AU2005100109A4 - Safety Device for Fluid Operated Machines - Google Patents

Description

07 Feb 2005 11:04 07 Fb 205 1±04 Smoorenburg Patent Trad 03 9712 0159P. p. 3 (N SAFETY DEVICE FOR FLUID OPERATED MACHINES FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention concerns safety devices of the type used to protect: users of o hydraulic, water, steam or pneumatic machinery with guards which move in and out of working positiofls in concert with a START signal C* BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Presses, shears and other large equipment where work pieces are fed in o and out of the closing parts are commnly powered by compressed air, water, steam or hydraulics. The machine may be ready to close but will not do so until the guard moves to the protecting position and the operator actuates START.

CA There is commonly an electrical safety circuit incorporating an emergency STOP which permits operation of a valve which in turn admits fluid to begin closing the machine parts on the work piece. Occasionally the fluid valve fairs to close fully and this condition may go undetected until en accident draws attention to It.

If a pair of valves are used to reduce the risk of failure, it is found in practice that if one of the valves malfunctions and sticks in the OPEN position, the remaining valve may continue independently leaving the operator unaware that the systems needs investigation. When the second valve fails and an accident follows, it Is at that stage that the failure of both valves is discovered. In production work where the machine fails to respond to a START signal and then to a RESET signal, it is useful if some indication be given to the maintenance engineer which component to check. Ithe system does not monitor the condition of the valves a comprehensive diagnostic procedure is required arid this adds to the downtime.

Safety circuits in the art attempt to deal with the danger, but effectiveness depends firstly on adapting a device to the existing circuitry, and secondly upon meeting prevailing standards and obtaining accreditation from safety authorities where applicable. Industry regulations commonly stipulate the use of well tried components and any safety equipment gains approval only if it is built up from such components. Thus the relays, switches, power supplies and the like must all be approved and any advance in safety can only proceed through the interaction of such predictable components.

COMS ID No: SBMI-01108305 Received by IF Australia: Time 12:10 Date 2005-02-07 07 Feb 2005 11:04 Smoorenburg Patent Trad 03 9712 0159 p.4 o 2 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION C) The apparatus aspect of the invention provides safety apparatus for controlling the supply of pressure fluid to a machine, comprising two valves o connectable in series capable of controlling the supply of pressure fluid to machine in response to a START signal, and means to detect malfunction in 0either valve, whereby supply in response to a further START signal is prevented.

The.means may be a dual circuit switch for each valve arranged to supply Scurrent for initiating valve operation only when both valves are in the HOME Sposition. In use a positive driven switch for each valve is arranged to ensure that S 10 the non-return of the switch of either valve to its HOME position prevents the circuit from responding to START. The device may be used with a monitoring circuit, which may be a logic circuit or a microprocessor. This type of safety device works easily with spool valves where the spool motion signals the condition of the valve, namely whether it is closing fully when de-energised.

Clearly the device will operate with motorized valves and their mechanical equivalents.

The valve operated switches may be connected by cable to a common safety relay of the type approved by the safety authority, which relay controls the supply of dc to the solenoids. This control may be refined by the insertion in series of an emergency STOP relay and a guard relay, but some machines do not have these features. We have found it more practical to make the cable connections compatible between the valve switches and the switchboard connections of the machine.

PREFERRED ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION When the valves are de-energised, the circuit associated with each monitoring circuit monitors its inputs for short circuits and earth faults. Preferably one circuit is at positive potential and the other circuit is negative in each switch.

The switches may be positively driven limit switches operated by the valve spools. Preferably they are dual positively driven limits. The dual monitoring circuits have several sets of normally open feedback loops allowing the device to easily integrated into existing connections common of safety guard and emergency stop circuits.

COMS ID No: SBMI-01108305 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:10 Date 2005-02-07 07 Feb 2005 11:04 Smoorenburg Patent L Trad 03 9712 0159 p.

0 3

C

Preferably the components are duplicated to counteract component failure dand incorporating a single reset circuit. The valves may handle 400-1000kPa.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS SCertain embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagram of the fluid connections using a 3 port valve and a port valve in the unactuated mode.

SFigure 2 is a diagram of the fluid connections using a pair of 3 port valves I/ in the dump configuration.

S 10 Figure 3 is a diagram of the fluid connections and the interface with the emergency STOP relay, guard relay and safety relay.

Figure 4 is a cross section of a valve of the type shown in Figures 1-3.

Figure 5 is a scheme showing how the system fails to safety.

Figure 6 is a section showing how the system indicates a fault to be investigated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS Referring to Figure 1, the bulk pneumatic line 2 contains filter 4, regulator 6 and lubricator 8. The line conducts air supply to a five port VG-52 spool valve to one side of a double acting ram 12. The opposite side of the ram is connected to a VG-32 three port spool valve 14. Pilot supply 16 and an energizing coil (not shown) actuate both valves and returns springs 18 return the valves to the HOME positions (see also Figure 4).

The valves each open and close a two pole positive driven plunger limit switch 20, 22. Each valve has a prewired four core lead WHITE, BROWN, BLUE

BLACK.

In Figure 2, the machine has no double acting ram and has instead a bank of blow moulding stations (not shown). The apparatus consists of a pair of three port valves 14 which alternatively connect the machine to supply/dump. The supply is switched on and off by lockout valve 24.

In Figure 3, the arrangement of Figure 2 is shown with the four leads form the twin pairs of limit switches connected to a certified safety relay 24 forming part of the machine controller which relay in turn monitors both valves for cross short circuits of the switch and sequential operation of both valves and simultaneous COMS ID No: SBMI-01108305 Received by 1P Australia: Time 12:10 Date 2005-02-07 07 Fb 205 11:04 Smoorenburg Patent Trad 03 9712 0159 p.

6 0 4 0

C

N operation If incorporated into the design when an additional safety relay is used.

In this design the controller includes an emergency stop relay 26 and a machine guard relay 28. These allow interruption of the 24v dc supply provided with the o machine to the solenoids 30 (see Figure 4) of the spool valves. In some machines the controller will incorporate auto or manual RESET. The circuits in the controller can indicate to the maintenance staff which component is responsible when the system indicates failure.

SReferring now to Figure 3, the valve body 32 and spool 34 are made of ^t aluminium, The port 36 is quarter inch BSP. The nitrile rubber seals 38 are o 10 braced by aluminium and plastic spacers 40. The spool return spring 18 surrounds the push rod 44. The spool piston 46 lies in chamber 48. The 12TSR3/2S-7027 coil 50 is bolted to an acetal housing 52 which has pilot air port 36 and a passage 56 which is opened and closed by the solenoid armature (not shown) the body 58 of a Ci34 GUARDMASTER switch is mounted in the return spring end of the spool body. The plunger 60 opens and closes the contacts (not shown) when activated by the push rod. The four cores 62 BLUE, WHITE, BROWN, BLACK pass out of the switch body to an M12 four pin socket 62. The spool travel is 13mm but the spool moves 8mm before the machine is connected to the air supply. In the final 5mm of travel push rod 44 presses the plunger Plunger 50 is returned by a switch spring (not shown).

In use, the valve operating times are 48 milliseconds on activation and 68 milliseconds on deactivation. If the system is arranged to expect simultaneous operation, such lag times allow the valves to operate without shutting down the machine. At rest both valves in Figure 3 are in the HOME position with the machine connected to exhaust and both valves preventing access to the air supply. The switches are accordingly also both closed.

When a START signal impresses 24v on the controller circuit and the RESET switch, emergency stop relay 26 and guard relay switches 28 are all closed, the solenoids actuate both valves synchronously and the valves disconnect the machine from exhaust and connect it to air supply. Supply continues until the solenoid voltage is switched OFF by the machine. The pilot air pressure collapses and the return springs return the valves to the HOME position.

The switches re-close. If one of the valves fails due to any of the faults shown in COMS ID No: SBMI-01108305 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:10 Date 2005-02-07 07 Feb 2005 11:05 Smoorenburg Patent L Trad 03 9712 0159 p. 7 o Figures 5 or 6. the machine will not respond to a fresh START or RESET Ccommand. Circuit checks will reveal the nature of the stoppage, A faulty valve may be uncoupled and a replacement valve installed. If the switches fail through ocross short circuits or open circuits. the controller shuts down.

Relays 26 and 26 depend on relay 24 for RESET and the completion of each cycle.

We have found the advantages of the above embodiments to be: 1. Safety is increased by sharing the risk of failure between two valves rather Ithan one.

2. The apparatus utlises existing components of proven dependability and accordingly achieves safety authority approval.

It is to be understood that the word comprising as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form, ie use of the word comprising does not exclude the addition of other elements, It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention.

These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within scope of the invention.

COMS ID No: SBMI-01108305 Received by IP Ausiralia Time 12:10 Date 2005-02-07

Claims (4)

1. Safety apparatus for controlling the supply of pressure fluid to the machine, o including two valves connectable in series capable of controlling the admission of pressure fluid to the machine in response to a START signal and means to detect a malfunction in either valve, whereby supply in response to a further START S signal is prevented.

2. Safety apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means to detect a o 10 malfunction includes a switch for each valve arranged to permit the supply of current for Initiating valve operation only when both valves are in the HOME position.

3. Safety apparatus as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the valves are solenoid operated spool valves or solenoid operated pilot actuated spool valves.

4. Safety apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, further including a housing with an inlet for pilot air, a passage connecting the inlet to the spool valve piston chamber and an armature valve for opening and closing the passage. Safety apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, further including a switch housing which is adjacent a spool valve body and the spool of the spool valve operates switches. DATED THIS 7th day of February 2005 MURRAY ANDREW HODGES SMOORENBURG PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS PO BOX 9. KANGAROO GROUND VIC 3097 COMS ID No: SBMI-O1 10835 Received by IP Ausiralia: Time 12:10 Date 2005-02-07