A self-propelled clamp

Abstract

This invention provides a self-propelled clamp, including a transverse sliding guide rail, a mounting base at one end of the transverse sliding guide rail, and interconnected T-slots on both the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail. A clamp is installed within the T-slot of the mounting base. A vertically oriented side plate guide rail is mounted on the top of the mounting base, and a vertically upward-oriented power cylinder is installed within the side plate guide rail. A sprocket is mounted on the top of the telescopic shaft of the power cylinder, and a drag chain is mounted on the sprocket. One end of the drag chain is mounted on the housing of the power cylinder via a drag chain fixing bracket, and the other end of the drag chain is fixedly connected to one end of a T-block on the clamp. A drag chain roller is mounted on the drag chain, and an oil supply hose is mounted on the outer surface of the drag chain roller via a hose clamp. The oil supply hose is connected to an oil pipe connector on the clamp. This invention, through an innovative design of the clamp's drive structure, simplifies the clamp's drive structure and improves the precise control of the clamp's lateral movement position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of clamping technology, and more specifically to a self-propelled clamp. Background Technology

[0002] In machining, it is often necessary to mount various molds on a worktable, and an important step in this process is fixing and clamping the molds. Currently, mold clamping can be done manually or automatically. Automatic mold clamping devices typically use power devices such as motors, hydraulic equipment, or pneumatic equipment to achieve automatic clamping. These devices are generally suitable for highly automated mold equipment or large-scale mold equipment.

[0003] In existing technologies, mold clamps are generally immovable, requiring the workpiece to be moved to the clamp's set position before it can be clamped. However, in actual production, many situations necessitate moving the clamp. A self-propelled clamp is a clamp that can slide freely within a T-slot, providing a safe and reliable mold-changing system. For example, Chinese Patent Publication No. CN202517743U discloses a lateral moving self-propelled clamp, comprising at least one self-propelled clamp mounted on a linear drive shaft, which is mounted on a slide block of a press. The self-propelled clamp moves laterally on the slide block with the linear drive shaft, and its working stop position corresponds to the T-slot. The self-propelled clamp is mounted on a linear drive shaft, with air and oil pipes housed within a cable chain. Under the control of the press's PLC, the clamp moves laterally to the corresponding clamping slot position based on the mold's different clamping slot locations. Then, the clamp slides within the T-slot to clamp the mold, completing the action. This significantly reduces the number of clamps mounted on the press slide, lowering costs. However, the aforementioned patent only discloses a linear drive shaft; it doesn't reveal how the clamp is driven laterally or how it operates. Furthermore, this design occupies a large area, and controlling the clamp's lateral movement is difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a self-propelled clamp. Through innovative design of the clamp's drive structure, the clamp's drive structure can be simplified, and the precise control of the clamp's lateral movement position can be improved.

[0005] This invention provides a self-propelled clamp, comprising: a transverse sliding guide rail, an end of which is mounted with a mounting base; both the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail are provided with communicating T-slots; a clamp is mounted on the mounting base; the clamp includes a housing, an oil pipe connector is mounted on the housing, a piston is mounted inside the housing, a spring is mounted on the top of the piston, a top block is mounted on the top of the spring, a push rod is longitudinally mounted through the top block, the top of the push rod extends to the outer side of the top of the housing, a T-shaped block is provided on the top of the push rod, the T-shaped block can be embedded in the T-slots provided on the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail, a clamping plate embedding groove is provided on the push rod at the contact point with the top of the housing, the clamping plate is mounted on the top of the housing, and the left and right ends of the clamping plate are embedded in the push rod. The clamping plate is embedded in the groove. A side plate guide rail is installed on the top of the mounting base along the vertical direction. A vertically upward-oriented power cylinder is installed in the side plate guide rail. The bottom of the power cylinder is fixed on the mounting base. A U-shaped bracket is installed on the top of the telescopic shaft of the power cylinder. A sprocket is installed on the U-shaped bracket. A drag chain is installed on the sprocket. One end of the drag chain is installed on the housing of the power cylinder through a drag chain fixing bracket. The other end of the drag chain is fixedly connected to one end of a T-shaped block on the clamp. A drag chain roller is installed on the drag chain. The drag chain roller is embedded in the side plate guide rail. An oil supply hose is installed on the outer surface of the drag chain roller through a hose clamp. One end of the oil supply hose is connected to an oil pipe connector installed on the clamp. The other end of the oil supply hose is connected to an oil pressure distributor installed on the mounting base.

[0006] In the above technical solution, during actual operation, the hydraulic pressure of the clamp is first discharged through the hydraulic distributor, causing the clamp's push rod to loosen downwards. At this time, the T-block of the clamp can move within the T-slots set on the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail. Then, the sprocket is driven downwards by the power cylinder. During the downward movement of the sprocket, the drag chain is driven to move downwards through the drag chain rollers within the side plate guide rail. During the downward movement of the drag chain, it pushes the T-block of the clamp to move within the T-slots set on the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail. When the clamp moves to the mold located below the transverse sliding guide rail, the power cylinder stops operating. Then, the hydraulic distributor supplies hydraulic pressure to the clamp through the oil supply hose, and the clamp clamps the mold. When it is necessary to release the mold, the hydraulic pressure of the clamp is discharged through the hydraulic distributor, causing the clamp's push rod to release downwards. Then, the sprocket is driven to move upwards by the power cylinder. During the upward movement of the sprocket, the drag chain is driven to move downwards through the drag chain rollers in the side plate guide rail. During the upward movement of the drag chain, it will pull the T-block of the clamp towards the mounting seat. When the clamp is in place, the power cylinder stops operating, realizing the reset of the clamp.

[0007] Preferably, a simulated mold is installed at the bottom of the mounting base above the clamping plate. When the clamping device is reset, the hydraulic distributor provides hydraulic pressure to the clamping device through the oil supply hose, and the clamping device clamps the simulated mold. When the press is in operation, it is necessary to ensure that the clamping devices are in the clamping state to avoid safety accidents.

[0008] Preferably, a limiting block is installed on the side of the clamping plate. By setting the limiting block, the contact area between the clamp and the mold can be precisely limited so that the clamp can move into place.

[0009] Preferably, a cylinder controller is installed on the outer wall of the side plate guide rail. The cylinder controller is connected to the power cylinder through a cylinder pipe. The cylinder controller can control the speed at which the power cylinder rises or falls, so as to achieve better speed control.

[0010] Preferably, a positioning detection switch is installed on the rear end edge of the clamping plate, which can precisely control the movement position of the clamp.

[0011] Preferably, a control box is installed on the outer side wall of the side plate guide rail. The control box channel wires are respectively connected to the position detection switch, the hydraulic diverter and the cylinder controller. By setting the control box, the automatic control of the clamp's travel position and the clamping or releasing of the clamp can be realized.

[0012] Preferably, a guide rail mounting plate is installed on the top of the side plate guide rail to facilitate the fixed installation of the side plate guide rail.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the self-propelled clamp provided by this invention are as follows: This self-propelled clamp has a simple structure and is easy to operate. Through the innovative design of the clamp's drive structure, it simplifies the clamp's drive structure and improves the precise control of the clamp's lateral movement position. In actual operation, the hydraulic pressure of the clamp is first discharged through the hydraulic pressure distributor, causing the clamp's push rod to release downwards. At this time, the clamp's T-block can move within the T-slots set on the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail. Then, the sprocket is driven downwards by the power cylinder. During the downward movement of the sprocket, the drag chain is driven to move downwards through the drag chain rollers within the side plate guide rail. During the downward movement of the drag chain, it pushes the clamp's T-block to move within the T-slots set on the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail. When the clamp moves to the mold located below the transverse sliding guide rail, the power cylinder stops operating. Then, the hydraulic pressure distributor provides hydraulic pressure to the clamp through the oil supply hose, and the clamp clamps the mold. When the mold needs to be released, the hydraulic pressure of the clamp is discharged through the hydraulic distributor, causing the clamp's push rod to release downwards. Then, the sprocket is driven upwards by the power cylinder. During this upward movement, the sprocket drives the cable chain to move upwards through the cable chain rollers within the side guide rail. As the cable chain moves upwards, it pulls the clamp's T-slot towards the mounting base. Once the clamp is in position, the power cylinder stops, resetting the clamp. By using a combination of power cylinder and cable chain, the clamp can be driven at right angles within the T-slots on the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail. This allows the clamp's travel distance within the T-slot to be twice the power cylinder's stroke. For example, if the power cylinder's stroke is 500mm, the clamp's travel distance within the T-slot can be controlled to be 1000mm, saving overall installation space and effectively solving the problem of clamp movement interference. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention. Figure I .

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention. Figure II .

[0016] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural installation diagram of the clamp, mounting base, and side plate guide rail in this invention.

[0017] Figure 4 This is an exploded three-dimensional structural diagram of the clamp, mounting base, and side plate guide rail in this invention.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the clamp, mounting base, cable chain, oil supply hose and position detection switch in this invention.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a partial installation structure diagram of the clamping device, simulation mold, mounting base, and power cylinder in this invention.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a partial installation structure diagram of the power cylinder, drag chain roller, sprocket, drag chain, and oil supply hose in this invention.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a partial installation structure diagram of the cable chain, cable chain fixing bracket, and power cylinder in this invention.

[0022] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the clamp, cable chain, and oil supply hose in this invention.

[0023] Figure 10 This is an exploded structural diagram of the clamping device in this invention.

[0024] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the workflow of the present invention.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Clamping device; 101. Housing; 102. Clamping plate; 103. Push rod; 104. T-block; 105. Oil pipe connector; 106. Clamping plate embedding groove; 107. Piston; 108. Spring; 109. Push block; 110. Limiting block; 2. Simulated mold; 3. Mounting base; 4. Side plate guide rail; 5. Guide rail mounting plate; 6. Lateral sliding guide rail; 7. Mold; 8. Control box; 9. Cylinder controller; 10. Cylinder air pipe; 11. T-slot; 12. Hydraulic distributor; 13. Power cylinder; 14. Cable drag chain roller; 15. Sprocket; 16. Cable drag chain; 17. Oil supply hose; 18. Position detection switch; 19. U-shaped bracket; 20. Cable drag chain fixing bracket; 21. Hose clamp cover. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0027] Example: A self-propelled clamp.

[0028] Reference Figures 1 to 11As shown, a self-propelled clamp includes: a transverse sliding guide rail 6, with a mounting base 3 installed at one end of the transverse sliding guide rail 6. Both the mounting base 3 and the transverse sliding guide rail 6 are provided with interconnecting T-slots 11, which serve as channels for the transverse movement of the clamp 1. The clamp 1 is mounted on the mounting base 3. The clamp 1 includes a housing 101, with an oil pipe connector 105 mounted on the housing 101. A piston 107 is installed inside the housing 101, a spring 108 is mounted on the top of the piston 107, a top block 109 is mounted on the top of the spring 108, and a push rod 103 is longitudinally mounted through the top block 109, with the top of the push rod 103 extending to the housing. On the outer side of the top of 101, a T-shaped block 104 is provided on the top of the push rod 103. The T-shaped block 104 can be embedded in the T-shaped groove 11 provided on the mounting base 3 and the transverse sliding guide rail 6. A clamping plate embedding groove 106 is provided on the push rod 103 at the contact point with the top of the outer shell 101. The clamping plate 102 is installed on the top of the outer shell 101, and the left and right ends of the clamping plate 102 are embedded in the clamping plate embedding groove 106 of the push rod 103. In actual operation, when the oil pipe joint 105 supplies oil inward, the oil pressure pushes the piston 107 to the top. The piston 107 pushes the push block 109 and the push rod 103 to the top. During the upward pushing process of the push rod 103, it will drive the clamping plate 102 to the top, thereby achieving clamping of the mold 7. When it is necessary to release the mold 7, the oil pressure is released. Under the rebound action of the spring 108, the push rod 103 drives the clamping plate 102 to return downward, thereby releasing the mold 7. Limiting blocks 110 are installed on the side of the clamping plate 102. By setting the limiting blocks 110, the contact area between the clamping device 1 and the mold 7 can be precisely limited, so that the clamping device 1 can stably clamp the mold 7 after moving into position. A position detection switch 18 is installed on the rear end of the clamping plate 102. By installing the position detection switch 18, the movement position of the clamping device 1 can be precisely controlled. The simulated mold 2 is installed at the bottom of the mounting base 3 above the clamping plate 102. When the clamping device 1 is reset, the hydraulic distributor 12 provides hydraulic pressure to the clamping device 1 through the oil supply hose 17, and the clamping device 1 clamps the simulated mold 2. When the press is running, it is necessary to ensure that the clamping device 1 is always in the clamped state to avoid safety accidents.

[0029] The top of the mounting base 3 is equipped with a vertically oriented side plate guide rail 4, and the top of the side plate guide rail 4 is equipped with a guide rail mounting plate 5 to facilitate the fixed installation of the side plate guide rail 4. A vertically upward-oriented power cylinder 13 is installed inside the side plate guide rail 4, and a cylinder controller 9 is installed on the outer wall of the side plate guide rail 4. The cylinder controller 9 is connected to the power cylinder 13 through a cylinder air pipe 10, and can control the upward or downward speed of the power cylinder 13 to achieve better speed control. The bottom of the power cylinder 13 is fixed to the mounting base 3, and a U-shaped bracket 19 is installed on the top of the telescopic shaft of the power cylinder 13. A sprocket 15 is mounted on the bracket 19, and a cable chain 16 is mounted on the sprocket 15. One end of the cable chain 16 is mounted on the housing of the power cylinder 13 via a cable chain fixing bracket 20. The other end of the cable chain 16 is fixedly connected to one end of a T-block 104 on the clamp 1. A cable chain roller 14 is mounted on the cable chain 16. The cable chain roller 14 is embedded in the side plate guide rail 4. An oil supply hose 17 is mounted on the outer surface of the cable chain roller 14 via a hose clamp 21. One end of the oil supply hose 17 is connected to an oil pipe connector 105 mounted on the clamp 1, and the other end of the oil supply hose 17 is connected to an oil pressure distributor 12 mounted on the mounting base 3. A control box 8 is installed on the outer side wall of the side plate guide rail 4. The channel wires of the control box 8 are connected to the position detection switch 18, the hydraulic diverter 12 and the cylinder controller 9 respectively. By setting the control box 8, the automatic control of the travel position of the clamping device 1 and the clamping or releasing of the clamping device 1 can be realized.

[0030] Reference Figure 11 As shown, the working principle of this self-propelled clamp is as follows:

[0031] (1) The hydraulic pressure in the clamp 1 is discharged through the hydraulic pressure distributor 12, so that the top rod 103 of the clamp 1 drives the clamping plate 102 to release the simulated mold 2 downward. At this time, the T-block 104 of the clamp 1 can move in the T-slot 11 set on the mounting base 3 and the transverse sliding guide rail 6.

[0032] (2) The sprocket 15 is driven to move downward by the power cylinder 13. During the downward movement, the sprocket 15 drives the drag chain 16 to move downward in the side plate guide rail 4 through the drag chain roller 14. During the downward movement, the drag chain 16 pushes the T-block 104 of the clamping device 1 to move in the T-groove 11 set on the mounting base 3 and the transverse sliding guide rail 6. When the clamping device 1 moves to the mold 7 located below the transverse sliding guide rail 6, the position detection switch 18 detects that the movement has reached the position, and the power cylinder 13 stops operating.

[0033] (3) The hydraulic distributor 12 provides hydraulic pressure to the clamping device 1 through the oil supply hose 17. The hydraulic pressure pushes the piston 107 to the top, and the piston 107 pushes the top block 109 and the top rod 103 to the top. During the process of the top rod 103 being pushed up, it will drive the clamping plate 102 to the top, thereby achieving the clamping of the mold 7.

[0034] (4) When it is necessary to release the mold 7, the hydraulic pressure of the clamp 1 is discharged through the hydraulic pressure distributor 12, so that the push rod of the clamp 1 releases the mold 7 downward.

[0035] (5) The sprocket 15 is driven to move upward by the power cylinder 13. During the upward movement of the sprocket 15, the drag chain 16 is driven to move upward in the side plate guide rail 4 through the drag chain roller 14. During the upward movement of the drag chain 16, the T-block 104 of the clamp 1 will be pulled to move towards the mounting base 3.

[0036] (6) When the position detection switch 18 detects that the clamp 1 has moved into position, the power cylinder 13 stops operating, thereby resetting the clamp 1.

[0037] (7) The hydraulic distributor 12 supplies hydraulic pressure to the clamp 1 through the oil supply hose 17, and the clamp 1 clamps the simulated mold 2.

[0038] This self-propelled clamp has a simple structure and is easy to operate. Through an innovative design of the clamp's drive structure, the clamp 1 can be driven at right angles to move within the T-slot 11 set on the mounting base 3 and the transverse sliding guide rail 6 using a combination of a power cylinder 13 and a drag chain 16. This allows the clamp 1 to move within the T-slot 11 a distance twice the stroke of the power cylinder 13. In this embodiment, the stroke of the power cylinder 13 is 500mm, which allows the clamp 1 to move within the T-slot 11 a distance of 1000mm, saving overall installation space and effectively solving the problem of clamp movement interference.

[0039] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention should not be limited to the content disclosed in the embodiments and drawings. Therefore, any equivalent or modified embodiments made without departing from the spirit of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-propelled clamp, characterized in that... include: A transverse sliding guide rail has a mounting base at one end. Both the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail have interconnecting T-slots. A clamping device is mounted on the mounting base. The clamping device includes a housing, on which an oil pipe connector is mounted. A piston is installed inside the housing, and a spring is mounted on top of the piston. A top block is mounted on top of the spring. A push rod is longitudinally mounted through the top block, extending to the outer side of the top of the housing. A T-block is located on the top of the push rod, and the T-block is embedded in the T-slots on the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail. A clamping plate embedding groove is provided on the push rod at its contact point with the top of the housing. The clamping plate is mounted on the top of the housing, and its left and right ends are embedded in the clamping plate embedding groove. A side plate guide rail is mounted on the top of the mounting base, arranged vertically. A vertically oriented... A power cylinder is mounted on the top, with its bottom fixed to the mounting base. A U-shaped bracket is mounted on the top of the power cylinder's telescopic shaft, and a sprocket is mounted on the U-shaped bracket. A drag chain is mounted on the sprocket, with one end of the drag chain mounted on the housing of the power cylinder via a drag chain fixing bracket. The other end of the drag chain is fixedly connected to one end of a T-block. A drag chain roller is mounted on the drag chain and embedded in the side plate guide rail. An oil supply hose is mounted on the outer surface of the drag chain roller via a hose clamp. One end of the oil supply hose is connected to an oil pipe connector mounted on a clamp, and the other end of the oil supply hose is connected to an oil pressure distributor mounted on the mounting base. By using the power cylinder and drag chain in a right-angle configuration to drive the clamp to move within the T-slot set on the mounting base and the transverse sliding guide rail, the distance the clamp moves within the T-slot is twice the stroke of the power cylinder.

2. The self-propelled clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting base has a simulated mold installed at its bottom, above the clamping plate.

3. The self-propelled clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Limiting blocks are installed on the side of the clamping plate.

4. The self-propelled clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A cylinder controller is installed on the outer wall of the side plate guide rail, and the cylinder controller is connected to the power cylinder through a cylinder pipe.

5. The self-propelled clamp as described in claim 4, characterized in that: A positioning detection switch is installed on the rear edge of the clamping plate.

6. The self-propelled clamp as described in claim 5, characterized in that: A control box is installed on the outer wall of the side plate guide rail. The control box is connected to the position detection switch, the hydraulic distributor and the cylinder controller via wires.

7. The self-propelled clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A guide rail mounting plate is installed on the top of the side plate guide rail.

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