EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURE FOR CONSTRUCTING BASIC STRUCTURES FOR MATTRESS GABION ENVELOPES

Description

DESCRIPTION of the industrial invention entitled: “Apparatus and procedure for making basic structures for gabion casings mattress" by: Officine Maccaferri SpA, of Italian nationality, with headquarters in Milan Designated Inventor: Antoine GAGLIARDI * * * Field of invention The present invention relates to mattress type gabions. used for various applications in the geotechnical sector. The invention was developed with particular attention to an apparatus and a process for making the basic structures of the wire mesh casings used to make such gabions mattress. Technological background In the geotechnical sector, structures called gabions are well known. their purpose is to ensure the stability of the ground where they are positioned, for example by preventing erosion or landslides on river banks, on coasts or on mountains or any other land exposed to risk. Gabions are parallelepiped-shaped boxes, typically made of mesh sheets metallic and, in use, are filled with ballast such as stones, rocks crushed stone, pebbles, gravel or similar fillers before closing the gabion with a lid, also generally made of metal mesh. US 4,726,708 of the same Applicant describes a gabion of the mattress type for geotechnical applications, e.g. soil protection subject to erosion. A mattress-type gabion has a structure of PROVVISIONATO & CO base made with a metal mesh that defines a bottom, two walls lateral walls that extend longitudinally, two transverse walls that outline the end of the gabion and a series of transverse partition walls, called transverse ribs, which divide the gabion into several compartments. The various compartments are filled with a material of filling and then closed with a metal mesh sheet of a lid, fixed to the upper edges of the walls. The height dimension of such gabions is smaller than their length and width, so that to take the shape of a "mattress". Each rib transversal partition is made with a transversal fold in the sheet of base that defines on its sides two respective portions of the network which, when placed side by side one to the other, they form the transverse rib. The manual construction of mattress gabions is long, complex and expensive and provides less than optimal results. They are known equipment that allows for some degree of automation of the production process of mattress gabion casings. However these devices have demonstrated some critical issues, both in terms of complexity and reliability, as well as low productivity. The need for equipment is therefore felt in the sector improved for the manufacturing of the basic structures of the casings of the mattress gabions. Summary of the invention The present invention has the aim of realizing a device for making casing structures for gabion type a mattress that allows to overcome the drawbacks of the known art and, in PROVVISIONATO & CO particular, to obtain good productivity with a high quality of products obtained. A further object of the invention is to provide a device for making basic structures of casings for mattress gabions that are easy to operate, requiring a low maintenance and reliable over time. Another object of the invention is to provide casings of mattress gabions more efficiently and economically than the known technique. In order to achieve these and other purposes, the invention has for object an apparatus for forming basic structures for casings of mattress gabions having the characteristics indicated in the claims which follow. The invention also has as its object a process particularly for the construction of such basic structures. According to a first aspect, a device is described for make a basic structure of a mattress-type gabion, by folding a sheet of wire mesh to form one or more ribs transversals that define longitudinally contiguous mesh panels, separated from each other by the ribs themselves. The equipment includes a power supply designed to power, in use, a net sheet metal on a feed plane that extends in one direction longitudinal feed. The equipment also includes a transverse rib formation group which includes an organ mobile pusher designed to push, in use, a transverse portion of the sheet wire mesh in a direction orthogonal to the feed plane for PROVVISIONATO & CO form a transverse fold. The rib formation group transverse also includes two jaws that are mutually approachable in such a way as to place two pieces against each other in use portions of the mesh adjacent to the transverse fold of the wire mesh sheet formed by the pushing organ. In this way the two jaws can form a transverse rib in the mesh sheet that defines its sides two respective longitudinally contiguous mesh panels parallel to the plane of power supply. The transverse rib formation group further comprises at least one tying device for tying, in use, the two portions of the net placed next to each other which form the said transverse rib. According to a particular aspect, the equipment may comprise also cutting organs that are designed to cut the rib transversal along a direction orthogonal to the feed plane and to a predetermined distance from the side edges of the wire mesh sheet. Such cutting tools can, for example, be pairs of opposing blades. In a preferred form, each blade of the pair of opposing blades is mounted on a respective jaw. According to another particular aspect, one of the two jaws can be fixed with respect to the longitudinal direction of feed, while the other jaw can be moved closer to and further away from the fixed jaw. According to a particular aspect, at least one of the two jaws, preferably the fixed jaw, can move selectively in a direction orthogonal to the feeding plane, in particular rising and lowering itself compared to the latter. In this way, one or both of the PROVVISIONATO & CO jaws can clamp a portion of the mesh sheet on the work surface power supply, for example in an area upstream or downstream of the organ pusher. According to a further particular aspect, the jaws can include each coupling members for coupling, securing and drag the wire mesh. These hooking devices can be selectively mobile. According to a further particular aspect, the binding devices they can bind the two portions of the net together to form the transverse rib by means of ties which are made at points distinct from the rib, spaced transversely from each other, for example but not limited to, at least four distinct points for each rib. According to another particular aspect, the equipment can provide an additional folding organ that can cooperate with a further organ pusher for the purpose of folding the transverse edge of the net sheet. Associated the bending organ and the pushing organ can be provided with the presence of an additional cutting organ that can make cuts along the transverse direction of the cloth at a predetermined distance from the edge. According to another aspect, a procedure is described for to create basic structures for mattress gabion casings, using the equipment described. The procedure includes the preparation phase the equipment in a rest position where the jaws are apart between them and away from the feed plane. Furthermore, the pusher organ is in retracted position with respect to the feeding plane. Another phase of the The procedure involves placing the metal mesh sheet on the work surface PROVVISIONATO & CO power supply, then activate the power supply to power the sheet of wire mesh in the direction of feed in one direction progress. The process also includes the stopping phase the advancement of the wire mesh sheet to a predetermined position and then activate the movable pusher to push the wire mesh to the point predetermined. In another phase it is planned to bring the jaws closer together on the transverse portion of the net previously pushed by the organ pusher, so as to form the transverse rib, retracting the organ mobile pusher. The procedure also involves tying the portion cross-section of the network that forms the rib at the predetermined points by means of the tying devices. The jaws are then returned to their resting position, thus moving them away from the transverse rib of the wire mesh and then restore the power supply to the wire mesh in the direction of advancement. The various phases of forming the rib are repeated depending on the number of transverse ribs desired in a single basic structure of the mattress gabion casing. Brief description of the drawings Further features and benefits will be apparent from the description. detailed which follows, with reference to the attached drawings, given purely for information purposes example, where: - Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of the gabion type mattress filled and almost completed, with the cover sheet that is attached only partially to the upper part of the basic structure of the casing; - Figure 2 is a perspective illustration of the wire mesh sheet during the production of the basic structure of the casing; PROVVISIONATO & CO - Figures 3 to 12 show a sequence of stages in the production of the basic structure of figure 2, made by an apparatus incorporating features of the present invention. Detailed description Figure 1 illustrates a mattress-type gabion G, formed as known from a basic structure 1 having a bottom 2, two side walls 3a, 3b which extend longitudinally along a longitudinal direction XX of the gabion G. The basic structure 1 is delimited by two walls transversal (not visible in the figure) that outline the end of the gabion G. A series of transverse partition walls, or transverse ribs 4, divide the mattress gabion G in several compartments 5 contiguous and aligned in the longitudinal direction XX of the gabion G. The basic structure 1 can be made of a wire mesh, such as a mesh wire mesh hexagonal, also called double (or triple) twist wire mesh. The various compartments 5 are filled with a filling material 6 of weighting, such as stones, pebbles and the like. The basic structure 1 it is then closed by a lid 7, also preferably made of mesh hexagonal mesh metal, which is fixed with 8 ties at the edges upper walls of the basic structure 1. Figure 2 illustrates the basic structure 1 in a condition partially complete, obtainable using the equipment of the present invention. The basic structure 1 is made starting from a base sheet 10 of metal mesh that develops on a plane and has a direction longitudinal XX prevailing. In the base sheet 10 folds are made transversal 11, preferably spaced at regular intervals, which PROVVISIONATO & CO define the transverse ribs 4. Each transverse rib 4 is made up of two portions 4a, 4b of the metal mesh sheet 10 placed side by side and joined to each other by means of ligatures (not shown in the figure). Each transverse rib 4 has two cuts 12 orthogonal to the plane of the sheet base 10 at a predetermined distance from its lateral edges 10a, 10b. The width between the two cuts 12 defines the width of each compartment 5, while the distance between a cut 12 and the lateral edge of the base sheet 10a or 10b defines the height of the walls respectively longitudinals 3a, 3b of the mattress gabion G. Figures 3 to 12 illustrate the basic structure of an apparatus 20 arranged to realize the basic structure 1 in the configuration illustrated in figure 2, in the succession of its phases operational. The apparatus 20 comprises a power supply plane 22 on which the base sheet can move, dragged or supported on this plane 10 of wire mesh, along the feed direction A, parallel to the prevailing longitudinal direction XX of the base sheet 10. The movement of the base sheet is carried out by a power supply device, which may be of a generally known type, for example a harpoon, a clamp group, a toothed chain, a motorized roller, a beam or other organs generally known in the production equipment industry of wire mesh products. The apparatus 20 comprises a forming group 23 for form the transverse ribs 4, which includes a pusher member 24 which is designed to push a transverse portion of the sheet upwards PROVVISIONATO & CO of base 10, in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plane of feed 22, so as to form the transverse fold 11. The organ pusher 24 can be shaped as a transverse blade, possibly formed by several transverse sections of the blade, which can emerge at command above the power plane, as indicated by the arrow S of the in figure 4, passing through one or more slots 25 made in the power supply plan 22, so as to push the network upwards base 10 placed on the same power supply plane 22. Naturally, it is possible to foresee a system different from the pusher organ 24, for example for example a hooking system, placed laterally or above the mesh sheet, which can be lifted to make the transverse fold 11. The forming group 23 also includes a pair of jaws 26, 27 movable, mutually approachable. The jaws 26, 27 are arranged respectively upstream and downstream with respect to the pusher member 24. In the form of preferred implementation illustrated in Figures 3 to 12, the upstream jaw 26 is vertically moving towards and away from the plane of power supply, according to the arrow V of figure 3, while it is fixed with respect to to the feed direction A. The downstream jaw 27 is movable in oscillation, according to the arrow R of figure 4, approaching and distance from the upstream jaw 26. On the downstream jaw 27 There are 28 retractable teeth mounted, which can extend on command beyond the lower edge of the downstream jaw 27, as indicated by the arrow D in figure 5. As the downstream jaw 27 approaches the plane of power supply 22, the retractable teeth 28 can engage the mesh of the cloth of base 10, fitting into corresponding longitudinal notches or grooves PROVVISIONATO & CO 29, practiced on the power plane 22. In this way, the motion of oscillation of the downstream jaw 27 in the direction of the arrow R can drag a portion of the net cloth 10 in the opposite direction to the direction of feed arrow A, to complete the transverse fold 11 and make the transverse rib 4, as will become clearer later. The forming group 23 also comprises a device binding 30 intended to bind the two portions 4a, 4b of the net to each other base 10 which are placed side by side to form the transverse rib 4, as will become clearer later. The binding device 30 is preferably mounted on one and / or the other of the two jaws 26, 27. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 to 12, the binding device 30 is arranged on the downstream jaw 27 and comprises an array of spools of metal wire (indicated with the reference number 31 in figure 8) which can be performed on command to make a circular tie through the mesh of the metal mesh of the base sheet 10, according to methods generally known in the industry. Preferably, the spools of thread metallic 31 are four or more, arranged transversely spaced with respect to to the feed direction A, along the downstream jaw 27. Naturally, different binding systems can be foreseen, which for example for example, they use metal clips or other systems generally known in the wire mesh gabion production sector. The forming group 23 may also include a device cut 34, which for example includes opposing blades arranged on the jaws 26, 27 as illustrated in figure 9, the function of which will be better included in the following. The opposing blades are placed at a certain PROVVISIONATO & CO distance from the side edge of the base sheet 1, on both sides of the jaws 26, 27, oriented orthogonally to the feed plane 22. Preferably the transverse position of the blades of the cutting device 34 is adjustable so as to make cuts 12 in the basic structure 1 of the mattress gabion G provided for by the dimensions of the specific gabion project you want to achieve. To make a basic structure 1 of a mattress gabion G, you provides for feeding a base sheet 10 into the apparatus 20, placing it on the feed plane 10 with the longitudinal dimension XX prevailing parallel to the direction of feed A. Through the feeding system, the base sheet 10 is fed in the direction of the arrow A, to the right in figure 3, until it positions one of its predetermined portion corresponding to the forming group 23. When the base sheet 10 has reached the predetermined position in to make a transverse rib 4, as shown in figure 3, the upstream jaw 26 is lowered in the direction of arrow V, so that to be pressed on the base sheet 10 and locked on the feeding table 22, upstream of the portion of wire mesh on which the fold is planned to be made 11 and consequently the transverse rib 4. As illustrated in figure 4, when the base sheet 10 is locked on the feed plane 22, the downstream jaw 27 is moved closer together rotation, in the direction of the arrow R, to the upstream jaw 26. In this approaching movement, the downstream jaw 27 also approaches the power plan 22, describing an arc of a circle. While the downstream jaw 27 approaches upstream jaw 26, the PROVVISIONATO & CO pusher device 24 which starts to create the fold 11 in the mesh sheet 10. Furthermore, as the downstream jaw 27 approaches the upstream jaw 26 teeth 26 are extracted as indicated by arrow D in figure 5. teeth 26 engage the meshes of the net cloth 10 as they are inserted into the longitudinal slots 29 obtained on the feed plane 22. This allows the downstream jaw 27 to drag backwards, in opposite to the direction of arrow A, the portion of the net that is located valley of the upstream jaw 26, so that the base sheet 10 is raised increasingly in the area between the two jaws 26, 27 and the fold 11 becomes more and more pronounced, as shown in figure 6. At this point it is possible to retract the pusher device 24 below the plane of power supply, as indicated by the arrow S' in figure 6. The two jaws 26, 27 are then brought into contact, to tighten the fold 11 formed in the portion of the base sheet 10 placed between them and form the transverse rib 4. In this condition, it is possible to retract the teeth 28 as illustrated by the arrow D' in figure 7. The tying device 30, in particular the wire spools 31, which they tie the two portions of metal mesh together to the other in correspondence with fold 11 which defines the rib transversal 4. At the end of the tying operation, the downstream jaw 27 is brought back to the initial condition illustrated in figure 3 by means of a rotation opposite to that of the arrow R. The upstream jaw 26 is raised from the base sheet 10, allowing it to be fed into the feed direction A until reaching the predetermined position PROVVISIONATO & CO for the creation of a subsequent transverse rib 11. After the transverse rib 4 has been tied, while jaws 26, 27 are still closed it is possible to activate the cutting device 34, for example by moving the blades arranged on the upstream jaw 26 in the direction of arrow L in figure 9. Naturally, it is it is possible to foresee different cutting systems, for example those which foresee a movement of blades mounted on the downstream jaw 27 or a movement scissor blades arranged on both jaws 26, 27. The device cut 34 provides for making cuts 12 on the transverse rib 4 described above with reference to figure 2. After making the cuts 12, the downstream jaw 27 is moved away with a rotation in the direction of the arrow R' in figure 10. At the at the same time, the upstream jaw 26 is lifted from the base sheet 10 in the direction of the arrow V'. In this way the position of figure 11, where the rib is formed on the base sheet 10 transversal 4 (including cuts 12). The base sheet 10 is therefore free to be moved in the feed direction A, as shown in the figure 12, up to the position where a transverse rib needs to be made next, repeating the steps described above with reference to figures 3 and 12. It is possible to integrate an additional organ into the device 20 pusher associated with a bending organ (not shown in the figure) which they fold the transverse edge of the end of the base sheet 10. Subsequently, an additional cutting organ can provide for make a transversal cut of the base sheet 10 to conclude the PROVVISIONATO & CO construction of the basic structure of the mattress gabion casing G. Naturally, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the forms of implementation and construction details may vary widely with respect to what is described and illustrated, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention. PROVVISIONATO & CO

Claims

1. Apparatus for forming basic structures (1) for casings of mattress-type gabions (G), each basic structure being made by folding a sheet of metal mesh (10) so as to form a more transverse ribs (4) defining mesh panels (5) longitudinally contiguous, characterised in that the apparatus (20) comprises: - a power supply designed to power on a power plan (22), in use, a sheet (10) of wire mesh along one direction longitudinal feed (A) parallel to a longitudinal extension (XX) of the wire mesh sheet, and - a forming group (23) for forming transverse ribs, including: - a folding member (24) capable of forming, in use, a fold transverse (11) in a portion of the metal mesh sheet (10), - two jaws (26, 27) that can be moved closer together to bring together, in use, two adjacent portions of the network (4a, 4b) against each other to the transverse fold (11) of the metal mesh sheet (10) formed from the bending member (24), so as to form a rib transversal (4) in the net sheet that defines two respective sides mesh panels (5) longitudinally contiguous parallel to the plane of power supply (22), - at least one joining device (30) for joining, in use, the one to the other the said two portions of the net (4a, 4b) placed side by side which form called transverse rib (4). PROVVISIONATO & CO 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control member bending (24) is a movable pushing member (24) designed to push, in use, the transverse portion of the metal mesh sheet (10) in one direction (S) orthogonal to the feed plane (20) to form the transverse fold (11).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising cutting members (34) for making cuts (12) in the transverse rib (4), orthogonal to the feed plane (22) and predetermined distance from lateral edges (3a, 3b) of the net sheet (10) metallic.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control members cutting (34) include pairs of opposing blades, each blade of the pairs of blades being mounted on a respective jaw of said jaws (26, 27).

5. Apparatus according to any of the claims previous ones, where one of the two jaws (26, 27) is a fixed jaw with respect to to the feed direction (A), the other jaw being selectively can be approached and removed from the fixed jaw.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said two jaws (26, 27) can be approached one another selectively PROVVISIONATO & CO movable in an orthogonal direction (V) to the feed plane (22) for block a portion of the metal mesh sheet (10) on the work surface power supply (22), upstream of the pusher (24).

7. Apparatus according to claims 5 and 6, wherein the jaw selectively movable in a direction orthogonal (V) to the feed plane it is the fixed jaw with respect to the feed direction (A).

8. Apparatus according to any of the claims previous ones, in which one of the two jaws (26, 27) is movable in rotation (R) compared to the other jaw.

9. Apparatus according to any of the claims previous ones, in which one or both jaws (26, 27) include organs of hook (28) to hook the metal mesh sheet (10) and drag it onto the power plan (A).

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said members of hook (28) are selectively retractable, the power plane (22) comprising longitudinal grooves to house the control organs hook (28) when dragging the wire mesh (10).

11. Procedure for forming basic structures for gabion enclosures of the mattress type by means of an apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: PROVVISIONATO & CO - place the equipment in a rest position where the jaws (26. 27) are moved apart from each other; - feed a metal mesh sheet (10) onto the feed table (22) in a feed direction (A) to a position predetermined forming of a transverse rib (4); - lift the wire mesh sheet above the feed table (22) to form a transverse fold (11) in an area between the two jaws (26, 27); - bring the jaws (26, 27) closer together to form the transverse rib (4) starting from the transverse fold (11), bringing together two sections of wire mesh (4a, 4b); - tie the two portions of wire mesh together in correspondence of the transverse rib (4); - move the jaws (26, 27) away from each other, freeing the net metal (10) to feed it in the forward direction (A) up to a forming position of a subsequent transverse rib (4). PROVVISIONATO & CO