Automatic clamping device and automatic clamping method for power tower foot

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of tower foot manufacturing, and relates to an automatic clamping device and method for a power tower foot. In the automatic clamping device, a clamping mechanism comprises two right-hand and left-hand trapezoidal lead screws, clamping jaws are movably installed on the right-hand and left-hand trapezoidal lead screws and located on the same horizontal plane, a driving mechanism comprises a driving motor and a cog belt assembly, a rotating shaft of the driving motor is connected with the cog belt assembly, and the cog belt assembly is in meshing transmission connection with the right-hand and left-hand trapezoidal lead screws. According to the automatic clamping method, the inclination angle of the clamping jaws is adjusted to be matched with the shape of a workpiece, the rotating shaft of the driving motor rotates forwards to control the forward and reverse thread trapezoidal lead screw to rotate, the clamping jaws automatically center and clamp the workpiece for welding, the rotating shaft of the driving motor rotates backwards after welding is completed, and the clamping jaws move outwards to loosen the workpiece. The clamping jaw can be controlled to automatically center and clamp a power tower foot workpiece, and the clamping accuracy is improved; and during feeding, balls of the bull eye bearings make contact with the workpieces, and the feeding and discharging efficiency of the workpieces is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of tower foot manufacturing technology, specifically relating to an automatic clamping device and method for power tower feet, used to assist in the fixing of power tower feet. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of the power industry, the demand for power tower construction is constantly increasing. As a key structure supporting and fixing power transmission lines, the quality and stability of power towers are of paramount importance. The tower feet, as the foundation of the power tower, require precision and quality in welding and other processing techniques; therefore, efficient and precise clamping fixtures are needed to assist in the processing of the tower feet.

[0003] Currently, manual clamping fixtures are commonly used to secure power tower legs, but they have significant limitations. Manual operation relies heavily on worker experience and skill, making it prone to positioning errors that affect product machining accuracy and fail to meet the welding requirements of power tower legs. Furthermore, the manual clamping process is time-consuming, requiring frequent operation by workers, resulting in high labor intensity. Especially in mass production of power tower legs, manual clamping fixtures become a bottleneck restricting production efficiency. In addition, manual clamping fixtures have poor versatility; for workpieces of different specifications and shapes, fixtures often need to be redesigned and manufactured, increasing production costs and preparation time. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides an automatic clamping device and method for power tower feet. The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: An automatic clamping device for power tower feet includes a support frame, a clamping mechanism, and a driving mechanism. The support frame includes an inner U-shaped support frame, an outer U-shaped support frame, and a cross-shaped support frame. The cross-shaped support frame is fixedly connected to the inner U-shaped support frame and the outer U-shaped support frame at diagonal positions. The cross-shaped support plate and multiple vertical support side plates are combined to form the cavity structure of the cross-shaped support frame. The bullseye bearing is located at the upper center of the cross-shaped support frame, and the ball on the bullseye bearing is higher than the support frame. A cross-shaped guide rail is installed in the cavity structure of the cross-shaped support frame. The clamping mechanism includes two trapezoidal lead screws that are rotatably connected to the cross-shaped support frame. The two trapezoidal lead screws are arranged in a cross shape, one above the other. The movable seat is slidably connected to the cross-shaped guide rail. The movable seat is threadedly connected to the trapezoidal lead screws. The base plate is fixedly connected to the movable seat. The gripper seat is fixedly connected to the base plate. The upper and lower ends of the fixed shaft on the side of the gripper seat are fixedly connected to the gripper seat. The gripper is rotatably connected to the middle of the fixed shaft. The gripper seat has mounting screw holes at the positions corresponding to the grippers. The adjusting bolts are screwed into the mounting screw holes. All grippers are located on the same horizontal plane. The drive mechanism includes a drive motor and a toothed belt assembly. The drive motor is mounted on the lower part of the support frame. The shaft of the drive motor is connected to the toothed belt assembly through an electromagnetic clutch. The toothed belt assembly is rotatably mounted on the support frame. The toothed belt assembly is meshed with a positive and negative trapezoidal lead screw for transmission. A connecting plate is installed at the center of the lower part of the support frame.

[0005] Preferably, the upper and lower ends of the gripper seat are integrally formed with semi-circular mounting protrusions. A horizontal mounting groove is opened in the middle of the side of the gripper seat. A vertical mounting through hole is machined on the mounting protrusion. The upper and lower ends of the fixed shaft pass through the mounting through hole and are fixedly connected to the gripper seat. A long strip-shaped mounting protrusion is integrally formed on the side of the gripper. The mounting protrusion corresponds to the mounting groove of the gripper seat and leaves a gap. A mounting through hole is machined in the middle of the mounting protrusion, and the fixed shaft passes through the mounting through hole.

[0006] Preferably, it also includes four dustproof plates, with a horizontal through groove in the middle of the base plate through which the dustproof plates pass, and the two ends of the dustproof plates are fixedly connected to a cross-shaped support frame and a bullseye bearing, respectively.

[0007] Preferably, the handwheel is rotatably mounted on the outer side of the vertical support side plate away from the drive motor of the cross-shaped support frame, and the end of the handwheel shaft passes through the vertical support side plate and is fixedly connected to the end of the positive and negative trapezoidal lead screw.

[0008] Preferably, the lower center of the movable seat is machined with an internal thread hole that matches the positive and negative trapezoidal lead screw, and the movable seat is threadedly connected to the positive and negative trapezoidal lead screw through the internal thread hole.

[0009] Preferably, the lower part of the movable seat is machined with a guide rail groove that is adapted to the cross-shaped guide rail, and the movable seat is slidably connected to the cross-shaped guide rail through the guide rail groove.

[0010] Preferably, the motor protective shell is fixedly installed on the lower part of the support frame, and the motor protective shell is located on the outer periphery of the drive motor.

[0011] An automatic clamping method for power tower legs, employing the aforementioned automatic clamping device for power tower legs, includes the following steps: By controlling the extension length of each adjusting bolt, the tilt angle of the clamps can be adjusted to match the shape of the power tower foot workpiece. The power tower foot workpiece is placed in the middle position above the support frame, and the lower surface of the power tower foot workpiece contacts the ball on the bullseye bearing to reduce the friction between the power tower foot workpiece and the support frame. Start the drive motor to make the drive motor shaft rotate forward. The drive motor controls the rotation of the forward and reverse trapezoidal screws through the toothed belt assembly. Each gripper automatically centers and clamps the power tower foot workpiece for welding. After welding is completed, turn the drive motor shaft in reverse and move each gripper outward to release the power tower foot workpiece. Remove the welded power tower foot workpiece.

[0012] Preferably, the support frame is first fixedly installed onto the rotary bearing of the positioner using a connecting plate.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are: In this invention, two cross-shaped trapezoidal lead screws with positive and negative leads are provided on the support frame. Each trapezoidal lead screw is equipped with a clamping mechanism. The clamping jaws in the clamping mechanism can be automatically centered and clamped by the drive motor at one end of the trapezoidal lead screw, which improves the clamping accuracy. The two sets of clamping mechanisms can clamp workpieces of different specifications and shapes, saving production costs. In this invention, a set of bullseye bearings is provided in the center of the support frame. When loading, the balls of the bullseye bearings contact the workpieces of the power tower feet, reducing the friction between the workpieces and the support frame and improving the loading and unloading efficiency of the workpieces. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the automatic clamping device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The front view; Figure 3 for Figure 1 Top view; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction; Figure 5 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the clamping mechanism in the image; Figure 6 for Figure 1 Front view of the clamping mechanism in the middle; Figure 7 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle; Figure 8 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point C; Figure 9 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point D; Figure 10 for Figure 1 A bottom view; Figure 11 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the supporting frame in the diagram; In the diagram, 1 is the clamping mechanism, 2 is the handwheel, 3 is the support frame, 4 is the drive mechanism, 5 is the dustproof plate, 6 is the bullseye bearing, 7 is the moving seat, 8 is the adjusting bolt, 9 is the gripper seat, 10 is the fixed shaft, 11 is the gripper, 12 is the base plate, 13 is the forward and reverse trapezoidal lead screw, 14 is the cross-shaped guide rail, 15 is the drive motor, 16 is the motor protective shell, 17 is the toothed belt assembly, 18 is the connecting plate, and 19 is the electromagnetic clutch. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0016] Example 1:

[0017] like Figure 1-11 As shown, Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides an automatic clamping device for power tower feet, including a support frame 3 and a clamping mechanism 1 and a driving mechanism 4 installed on the support frame 3.

[0018] The support frame 3 includes an inner U-shaped support frame, an outer U-shaped support frame, and a cross-shaped support bracket. The cross-shaped support bracket is fixedly connected to the inner and outer U-shaped support frames at their diagonal positions. The cross-shaped support bracket has a cavity structure for installing the clamping mechanism 1. The cavity structure of the cross-shaped support bracket consists of a lower cross-shaped support plate, multiple vertical support side plates in the middle, and an upper bullseye bearing 6 and four dustproof plates 5. The bullseye bearing 6 is located at the upper center of the cross-shaped support bracket. A cross-shaped guide rail 14 is fixedly installed in the cavity structure of the cross-shaped support bracket. The cross-shaped guide rail 14 includes two parallel guide rails in the length direction, which can ensure the smooth horizontal sliding of the movable seat 7 on it. The overall structure of the support frame 3 is designed as a "cross + U-shaped" structure, which improves the load-bearing strength of the support frame 3. The ball part on the bullseye bearing 6 is slightly higher than the support frame 3, which reduces the friction between the power tower foot workpiece and the support frame 3 and improves the workpiece loading and unloading efficiency.

[0019] The clamping mechanism 1 includes two trapezoidal lead screws 13 with positive and negative wires and four jaws 11 movably mounted at both ends of the trapezoidal lead screws 13. The two ends of the two trapezoidal lead screws 13 are rotatably connected to the vertical support side plates at both ends of the cross-shaped support frame. The two trapezoidal lead screws 13 are arranged one above the other in the height direction to avoid interference between the two trapezoidal lead screws 13 at the intersection point. Four movable seats 7 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the trapezoidal lead screws 13. The lower two sides of the movable seats 7 are machined with guide rail grooves in the length direction that are adapted to the cross-shaped guide rail 14. The movable seats 7 are slidably connected to the cross-shaped guide rail 14 through the guide rail grooves. The lower center of the movable seat 7 is machined with an internal thread hole that matches the positive and negative thread trapezoidal screw 13. The movable seat 7 is threadedly connected to the positive and negative thread trapezoidal screw 13 through the internal thread hole. When the positive and negative thread trapezoidal screw 13 rotates, the movable seats 7 at both ends can move horizontally relative to each other to clamp or release the power tower foot workpiece.

[0020] The lower part of the base plate 12 is fixedly connected to the upper part of the movable seat 7. A horizontal through groove is provided in the middle of the base plate 12. After the dustproof plate 5 passes through the through groove of the base plate 12, the two ends of the dustproof plate 5 are fixedly connected to the vertical support side plates at both ends of the cross-shaped support frame and the side of the bullseye bearing 6, respectively. The dustproof plate 5 can prevent dust, welding slag, etc. from falling on the positive and negative trapezoidal lead screw 13, and does not affect the horizontal movement of the base plate 12 with the movable seat 7. The lower part of the gripper seat 9 is fixedly connected to the upper part of the base plate 12. The upper and lower ends of the inner side of the gripper seat 9 are integrally formed with semi-circular mounting protrusions. A horizontal mounting groove is opened in the middle of the inner side of the gripper seat 9. A vertical mounting through hole is machined on the mounting protrusion. The upper and lower ends of the fixed shaft 10 pass through the mounting through hole and are fixedly connected to the gripper seat 9. The outer side of the gripper 11 is integrally formed with a long strip-shaped mounting protrusion 2, which corresponds to the mounting groove of the gripper seat 9, with a gap between the mounting protrusion 2 and the mounting groove. A mounting through hole 2 is machined in the middle of the mounting protrusion 2, through which the fixing shaft 10 passes, and the gripper 11 is rotatably connected to the fixing shaft 10. Mounting screw holes are respectively opened on the gripper seats 9 on both sides of the mounting protrusion 11. Adjusting bolts 8 are screwed into the mounting screw holes. By manually controlling the screw-out length of the adjusting bolts 8, the tilt angle of the gripper 11 can be adjusted to adapt to different shapes of the power tower foot workpiece. The upper width of the gripper 11 is greater than the lower width, forming a certain angle slope on the inner side of the gripper 11. The slope can better adapt to the shape of the power tower foot workpiece, and after centering and moving, the gripper 11 can better clamp the power tower foot workpiece.

[0021] Since the two trapezoidal lead screws 13 are set one above the other, and the gripper seats 9 on the two trapezoidal lead screws 13 are machined to be of different heights, the four grippers 11 can be finally located on the same horizontal plane by the gripper seats 9 of different heights corresponding to the two trapezoidal lead screws 13, ensuring the clamping effect on the power tower foot workpiece.

[0022] The drive mechanism 4 includes a drive motor 15, a motor protective housing 16, and a toothed belt assembly 17. The drive motor 15 is fixedly mounted on the lower part of the support frame 3, and one drive motor 15 is installed at one end of each of the positive and negative trapezoidal lead screws 13. The motor protective housing 16 is located on the outer periphery of the drive motor 15 and is fixedly mounted on the lower part of the support frame 3. The rotating shaft of the drive motor 15 is fixedly connected to the toothed belt assembly 17 through an electromagnetic clutch 19. The toothed belt assembly 17 is mounted on the support frame 3 and is rotatably connected to the support frame 3. The toothed belt assembly 17 is engaged with the positive and negative trapezoidal lead screws 13 for transmission. After the drive motor 15 is started, the rotation of the positive and negative trapezoidal lead screws 13 can be controlled through the toothed belt assembly 17.

[0023] The handwheel 2 is rotatably mounted on the outer side of the vertical support side plate at the end of the cross-shaped support frame away from the drive motor 15. The end of the shaft of the handwheel 2 passes through the vertical support side plate and is fixedly connected to the end of the forward and reverse trapezoidal lead screw 13. When the drive motor 15 malfunctions, the electromagnetic clutch 19 is de-energized, and the part in contact with the toothed belt assembly 17 is separated. At this time, the handwheel 2 can be manually operated to make the gripper 11 clamp or release the power tower foot workpiece, ensuring the maintenance time of the drive motor 15 and avoiding idleness.

[0024] A circular plate connecting plate 18 is fixedly installed at the lower center of the support frame 3. The connecting plate 18 is used to fix and connect the rotary bearing of the positioner.

[0025] Example 2:

[0026] Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides an automatic clamping method for power tower legs, which uses an automatic clamping device for power tower legs as described in Embodiment 1, and includes the following steps: First, based on the shape of the power tower foot workpiece, control the extension length of each adjusting bolt 8 in order to adjust the tilt angle of the clamp 11, so that the tilt angle of the clamp 11 is better matched with the shape of the power tower foot workpiece, so as to achieve the best clamping effect.

[0027] The power tower foot workpiece is placed in the middle position above the support frame 3. The lower surface of the power tower foot workpiece contacts the ball part on the bullseye bearing 6, which reduces the friction between the power tower foot workpiece and the support frame 3, making it more convenient and faster to place the power tower foot workpiece.

[0028] The drive motor 15 is started, causing its shaft to rotate clockwise. The drive motor 15 controls the rotation of the trapezoidal lead screw 13 via the toothed belt assembly 17. As the trapezoidal lead screw 13 rotates, the grippers 11 automatically center and clamp the power tower foot workpiece. After clamping, welding and other processes are performed on the power tower foot workpiece. After welding and other processes are completed, the drive motor 15's shaft is reversed, and the grippers 11 move outward to release the power tower foot workpiece. The welded power tower foot workpiece is then removed, and subsequent processing of the power tower foot workpiece continues.

[0029] When using the automatic clamping device for power tower feet described in Embodiment 1, the support frame 3 is fixedly installed on the slewing bearing of a positioner via the connecting plate 18, and then the power tower foot workpiece is placed on the support frame 3. The positioner is an existing auxiliary welding device.

[0030] In the embodiments of the present invention, all technical features not described in detail are existing technologies or conventional technical means, and will not be repeated here.

[0031] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely specific implementations of the present invention, used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; and these modifications, changes, or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic clamping device for power tower legs, comprising a support frame (3), a clamping mechanism (1), and a driving mechanism (4), characterized in that, The support frame (3) includes an inner U-shaped support frame, an outer U-shaped support frame and a cross-shaped support frame. The cross-shaped support frame is fixedly connected to the inner U-shaped support frame and the outer U-shaped support frame at their diagonal positions. The cross-shaped support plate and multiple vertical support side plates are combined to form the cavity structure of the cross-shaped support frame. The bullseye bearing (6) is located at the upper center of the cross-shaped support frame. The ball on the bullseye bearing (6) is higher than the support frame (3). A cross-shaped guide rail (14) is installed in the cavity structure of the cross-shaped support frame. The clamping mechanism (1) includes two positive and negative trapezoidal screws (13) that are rotatably connected to the cross-shaped support frame. The two positive and negative trapezoidal screws (13) are arranged in a cross shape, one above the other. The moving seat (7) is slidably connected to the cross-shaped guide rail (14). The moving seat (7) is threadedly connected to the positive and negative trapezoidal screws (13). The base plate (12) is fixedly connected to the moving seat (7). The jaw seat (9) is fixedly connected to the base plate (12). The upper and lower ends of the fixed shaft (10) on the side of the jaw seat (9) are fixedly connected to the jaw seat (9). The jaw (11) is rotatably connected to the middle of the fixed shaft (10). The jaw seat (9) has mounting screw holes at the positions corresponding to the jaws (11). The adjusting bolt (8) is screwed into the mounting screw holes. Each jaw (11) is located on the same horizontal plane. The drive mechanism (4) includes a drive motor (15) and a toothed belt assembly (17). The drive motor (15) is installed on the lower part of the support frame (3). The shaft of the drive motor (15) is connected to the toothed belt assembly (17) through an electromagnetic clutch (19). The toothed belt assembly (17) is rotatably connected to the support frame (3). The toothed belt assembly (17) is meshed with the positive and negative wire trapezoidal screw (13) for transmission. A connecting plate (18) is installed at the center of the lower part of the support frame (3).

2. The automatic clamping device for power tower legs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper and lower ends of the side of the gripper seat (9) are integrally formed with semi-circular mounting protrusions. The middle of the side of the gripper seat (9) is provided with a horizontal mounting groove. The mounting protrusions are machined with vertical mounting through holes. The upper and lower ends of the fixed shaft (10) pass through the mounting through holes and are fixedly connected to the gripper seat (9). The side of the gripper (11) is integrally formed with a long strip mounting protrusion. The mounting protrusions correspond to the mounting grooves of the gripper seat (9) and have a gap. The middle of the mounting protrusions is provided with mounting through holes. The fixed shaft (10) passes through the mounting through holes.

3. The automatic clamping device for power tower legs according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes four dustproof plates (5), and the middle of the base plate (12) is provided with a horizontal through groove through which the dustproof plates (5) pass. The two ends of the dustproof plates (5) are fixedly connected to the cross-shaped support frame and the bullseye bearing (6) respectively.

4. The automatic clamping device for power tower legs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The handwheel (2) is rotatably mounted on the outer side of the vertical support plate away from the drive motor (15) of the cross-shaped support frame. The end of the handwheel (2) shaft passes through the vertical support plate and is fixedly connected to the end of the positive and negative wire trapezoidal screw (13).

5. The automatic clamping device for power tower legs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower center of the movable seat (7) is machined with an internal thread hole that is compatible with the positive and negative thread trapezoidal screw (13). The movable seat (7) is threadedly connected to the positive and negative thread trapezoidal screw (13) through the internal thread hole.

6. The automatic clamping device for power tower legs according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lower part of the movable seat (7) is machined with a guide rail groove that is compatible with the cross-shaped guide rail (14). The movable seat (7) is slidably connected to the cross-shaped guide rail (14) through the guide rail groove.

7. The automatic clamping device for power tower legs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor protective shell (16) is set on the outer periphery of the drive motor (15), and the motor protective shell (16) is fixedly installed on the lower part of the support frame (3).

8. An automatic clamping method for power tower legs, characterized in that, The automatic clamping device for power tower legs as described in claim 1 includes the following steps: By controlling the extension length of each adjusting bolt (8), the tilt angle of the clamp (11) is adjusted to match the shape of the power tower foot workpiece; The power tower foot workpiece is placed in the middle position above the support frame (3), and the lower surface of the power tower foot workpiece contacts the ball on the bullseye bearing (6) to reduce the friction between the power tower foot workpiece and the support frame (3). Start the drive motor (15) to make the shaft of the drive motor (15) rotate forward. The drive motor (15) controls the forward and reverse trapezoidal screw (13) to rotate through the toothed belt assembly (17). Each gripper (11) automatically centers and clamps the power tower foot workpiece for welding. After welding is completed, the shaft of the drive motor (15) is reversed, and each gripper (11) moves outward to release the power tower foot workpiece and remove the welded power tower foot workpiece.

9. The automatic clamping method for power tower legs according to claim 8, characterized in that, First, the support frame (3) is fixedly installed onto the rotary bearing of the positioner via the connecting plate (18).

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