Sole timber feeding preparation unit

Abstract

The invention provides a sole timber feeding preparation unit, which relates to the technical field of warehouse logistics equipment and comprises a feeding temporary storage device, a feeding mechanism, a clamping and rotating mechanism, a material conveying device, a stock bin placing device, a tray recovery device and an electric control system. The feeding temporary storage device is used for conveying the whole set of sole timbers. The feeding mechanism lifts the whole set of sole timbers; the clamping and rotating mechanism is used for clamping and rotating the single-layer sole timber; the material conveying device conveys the sole timbers to the stock bin placing device, and the stock bin placing device accurately places the sole timbers into the material partitions; the tray recycling device is connected with the feeding mechanism and the feeding buffering device to form a tray circulation loop. Through full-automatic mechanical cooperation and electric control logic, whole-stack clamping, temporary storage, layered rotation and accurate placement of sole timbers are achieved, traditional manual carrying and climbing operation are replaced, and the safety performance, the working efficiency and the positioning accuracy of operation are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of warehousing and logistics equipment technology, and more particularly to a timber pallet feeding and preparation unit. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, domestic steel mills typically use a frame-mounted plate system for their thick plate storage yards, sorting steel plates at the storage location and then transferring them to the dock. Because the spreaders used by dockside steel plate loading and unloading machines often employ multi-hook designs, the storage location must "separately separate" multiple steel plates during transfer due to limitations in spreader structure and the lifting capacity of the machines. This ensures that the hook space and individual weight of the plates meet the operational requirements of the loading and unloading machines.

[0003] However, in the existing steel plate separation process, the preparation and placement of the wooden blocks are all done manually. This traditional method is greatly affected by the site environment, resulting in low overall work efficiency. In addition, the repeated manual material handling and placement on the frame usually involves working at heights, which is not only labor-intensive but also poses serious safety hazards.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a timber preparation equipment that can replace manual labor and achieve automatic conveying, material picking, and precise placement to improve the safety and efficiency of operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a timber stacking and preparation unit. By integrating feeding buffers, feeding mechanisms, clamping and rotating mechanisms, and hopper placement devices, this invention achieves automatic conveying, layered clamping, and precise placement of entire stacks of timber.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a timber feeding and preparation unit, comprising: a feeding buffer device, a feeding mechanism, a clamping and rotating mechanism, a material conveying device, a hopper placement device, a pallet recycling device, and an electrical control system; The feeding buffer device is used to receive and transport the entire set of dunnage placed on the pallet, and its output end is connected to the feeding mechanism. The feeding mechanism is used to lift the entire set of wooden blocks, and the clamping and rotating mechanism is located at the working position of the feeding mechanism and is used to clamp the single layer of wooden blocks after lifting. The clamping and rotating mechanism places the clamped wooden blocks onto the material conveying device, which is used to convey a single set of wooden blocks to the hopper placement device. The pallet recycling device connects the feeding mechanism and the feeding buffer device to form a pallet circulation loop; The electrical control system is electrically connected to and controls the operation of the feeding buffer device, the feeding mechanism, the clamping and rotating mechanism, the material conveying device, the hopper placement device, and the pallet recycling device.

[0007] Furthermore, the feeding buffer device is supported by multiple sets of profile frames, and each set of conveying devices is driven by a drive source to drive the chain; the feeding buffer device is driven by a cylinder to realize multi-angle track changing operation of the entire stack of pads; guide devices are provided on both sides of the upper part of the support frame; a detection sensor is provided in the compartment of the feeding buffer device, and the feeding buffer device is also equipped with an electric stop cylinder. When the detection sensor reports that the pallet with material is transmitted to the buffer position, the electric stop cylinder rises to block the pallet.

[0008] Multiple sets of frames and chain drives enable the buffer placement of multiple stacks of pallets, ensuring continuous material supply and high efficiency. The electric stop cylinder keeps the pallets in a safe position, physically isolated from the work area, significantly improving safety during equipment operation.

[0009] Furthermore, the feeding mechanism includes a translation mechanism and a lifting mechanism; the translation mechanism uses a drive source to fix the wooden pallet, and the drive source for fixing the pallet is arranged on the side, with no less than two of them; the lifting mechanism uses the drive source to drive the entire stack of wooden pallets to achieve vertical lifting along the vertical guide rod. The translation mechanism with multiple fixed points on the side, together with the vertically guided lifting mechanism, ensures the stability of the entire stack of wooden pallets during the lifting process, providing a stable workstation foundation for subsequent single-layer precise clamping.

[0010] Furthermore, the gripping and rotating mechanism employs a drive to move the grippers, which are rotatable and translatable. The grippers are arranged in a four-sided encircling configuration consisting of two pairs. The grippers are configured to first grip the length direction clamping plate of the pad to align the single layer of pad, and then grip the width direction clamping plate to tighten and rotate the conveyor. The four-sided encircling configuration and the specific "length first, width later" gripping logic not only achieve firm gripping of the material, but more importantly, automatically complete the alignment correction of the single layer of pad during the gripping process, ensuring the accuracy of the subsequent conveying posture.

[0011] Furthermore, the material conveying device is supported by a lightweight profile frame and drives a chain via a drive source to move a single layer of multi-piece wooden blocks as a whole. The material conveying device is configured to make a certain pitch angle change. The lightweight structure combined with the chain drive enables long-distance transmission, and the adjustable pitch angle design enhances the equipment's adaptability to different height differences or installation environments.

[0012] Furthermore, the hopper placement device is equipped with a material divider inside its compartment; the hopper placement device includes a clamping device, which uses a drive source to drive a special clamp and is guided by a slide rail. The clamping device can move along three axes: X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and is used to place the wooden blocks into the material divider inside the compartment. The three-axis movement, combined with the special clamp, enables a placement operation with sensitive movement and high positioning accuracy, ensuring that the wooden blocks can be accurately placed into the designated material divider, and solving the dangerous problem of manual placement operations at height.

[0013] Furthermore, the pallet recycling device is supported by a structural frame and driven by a chain driven by a drive source, and is equipped with a rigid guide device on the transmission path; the pallet recycling device forms a closed loop: the pallet with material enters from the inlet, is unloaded at the feeding mechanism and then turns to the recycling track, and then turns back from the outlet to the inlet. The closed loop design realizes the automatic recycling of pallets, and the rigid guide device ensures the stability of the trajectory of empty pallets during the recycling process, without the need for manual intervention in the return of pallets, further improving the overall operation efficiency.

[0014] Furthermore, the electronic control system is equipped with travel limit devices and numerical reading functions on the lifting mechanism, the translation mechanism, and the clamping and rotating mechanism. The electronic control system calculates the running distance and determines the stopping point of the mechanism by calculating the number of rotations of each mechanism and the force flow feedback. Through the dual determination logic of rotation calculation and force flow feedback, the precise positioning of the mechanism is achieved, thereby significantly improving the accuracy of the fixed positioning of the pad wood in the center of the steel plate and ensuring the placement quality.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: 1. The present invention provides a pallet feeding and preparation unit, which, through the setting of an electric stop cylinder in the feeding buffer device, keeps the pallet in a safe state of physical isolation from the work area; at the same time, the fully automated feeding mechanism and hopper placement device replace the traditional manual handling and frame placement mode, completely solving the dangerous problems of manual material handling and climbing operations, and significantly improving the safety performance of the operation.

[0016] 2. The present invention provides a timber loading and preparation unit. The feeding buffer device adopts multiple sets of profile frame support and chain drive to realize the buffer placement of multiple sets of stacked timbers, ensuring the continuity of material supply. Combined with the pallet recycling device, a closed-loop link is formed from pallet feeding, unloading to recycling, realizing the automation of the entire process of timber conveying and greatly improving the efficiency of on-site operations.

[0017] 3. The present invention provides a timber loading and preparation unit. The whole set of equipment can realize the whole stack clamping, multi-stack buffering, single-layer clamping rotation and large-scale multi-group transfer of timber, which replaces manual handling and significantly improves the work efficiency of the entire material conveying process.

[0018] 4. The present invention provides a wooden block feeding and preparation unit, which improves the accuracy of the fixed positioning of the wooden blocks in the center of the steel plate through the precise calculation of the electrical control system and the coordination of the mechanism, and realizes the automatic and precise placement of a single wooden block. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a timber feeding and preparation unit according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding buffer device, feeding mechanism and pallet recycling device of the pallet feeding preparation unit of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism and clamping rotation mechanism of a timber feeding and preparation unit according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the material hopper placement device of the material preparation unit for the feeding of wooden blocks as described in this invention.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Feed buffer device; 11. Chain; 12. Guide device; 13. Cylinder; 2. Feeding mechanism; 21. Translation mechanism; 22. Lifting mechanism; 3. Clamping and rotating mechanism; 31. Gripper; 4. Material conveying device; 5. Hopper placement device; 51. Material divider; 52. Clamping device; 53. Slide rail; 6. Pallet recycling device. Detailed Implementation

[0022] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] 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 following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0025] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples listed and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. The directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0027] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0028] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0029] Example like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, this embodiment provides a timber feeding and preparation unit, including: a feeding buffer device 1, a feeding mechanism 2, a clamping and rotating mechanism 3, a material conveying device 4, a hopper placement device 5, a pallet recycling device 6, and an electrical control system; At the start of the operation, a forklift places a dedicated pallet containing a complete stack of pallets into the inlet of the feeding buffer device 1. The feeding buffer device 1 is supported by multiple sets of profile frames, each conveyor driven by a chain 11 driven by a drive source. Under the control of the electronic control system, cylinders 13 drive the entire stack of pallets to move along different angles, and guide devices 12 on both sides of the upper part of the support frame maintain stable operation. When the pallet with material is transferred to the buffer position in the compartment, the detection sensor inside the compartment detects a signal and feeds it back to the electronic control system, stopping the mechanism. At this time, an electric stop cylinder rises to block the pallet, placing it in a safe state that is physically isolated from the work area. This device can buffer multiple stacks of pallets simultaneously, ensuring the continuity of subsequent feeding.

[0030] When material needs to be loaded, the pallet is conveyed from the output end of the feeding buffer device 1 to the loading mechanism 2. The loading mechanism 2 includes a translation mechanism 21 and a lifting mechanism 22. First, the translation mechanism 21 fixes the pallet of dunnage through fixed drive sources (no less than 2) arranged on the side; then, the lifting mechanism 22 drives the entire stack of dunnage to be vertically lifted along the vertical guide rod by the drive source, raising the entire stack of dunnage to the designated working height.

[0031] The clamping and rotating mechanism 3 is located at the workstation of the feeding mechanism 2 and is used to process the lifted wooden blocks. This mechanism uses a drive to move the grippers 31, which are rotatable and translatable, and consist of two pairs forming a four-sided encircling structure. During the clamping process, the grippers 31 are configured to first clamp the longitudinal clamping plates of the wooden blocks, aligning the single layer of blocks; subsequently, they clamp the transverse clamping plates to secure the blocks. After clamping, the mechanism performs a rotating conveying action, separating the single layer of blocks from the stack and adjusting its posture.

[0032] The clamping and rotating mechanism 3 clamps and rotates the single-layer wooden blocks, placing them onto the material conveying device 4. The material conveying device 4 is supported by a lightweight profile frame and is driven by a drive source via a chain 11, which moves the single-layer multi-piece wooden blocks as a whole. This device is configured to make certain pitch angle changes to adapt to different working conditions and stably convey a single set of wooden blocks to the inlet of the hopper placement device 5.

[0033] After the logs arrive at the material storage device 5, the device operates using its internal gripping device 52. The gripping device 52 uses a drive source to drive a dedicated clamp and is guided by a slide rail 53, allowing it to move along three axes—X, Y, and Z—under the control of an electronic control system. The gripping device 52 precisely grasps the logs and accurately places them into the pre-set material compartments 51 within the material storage device 5, thus completing the fixed placement of each log.

[0034] After unloading at the loading mechanism 2, the empty pallets enter the pallet recycling device 6. The pallet recycling device 6 connects the loading mechanism 2 and the infeed buffer device 1, is supported by a structural frame, is driven by a chain 11 driven by a drive source, and has a rigid guide device 12 on the transmission path. The empty pallet rotates from the unloading point to the recycling track, and then rotates back from the discharge port to the infeed port, forming a closed-loop link cycle of pallets, waiting for the next loading.

[0035] Throughout the process, the electronic control system plays a core control role. During the operation of the lifting mechanism 22, the translation mechanism 21, and the clamping and rotating mechanism 3, the electronic control system utilizes the travel limit devices and numerical reading functions installed on each mechanism to determine the running distance by calculating the number of rotations of each mechanism, and combines force flow feedback to determine the stopping point of the mechanism, thereby achieving precise positioning and placement of the pad wood in the center of the steel plate.

[0036] This unit's operating procedure: The forklift places the entire stack of timber on a dedicated pallet and inserts it into the inlet of the feeding buffer device 1. Driven by the chain 11, it is transported to the buffer position. The electric stop cylinder is raised by the feedback of the detection sensor to achieve safe buffering. Then the pallet enters the loading mechanism 2, and the entire stack of timber is vertically lifted by the drive source along the vertical guide rod. The clamping and rotating mechanism 3 uses the four-sided surrounding jaws 31 to first clamp the clamping plates in the length direction and then clamp the clamping plates in the width direction, rotating the single layer of timber and placing it on the material conveying device 4. The single layer of timber is moved as a whole by the conveying device to the hopper placement device 5. The clamping device 52 in this device, in conjunction with the slide rail 53, runs along the X, Y, and Z axes to accurately place the timber in the hopper compartment 51. At the same time, the empty pallet after unloading is transferred from the loading mechanism 2 to the recycling track through the rigid guide path of the pallet recycling device 6 and finally rotates back to the inlet to form a closed loop. The entire process is controlled and precisely positioned by the electronic control system by calculating the number of rotations of the mechanism and the force flow feedback.

[0037] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A timber loading and preparation unit, characterized in that, include: Feed buffer device, feeding mechanism, clamping and rotating mechanism, material conveying device, hopper placement device, pallet recycling device and electrical control system; The feeding buffer device is used to receive and transport the entire set of dunnage placed on the pallet, and its output end is connected to the feeding mechanism. The feeding mechanism is used to lift the entire set of wooden blocks, and the clamping and rotating mechanism is located at the working position of the feeding mechanism and is used to clamp the single layer of wooden blocks after lifting. The clamping and rotating mechanism places the clamped wooden blocks onto the material conveying device, which is used to convey a single set of wooden blocks to the hopper placement device. The pallet recycling device connects the feeding mechanism and the infeed buffer device to form a pallet circulation loop; The electrical control system is electrically connected to and controls the operation of the feeding buffer device, the feeding mechanism, the clamping and rotating mechanism, the material conveying device, the hopper placement device, and the pallet recycling device.

2. The timber loading and preparation unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding buffer device is supported by multiple sets of profile frames, and each set of conveying devices is driven by a drive source to drive the chain; the feeding buffer device is driven by a cylinder to realize multi-angle track changing operation of the entire stack of wooden blocks; guide devices are provided on both sides of the upper part of the support frame; a detection sensor is provided in the compartment of the feeding buffer device, and the feeding buffer device is also equipped with an electric stop cylinder. When the detection sensor reports that the pallet with material is transmitted to the buffer position, the electric stop cylinder rises to block the pallet.

3. The timber loading and preparation unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism includes a translation mechanism and a lifting mechanism; the translation mechanism uses a drive source to fix the wooden pallet, and the drive source for fixing the pallet is arranged on the side, with no less than 2 pieces; the lifting mechanism uses a drive source to drive the entire stack of wooden pallets to be lifted vertically along a vertical guide rod.

4. The timber loading and preparation unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping and rotating mechanism is driven by a gripper, which is rotatable and translatable. The gripper is composed of two pairs of grippers that surround the entire structure on four sides. The gripper is configured to first clamp the length direction of the pad to align the single layer of pad, and then clamp the width direction of the pad and rotate and transport it.

5. The timber loading and preparation unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material conveying device is supported by a lightweight profile frame and drives a chain via a drive source to move a single layer of multiple wooden blocks as a whole; the material conveying device is configured to be able to make a certain pitch angle change.

6. The timber loading and preparation unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hopper placement device has a material compartment inside; the hopper placement device includes a clamping device, which uses a drive source to drive a special clamp and is guided by a slide rail. The clamping device can move along three axes: X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis, and is used to place the wooden blocks into the material compartment inside the hopper.

7. The timber loading and preparation unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pallet recycling device is supported by a structural frame and driven by a chain driven by a drive source. It is equipped with a rigid guide device on the transmission path. The pallet recycling device forms a closed loop: the pallet with material enters from the inlet, is unloaded at the feeding mechanism, turns to the recycling track, and then turns back from the outlet to the inlet.

8. The timber loading and preparation unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic control system is equipped with travel limit devices and numerical reading functions on the lifting mechanism, translation mechanism and clamping rotation mechanism; the electronic control system determines the stopping point of the mechanism by calculating the running distance and force flow feedback based on the number of rotations of each mechanism.

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