A flip-over anchor chain cleaning device

Abstract

The application discloses a turnover type anchor chain cleaning device and relates to the technical field of ship equipment maintenance. The device comprises a machine main frame, two groups of anchor chain clamping devices and a cleaning device. The machine main frame is connected by a main guide rail, an end guide rail and a concentric motor group and can realize 180-degree turnover movement. The anchor chain clamping device adopts a composite clamping mode of mechanical gripper pre-positioning and flexible cloth locking to realize firm and lossless clamping of the anchor chain. The cleaning device moves along the track through a wheel group frame of upper and lower double groups of bearing wheels and realizes 360-degree omnibearing cleaning of the anchor chain in cooperation with a semicircular enclosing cleaning ring. The application solves the problems of the existing anchor chain cleaning device, such as the inability to automatically and continuously move, incomplete cleaning and unreliable clamping. The unique turnover type movement mechanism can stably operate on the annular anchor chain, and the cleaning efficiency is high and there is no dead angle, so the application is suitable for the automatic cleaning operation of large anchor chains of ships, ocean platforms and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ship equipment maintenance technology, specifically to a flip-type anchor chain cleaning device, suitable for automated cleaning operations of large chains such as ship anchor chains and offshore platform mooring chains. Background Technology

[0002] Anchor chains are core mooring components for ships and marine engineering equipment. Prolonged immersion in seawater causes severe electrochemical corrosion, along with the accumulation of marine organisms, oil, and silt. These deposits reduce the diameter and strength of the anchor chain, and in severe cases, can lead to chain breakage, causing major safety accidents such as ship drifting and platform capsizing. Therefore, regular cleaning and maintenance of anchor chains is essential for ensuring mooring safety.

[0003] Existing anchor chain cleaning technologies have the following main technical shortcomings:

[0004] Unable to move automatically and continuously: Most existing cleaning devices are fixed and require frequent lifting and relocation by cranes, resulting in extremely low work efficiency and significant safety risks associated with high-altitude lifting; a few mobile devices use tracked or roller walking mechanisms, which are prone to slipping and jamming on the surface of the ring anchor chain, making it impossible to achieve stable and continuous movement.

[0005] Incomplete cleaning leaves blind spots: Most existing cleaning facilities are single-sided spraying or semi-enclosed structures, which cannot achieve 360° all-round coverage of the anchor chain. The gaps and back of the chain are difficult to clean and require manual cleaning, which increases the labor intensity.

[0006] Unreliable clamping can easily damage anchor chains: Existing clamping mechanisms mostly use rigid clamping methods, which concentrate clamping force and easily damage the anti-corrosion layer on the surface of the anchor chain. In addition, they have poor adaptability to anchor chains of different specifications, and the insecure clamping can easily cause the device to fall off.

[0007] Poor environmental adaptability: Most existing devices are open structures, which are easily corroded and damaged in the high humidity and high salt spray environment at sea, and cannot adapt to the tilting and swinging conditions of the anchor chain.

[0008] To address all the shortcomings of the existing technologies, this invention proposes a flip-type anchor chain cleaning device that employs a flip-type traveling mechanism, flexible cloth locking clamping, and all-round ring cleaning, thus completely solving the core pain points of the existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a flip-type anchor chain cleaning device and cleaning method. The device achieves continuous automatic movement along the anchor chain through the hinged flip structure of the main guide rail and the end guide rail. The anchor chain is firmly and non-destructively clamped through a composite clamping method of mechanical gripper pre-positioning + flexible cloth locking. The anchor chain is cleaned 360° in all directions through the flip-operable wheel frame and semi-circular enclosing cleaning ring.

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0011] A flip-type anchor chain cleaning device includes a main frame, two sets of anchor chain clamping devices, and a cleaning device. The main frame adopts a segmented hinged structure, consisting of a main guide rail and four sets of end guide rails. A concentric motor unit with coaxial dual motors is installed at the hinge, enabling 180° flipping of the main guide rail and precise alignment of the end guide rails. The two sets of anchor chain clamping devices are installed at the front and rear ends of the frame, respectively. They use mechanical grippers for initial positioning combined with flexible clamps for tightening and locking, achieving secure and damage-free clamping of anchor chains of different specifications. The cleaning device operates stably in any posture by using a wheel frame with upper and lower double sets of load-bearing wheels that roll in conjunction with the track. It uses a semi-circular cleaning ring to surround the anchor chain and spray high-pressure water for all-round cleaning.

[0012] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0013] 1. Stable and reliable travel: Adopting a unique flipping travel mechanism, it does not require tracks or rollers to travel, completely solving the problem of slippage and jamming on the ring anchor chain. It can travel stably and continuously on inclined and swinging anchor chains, with a travel speed of up to 15m / segment.

[0014] 2. Thorough cleaning: The semi-circular cleaning ring can completely enclose the anchor chain. Combined with the forward and backward movement of the wheel frame, it can achieve 360° all-round cleaning of the anchor chain surface. The cleaning efficiency is more than 3 times higher than the existing technology, and the cleanliness can reach more than 95%.

[0015] 3. Secure and undamaged clamping: The composite clamping method of mechanical gripper pre-positioning + flexible cloth locking is adopted, the clamping force is evenly distributed, and it will not damage the anti-corrosion layer on the surface of the anchor chain. It can be adapted to anchor chains of different specifications with diameters of 50mm~200mm, and the maximum clamping force can reach 5000N.

[0016] 4. Adaptive operating posture: The wheel frame adopts a double set of upper and lower load-bearing wheels design. After the device is flipped, the load-bearing wheels are automatically switched to ensure that the cleaning device can operate stably in any posture from 0° to 180° without manual adjustment.

[0017] 5. High degree of automation: The entire process is automated, eliminating the need for close-range human operation and completely eliminating the safety risks of working at heights and underwater; it supports remote control and status monitoring, enabling unattended operation. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2This is a front view of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a side view of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a top view of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the concentric motor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible fabric locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning device structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel assembly frame and the track in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the wheel frame structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the device flipping and moving process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-End guide rail, 2-Main guide rail, 3-Concentric motor assembly, 4-Mechanical gripper bracket, 5-Mechanical gripper, 5.1-Mechanical gripper clamping arm, 5.2-Servo motor, 5.3-Flexible fabric locking device, 5.4-Hydraulic cylinder, 6-Cleaning ring, 7-Wheel assembly frame, 7.1-Wheel assembly frame, 7.2-Bearing wheel, 7.3-Guide wheel frame, 7.4-Guide wheel, 7.5-Drive motor. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] like Figure 1-4As shown, the flip-type anchor chain cleaning device of this invention includes a main machine frame, two sets of anchor chain clamping devices, and a cleaning device. The main machine frame is made of Q355 high-strength welded steel structure and is hot-dip galvanized for corrosion protection, adapting to the high salt spray environment at sea. The main machine frame includes a main guide rail 2, four sets of end guide rails 1, and four sets of concentric motor units 3. The main guide rail 2 is a rectangular cross-section steel beam, with the front and rear ends connected to the two sets of end guide rails 1 via φ50mm hinge shafts. Continuous T-shaped tracks are provided on the sides of both the main guide rail 2 and the end guide rails 1. The track surface is subjected to high-frequency quenching and hardening treatment, with a hardness of HRC52 and a surface roughness Ra≤3.2μm, exhibiting good wear resistance.

[0031] like Figure 5 As shown, a concentric motor assembly 3 is installed at each hinge joint. The concentric motor assembly 3 includes a hollow motor and a regular motor coaxially distributed. The output shaft of the hollow motor has a tubular structure, and its housing is fixedly connected to the end guide rail 1 via a flange. The output shaft is also fixedly connected to the main guide rail 2 via a flange, which can drive the main guide rail 2 to rotate relative to the end guide rail 1. The regular motor is installed in the internal cavity of the hollow motor. Its output shaft is connected to the end guide rail 1 via a planetary gear transmission mechanism. The rated output torque is 25 N·m, which can drive the end guide rail 1 to rotate ±5° relative to the main guide rail 2 for fine adjustment, ensuring that the track of the end guide rail 1 is precisely aligned with the track of the main guide rail 2, with an alignment error not exceeding 0.3 mm.

[0032] Two sets of anchor chain clamping devices are installed at the front and rear ends of the machine's main frame, respectively. For example... Figure 6 As shown, each anchor chain clamping device includes a mechanical gripper bracket 4, two mechanical gripper arms 5.1, a flexible cloth locking device 5.3, and a hydraulic cylinder 5.4. The mechanical gripper bracket 4 is fixed to the end of the main guide rail 2 with M16 bolts, and the two mechanical gripper arms 5.1 are hinged to the mechanical gripper bracket 4 with φ30mm pins. The ends of the mechanical gripper arms 5.1 have an inverted triangular structure, and the surface is vulcanized with a 3mm thick nitrile rubber anti-slip layer, which can guide the anchor chain smoothly into the clamping center position while avoiding damage to the anchor chain surface.

[0033] Hydraulic cylinder 5.4 is a double-acting hydraulic cylinder with a rated working pressure of 16MPa. The cylinder body of hydraulic cylinder 5.4 is hinged to the mechanical gripper bracket 4, and the piston rod is hinged to the drive arm of the mechanical gripper arm 5.1. The two hydraulic cylinders 5.4 are driven synchronously to open and close the mechanical gripper, with a maximum opening angle of 150°. The flexible fabric locking device 5.3 includes high-strength nylon flexible wear-resistant fabric and two winches. The two winches are respectively bolted to the ends of the two mechanical gripper arms 5.1 away from the rotation axis. Each winch is driven by a 0.75kW servo motor 5.2 with a built-in planetary reducer and a reduction ratio of 50:1. The two ends of the flexible wear-resistant fabric are respectively wound and fixed to the drums of the two winches. The release and tension of the flexible wear-resistant fabric are achieved by the forward and reverse rotation of the servo motor 5.2, with a maximum tension force of 4000N.

[0034] like Figure 7-9 As shown, the cleaning device includes a wheel assembly frame 7 and a cleaning ring 6. The wheel assembly frame 7 includes a wheel assembly frame 7.1, four load-bearing wheels 7.2, eight guide wheels 7.4, and a drive motor 7.5. The eight guide wheels 7.4 are divided into upper and lower groups of four, and are installed on the inner side of the wheel assembly frame 7.1 via the guide wheel frame 7.3. The guide wheels 7.4 are made of polyurethane and are embedded in the T-slots of the track to guide and prevent the wheel assembly frame 7 from falling off the track. The four load-bearing wheels 7.2 are divided into upper and lower groups of two, and are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the track respectively. Their surfaces are covered with natural rubber, providing good shock absorption and anti-slip performance. The drive motor 7.5 is a 1.5kW geared motor with a reduction ratio of 30:1, installed on the wheel assembly frame 7.1. It drives the two upper load-bearing wheels 7.2 to rotate via chain drive, moving the wheel assembly frame 7 along the track. The moving speed is adjustable from 0 to 12 m / min.

[0035] When the device is in its initial working position, the two upper load-bearing wheels 7.2 roll in contact with the upper surface of the track, bearing the entire weight of the cleaning device. When the device is rotated 180°, the two lower load-bearing wheels 7.2 become the upper load-bearing wheels, rolling in contact with the upper surface of the track, automatically switching to bear the weight, ensuring that the cleaning device can operate stably in any position without manual adjustment.

[0036] The cleaning ring 6 is installed at the front end of the wheel assembly frame 7.1 and includes two semi-circular cleaning ring bodies and an unequal-length four-bar linkage mechanism. The two semi-circular cleaning ring bodies are made of stainless steel, with 16 high-pressure water nozzles evenly arranged on their inner sides. The nozzle orifice diameter is 1.5mm, the spray angle is 30°, and the spray pressure can reach 12MPa. A high-pressure water channel is provided inside the cleaning ring body, connected to an external high-pressure water pump via a DN15 high-pressure hose. The unequal-length four-bar linkage mechanism consists of four connecting rods with lengths of 80mm, 100mm, 120mm, and 150mm respectively, hinged together. The 120mm connecting rod is driven by a 0.5kW servo motor. Rotating this connecting rod causes the two semi-circular cleaning ring bodies to move closer together to enclose the anchor chain or separate from each other, with a maximum opening angle of 120°, suitable for anchor chains with diameters from 50mm to 180mm.

[0037] The device also includes an electrical control system, using a Siemens S7-1200 PLC as the main controller and equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen human-machine interface, allowing users to set parameters such as cleaning speed, spray pressure, tilting speed, and tension. The electrical control system is electrically connected to the concentric motor unit 3, the solenoid directional valve of the hydraulic cylinder 5.4, the servo motor 5.2 of the winch, the drive motor 7.5 of the wheel frame, and the drive motor of the cleaning ring. The system incorporates attitude and pressure sensors to detect the tilting angle of the main guide rail and the tension of the flexible cloth in real time, achieving closed-loop control. Simultaneously, the system includes a 4G wireless communication module, supporting remote parameter setting, operational status monitoring, and fault alarm functions.

[0038] The specific steps of the flip-type anchor chain cleaning method in this embodiment are as follows:

[0039] Anchor chain clamping: Place the device on the anchor chain to be cleaned using a crane, positioning the anchor chain between the two mechanical grippers. Activate hydraulic cylinder 5.4 to drive the mechanical gripper arm 5.1 to close. The inverted triangular structure at the end of the mechanical gripper arm 5.1 guides the anchor chain into the clamping center position. Activate the servo motors 5.2 of the two winches to simultaneously tighten the flexible abrasion-resistant cloth. Adjust the tension according to the anchor chain specifications: for an 80mm diameter anchor chain, set the tension to 2500N; for a 150mm diameter anchor chain, set the tension to 3500N. After tightening, confirm that the anchor chain is securely fixed within the mechanical grippers.

[0040] Segmented cleaning: Start the high-pressure water pump and adjust the spray pressure to 10MPa, spraying high-pressure water through the nozzles of cleaning ring 6. Start the drive motor 7.5 of the wheel assembly frame, driving the wheel assembly frame 7 to move back and forth along the main guide rail 2 at a speed of 5m / min to complete the cleaning of the current 1.8m long anchor chain. For severely corroded anchor chains, the wheel assembly frame moves back and forth twice for repeated cleaning. During the cleaning process, cleaning ring 6 always surrounds the anchor chain to achieve 360° all-round cleaning.

[0041] Flipping and Moving: After completing the cleaning of the current section, move the cleaning device to the end guide rail 1 at the front end of the moving direction. Release the mechanical gripper 5 at the rear end of the moving direction, start the hollow motor of the rear concentric motor group 3, and drive the main guide rail 2 to flip 180° around the fixed point between the front mechanical gripper 5 and the anchor chain at a speed of 5 r / min, so that the rear end guide rail 1 swings to the next section of the anchor chain to be cleaned. The levelness of the main guide rail is detected by the attitude sensor. If the levelness error exceeds ±0.5°, a second fine adjustment is made by the concentric motor group. Close the rear mechanical gripper 5 and tighten the flexible cloth locking device 5.3. Start the ordinary motor of the rear concentric motor group 3 to drive the rear end guide rail 1 to rotate and fine adjust, so that its track is precisely aligned with the track of the main guide rail 2, with an alignment error of no more than 0.3 mm.

[0042] Continuous cleaning: Repeat steps 2 and 3, flipping the machine after each section is cleaned, until all anchor chain sections are cleaned. During the operation, the system monitors the operating status of each component in real time, automatically stopping and issuing an alarm if any abnormality occurs.

[0043] Device disengagement: After all anchor chains are cleaned, drive the unequal-length four-bar linkage to separate the two semi-circular cleaning rings, and release the mechanical grippers 5 at the front and rear ends in sequence to remove the device from the anchor chains, thus completing the operation.

[0044] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

[0045] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment have been appropriately combined to form other embodiments that are easy for those skilled in the art to understand.

Claims

1. A flip-type anchor chain cleaning device, characterized in that, Includes the main frame of the machine, two sets of anchor chain clamping devices, and a cleaning device; The main frame of the machine includes a main guide rail (2), end guide rails (1) and a concentric motor assembly (3); the main guide rail (2) is hinged to two sets of end guide rails (1) at its front and rear ends respectively, and the concentric motor assembly (3) is installed at the hinge; the main guide rail (2) and the end guide rails (1) are both provided with continuous tracks on their sides, and there are four sets of end guide rails (1) and concentric motor assemblies (3); Two sets of anchor chain clamping devices are installed at the front and rear ends of the main frame of the machine, respectively. Each set of anchor chain clamping devices includes a mechanical gripper (5), a flexible cloth locking device (5.3), and a hydraulic cylinder (5.4). The mechanical gripper (5) is driven by the hydraulic cylinder (5.4) to open and close. The flexible cloth locking device (5.3) is installed on the mechanical gripper (5) and is used to lock and fix the anchor chain in the mechanical gripper (5). The cleaning device includes a wheel frame (7) and a cleaning ring (6); the wheel frame (7) is in rolling cooperation with the main guide rail (2) and the end guide rail (1) and can move back and forth along the track; the cleaning ring (6) is installed on the wheel frame (7) and is used to spray high-pressure water to clean the anchor chain.

2. The flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The concentric motor assembly (3) includes a hollow motor and a regular motor distributed coaxially. The output shaft of the hollow motor is a tubular structure, with its housing fixedly connected to the end guide rail (1) and its output shaft fixedly connected to the main guide rail (2), which is used to drive the main guide rail (2) to rotate relative to the end guide rail (1). The output shaft of the regular motor is connected to the end guide rail (1) for transmission, which is used to drive the end guide rail (1) to rotate and finely adjust relative to the main guide rail (2), so that the track of the end guide rail (1) is precisely aligned with the track of the main guide rail (2).

3. The flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mechanical gripper (5) includes a mechanical gripper bracket (4) and two mechanical gripper clamping arms (5.1); the mechanical gripper bracket (4) is fixed to the end of the main frame of the machine, and the two mechanical gripper clamping arms (5.1) are hinged to the mechanical gripper bracket (4); the cylinder body of the hydraulic cylinder (5.4) is hinged to the mechanical gripper bracket (4), and the piston rod is hinged to the drive arm of the mechanical gripper clamping arm (5.1); the end of the mechanical gripper clamping arm (5.1) has an inverted triangular structure, which is used to guide the anchor chain into the clamping position.

4. The flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible cloth locking device (5.3) includes a flexible wear-resistant cloth and two winches; the two winches are respectively installed at the ends of the two mechanical gripper arms (5.1) away from the rotating shaft, and the two ends of the flexible wear-resistant cloth are respectively wound and fixed on the drums of the two winches; the winches are driven by a servo motor (5.2) to realize the release and tension of the flexible wear-resistant cloth.

5. The flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wheel set frame (7) includes a wheel set frame (7.1), four load-bearing wheels (7.2), eight guide wheels (7.4), and a drive motor (7.5). The eight guide wheels (7.4) are divided into upper and lower groups and are embedded in the T-slots of the track for guidance. The four load-bearing wheels (7.2) are divided into upper and lower groups, with two in each group, and are respectively arranged on the upper and lower sides of the track. The drive motor (7.5) is mounted on the wheel set frame (7.1) and drives the load-bearing wheels (7.2) to rotate, thereby moving the wheel set frame (7) along the track.

6. The flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the device is in its initial working position, the two upper load-bearing wheels (7.2) roll in contact with the upper surface of the track and bear the weight of the cleaning device; when the device is rotated 180°, the two lower load-bearing wheels (7.2) become the upper load-bearing wheels and continue to roll in contact with the upper surface of the track and bear the weight.

7. The flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning ring (6) includes two semi-circular cleaning ring bodies and an unequal-length four-bar linkage mechanism; the two semi-circular cleaning ring bodies are arranged symmetrically and connected to the wheel frame (7) through the unequal-length four-bar linkage mechanism; the unequal-length four-bar linkage mechanism is composed of four connecting rods of different lengths hinged together, driving one of the connecting rods to rotate, which can drive the two semi-circular cleaning ring bodies to move closer to each other to enclose the anchor chain or to separate from each other.

8. The flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to claim 7, characterized in that, Multiple high-pressure water nozzles are evenly arranged on the inner side of each semi-circular cleaning ring, with the nozzles facing the center of the ring; a high-pressure water channel is provided inside the cleaning ring, which is connected to an external high-pressure water source.

9. The flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main guide rail (2) and the end guide rail (1) have a T-shaped cross section, and the surface of the rail is hardened by quenching, with a hardness of not less than HRC45.

10. The flip-type anchor chain cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an electrical control system, which is electrically connected to the concentric motor group (3), the hydraulic valve of the hydraulic cylinder (5.4), the servo motor (5.2) of the winch, and the drive motor (7.5) of the wheel frame, respectively, to realize the fully automatic control of the device.

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