Apparatus for turning a sheet of material

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for conveying boards (2, 3) placed on a conveyor belt (1) and for turning the boards (2) by means of a turning device (4), characterized in that the turning device (4) has a turning arm (5) which performs a rotational movement and a transverse movement in order to turn the boards (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for conveying sheets placed on a conveyor belt and for rotating the sheets by means of a turning device, as described in the preamble of patent claim 1.

[0002] Such an apparatus is already known from DE 1 958 785 U, in which the panels are fed via a drum conveyor or roller conveyor, and are referred to as a panel turning machine.

[0003] The turning arms of the panel turner are arranged in a star shape and pick up the panels from the roller conveyor.

[0004] Between the turning arms, there are also clamping devices for gripping and securing the slab on the turning arms. The turning mechanism is then rotated until the previously lower side of the clamped slab is on top. When the slab is in this position, the clamping devices are released. The slab is picked up by another roller conveyor located below it and passed on this basis so that the next slab can be placed on the surface vacated by the previous slab.

[0005] The disadvantage of known star-shaped turning devices is that the longitudinal movement of the sheets to be turned on the roller conveyor is suddenly decelerated, and the sheets are subjected to rotational acceleration due to the decelerated lateral movement. After completing the rotation process during this decelerated horizontal movement over a rotation of approximately 180°, they are decelerated again to zero rotational speed and accelerated again in the horizontal direction, i.e., in the direction of the roller conveyor.

[0006] In the case of known turning devices, the speed of the turning process is therefore limited, because otherwise the edges of the sheet material can be damaged by the changing accelerations and speeds. The surface on which the sheet material rests on the roller conveyor and the turning arms of the turning device can also be damaged.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to create a turning device which can achieve the transition from the conveyor belt to the turning device and vice versa without strong deceleration and acceleration.

[0008] This object is achieved according to claim 1 of the patent.

[0009] Because the turning device according to the present invention has a turning arm that performs both rotational and lateral movements to turn the sheet, the sheet moved laterally by the conveyor belt is picked up by the turning arm through a pushing motion, gradually decelerated from the lateral movement, and then subjected to a small rotational acceleration due to the gradual pivoting movement. This ensures a smooth turning process without the risk of damaging the sheet.

[0010] Advantageous embodiments of the invention result from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings, in particular in conjunction with the associated description.

[0011] Particularly advantageous is the use of a control device to coordinate the rotational and lateral movement of the flipper arm. The control device can coordinate the movement of the board picked up by the flipper relative to the conveyor belt from which the flipper receives the board. Thus, when the flipper picks up a board moving at the speed of the conveyor belt, the board is decelerated and then gradually accelerated to a rotational acceleration to rotate the board picked up by the flipper and then place it back on the conveyor without damaging the board.

[0012] The present invention makes it possible to precisely place sheets at a desired location on the conveyor belt, in particular on sheets lying flat on the conveyor belt, which have not previously been fed into a turning device, i.e., have not been turned on the conveyor belt. In this way, pairs of sheets placed on top of each other are formed by a sheet stream having an A side and a B side resting on the conveyor belt, with the A sides of the sheet stream facing each other when placed on top of each other.

[0013] Therefore, the turning device according to the present invention is applicable to all types of panels whose A side and B side are different from each other, such as building material panels, gypsum boards, veneer boards, and glass panels.

[0014] The control device advantageously comprises mechanical and / or electronic means. Since the transverse movement and the rotational movement overlap undisturbedly during the rotation of the plate, both types of movement can be controlled by a single drive means (i.e., a motor), in particular in conjunction with a transmission. The transverse movement can also be decomposed into a movement portion parallel to the movement of the conveyor belt and a movement portion perpendicular to the movement of the conveyor belt. The vertical portion of the movement requires lifting the plate to be turned so that it can be placed on top of the unturned plate. The invention makes it possible to precisely set the placement position of the turned plate, for example, it can also be slid out of the turning device.

[0015] With electronic control, the height of the turning device can also be easily adjusted, in this way adapting to sheet materials of varying thicknesses.

[0016] Likewise, the speed of the turning process must be adjusted to the conveying speed of the sheets, their relative distance on the conveyor belt and the length of the sheets.

[0017] For example, a particularly simple and flexible solution for the tilting process can be achieved if a single, separate motor (which is controlled independently of the other motors) is used for each movement part (two transverse movements and one rotational movement).

[0018] If mechanical components are used instead of a purely electronic control with three motors, or if the mechanical control rotates only part of the time or during certain time periods within the movement cycle, the control device preferably includes a push rod, which acts on an eccentric via a first rotary joint, and the eccentric is connected to a second rotary joint, via which the tilting arm can be rotated.

[0019] Advantageously, it also provides a tilting arm so that the lateral movement is generated by a chain or belt drive.

[0020] In a further advantageous embodiment, the tilting arm provided for generating the transverse movement can be guided along a cam disk or by a cam mechanism on a straight or curved contour.

[0021] The electronic controller preferably has at least a first motor and a second motor, wherein the first motor is used to generate a transverse movement of the tilting arm in at least one spatial direction and the second motor is used to generate a rotational movement of the tilting arm.

[0022] It has proven to be particularly advantageous if the movement of the sheet metal turned by the turning device can be synchronized with the movement of the conveyor belt.

[0023] The sheets are preferably divided into a first sheet and a second sheet, which are placed one after the other on the conveyor belt so that the first sheet is caught by a turning arm and turned over on the conveyor belt and placed on the second sheet or between them. This requires that the turning process is synchronized with the conveying speed of the conveyor belt.

[0024] According to the invention, a turning device of simple design is provided; this comprises a turning arm having a first leg and a second leg, which are connected to each other at the ends and between which one of the sheets is received by being pushed onto the first leg.

[0025] According to the invention, it is preferred that the first sheet material is held between the legs by means of a transverse and a rotational movement of the turning arm in such a manner that it performs a rotational movement relative to the conveyor belt.

[0026] In this case, it is advantageous to turn the first sheet over so that it is placed on the second sheet after the turning process is complete. This means that the first sheet only undergoes a rotational movement and no transverse movement relative to the conveyor belt. It is simply moved slightly higher in height than the second sheet.

[0027] In another alternative embodiment, the weight of the plate can also be used when performing the turning process, as a result of which, during the rotational movement of the turning arm, the first plate can be pivoted between the two legs, thereby placing it from the first leg to the second leg, so that after the rotation and lateral movement of the turning arm are completed, it is finally placed on the second plate or the conveyor belt itself by sliding out from the second leg of the turning arm.

[0028] Another advantage of the present invention is that the flip arm is rotatably mounted on the first swivel joint at the outer end of the second leg, and the flip arm can rotate via the swivel joint while performing lateral movement.

[0029] Preferably, the transverse and rotational movement of the turning arm is synchronized with the transverse movement of the conveyor belt, since turning of the sheet metal corresponds simultaneously to a transverse movement of the sheet metal length in the conveying direction toward the conveyor belt.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, sheets that have been turned over by the turning device are turned over in such a way that they are placed on sheets that have not been turned over and are lying flat on the conveyor belt. During this turning process, the turned sheet performs essentially only a rotational movement about its rear edge that rests on the conveyor belt, and the height of the sheet that remains flat on the conveyor belt is slightly raised so that it can be placed on top by the turning device.

[0031] According to the invention, by using a turning device cooperating with a connecting rod, it is possible to cause a lateral displacement of the turned sheets relative to their position on the conveyor belt.

[0032] Due to the shape of the turning arm according to the invention, it can be used for a large number of sheet metal formats, ie formats of sheet metal widths.

[0033] For example, panels with a width of 600 mm to 1400 mm are turned over on their wide side. This type of panel can be turned with the same turning equipment and the same turning arms, without the need for modifications to the turning equipment or downtime required by conventional turning arms.

[0034] This advantage of the tilting arm is due to the fact that the first leg, which pushes the sheet, is at least half the length of the second leg. It is particularly advantageous if the first leg is at most three-quarters the length of the second leg. To facilitate sliding the sheet to be tilted onto the first leg, rollers are preferably provided as support for the sheet. Furthermore, the first sheet may have a sliding strip made of a rubber material.

[0035] The present invention will be explained in more detail in exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show:

[0036] 1 to 6 are side views of a turning device disposed above a conveyor belt for turning over a plate lying flat on the conveyor belt;

[0037] FIG7 is a side view of the flip arm;

[0038] FIG8 shows an isometric view of the flip arm according to FIG7 , and

[0039] FIG. 9 shows an isometric view of a flip device.

[0040] The sheets 2, 3 are transported on a driven conveyor belt 1 (FIGS. 1 to 6) equipped with a plurality of belt sections arranged adjacent to one another in the conveying direction in the direction of arrow A. For manufacturing reasons, the sheets 2, 3 are placed on the conveyor belt 1 in pairs, one behind the other.

[0041] The conveyor belt 1 is composed of a plurality of spaced-apart, parallel, independent belts. A partial turning device 4 is located in each free space between the belts. At least two partial turning devices can be used to hold the sheet material 2. Depending on the width of the sheet material 2, the partial turning devices can be positioned at different locations between the individual belts of the conveyor belt 1. Preferably, the distance between the partial turning devices can also be varied. In particular, the partial turning devices can be connected between different belts of the conveyor belt 1.

[0042] It is assumed that only the sheet 2 is turned over by the turning device 4 , while the sheet 3 remains in position on the conveyor belt 1 .

[0043] The tilting device 4 comprises a tilting arm 5 which in turn has two legs 6 , 7 ( FIGS. 7 , 8 ).

[0044] The leg 6, which is arranged at the bottom in the receiving position ( FIG. 1 ), is slightly moved upwards at its front edge by the rotational movement of the turning device 4 about the swivel joint 8 arranged in a variable position, so that the sheet 2 can slide onto the leg 6 with its front edge and thus be pushed from the conveyor belt 1 onto the leg 6. The leg 6 is provided with a coating on its surface, so that the sheet 2 is sufficiently decelerated and does not impact in the area 9 where the two legs 6, 7 are connected to each other.

[0045] Then, by further rotating the turning device 4 around the rotary joint 8 in the direction of the rotation arrow B, the plate 2 is lifted from its leading edge ( FIG. 2 ) so that it slides upwards between the two legs 6 , 7 , with the trailing edge of the plate 2 preferably resting against the leading edge of the plate 3 .

[0046] The rotational movement of the turning device 4 is achieved by a drive 10, which drives a connecting rod 11, which, via an eccentric 12, rotates the rotary joint 8 into position 8' (Figure 2). At the same time, the turning device 4 performs a transverse movement. Here, the transverse movement is limited by a frame 13. The frame 13 is adapted to the dimensions of the sheet 2; in addition, a chain drive or other drive device is preferably used to realize the transverse part of the turning device 4. The movement of the turning device is preferably limited by a profile (e.g., a curved profile) or a cam disc attached to the frame 13.

[0047] The sheet 2 is pushed upward by the rotary movement of the rotary joint 8 and moves toward the area 9 ( FIGS. 3 , 4 ), while continuing to rest on the conveyor belt 1 with its trailing edge.

[0048] The retracting movement of the link 11 shifts the pivot point of the tilting device 4 to the position 8", with the sheet 2 being positioned between the legs 6, 7 (Figure 4).

[0049] By further rotating the turning device 4, the plate 2 is placed on the plate 3 (Figures 5, 6). Then the reverse movement of the turning device 4 is completed by the movement of the connecting rod 11, so that it returns to its original position and is ready to receive another plate 2.

[0050] The turning arms 5 have at least one continuous hole 14 ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ) or an additional second hole 15 , whereby all the turning arms 5 of the turning device 4 are interconnected via a connecting rod 15 ( FIG. 9 ). The turning arms 5 are mounted in a frame 20 and, if desired, can be arranged at different distances from one another in the frame 20 , for example, offset relative to one another. Since the distance between the turning arms 5 is variable, the turning device 4 can be easily mounted on different conveyor systems and can accommodate different distances between the belts 17 of the conveyor belt 1 .

[0051] The sheet 2 is conveyed to the flip arm 5 of the flipping device 4 by the conveyor belt 1, so that once the flip arm 5 is brought into the picking position by the driving device 10 through the connecting rod 11, the sheet 2 can be picked up between the legs 6 and 7 of the flip arm 5. In this way, the sheets 2 and 3 arranged one after another in the direction of arrow A are stacked by the flipping operation of the flipping device 4, with the front sheet 2 placed on the back sheet 3.

[0052] Sliding the sheet material 2 onto the legs 6 is preferably facilitated by the fact that the legs carry rollers 18, 19 on their upper sides. Alternatively, slideways made of a material with low sliding friction are provided on the legs 6, for example.

[0053] The present invention thus creates a machine for continuously turning over panels of building material.

Claims

1. A device comprising a conveyor belt (1) for conveying plates (2, 3) lying on the conveyor belt (1) and for turning the plates (2) by means of a turning device (4), characterized in that The turning device (4) has a turning arm (5), which performs a rotational movement and a transverse movement to turn the plate (2); The axis of rotation of the rotational movement is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt and parallel to the surface of the conveyor belt, and the lateral movement is decomposed into a movement portion parallel to the movement of the conveyor belt and a movement portion perpendicular to the movement of the conveyor belt; and The flip arm (5) comprises a first leg (6) and a second leg (7), wherein the first leg (6) and the second leg (7) are connected to each other at their ends, and one of the panels (2, 3) can be accommodated between the first leg (6) and the second leg (7) by sliding onto the first leg (6).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that It comprises a control device for coordinating the rotational and lateral movements of the turning arm (5).

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The control device includes mechanical and / or electronic equipment.

4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The control device comprises a push rod (11) which acts on an eccentric (12) via a first rotary joint, and the eccentric (12) is in turn articulated on a second rotary joint, via which the tilting arm (5) is rotatable.

5. The device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The turning arm (5) is driven by a chain or a belt to generate lateral movement.

6. The device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The tilting arm (5) is guided by a cam mechanism on a straight or curved contour to generate a lateral movement.

7. The device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The control device comprises at least a first motor for generating a transverse movement of the turning arm (5) in at least one spatial direction and a second motor for generating a rotational movement of the turning arm (5).

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The movement of the sheet material (2) turned over by the turning device (4) can be synchronized with the movement of the conveyor belt (1).

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The first leg (6) is at least half the length of the second leg (7), or The length of the first leg (6) is at most three quarters of the length of the second leg (7).

10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The first leg (6) has rollers (18, 19) which serve as supports for the sheet (2).

11. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that One of the plates (2, 3) is fixed between a first leg (6) and a second leg (7) by means of a transverse movement and a rotational movement of a turning arm so that it performs a rotational movement relative to the conveyor belt (1).

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that One of the plates (2, 3) is turned over in such a way that it is placed on the other of the plates (2, 3) after the turning process is completed.

13. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that During the rotational movement of the flip arm (5), one of the plates (2, 3) is pivoted between the first leg (6) and the second leg (7) by gravity, placed from the first leg to the second leg, and after the rotational and lateral movement of the flip arm (5) is completed, is placed on the other of the plates (2, 3) by sliding out from the second leg (7) of the flip arm (5).

14. A method for conveying and turning over a sheet material by means of an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and 13, wherein the apparatus comprises a conveyor belt for conveying the sheet material (2, 3) and a turning device (4) for turning over the sheet material (2, 3), characterized in that The plates (2, 3) are divided into a first plate (2) and a second plate (3), and each plate (2, 3) is placed one after another on the conveyor belt (1). The first plate (2) can be grasped and turned over by a turning arm (5), and can be turned over and placed on the conveyor belt (1) or the second plate (3).

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The first plate (2) is fixed between the first leg (6) and the second leg (7) by the lateral movement and the rotational movement of the turning arm, so that the first plate (2) performs a rotational movement relative to the conveyor belt (1).

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The first plate (2) is held between the first leg (6) and the second leg (7) by its weight, During the rotational movement of the turning arm (5), the first plate is placed from the first leg to the second leg, and After the rotational and lateral movements of the turning arm (5) are completed, the first sheet is placed on the second sheet (3) by sliding out from the second leg (7) of the turning arm (5).

17. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The flip arm (5) is rotatably mounted on a second rotary joint at the outer end of the second leg (7), and The tilting arm (5) is pivoted by means of the second rotary joint and simultaneously performs a lateral movement.

18. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The transverse movement and the rotational movement of the turning arm (5) are synchronized with the transverse movement of the conveyor belt (1).

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