Automated cupellation furnace

Abstract

An automated cupellation furnace, comprising a furnace body (100), wherein a conveying device is provided outside the furnace body (100), and is configured to convey cupels into the furnace body (100); the furnace body (100) is provided with an automatically opening and closing furnace door (131); and an endoscopic camera (110) is provided in the furnace body (100), and is configured to monitor a cupellation endpoint. The present device can control the cupels to automatically enter and exit from a furnace chamber, without the need for frequently opening and closing the door, such that the temperature in the furnace is stable, the energy loss is reduced, and the discharge of harmful gases is minimized; image data is collected by means of a fill light (120) and the endoscopic camera (110), and is therefore more reliable and accurate; the cupels in which cupellation has been completed are removed promptly by means of a material removal module (230), thereby reducing the loss of metallic silver and increasing the extraction content; and the feeding and removal of the cupels achieve automatic operation, thereby improving the operating efficiency.

Description

An automated ash blowing furnace Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of metallurgy, and specifically relates to an automated ash blowing furnace. Background Technology

[0002] The fire assay furnace is a commonly used experimental device for metal testing, especially for determining the content of gold, silver, and other precious metals. The process involves placing the lead coin into an ash pan preheated at 900℃ for 20 minutes in the furnace. The furnace door is closed, and the temperature is maintained at 900℃ until the lead coin is completely melted. Then, the temperature is controlled at approximately 860℃ for further ash blowing, which takes about one hour. The completion of ash blowing is indicated by two flashes of light on the coin.

[0003] Most existing ash blowing furnaces are operated manually. This involves manually placing the lead buckle into the furnace and repeatedly opening and closing the furnace door during heating to visually observe whether the ash blowing has reached its endpoint. This method of repeatedly opening the furnace door not only leads to heat loss and reduces the efficiency of the ash blowing experiment, but also carries significant risks due to manual operation, such as burns or poisoning from harmful gases. Furthermore, manual observation is unreliable and can easily miss the ash blowing endpoint, affecting the experimental results.

[0004] Therefore, an automated ash blowing furnace testing device is needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, this application provides an automated ash blowing furnace that can automatically place ash trays into the furnace body for ash blowing endpoint testing without manual monitoring.

[0006] The technical effect to be achieved in this application is accomplished through the following solution:

[0007] According to a first aspect of this application, an automated ash blowing furnace is provided, including a furnace body, a conveying device disposed outside the furnace body for conveying ash trays into the furnace body, an automatically opening and closing furnace door disposed on the furnace body, and an endoscope camera disposed inside the furnace body for monitoring the ash blowing endpoint.

[0008] Preferably, the conveying device includes an ash tray and an infeed / outfeed module. The ash tray is provided with several ash tray positions for holding ash trays. The infeed / outfeed module includes a shovel and a pusher cylinder. The pusher cylinder drives the shovel to place the ash tray into the furnace body.

[0009] Preferably, the conveying device further includes a lifting mechanism for lifting the ash tray; the shovel plate is provided with a plurality of shovel grooves for inserting into both sides of the ash tray to move the ash tray.

[0010] Preferably, the furnace body is provided with a lifting mechanism for removing the ash dish from the shovel groove.

[0011] Preferably, the lifting mechanism includes a support rod and a lifting cylinder, the lifting cylinder driving the support rod to move up and down, and the support rod is used to lift the ash dish.

[0012] Preferably, the furnace body includes a furnace cavity separated by a heat insulation wall and a control cavity, the lifting cylinder is located in the control cavity, and the support rod passes through the heat insulation wall to extend into the furnace cavity.

[0013] Preferably, the endoscopic camera is located at the top of the furnace body and extends into the furnace cavity, and a supplementary light is provided on one side of the furnace body and extends into the furnace cavity.

[0014] Preferably, the conveying device is provided with a side conveyor belt, which is arranged perpendicular to the moving direction of the shovel plate and extends laterally out of the conveying device. The side conveyor belt is used to input the ash tray into the conveying device, and the lifting mechanism is disposed in the side conveyor belt.

[0015] Preferably, the side conveyor belt includes a conveyor chain plate, a positioning mechanism, and a centering mechanism. The positioning mechanism is a blocking cylinder used to block the ash tray. The centering mechanism is a clamping cylinder located on both sides of the conveyor chain plate to push the ash tray to the middle of the conveyor chain plate.

[0016] Preferably, the conveying device further includes a material handling module, which includes an X-axis module, a Y-axis module, a Z-axis module, and a gripper module. The material handling module is used to pick up ash dishes from the furnace body and transfer them to the ash dish tray.

[0017] According to one embodiment of this application, the beneficial effects of using this automated ash blowing furnace are as follows:

[0018] The automated control of ash trays entering and exiting the furnace eliminates the need for frequent door opening and closing, stabilizes the furnace temperature, reduces energy loss, and minimizes the emission of harmful gases, thus helping to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

[0019] Image data is acquired using supplementary lighting and an endoscopic camera, making it more reliable and accurate; and the material handling module promptly removes the ash-blown ash dish, reducing the loss of metallic silver and increasing the extraction content.

[0020] The ash pan feeding and discharging system enables automated operation, increasing work efficiency by 50%, and can also be integrated with fully automated equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this application or the existing technical solutions, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an automated ash blowing furnace according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 is a top view of the automated ash blowing furnace in Figure 1.

[0024] Figure 3 is a rear view of the furnace body in Figure 1.

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along direction AA in Figure 3;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the conveying mechanism in Figure 1;

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the side conveyor belt in Figure 5. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, an automated ash blowing furnace in one embodiment of this application includes a furnace body 100, a conveying device is provided outside the furnace body 100 for conveying ash trays into the furnace body 100, and an automatically opening and closing furnace door 131 is provided on the furnace body 100; an endoscope camera 110 is provided inside the furnace body 100 for monitoring the ash blowing endpoint.

[0030] In this embodiment, the ash dish is placed on the conveying device, the furnace door 131 opens automatically, the conveying device places the ash dish into the furnace body 100, the furnace door 131 closes and heating begins. During the heating process, the endoscopic camera 110 captures images of the inside of the furnace body 100 in real time and transmits the images to an external computer. The endpoint of the ash blowing is identified manually or automatically. When two "flashes" occur, the corresponding ash dish number is recorded.

[0031] This device eliminates the need for frequent manual opening of the door for observation, which not only prevents heat loss and improves experimental accuracy, but also avoids injury to operators.

[0032] The furnace door 131, which opens and closes automatically, is controlled by the opening and closing cylinder 132. The furnace door 131 is slidably connected to the furnace body 100. The piston rod of the opening and closing cylinder 132 is connected to the side of the furnace door 131, and the bottom of the opening and closing cylinder 132 is connected to the furnace body 100. The extension and retraction of the opening and closing cylinder 132 can drive the furnace door 131 to open and close.

[0033] In one embodiment of this application, the conveying device includes an ash tray 210 and an infeed / outfeed module 200. The ash tray 210 is provided with a plurality of ash tray positions 211 for holding ash trays. The infeed / outfeed module 200 includes a shovel plate 220 and a pusher cylinder. The pusher cylinder drives the shovel plate 220 to place the ash trays into the furnace body 100. The ash tray 210 is made of metal, and the ash tray positions 211 on its surface are through holes or blind holes, which can temporarily fix the ash trays on the ash tray positions 211, so that the upper part of the ash tray is exposed, making it convenient to pick up and place.

[0034] The pusher cylinder can be directly driven by a servo electric cylinder, or it can be driven by a servo motor and a lead screw. The screw thread drives the shovel plate 220 to move back and forth, which can move the shovel plate 220 back and forth a certain distance. The shovel plate 220 is slidably connected to the frame of the conveying device to ensure its smooth movement.

[0035] In one embodiment of this application, the conveying device further includes a lifting mechanism 320, which is used to lift and lower the ash tray 210. A plurality of shovel grooves are provided on the shovel plate 220, each corresponding to a column of ash tray positions 211. The shovel grooves are inserted into the sides of the ash tray to move it. In use, the lifting mechanism 320 lifts the ash tray 210, so that the shovel plate 220 faces the upper surface of the ash tray 210. After the shovel plate 220 moves to allow the ash tray to enter the shovel groove, since the ash tray has a structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, its upper half can be locked into the shovel groove after entering it. At this time, the lifting mechanism 320 is lowered, and the ash tray can then be placed on the shovel plate 220. Moving the shovel plate 220 allows the ash tray to be placed in the furnace body 100.

[0036] In one embodiment of this application, in order to remove the ash dish from the shovel plate 220, a lifting mechanism is provided in the furnace body 100. The lifting mechanism is used to remove the ash dish from the shovel groove, that is, the lifting mechanism rises to lift the ash dish, so that it is separated from the contact with the side walls of the shovel groove. The shovel plate 220 is then removed from the furnace body 100, and the lifting mechanism descends to complete the placement of the ash dish.

[0037] In one embodiment of this application, the lifting mechanism includes a support rod 141 and a lifting cylinder 142. The lifting cylinder 142 drives the support rod 141 to move up and down, and the support rod 141 is used to lift the ash dish. A base is provided on the top of the support rod 141, and the diameter of the base is the same as the bottom diameter of the ash dish, which can ensure that the ash dish is stably placed on the base. The maximum diameter of the support rod 141 is smaller than the width of the shovel groove. The lifting cylinder 142 is, for example, a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, which drives the matrix of support rods 141 to move as a whole, or each support rod 141 corresponds to one lifting cylinder 142, and the movement is controlled separately.

[0038] In one embodiment of this application, the furnace body 100 includes a furnace cavity 101 and a control cavity 102 separated by a heat insulation wall 103. A lifting cylinder 142 is located in the control cavity 102, and a support rod 141 passes through the heat insulation wall 103 and extends into the furnace cavity 101. The heat insulation wall 103 is used for temperature isolation to prevent the high temperature in the furnace cavity 101 from damaging the lifting cylinder 142, thereby improving the service life of the device.

[0039] In one embodiment of this application, an endoscope 110 is located at the top of the furnace body 100 and extends into the furnace cavity 101. A supplementary light 120 is provided on one side of the furnace body 100 and extends into the furnace cavity 101. The endoscope 110 is wrapped with heat-insulating material, and its end faces into the furnace cavity 101 through heat-insulating glass to avoid being burned by high temperatures. The supplementary light 120 is also wrapped with heat-insulating material and high-temperature resistant heat-insulating glass to provide illumination into the furnace cavity 101 and ensure clear imaging.

[0040] In one embodiment of this application, a side conveyor belt 300 is provided on the conveying device. The side conveyor belt 300 is arranged perpendicular to the moving direction of the shovel plate 220 and extends laterally out of the conveying device. The side conveyor belt 300 is used to input the ash tray 210 into the conveying device, and a lifting mechanism is provided in the side conveyor belt 300. The outer end of the side conveyor belt 300 can be moved away from the furnace body 100 to avoid scalding the staff with overflowing hot air, and the lateral extension makes it convenient for the operator to place the ash tray 210.

[0041] In one embodiment of this application, the side conveyor belt 300 includes a conveyor chain plate 310, a positioning mechanism 330, and a centering mechanism 340. The positioning mechanism 330 is a blocking cylinder used to block the ash tray 210; the centering mechanism 340 is a clamping cylinder located on both sides of the conveyor chain plate 310 to push the ash tray 210 to the middle of the conveyor chain plate 310. The conveyor chain plate 310 can perform forward or reverse conveying under the action of a motor. The blocking cylinder is fixed to the frame of the conveyor chain plate 310 and, when extended, can block the ash tray 210 to ensure its accurate stopping position.

[0042] The clamping cylinder of the centering mechanism 340 is horizontally placed at the bottom of the conveyor chain plate 310. There are clamping plates on both sides of the conveyor chain plate 310. The clamping cylinder drives the clamping plates to clamp the two sides of the conveyor chain plate 310, so as to move the ash tray 210 protruding to one side to the middle of the conveyor chain plate 310, thereby realizing the centering operation.

[0043] In one embodiment of this application, the conveying device further includes a material handling module 230, which includes an X-axis module, a Y-axis module, a Z-axis module, and a gripper module 231. The material handling module 230 is used to pick up ash dishes from the furnace body 100 and place them on the ash dish tray 210. When a certain ash dish is detected to have reached the ash blowing endpoint, the material handling module 230 picks up the corresponding ash dish, removes it from the furnace body 100, and places it on the ash dish tray 210.

[0044] The X-axis module, Y-axis module, and Z-axis module together form a three-axis truss structure, which drives the gripper module 231 to move in three axes: forward and backward, left and right, and up and down, so as to extend into the furnace cavity 101.

[0045] When using this device, the ash tray 210 is manually placed onto the conveyor chain plate 310. The conveyor chain plate 310 is activated by the conveying blocking cylinder. After it reaches the position, the centering mechanism 340 performs center positioning. After positioning, the clamping cylinder opens and the lifting mechanism 320 lifts it to the set height. The shovel plate 220 starts to pick up the material. After reaching the ash tray, the lifting mechanism 320 falls down, and the shovel plate 220 continues to move forward to convey the material into the furnace body 100. At this time, the lifting cylinder 142 drives the support rod 141 to rise. After catching all the ash trays, the shovel plate 220 retracts, completing the ash tray feeding.

[0046] The lifting cylinder 142 drives the support rod 141 to descend, performing the ash blowing process. Illumination is provided by the supplementary light 120 and real-time monitoring is conducted by the endoscope camera. Once the ash blowing is complete, the coordinate data is read and transmitted to the PLC, which sends a command to the corresponding cylinder. The lifting cylinder 142 then drives the support rod 141 to rise, raising the ash dish after ash blowing. The material handling module 230 advances into the furnace to pick up the material and exits to directly above the ash dish tray 210. The X-axis module, Y-axis module, Z-axis module, and gripper module 231 work together to retrieve the ash dish and place it on the ash dish tray 210. This process continues until all ash dishes are finished. The ash dishes are then output by the conveyor chain plate 310, manually removed, and the next round of ash dish processing begins.

[0047] According to one embodiment of this application, the beneficial effects of using this automated ash blowing furnace are as follows:

[0048] Automated entry and exit from the furnace eliminates the need for frequent door opening and closing, stabilizes the furnace temperature, reduces energy loss, and minimizes the emission of harmful gases, thus helping to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

[0049] Image data is acquired using supplementary lighting and an endoscopic camera, making it more reliable and accurate; and the material handling module promptly removes the ash-blown ash dish, reducing the loss of metallic silver and increasing the extraction content.

[0050] The ash pan feeding and discharging system enables automated operation, increasing work efficiency by 50%, and can also be integrated with fully automated equipment.

[0051] It should be noted that the above detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation of this application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains.

[0052] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0053] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0054] Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0055] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways, such as rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations, and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0056] In the detailed description above, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this document. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar parts unless the context otherwise indicates otherwise. The illustrated embodiments described in the detailed specification, drawings, and claims are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein.

[0057] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated ash blowing furnace, comprising a furnace body, characterized in that, The furnace body is equipped with a conveying device for conveying ash pans into the furnace body. The furnace body is equipped with an automatically opening and closing furnace door. An endoscope camera is installed inside the furnace body for monitoring the ash blowing endpoint.

2. The automated ash blowing furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying device includes an ash tray and an infeed / outfeed module. The ash tray has several ash tray positions for holding ash trays. The infeed / outfeed module includes a shovel and a pusher cylinder. The pusher cylinder drives the shovel to place the ash tray into the furnace body.

3. The automated ash blowing furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conveying device also includes a lifting mechanism for lifting the ash tray; the shovel plate is provided with a plurality of shovel grooves for inserting into both sides of the ash tray to move the ash tray.

4. The automated ash blowing furnace according to claim 3, characterized in that, The furnace body is equipped with a lifting mechanism, which is used to remove the ash pan from the shovel groove.

5. The automated ash blowing furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism includes a support rod and a lifting cylinder. The lifting cylinder drives the support rod to move up and down, and the support rod is used to lift the ash dish.

6. The automated ash blowing furnace according to claim 5, characterized in that, The furnace body includes a furnace cavity separated by a heat insulation wall and a control cavity. The lifting cylinder is located in the control cavity, and the support rod passes through the heat insulation wall to extend into the furnace cavity.

7. The automated ash blowing furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, The endoscopic camera is located at the top of the furnace body and extends into the furnace cavity, and a supplementary light is provided on one side of the furnace body and extends into the furnace cavity.

8. The automated ash blowing furnace according to claim 3, characterized in that, The conveying device is equipped with a side conveyor belt, which is arranged perpendicular to the moving direction of the shovel plate and extends laterally out of the conveying device. The side conveyor belt is used to input the ash tray into the conveying device, and the lifting mechanism is disposed in the side conveyor belt.

9. The automated ash blowing furnace according to claim 8, characterized in that, The side conveyor belt includes a conveyor chain plate, a positioning mechanism, and a centering mechanism. The positioning mechanism is a blocking cylinder used to block the ash tray. The centering mechanism is a clamping cylinder located on both sides of the conveyor chain plate to push the ash tray to the middle of the conveyor chain plate.

10. The automated ash blowing furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conveying device also includes a material handling module, which includes an X-axis module, a Y-axis module, a Z-axis module, and a gripper module. The material handling module is used to pick up ash dishes from the furnace body and transfer them to the ash dish tray.

Images