DE2312689A1 - METHOD AND DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING PANEL MATERIAL - Google Patents

Description

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Dean Research Corporation

Kansas City, Missouri 64153 8100 NW 97th St. Terr.

Method and device for transporting sheet material

The invention relates to an improvement for material handling systems, in particular for those systems in which a stack of plate material is lifted to move between a first and a second place to be transported.

US Pat. No. 3,411,641 discloses a device for lifting known from plate stacks. A transport head is used that can attack the edges of the stack of panels. He knows

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inside a chamber on three sides of the head and is bounded on the fourth side by the plate material. These Chamber can be subjected to negative pressure. The latter takes place after the plate material has been gripped by the transport head is to keep the plate stack inside the transport head. This system works satisfactorily in most cases. However, circumstances can arise where the weight of the stack to be lifted makes additional pressing forces necessary, which go beyond the forces achieved by the negative pressure alone.

According to the invention, a transport head with a movable Created plate which is attached to a swivel joint, which extends over the entire length of the transport head. The swivel joint lies within the transport head in such a way that two chambers are formed, one above and one below the swivel joint. The plate material is between the lower portion of the movable plate below the pivot joint and clamped between a second, preferably stationary plate. Around the plate stack inside the transport head To hold, a vacuum is applied to the chamber that is formed by the pivot joint, the two plates and two end plates is formed. Furthermore, the transport head is provided with a device for generating a compressive force, namely around the chamber to apply pressure above the swivel joint. This is to keep the moveable platter tight against the stack of platters to press and in this way the carrying capacity of the transport head increase overall.

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The invention is described below with reference to a preferred one Embodiment in connection with the accompanying drawing explained in more detail. The drawing shows in:

1 shows a partially sectioned side view of a transport head;

Fig.2 is a front view of the transport head, partially is cut along line 2-2 in Figure 1;

3 shows a detail of the transport head according to FIG. 1 in a side view.

The figures show that a transport head 10 is provided, which consists of a back plate 12 and a top plate 14

and a face plate 16. The front sides of the Transport-IB head are closed by a pair of end plates on which seals 20 are attached. These seals 20 can, as will be described below, on the upper surface a stack of plates 22 attack.

On the back plate 12 is, for example, a weld seam a pivot joint 24 is attached, which extends over the entire length of the back plate 12. The swivel joint carries a movable plate 26 having a portion 28 which extends above the Swivel joint is, and with a section 30, which is after extends below beyond the swivel joint. The upper edge of the section 28 has a recess 32 that extends over the entire Length of the upper portion 28 runs and a sliding seal 34 receives. The top plate 14 of the transport head has a -

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curved surface 36, creating a constant contact between the sliding seal and this curved surface 36 during all Pivoting movements of the movable plate 26 about the pivot joint 24 is ensured. The latter is sealed to the End plates 18 on. Such a seal can thereby be achieved

be that one rubber stops (not shown) at each end of the The pivot joint provides a passage of air from the area above the pivot joint in the area below the To prevent swivel joint.

The top plate 14 has a bore 38 which extends into a chamber 40. The latter is delimited by the curved surface 36, the section 28 and the inner surface 42 of the back plate 12. Furthermore, means not shown are provided, for example

to wise an air pump to promote pressurized gas through a pipe 44 and to pressurize the chamber 40 in this way. The back plate 12 also has a bore 46 which extends extends into a chamber 52. The latter is supported by a rear surface portion 48 of the back plate, by the pivot joint 24 and limited by the portion 30 of the movable plate 26. A conventional vacuum pump, not shown, is connected to a pipe 50, in order to apply negative pressure to the chamber 52.

During operation, the movable plate 26 can be without further twist about the pivot joint 24, so that the section -30 is pivoted away from the rear surface section 48. Of the Transport head 10 is then lowered down over the plate stack 22, whereupon the latter between the section 30 and the rear surface portion 48 comes to rest. The lowering movement

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of the transport head is continued until the Place seals 20 on the upper surface of the plate stack to be lifted. At this point, a gas overpressure occurs the tube 44 and the bore 38 passed to the chamber 40 with

To apply pressure. This causes the movable plate 26 to rotate about the pivot joint 24 and the section 30 against pushes the side of the stack of plates to be lifted. The force exerted by section 30 at this point becomes alone determined by that pressure force which acts on the section 28. As soon as this jamming process is complete, a Vacuum is applied through tube 50 and bore 46 to the chamber. Evacuating the chamber 52 leaves additional forces come into effect to set the material stack in the lift position. The movable plate 26 can be adapted to those without any further action Edges that rest on the end plates 18 may be provided with sealing strips to prevent leakage between the two chambers to keep it as small as possible and to control the applied pressure and / or vacuum forces.

In the devices used up to now, the lifting capacity depended exclusively on the vacuum force. However, if you use As described, an overpressure clamping force gives the transport head an additional lifting capacity and thus gives it the possibility of lifting stacks of material with a higher total weight. This is a considerable advantage when it comes to moving large stacks from one area of a plant to another.

The entire transport head can be arranged on top rails

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as described in US Pat. No. 3,411,641 , in order to move within the system according to the number and position of the rails. Apart from this, the transport head according to the invention can be attached to a conventional crane for use outside a building "so that one" obtains "additional capacity and movement capacity when loading and unloading stacks of panels in connection with vehicles or with storage locations in the open air.

In order to automate the work process more extensively, the pump connected to the pipe 44 can be a two-sided pump which has both a pressure connection and a vacuum connection. Both connections are connected to the pipe 44 via a customary, known reversing valve. By controlling the reversing valve, one can apply either negative pressure or positive pressure to the chamber 40 to actuate the movement of the plate 26. If, for example, a large stack is to be gripped, then a negative pressure is applied to the chamber 40 in order to lead the section 30 to the outside. Thus, the stack can be gripped. Positive pressure is then applied to clamp the stack in place.

For best results, a seal 54 made of rubber or similar resilient material is placed along the entire length of section 30. A likewise elastically formed seal 56 may be provided on the rear surface portion 43 of the back plate 12, so that between the seals 54 and 56 taken material is kept sealed and in such a way that the inserted into the chamber 52 under pressure

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is not lost due to an insufficient seal between the section 30, the stack and the rear surface section 48. In addition to this, a sealing cap 58 can be provided in order to effectively prevent leakage losses between the chambers 40 and 52.

It should be pointed out that a large number of possible modifications of the features described above are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

In summary, the invention provides an improved material handling system with a transport head for lifting one or more panels. The transport head has a pair of Plates that attack the stack of plates to be lifted this plate is movable about a pivot joint so that it engages one side of the stack. Furthermore are facilities provided to apply an overpressure to the movable platen to one side of the pivot point. These work with funds together, which create a negative pressure between the plates to the other side of the pivot point. Both means serve to to clamp and lift the stacked material.

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Claims (5)

P α te η t α η sayings Transport head for lifting plate material with a back plate, a top plate and a pair of face plates, characterized by a swivel joint (24) on the back plate (12), which extends over the extends the entire length of the back plate, through a movable plate (26) arranged on the pivot joint with a first section (28) which extends above the pivot joint (24) against the top plate (14) to between the Front plates (18), the top plate (14), the back plate (12) and the pivot joint (24) to form a first chamber (40), and having a second portion (30) extending downward extends over the swivel joint (34) in order to move between the front plates (18), the back plate (12), the swivel joint (24) and forming a second chamber (52) on the plate material (22) by means for supplying the first chamber (40) with pressurized gas to rotate the movable plate (26) around the pivot joint (24) and the second section (30) brought into contact with the plate material (22), and by means for exerting a negative pressure force on the second chamber (52) ,. to generate an additional force which holds the plate material (22) within the transport head (10) when the latter is moved. 2. Transport head according to claim 1, characterized -8th- 309841/0399 by sealant to seal the first chamber (40) against leakage. 3. Transport head according to claim 2, characterized in that that the sealing device has a sliding seal (34) within a recess (32) in the section (όΟ) comprises, wherein the top plate (14) near the first portion (30) is curved so that the sliding seal (34) during the Movements of the movable plate in sliding contact with the Top plate (14) remains. 4. Transport head according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by a pair of end seals (20) which are arranged on the end plates (18) that they touch the plate material (22) when the transport head (10) is moved into its working position. 5. Method of lifting sheet material with a transport head, characterized in that a transport head with a first and a second of, the Plate material closed chamber is used, which is a back plate and a pivotable on this angeortnete having movable plate, the chambers lying on both sides of the pivot joint and of the back plate as well as of the movable plate are limited that the transport head with its back plate and its movable plate over the Plate material is set that pressurized gas is introduced into the first chamber to oppose the movable plate in the clamping handle -9- 309841/0399 to pivot the plate material that a negative pressure on the second chamber is applied to increase the clamping force and thus to ensure that the plate material is transported through the transport head, and that the transport head is moved with the gripped plate material. 309841/0399