A stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials

Abstract

This invention discloses a stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials, comprising a traveling device, a lifting device, a main frame, a loading platform, and a push-pull device. The traveling device drives the stacker crane to move horizontally within an aisle, and the traveling direction of the stacker crane is parallel to the width direction of the material. The lifting device drives the loading platform to rise and fall vertically, and the loading and unloading direction of the loading platform is parallel to the length direction of the material. The push-pull device includes a lower fork fixed to the loading platform, an upper fork slidably installed in a groove in the lower fork, a conveyor fixed to the upper fork, a chain drive device installed on the upper fork, and a circulating chain. The lower fork has a longitudinal groove on its surface, and the bottom of the upper fork is provided with a bearing structure that cooperates with the groove, realizing the forward and backward sliding of the upper fork along the length direction of the material. The circulating chain consists of two closed square chains, each chain having two rollers fixed on it. When the chain drive device drives the circulating chain to rotate, the rollers move in a closed loop with the chain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of logistics and warehousing technology, and specifically to a stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional stacker cranes are generally used for storing and retrieving small, regular-sized goods. Limited by the length and deflection of the forks, the length of goods that can be stored or retrieved by these cranes is typically within 4 meters, and the depth of the racks and forks is also around 4 meters. However, for some special types of materials, stacker crane storage solutions are not yet perfect. For example, for long materials like pipes and plates with small cross-sectional dimensions, the length can reach 6m-12m. The conventional stacker crane solution for these long and slender materials is that the stacker crane travels in the same direction as the length of the material, and the picking and placing direction is the same as the width of the material. The stacker crane design is based on a conventional double-column pallet stacker crane with an extended travel direction. This results in a long and narrow aisle layout for each stacker crane while maintaining the same storage capacity, which is not conducive to flexible use of warehouse space. Reducing the aisle length requires increasing the number of aisles, which in turn increases the number of stacker cranes and increases costs. How to achieve the storage and retrieval of ultra-long materials and make the most of existing land resources and space has become a problem that needs to be solved on site.

[0003] Therefore, the present invention proposes an ultra-long material stacker to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned problems by providing a stacker crane for storing and retrieving ultra-long materials. By aligning the travel direction with the width of the material and the picking / placing direction with the length of the material, the storage capacity of a single aisle is increased, and the storage density per unit area is enhanced. This effectively saves on infrastructure investment compared to traditional stacker crane solutions. Furthermore, the push-pull device, formed by the sliding structure of the lower fork slide groove and upper fork bearing, the closed-loop transmission of the circulating chain, and the uniform force distribution on the double rollers, reduces fork deflection and supports stable storage and retrieval of ultra-long materials ranging from 6m to 12m.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] This invention discloses a stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials, comprising a traveling device, a lifting device, a main frame, a loading platform, and a push-pull device. The traveling device drives the stacker crane to move horizontally within the aisle, and the traveling direction of the stacker crane is parallel to the width direction of the material, breaking through the traditional stacker crane layout mode of "traveling direction consistent with material length". This reduces the length of a single aisle and improves land utilization. The lifting device drives the loading platform to rise and fall vertically, and the loading platform's picking and placing direction is parallel to the length direction of the material, adapting to the storage and retrieval needs of extra-long materials along their length, achieving precise storage and retrieval of goods with lengths of 6m-12m, and solving the problem of traditional fork length limitations.

[0007] The push-pull device includes a lower fork fixed to the loading platform, an upper fork slidably installed in the lower fork's groove, a conveyor fixed to the upper fork, a chain drive device installed on the upper fork, and a circulating chain. The lower fork has a longitudinal groove on its surface, and a bearing is installed on the upper fork to move along the lower fork's groove, realizing the upper fork sliding back and forth along the length of the material. The groove-bearing cooperation enables the upper fork to slide stably, supporting the storage and retrieval of extra-long materials. The circulating chain consists of two closed square chains, each with two rollers fixed on it. When the chain drive device drives the circulating chain to rotate, the rollers move in a closed loop with the chain, forming a closed-loop transmission system, realizing smooth pushing and pulling of the pallet with uniform force.

[0008] Furthermore, the traveling device includes a set of traveling wheels and a traveling drive motor. The set of traveling wheels works in conjunction with the roadway rails to achieve horizontal movement, and the traveling direction is consistent with the width direction of the material pallet, ensuring the stability and positioning accuracy of the stacker crane's horizontal movement.

[0009] Furthermore, the lifting device includes a lifting motor, a wire rope drum, and a pulley block. The pulley block is fixed to the top of the loading platform and the main frame. One end of the wire rope passes over the pulley at the top of the main frame and the loading platform pulley (loading platform movable pulley structure) and is connected to the top of the main frame. The other end passes through the pulley block and is fixed to the drum, thereby achieving precise control of the vertical lifting of the loading platform.

[0010] Furthermore, the lower fork of the push-pull device is fixed to the surface of the loading platform by bolts. The cross-section of the lower fork slide groove is a dovetail groove structure. The upper fork is equipped with a bearing that moves along the lower fork slide groove to enhance the torsional stiffness of the upper fork during sliding and prevent displacement.

[0011] Furthermore, the chain drive device includes a drive motor, a drive sprocket, and four driven sprockets arranged at the four corners. The drive sprocket is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and the driven sprockets and the drive sprockets are driven by a circulating chain to form a square closed-loop chain drive system.

[0012] Furthermore, two sets of closed-loop chains are formed. Gears are installed below the two adjacent driven sprockets on the inner side of the two sets of closed-loop chains. The two gears mesh through the middle gear set to realize the power transmission between the circulating chain 1 and the circulating chain 2 and the synchronous operation of the two sets of circulating chains. The gear ratio design of the gear set ensures that the speed of the chains on both sides is strictly synchronized, avoiding pallet offset or slippage caused by chain speed differences. It is especially suitable for the precise pushing and pulling of ultra-long materials of 6m-12m.

[0013] Furthermore, the two circulating chains are arranged in parallel on both sides of the upper fork, and the two rollers on each chain are located at the front and rear ends of the upper fork, respectively. The distance between the two rollers is equal to the distance between the front and rear grooves of the pallet, ensuring that the rollers can completely detach from the push-pull device after hooking the pallet completely.

[0014] Furthermore, the conveying body consists of multiple parallel conveying rollers, which are mounted on the surface of the upper fork body via bearings. The roller axis is perpendicular to the length direction of the material, forming a rolling support surface that is consistent with the material's movement direction.

[0015] Furthermore, when the stacker crane picks up goods, the upper fork first extends 100-300mm along the length of the material, allowing the rollers to enter the bottom groove of the pallet. Then, the chain drive device starts, and the rollers on the circulating chain hook the groove along with the pallet into the push-pull device. Once the pallet is completely inside the push-pull device, the chain drive device stops running. Then, the fork drive device drives the upper fork to move to the left again, ensuring that the upper fork moves to the center of the loading platform. Precise docking is achieved through the initial engagement of the rollers with the pallet groove.

[0016] Furthermore, the stacker crane is equipped with a laser rangefinder and encoder, with a position control accuracy of <±5mm and a repeatability of ±5mm. The fork extension and the circulating chain are also equipped with proximity switches to ensure that the positioning accuracy of the fork extension and the circulating chain is <±3mm, thereby improving the reliability of system control.

[0017] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0018] 1. This invention increases the storage capacity of a single aisle and increases the storage density per unit area by aligning the travel direction with the width of the material and the picking and placing direction with the length of the material. This effectively saves on infrastructure investment compared to traditional stacker crane solutions.

[0019] 2. The sliding structure of the lower fork slide groove-upper fork bearing, the closed-loop transmission of the circulating chain, and the uniform force of the double rollers of the present invention form a push-pull device that reduces the deflection of the forks and supports the stable storage and retrieval of ultra-long materials of 6m-12m. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view of the stacker crane of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a side view of the stacker crane of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a front view of the stacker push-pull device of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a left view of the stacker push-pull device of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the stacker crane push-pull device of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the roller installation of the push-pull device of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the gear transmission between the circulating chains of the present invention.

[0028] Reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-traveling device, 2-lifting device, 3-cargo platform, 4-push-pull device, 5-main frame, 6-fork drive device, 7-lower fork, 8-upper fork, 9-conveyor body, 10-chain drive device, 11-circulating chain, 12-roller, 13-gear, 14-gear set. Detailed Implementation

[0029] All features disclosed in this specification, or all steps in all disclosed methods or processes, may be combined in any way, except for mutually exclusive features and / or steps.

[0030] Any feature disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims and abstract) may be replaced by other equivalent or similar features, unless specifically stated otherwise. That is, unless specifically stated otherwise, each feature is merely one example of a series of equivalent or similar features.

[0031] The features and performance of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

[0032] The present invention provides a stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials, comprising a traveling device 1, a lifting device 2, a main frame 5, a loading platform 3, and a push-pull device 4. The traveling device 1 drives the stacker crane to move horizontally in the aisle, and the traveling direction of the stacker crane is parallel to the width direction of the material. This breaks through the traditional layout mode of stacker cranes where "the traveling direction is consistent with the length of the material", reducing the length of a single aisle and improving land utilization.

[0033] The lifting device 2 drives the loading platform 3 to rise and fall vertically, and the loading platform 3 is parallel to the length direction of the material, which can meet the storage and retrieval needs of ultra-long materials and realize the accurate storage and retrieval of goods with a length of 6m-12m, thus solving the problem of traditional fork length limitation.

[0034] The push-pull device 4 includes a lower fork body 7 fixed to the loading platform 3, an upper fork body 8 slidably installed in the groove of the lower fork body 7, a conveyor body 9 fixed to the upper fork body 8, a chain drive device 10 installed on the upper fork body 8, and a circulating chain 11. The surface of the lower fork body 7 has a longitudinal groove, and the bottom of the upper fork body 8 is provided with a bearing that cooperates with the groove, so that the upper fork body 8 can slide back and forth along the length of the material. The groove-bearing cooperation enables the upper fork body 8 to slide stably and support the storage and retrieval of ultra-long materials. The circulating chain 11 consists of two closed square chains, each with two rollers 12 fixed on it. When the chain drive device 10 drives the circulating chain 11 to rotate, the rollers 12 move in a closed loop with the chain, forming a closed-loop transmission system, so as to realize the smooth pushing and pulling of the pallet and the uniform force.

[0035] Furthermore, the traveling device 1 includes a set of traveling wheels and a traveling drive motor. The set of traveling wheels cooperates with the roadway rail to achieve horizontal movement, and the traveling direction is consistent with the width direction of the material pallet, ensuring the stability and positioning accuracy of the stacker crane's horizontal movement.

[0036] Furthermore, the lifting device 2 includes a lifting motor, a wire rope drum, and a pulley block. The pulley block is fixed to the top of the loading platform and the main frame. One end of the wire rope passes around the pulley at the top of the main frame and the loading platform pulley (loading platform movable pulley structure) and is connected to the top of the main frame. The other end passes around the pulley block and is fixed to the drum, thereby realizing precise control of the vertical lifting of the loading platform 3.

[0037] Furthermore, the lower fork 7 of the push-pull device 4 is fixed to the surface of the loading platform 3 by bolts. The cross section of the lower fork 7 slide groove is a dovetail groove structure. The upper fork 8 is equipped with a bearing that moves along the lower fork slide groove to enhance the stability of the upper fork 8 when sliding and prevent deviation.

[0038] Furthermore, the chain drive device 10 includes a drive motor, a drive sprocket, and four driven sprockets arranged at the four corners. The drive sprocket is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and the driven sprockets are driven by the drive sprocket through the circulating chain 11 to form a square closed-loop chain drive system.

[0039] Furthermore, two sets of closed-loop chains are formed. Gears 13 are installed below the two adjacent driven sprockets on the inner side of the two sets of closed-loop chains. The two gears 13 mesh through the middle gear set 14 to realize the power transmission between the circulating chains 11 (i.e., the two circulating chains) and the synchronous operation of the two sets of circulating chains. The gear ratio design of the gear set 14 ensures that the speed of the chains on both sides is strictly synchronized, avoiding pallet offset or slippage caused by chain speed differences. It is especially suitable for the precise pushing and pulling of ultra-long materials of 6m-12m.

[0040] Furthermore, the two circulating chains 11 are arranged in parallel on both sides of the upper fork body 8, and the two rollers 12 on each chain are located at the front end and rear end of the upper fork body 8 respectively. The distance between the two rollers 12 is equal to the distance between the front and rear grooves of the pallet, ensuring that the rollers 12 can completely detach from the push-pull device after completely hooking the pallet.

[0041] Furthermore, the conveying body 9 consists of multiple parallel conveying rollers, which are mounted on the surface of the upper fork body 8 via bearings. The roller axis is perpendicular to the length direction of the material, forming a rolling support surface that is consistent with the material movement direction.

[0042] Furthermore, when the stacker crane picks up goods, the upper fork 8 first extends 100-300mm along the length of the material, so that the roller 12 enters the bottom groove of the pallet. Then the chain drive device 10 starts, and the roller 12 on the circulating chain 11 hooks the groove and the pallet into the push-pull device 4. Once the pallet is completely in the push-pull device 4, the chain drive device 10 stops running. Then the fork drive device 6 drives the upper fork to move to the left again, ensuring that the upper fork 8 moves to the center of the loading platform 3. Precise docking is achieved through the initial engagement of the roller 12 with the pallet groove.

[0043] Furthermore, the stacker crane is equipped with a laser rangefinder and encoder, with a position control accuracy of <±5mm and a repeatability of ±5mm. The fork extension and the circulating chain are also equipped with proximity switches to ensure that the positioning accuracy of the fork extension and the circulating chain is <±3mm, thereby improving the reliability of system control.

[0044] like Figures 1-7 As shown, the working principle and process of this invention are as follows:

[0045] A stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials includes a traveling device 1, a lifting device 2, a main frame 5, a loading platform 3, and a push-pull device 4. The traveling device 1 drives the lifting device 2, the main frame 5, the loading platform 3, and the push-pull device 4 to move horizontally within the aisle; the lifting device 2 drives the loading platform 3 and the push-pull device 4 to move vertically; the push-pull device 4 is installed on the loading platform 3 to carry pallets and can push pallets from the loading platform 3 to the conveyor of the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) for pallet storage or hook pallets from the AS / RS conveyor to the loading platform 3 for pallet retrieval; the push-pull device 4 includes a fork drive device 6, a lower fork 7, an upper fork 8, a conveyor body 9, a chain drive device 10, and a circulating chain 11, with rollers 12 mounted on the circulating chain 11; the lower fork 7 is fixed to the loading platform 3 and has a sliding groove. The upper fork 8 is installed on the sliding groove of the lower fork 7 and can move back and forth along the direction of the sliding groove. The fork drive unit 6 is fixed on the lower fork 7 and is used to drive the upper fork 8 to move back and forth along the length of the material. The conveyor body 9 is installed on the upper fork 8 and is used to carry the pallet; the chain drive unit 10 and the circulating chain 11 are installed on the upper fork 8. The chain drive unit 10 drives the circulating chain 11 and the rollers 12 on the circulating chain 11 to perform closed-loop motion. The circulating chain 11 forms a square closed-loop structure, with a total of 2 circulating chains 11, and each circulating chain 11 has 2 rollers 12.

[0046] The working principle of the push-pull device 4 is as follows:

[0047] 1. Pick-up stage:

[0048] The upper fork 8 extends 100-300mm along the length of the material, allowing the roller 12 to enter the bottom groove of the pallet, completing the initial engagement. The chain drive device 10 starts, and the circulating chain 11 drives the roller 12 to rotate. The roller 12 on the circulating chain 11 hooks the groove and the pallet together into the push-pull device 4. Once the pallet is completely inside the push-pull device 4, the chain drive device 10 stops running. Then, the fork drive device 6 drives the upper fork 8 to move to the left again, ensuring that the upper fork 8 moves to the center of the loading platform 3. The encoder and proximity switch ensure that the pallet and the loading platform 3 are precisely aligned.

[0049] 2. Force conditions during access:

[0050] The upper fork body 8 bearing slides along the lower fork body 7 slide groove. The dovetail groove-bearing structure provides high torsional stiffness and supports ultra-long materials of 6m-12m. Two circulating chains 11 are arranged in parallel, and four rollers 12 are located at the front and rear ends of the upper fork body 8 respectively, so as to achieve uniform force on the pallet throughout the entire process and reduce fork deflection.

[0051] 3. Control and Precision:

[0052] Equipped with a laser rangefinder and encoder, the position control accuracy is <±5mm, and the repeatability is ±5mm, ensuring the reliability of system control.

[0053] The working process of this invention:

[0054] When the stacker crane retrieves goods, under the control of the scheduling system and the electrical control system, the stacker crane traveling device 1 drives the lifting device 2, the loading platform 3, the main frame 5, and the push-pull device 4 to move horizontally in the aisle and proceed to the column number position of the target unit storage cell. At the same time, the lifting device 2 drives the loading platform 3 and the push-pull device 4 to move in the lifting direction, and the loading platform 3 and the push-pull device 4 stop at the layer position of the target unit storage cell. Then, the fork drive device 6 drives the upper fork 8 to move back and forth along the length of the material. For example, the right side of the upper fork 8 moves 100-300mm to the right and extends under the left side of the pallet before stopping. Then, the chain drive device 10 drives the circulating chain 11 and the rollers 12 on the circulating chain 11 to perform a closed-loop movement, allowing the rollers 12 to slide into the left side groove of the pallet. As the circulating chain 11 continues its closed-loop movement, the rollers 12 on the circulating chain 11 hook the groove and the pallet together into the push-pull device 4. Once the pallet is fully inside the push-pull device 4, the chain drive device 10 stops operating. Then, the fork drive device 6 drives the upper fork 8 to move to the left, ensuring that the upper fork 8 is moved to the center of the loading platform 3. Subsequently, through the driving operation of the traveling device 1 and the lifting device 2, the pallet is transported to the platform or target location where the goods need to be shipped, completing the picking operation.

[0055] When the stacker crane is unloading goods, under the control of the scheduling system and the electrical control system, the stacker crane traveling device 1 drives the lifting device 2, the loading platform 3, the push-pull device 4, and the pallet to move horizontally in the aisle and proceed to the column position of the target unit storage cell where the goods need to be unloaded. At the same time, the lifting device 2 drives the loading platform 3, the push-pull device 4, and the pallet to move in the lifting direction. The loading platform 3, the push-pull device 4, and the pallet stop at the layer position of the target unit storage cell where the goods need to be unloaded, and ensure that the conveyor 9 on the push-pull device 4 is at the same height as the conveyor in the target unit storage cell of the rack. Then, the forklift drive unit 6 drives the upper forklift 8, along with the pallet, to move back and forth along the length of the material. For example, the right side of the upper forklift 8 moves 100-300mm to the right and then stops. Then, the chain drive unit 10 drives the circulating chain 11 and the rollers 12 on the circulating chain 11 to perform a closed-loop motion. The rollers 12 on the circulating chain 11 push the chute along with the pallet into the conveyor of the rack. After the rollers 12 are completely disengaged from the chute, the chain drive unit 10 stops. At this time, the pallet has completely entered the conveyor of the rack. Then, the forklift drive unit 6 drives the upper forklift 8 to move to the left again, ensuring that the upper forklift 8 moves to the center of the loading platform 3, completing the unloading operation.

[0056] The embodiments described above merely illustrate specific implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are detailed and specific, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the technical solution of this application, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials, comprising a traveling device, a lifting device, a main frame, a loading platform, and a push-pull device, characterized in that, The traveling device drives the stacker crane to move horizontally within the aisle, and the traveling direction of the stacker crane is parallel to the width direction of the material. The lifting device drives the loading platform to move up and down in the vertical direction, and the loading platform's picking and placing direction is parallel to the material's length direction. The push-pull device includes a lower fork fixed to the loading platform, an upper fork slidably installed in the lower fork groove, a conveyor fixed to the upper fork, a chain drive device installed on the upper fork, a fork drive device fixed to the lower fork, and a circulating chain. The lower fork groove is longitudinally opened on the surface of the lower fork, and the bottom of the upper fork is provided with a bearing structure that cooperates with the lower fork groove to realize the forward and backward sliding of the upper fork along the length of the material. The circulating chain consists of two closed square chains, each chain having two rollers fixed on it. When the chain drive device drives the circulating chain to rotate, the rollers move in a closed loop with the chain. The lifting device includes a lifting motor, a wire rope drum and a pulley block. The pulley block is fixed to the top of the loading platform and the main frame. One end of the wire rope passes around the pulley at the top of the main frame and the pulley on the loading platform and is connected to the top of the main frame. The other end passes around the pulley block and is fixed to the drum. The lower fork of the push-pull device is fixed to the surface of the loading platform by bolts. The cross section of the lower fork slide groove is a dovetail groove structure. The upper fork is equipped with a bearing that moves along the lower fork slide groove. A pallet bottom groove is provided at the bottom of the pallet. When the stacker crane picks up goods, the upper fork first extends 100-300mm in the length direction of the material, so that the roller enters the pallet bottom groove. Then the chain drive device starts and drags the pallet completely into the push-pull device through the roller. The chain drive device stops running, and then the fork drive device drives the upper fork to move to the left again to ensure that the upper fork moves to the center of the loading platform.

2. The stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The traveling device includes a set of traveling wheels and a traveling drive motor. The set of traveling wheels works in conjunction with the roadway track to achieve horizontal movement, and the traveling direction is consistent with the width direction of the material pallet.

3. The stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chain drive device includes a drive motor, a drive sprocket, and four driven sprockets arranged at the four corners. The drive sprocket is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and the driven sprockets and the drive sprockets are driven by a circulating chain to form a square closed-loop chain drive system.

4. The stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, Two sets of closed-loop chains are formed. Gears are installed below the two adjacent driven sprockets on the inner side of the two sets of closed-loop chains. The two gears mesh through the middle gear set to realize the power transmission between the two circulating chains and the synchronous operation of the two sets of circulating chains.

5. The stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials according to claim 4, characterized in that, The two circulating chains are arranged in parallel on both sides of the upper fork, with two rollers on each chain located at the front and rear ends of the upper fork, respectively.

6. The stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveyor body consists of multiple parallel conveying rollers, which are mounted on the surface of the upper fork body via bearings, and the roller axis is perpendicular to the length direction of the material.

7. The stacker crane for storing and retrieving extra-long materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stacker crane is equipped with a laser rangefinder and an encoder.

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