Handling Device

Abstract

To provide a handling device that enables safe handling of a movable bracket by preventing an accidental rotation during transfer by stably gripping the movable bracket.SOLUTION: The present invention is directed at a handling device for handling a movable bracket 22 having a pair of upper and lower support pipes 23, 24 connected to a support skeleton 21. The handling device has movement means 34, and a bracket hand 33 arranged at a movable tip 32 of the movement means 34 and gripping the movable bracket 22. When either one of the upper and lower support pipes 23, 24 is defined as a first pipe 42 and the other as a second pipe 43, the bracket hand 33 has a chuck part 37 for gripping and holding the first pipe 42 and a regulation part 38 for regulating the movement of the second pipe 43 in a direction around the axis of the first pipe 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a handling device for handling movable brackets, which are railway materials, and more particularly to a handling device for handling movable brackets having a pair of support pipes connected to a support body. [Background technology]

[0002] This type of handling device is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 (title of invention: road-rail vehicle). In Patent Document 1, the handling device is made up of a crane device mounted on the road-rail vehicle and a clamping mechanism mounted on the crane device. The crane device comprises a swivel base mounted on the road-rail vehicle, a post pivotally connected to the swivel base, and a boom attached to the upper end of the post, with a clamping mechanism provided at the tip of the boom. The swivel base is rotatable around a vertical axis, and the boom is configured to be able to rise and fall relative to the post and to extend and retract. The clamping mechanism has two pairs of clamping claws, and can grip the movable bracket by clamping one of the support pipes of the movable bracket with both clamping claw pairs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3153761 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The handling device of Patent Document 1 clamps and grips the movable bracket connected to the utility pole with a clamping mechanism, thereby releasing the connection between the utility pole and the movable bracket while maintaining the position of the movable bracket, and then the movable bracket, whose connection structure has been released, can be transported to a recovery position such as a loading platform by a crane. Furthermore, the movable bracket placed on a loading platform or the like can be gripped with the clamping mechanism and then transported and held at the installation position by the crane, allowing for the fastening work of the connection structure to be performed. Handling the movable bracket with the handling device in this way facilitates the replacement work of the movable bracket, which involves attaching and detaching it to and from the supporting structure.

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, only one of a pair of support pipes held by the movable bracket is clamped by the clamp mechanism. Therefore, if the center of gravity of the movable bracket shifts from below the clamp claw pair during transport between the recovery position and the installation position, a rotational moment around the support pipe clamped by the clamp mechanism inevitably acts on the movable bracket. Since the rotation of the movable bracket around the support pipe is restricted by the holding force due to friction acting between the clamp claw pair and the support pipe, if a rotational moment that exceeds the holding force is generated, the movable bracket may rotate around the clamped support pipe and come into contact with the surrounding support structure, overhead wires, etc. Furthermore, if the movable bracket rotates too much, there is a risk of it being dropped.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a handling device that can stably grip a movable bracket, prevent inadvertent rotation during transportation, and safely handle the movable bracket. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a handling device 8 that handles a movable bracket 22 having a pair of upper and lower support pipes 23 and 24 connected to a support body 21. The handling device 8 includes a moving means 34 that moves the movable tip 32, and a bracket hand 33 that is provided at the movable tip 32 and grips the movable bracket 22. When one of the upper and lower support pipes 23 and 24 is defined as a first pipe 42 and the other as a second pipe 43, the bracket hand 33 includes a chuck portion 37 that grips and holds the first pipe 42, and a restricting portion 38 that restricts movement of the second pipe 43 in a direction around the axis of the first pipe 42 gripped and held by the chuck portion 37. The bracket hand 33 has a hand base 36 fixed to the movable tip 32, with a chuck portion 37 provided on the upper side of the hand base 36 and a regulating portion 38 provided on the lower side. The hand base 36 includes a connecting shaft 39 connected to the movable tip 32 and a lower base plate 41 provided downward from the connecting shaft 39. The regulating portion 38 includes a regulating frame 56 provided on a slider 55 of a rodless cylinder 54 fixed to the lower base plate 41 so as to be movable up and down. The regulating frame 56 includes a receiving wall 57 oriented toward the chuck portion 37 to receive and hold the second pipe 43 in the vertical direction, and a pair of front and rear regulating walls 58, 58 extending upward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57 to receive the second pipe 43 in the longitudinal direction. A buffer structure including a connecting frame 59 connected to the slider 55 is provided below the regulating frame 56, and the buffer structure supports the regulating frame 56 so as to be able to float up and down relative to the connecting frame 59. It is characterized by:

[0008] The buffer structure includes a connecting frame 59 that has a lower wall 60 disposed below the receiving wall 57 and is connected to the slider 55, a float shaft 62 that is fixed to the underside of the receiving wall 57 while being inserted into a float hole 63 that is formed through the lower wall 60, and a rubber bushing 61 that is formed in a cylindrical shape and is disposed between the lower wall 60 and the receiving wall 57 while the float shaft 62 is inserted into the cylinder. The restriction frame 56 is supported so as to be able to float up and down relative to the connecting frame 59 by being biased upward by the rubber bushing 61.

[0009] The chuck portion 37 has upper chuck claws 47 and lower chuck claws 48 that extend forward and clamp and hold the first pipe 42 from above and below. The relative position of the receiving wall 57 with respect to the chuck portion 37 is configured so that it can be displaced toward or away from the first pipe 42 in the vertical direction.

[0010] The chuck jaws 47 and 48 of the chuck portion 37 are configured to move toward or away from each other in synchronization with each other.

[0011] The moving means 34 includes an industrial robot 31 . [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the handling device 8 of the present invention, when one of the upper and lower support pipes 23 / 24 of the movable bracket 22 is defined as the first pipe 42, and the remaining support pipe is defined as the second pipe 43, the bracket hand 33 includes a chuck portion 37 that grips and holds the first pipe 42, and a restricting portion 38 that restricts movement of the second pipe 43 in the direction around the axis of the first pipe 42 gripped and held by the chuck portion 37. In this way, when the movable bracket 22 is held by the bracket hand 33 with the first pipe 42 gripped and held by the chuck portion 37 and the movement of the second pipe 43 restricted by the restricting portion 38, the restricting portion 38 can prevent the movable bracket 22 from rotating around the axis of the first pipe 42 even if a relatively large rotational moment is generated around the axis of the first pipe 42 during transport of the movable bracket 22. Therefore, the movable bracket 22 can be stably held and prevented from rotating unintentionally during transportation, so that the movable bracket 22 can be handled safely without coming into contact with the surrounding support structure 21, overhead lines, etc.

[0013] The restricting portion 38 includes a receiving wall 57 that faces the chuck portion 37 and receives and holds the second pipe 43 in the vertical direction, and a pair of front and rear restricting walls 58, 58 that extend upward and / or downward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57 and receive the second pipe 43 in the front and rear direction. With this, the upper or lower surface of the second pipe 43 is received and held by the receiving walls 57, preventing the second pipe 43 from rotating around the axis of the first pipe 42, thereby preventing the movable bracket 22 from rotating. Furthermore, even if the second pipe 43 received and held by the receiving wall 57 shifts around the axis of the first pipe 42, the front or rear surface of the second pipe 43 is received by the pair of restricting walls 58, 58, thereby reliably preventing inadvertent rotation of the movable bracket 22.

[0014] The chuck portion 37 includes upper chuck jaws 47 and lower chuck jaws 48 that extend forward and clamp and hold the first pipe 42 from above and below, and the relative position of the receiving wall 57 with respect to the chuck portion 37 can be displaced toward or away from each other in the vertical direction. This allows the first pipe 42 to be pressed against the upper chuck jaws 47 by displacing the restricting portion 38 toward the chuck portion 37 and displacing the first pipe 42 upward via the second pipe 43. Conversely, the first pipe 42 can be pressed against the lower chuck jaws 48 by displacing the restricting portion 38 away from the chuck portion 37 and displacing the first pipe 42 downward via the second pipe 43. In this way, when the first pipe 42 is pressed against the upper chuck jaws 47 or the lower chuck jaws 48 via the second pipe 43, the pressing reaction force allows the second pipe 43 to be firmly received by the receiving wall 57, thereby preventing the movable bracket 22 held by the bracket hand 33 from rattling and allowing the movable bracket 22 to be handled more safely.

[0015] If the chuck jaws 47, 48 of the chuck portion 37 are configured to move toward or away from each other in synchronization with each other, when clamping the first pipe 42, the bracket hand 33 can be moved relative to the first pipe 42 so that the first pipe 42 is positioned approximately midway between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48. This minimizes damage to the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 due to contact with the first pipe 42 when the bracket hand 33 is moved by the moving means 34. On the other hand, if, for example, the upper chuck jaws 47 are fixed and the lower chuck jaws 48 move toward each other to clamp the first pipe 42, the bracket hand 33 must be moved toward the first pipe 42 so that the first pipe 42 comes into contact with the upper chuck jaws 47. This increases the risk of damage to the chuck jaws 47 by contact with the first pipe 42. Furthermore, since precise operation of the moving means 34 is required, it takes time for the bracket hand 33 to grip the movable bracket 22.

[0016] When the moving means 34 is configured to include an industrial robot 31, the moving means 34 can be compact yet capable of precise and versatile movements, compared to when the moving means 34 includes, for example, a crane device with an extendable boom. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a bracket hand of a handling device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing a construction vehicle equipped with the handling device of Example 1 and a transport vehicle that transports a movable bracket, and shows the state in which the industrial robot has been rotated 180 degrees around the vertical axis and the bracket hand has been moved backward. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which the movable bracket is gripped by the bracket hand. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a movable bracket connected to a support body is held by a handling device. FIG. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing the operation of gripping the movable bracket with the handling device. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a movable bracket loaded on a transport vehicle is gripped by a bracket hand. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a side view showing a gripping portion of a handling device according to a reference example of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view showing the main part of the grip portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] (Example 1) Figures 1 to 8 show Example 1 in which a handling device according to the present invention is mounted on a construction vehicle. In this example, front, rear, left, right, and up and down refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figures 2 and 4 and the indications of front, rear, left, right, and up and down written near each arrow. As shown in Figure 2, construction vehicle 1 is configured based on a truck-type vehicle and is equipped with a loading platform 2 at its rear. Construction vehicle 1 is configured as a road-rail vehicle equipped with wheels 3 with rubber tires for traveling on roads and track running wheels 4 made of steel wheels for traveling on rails (tracks).

[0019] On the loading platform 2, there are installed, in the listed order from the cabin side (front side) of the loading platform 2, a drive source 5 that supplies air pressure and hydraulic pressure for operation to each piece of equipment, an overhead line support device 6 that supports the overhead lines during construction work, a work platform 7 that is configured to be able to rise and fall and on which workers sit, and a handling device 8 that handles railway materials during construction. The overhead line support device 6, work platform 7, and handling device 8 are configured to operate using air pressure and hydraulic pressure supplied from the drive source 5. The drive source 5 is driven by the engine (not shown) of the construction vehicle 1.

[0020] The construction vehicle 1 is operated together with a transport vehicle 11 that transports railway materials. The transport vehicle 11 is constructed based on a truck-type vehicle and has a loading platform 12 at its rear. The transport vehicle 11 is configured as a road-rail vehicle equipped with wheels 13 with rubber tires for traveling on roads and track running wheels 14 made of iron wheels for traveling on rails. On the loading platform 12, a drive source 15 that supplies air pressure and hydraulic pressure for operation to each device, and a rack device 16 on which railway materials are loaded that operates with air pressure and hydraulic pressure supplied from the drive source 15 are installed in the order shown from the cabin side (rear side) of the loading platform 2. The construction vehicle 1 and the transport vehicle 11 are operated with the loading platforms 2 and 12 facing each other.

[0021] The rack device 16 includes a movable platform 17 that can be raised and lowered, and a plurality of racks 18 that are installed on the movable platform 17 so as to be able to slide back and forth and on which railway materials are placed. Each rack 18 is configured to be able to slide back and forth between a storage position on the cabin side of the loading platform 12 (the left side of the loading platform 12 as you face Fig. 2) where the railway materials fit within the projected area of the loading platform 12 in a plan view, and an extraction position on the opposite side of the loading platform 12 from the cabin (the right side of the loading platform 12 as you face Fig. 2) where the railway materials extend beyond the projected area of the loading platform 12 in a plan view.

[0022] The railway materials handled by the handling device 8 are so-called movable brackets 22 that are fixed to a support structure 21 consisting of a pillar and that suspend the overhead wires, and as shown in Figure 6, the movable bracket 22 is equipped with an upper support pipe 23 that is installed horizontally, a lower support pipe 24 that is installed diagonally relative to the upper support pipe 23, and a pull fitting 25 that suspends the overhead wires and is supported by the upper and lower support pipes 23, 24. Connecting fittings 26 equipped with insulators are attached to the free ends of the upper and lower support pipes 23, 24, respectively.

[0023] 3, the handling device 8 includes a lifting device 29 installed on the loading platform 2, a base 30 that is raised and lowered by the lifting device 29, an industrial robot 31 equipped with multiple joints that is installed on the base 30, a movable tip 32 that is installed at the tip of the industrial robot 31, and a bracket hand 33 that is installed at the movable tip 32 and grips the movable bracket 22. The lifting device 29, base 30, and industrial robot 31 form a moving means 34 that moves the movable tip 32, and the industrial robot 31 has five rotary joints.

[0024] 1 and 4, the bracket hand 33 includes a vertically elongated hand base 36 fixed to the movable tip 32, a chuck portion 37 provided on the upper side of the hand base 36, and a restricting portion 38 provided on the lower side of the hand base 36. The hand base 36 includes a connecting shaft 39 connected to the movable tip 32, an upper base plate 40 provided upward from the connecting shaft 39 and having a thickness in the front-to-rear direction, and a lower base plate 41 provided downward from the connecting shaft 39 and having a thickness in the left-to-right direction. When one of the pair of upper and lower support pipes 23 / 24 is defined as a first pipe 42 and the other as a second pipe 43, the bracket hand 33 grips and holds the first pipe 42 with the chuck portion 37 and restricts the movement of the second pipe 43 with the restricting portion 38 to hold the movable bracket 22.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5 , the chuck unit 37 includes a chuck base 46 provided on the front surface of the upper base plate 40 and a pair of upper and lower chuck jaws 47 and 48 extending forward from the chuck base 46. A drive mechanism for driving the chuck jaws 47 and 48 is housed within the chuck base 46, and the drive mechanism vertically moves the chuck jaws 47 and 48 toward or away from each other in a synchronized manner. Specifically, when moving the chuck jaws 47 and 48 toward each other, the drive mechanism displaces the upper chuck jaw 47 downward and the lower chuck jaw 48 upward. When moving the chuck jaws 47 and 48 away from each other, the drive mechanism displaces the upper chuck jaw 47 upward and the lower chuck jaw 48 downward.

[0026] The opposing surfaces of the upper and lower chuck jaws 47 and 48 are the upper clamping portion 49 and the lower clamping portion 50, respectively. The upper clamping portion 49 is configured with an inverted V-shaped notch that opens downward, and the lower clamping portion 50 is configured with a flat surface. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 51 denotes a friction body made of rubber that improves contact friction between each chuck jaw 47 and 48 and the clamped first pipe 42. The first pipe 42 is clamped in the vertical direction by the upper clamping portion 49 configured with the V-shaped notch and the lower clamping portion 50 configured with the flat surface, with three points on its circumferential surface coming into contact.

[0027] The restricting portion 38 includes a restricting frame 56 that is fixed to a slider 55 of a rodless cylinder 54 that is fixed to the front edge of the lower base plate 41 and is provided so as to be movable up and down. The restricting frame 56 is formed into an upwardly open U-shape and includes a receiving wall 57 that faces the chuck portion 37 and receives and holds the lower peripheral surface of the second pipe 43, and a pair of front and rear restricting walls 58 that extend upward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57 and receive the front and rear peripheral surfaces of the second pipe 43 that rotates around the axis of the first pipe 42. The upper halves of the pair of restricting walls 58 are bent outward to serve as guides for receiving the second pipe 43, and the distance between the lower portions of the pair of restricting walls 58 is greater than the diameter of the second pipe 43. The restricting frame 56 is fixed to the slider 55 via a buffer structure.

[0028] The buffer structure includes a U-shaped connecting frame 59, which is slightly larger than the regulating frame 56 and is connected to the slider 55, and rubber bushings 61 disposed between a bottom wall 60 of the connecting frame 59 and the receiving wall 57 of the regulating frame 56. Two float shafts 62 are fixed to the front and rear of the underside of the receiving wall 57. Each float shaft 62 is inserted into a float hole 63 formed through the bottom wall 60, and a fastener 64 consisting of a hexagonal nut is screwed into the male thread portion engraved on the tip of the shaft 62. The rubber bushing 61 is cylindrical and is disposed with the float shaft 62 inserted therein. The float-supported regulating frame 56 is biased upward by the rubber bushing 61. As a result, the regulating frame 56 is supported so that it can float up and down relative to the connecting frame 59, with the float shaft 62 guided by the float hole 63. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 65 denotes a reinforcing metal fitting that supports the connecting frame 59 from below.

[0029] An example of the work of replacing the movable bracket 22 will now be described. In this description, it is assumed that the upper support pipe 23 is the first pipe 42, the lower support pipe 24 is the second pipe 43, and the overhead wire has been removed from the pull fitting 25 in advance. First, the work vehicle 1 is stopped at a predetermined position near the movable bracket 22 to be replaced. Next, the upper and lower chuck jaws 47 and 48 of the chuck portion 37 are displaced apart (opened), and the slider 55 of the restricting portion 38 is moved to the lowest position. After that, the lifting device 29 and the industrial robot 31 are operated to move the bracket hand 33 to the rear of the movable bracket 22 connected to the support body 21.

[0030] Next, as shown in FIG. 7 , the height of the bracket hand 33 is adjusted so that the approximate midpoint between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47 and 48 coincides with the height of the first pipe 42. The bracket hand 33 is then moved forward so that the first pipe 42 is positioned between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47 and 48. In this state, the upper and lower chuck jaws 47 and 48 are moved toward each other (closed) to clamp and hold the first pipe 42 between the chuck jaws 47 and 48. The slider 55 is then moved toward the second pipe 43 (upward) so that the receiving wall 57 receives the second pipe 43 from below. This allows the bracket hand 33 to grip the movable bracket 22 in the mounting position. In this state, the regulating frame 56 has moved slightly toward the connecting frame 59 against the elasticity of the rubber bushing 61. Furthermore, the first pipe 42 is displaced upward via the second pipe 43 and pressed against the upper chuck jaw 47.

[0031] After the movable bracket 22 is grasped by the bracket hand 33, the connecting structure 66, consisting of the bolts and nuts that connect the connecting band 67 wrapped around the support body 21 to the connecting fitting 26, is loosened and released. At this time, because the movable bracket 22 is held in position by the bracket hand 33, the worker can easily loosen the connecting structure 66 without having to take any action such as supporting the movable bracket 22. After the connecting structure 66 is released and the movable bracket 22 is separated from the support body 21, it is transported from that position (the mounting position) to a recovery position for the movable bracket 22 by operating the lifting device 29 and industrial robot 31. At this time, if the center of gravity of the movable bracket 22 shifts from below the upper and lower clamping units 49 and 50 (chuck units 37), a rotational moment will be generated around the axis of the first pipe 42, but the movement of the second pipe 43 is restricted by the receiving wall 57. Furthermore, even if the movable bracket 22 were to rotate around the first pipe 42 as a fulcrum, the rotation would be prevented by the pair of regulating walls 58, 58. After the movable bracket 22 has been transported to a recovery position (for example, a rack 18 of the transport vehicle 11), the regulating frame 56 is displaced away from the chuck portion 37, and the upper and lower chuck claws 47, 48 are displaced away from each other to release the bracket hand 33 from gripping the movable bracket 22, and the movable bracket 22 is then placed at the recovery position.

[0032] After the movable bracket 22 has been placed in the recovery position, a new movable bracket 22 placed on the rack 18 in the removal position is grasped by the bracket hand 33. As shown in Figure 8, the movable bracket 22 on the rack 18 is placed upside down with the connecting fitting 26 positioned forward. Therefore, the upper and lower chuck jaws 47 and 48 of the chuck portion 37 are displaced apart (opened), and the slider 55 of the restricting portion 38 is moved to the bottom, and then the bracket hand 33 is moved to the left (or right) of the movable bracket 22 while upside down.

[0033] Next, the height position of the bracket hand 33 is adjusted so that the approximate midpoint between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 coincides with the height position of the first pipe 42, and the bracket hand 33 is then moved further to the left so that the first pipe 42 is positioned between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48. In this state, the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 are moved closer together (closed) to hold the first pipe 42 between both chuck jaws 47, 48, and the slider 55 is then moved closer (downward) to the second pipe 43 so that the receiving wall 57 receives the second pipe 43 from above. This allows the bracket hand 33 to grip the movable bracket 22 on the rack 18.

[0034] The movable bracket 22 held by the bracket hand 33 is transported to an attachment position for attachment to the supporting body 21 by operating the lifting device 29 and the industrial robot 31. After transportation to the attachment position, the connecting structure 66 that connects the connecting band 67 of the supporting body 21 to the connecting fitting 26 is tightened and fastened, connecting the movable bracket 22 to the supporting body 21. After connecting the movable bracket 22 to the supporting body 21, the restricting frame 56 is displaced away from the chuck portion 37, and the upper and lower chuck jaws 47 and 48 are displaced away from each other, releasing the bracket hand 33 from its grip on the movable bracket 22, and the bracket hand 33 is retracted from the movable bracket 22. This completes the series of steps for replacing the movable bracket 22.

[0035] As described above, the bracket hand 33 is provided with the chuck portion 37 that grips and holds the first pipe 42, and the restricting portion 38 that restricts movement of the second pipe 43 in the direction around the axis of the first pipe 42 gripped and held by the chuck portion 37, so that even if a relatively large rotational moment occurs around the axis of the first pipe 42 when the movable bracket 22 is being transported, the restricting portion 38 can prevent the movable bracket 22 from rotating around the axis of the first pipe 42. Therefore, the movable bracket 22 can be stably held and inadvertent rotation during transport can be prevented, making it possible to handle the movable bracket 22 safely without coming into contact with the surrounding support structure 21, overhead wires, etc.

[0036] The restricting portion 38 includes a receiving wall 57 that is oriented toward the chuck portion 37 and receives and holds the second pipe 43 in the vertical direction, and a pair of front and rear restricting walls 58, 58 that extend upward and / or downward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57 and receive the second pipe 43 in the front and rear direction. Therefore, the upper or lower surface of the second pipe 43 is received and held by the receiving walls 57, preventing the second pipe 43 from rotating about the axis of the first pipe 42 and preventing rotation of the movable bracket 22. Furthermore, even if the second pipe 43 received and held by the receiving wall 57 shifts about the axis of the first pipe 42, the front or rear surface of the second pipe 43 is received by the pair of restricting walls 58, 58, so that inadvertent rotation of the movable bracket 22 can be reliably prevented.

[0037] Since the position of the receiving wall 57 relative to the chuck portion 37, which has the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48, can be displaced toward or away from each other in the vertical direction, the first pipe 42 can be pressed against the upper chuck jaw 47 by displacing the restricting portion 38 toward the chuck portion 37 and displacing the first pipe 42 upward via the second pipe 43. Conversely, the first pipe 42 can be pressed against the lower chuck jaw 48 by displacing the restricting portion 38 away from the chuck portion 37 and displacing the first pipe 42 downward via the second pipe 43. In this way, by pressing the first pipe 42 against the upper chuck jaw 47 or the lower chuck jaw 48 via the second pipe 43, the second pipe 43 can be firmly received by the receiving wall 57 due to the reaction force from the pressing force, thereby preventing rattling of the movable bracket 22 held by the bracket hand 33 and enabling safer handling of the movable bracket 22.

[0038] Since the chuck jaws 47, 48 of the chuck unit 37 are configured to move toward or away from each other in synchronization with each other, when clamping the first pipe 42, the bracket hand 33 can be moved relative to the first pipe 42 so that the first pipe 42 is positioned approximately midway between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48. This minimizes damage to the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 due to contact with the first pipe 42 when the bracket hand 33 is moved by the moving means 34. On the other hand, in a configuration in which the upper chuck jaws 47 are fixed and the lower chuck jaws 48 move toward each other to clamp the first pipe 42, the bracket hand 33 must be moved toward the first pipe 42 so that the first pipe 42 comes into contact with the upper chuck jaws 47. This increases the risk of damage to the chuck jaws 47 by contact with the first pipe 42. Furthermore, since precise operation of the moving means 34 is required, it takes time for the bracket hand 33 to grip the movable bracket 22.

[0039] Since the moving means 34 is configured to include the industrial robot 31, the moving means 34 can be compact yet capable of precise and versatile movements, compared to when the moving means 34 includes, for example, a crane device with a telescopic boom.

[0040] ( Reference example ) Figures 9 and 10 show the handling equipment. Reference example This indicates reference In this example, the configuration of the regulating portion 38 differs from that of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9 , each regulating wall 58 of the regulating frame 56 is composed of an upper regulating wall 70 and a lower regulating wall 71 extending upward and downward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57, respectively. The regulating frame 56 as a whole is formed in an H-shape in side view, and the upper and lower regulating walls 70 and 71 on the rear side are fixed to the slider 55. In the front regulating wall 58, a stopper cylinder 73 having a pin 72 that can be extended and retracted in the front-rear direction is provided at the upper end of the upper regulating wall 70 and the lower end of the lower regulating wall 71. The buffer structure is composed of resin blocks 74 provided on the upper and lower U-shaped inner surfaces of the regulating frame 56. Since other points are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0041] The regulating frame 56 is provided with upper and lower regulating walls 70 and 71 relative to the receiving wall 57, so that the second pipe 43 can be received and held not only by the upper surface of the receiving wall 57 but also by the lower surface of the receiving wall 57. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, by advancing the pin 72 of the stopper cylinder 73 while the second pipe 43 is received on the upper surface of the receiving wall 57, the second pipe 43 can be surrounded by the receiving wall 57, the front and rear upper regulating walls 70 and 70, and the pin 72, and the movement of the second pipe 43 can be reliably restricted.

[0042] In addition to the above, the industrial robot 31 of the moving means 34 may be a crane device or other device capable of moving the movable tip 32. The lower clamping portion 50 may be configured with a V-shaped notch, similar to the upper clamping portion 49. The restricting portion 38 may also be configured with a downwardly curved or upwardly curved wall. Although the upper support pipe 23 is the first pipe 42 and the lower support pipe 24 is the second pipe 43, they may be reversed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 8 Handling Equipment 21 Supporting frame 22 Movable bracket 23 Upper support pipe 24 Lower support pipe 31 Industrial robots 32 Movable tip 33 Bracket Hand 34 Transportation 36 Hand Base 37 Chuck part 38 Regulatory Department 42 No. 1 Pipe 43 Second Pipe 47 Upper chuck jaws 48 Lower chuck jaw 57 Reception wall 58 Regulatory Wall

Claims

1. A handling device for handling a movable bracket (22) having a pair of upper and lower support pipes (23, 24) connected to a support body (21), a moving means (34) for moving the movable tip (32); a bracket hand (33) provided at the movable tip (32) and gripping the movable bracket (22); Equipped with When one of the upper and lower support pipes (23, 24) is defined as a first pipe (42) and the other as a second pipe (43), the bracket hand (33) comprises a chuck portion (37) that grips and holds the first pipe (42) and a restricting portion (38) that restricts movement of the second pipe (43) in a direction around the axis of the first pipe (42) gripped and held by the chuck portion (37), The bracket hand (33) has a hand base (36) fixed to the movable tip (32), and a chuck portion (37) is provided on the upper side of the hand base (36) and a regulating portion (38) is provided on the lower side thereof. The hand base (36) includes a connecting shaft (39) connected to the movable tip (32) and a lower base plate (41) provided downward from the connecting shaft (39); The regulating portion (38) includes a regulating frame (56) provided on a slider (55) of a rodless cylinder (54) fixed to the lower base plate (41) so as to be vertically displaceable; The regulating frame (56) includes a receiving wall (57) that is oriented toward the chuck portion (37) and receives and holds the second pipe (43) in the vertical direction, and a pair of front and rear regulating walls (58, 58) that extend upward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall (57) and receive the second pipe (43) in the front and rear direction. A buffer structure including a connecting frame (59) connected to the slider (55) is provided below the regulating frame (56), and the buffer structure supports the regulating frame (56) so that it can float up and down relative to the connecting frame (59).

2. The buffer structure comprises a lower wall (60) arranged below the receiving wall (57), a connecting frame (59) connected to the slider (55), a float shaft (62) fixed to the underside of the receiving wall (57) in a state where it is inserted into a float hole (63) formed through the lower wall (60), and a rubber bush (61) formed in a cylindrical shape and arranged between the lower wall (60) and the receiving wall (57) in a state where the float shaft (62) is inserted into the cylinder; 2. A handling device according to claim 1, wherein the regulating frame (56) is supported so as to be vertically floatable relative to the connecting frame (59) by being biased upward by the rubber bushing (61).

3. The chuck portion (37) includes upper chuck claws (47) and lower chuck claws (48) that extend forward and clamp and hold the first pipe (42) from above and below, 3. A handling device according to claim 1, wherein the relative position of the receiving wall (57) with respect to the chuck portion (37) is configured so that it can be displaced toward or away from the chuck portion (37) in the vertical direction.

4. 4. A handling device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein both chuck jaws (47, 48) of the chuck portion (37) are configured to move toward or away from each other in synchronization with each other.

5. 5. A handling device according to claim 1, wherein the moving means (34) comprises an industrial robot (31).

Images