A mold table stacking machine

Abstract

The application discloses a mold bench separating and stacking machine and relates to the technical field of prefabricated concrete component production equipment. The mold bench separating and stacking machine comprises a rack, a conveying drum line, a supporting mechanism and a lifting mechanism. The supporting mechanism comprises two groups of telescopic components arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, a driving component and a constraint component. The interval of the two groups of telescopic components in the vertical direction is equal to the pitch of a mold bench. Each group of telescopic components has an extended state of extending into the gap between adjacent two layers of mold benches and a retreat state of retreating from the gap. The constraint component is configured to control the two groups of telescopic components from being in the retreat state at the same time, so that at least one group of telescopic components supports the upper mold bench during the stacking process. The lifting mechanism is used for supporting the bottommost mold bench and lowering it onto the conveying drum line. The application can always maintain at least one group of telescopic components to effectively support the mold bench stack during the separation of the mold bench stack, and can improve the safety and reliability of the heavy-load mold bench separating and stacking operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of precast concrete component production equipment, and in particular to a mold stacking machine. Background Technology

[0002] In the production line of precast concrete components, the mold stands, as carriers of molds and concrete, need to be frequently transferred and recycled between various processes. To improve the space utilization of the curing kiln and storage yard, multiple mold stands are usually stacked vertically to form a stack, and then separated piece by piece and transported to the next process when needed for production. For example, CN114933175A discloses an automatic destacking machine for precast components and its destacking method. When destacking, the entire stack of mold stands is lifted by a hydraulic lifting mechanism. When the lower surface of the second layer of mold stands is flush with the upper side of the support seat, the first-stage hydraulic cylinder is driven to move, so that the support seat extends in and supports the second layer of mold stands. Then the hydraulic lifting mechanism returns, lowering the bottom layer of mold stands. The support seat and the mold stands are misaligned to complete one destacking. Its positioning mechanism consists of only a single set of primary hydraulic cylinders and a support base. During the stacking process, the weight of the mold stack is entirely borne by the single support base. If the cylinder leaks, the support base breaks, or the control fails and causes the support base to return, the mold stack will fall directly. It lacks a safety redundancy design to prevent falls. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in the related technologies, this application provides a mold stacking machine that can always maintain at least one set of telescopic components to effectively support the mold stack during the separation process, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the mold stacking operation.

[0004] This application provides a die stacking machine, comprising: frame; The conveyor roller line is located inside the frame and extends out of the frame in a first direction; The support mechanism includes two sets of telescopic components, a drive component, and a constraint component. The two sets of telescopic components are vertically spaced within the frame, and the vertical distance between the two sets of telescopic components is equal to one mold pitch. The telescopic components have an extended state that extends into the gap between two mold layers and an abduction state that exits the gap between two mold layers. The drive component is used to drive the telescopic components to switch between the extended state and the abduction state. The constraint component is configured to control that the two sets of telescopic components cannot be in the abduction state at the same time, so that at least one set of telescopic components is always in the extended state to support the mold. The lifting mechanism, located below the conveyor roller line, includes a lifting component and a support arm connected to the output end of the lifting component. The lifting component drives the support arm to be vertically inserted into the gap of the conveyor roller line to support the mold table and lower the mold table onto the conveyor roller line.

[0005] In some embodiments, each group of telescopic components includes several telescopic members spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and all the telescopic members in the same group together form a lifting station for supporting the mold table within the frame.

[0006] In some embodiments, the telescopic component includes a mounting base, a sleeve, and a telescopic shaft. The mounting base is fixedly mounted on the frame, the sleeve is horizontally fixed to the mounting base, the telescopic shaft slides through the sleeve, and the drive assembly drives the telescopic shaft to reciprocate linearly along the axis of the sleeve.

[0007] In some embodiments, the end of the telescopic shaft facing inward toward the frame is provided with a guide ramp.

[0008] In some embodiments, the drive assembly consists of a plurality of linear drive components that are one-to-one connected to each telescopic shaft; the constraint assembly includes a controller and a plurality of position sensors that correspond one-to-one with each telescopic shaft. All the linear drive components are electrically connected to the controller. Each position sensor is used to collect the horizontal position signal of the corresponding telescopic shaft and send it to the controller. The controller is configured to control at least one group of telescopic components to be in the extended state based on the position information fed back by any position sensor.

[0009] In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes a drive motor, and the constraint assembly includes several constraint units. Two telescopic shafts located on the same vertical line are connected via the drive motor and the constraint units. The constraint unit further includes a synchronous transmission mechanism, a first lead screw and a second lead screw with opposite thread directions. The first lead screw and the second lead screw are rotatably mounted on the frame, and both are fitted with nuts. The two telescopic shafts are respectively connected to a nut. The output shaft of the drive motor drives the first lead screw and the second lead screw to rotate synchronously through the synchronous transmission mechanism, so as to cause one of the two telescopic shafts to extend and the other to retract.

[0010] In some embodiments, the lifting component is a hydraulic cylinder.

[0011] In some embodiments, a photoelectric sensor is also included on the frame, located between the two sets of telescopic components, for detecting whether there is a mold stage inside the frame.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the die-slab destacking machine provided in this application improves the safety of the destacking operation by making the vertical spacing between the two sets of telescopic components equal to one die-slab pitch, and by controlling the two sets of telescopic components to prevent them from being in an avoidance state at the same time during the destacking process through the constraint component. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the more detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals generally represent the same components in the exemplary embodiments thereof.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the die stacking machine shown in the embodiments of this application.

[0015] Figure label: 1. Frame; 2. Conveyor roller conveyor; 3. Support mechanism; 4. Lifting mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Preferred embodiments of the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While preferred embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present application may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0017] Example 1 See Figure 1 This embodiment provides a mold stacking machine for separating stacked concrete component mold stacks layer by layer and conveying them to the next work station. The mold stacking machine includes a frame 1, a conveyor roller line 2, a support mechanism 3, and a lifting mechanism 4.

[0018] The frame 1 can be a frame structure welded from structural steel, and includes at least four vertically arranged steel columns, crossbeams connecting the steel columns, and diagonal braces or trusses to enhance overall rigidity. The steel columns can be made of H-beams or square tubular profiles, and their bases can be equipped with adjustable feet or wheels. The former is used for fixed installation on the workshop floor, while the latter facilitates equipment relocation between production lines. The frame 1 internally forms a storage space running along the first direction (i.e., the length direction of the frame 1), which is used to accommodate stacked mold tables. A passageway is reserved between adjacent steel columns for the mold tables to enter and exit along the first direction. The width of the passageway is greater than the outer dimensions of the mold table to ensure smooth passage.

[0019] The conveyor roller conveyor 2 is horizontally arranged in the lower part of the frame 1, and its conveying plane constitutes the bearing and conveying reference surface of the mold table. The conveyor roller conveyor 2 consists of several rollers, a drive chain or synchronous belt, a drive unit, and a supporting steel frame. The rollers are arranged at equal intervals, with a gap reserved between adjacent rollers. The width of this gap is designed to be greater than the thickness of the support arm to allow the support arm to pass vertically without interference. The rollers are connected by a double-row sprocket or synchronous belt pulley drive, which is uniformly driven by the drive unit (preferably a motor and reducer). The supporting steel frame serves as the skeleton of the roller conveyor and can be fixed to the ground with anchor bolts. It can also be equipped with wheels to achieve a one-to-many operation mode, that is, one set of conveyor roller conveyor 2 and lifting mechanism 4 serves multiple frames 1, thereby reducing equipment investment costs.

[0020] Correspondingly, guardrails and safety light curtains can be installed around the frame 1 to prevent personnel from accidentally entering the work area. A protective cover is installed at the drive unit of the conveyor roller line 2, meeting the relevant standards for mechanical safety protection devices. The electrical control system is equipped with an emergency stop button; when pressed, all moving parts immediately stop and lock.

[0021] The lifting mechanism 4 is located below the conveyor roller line 2 and is used to support and lower the single-layer mold table during the stacking process. The lifting mechanism 4 includes a lifting component and a support arm. The lifting component is preferably a hydraulic cylinder, but a screw jack or a servo electric push rod or other linear drive device can also be used. When the lifting component is a multi-cylinder hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinders are connected through a synchronous oil circuit, or a flow divider and combiner valve is used to achieve flow balance, ensuring that the synchronous error of the lifting height of each support arm is no greater than ±2mm. If an electric push rod scheme is used, each push rod is equipped with a rotary encoder, and the controller achieves synchronous control through a closed-loop PID algorithm. The upper limit of the movement stroke of the lifting mechanism 4 is equipped with a hard limit stop and a buffer pad to prevent over-limit impact. The fixed end of the lifting component is installed on the support steel frame of the conveyor roller line 2, and its output end extends upward and is fixedly connected to the support arm. The support arm is a vertically arranged support column, and its cross-sectional shape is preferably rectangular or I-shaped to improve bending stiffness. The number of support arms is selected based on the total weight of the stack of molds, typically 4, 6, or 8, symmetrically distributed along the width of the frame 1. When configuring them, the rated load safety factor of the lifting mechanism 4 should be ≥2. In the initial (idle) state, the upper surface of the support arm is below the conveying surface of the conveyor roller line 2 (sinking 5~15mm). When stacking operations are required, the lifting mechanism drives the support arm to rise vertically, extending through the roller gap into the storage space inside the frame 1, supporting the bottommost mold of the stack from below.

[0022] The support mechanism 3 is located inside the frame 1, distributed vertically on the inner side of the steel columns of the frame 1. The support mechanism 3 includes two sets of telescopic components, a drive component, and a constraint component. For ease of description, the set of telescopic components located at the lower vertical position is defined as the lower telescopic component, and the set of telescopic components located at the higher vertical position is defined as the upper telescopic component. The vertical center-to-center distance between the two sets of telescopic components is equal to one mold pitch, which is the vertical center-to-center distance between two adjacent mold layers, i.e., the sum of the thickness of a single mold layer and the pre-reserved gap between layers. Specifically, the vertical distance between the supporting surface of the lower telescopic component in its extended state and the conveying surface of the conveyor roller 2 is less than one mold pitch, preferably set to half the mold pitch, thereby achieving short-stroke stacking and reducing equipment stroke requirements and energy consumption.

[0023] Each telescopic assembly includes several telescopic components spaced horizontally. All telescopic components in the same group together form a support station for supporting the mold table within the frame 1. The telescopic components include a mounting base, a sleeve, and a telescopic shaft. The mounting base is fixed to the steel column of the frame 1 by high-strength bolts. The sleeve is horizontally fixed to the mounting base. The telescopic shaft slides through the sleeve. Lubricating grease is periodically and quantitatively injected into the mating surfaces of the sleeve and the telescopic shaft using a progressive distributor. The grease injection cycle can be automatically triggered by the controller based on the operating time, ensuring long-term operation without jamming. In specific implementation, the preferred fitting accuracy between the telescopic shaft and the sleeve is H7 / f7 to ensure smooth telescopic movement without excessive radial clearance. Specifically, the strength grade of all bolted connections is not lower than 8.8, and anti-loosening nuts or thread-locking adhesive are used in critical areas.

[0024] The drive assembly drives the telescopic shaft to reciprocate linearly along the axis of the sleeve. The telescopic shaft is preferably made of 40Cr or 42CrMo alloy structural steel, which undergoes quenching and tempering followed by high-frequency quenching to improve wear resistance. The sleeve can be made of precision cold-drawn seamless steel tubing, with its inner wall honed to reduce the coefficient of friction. A dustproof sealing ring and a grease groove are provided between the telescopic shaft and the sleeve to ensure reliable lubrication during long-term operation. A guide slope is provided at the end of the telescopic shaft facing inwards from the frame 1. The angle of this guide slope is preferably 15°~30°, which provides guidance when the telescopic shaft extends into the gap between the two mold layers, preventing direct impact and collision of the end face with the mold edge.

[0025] The drive assembly consists of several linear drive components, each corresponding to one of the telescopic shafts. These linear drive components can be pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, or electric actuators. The cylinder body is fixed to the outside of the frame 1 via a hinged seat, and the piston rod is connected to the rear end of the telescopic shaft via a floating joint. The constraint assembly includes a controller and several position sensors corresponding to each telescopic shaft. All linear drive components are electrically connected to the controller, which is preferably a PLC or microcontroller system. Each position sensor is used to collect the horizontal position signal of the corresponding telescopic shaft and send it to the controller. The specific selection of position sensors can be Hall effect sensors, inductive proximity switches, or magnetostrictive displacement sensors. Taking Hall effect sensors as an example, a permanent magnet is embedded on the outer periphery of the rear end of each telescopic shaft. A Hall effect sensor is installed at each end of the telescopic shaft's stroke on the mounting base. When the magnet moves with the telescopic shaft into the sensing range of the Hall effect sensor, the sensor outputs a level signal, thereby accurately determining whether the telescopic shaft is in the extended or retracted position. The controller has a built-in interlocking logic program, whose core algorithm ensures that two telescopic components on the same vertical line will not be in a avoidance state simultaneously. Specifically, the controller is configured such that when the upper telescopic component issues a retraction command, it first checks the position sensor signal of the lower telescopic component. Only after confirming that the lower telescopic component is in the extended position will the upper telescopic component be allowed to retract; and vice versa. Only when one set of telescopic components is confirmed to be in the extended position is the other set of telescopic components allowed to retract. Through the dual protection of software logic and sensor feedback, a constraint function that prevents simultaneous avoidance can be achieved, ensuring that at least one set of telescopic components provides support for the mold stack at all times, eliminating the risk of falling.

[0026] Furthermore, this embodiment also includes a photoelectric sensor, which is mounted on the frame 1 and located between the two sets of telescopic components. The photoelectric sensor is preferably a through-beam type, with the transmitting and receiving ends respectively mounted on steel columns on both sides of the frame 1, and the optical axis horizontally passing through the internal space of the frame 1. When the mold stack is present within the frame 1, the mold blocks the optical axis, and the photoelectric sensor outputs no signal (or the signal is blocked); when the mold stack is completely cleared, the optical axis path is restored, the photoelectric sensor outputs a signal, and the control system determines that there are no molds within the frame 1, which can trigger a shutdown or alarm.

[0027] The working process of this die-stacking machine is as follows: In the initial state, several molds are stacked together in the frame 1, supported from below by the lower telescopic components, while the upper telescopic components are in a clearance state.

[0028] When stacking begins, the lifting mechanism drives the support arm to rise, extending through the gap between the rollers until the upper surface of the support arm abuts the bottom surface of the bottom die in the stack. At this time, the support arm and the lower telescopic assembly jointly support the stack, forming a double support overlap period to ensure a smooth transition of support force.

[0029] Subsequently, each telescopic component of the lower telescopic assembly retracts to its clearance position under the action of the drive component; simultaneously, each telescopic component of the upper telescopic assembly extends to its extended position, with the front end of its telescopic shaft extending into the gap between the bottommost mold platform and the second-layer mold platform above, supporting all mold platforms of the second layer and above from below. At this time, the first-layer mold platform is supported solely by the support arm, while the second-layer and above mold platforms are supported solely by the upper telescopic assembly. In this step, the controller of the constraint component ensures that the upper and lower telescopic assemblies are in opposite working states through real-time feedback from the position sensor.

[0030] Next, the lifting component drives the support arm to descend, and the first layer of mold table descends synchronously with the support arm until the bottom surface of the mold table lands on the bearing surface of the conveyor roller line 2; the support arm continues to descend and retracts below the roller line, and the conveyor roller line 2 transports the mold table to the outside of the frame 1 along the first direction, so that the mold table can enter the next process.

[0031] Afterwards, the lifting component drives the support arm to rise again. The support arm extends through the gap between the rollers and continues to rise, passing the horizontal support surface of the lower telescopic assembly and continuing to rise at least one mold stage pitch until the upper surface of the support arm abuts the bottom surface of the remaining mold stage stack (i.e., the original second layer mold stage). After the support arm is in position, the lower telescopic assembly extends back to the extended state, and the upper telescopic assembly retracts to the avoidance state, exiting the mold stage stack area; the support arm descends until the bottom surface of the current bottom mold stage (i.e., the original second layer mold stage) coincides with the horizontal support surface of the lower telescopic assembly, and the weight of this layer of mold stage is transferred from the support arm to the lower telescopic assembly. At this time, the mold stage stack returns to its initial state supported by the lower telescopic assembly.

[0032] Repeat the above process until all the molds in the mold stack are separated layer by layer and all have been transported.

[0033] The mold stacking machine described in this embodiment also employs the same mechanical structure and control logic for mold stacking operations. By reversing the sequence of actions during the work process, the function of stacking single-layer molds into a mold stack can be achieved. Specifically, by reversing the order of the steps in the aforementioned destacking process and simultaneously reversing the conveying direction of the molds, the stacking operation can be completed. This equipment combines destacking and stacking functions, allowing for the completion of mold stacking and unstacking at the same workstation in the layout of a precast component production line. This eliminates the need for separate destacking and stacking machines, significantly saving equipment investment and floor space.

[0034] Example 2 Example 2 has the same overall architecture as Example 1. The main difference is that the drive component and constraint component adopt a purely mechanical self-constraint scheme, which does not rely on the electrical control system to achieve interlocking. It is suitable for continuous production lines with harsh environments, strong electromagnetic interference, or extremely high reliability requirements.

[0035] In this embodiment, the driving component includes a drive motor, preferably a stepper motor or a servo motor, equipped with a brake to ensure self-locking upon power failure. The constraint component includes several constraint units, the number of which is the same as the number of telescopic components in any one telescopic component. At this time, the telescopic shafts of the two sets of telescopic components located on the same vertical line achieve linkage of opposite working states through a constraint unit. Specifically, the constraint unit includes a synchronous transmission mechanism, a first lead screw with opposite thread directions, and a second lead screw.

[0036] Both the first and second lead screws are rotatably supported on the steel columns of the frame 1, arranged parallel to each other with their axes horizontal. Except for the opposite helix direction, the two lead screws have identical parameters (nominal diameter, lead, and accuracy class). The lead screws are shaft-like parts with trapezoidal or ball threads machined on their outer surfaces; one thread is left-handed and the other right-handed. Each lead screw is fitted with a nut, forming a helical transmission pair with the lead screw. The ends of the two telescopic shafts furthest from the interior of the frame 1 are fixedly connected to the corresponding nuts, and the linear movement of the nuts directly drives the telescopic shafts to extend and retract.

[0037] The output shaft of the drive motor simultaneously drives the first and second lead screws to rotate synchronously via a synchronous transmission mechanism. The specific form of the synchronous transmission mechanism can be any of the following schemes or combinations depending on the spatial layout: synchronous belt drive, where a driving synchronous pulley is fixed on the output shaft of the drive motor, and a driven synchronous pulley is fixed on each of the two lead screws. The driving pulley and the two driven pulleys are connected by the same synchronous belt, ensuring that the two lead screws rotate in the same direction and at the same speed; gear drive, where a driving gear is fixed on the output shaft of the drive motor, and a driven gear is fixed on each of the two lead screws. The driving gear meshes with both driven gears simultaneously, achieving transmission in the same direction and at the same speed; chain drive, in space-constrained situations, a double-row chain can be used to distribute power to the two lead screws.

[0038] When the drive motor drives the two lead screws to rotate in the same direction through the synchronous transmission mechanism, since the threads of the first and second lead screws rotate in opposite directions, the two nuts will move linearly in opposite directions. That is, one nut moves forward (towards the center of frame 1), and the other nut moves backward (towards the outside of frame 1), thereby causing one of the upper and lower telescopic shafts to extend and the other to retract. This mechanical characteristic of rotating in the same direction and rotating in opposite directions ensures that when one set of telescopic components extends, the other set of telescopic components must retract synchronously. This naturally achieves the constraint function of not being able to avoid collisions at the same time from a physical structure perspective, without relying on electronic sensors or controllers.

[0039] The above technical solution eliminates the risk of interlock failure due to sensor malfunction, program error, or power outage without relying on an electrical control system, thus achieving a higher level of safety. At the same time, the screw drive has a self-locking characteristic, which can maintain its position in the event of a power outage, further enhancing safety.

[0040] The various embodiments of this application have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A die stacking machine, characterized in that, include: frame; The conveyor roller line is located inside the frame and extends out of the frame in a first direction; The support mechanism includes two sets of telescopic components, a drive component, and a constraint component. The two sets of telescopic components are vertically spaced within the frame, and the vertical distance between the two sets of telescopic components is equal to one mold pitch. The telescopic components have an extended state that extends into the gap between two mold layers and an abduction state that exits the gap between two mold layers. The drive component is used to drive the telescopic components to switch between the extended state and the abduction state. The constraint component is configured to control that the two sets of telescopic components cannot be in the abduction state at the same time, so that at least one set of telescopic components is always in the extended state to support the mold. The lifting mechanism, located below the conveyor roller line, includes a lifting component and a support arm connected to the output end of the lifting component. The lifting component drives the support arm to be vertically inserted into the gap of the conveyor roller line to support the mold table and lower the mold table onto the conveyor roller line.

2. The die stacking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each group of telescopic components includes several telescopic members spaced apart in the horizontal direction. All the telescopic members in the same group together form a lifting station for supporting the mold table within the frame.

3. The die stacking machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The telescopic component includes a mounting base, a sleeve, and a telescopic shaft. The mounting base is fixedly mounted on the frame, the sleeve is horizontally fixed to the mounting base, and the telescopic shaft slides through the sleeve. The drive assembly drives the telescopic shaft to reciprocate linearly along the axis of the sleeve.

4. The die stacking machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The telescopic shaft has a guide slope at one end facing the inside of the frame.

5. The die stacking machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive assembly consists of several linear drive components that are connected one-to-one with each telescopic shaft; the constraint assembly includes a controller and several position sensors that are one-to-one with each telescopic shaft. All the linear drive components are electrically connected to the controller. Each position sensor is used to collect the horizontal position signal of the corresponding telescopic shaft and send it to the controller. The controller is configured to control at least one group of telescopic components to be in the extended state based on the position information fed back by any position sensor.

6. The die-stacking machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The driving assembly includes a drive motor, and the constraint assembly includes several constraint units. Two telescopic shafts located on the same vertical line are connected by the drive motor via the constraint units. The constraint unit also includes a synchronous transmission mechanism, a first lead screw and a second lead screw with opposite thread directions. The first lead screw and the second lead screw are rotatably mounted on the frame, and both are fitted with nuts. The two telescopic shafts are respectively connected to a nut. The output shaft of the drive motor drives the first lead screw and the second lead screw to rotate synchronously through the synchronous transmission mechanism, so as to drive one of the two telescopic shafts to extend and the other to retract.

7. The die stacking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting component is a hydraulic cylinder.

8. The die stacking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a photoelectric sensor mounted on the frame, located between the two sets of telescopic components, for detecting whether there is a mold stage inside the frame.

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