Pipe feeding device and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a pipe feeding device and a control method thereof, and relates to the technical field of laser pipe cutting machine feeding and discharging, the device comprises a base, at least two magazine type stock bin assemblies, a driving motor, a transmission shaft, a material hook, a lifting mechanism, a sensor, a material pushing air cylinder and an L-shaped sliding way rod, the stock bin assemblies form a material storage space, and the lifting mechanism drives the material hook to ascend and descend; a sensor detects the pipe at a discharge port, and a pushing cylinder pushes the pipe to an inclined L-shaped slideway rod; the method comprises the steps that the width of the storage space is adjusted, pipes are put in and aligned, parameters are input, the pipes are lifted and pushed out through an air cylinder, the pipes slide into an L-shaped sliding way rod, and automatic feeding is achieved. The automatic feeding device solves the problems that a traditional feeding mode is poor in adaptability to pipes of multiple specifications, large in occupied area, low in feeding success rate, limited in material arranging number and needing to be supplemented frequently, and has the advantages of being compact in structure, high in adaptability, high in automation degree and the like.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automatic feeding and discharging of laser pipe cutting machines, in particular to a pipe feeding device and a control method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] Laser pipe cutting machines have been widely used in the field of metal pipe processing due to their high precision, high efficiency, flexibility and economy. Automatic feeding, as a key supporting link, directly affects the overall processing efficiency and automation level. Currently, common automatic pipe feeding devices mostly use chain conveying methods, which are driven by independent motors for distribution and feeding. However, these devices have the disadvantages of complex structure, complicated control and high cost. In addition, when dealing with pipes of different diameters, different feeding devices need to be used. For small-diameter pipes, the distribution success rate is low, and problems such as jamming and dropping are prone to occur. At the same time, in order to reduce the floor area, the number of storage positions is usually small, and the storage capacity is limited. Under high-speed processing rhythm, the operator needs to frequently replenish the material, which restricts the continuous operation capacity and production efficiency of the equipment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a device and method that is compact in structure, strong in adaptability, especially capable of reliably handling multiple specifications of pipes, and capable of achieving efficient and continuous automatic feeding. SUMMARY

[0003] The purpose of the present application is to provide a pipe feeding device and a control method thereof, which solves the technical problems of poor adaptability to different specifications of pipes, low feeding success rate, complex structure and frequent replenishment of the laser pipe cutting machine feeding device.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the present application realizes the following technical scheme: a pipe feeding device, characterized in that it comprises: a base; at least two magazine type hopper assemblies installed on the base, each magazine type hopper assembly comprising a first rack and a second rack, and a storage space for accommodating pipes being formed between the first rack and the second rack; a drive motor installed on the base; a transmission shaft connected to the drive motor; a material hook slidingly arranged on the second rack for carrying pipes; a lifting mechanism connected to the drive motor and the material hook for driving the material hook to ascend and descend along the storage space; a sensor arranged at a discharge port above the storage space for detecting the pipes lifted by the material hook; a pusher cylinder arranged on one side of the storage space close to the discharge port for pushing the pipes out of the storage space; L-shaped slide rod is arranged outside the discharge port and used for receiving the pipe material pushed out by the pushing cylinder, the surface of the L-shaped slide rod is provided with an anti-scratch plate, and an angle adjusting assembly is arranged on the L-shaped slide rod to change the inclination angle of the L-shaped slide rod, so that the pipe material slides to the main machine centering assembly by gravity.

[0005] Through the cooperation of the magazine type bin assembly, the lifting mechanism and the cylinder, automatic, continuous and reliable feeding of the pipe material is realized, the structure is compact, a plurality of pipe materials can be accommodated at the same time, especially the problem of low feeding success rate of small pipe materials is solved, and a plurality of specifications of pipe materials can be adapted, and the feeding efficiency and the automation level of the laser pipe cutting machine are significantly improved.

[0006] Further technical solutions, each of the magazine type bin assembly further comprises a distance adjusting plate, the distance adjusting plate is slidingly arranged on the first bin frame and is fixed by a locking member, and is used for adjusting the width of the storage space to adapt to pipe materials of different diameters.

[0007] By arranging the slidable and lockable distance adjusting plate, the width of the storage space is adjustable, so that the same device can be flexibly adapted to pipe materials of different outer diameters, the universality and applicability of the equipment are greatly enhanced, and the cost of providing special feeding equipment for pipe materials of different specifications is reduced.

[0008] Further technical solutions further comprise a bridge plate, the bridge plate is arranged on the top side of the first bin frame and is located above the distance adjusting plate, the bottom of the bridge plate is provided with an adjusting mechanism, the height of the bridge plate can be adjusted by the adjusting mechanism to form a transition plane, so as to prevent small size pipe materials from falling into the recess area formed between the distance adjusting plate and the first bin frame during the pushing process.

[0009] The height-adjustable bridge plate is additionally arranged, which effectively eliminates the step or recess area formed by adjusting the width of the storage space, provides smooth transition for the pushing of small size pipe materials, prevents small pipe materials from being stuck or falling, and further improves the success rate and reliability of the feeding of small pipe materials.

[0010] Further technical solutions, the lifting mechanism comprises a first sprocket, a second sprocket, a chain and a slide rail; the first sprocket is fixedly connected with the transmission shaft, the second sprocket is rotatably arranged on the top of the second bin frame, the chain surrounds the first sprocket and the second sprocket, the material hook is fixed on the chain, the slide rail is fixed on the second bin frame, and the material hook and the slide rail are in sliding cooperation.

[0011] The lifting mechanism adopts sprocket and chain transmission cooperated with slide rail guide, which has mature and reliable structure, stable transmission and can provide sufficient lifting force, the slide rail ensures the straight line motion precision and stability of the material hook and the pipe material during the lifting process, and prevents the pipe material from shaking or tilting during the lifting process.

[0012] Further technical solutions also include a hard limit, which is a mechanical stopper fixedly installed at both ends of the slide rail for limiting the lifting stroke of the material hook at the upper and lower limit positions.

[0013] The hard limit is provided to provide the final physical safety protection for the lifting of the material hook, prevent safety accidents such as chain over-pulling, material hook hitting the top or falling caused by control system failure or sensor failure, and improve the safety and reliability of the equipment operation.

[0014] Further technical solutions, the height of the detection line of the sensor is consistent with the height of the discharge level line, and the sensor is installed on the second bin frame through a shock pad.

[0015] The detection line of the sensor is accurately set at the height consistent with the discharge level line, which ensures the accuracy of the pipe lifting positioning, the sensor is installed through a shock pad, which effectively isolates the vibration interference during the operation of the equipment, ensures the stability and reliability of the sensor detection signal, and reduces the false triggering.

[0016] Further technical solutions, the top surface of the L-shaped slide rod is provided with a first scratch-proof plate and a second scratch-proof plate, and the side wall and / or bottom wall of the storage space is provided with a third scratch-proof plate; the angle adjusting assembly includes a support plate, one end of the support plate is hinged to the L-shaped slide rod, and the other end is provided with a plurality of positioning holes distributed along the length direction thereof; a connecting piece penetrating any of the positioning holes is arranged on the support plate, and the connecting piece is detachably fixedly connected with the first bin frame, so as to adjust the inclination angle of the L-shaped slide rod.

[0017] A plurality of scratch-proof plates are arranged at the key contact positions of the pipe conveying path (such as the L-shaped slide rod and the inner wall of the storage space), which effectively protect the pipe surface in all directions, avoid scratching or wearing the pipe surface during storage, transportation, lifting, pushing out and sliding, and are particularly important for precision pipes with high surface requirements. The L-shaped slide rod realizes angle adjustment through the support plate with multiple holes, can optimize the inclination angle of the slide according to the docking height of the main machine and the sliding characteristics of the pipe, ensure that the pipe can smoothly and controllably slide into the main machine, and enhance the adaptation ability of the equipment to different main machines.

[0018] Further technical solutions, the bottom of the base is provided with a plurality of height-adjustable feet.

[0019] The height-adjustable feet facilitate equipment installation and leveling, and adapt to different ground conditions.

[0020] Further technical solutions also include a head alignment plate fixedly arranged at the inlet end of the storage space for providing an axial positioning reference for manual pipe placement.

[0021] The setting of the head alignment plate provides a clear axial positioning reference for manual pipe placement, ensures that all pipes are aligned at one end in the stock bin, which is crucial for the consistency of subsequent sensor detection positions, simplifies manual operation, and improves the efficiency of material preparation.

[0022] A control method of a pipe feeding device, applied to the above-mentioned pipe feeding device, comprising the following steps: S1: According to the size of the pipe to be fed, adjust the position of the distance adjusting plate to determine the width of the storage space, and optionally adjust the height of the bridging plate; S2: Put the pipe into the storage space, and make one end of the pipe close to the head alignment plate; S3: Input the pipe size parameter to the host system; S4: Start the drive motor, and drive the material hook and the carried pipe upward through the lifting mechanism; S5: When the sensor detects the upper surface of the pipe, send a signal to the host system; S6: The host system controls the drive motor to continue running, so that the material hook is lifted by a distance corresponding to the pipe size parameter, and the bottom surface of the pipe reaches the discharge level line; S7: After a preset delay, control the pusher cylinder to act, and push the pipe to the L-shaped slide rod; S8: The pipe slides into the host centering assembly area along the L-shaped slide rod, and the host completes the centering and clamping.

[0023] Through the secondary precise positioning triggered by the sensor combined with the size parameter, the precise control of the pipe discharge position is realized, the preset delay ensures the stability of the pipe after lifting stops, and then the push-out action is performed, which improves the success rate of single feeding. The whole process logic is clear, the automation degree is high, and the feeding device and the host machining process are effectively connected.

[0024] In summary, the present application has the following advantages: Strong universality and good adaptability: through the design of the distance adjusting plate and the adjustable angle L-shaped slide rod, one set of device can quickly adapt to different diameter pipes and flexibly dock with different models of host, significantly improving the universality of the equipment; High feeding success rate, especially good at small pipes, the unique magazine type storage space combined with the lifting bridging plate effectively solves the industry problem that small size pipes are easy to fall into the gap during pushing out, and improves the automatic feeding reliability of small pipes; Compact structure and high space utilization: vertical magazine type stock bin is adopted, which can accommodate more pipes in limited floor area, reduces the frequency of replenishment, and provides guarantee for continuous automatic production; High degree of automation, accurate positioning: integrated sensor detection, motor accurate positioning and cylinder push out of the automation process, realize the accurate control of the pipe material discharge position, ensure the stable and reliable feeding action; Safe and reliable, easy to maintain: multiple safety protection such as mechanical hard limit is set, the key contact part adopts anti-scratch design, the chain transmission mechanism is mature and stable, the whole device is safe and durable, and the maintenance cost is low. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding of the present application, and form a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application, and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings: Figure 1 is the first three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the present application; Figure 2 is the second three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the present application; Figure 3 is the structure schematic diagram of the magazine type stock bin assembly of the present application; Figure 4 is the schematic diagram of one side of the magazine type stock bin assembly installation of the present application; Figure 5 is the schematic diagram of the actual setting of the detection line and the discharge horizontal line of the present application; Figure 6 is the schematic diagram of the position of the pipe material in the storage space and the centering assembly of the present application; In the figure: 100, magazine type stock bin assembly; 110, first bin frame; 111, first anti-scratch plate; 112, second anti-scratch plate; 113, third anti-scratch plate; 120, second bin frame; 121, sliding rail; 122, hard limit; 130, distance adjusting plate; 131, slot; 140, L-shaped slide rod; 141, bridge plate; 150, support plate; 160, sensor; 170, pushing cylinder; 180, material hook; 190, storage space; 200, base; 300, head alignment plate; 400, driving motor; 410, first chain wheel; 420, expansion sleeve; 430, chain; 440, second chain wheel; 450, bearing seat; 500, transmission shaft; 600, detection line; 700, discharge horizontal line; 800, pipe material; 900, centering assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the overall concept of the present application, the following will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0027] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present application.

[0028] In addition, in the description of the present application, it needs to be understood that the terms "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the positional or relative relationship based on the positional or relative relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0029] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connecting", "fixing" and the like should be understood broadly, for example, can be fixed connection, can also be detachable connection, or integral; can be mechanical connection, can also be electrical connection, or communication; can be direct connection, or indirect connection through intermediate medium; can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the first feature is "on" or "under" the second feature, which can be direct contact between the first and second features, or indirect contact between the first and second features through an intermediate medium. In the description of the specification, the description referring to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the specification, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1-6 A pipe feeding device, comprising: a base 200; at least two magazine type hopper assemblies 100 mounted on the base 200, each magazine type hopper assembly 100 comprising a first hopper frame 110 and a second hopper frame 120, a flat-bottomed U-shaped storage space 190 for accommodating pipes being formed between the first hopper frame 110 and the second hopper frame 120; a drive motor 400 mounted on the base 200; a transmission shaft 500 connected to the drive motor 400; a material hook 180 located at the bottom of the material storage space 190 for carrying the pipe 800; a lifting mechanism connected between the driving motor 400 and the material hook 180 for driving the material hook 180 to ascend and descend along the material storage space 190; a sensor 160 arranged at the discharge port above the material storage space 190 for detecting the pipe 800 lifted by the material hook 180; a pushing cylinder 170 arranged at one side of the material storage space 190 close to the discharge port for pushing the pipe 800 out of the material storage space 190; an L-shaped slide rod 140 arranged at one side outside the discharge port, the inlet of the L-shaped slide rod 140 receiving the pipe pushed out by the pushing cylinder 170, the surface of the L-shaped slide rod 140 being provided with an anti-scratch plate, and the L-shaped slide rod 140 having a set inclination angle to allow the pipe to slide to the main machine centering assembly 900 by gravity.

[0032] Specifically, the pipe feeding device comprises a magazine hopper assembly 100, a base 200, a head aligning plate 300, a driving motor 400 and a transmission shaft 500. The magazine hopper assembly 100 has at least two groups, each group of the magazine hopper assembly 100 comprising a first hopper frame 110 and a second hopper frame 120, the first hopper frame 110 and the second hopper frame 120 both being in an L shape, the first hopper frame 110 also being in a triangular shape, the first hopper frame 110 and the second hopper frame 120 being detachably fixed on the base 200 by bolts, and the long arms of the first hopper frame 110 and the second hopper frame 120 jointly defining a U-shaped material storage space 190.

[0033] The driving motor 400 is fixed on the base 200, and in order to uniformly distribute power, the driving motor 400 needs to be designed as much as possible in the middle of the several groups of the magazine hopper assembly 100, or can be designed at one end according to actual conditions. The driving motor 400 is movably connected with the transmission shaft 500, the transmission shaft 500 is rotatably arranged on the base 200, the transmission shaft 500 is arranged along the length direction of the base 200, and the transmission shaft 500 is fixedly connected with the first sprocket 410 through the expansion sleeve 420, so as to transmit power to the first sprocket 410.

[0034] The lifting mechanism comprises a chain 430, a first sprocket 410, a second sprocket 440, a slide rail 121 and a material hook 180. The power of the driving motor 400 is transmitted to the first sprocket 410 through the transmission shaft 500, the first sprocket 410 is rotatably arranged at the bottom position of the second hopper frame 120, the second sprocket 440 is rotatably arranged at the top position of the second hopper frame 120, and the second sprocket 440 is movably connected with the first sprocket 410 through the chain 430. The lifting mechanism of the plurality of magazine bin assemblies 100 is driven by the same drive motor 400 through a transmission shaft 500, and the transmission shaft 500 achieves power transmission by connecting a plurality of first sprockets 410.

[0035] A material hook 180 is fixed on the chain 430, and a sliding rail 121 is fixed on one side of the second bin frame 120, and the material hook 180 is in sliding fit connection with the sliding rail 121. Through the operation of the drive motor 400, the first sprocket 410 is driven to rotate, and the first sprocket 410 transmits power to the second sprocket 440 through the chain, and the second sprocket 440 rotates, and the chain 430 drives the material hook 180 to ascend and descend along the sliding rail 121, so that the material hook 180 can drive the pipe to ascend and descend.

[0036] In an embodiment, the chain and sprocket in the lifting mechanism can also be replaced by a synchronous belt and a synchronous pulley. The synchronous belt transmission has smaller noise, does not need lubricating oil, and is more convenient to maintain, and is particularly suitable for production environments with higher cleanliness requirements.

[0037] The lifting mechanism can also adopt a gear and rack form, and the material hook is directly or through a support fixed with a vertically installed rack. The drive motor drives the rack to move up and down through a gear. This structure has high transmission precision, better rigidity, and more accurate positioning.

[0038] A sensor 160 is arranged above the storage space 190. The sensor 160 is a device for detecting the pipe. The sensor 160 is designed above the storage space 190, i.e. at the discharge port (also called the feeding port when discharging). The optimal height is that the detection line 600 of the sensor 160 is at the same height as the discharge horizontal line 700. In actual setting, there can be a certain height difference, for example, the discharge horizontal line is slightly lower than the detection line, to ensure that the pipe can be pushed out more smoothly, and the installation height also supports fine adjustment. When the material hook 180 drives the pipe to ascend, the sensor 160 can timely sense the pipe, thereby generating a signal and transmitting the signal to the host system. The host system controls the drive motor 400 to further lift the material hook 180 by a fixed distance (the distance is generally set as the outer diameter of the pipe). At this time, the bottom surface of the pipe is slightly higher than or exactly at the discharge horizontal line; A pushing cylinder 170 is arranged on the second bin frame 120. The pushing cylinder 170 is installed on the side of the second bin frame 120 above the sensor 160 and opposite to the sliding rail 121. The pushing cylinder 170 is used to push the pipe at the discharge port to fall.

[0039] A swingable L-shaped slide rod 140 is hingedly connected to the top of the first rack 110, and an angle adjusting assembly is arranged on the L-shaped slide rod 140 for adjusting the inclination angle of the L-shaped slide rod 140, so that the pipe slides to the main machine centering assembly by gravity, the angle adjusting assembly comprises a support plate 150, one end of the support plate 150 is hingedly connected to the L-shaped slide rod 140, and the other end is provided with a plurality of positioning holes distributed along the length direction thereof; a connecting piece penetrating any positioning hole is arranged on the support plate 150, and the connecting piece is detachably fixedly connected with the first rack 110, and by selecting different positioning holes, the inclination angle of the L-shaped slide rod 140 is adjusted; the support plate 150 is a key piece for supporting the L-shaped slide rod 140, and its function is to stably support and bear the impact force when the pipe slides, and different hole positions are selected to be fixed with the first rack 110 according to needs, so that the L-shaped slide rod 140 is adjusted to different angles to adapt to different main machine heights.

[0040] After the pipe is pushed out of the storage space 190, it falls on the L-shaped slide rod 140.

[0041] The base 200 adopts a steel welded frame structure, and a non-slip steel plate is laid on the surface. An array of precisely positioned mounting screw holes is arranged thereon for quickly positioning and fixing the first rack 110 and the second rack 120 of each magazine type hopper assembly 100. A reinforced motor seat is arranged in the middle of the base 200 for installing a driving motor 400, and a through hole for a transmission shaft 500 is reserved at a corresponding position, and a bearing seat 450 is fixedly arranged on the side of the second rack 120 for supporting the transmission shaft 500. Adjustable height feet are arranged at the bottom of the base 200, and a shock pad can be integrated on the feet to reduce vibration and noise during equipment operation.

[0042] The feet can be integrated with a level sensor and a micro servo motor, and when the equipment is installed, the control system automatically controls the rotation of each foot servo motor according to the feedback of the level sensor to realize automatic and rapid leveling of the chassis.

[0043] In one embodiment, for the convenience of equipment movement, the feet can be replaced by a combination of universal wheels and directional wheels with brake function. When positioning, the adjustable height auxiliary support feet are lowered and leveled, and the wheel brakes are locked; when moving, the support feet are retracted, and the brakes are released to push the equipment.

[0044] In one embodiment, each magazine type hopper assembly 100 further comprises a distance adjusting plate 130 arranged on one side of the storage space 190, and the width of the storage space is adjusted by sliding the distance adjusting plate 130 to adapt to pipes of different diameters.

[0045] Specifically, the adjusting plate 130 is slidably mounted on the first compartment frame 110. A slot 131 can be provided on the adjusting plate 130. Bolts are inserted into the first compartment frame 110 through the slot 131. By tightening the bolts, the adjusting plate 130 is fixed on the first compartment frame 110. By moving the adjusting plate 130, it is brought close to the pipe, leaving a gap of about 3mm between them. Then, the bolts on the adjusting plate 130 are tightened to fix the distance between it and the second compartment frame 120, so as to accommodate pipes of different diameters.

[0046] A precision scale or digital vernier can be integrated on the adjusting plate 130. Operators can directly read and precisely adjust the gap between the pipe and the second compartment 120 according to the pipe specifications. The locking bolts of the adjusting plate 130 can be designed with anti-loosening features, such as anti-loosening washers, to ensure that the equipment will not shift on its own during long-term use.

[0047] In one embodiment, when the pipe size is too small, the adjusting plate 130 and the first shelf 110 (which is also the attachment) Figure 3 A recessed area will form between the left and right walls of the storage space, causing the pipe to fall and get stuck between the right side of the first storage rack 110 and the left side of the adjusting plate 130. Therefore, a bridging plate should also be provided at the top of the adjusting plate or at the side of the top of the first storage rack 110. In this embodiment, the bridging plate 141 can be provided at the side of the top of the first storage rack 110, and an adjusting screw (unmarked) that can lift the bridging plate 141 is provided at the bottom of the bridging plate 141. The adjusting screw can be threaded to the side of the first storage rack 110 and located at the bottom of the bridging plate 141. By turning the adjusting screw, the bridging plate 141 is lifted to form a transition plane, preventing small-sized pipes from falling into the recessed area during the push-out process, providing a transition for pipe movement, and playing the role of "bridging".

[0048] In one embodiment, a small linear cylinder or electric push rod is disposed below the bridging plate 141. When the control system detects that the current pipe diameter is less than a set threshold (e.g., 50mm), it automatically controls the cylinder to lift the bridging plate 141 to the working height; when a larger pipe is used, it automatically lowers the bridging plate 141, achieving intelligent adaptation.

[0049] In one embodiment, a limiting mechanism is also provided on the upper and lower sides of the lifting mechanism. The limiting mechanism includes a hard limit 122, which is set at the extreme positions at both ends of the slide rail 121 to limit the lifting stroke of the material hook 180.

[0050] The hard limit 122 is a mechanical stop. There are two mechanical stops, which are fixedly installed at the upper and lower ends of the slide rail 121 respectively. They can be fixed to the vertical long arm of the second compartment frame 120 by screw tightening or by welding.

[0051] In one embodiment, the chain 430 is made of common GB metal carbon steel metal chain. The material hook 180 can be connected to a specific link of the chain through a fixing block, allowing quick replacement of the material hook 180 without disassembling the entire chain. For example, the material hook 180 is fastened to the fixing block by bolts, and the fixing block is fixed to the specific link.

[0052] In one embodiment, the sensor 160 is a photoelectric sensor that detects the height of the detection line 600 to be consistent with the discharge level line. In actual settings, in order to facilitate the pushing out of the pipe, the height of the detection line 600 can be 1-2 mm higher than the discharge level line, as shown in the figure, and the installation height of the sensor 160 can be fine-tuned. Figure 5

[0053] The sensor 160 can be installed on the second rack 120 through a universal adjusting support with a shock-absorbing pad. The support not only allows fine-tuning of the height and angle, but also effectively isolates the interference of device vibration on the sensor signal through the shock-absorbing pad. In addition, a transparent protective cover can be added outside the sensor 160 to prevent dust and cutting splashes from affecting its performance.

[0054] In one embodiment, in the pipe feeding device, the sensor is preferably a diffuse reflection type photoelectric sensor. The sensor integrates the emitter and receiver in one body, and only needs to be fixed on the upper side of the storage space during installation, so that the sensor beam is directed towards the area where the upper surface of the pipe is expected to pass. This installation method has a compact structure, does not require optical adjustment in a narrow space, and simplifies installation and maintenance.

[0055] To cope with different working conditions or higher precision requirements, the sensor can also use other types as an alternative or supplementary solution: As an alternative solution, a reflection type photoelectric sensor can be used, with the emitter and receiver placed on both sides of the storage space, respectively. The detection light path is not affected by the surface reflection or color of the pipe, and the detection is more stable and reliable.

[0056] As an enhancement solution, a laser distance measuring sensor can be additionally enabled after the diffuse reflection or reflection sensor is triggered, to accurately measure the actual height of the upper surface of the pipe and provide more accurate feedback data to the host system, thereby achieving more accurate secondary lifting distance compensation control.

[0057] Regardless of the type of sensor used, the core function is to generate a trigger signal when the upper surface of the pipe reaches the predetermined position, and the detection and positioning logic in the subsequent control method remains the same.

[0058] ​In an embodiment, the L-shaped slide rod 140 is provided with a first scratch-proof plate 111 and a second scratch-proof plate 112, the first scratch-proof plate 111 is arranged at the hinged position of the L-shaped slide rod 140 and the first rack 110, and the second scratch-proof plate 112 is fixedly arranged at the top surface of the L-shaped slide rod 140 and the position where the pipe material is in contact. A third scratch-proof plate 113 is arranged on the side wall of the storage space, and the third scratch-proof plate 113 can be provided with three pieces, which are fixedly arranged on the two vertical side walls and the bottom surface side wall of the storage space. The two vertical side walls of the storage space are the vertical long arms of the second rack 120 and the two sides of the distance adjusting plate 130 close to each other, and the bottom surface side wall of the storage space is the top surface of the horizontal short arm of the second rack 120.

[0059] The first scratch-proof plate 111, the second scratch-proof plate 112 and the third scratch-proof plate 113 are preferably made of plastic materials such as nylon, POM (polyoxymethylene) materials, etc., and can also be made of polyurethane materials, which are connected with the corresponding parts by pasting, or can be made of rubber materials, and the rubber materials are provided with sink holes, which are fixed on the corresponding parts by screwing.

[0060] In an embodiment, the pipe material loading device further comprises a head alignment plate 300, which is fixedly arranged on one side of the U-shaped storage space and used to provide an axial positioning reference for manually placing the pipe material.

[0061] Specifically, the head alignment plate 300 is installed on a guide rail which can slide along the axial direction of the pipe material, and the position is marked by a scale or a digital display table. For different lengths of pipe material, especially for short pipes, the position of the head alignment plate can be adjusted to ensure the optimal pushing stroke and avoid unnecessary empty pushing.

[0062] A control method of a pipe material loading device, comprising the following steps: S1: adjusting the position of the distance adjusting plate 130 and optionally adjusting the height of the bridge plate 141 according to the size of the pipe material to be loaded; S2: placing the pipe material into the U-shaped space and making one end of the pipe material abut against the head alignment plate 300; S3: inputting the pipe material size parameter to the main system; S4: starting the driving motor 400 to drive the material hook 180 and the pipe material carried thereby to ascend; S5: when the sensor 160 detects the upper surface of the pipe material, a signal is sent to the main system; S6: the main system controls the driving motor 400 to continue running, so that the material hook 180 is further lifted by a distance corresponding to the pipe material size parameter, so that the bottom surface of the pipe material reaches or is slightly higher than the discharge level; S7: after a preset delay, the pushing cylinder 170 is controlled to act to push the pipe material to the L-shaped slide rod 140; S8: The pipe slides along the L-shaped slide rod 140 into the main machine centering assembly 900 area, and is centered and clamped by the main machine, entering the cutting process.

[0063] Example one, standard workflow: Initialization and preparation phase (corresponding to S1-S3): S1, mechanical adjustment: The operator manually slides the distance adjustment plate 130 according to the outer diameter of the pipe to be loaded (for example Φ60mm), so that the net width between the distance adjustment plate 130 and the second rack 120 is adjusted to about 63mm (about 3mm gap is reserved to prevent jamming), and then the locking bolt is tightened. Since the pipe diameter is greater than 50mm, the bridge plate 141 does not need to be enabled.

[0064] S2, manual loading: Place multiple Φ60mm round pipes with a length of 6 meters vertically into the adjusted storage space 190, ensuring that each pipe is in contact with the hook 180, and one end of the pipe is closely attached to the head plate 300. Check to ensure that the pipes are arranged neatly in the storage space.

[0065] S3, parameter setting: On the human-machine interface of the main machine system, select or manually input the key parameters of the current pipe: outer diameter D=60mm, the system will store this parameter and use it to calculate the subsequent lifting compensation distance.

[0066] Automatic loading execution phase (corresponding to S4-S8): S4, start lifting: The operator presses the "start" button or the main machine system automatically issues a loading instruction after completing the cutting of the previous pipe, and the main machine system controls the drive motor 400 to start rotating at a constant speed in the forward direction. The power is transmitted to the first sprocket 410 of the lifting mechanism through the transmission shaft 500, and the hook 180 is lifted along the slide rail 121 by the chain 430, and the pipe is lifted synchronously.

[0067] S5, position detection: When the upper surface of the pipe rises to the effective detection range of the sensor 160, the sensor sends a high-level detection signal to the main machine system.

[0068] S6, precise positioning: The main machine system immediately records the current encoder position of the drive motor 400 or starts timing at the moment of receiving the detection signal. Then, the main machine system controls the drive motor 400 to continue running in the same direction until the encoder pulse count increases to the preset value (which is calculated according to the input D=60mm, combined with the reduction ratio of the transmission system and the chain pitch), so that the hook 180 is additionally lifted by about 60mm. At this time, the bottom surface of the pipe is precisely lifted to the ideal pushing position which is flush with the discharge horizontal line 700 or slightly higher by 1-2mm.

[0069] S7, push the pipe: after the host system completes the lifting of S6, start an adjustable timer (for example, preset delay T=0.5 seconds). After the delay is over, the host system outputs a signal to control the electromagnetic valve of the pushing cylinder 170 to reverse, the cylinder piston rod quickly extends, and the pushing block at the end of the cylinder piston rod horizontally pushes the pipe that has been positioned out of the outlet of the storage space 190. The pipe is pushed onto the L-shaped slide rod 140.

[0070] S8, sliding and transfer: the pipe falls on the second scratch-proof plate 112 of the L-shaped slide rod 140. The L-shaped slide rod 140 has an inclination angle (for example, 15°). Under the action of gravity, the pipe naturally falls to the tail end of the L-shaped slide rod 140 and slides to the end. After sliding to the end, the pipe falls into the waiting host centering assembly 900. The host system immediately controls the centering assembly 900 to act, completes the lifting, centering and clamping of the pipe, and prepares for the subsequent chuck grabbing and laser cutting.

[0071] The remaining pipe loading repeats the above steps.

[0072] Example two, small size pipe loading example: This example describes specific adjustments to steps S1 and S7 of the control method when the pipe size is small (for example, Φ30mm round pipe).

[0073] Special operation of S1: In addition to adjusting the distance plate 130 to about 33mm width, the bridge plate 141 must be manually or automatically adjusted. The operator uses a hexagonal wrench to rotate the adjustment screw at the bottom of the bridge plate to lift the top surface of the bridge plate 141 upward until the surface forms a smooth and continuous transition plane with the top surface of the distance plate 130 and the load-bearing surface of the first bin frame 110, eliminating the concave area that may trap small pipes.

[0074] Optimized adjustment of S7: Because small pipes are light and have small inertia, they may not have enough kinetic energy when the cylinder pushes them out. Therefore, in the host system parameter settings, the "pushing delay T" for small pipes can be set to be shorter (such as 0.3 seconds), or the pushing cylinder 170 can be controlled to have a higher pushing speed to ensure that the pipe has enough kinetic energy to reliably cross the gap to the L-shaped slide rod 140.

[0075] Example three, abnormal processing and safety monitoring example: This example embeds abnormal processing logic in the basic process to improve the robustness of the method.

[0076] Lift timeout monitoring: in step S4, the host system starts a monitoring timer at the same time as starting the lifting. If the sensor signal of S5 is not received within the set time (for example, 10 seconds), it is determined to be "lifting abnormality" (possibly empty, pipe stuck or sensor failure), and the drive motor 400 is immediately stopped and an alarm is raised.

[0077] Push-out result confirmation: after the push cylinder is actuated in step S7, an auxiliary sensor (not shown in the figure) can be added near the entrance of the L-shaped slide rod 140. If the auxiliary sensor does not detect the pipe sliding in within a predetermined time, it is determined that the push-out has failed, the system is paused and an alarm is issued to prevent the main machine from performing an empty working cycle.

[0078] Hard limit protection: throughout the lifting process, regardless of the control logic, once the material hook 180 touches the hard limit 122 set on the slide rail 121, physical interception will force the movement to stop, and the limit switch associated with the limit will send an emergency stop signal, triggering a servo alarm, achieving double safety protection.

[0079] Example four, adaptive and optimized control implementation: This embodiment shows a high-level application that adds adaptive optimization function to the basic method.

[0080] Adaptive delay (S7 optimization): the "preset delay" T is not a fixed value. The main system can estimate the weight of a single pipe according to the input pipe material density and size, and query the built-in database or calculate it through a formula to dynamically set an optimal T value. For heavy pipes, T can be longer to ensure that the pipe swings stably after lifting stops; for light pipes, T can be shortened to improve the pace.

[0081] Lifting distance compensation learning: the system can record the initial position of the drive motor when S5 is triggered and the final position when S6 is completed, and calculate the actual lifting distance. Through multiple cycles, it is compared with the theoretical value (input outer diameter D). If systematic deviation is found due to chain wear, slipping, etc., the system can automatically calculate and apply a small compensation value to the subsequent S6 lifting instruction, achieving long-term positioning accuracy.

[0082] Residual amount management of the hopper: since the physical size of the storage space is fixed, the maximum number of pipes it can hold depends on the outer diameter of the pipe, so after the pipe size parameter is input to the main system in step S3, the system automatically calculates or queries the preset database to obtain the theoretical maximum number N of pipes of the current specification that can be placed in the hopper based on the parameter and the known height of the storage space. The system maintains a residual counter and sets its initial value to N.

[0083] When each subsequent feeding cycle is executed, the residual counter decrements by one after step S8 is confirmed (the pipe is centered and clamped by the main machine); the system monitors the value of the counter in real time, and when the value drops to a preset low level threshold (e.g., 2), the main system issues a low level warning signal through the human-machine interface to prompt the operator to replenish the material in time.

[0084] The function dynamically determines the storage capacity based on the pipe material specification, effectively estimates and actively manages the remaining pipe material quantity in the storage bin, and makes the replenishment operation in advance before the production line is completely interrupted, thereby ensuring the continuity of production and reducing the production interruption.

[0085] The places not mentioned in the application can be realized by using or referring to the existing technology.

[0086] Each of the embodiments in the specification is described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment mainly describes the difference from other embodiments.

[0087] The above only describes the embodiments of the application and is not intended to limit the application. Various modifications and changes can be made to the application by those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the application shall be included in the scope of the claims of the application.

Claims

1. A pipe feeding device, characterized in that, include: Base (200); At least two magazine-type hopper assemblies (100) are mounted on the base (200), each magazine-type hopper assembly (100) including a first hopper frame (110) and a second hopper frame (120), with a storage space (190) for accommodating pipes formed between the first hopper frame (110) and the second hopper frame (120); A drive motor (400) is mounted on the base (200); A drive shaft (500) is powered to the drive motor (400); A material hook (180) is slidably mounted on the second bin rack (120) for supporting pipes; A lifting mechanism is connected to the drive motor (400) and the material hook (180) for driving the material hook (180) to move up and down along the storage space (190); A sensor (160) is disposed at the outlet above the storage space (190) for detecting the pipe lifted by the hook (180); A pusher cylinder (170) is disposed on the side of the storage space (190) near the outlet, for pushing the pipe out of the storage space (190); An L-shaped slide bar (140) is provided outside the discharge port to receive the pipe pushed out by the pusher cylinder (170). Its surface is provided with an anti-scratch plate, and the L-shaped slide bar (140) is provided with an angle adjustment component to change the tilt angle of the L-shaped slide bar (140).

2. The pipe feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the magazine-type hopper assemblies (100) also includes an adjustment plate (130), which is slidably disposed on the first hopper frame (110) and fixed by a locking member, for adjusting the width of the storage space (190) to accommodate pipes of different diameters.

3. The pipe feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a bridging plate (141), which is disposed on the top side of the first warehouse rack (110) and located above the adjusting plate (130). The bottom of the bridging plate (141) is provided with an adjustment mechanism, which can adjust the height of the bridging plate (141) to form a transition plane.

4. The pipe feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism includes a first sprocket (410), a second sprocket (440), a chain (430), and a slide rail (121); the first sprocket (410) is fixedly connected to the drive shaft (500), the second sprocket (440) is rotatably disposed on the top of the second bin frame (120), the chain (430) surrounds the first sprocket (410) and the second sprocket (440), the material hook (180) is fixed on the chain (430), the slide rail (121) is fixed on the second bin frame (120), and the material hook (180) slides in cooperation with the slide rail (121).

5. The pipe feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a hard limit (122), which is a mechanical stop. The mechanical stop is fixedly installed at both ends of the slide rail (121) and is used to limit the lifting stroke of the material hook (180) at the upper and lower limit positions.

6. The pipe feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the detection line (600) of the sensor (160) is the same as the height of the discharge horizontal line (700), and the sensor (160) is installed on the second bin frame (120) through a shock-absorbing pad.

7. The pipe feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top surface of the L-shaped slide bar (140) is provided with a first anti-scratch plate (111) and a second anti-scratch plate (112), and the side wall and / or bottom wall of the storage space (190) are provided with a third anti-scratch plate (113); the angle adjustment component is a support plate (150), the angle adjustment component includes a support plate (150), one end of the support plate (150) is hinged to the L-shaped slide bar (140), and the other end is provided with a plurality of positioning holes distributed along its length direction; the support plate (150) is provided with a connector that passes through any of the positioning holes, and the connector is detachably fixedly connected to the first bin frame (110) to adjust the tilt angle of the L-shaped slide bar (140).

8. The pipe feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (200) has multiple height-adjustable feet at its bottom.

9. The pipe feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a flush plate (300), which is fixedly installed at the entrance end of the storage space (190) to provide an axial positioning reference for manually placing pipes.

10. A pipe feeding control method, applied to the pipe feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Adjust the position of the adjusting plate (130) according to the size of the pipe to be loaded to determine the width of the storage space (190), and optionally adjust the height of the bridging plate (141); S2: Insert the pipe into the storage space (190) and make one end of the pipe close to the end plate (300); S3: Input pipe size parameters into the host system; S4: Start the drive motor (400), which drives the material hook (180) and the pipe it carries to rise through the lifting mechanism; S5: When the sensor (160) detects the upper surface of the pipe, it sends a signal to the host system; S6: The host system controls the drive motor (400) to continue running, so that the material hook (180) is raised by a distance corresponding to the pipe size parameters, so that the bottom surface of the pipe reaches the discharge horizontal line (700); S7: After a preset delay, control the pusher cylinder (170) to push the pipe to the L-shaped slide bar (140); S8: The pipe slides along the L-shaped slide bar (140) into the centering assembly (900) area of ​​the main unit, and the main unit completes the centering and clamping.

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