A method for simultaneously centering adjustment of a pallet and a steel drum thereon

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of method for simultaneously centering adjustment to tray and steel drum thereon, can simultaneously centering adjustment to tray and steel drum thereon, especially in the process of centering adjustment to tray and steel drum, using steel drum clamping jaw to pull up steel drum, the pressure between steel drum and tray is reduced, so as to facilitate the mutual movement between steel drum and tray;In the process of centering movement to steel drum and tray, position and orientation can also be adjusted while being pulled up by the aid of horizontal movement mechanism and rotating mechanism at the top, so that steel drum can act synchronously, there is only a little friction or even no friction between steel drum and tray, avoid steel drum to produce inclination or roll over, also avoid the friction between the bottom of steel drum and tray surface to hinder centering adjustment, will not cause the damage of tray surface friction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automation technology, and in particular to a method for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drum on it. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of filling and transporting liquids, besides large tank trucks transporting liquids, there is also the process of filling chemical materials into steel drums, which are then stacked in the truck bed for transport. During the transportation of steel drums, they are usually first stacked on pallets, and then forklifts lift the pallets and transfer them into the truck bed.

[0003] While some researchers have developed devices for adjusting steel drums, in actual operation, simply moving the drums is insufficient; the pallet also needs adjustment. Otherwise, the drums may shift position on the pallet, leading to issues such as… Figure 3 The issue is the twisting of the pallet in the upper left corner. If this happens, the bottom of the pallet may interfere with the steel drums on other pallets, affecting the stacking of those drums. Even if stacking is successful, when unloading the drums from the truck, a forklift is needed to lift the pallet and its drums again. Because the pallet overlaps with the drums on other pallets, lifting it can cause the drums on other pallets to tip over or be pulled along, making unloading impossible. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a method for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and a steel drum on it, thereby solving the problem that friction between the pallet and the steel drum hinders adjustment and makes it difficult to achieve centering when adjusting the pallet and the steel drum simultaneously.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the following technical solution is provided: A method for simultaneously centering a pallet and the steel drums on it includes: Step A: The conveyor roller (9100) obtains the pallet (10) carrying the steel drum (11) and conveys it forward to the predetermined station by the conveyor roller (9100), and stops to wait for adjustment; Step B: The longitudinal support (9500) is moved along the support guide rail to the top of the tray (10), and the imaging device takes pictures of the tray (10) below and the steel barrel (11) on it. Step C: Identify the coordinates of the four vertices of the tray (10) and the center coordinates of the four steel barrels (11) in the image; determine the first offset angle of the tray (10), the center point of the four steel barrels (11) and the second offset angle of the four steel barrels (11), and send them to the controller; Step D: The center of the rotary drive mechanism (9900) driven by the longitudinal support (9500) is moved to the center point of the four steel barrels (11). Then, the controller controls the rotary drive mechanism (9900) to drive the four steel barrel grippers (9600) to rotate in the positive direction by the second offset angle so that they correspond to the steel barrels (11) vertically. Step E: Control the four steel barrel grippers (9600) to descend and clamp the four steel barrels (11), and then apply a lifting force to the four steel barrels that is no greater than the total weight of the four steel barrels (11) so that the four steel barrels (11) remain on the pallet (10); Step F: Control the four lateral centering adjustment mechanisms (9300) and the two longitudinal centering adjustment mechanisms (9200) to push the tray (10) and the steel drum (11) together, while the rotary drive mechanism (9900) drives the four steel drums (11) to rotate by a second offset angle in the opposite direction.

[0006] In step A, when the pallet is detected by the grating structure on both sides of the conveyor roller, a first signal is sent to the controller, which then controls the conveyor roller to stop.

[0007] In step B, the imaging device starts taking continuous pictures when the longitudinal support (9500) moves along the guide rail to above the tray (10), and calculates the projected area of ​​the tray (10) and steel barrel (11) in each picture, and selects the picture with the smallest projected area as the reference picture for recognition.

[0008] Step C also includes determining the center point of the tray (10) and determining the distance D between the center point in the longitudinal direction and the coordinate center of the transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300); Correspondingly, step F also includes driving the conveyor roller (9100) to move the pallet (10) a distance D, so that the center point of the pallet (10) is aligned with the coordinate center of the transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300) in the longitudinal direction.

[0009] Step D also includes that when the abscissa of the center point of the four steel drums (11) is not on the center line of the conveyor roller, the control of the transverse movement mechanism (9400) drives the rotary drive mechanism (9900) to move laterally to the abscissa position of the center point of the four steel drums (11).

[0010] Step E also includes obtaining the force on the conveyor roller (9100) and maintaining the lifting force when the force on the conveyor roller (9100) is less than the sum of the weights of the pallet and the empty steel drum.

[0011] The lifting force is provided by either the first or the second lifting drive mechanism.

[0012] Step F also includes releasing the lifting force, then separating the steel drum gripper from the steel drum, and resetting the lateral centering adjustment mechanism and the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism.

[0013] The method for simultaneously centering and adjusting the pallet and the steel drums on it uses a device for simultaneously centering and adjusting the pallet and the steel drums on it.

[0014] The present invention also provides a device for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drum on it, including... The longitudinal sliding bracket (9500) and the bracket guide rail are rolled on the bracket guide rail; The conveyor roller (9100) is located below the longitudinal support (9500), and the conveyor roller (9100) has the same conveying direction as the longitudinal support (9500) for conveying pallets (10) carrying steel drums (11). The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism (9200) has two parts, which are installed on both sides of the conveyor roller (9100) for centering the front and rear steel barrels (11) on one side of the conveyor roller (9100) towards the middle; The transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300) has four parts, arranged in pairs on both sides of the conveyor roller (9100) and located below the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism (9200). Its height is aligned with the bottom of the pallet (10) and the steel drum (11) to push the pallet (10) and the steel drum (11) to the middle position of the conveyor roller (9100). The imaging device, mounted on the longitudinal support (9500), is capable of taking downward images of the pallet (10) and steel drum (11) on the conveyor roller (9100), identifying the four vertices of the pallet (10) and the centers of the four steel drums (11), and sending them to the controller; The steel drum gripper (9600) has four grippers, each gripper corresponding to the position of a steel drum (11); A rotary drive mechanism (9900) is used to drive the four steel barrel grippers to control the overall rotation of the four steel barrels (11), so that the four steel barrels (11) are located in the center of the pallet (10) and aligned with the direction of the pallet (10); The first lifting drive mechanism (9800) is installed on the longitudinal support (9500), and the rotary drive mechanism (9900) is installed at the bottom of the first lifting drive mechanism (9800). The first lifting drive mechanism (9800) is used to drive the lifting of the rotary drive mechanism (9900). The lateral movement mechanism (9400) is used to move the four steel barrels (11) laterally to the center of the pallet (10) via the first lifting drive mechanism (9800) and the rotation drive mechanism (9900).

[0015] It also includes: a second lifting drive mechanism (9700), having four corresponding to the steel barrel grippers (9600), the steel barrel grippers (9600) being connected to the rotary drive mechanism (9900) via the second lifting drive mechanism (9700).

[0016] The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism (9200) includes two retractable levers (9210) at the front and rear, each of which can be flipped to achieve both horizontal and vertical states; The transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300) includes a centering adjustment module (9310), a push cylinder (9320), and a push guide column (9330). The rear end of the centering adjustment module (9310) is connected to the push cylinder (9320) and the push guide column (9330). The centering adjustment module (9310) of the transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300) pushes the pallet (10) and the steel drum (11) on the conveyor roller (9100) from both sides toward the middle position of the conveyor roller (9100).

[0017] The centering adjustment module (9310) includes a pallet abutting part (9311) that abuts against the pallet at the bottom and a steel drum straightening part (9312) that abuts against the steel drum at the top.

[0018] More preferably, the position of the steel drum straightening part (9312) relative to the pallet abutment part (9311) is recessed inward, so that the edge of the steel drum can protrude from the edge of the pallet; More preferably, the pallet abutment portion (9311) is a plane and is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor roller (9100); More preferably, the steel drum straightening part (9312) is an arc surface with the same curvature as the steel drum surface, or it is two vertically arranged circular rollers.

[0019] The steel barrel clamp (9600) has a three-jaw structure, and one of the jaws in each steel barrel clamp (9600) points towards the center of the four steel barrel clamps (9600).

[0020] The steel barrel gripper (9600) has a center anti-collision pad (9610) and a telescopic contact head (9620) on the outside of the anti-collision pad (9610). The telescopic contact head (9620) can extend and retract vertically, and the bottom of the telescopic contact head (9620) is lower than the height of the anti-collision pad (9610), so that the telescopic contact head (9620) can contact the top of the steel barrel before the anti-collision pad (9610). The telescopic contact head (9620) is connected to a controller, one of the functions of which is to control the operation of the second lifting drive mechanism (9700) and / or the first lifting drive mechanism (9800).

[0021] The first lifting drive mechanism (9800) includes a turntable (9810) and a lifting mechanism (9830), and four steel barrel grippers (9600) are mounted on the turntable (9810); thus the turntable (9810) drives the steel barrel grippers to rotate circumferentially in the horizontal plane; the turntable (9810) is mounted on the bottom of the lifting mechanism (9830).

[0022] The first lifting drive mechanism (9800) further includes a transverse guide rail (9820), which is mounted on the bracket (9500). The lifting mechanism (9830) is connected to the transverse guide rail (9820), thereby enabling the lifting mechanism (9830) to move laterally along the transverse guide rail (9820).

[0023] The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism (9200) also includes a flipping drive body (9220), a sliding connecting plate (9230), a support crossbar (9240), a linkage flipping plate (9250), a telescopic guide rail (9260), a connecting rod (9270), a retraction drive cylinder (9280), and a retraction drive rod (9290).

[0024] The rotary drive mechanism (9900) includes a drive pinion (9910), a drive turntable (9920), and a rotary drive motor (9930), wherein the rotary drive motor (9930) drives the drive turntable (9920) to rotate through the drive pinion (9910).

[0025] The second lifting drive mechanism (9700) is driven by a cylinder.

[0026] After the steel drum gripper (9600) clamps the steel drum (11), it is lifted upward by the first lifting drive mechanism (9800) or the second lifting drive mechanism (9700) to reduce the pressure of the steel drum (11) on the pallet (10) and the lifting force is less than the weight of the steel drum (11) after it is full, so that the steel drum (11) is still in contact with the pallet (10) and does not separate. Then, the centering adjustment module (9310) is driven by the pair of lateral centering adjustment mechanisms (9300) to center the steel drum (11) and the pallet (10). At this time, the first lifting drive mechanism (9800) is driven laterally by the transverse movement mechanism (9400) to drive the four steel drum grippers (9600) to move synchronously with the steel drum (11) as the transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300) moves.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: The present invention provides a method for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drums on it. This method allows for simultaneous centering and adjustment of the pallet and the steel drums. Specifically, during the centering and adjustment process, the steel drums are lifted upwards using steel drum grippers, reducing the pressure between the steel drums and the pallet and facilitating mutual movement between them. During the centering and movement of the steel drums and the pallet, the position and orientation of the steel drums can be adjusted simultaneously using the top lateral and rotating mechanisms. This ensures that the steel drums move synchronously, with minimal or no friction between the steel drums and the pallet, preventing the steel drums from tilting or tipping over. It also prevents friction between the bottom of the steel drums and the pallet surface from hindering centering and adjustment, and avoids damage to the pallet surface. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the pallet and steel drum in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of the pallet and steel drum in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure after multiple pallets and steel drums are stacked in an embodiment of the present invention. The pallet stacking position in the upper left corner of the figure is deviated. Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the device for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drum on it, as described in this invention. Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the device for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drum on it, as described in this invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism, the transverse centering adjustment mechanism, and the push support beam in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism, the transverse centering adjustment mechanism, and the push support beam in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the lateral centering adjustment mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the lateral centering adjustment mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the lateral centering adjustment mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the conveyor roller, longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism, and transverse centering adjustment mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13This is a schematic diagram of the conveyor roller, longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism, and transverse centering adjustment mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the centering adjustment module described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the picture: 10-Pallet; 11-Steel drum; 9100 - Conveyor roller conveyor; 9200 - Longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism; 9210 - Retraction lever; 9220 - Tilting drive body; 9230 - Sliding connecting plate; 9240 - Support crossbar; 9250 - Linkage tilting plate; 9260 - Telescopic guide rail; 9270 - Connecting rod; 9280 - Retraction drive cylinder; 9290 - Retraction drive rod; 9300 - Lateral centering adjustment mechanism; 9310 - Centering adjustment module; 9311 - Pallet contact part; 9312 - Steel drum straightening part; 9320 - Push cylinder; 9330 - Push guide column; 9400 - Lateral movement mechanism; 9500 - Longitudinal Shift Support; 9600 - Steel drum gripper; 9610 - Anti-collision pad; 9620 - Telescopic contact head; 9700 - Second lifting drive mechanism; 9800 - First lifting drive mechanism; 9900 - Rotary drive mechanism; 9910 - Drive pinion; 9920 - Drive turntable; 9930 - Rotary drive motor. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, 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. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Example

[0032] The present invention provides a device for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drum on it, which is for... Figure 1-2 The design incorporates a pallet 10 and steel drum 11 stacking structure. The pallet 10 is square and can be made of wood or plastic. The steel drums 11 are stacked on the pallet 10 in a 2×2 configuration, with the edges of the drums slightly extending beyond the edges of the pallet. Figure 3As shown, when the pallet 10 in the upper left corner is misplaced, it will interfere with the steel drums 11 on other pallets 10 after being stacked. This will cause the forklift forks to insert into the pallet 10 when loading and unloading the pallet 10 and the steel drums 11 on it, and then lift the pallet 10 and the steel drums 11 on it upwards. This will cause the pallet 10 to lift or move the steel drums 11 on other pallets 10, making it impossible to continue the work.

[0033] Combination Figures 4-13 This invention provides a device for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drum on it, including... The longitudinal movement bracket 9500 and the bracket guide rail (not shown in the figure) are rolled on the bracket guide rail; The conveyor roller 9100 is located below the longitudinal support 9500, and the conveyor roller 9100 has the same conveying direction as the longitudinal support 9500, and is used to convey the pallet 10 carrying the steel drum 11. The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism 9200 has two parts, which are installed on both sides of the conveyor roller 9100 and are used to adjust the front and rear steel barrels 11 on one side of the conveyor roller 9100 towards the center. The transverse centering adjustment mechanism 9300 has four parts, arranged in pairs on both sides of the conveyor roller 9100 and located below the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism 9200. Its height is aligned with the bottom of the pallet 10 and the steel drum 11, and is used to push the pallet 10 and the steel drum 11 to the middle position of the conveyor roller 9100. An imaging device (not shown in the figure) is mounted on a longitudinal support 9500 and is capable of taking downward images of the pallet 10 and steel drum 11 on the conveyor roller 9100, identifying the four vertices of the pallet 10 and the centers of the four steel drums 11, and sending them to the controller. The steel drum gripper 9600 has four grippers, each gripper corresponding to the position of a steel drum 11; The rotary drive mechanism 9900 is used to drive the four steel barrel grippers to control the overall rotation of the four steel barrels 11, so that the four steel barrels 11 are located in the center of the pallet 10 and aligned with the direction of the pallet 10. The first lifting drive mechanism 9800 is installed on the longitudinal support 9500, and the rotary drive mechanism 9900 is installed at the bottom of the first lifting drive mechanism 9800. The first lifting drive mechanism 9800 is used to drive the lifting of the rotary drive mechanism 9900. The lateral movement mechanism 9400 is used to move the four steel barrels 11 laterally to the center of the pallet 10 via the first lifting drive mechanism 9800 and the rotation drive mechanism 9900.

[0034] The present invention provides a device for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drum on it. This device solves the problem of poor centering between the steel drum 11 and the pallet 10. When the steel drum or the pallet has a positional deviation, the device uses a steel drum gripper that can move laterally, lift, and rotate to lift the steel drum upward, which greatly reduces the force between the steel drum and the pallet. At this time, the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism and the transverse centering adjustment mechanism on both sides of the conveyor roller conveyor can simultaneously center and adjust the pallet and the steel drum. This allows for simultaneous centering adjustment of the pallet, as well as rotation, lateral movement, and centering adjustment of the steel drum. This reduces the friction between the steel drum and the pallet during movement and eliminates the need to lift and rotate and move the steel drum as a whole, thus overcoming the collision between the steel drum and the pallet.

[0035] The present invention provides a device for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drums on it, and further includes: a second lifting drive mechanism 9700, having four parts, corresponding to the steel drum grippers 9600, the steel drum grippers 9600 being connected to the rotary drive mechanism 9900 through the second lifting drive mechanism 9700.

[0036] The first lifting drive mechanism 9800 can adopt a rack and pinion structure, and the second lifting drive mechanism 9700 can adopt a cylinder. The first lifting drive mechanism 9800 has a longer stroke, and the second lifting drive mechanism 9700 has a shorter stroke.

[0037] The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism 9200 includes two retractable levers 9210, each of which can be flipped to achieve both horizontal and vertical states. The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism 9200 can refer to a roller conveyor lifting device and automatic palletizing equipment disclosed in the prior art CN113581732B.

[0038] The lateral centering adjustment mechanism 9300 includes a centering adjustment module 9310, a push cylinder 9320, and a push guide column 9330. The rear end of the centering adjustment module 9310 is connected to the push cylinder 9320 and the push guide column 9330. The centering adjustment module 9310 of the lateral centering adjustment mechanism 9300 pushes the pallet 10 and the steel drum 11 on the conveyor roller 9100 from both sides toward the middle position of the conveyor roller 9100.

[0039] The centering adjustment module 9310 includes a pallet abutting part 9311 that abuts against the pallet at the bottom and a steel drum straightening part 9312 that abuts against the steel drum at the top.

[0040] More preferably, the position of the steel drum straightening part 9312 relative to the pallet abutment part 9311 is recessed inward, so that the edge of the steel drum can protrude from the edge of the pallet; More preferably, the pallet abutment portion 9311 is a plane and is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor roller 9100; More preferably, refer to Figure 8 The steel drum straightening part 9312 is an arc surface with the same curvature as the steel drum surface, or as a reference. Figure 9 The steel drum straightening part 9312 consists of two vertically arranged circular rollers, the tops of which can also be... Figure 14 As shown, a triangular support method is used for fixing, and the connection between the triangular support structure and the roller does not extend beyond the surface of the roller, so that the triangular support structure does not contact the steel drum when the roller comes into contact with the steel drum surface. Using a roller support method transforms sliding friction into rolling friction when the steel drum contacts the roller, thus reducing frictional damage to the steel drum surface and making centering adjustment of the steel drum easier.

[0041] The steel drum clamp 9600 has a three-jaw structure, and one of the jaws in each steel drum clamp 9600 points towards the center of the four steel drum clamps 9600.

[0042] The steel drum gripper 9600 has a center anti-collision pad 9610, and a telescopic contact head 9620 is provided on the outside of the anti-collision pad 9610. The telescopic contact head 9620 can extend and retract vertically, and the bottom of the telescopic contact head 9620 is lower than the height of the anti-collision pad 9610, so that the telescopic contact head 9620 can contact the top of the steel drum before the anti-collision pad 9610. The telescopic contact head 9620 is connected to a controller, one of the functions of which is to control the operation of the second lifting drive mechanism 9700 and / or the first lifting drive mechanism 9800.

[0043] The first lifting drive mechanism 9800 includes a turntable 9810 and a lifting mechanism 9830. Four steel barrel grippers 9600 are mounted on the turntable 9810, thereby driving the steel barrel grippers to rotate circumferentially in the horizontal plane. The turntable 9810 is mounted at the bottom of the lifting mechanism 9830.

[0044] The first lifting drive mechanism 9800 also includes a transverse guide rail 9820, which is mounted on the bracket 9500. The lifting mechanism 9830 is connected to the transverse guide rail 9820, so that the lifting mechanism 9830 can move laterally along the transverse guide rail 9820.

[0045] The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism 9200 also includes a flipping drive body 9220, a sliding connecting plate 9230, a support crossbar 9240, a linkage flipping plate 9250, a telescopic guide rail 9260, a connecting rod 9270, a retraction drive cylinder 9280, and a retraction drive rod 9290.

[0046] The rotary drive mechanism 9900 includes a drive pinion 9910, a drive turntable 9920, and a rotary drive motor 9930, wherein the rotary drive motor 9930 drives the drive turntable 9920 to rotate through the drive pinion 9910.

[0047] The second lifting drive mechanism 9700 is driven by a cylinder.

[0048] After the steel drum gripper 9600 clamps the steel drum 11, it is lifted upward by the first lifting drive mechanism 9800 or the second lifting drive mechanism 9700 to reduce the pressure of the steel drum 11 on the pallet 10 and to make the lifting force less than the weight of the steel drum 11 when it is full, so that the steel drum 11 remains in contact with the pallet 10 and does not separate. Then, the centering adjustment module 9310 is driven by the paired lateral centering adjustment mechanism 9300 to center the steel drum 11 and the pallet 10. At this time, the first lifting drive mechanism 9800 is driven laterally by the lateral movement mechanism 9400 to drive the four steel drum grippers 9600 to move synchronously with the steel drum 11 as the lateral centering adjustment mechanism 9300 moves.

[0049] The present invention also provides a method for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drum on it, comprising: Step A: The conveyor roller 9100 obtains the pallet 10 carrying the steel drum 11, and the pallet 10 is conveyed forward by the conveyor roller 9100 to the predetermined station, where it stops and waits for adjustment. Step B: The longitudinal support 9500 is moved along the support guide rail to the top of the tray 10, and the imaging device takes pictures of the tray 10 below and the steel barrel 11 on it. Step C: Identify the coordinates of the four vertices of the tray 10 and the center coordinates of the four steel barrels 11 in the image; determine the first offset angle of the tray 10, the center point of the four steel barrels 11, and the second offset angle of the four steel barrels 11, and send them to the controller. Step D: The center of the rotary drive mechanism 9900 driven by the longitudinal support 9500 is moved to the center point of the four steel barrels 11. Then, the controller controls the rotary drive mechanism 9900 to drive the four steel barrel grippers 9600 to rotate in the positive direction by the second offset angle so that they are aligned vertically with the steel barrels 11. Step E: Control the four steel barrel grippers 9600 to descend and clamp the four steel barrels 11, and then apply a lifting force not greater than the total weight of the four steel barrels 11 to the four steel barrels so that the four steel barrels 11 remain on the pallet 10. Step F: Control the four lateral centering adjustment mechanisms 9300 and the two longitudinal centering adjustment mechanisms 9200 to push the tray 10 and the steel drum 11 together, while the rotary drive mechanism 9900 drives the four steel drums 11 to rotate by the second offset angle in the opposite direction.

[0050] The present invention provides a method for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drums on it. This method can simultaneously center and adjust the pallet and the steel drums on it. In particular, during the centering and adjustment process of the pallet and the steel drums, the steel drums are lifted upward by the steel drum clamps, which reduces the pressure between the steel drums and the pallet, thereby facilitating the mutual movement between the steel drums and the pallet. During the movement, the method can also be adjusted by the lateral movement mechanism and the rotation mechanism, so that the steel drums can move synchronously and prevent the steel drums from tilting or tipping over.

[0051] In step A, when the pallet is detected by the grating structure on both sides of the conveyor roller, a first signal is sent to the controller, which then controls the conveyor roller to stop.

[0052] In step B, the imaging device starts taking continuous pictures when the longitudinal support 9500 moves along the guide rail to above the tray 10, and calculates the projected area of ​​the tray 10 and steel barrel 11 in each picture, and selects the picture with the smallest projected area as the reference picture for recognition.

[0053] Step C also includes determining the center point of the tray 10 and judging the distance D between the center point in the longitudinal direction and the coordinate center of the transverse centering adjustment mechanism 9300; Correspondingly, step F also includes driving the conveyor roller 9100 to move the pallet 10 a distance D, so that the center point of the pallet 10 is aligned with the coordinate center of the transverse centering adjustment mechanism 9300 in the longitudinal direction, which means that the center points of the two centering adjustment blocks on each side are aligned with the transverse coordinate of the center point of the pallet 10.

[0054] This invention uses four centering adjustment blocks arranged in pairs, symmetrically with the center point coordinates of the pallet 10, to simultaneously center and adjust both sides of the pallet. This ensures that the horizontal coordinate (i.e., the lateral position) of the center point remains stationary during the adjustment process. At this time, the steel drum 11 is kept vertical by the coordinated movement of the rotary drive mechanism and the lateral movement mechanism. Furthermore, under the action of the lifting force, the friction between the bottom of the steel drum and the surface of the pallet is very small, thus ensuring the smooth centering adjustment.

[0055] Step D also includes controlling the transverse mechanism 9400 to drive the rotary drive mechanism 9900 to move laterally to the transverse coordinate position of the center point of the four steel drums 11 when the transverse coordinate of the center point of the four steel drums 11 is not on the center line of the conveyor roller. This avoids the problem that the vertical position of the steel drum gripper 9600 does not correspond to the vertical position of the steel drum 11 below.

[0056] Correspondingly, step F also includes moving the center of the rotation drive mechanism 9900 to the coordinate center of the lateral centering adjustment mechanism, so that the center of the four steel barrels and the center of the pallet are all in the coordinate center of the lateral centering adjustment mechanism, achieving the best centering adjustment effect.

[0057] Step E also includes obtaining the force applied to the conveyor roller 9100, and maintaining the lifting force when the force applied to the conveyor roller 9100 is less than the sum of the weights of the pallet and the empty steel drum.

[0058] The lifting force is provided by either the first or the second lifting drive mechanism.

[0059] Step F also includes releasing the lifting force, then separating the steel drum gripper from the steel drum, and resetting the lateral centering adjustment mechanism and the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism.

[0060] The method for simultaneously centering and adjusting the pallet and the steel drums on it uses a device for simultaneously centering and adjusting the pallet and the steel drums on it.

[0061] Note that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, the scope of which is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for simultaneously centering and adjusting a pallet and the steel drum on it, characterized in that, include: Step A: The conveyor roller (9100) obtains the pallet (10) carrying the steel drum (11) and conveys it forward to the predetermined station by the conveyor roller (9100), and stops to wait for adjustment; Step B: The longitudinal support (9500) is moved along the support guide rail to the top of the tray (10), and the imaging device takes pictures of the tray (10) below and the steel barrel (11) on it. Step C: Identify the coordinates of the four vertices of the tray (10) and the center coordinates of the four steel barrels (11) in the image; determine the first offset angle of the tray (10), the center point of the four steel barrels (11) and the second offset angle of the four steel barrels (11), and send them to the controller; Step D: The center of the rotary drive mechanism (9900) driven by the longitudinal support (9500) is moved to the center point of the four steel barrels (11). Then, the controller controls the rotary drive mechanism (9900) to drive the four steel barrel grippers (9600) to rotate in the positive direction by the second offset angle so that they correspond to the steel barrels (11) vertically. Step E: Control the four steel barrel grippers (9600) to descend and clamp the four steel barrels (11), and then apply a lifting force to the four steel barrels that is no greater than the total weight of the four steel barrels (11) so that the four steel barrels (11) remain on the pallet (10); Step F: Control the four lateral centering adjustment mechanisms (9300) and the two longitudinal centering adjustment mechanisms (9200) to push the tray (10) and the steel drum (11) together, while the rotary drive mechanism (9900) drives the four steel drums (11) to rotate by a second offset angle in the opposite direction. The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism (9200) includes two retractable levers (9210) at the front and rear, and each retractable lever (9210) can be flipped to achieve both horizontal and vertical states. The lateral centering adjustment mechanism (9300) includes a centering adjustment module (9310), which pushes the pallet (10) and the steel drum (11) on the conveyor roller (9100) from both sides toward the middle position of the conveyor roller (9100). The centering adjustment module (9310) includes a pallet abutting part (9311) that abuts against the pallet at the bottom and a steel drum straightening part (9312) that abuts against the steel drum at the top. The steel drum straightening part (9312) is positioned inward relative to the pallet abutment part (9311), so that the edge of the steel drum can protrude from the edge of the pallet; The pallet abutment part (9311) is a plane and is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor roller (9100); The steel drum straightening part (9312) is an arc surface with the same curvature as the steel drum surface, or it is two vertically arranged circular rollers.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step A, when the pallet is detected by the grating structure on both sides of the conveyor roller, a first signal is sent to the controller, which then controls the conveyor roller to stop.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step B, the imaging device starts taking continuous pictures when the longitudinal support (9500) moves along the guide rail to above the tray (10), and calculates the projected area of ​​the tray (10) and steel barrel (11) in each picture, and selects the picture with the smallest projected area as the reference picture for recognition.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step C also includes determining the center point of the tray (10) and determining the distance D between the center point in the longitudinal direction and the coordinate center of the transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300); Correspondingly, step F also includes driving the conveyor roller (9100) to move the pallet (10) a distance D, so that the center point of the pallet (10) is aligned with the coordinate center of the transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300) in the longitudinal direction.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step D also includes that when the abscissa of the center point of the four steel drums (11) is not on the center line of the conveyor roller, the control of the transverse movement mechanism (9400) drives the rotary drive mechanism (9900) to move laterally to the abscissa position of the center point of the four steel drums (11).

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step E also includes obtaining the force on the conveyor roller (9100) and maintaining the lifting force when the force on the conveyor roller (9100) is less than the sum of the weight of the pallet and the empty steel drum; The lifting force is provided by either the first or the second lifting drive mechanism.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step F also includes releasing the lifting force, then separating the steel drum gripper from the steel drum, and resetting the lateral centering adjustment mechanism and the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for simultaneously centering and adjusting the pallet and the steel drums on it uses a device for simultaneously centering and adjusting the pallet and the steel drums on it.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Simultaneously, a centering and adjustment device is used for the pallet and the steel drums on it, including: The longitudinal sliding bracket (9500) and the bracket guide rail are rolled on the bracket guide rail; The conveyor roller (9100) is located below the longitudinal support (9500), and the conveyor roller (9100) has the same conveying direction as the longitudinal support (9500) for conveying pallets (10) carrying steel drums (11). The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism (9200) has two parts, which are installed on both sides of the conveyor roller (9100) for centering the front and rear steel barrels (11) on one side of the conveyor roller (9100) towards the middle; The transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300) has four parts, arranged in pairs on both sides of the conveyor roller (9100) and located below the longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism (9200). Its height is aligned with the bottom of the pallet (10) and the steel drum (11) to push the pallet (10) and the steel drum (11) to the middle position of the conveyor roller (9100). The imaging device, mounted on the longitudinal support (9500), is capable of taking downward images of the pallet (10) and steel drum (11) on the conveyor roller (9100), identifying the four vertices of the pallet (10) and the centers of the four steel drums (11), and sending them to the controller; The steel drum gripper (9600) has four grippers, each gripper corresponding to the position of a steel drum (11); A rotary drive mechanism (9900) is used to drive the four steel barrel grippers to control the overall rotation of the four steel barrels (11), so that the four steel barrels (11) are located in the center of the pallet (10) and aligned with the direction of the pallet (10); The first lifting drive mechanism (9800) is installed on the longitudinal support (9500), and the rotary drive mechanism (9900) is installed at the bottom of the first lifting drive mechanism (9800). The first lifting drive mechanism (9800) is used to drive the lifting of the rotary drive mechanism (9900). The lateral movement mechanism (9400) is used to drive the four steel barrels (11) to move laterally to the center of the pallet (10) via the first lifting drive mechanism (9800) and the rotation drive mechanism (9900); The second lifting drive mechanism (9700) has four corresponding steel barrel grippers (9600), which are connected to the rotary drive mechanism (9900) via the second lifting drive mechanism (9700).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The lateral centering adjustment mechanism (9300) further includes a push cylinder (9320) and a push guide post (9330), wherein the rear end of the centering adjustment module (9310) is connected to the push cylinder (9320) and the push guide post (9330); The steel drum clamp (9600) has a three-jaw structure, and one of the jaws in each steel drum clamp (9600) points towards the center of the four steel drum clamps (9600); The steel barrel gripper (9600) has a center anti-collision pad (9610) and a telescopic contact head (9620) on the outside of the anti-collision pad (9610). The telescopic contact head (9620) can extend and retract vertically, and the bottom of the telescopic contact head (9620) is lower than the height of the anti-collision pad (9610), so that the telescopic contact head (9620) can contact the top of the steel barrel before the anti-collision pad (9610). The telescopic contact head (9620) is connected to a controller, one of the functions of which is to control the operation of the second lifting drive mechanism (9700) and / or the first lifting drive mechanism (9800). The first lifting drive mechanism (9800) includes a turntable (9810) and a lifting mechanism (9830), and four steel barrel grippers (9600) are mounted on the turntable (9810); thus, the turntable (9810) drives the steel barrel grippers to rotate circumferentially in the horizontal plane; the turntable (9810) is mounted on the bottom of the lifting mechanism (9830); The first lifting drive mechanism (9800) further includes a transverse guide rail (9820), which is mounted on the bracket (9500). The lifting mechanism (9830) is connected to the transverse guide rail (9820), thereby enabling the lifting mechanism (9830) to move laterally along the transverse guide rail (9820). The longitudinal centering adjustment mechanism (9200) also includes a flipping drive body (9220), a sliding connecting plate (9230), a support crossbar (9240), a linkage flipping plate (9250), a telescopic guide rail (9260), a connecting rod (9270), a retraction drive cylinder (9280), and a retraction drive rod (9290). The rotary drive mechanism (9900) includes a drive pinion (9910), a drive turntable (9920), and a rotary drive motor (9930), wherein the rotary drive motor (9930) drives the drive turntable (9920) to rotate through the drive pinion (9910); The second lifting drive mechanism (9700) is driven by a cylinder; After the steel drum gripper (9600) clamps the steel drum (11), it is lifted upward by the first lifting drive mechanism (9800) or the second lifting drive mechanism (9700) to reduce the pressure of the steel drum (11) on the pallet (10) and the lifting force is less than the weight of the steel drum (11) after it is full, so that the steel drum (11) is still in contact with the pallet (10) and does not separate. Then, the centering adjustment module (9310) is driven by the pair of lateral centering adjustment mechanisms (9300) to center the steel drum (11) and the pallet (10). At this time, the first lifting drive mechanism (9800) is driven laterally by the transverse movement mechanism (9400) to drive the four steel drum grippers (9600) to move synchronously with the steel drum (11) as the transverse centering adjustment mechanism (9300) moves.

Images