Abrasive blasting machine for large workpiece surfaces

Abstract

The subject of the invention is an abrasive blasting machine for the surface of large workpieces, the machine comprising a housing (O) constituting a working chamber, a dynamic mechanism for moving the actuator, an abrasive circulation system and an actuator feed system for the circulated abrasive, characterized in that the dynamic mechanism is a multi-part dynamic mechanism (MK) with at least four axes, and the actuator is an impact turbine (T) which generates and directs the treatment tool towards the workpiece.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The object of the invention is an abrasive blast treatment machine for the surfaces of large workpieces.

[0002] Definition: As used herein, the term large workpiece means a workpiece having each of its three dimensions of at least 1000 mm and whose surface is subjected to an abrasive blast treatment. The term effector or end effector should be understood as an abrasive blasting process execution system. The term abrasive jet is a jet of abrasive particles with kinetic energy generated by an end effector.

[0003] The term processing tool refers to the abrasive jet generated by the actuator, which jet directly impacts the surface of the workpiece. In the following, the terms abrasive jet and processing tool will be used interchangeably. A hot spot is an area of ​​the processing tool at the point of impact with the workpiece surface. Variations in the kinematic parameters of the abrasive jet impart impact on the working area. The term velocity vector of the process tool refers to the sum of the velocity vectors of each particle of the abrasive jet, which determines the point and direction of impact of the process tool.

[0004] The term air treatment refers to air blast treatment using shot blast nozzles. In air abrasive blast treatment technology, the kinetic energy of the abrasive is provided by compressed air. The abrasive is ejected at high velocity from the shot blast nozzle and is delivered by a flexible hose that conveys the abrasive-air mixture. (Shot blast blast gun) The actuator, or shot injection nozzle, is at the end of the air hose through which the abrasive is ejected with kinetic energy. It is a type of actuator used in air abrasive injection processes. The shot injection nozzle is usually a Venturi tube made of a wear-resistant material. It is a type of actuator used in air abrasive injection processes. Air blast chambers define a commonly used processing machine capable of air processing large workpieces.

[0005] The term rotating wheel processing refers to mechanical abrasive blast processing with an impact turbine. An actuator or impact turbine is a device driven by an electric motor that imparts kinetic energy to the abrasive material by rotating a bladed impact wheel. It is one type of actuator used in rotating wheel abrasive blasting processes. The term rotary wheel blast machine refers to a commonly used machine designed for rotary wheel processing. The space in which the workpiece moves within or through and is exposed to the impulse turbine is called the hot zone of the rotary wheel blast machine.

[0006] The present invention relates to a rotating wheel abrasive blasting technology used for the surface preparation of large workpieces. Abrasive blasting is a mechanical method used to achieve a variety of treatment effects, including the removal of impurities (i.e., removal of rust, scale, or old coatings), surface pretreatment (roughening) prior to the application of protective and / or decorative metal layers, and possibly smoothing surface irregularities, removing impurities, shaping, or strengthening. Any abrasive or other treatment medium can be used as the abrasive. Abrasive blasting technology is particularly useful for the surface preparation of large workpieces because it is widely used industrially in both production and repair processes. In addition to the rotary wheel technique, the pneumatic technique is also widely used. In the pneumatic technique, kinetic energy is imparted by compressed air, while in the rotary wheel technique, a turbine is used to generate an abrasive jet, where the elliptical hot spot generated on the treatment surface is larger than the circular spot generated by the nozzle in the pneumatic technique. The air nozzle can be operated manually, or the movement of the air nozzle within the shot chamber can be automated and performed by a robot.

[0007] Shot chambers for the air treatment of large workpieces, as known from the state of the art, include a processing chamber (working room) equipped with a dust filtering system, an abrasive circulation system, one or more air jets, a control system, and an execution system. The working room is a space suitable for manual operation (operator) or control due to the high speed of the abrasive jets and the associated intense noise and dust generation. The abrasive impact is dispersed within the working room. The working room is a space that can withstand the mechanical impact of the abrasive. An example of a working room is a steel structure protected from the inside by rubber panels. The working room is equipped with an access gate, a service door, and lighting. Examples of abrasive circulation systems exist, among others, together with a floor-mounted (horizontal) abrasive transport system, a vertical abrasive transport system, a cleaning system (dust removal and abrasive particle size classification), and a container for cleaned abrasive. An example of an above-ground abrasive transport system is a scraper bar that moves in a passage. The execution system is a jet nozzle (actuator or end effector) fed with an unrestricted air hose (shot gun) connected to an air cleaner. The workpiece is in a fixed position, and the actuator is movable inside the processing chamber to direct the processing tool (abrasive jet) at selected surfaces of the workpiece. In other words, the processing tool is movable and guided. The tool's approach direction can be directed in all directions, i.e., it can be orientated arbitrarily. The speed-direction module of the processing tool is changed by changing the abrasive speed (work pressure) or its distance from the processing surface. The actuator in the processing chamber is moved within the working space. Solutions are known in which large workpieces are processed in a shot chamber equipped with one or more shot nozzles to increase processing efficiency. The jet nozzles are movable and manually controlled by an operator holding the gun, or in other solutions, the shot nozzles are commanded by a controlled mechanism (e.g., a robot) that tracks or follows a developed program. The workpiece can be rotated independently of the nozzle movement.

[0008] In rotating wheel technology, the actuator is an impact turbine, which uses a combination of radial and tangential forces to impart kinetic energy to the abrasive material through a vaned rotating wheel. Inside the impact turbine body is a separating rotor, coaxial with the impact wheel, which distributes the abrasive material and provides its initial direction and acceleration. A coaxially positioned control sleeve contains an abrasive ejection window through which the abrasive material is ejected. The position of this sleeve determines the angle of the abrasive jet toward the workpiece.

[0009] In prior art rotary wheel injectors, unlike air chambers, the actuator (impact turbine) is in a fixed position, and the workpiece to be treated is set in motion so that its surface is exposed in front of the treatment tool (abrasive jet) generated by the actuator. In other words, the treatment tool is stationary. The tool approaches in one direction. The variation of the treatment tool's velocity vector module can be achieved by changing the jet speed (variable speed of the rotating wheel). In known rotary wheel injectors, the actuator is installed outside the working space. In exceptional cases, the actuator can have a variable angle of interaction (vector) by changing the angle of the rotor plane, by changing the position of the control sleeve, or by changing the position of the entire turbine. In both cases, the range of movement is limited by the fixed position of the turbine and its location outside the treatment chamber. [Background technology]

[0010] EP 3132895 discloses a sand injection system consisting of an impact turbine driven by an axially positioned drive motor. The impact turbine is mounted in the room where the cleaning takes place. The impact turbine is capable of pendulum motion within a limited range, its angular displacement being perpendicular to the rotor plane.

[0011] The document US3604157A discloses a surface treatment device, which comprises a treatment chamber and a means for transporting a workpiece having a surface to be treated in the treatment chamber. For cleaning, an impulse turbine is used, which can perform a reciprocating motion within a limited range. The turbine is designed to approach a selected surface of the workpiece.

[0012] There are known solutions when the treatment of large workpieces is carried out with rotary wheel jet machines, where a number of impact turbines are usually arranged to create an impact field of the tool (abrasive jet) in which the workpiece is usually moved in rotation or linearly, in this way the abrasive jet covers the surface of the moving treated workpiece.

[0013] There are examples known from the state of the art in which the impulse turbine is arranged on a linear axis in a working housing, but this solution has a very limited range of application. The advantage of an air blast chamber when treating large workpieces is that the chamber is virtually free of size constraints, allowing the abrasive jet to be optimally aimed at the surface being treated. However, the advantage of a rotary wheel blast machine is that the process is maintenance-free and requires relatively little energy to clean the same surface.

[0014] Due to their weight, impulse turbines cannot be manually operated (except in horizontal plane jet applications), and for this reason the processing workpiece is usually moved in front of a stationary turbine.

[0015] Processing using stationary impulse turbines becomes less energy efficient when workpieces smaller than the nominal size of the chamber allow are processed within a particular working space. This is because stationary turbines project abrasive material in a limited manner, and some of the abrasive material does not strike the workpiece surface. To reduce this undesirable phenomenon, operations such as turning off selected turbines or redirecting the abrasive jet are used for smaller workpieces. This is not always possible, especially when the distance between the turbine and the workpiece is constant, which is a consequence of the stationary nature of the turbines.

[0016] The disadvantages of manual air treatment are its energy consumption and laboriousness. Robotizing the process offers slight improvements in terms of energy (provided that the path is optimally chosen between adjacent overlapping points). However, the ratio between the size of the hotspot and the size of the surface being treated makes programming very laborious. The air shot-emitting robot must move at high speed over a relatively long trajectory. However, the size of the workpiece is a constraint in rotary wheel blast treatment. This is because the number of turbines must be increased for large or complex workpieces. This is associated with increased complexity of the treatment machine, very high power requirements beyond the machine's performance requirements, non-uniform treatment parameters depending on the distance of the treatment surface from the turbines, reduced energy efficiency, and excessive abrasive consumption when smaller-than-nominal workpieces are treated.

[0017] It is widely recognized that the energy efficiency of rotary wheel blast processing is many orders of magnitude higher than that of air processing. Impulse turbines, which require relatively low energy, generate processing tools (abrasive jets) with much larger and more uniform impacts. However, the use of impulse turbines in currently known solutions is limited by their weight (they cannot be operated manually) and by currently known methods of delivering abrasives. Some users of abrasive blast processors have a secondary requirement for processors equipped with impulse turbines (actuators): the ability to move the impulse turbine within the workspace using a dynamic mechanism to provide processing tools (abrasive jets) with variable impact positions. Summary of the Invention

[0018] The gist of this invention is a treating machine for abrasive blast treating the surface of a large workpiece, the treating machine including a housing forming a working chamber, a dynamic mechanism for moving the actuator, an abrasive circulating system, a system for feeding the circulated abrasive to the actuator, a filtering system for the working chamber, the dynamic mechanism, and a machine control system.

[0019] The treating machine is characterized by a dynamic mechanism controlled multi-part mechanism controlled in at least four axes, the end of which is an actuator, the actuator being an impulse turbine, which generates a treating tool and directs it towards the workpiece, whereby the actuator with its various positions and orientations in interaction results in a treating tool (abrasive jet) optimally directed towards the surface of the workpiece placed in the working chamber.

[0020] Preferably, the multi-part dynamic mechanism comprises a wide-range dynamic mechanism and a narrow-range dynamic mechanism, the wide-range dynamic mechanism being in a coordinate system of orthogonal axes in a horizontal plane, the narrow-range dynamic mechanism being attached to the wide-range dynamic mechanism and moving the attached impulse turbine in a narrow range, such that the multi-part dynamic mechanism provides the impulse turbine with at least four degrees of freedom.

[0021] Preferably, the narrow range dynamic mechanism includes a telescoping mechanism that moves the impulse turbine vertically and a rotation mechanism that rotates the telescoping mechanism about its vertical axis, providing the impulse turbine of the narrow range dynamic mechanism with two degrees of freedom.

[0022] The wide-area dynamic mechanism may include a track mounted on the housing, a running beam adapted to move along the track, and a running trolley adapted to move along the running beam, the running trolley carrying the narrow-area dynamic mechanism, the wide-area dynamic mechanism providing the narrow-area dynamic mechanism with two degrees of freedom.

[0023] The impulse turbine may include a jet ejection angle adjustment mechanism that includes a control sleeve with an outlet opening and a drive unit that changes the angular position of the control sleeve to orient the processing tool, thereby providing the processing tool with an additional degree of freedom relative to the impulse turbine.

[0024] The multi-part dynamic mechanism may include a local mechanism that deflects the impulse turbine relative to a horizontal axis on the arm, thereby changing the distance between the impulse turbine and the vertical axis about which the telescoping mechanism rotates, thereby providing additional degrees of freedom to the impulse turbine and the processing tool.

[0025] The multi-part dynamic mechanism may comprise a local mechanism for controlling the angular movement of the impulse turbine about an arm axis, the arm axis being the longitudinal axis of the arm on which the impulse turbine is disposed, thereby providing an additional degree of freedom for the impulse turbine and the processing tool. The local mechanism allows for changing the orientation of the elliptical hot spot on the processing surface, thereby providing an additional degree of freedom for the processing tool.

[0026] The processor may be characterized as follows: a system for feeding an abrasive material to an impact turbine includes a wide-area assembly and a narrow-area assembly with a gravity-feed hose disposed along the telescopic assembly, the gravity-feed hose having an upper section, a lower section, and an open section having a variable length depending on the extension of the telescopic assembly; the wide-area assembly of the feeding system may be associated with a wide-area dynamic mechanism, and the narrow-area assembly of the feeding system may be associated with a narrow-area dynamic mechanism.

[0027] At an upper section of the gravity-fed hose, the upper longitudinal passage of the gravity-fed hose can be attached to the upper portion of the telescoping assembly, while at a lower section of the gravity-fed hose, the lower longitudinal passage of the gravity-fed hose can be positioned adjacent to the impulse turbine. The upper and lower longitudinal passages are detachable and positioned at a variable distance from each other depending on the position of the telescoping assembly, and the outlet from the upper longitudinal passage and the inlet to the lower longitudinal passage are coaxially positioned.

[0028] The upper portion of the gravity feed hose may be provided with an abrasive control valve. The narrow area turbine feed assembly may include an intermediate reservoir adapted for gravity feeding of the feed hose. The intermediate tank is attached to the telescoping assembly and is rotatable with the telescoping assembly.

[0029] The wide area turbine feed assembly may include a main tank, a longitudinal belt conveyor positioned along the track for receiving abrasive material from the main tank, and a transverse belt conveyor positioned along the traveling beam. The traveling beam may include scraper bars for dropping the abrasive material from the longitudinal belt conveyor onto the transverse belt conveyor, and the traveling trolley may further include scraper bars for dropping the abrasive material from the transverse belt conveyor into the intermediate tank.

[0030] The wide area turbine feed assembly may include a main tank, with an intermediate tank adapted to feed abrasive material to the impact turbine with periodic pauses or for periodic feed directly from the main tank.

[0031] The wide area turbine feed assembly may include a main tank and a flexible air hose connected to the main tank, the outlet of which may be directed to an intermediate tank.

[0032] The abrasive circulation system may include a scraped bed system (horizontal) for conveying the abrasive with scraping bars moving within the passages.

[0033] The abrasive circulation system may include an auxiliary lift connected to the main tank and using a longitudinal belt conveyor to deliver the abrasive through a control valve.

[0034] The present invention meets the current need for solutions in the field of efficient, safe, energy-saving, and automated abrasive treatment processes for large workpieces. For such large workpieces, air treatment is not efficient or economical enough, and treatment with existing rotary wheel jet machines, which involve the operation of an impact turbine located outside the work chamber, is inefficient or even impossible. Within the treatment space, a highly efficient and high-energy actuator (impact turbine) is moved via tracking control or an automatic dynamic mechanism to optimally impact the treatment tool (abrasive jet) onto the surface to be treated. The treatment machine of the present invention allows for efficient use of the actuator while holding the workpiece in a fixed position during treatment. The impact turbine can be moved and oriented in any direction within the work chamber, its tool approach vector can be changed at the mounting point, and its direction and base unit can be changed to optimize its efficiency for selective treatment and improve treatment uniformity, or vice versa, simultaneously providing various applications or uses of the machine for large workpieces with complex shapes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] The invention is described in more detail in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows in perspective view a treatment machine for the abrasive blast treatment of the surface of large workpieces. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 shows the multi-part dynamic mechanism of the processor according to FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a zone mechanism for varying the angle of ejection of an abrasive jet from an impulse turbine. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows the impulse turbine in a cross section perpendicular to its axis and in an axial cross section. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows the impulse turbine in a cross section perpendicular to its axis and in an axial cross section. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a variant of the impulse turbine drive unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a variant of the impulse turbine drive unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows the local mechanism for the distance movement of the impulse turbine relative to the telescopic longitudinal axis. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows a local mechanism for changing the angular position of the impulse turbine between 0 and 90 degrees around the axis of the locally attached arm. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a local mechanism for changing the angular position of the impulse turbine between 0 and 90 degrees around the axis of the locally attached arm. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows the narrow area assembly, which is the system that delivers the abrasive material to the impulse turbine. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the narrow area assembly, which is the system that delivers the abrasive material to the impulse turbine. [Figure 13] 1 shows a feeding system with a wide-area assembly together with a modified belt conveyor. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows a feeding system with a wide-area assembly together with a modified belt conveyor. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 shows a delivery system with a wide-area assembly in a periodic delivery variant. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 shows a delivery system with a wide-area assembly in a periodic delivery variant. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 shows a delivery system with a wide-area assembly in the air delivery variant. [Figure 18]FIG. 18 shows a modified abrasive feed system to the impact turbine with a wide belt assembly and a lowered main abrasive tank. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a basic type of processor M. The processor M comprises a housing O, which encloses a space constituting a working chamber in which the surface of the workpiece is treated with an abrasive material. For clarity, the processor is shown without its side walls. An access gate 1 is typically provided on the front or rear wall, through which the workpieces are delivered to the working chamber. Additionally, the processor is equipped with a typical filter ventilation system (not shown), which ensures dust removal within the working chamber. The processor can be equipped with any known filter ventilation unit suitable for the dust generated during the abrasive blasting process. The working chamber is equipped with a light source 2. The processor comprises an abrasive circulation system UR. This circulation system UR includes a scraper bed system 3 for transporting the abrasive material, as known, for example, from patent application P402365. However, any known scraper bed system for transporting the abrasive material can be used with this processor. The abrasive circulation system also performs the task of grading and cleaning the abrasive material. Classification targets include large debris (foreign matter) generated during processing and fine debris (dust) formed during processing, including abrasive grinding.

[0037] 1 shows a typical workpiece P to be processed. The illustrated workpiece P is a large workpiece, e.g., greater than 1000 mm in each of its three geometric dimensions, although the processor can be used for workpieces of any size. The workpiece P is positioned such that a dynamic mechanism can access the processing tools to the surface to be processed, and the dynamic mechanism is otherwise designed for the processing needs of the particular workpiece.

[0038] According to the invention, the treatment machine comprises an actuator in the form of an impact turbine T, which generates a treatment tool in the form of an abrasive jet S. The impact turbine T is moved by a multi-part dynamic mechanism MK, in which a distinction can be made between a wide-area dynamic mechanism MG and a narrow-area dynamic mechanism MR. The wide-area dynamic mechanism MG is used to perform the movement that enables the movement of the narrow-area dynamic mechanism MR, while the narrow-area dynamic mechanism MR enables the positioning and orientation of the impact turbine in space. The dynamic elements of the wide-area dynamic mechanism MG and the dynamic elements of the narrow-area dynamic mechanism MR together constitute the multi-part dynamic mechanism MK. Such a multi-part dynamic mechanism MK has a support structure K, which is the built-in structure (cover and gate) of the working chamber in which the abrasive blast treatment is carried out (FIG. 1). The wide-area dynamic mechanism MG consists of a traveling beam 4 movably mounted along a track 5 for movement in the X direction and a traveling trolley 6 movably mounted on the traveling beam 4 for movement in the Y direction. In the embodiment shown, the wide-area dynamic mechanism MG moves the narrow-area dynamic mechanism MR in Cartesian coordinates, i.e., in two axes X and Y (planes substantially parallel to the ground). The wide-area dynamic mechanism MG gives two degrees of freedom to the narrow-area dynamic mechanism MR mounted on it. In the embodiment shown, the track 5, the traveling beam 4 and the traveling trolley 6 are in the form of a gantry crane, but their drive mechanisms are not shown in the drawings.

[0039] The narrow-range dynamic mechanism MR allows the height and orientation of the impulse turbine T to be changed. In the illustrated embodiment, the narrow-range dynamic mechanism MR is mounted on a traveling trolley 6. The narrow-range dynamic mechanism MR comprises a telescopic assembly 7 (FIG. 2) and a rotating assembly 8 on which the telescopic assembly 7 is mounted. The rotating assembly 8 serves to rotate the telescopic assembly 7. A transmission 9 driven by a motor 10 is used to effect this rotational movement. The impulse turbine T is mounted on a portion 11 of the telescopic assembly 7. The rotatably mounted telescopic assembly 7 allows the impulse turbine T to move in the Z axis. In the illustrated embodiment, the impulse turbine T can rotate through an angle Y ranging from +180 degrees to -180 degrees, i.e., within the full range of angles. The rotatably mounted telescopic assembly 7 allows the impulse turbine T to move, i.e., to guide the impulse turbine T toward the surface of the workpiece P to be processed. The narrow-range dynamic mechanism MR thus provides the impulse turbine T with two degrees of freedom. Thanks to the multi-part dynamic mechanism MK, which is composed of the wide-range dynamic mechanism MG and the narrow-range dynamic mechanism MR, the impulse turbine T can move in a three-dimensional X, Y, Z coordinate system and rotate about a vertical axis, so that, together, the multi-part dynamic mechanism MK gives the impulse turbine T four degrees of freedom. In other words, the multi-part dynamic mechanism MK is a four-axis mechanism.

[0040] The impulse turbine T can include a control mechanism that changes the angle of the processing tool for a fixed position impulse turbine, thereby providing the processing tool with additional degrees of angular freedom. Additionally, the actuator may include a control mechanism for changing the strength or shape of the processing tool.

[0041] The abrasive jet S generated by the impact turbine T is shown in FIG. 3 as the angular extent of the abrasive vector projected by the impact wheel 12 that has sufficient energy to impinge on the treatment surface. In the preceding discussion, the direction of the treatment tool, as described by axis p, was considered to coincide with the total abrasive velocity vector of the abrasive jet projected by the turbine at a particular work position. The p axis represents the velocity vector of the abrasive emerging from the impact wheel 12 of the impact turbine T. The impact turbine T allows for a change in the feed direction of the abrasive jet S, i.e., a change in the angle of the treatment tool S, without changing the position of the turbine itself. In the impact turbine T, the jet of abrasive S is generated by a rotating impact wheel 12 with blades 13 (FIG. 4) that rotates about axis t. The change in direction of the abrasive jet S, as described by axis p, is achieved by a jet S deflection mechanism KS. The jet S deflection mechanism KS comprises a rotatably mounted control sleeve 14 having an outlet 15 through which the abrasive is ejected. The position of this control sleeve 14 is changed by a device 16 consisting of a worm wheel 17 cooperating with a worm 18 driven by a motor 19 (Fig. 3). The impulse turbine T and the jet S deflection mechanism KS are shown in section AA in Fig. 5. The jet S deflection mechanism KS can be equipped with other drive units. The abrasive jet S can be directed upwards (rotated clockwise in Fig. 3) or downwards (counterclockwise) by rotating the control sleeve 14 about the axis t by the drive device 16. Figure 3 shows the abrasive jet S in bold while the control sleeve 14 is in the intermediate position, and the two positions of the abrasive jet S', S" after the control sleeve 14 has rotated to the two extreme positions in thin lines. The p' axis represents the maximum ascent of the abrasive jet S', which is upward by an angle β of approximately 50 degrees relative to the intermediate position of the abrasive jet S, which is depicted by the axis p. The p" axis represents the maximum descent of the abrasive jet S", which is downward by an angle β of approximately 50 degrees relative to the intermediate position of the abrasive jet S. The jet S direction-changing mechanism KS changes the direction of the velocity vector of the abrasive jet S, i.e., it gives the jet S a degree of freedom, i.e., rotation, about the axis t.The angular position-changing mechanism KS of the control sleeve 14 provides a degree of freedom for the abrasive jet S without changing the position of the turbine. The abrasive jet S has five degrees of freedom provided by the multi-part dynamic mechanism MK and the direction-changing mechanism KS. The use of the direction-changing mechanism KS for the abrasive jet S allows the angle of the velocity vector V of the processing tool to be changed with respect to the rotation axis t of the rotating disk without involving a narrow-range dynamic mechanism. A wide range of changes in the strength of the processing tool are made by changing the rotational speed of the impact wheel 12. By changing the orientation of the tool, it is possible to control the turbine in such a way as to avoid collisions between the turbine and the telescopic assembly to which the workpiece is attached.

[0042] The impulse turbine T is rotated about the t-axis by a transmission. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the impulse turbine T is driven by a motor 20 via a belt transmission 21 (although the drive transmission from the engine to the belt transmission 21 is not shown). In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the impulse turbine T is driven by a motor 22 located on the t-axis.

[0043] The multi-part dynamic mechanism MK of the abrasive blast processor, which includes a wide-area dynamic mechanism MG and a narrow-area dynamic mechanism MR, may additionally include a local dynamic mechanism ML mounted on the narrow-area dynamic mechanism MR. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the local dynamic mechanism ML is in the form of a mechanism for deflecting the impact turbine T and includes a rotating arm 23 mounted on a substantially horizontal m-axis at the lowest end 11 of the telescopic assembly 7; for simplicity's sake, the drive mechanism for the rotating mechanism is not shown. The drive mechanism can be hidden inside the arm 23. The impact turbine T is mounted at the end of the arm 23, whose conventional axis is indicated as r and passes through the t-axis of rotation of the impact turbine T and the m-axis of rotation of the rotating arm. By rotation, the arm 23 can be oriented vertically downwards, a position depicted by the r'-axis. The arm can be rotated upwards by an angle of 90 degrees from the r-axis to the r"-axis. The narrow dynamic mechanism ML allows the impulse turbine T to move away from the telescopic axis belonging to the narrow dynamic mechanism MR. The local dynamic mechanism ML changes the angular position of the arm 23 with respect to the horizontal plane. The local dynamic mechanism ML gives the impulse turbine T an additional degree of freedom, namely rotation about the m-axis. Thus, the impulse turbine T is given five degrees of freedom by the multi-part dynamic mechanism MK and the narrow dynamic mechanism ML. By using the jet S direction change mechanism KS, the processing tool has six degrees of freedom.

[0044] 9 and 10 show a local mechanism RS for controlling the angular motion of the impulse turbine T about the r-axis, which is the longitudinal axis of the arm 23 on which the impulse turbine T is mounted. Any known mechanism concealed within the arm 23 can be used to effect this motion. The torsional motion mechanism RS of the impulse turbine T allows the impulse turbine T to rotate through an angle φ in the range of 0 to 90 degrees, thereby allowing the abrasive jet S to rotate about the r-axis. The torsional motion mechanism RS of the impulse turbine T thus provides an additional degree of freedom to the processing tool S.

[0045] The impulse turbine T can therefore direct the abrasive jet at the workpiece both from the side, below and above. The impulse turbine T can perform more complex local movements, for example inside the workpiece.

[0046] The feed system F for feeding abrasive material to the impact turbine T includes a wide-area feed assembly FG, hereinafter referred to as wide-area assembly FG, and a narrow-area feed assembly FR, hereinafter referred to as narrow-area assembly FR. The wide-area assembly FG is coupled to the wide-area dynamic mechanism MG and feeds abrasive material to the narrow-area assembly FR, which is coupled to the narrow-area dynamic mechanism MR. An embodiment of the feed system F is described later in this specification.

[0047] The narrow-area assembly FR, which feeds the impulse turbine, includes an intermediate tank 24 disposed on the telescopic assembly 7 (FIG. 11). The intermediate tank 24 is mounted on the upper surface of the telescopic assembly 7 and rotates therewith. The intermediate tank 24 is open from the top and is filled from above by the wide-area assembly FG. While the intermediate tank 24 can have any shape, in the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate tank 24 is cylindrical. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the narrow-area assembly FR includes a gravity-feed hose PG that feeds the abrasive material to the impact turbine T. The gravity-feed hose PG includes an upper section 50 and a lower section 51. The upper section 50 includes an upper inclined passage 25 directly connected to the intermediate tank 24 and an upper vertical passage 26 connected to the upper inclined passage 25, the upper vertical passage 26 having an outlet 27. The lower section 51 includes a lower vertical passage 28 having an inlet 29 and a lower inclined passage 30 connected to the lower vertical passage 28. The lower inclined passage 30 is positioned at the position of the impact turbine T and feeds abrasive to the impact turbine T. A variable-length open section 52 exists between the outlet 27 from the upper section 50 and the inlet 29 to the lower section 51. The gravity feed hose PG may be equipped with an abrasive control valve 31 located directly above the outlet 27 from the vertical passage 26. The abrasive valve may be located directly beside the tank 24. The tank 24 and the gravity feed hose PG rotate together with the telescopic assembly 7, and when the telescopic assembly 7 is in the extended position, the lower vertical passage 28, together with the lower inclined passage 30, moves away from the upper vertical passage 26. The lower inclined passage 30 may be attached to the lowest element 11 of the telescopic assembly 7. The upper vertical passage 26 and the upper inclined passage 25 may be mounted on the traveling trolley 6. The outlet 27 of the upper longitudinal passage 26 and the inlet 29 of the lower longitudinal passage 28 are arranged coaxially with each other. The outlet 27 may be formed in the shape of a (converging) cone, while the inlet 29 may be formed in the shape of a (diverging) cone. The upper longitudinal passage 26 and the lower longitudinal passage 28, and therefore the outlet 27 and the inlet 29, vary in distance from each other depending on the position of the telescopic assembly 7, i.e., the degree of extension of the movable elements of the telescopic assembly 7. In Figure 2, the impulse turbine T is in its highest position, and the outlet 27 and the inlet 29 are pressed together at the smallest distance. In Figures 1 and 11, the outlet 27 and the inlet 29 are as far apart as possible.During machining, the abrasive material escapes from the upper vertical passage 26 through the outlet 27, falls into the air by gravity without any guidance through the opening 52, and finally falls into the inlet 29 of the lower vertical passage 28. The abrasive material flowing into the lower vertical passage 28 further falls into the lower inclined passage 30 and then into the impact turbine T. The lower inclined passage 30 is inclined at an angle θ of at least 30 degrees, preferably 35 degrees, relative to the lower vertical passage 28, so that the abrasive material is poured directly into the impact turbine T.

[0048] The global feed assembly FG to the impulse turbine delivers abrasive material to an intermediate tank 24, which provides a buffer for the movement of the global dynamic mechanism MG.

[0049] In the embodiment of the processor M shown in Figures 13 and 14, the feed system F for feeding abrasive material to the impact turbine T comprises a wide assembly FG and a narrow assembly FR, as described above. The wide assembly FG comprises a main tank 32, a longitudinal belt conveyor 33 arranged along the housing wall O, and a transverse belt conveyor 34 arranged along the traveling beam 4, the conveyors 33 and 34 feeding the abrasive material from the main tank 32 to an intermediate tank 24 arranged on the telescopic assembly 7 in the narrow assembly FR for feeding the impact turbine. The abrasive material is fed from the main tank 32 to the longitudinal belt conveyor 33 through a hopper terminated by a control valve 35. The traveling beam 4 is equipped with scraping bars 36, which redirect the abrasive material from the longitudinal belt conveyor 33 to the transverse belt conveyor 34. The traveling trolley 6 is equipped with scraping bars 37, which redirect the abrasive material from the transverse belt conveyor 34 to the intermediate tank 24. The abrasive material is fed to the intermediate tank 24 in such a way that the turbine can operate uninterrupted, taking into account momentary changes in abrasive demand. The abrasive material is moved along the longitudinal belt conveyor 33 along path Tx and then along the transverse belt conveyor 34 along path Ty. A typical position of the narrow-zone dynamic mechanism MR is shown in FIG. 13. In FIG. 14, another position of the narrow-zone dynamic mechanism MR is shown, in which the abrasive material is moved along the shortened path Tx and along the lengthened path Ty, and the gravity feed hose PG is shortened. The movement of the abrasive material along paths Tx and Ty is synchronized with the receiving capacity of the narrow-zone assembly FR and the position and direction of the movement of the wide-zone dynamic mechanism MG.

[0050] In the embodiment of processor M' shown in Figures 15 and 16, the feed system F' for feeding abrasive material to the impact turbine T comprises a wide-area assembly FG' and a narrow-area assembly FR, as described above. The wide-area assembly FG' comprises a main tank 32. Periodic refilling of the intermediate tank 24 in the narrow-area assembly FR from the main tank 32 occurs. Figure 15 shows the wide-area dynamic mechanism MG and wide-area assembly FG' in a typical operating position, i.e., feeding the impact turbine T during processing of a workpiece P. The local assembly FR and the impact turbine T operate autonomously, and the length of the operating cycle of the impact turbine T is determined by the required abrasive-feed capacity during processing and the capacity of the intermediate tank 24. When the amount of abrasive material stored in the intermediate tank 24 is used up, processing is interrupted and the intermediate tank 24 is refilled. FIG. 16 shows the global dynamic mechanism MG in the fill position, where abrasive material is pumped from the main tank 32 to the intermediate tank 24 via a hopper terminated in a control valve 35.

[0051] In the embodiment of the processor M" shown in Figure 17, the feed system F" for feeding the abrasive material to the impact turbine T comprises the wide-area assembly FG" and the narrow-area assembly FR as described above. The wide-area assembly FG" comprises a main tank 38 and a flexible air hose 41. An outlet 39 of this main tank 38 is connected by a hose 40 to the flexible air hose 41, and an outlet 42 of the flexible air hose 41 is directed directly to the intermediate tank 24 in the narrow-area assembly FR. Refilling of the intermediate tank 24 is continuous. The flexible air hose 41 is adapted to efficiently feed the abrasive material within the full range of motion performed by the wide-area dynamic mechanism MG. The flexible air hose 41 is suspended on rails 48, 49 so as to form a zigzag line, and the flexible air hose 41 extends along the wall of the housing O" and along the traveling beam 4.

[0052] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 18, the processor M" is equipped with a feed system F" including an abrasive circulation system UR, which includes a floor scraping system 3 for transporting the abrasive, a gravity lift 43, an abrasive separator 44, and a main tank 45. In the separator 44, the abrasive is washed and classified to separate impurities and abrasive fragments of abnormal shape or size. Foreign matter formed during processing is separated through a vibrating or rotating sieve on its base frame or on a sieve system that is cleaned manually or automatically. In the embodiment shown, an auxiliary lift 46 is used to connect the main tank 45, which feeds the abrasive, to the longitudinal belt conveyor 33 via a control valve 47, so that the separator 44 and the valved main tank 45 can be placed in a lower position and the height of the processor can be lowered. The feed system F" used is designed to continuously feed the abrasive.

[0053] The processor M may include one or more parallel abrasive transport paths and transverse abrasive transport paths as disclosed in P402365. The abrasive transport paths are preferably located within the floor. Abrasive transport across the horizontal floor surface is preferably achieved by a scraping system operating in a reciprocating motion.

[0054] Other abrasive circulation systems may be used as part of the practice of this invention.

[0055] To control the motion of the impulse turbine, it is necessary to control the individual components of the multi-part dynamic mechanism. For this purpose, commercially available programmable controllers can be used, which perform simple and inverse dynamic processes using the servo drives of the mechanism components. The controller then implements its own dynamic chain using these components, controlling the tool or turbine center position (TCP) and calculating the position of each axis of the system. The skilled person will appreciate that it would be possible to adapt commercially available control and monitoring systems for machine systems according to the present invention, for example using SEW-EURODRIVE products in the form of "multi-motion" motion control platforms with additional "dynamic" technology components.

Claims

1. An abrasive blast treatment machine for the surface of a large workpiece, comprising: a housing (O) constituting a working chamber; a dynamic mechanism for moving an actuator; an abrasive circulation system (UR); a system for feeding the circulated abrasive to the actuator; a cleaning system for the working chamber; and a control system, wherein the dynamic mechanism comprises a multi-part dynamic mechanism (MK) controlled in at least four axes, and the actuator is an impact turbine (T), which generates a treatment tool and directs the treatment tool towards the workpiece; The multi-part dynamic mechanism (MK) comprises a telescopic assembly (7) that moves the impulse turbine (T) longitudinally; The abrasive feeder further comprises a feed system (F) for feeding the abrasive material, the feed system (F) comprising a wide assembly (FG) and a narrow assembly (FR) having a gravity feed hose (PG) arranged along the outside of the telescopic assembly (7), the gravity feed hose (PG) having an upper portion (50), a lower portion (51) and an open portion (52) having a variable length depending on the extension of the telescopic assembly (7); In the upper section (50), an upper vertical passage (26) of the gravity-fed hose (PG) is attached to the upper section of the telescopic assembly (7), while in the lower section (51), a lower vertical passage (28) of the gravity-fed hose (PG) is arranged at the position of the impulse turbine (T), the upper vertical passage (26) and the lower vertical passage (28) are detachable and positioned at a variable distance from each other depending on the position of the telescopic assembly (7), and an outlet (27) from the upper vertical passage (26) and an inlet (29) to the lower vertical passage (28) are arranged coaxially.

2. 2. The processing machine of claim 1, wherein the multi-part dynamic mechanism (MK) comprises a wide-range dynamic mechanism (MG) and a narrow-range dynamic mechanism (MR), the wide-range dynamic mechanism (MG) being in a two-axis Cartesian coordinate system in a horizontal plane, the narrow-range dynamic mechanism (MR) being attached to the wide-range dynamic mechanism (MG) and mounting the impulse turbine (T) to perform its narrow-range motion, whereby the multi-part dynamic mechanism (MK) provides the impulse turbine (T) with at least four degrees of freedom.

3. 3. The treatment machine according to claim 2, wherein the narrow-range dynamic mechanism (MR) comprises a telescopic assembly (7) for moving the impulse turbine (T) in the longitudinal direction, and a rotation mechanism (8) for rotating the telescopic assembly (7) about a longitudinal axis (k), thereby providing the narrow-range dynamic mechanism (MR) with two degrees of freedom for the impulse turbine.

4. 4. The processing machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the wide-range dynamic mechanism (MG) comprises a track (5) mounted on the housing (O), a running beam (4) adapted to move along the track (5), and a running trolley (6) adapted to move along the running beam (4), the running trolley (6) carrying the narrow-range dynamic mechanism (MR), whereby the wide-range dynamic mechanism (MG) provides the narrow-range dynamic mechanism (MR) with two degrees of freedom.

5. 5. A processing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the impulse turbine (T) is provided with a mechanism (KS) for changing the angle of the abrasive jet, which mechanism comprises a control sleeve (14) with an outlet opening (15) and a drive for changing the angular position of the control sleeve (14) for orienting the processing tool, thereby giving the processing tool an additional angular degree of freedom relative to the impulse turbine (T).

6. 6. A processing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the multi-part dynamic mechanism (MK) is provided with a local mechanism (ML) which deflects the impulse turbine (T) relative to a horizontal axis (m) on an arm (23) to change the distance of the impulse turbine (T) from a vertical axis (k) about which the telescopic assembly (7) is rotated, thereby providing an additional angular degree of freedom for the impulse turbine (T) and the processing tool.

7. 7. The processing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the multi-part dynamic mechanism (MK) is provided with a local mechanism (ML) which comprises a mechanism (RS) for controlling the angular movement of the impulse turbine (T) about an axis (r), which is the longitudinal axis of the arm (23) on which the impulse turbine (T) is mounted, thereby providing an additional angular degree of freedom for the impulse turbine (T) and the processing tool.

8. 2. A processor according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper part (50) of the gravity-fed hose (PG) is provided with an abrasive control valve (31).

9. 9. A processing machine according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that the narrow assembly (FR) comprises an intermediate tank (24) allowing feeding of the gravity feed hose (PG).

10. The intermediate tank (24) is attached to the telescopic assembly (7), The upper vertical passage (26) is attached to the upper part of the telescopic assembly (7), The lower vertical passage (28) is attached to the lower part of the telescopic assembly (7), 10. A processing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that the intermediate tank (24) and the gravity-fed hose (PG) rotate together with the telescopic assembly (7).

11. 11. The processing machine according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the wide-area assembly (FG) comprises a main tank (32), a longitudinal belt conveyor (33) arranged along a track (5) for receiving the abrasive material from the main tank (32), and a lateral belt conveyor (34) arranged along a traveling beam (4), the traveling beam (4) being provided with a scraping bar (36) for dropping the abrasive material from the longitudinal belt conveyor (33) to the lateral belt conveyor (34), and the traveling trolley (6) being provided with a scraping bar (37) for dropping the abrasive material from the lateral belt conveyor (34) to an intermediate tank (24).

12. 11. A processing machine according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the large-area assembly (FG') is provided with a main tank (32), and the intermediate tank (24) is adapted to feed the abrasive material to the impact turbine (T) with periodic interruptions and to be periodically fed directly from the main tank (32).

13. 11. The treatment machine according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the wide-area assembly (FG") is provided with a main tank (38) and a flexible air hose (41) connected to the main tank (38), the outlet (42) of the flexible air hose (41) being directed towards the intermediate tank (24).

14. A processing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the abrasive circulation system (UR) comprises a scraping bed system (3) for transporting the abrasive, which has scraping rods that move in passages.

15. 12. The processing machine according to claim 11, wherein the abrasive circulation system (UR) comprises an auxiliary lift (46) connected to the main tank (45) and feeding the abrasive to the longitudinal belt conveyor (33) via a control valve (47).

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