs.

[0031] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the storage and transportation mechanism 100 includes a storage rack 110, a conveying group, a hanging group and a positioning group, wherein the conveying group is arranged on the storage rack 110, the conveying group has a rotatable conveying chain 210, the hanging group includes a connecting seat 310, a hanging rod 320 and a hanging device, the connecting seat 310 is rotatably connected to the chain 210, the rotation axis direction of the connecting seat 310 is perpendicular to the plane where the chain 210 is located, the hanging rod 320 is connected to the connecting seat 310, the hanging device is connected to the hanging rod 320, and the hanging device is connected to the hanging rod 320. The tool can be used to hang workpieces, so that the workpiece can always be in a naturally hanging state as the tool is transported by the chain 210. The positioning group includes a fixing part 410 and a top block 420 arranged on the storage rack 110. A part of the chain 210 passes between the fixing part 410 and the top block 420. The chain 210 can drive the suspension rod 320 to pass between the fixing part 410 and the top block 420. There is a linear drive 430 in the positioning group that can drive the movement in a linear direction to press the suspension rod 320 against the fixing part 410.

[0032] In the storage and transportation mechanism 100, the workpiece can be hung on the first sling 330, and the first sling 330 is connected to the chain 210 through the sling rod 320 and the connecting seat 310, so that the workpiece can be placed in the storage rack 110 for storage. The chain 210 in the transmission group can circulate and rotate on the storage rack 110 to realize the transportation of the workpiece. When in use, if it is necessary to hang the workpiece on the first sling 330 or take it out from the first sling 330, the linear drive 430 in the positioning group drives the top block 420 to approach the fixing member 410. The top block 420 presses the suspension rod 320 onto the fixing part 410, thereby positioning the first sling 330 on the suspension rod 320 and preventing the chain 210 from shaking. At this time, the peripheral mechanical equipment moves to the first sling 330 to realize the hanging or removal of the workpiece. After completion, the linear drive 430 drives the top block 420 away from the fixing part 410. This improves the accuracy of the workpiece positioning when the chain 210 stores and transports the workpiece, which is conducive to the realization of automatic picking and placing of workpieces, reduces manual labor intensity and cost, and improves production efficiency.

[0033] The transmission group is mainly used to make the chain 210 rotate cyclically. In this embodiment, the transmission group includes a drive motor and a sprocket 220. The sprocket 220 is rotatably connected to multiple sprockets 220 on the storage rack 110. The chain 210 is transmission-connected to the multiple sprockets 220, and the drive motor is drivingly connected to any one of the sprockets 220. The chain 210 passes around the multiple sprockets 220 and engages with them, wrapping the multiple sprockets 220. When the drive motor drives any one of the sprockets 220 to rotate, the chain 210 can be caused to rotate cyclically, and the hanging group on the chain 210 can be cyclically transmitted along with the movement of the chain 210.

[0034] In actual application, the length of the chain 210 can be set according to the time required to drive the lifting rod 320 to rotate once, that is, the time it takes for the workpiece on the lifting device to be transported once by the chain 210. The longer the length of the chain 210, that is, the longer it takes for the workpiece on the lifting device to be transported once on the storage rack 110, the chain 210 can be extended in a serpentine shape to increase the length of the chain 210.

[0035] In the above embodiment, only one conveying group can be set on the storage rack 110. At this time, one end of the suspension rod 320 is connected to the chain 210 of the conveying group, and the other end of the suspension rod 320 is slidably connected to the storage rack 110. The movement of the suspension rod 320 is powered only by the chain 210 in the conveying group at one end. In order to improve the stability of the suspension rod 320 when hanging and transporting the workpiece, in this embodiment, two conveying groups are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction on the storage rack 110, and both ends of the suspension rod 320 are connected to the connecting seat 310. The two ends of the two connecting seats 310 are respectively rotatably connected to the two chains 210. In this case, the two conveying groups can each have a drive motor, and the two drive motors respectively drive a sprocket 220 in the two conveying groups to rotate, thereby maintaining the synchronous movement of the two chains 210. Alternatively, the two conveying groups can share a drive motor. In this case, a transmission shaft is connected between the two sprockets 220 facing each other in the two conveying groups. The drive motor directly drives the sprockets 220 to rotate, thereby driving the chains 210 in the two transmission groups to move synchronously. There are two identical conveying groups on the storage rack 110, and the chains 210 in the two conveying groups have the same rotational motion trajectory. The ends of the suspension rod 320 are respectively rotated on the two chains 210 through the two connecting seats 310, thereby improving the stability of the rotational motion of the suspension rod 320.

[0036] In order to prevent the chain 210 from shaking and causing the suspension rod 320 to interfere with the fixing member 410, in this embodiment, the top and bottom ends of the fixing member 410 are connected to a guide plate 440, and the guide plate 440 extends obliquely in a direction away from the chain 210. When the chain 210 drives the hanging group from top to bottom or from bottom to top through the fixing part 410, the hanging group first passes through the inclined guide plate 440. At this time, the guide plate 440 can be against the hanging rod 320 of the hanging group and guide it. In this way, the position of the first hanger 330 on the hanging rod 320 can be preliminarily defined. When the subsequent top block 420 presses the hanging rod 320 against the fixing part 410, the displacement of the hanging rod 320 is reduced, and the stability of the positioning of the chain 210 is improved. When in use, the chain 210 generally rotates in one direction, such as from top to bottom. Due to production needs, if the chain 210 needs to be rotated in the opposite direction, the chain 210 drives the hanging group from bottom to top through the fixing part 410.

[0037] Regarding the number of hanging groups, only one can be installed on the chain 210. However, in this embodiment, multiple hanging groups are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the chain 210, and two top blocks 420 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction. The presence of multiple hanging groups on the chain 210 increases the number of workpieces that can be stored and transported on the chain 210. During use, the chain 210 drives the hanging group to rotate once to complete a cycle of workpiece storage and transportation. Two top blocks 420 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction, and can respectively press the suspension rods 320 in the two hanging groups against the fixing member 410, allowing the hangers in the two hanging groups to pick up and place workpieces. In this way, two adjacent hanging groups are regarded as a group of picking units, with one hanging group hanging the workpiece and the other group picking up the workpiece. The distance the chain 210 moves each time is the distance of a group of picking units, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0038] A storage and transportation mechanism 100 can be used to store and transport a workpiece in a processing state. In this embodiment, a plurality of storage and transportation mechanisms 100 are arranged in a straight line. The picking mechanism further includes a chassis 570. The chassis 570 is connected to a translation drive. The base frame 510 is connected to the translation drive. The translation drive can drive the base frame 510 to reciprocate along the linear arrangement direction of the storage and transportation mechanism 100. The workpiece can be stored in different storage and transportation mechanisms 100 according to the processing state, and the first sling 330 drives the workpiece to be transferred to achieve the placement and waiting of the workpiece. The workpiece can be taken out and placed from the storage and transportation mechanism 100 by the same picking mechanism. When the corresponding workpiece needs to be taken out and placed in the storage and transportation mechanism 100, the translation drive drives the base frame 510 to first translate to face the storage and transportation mechanism 100, and then the picking hook 560 approaches the storage and transportation mechanism 100 to achieve the workpiece taking out and placing.

[0039] The linear drive 430, the translation drive and the lifting drive 520 are mainly used to provide reciprocating motion in a linear direction. There are various structural forms, such as electric push rods, pneumatic push rods or hydraulic push rods. For the translation drive, when the travel distance required to move the base frame 510 is large, in order to reduce the space occupied by the translation drive, in this embodiment, the translation drive includes a reduction motor, a synchronous wheel and a synchronous belt. There are multiple synchronous wheels rotatably connected on the base frame 570. The synchronous belt wraps around all the synchronous wheels and transmits and connects them. The reduction motor drives any one of the synchronous wheels. The base frame 510 is connected to the outside of the synchronous belt. The reduction motor provides a driving force for the rotation of one of the synchronous wheels, and the synchronous belt drives the base frame 510 to slide on the base frame 570.

[0040] In order to improve the stability of the movement of the base frame 510, in this embodiment, a limiting wheel group is connected to the base frame 510, and a limiting rail 571 is set in the base frame 570. The limiting rail 571 extends along the arrangement direction of the multiple storage and transportation mechanisms 100. The limiting wheel group includes a first rotating wheel 581 connected to the base frame 510 and rotating at intervals along the up and down directions, and a second rotating wheel 582 connected to the base frame 510. The two first rotating wheels 581 are respectively against the top and bottom surfaces of the limiting rail 571, and the second rotating wheel 582 is against the side of the limiting rail 571. The limiting wheel group on the base frame 510 can improve the smoothness of the sliding of the base frame 510 on the bottom frame 570. The two first rotating wheels 581 are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the limiting rail 571, which can effectively limit the jumping of the base frame 510 during translation. The second rotating wheel 582 is against the side of the limiting rail 571, which can limit the deviation of the base frame 510 along the width direction of the bottom frame 570, thereby improving the accuracy of the material hook 560 during mobile positioning.

[0041] In actual application, there are two limiting rails 571 on the base frame 570 symmetrically arranged along the width direction of the base frame 570. Similarly, there are two limiting wheel groups on the base frame 510 symmetrically arranged along the width direction of the base frame 570. The two limiting rail 571 groups respectively cooperate with the two limiting rails 571 to achieve sliding limitation, thereby further improving the stability of the movement of the base frame 510.

[0042] like Figure 5 As shown, to enhance overall functional diversity, the base frame 570 is connected to a transfer rack 610, to which a second sling 620 is connected. During operation, the retrieving mechanism can remove a workpiece from the storage and transportation mechanism 100 and place it on the second sling 620 on the transfer rack 610. The workpiece on the second sling 620 can then be transferred to a peripheral workstation for processing and then returned to the storage and transportation mechanism 100 upon completion, thereby enhancing operational flexibility.

[0043] The present invention also includes a transfer line 700, such as Figure 1 As shown, the transfer line 700 includes a fixed frame, on which a rotary transfer chain is installed. A plurality of third slings are arranged at intervals along the length of the transfer chain. The transfer chain passes through all of the storage and transportation mechanisms 100. The transfer chain is driven by a motor and gears installed on the fixed frame, thereby achieving a cyclic rotation of the transfer chain. The processed workpiece can be placed on the third sling of the transfer line 700. The third sling is driven by the transfer chain to rotate, which can realize the transfer and unloading of the processed workpiece. In actual application, the operation of transferring the workpiece to the transfer line 700 can be completed by a material picking mechanism or an external robot.

[0044] The first sling 330, the second sling 620 and the third sling are mainly used for hanging workpieces. The three can adopt the same structure. Taking the first sling 330 as an example, Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the first hanger 330 includes a hanging plate 331 and a hook 332. The hanging plate 331 is connected to the suspension rod 320, and two hooks 332 are connected horizontally. The hanging plate 331 is used to position and connect the two hooks 332 to the suspension rod 320. During use, a workpiece with a horizontally extending rod body is hung between the two hooks 332 to achieve positioning of the workpiece. On a single suspension rod 320, multiple first hangers 330 can be arranged at intervals along the length of the suspension rod 320, thereby increasing the number of workpieces that can be hung.

[0045] Furthermore, the two hooks 332 are each connected to a baffle 333 on the side facing away from each other. Both baffles 333 are bent upward on the side facing away from the hooks 332. The baffles 333 are bent upward on the side facing away from the hooks 332 to form a blocking section that limits the ends of the rod hung within the two hanging rods, restricting the rod from sliding along the arrangement direction of the two hooks 332, thereby better positioning the workpiece. When the rod on the workpiece is placed into the two hooks 332, the blocking sections on the two baffles 333 guide the rod, allowing the rod to slide more accurately into the two hooks 332.

[0046] In actual application, at least two robots can also be used, one robot is used to hang the workpiece after one processing on the first hanger 330 of the storage and transportation mechanism 100, and the other robot is used to take out the workpiece from the second hanger 620 on the transfer rack 610 for processing, and then transfer it to the first hanger 330 of another storage and transportation mechanism 100. At this time, the material picking hook 560 of the material picking mechanism is used to take out the workpiece from the first hanger 330 on the storage and transportation mechanism 100 and place it on the second hanger 620 of the transfer rack 610, or to take out the workpiece from the first hanger 330 on the storage and transportation mechanism 100 and place it on the third hanger of the transfer line 700.

[0047] A limit group is provided between the plurality of storage and transportation mechanisms 100 and the transfer line 700. The limit group includes a clamping drive and a limit clamp. The clamping drive is connected to two limit clamps. The clamping drive can drive the two limit clamps to move closer to or away from each other. Any of the third slings can be moved between the two limit clamps. The clamping drive is mainly used to provide a clamping driving force. Its structural form is various, such as pneumatic fingers or electric fingers. When the workpiece needs to be placed on the third sling of the transfer line 700, the clamping drive drives the two limit clamps to move closer to the third sling. The two limit clamps clamp and position the third sling. This avoids the problem of the third sling shaking and being difficult to position. The material picking hook 560 is more accurate in hanging the workpiece on the third sling, thereby improving the stability of the overall operation.

[0048] A material transfer method can be applied to the above-mentioned material transfer machine, including the following steps: S1, a robot places the workpiece on the first sling 330 of a storage and transportation mechanism 100, and the workpiece is rotated and transported in the storage and transportation mechanism 100 to meet the placement time; S2, the material picking hook 560 in the material picking mechanism swings close to the first sling 330 and takes out the workpiece, and then transfers it to the side of the transfer rack 610, and places the workpiece on the second sling 620, another robot moves the workpiece in the second sling 620 out, and then places it on the first sling 330 of another storage and transportation mechanism 100, and the workpiece is rotated and transported in the storage and transportation mechanism 100 to meet the placement time; S3, the workpiece that meets the placement time in step S2 is transferred to the third sling of the transfer line 700, and the transfer line 700 sends the workpiece out for unloading.

[0049] The robot puts the processed workpiece into the first sling 330 of the storage and transportation mechanism 100. At this time, the workpiece can be placed in the storage and transportation mechanism 100 for transfer. As the workpiece is rotated and transported for a distance in the storage and transportation mechanism 100, the time required for the workpiece to be placed can be met. Then the picking hook 560 in the picking mechanism takes the workpiece out of the first sling 330 and transfers the workpiece to the second sling 620 of the transfer rack 610. At this time, another robot moves the workpiece in the second sling 620 out to the peripheral workstation for the next step of processing. After completion, the workpiece is placed in another storage On the first sling 330 of the transport mechanism 100, similarly, the workpiece can be rotated and transported in the storage and transportation mechanism 100 to meet the required waiting time. After completion, it is transferred to the third sling of the transfer line 700, and the transfer line 700 sends the workpiece out for unloading. This transfer operation can be completed by the material picking mechanism or by the robot. In this way, workpieces in different processing states can be placed in different storage and transportation mechanisms 100 for transfer storage, and can be moved out again after the waiting time is met for the next processing or unloading. The overall use is more flexible and can meet the transfer of materials in complex production and processing.

[0050] The above specifically describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the invention is not limited to the embodiments. Those skilled in the art may make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without violating the spirit of the present invention. These equivalent modifications or substitutions are all included in the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. Material transfer machine, characterized by: include: A storage and transportation mechanism (100) having a first sling (330) therein capable of rotatable transmission; The material taking mechanism comprises a base frame (510), a lifting drive (520), a slide (530), a swing drive (540) and a material taking frame (550), wherein the base frame (510) is located beside the storage and transportation mechanism (100), the lifting drive (520) is connected to the base frame (510), the slide (530) is connected to the lifting drive (520), the lifting drive (520) can drive the slide (530) to slide up and down, the swing drive (540) is connected to the slide (530), the material taking frame (550) is connected to the swing drive (540), and the material taking frame (550) is connected to the lifting drive (520). There is a material picking hook (560), the swing drive (540) can drive the material picking frame (550) to swing back and forth to approach or move away from the first sling (330), the storage and transportation mechanism (100) is arranged in a plurality of directions along a straight line, the material picking mechanism also includes a base frame (570), the base frame (570) is connected to a translation drive, the base frame (510) is connected to the translation drive, the translation drive can drive the base frame (510) to reciprocate along the straight line arrangement direction of the storage and transportation mechanism (100), the base frame (570) is connected to a transfer frame (610), and the transfer frame (610) is connected to a second sling (620).

2. The material transporter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage and transportation mechanism (100) comprises: Storage rack (110); A conveying group, which is arranged on the storage rack (110), and has a rotatable conveying chain (210) in the conveying group; A hanging group, comprising a connecting seat (310) and a hanging rod (320), wherein the connecting seat (310) is rotatably connected to the chain (210), the hanging rod (320) is connected to the connecting seat (310), and the first hanging device (330) is connected to the hanging rod (320); A positioning group includes a fixing member (410), a top block (420) and a linear drive (430) arranged on the storage rack (110). The linear drive (430) is connected to the storage rack (110). The linear drive (430) is transmission-connected to the top block (420). The linear drive (430) can drive the top block (420) to approach or move away from the fixing member (410).

3. The material transfer machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transmission group includes a driving motor and a sprocket (220), wherein a plurality of sprockets (220) are rotatably connected to the storage rack (110), the chain (210) is transmission-connected to the plurality of sprockets (220), and the driving motor is drivingly connected to any one of the sprockets (220).

4. The material transfer machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: A guide plate (440) is connected to the top and / or bottom end of the fixing member (410), and the guide plate (440) extends obliquely in a direction away from the chain (210).

5. The material transporter according to claim 1, characterized in that: A limiting wheel group is connected to the base frame (510), and a limiting rail (571) is provided in the base frame (570). The limiting rail (571) extends along the arrangement direction of the plurality of storage and transportation mechanisms (100). The limiting wheel group includes a first rotating wheel (581) connected to the base frame (510) and rotatable at intervals along the up and down directions, and a second rotating wheel (582) connected to the base frame (510). The two first rotating wheels (581) respectively abut against the top surface and the bottom surface of the limiting rail (571), and the second rotating wheel (582) abuts against the side surface of the limiting rail (571).

6. The material transporter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer line (700) includes a fixed frame, a transfer chain for rotary transmission is provided on the fixed frame, a plurality of third slings are arranged at intervals along the length extension direction of the transfer chain, and the transfer chain passes through all the storage and transportation mechanisms (100).

7. The material transporter according to claim 6, characterized in that: A limit group is provided between the plurality of storage and transportation mechanisms (100) and the transfer line (700), the limit group comprising a clamping drive and a limit clamp, the clamping drive being connected to two limit clamps, the clamping drive being able to drive the two limit clamps to move closer to or away from each other, and any one of the third slings being able to move between the two limit clamps.

8. A material transfer method, applicable to the material transfer machine according to any one of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that: The steps include: S1, a robot places a workpiece on a first hanger (330) of a storage and transportation mechanism (100), and the workpiece is rotated and transported in the storage and transportation mechanism (100) to meet the placement time; S2, the picking hook (560) in the picking mechanism swings close to the first sling (330) and takes out the workpiece, then moves it to the side of the transfer rack (610), and places the workpiece on the second sling (620). Another manipulator moves the workpiece out of the second sling (620) and then places it on the first sling (330) of another storage and transportation mechanism (100). The workpiece is rotated and transported in the storage and transportation mechanism (100) to meet the placement time. S3, transferring the workpiece that meets the placement time in step S2 to the third hanger of the transfer line (700), and the transfer line (700) sends the workpiece out for unloading.

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