EP2151406A2

EP2151406A2 - Device for rotating material of circular cross-section

Info

Publication number: EP2151406A2
Application number: EP09165649A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sven Nordström
Original assignee: Elof AB
Current assignee: Elof AB
Priority date: 2008-08-08
Filing date: 2009-07-16
Publication date: 2010-02-10
Also published as: SE533018C2; SE0801771L; EP2151406A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for rotating rolls of material of circular cross-section, comprising a self-propelling machine, which is provided with wheels and which has a drive unit (8) and a load-carrying frame (7), which is formed of two parallel lifting beams (1) and a transverse beam (2). Each lifting beam is connected at one end substantially perpendicularly to the transverse beam and is displaceable along the longitudinal extension of the transverse beam, such that the distance between the lifting beams is adjustable, while the opposite ends of the lifting beams are free ends. Furthermore, the load-carrying frame is vertically adjustable relative to a base with the aid of power generating means. A rotary cylinder (4) is arranged parallel to each lifting beam (1) and rotatingly carried, at each end, in the lifting beam and at least one of the rotary cylinders is drivingly connected to a driving means (5) in such a manner that when a roll of material is lifted by means of the load-carrying frame (7) the roll of material will be supported on the rotary cylinders, thus allowing material to be unrolled from and rolled onto, respectively, the roll of material by rotating the rotary cylinders with the aid of the driving means.

Description

Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for rotating rolls of material of circular cross-section.

Technical Background

Lifting devices comprising a self-propelling machine which is provided with wheels and has a drive unit and a load-carrying frame, which is formed of two parallel lifting beams and a transverse beam, are well known in the art. In such devices, each lifting beam is connected at one end substantially perpendicularly to the transverse beam and is displaceable along the longitudinal extension of the transverse beam, such that the distance between the lifting beams is adjustable, while the opposite ends of the lifting beams are free ends, and the load-carrying frame is vertically adjustable relative to a base with the aid of power generating means. Lifting devices of this kind are used primarily in industrial contexts for moving raw material and products before, during and after the actual production process. The lifting device is moved in position by means of its wheels, allowing the lifting beams to be inserted underneath or alongside the object to be lifted. The load-carrying frame is then raised with the aid of power generating means, for example hydraulic pistons, which act on the wheels of the lifting device in such a manner that the distance between the load-carrying frame and the floor or ground increases and the object is raised above the surface, whereupon the object can be moved by driving the lifting device by means of its wheels. Such a lifting device also enables lifting of cylindrical and other objects of circular cross-section, such as substantially circular-cylindrical rolls of material such as sheet metal and paper or cable drums, by positioning the lifting beams on either side of the roll of material and decreasing the distance between the lifting beams so that they come into close contact with the circumferential surface of the roll of material. The roll of material can then be lifted by raising the load-carrying frame.
Rolls of material of circular cross-section can be found in industries involved in the production of goods and products such as cables, paper and steel in the form of flat stock or wire. In the production process, the material is subjected to a continuous rolling operation in the production machines, where the material is rolled onto a spool, a reel or, in the case of cables, a cable drum. Winding and unwinding of the material occurs in different stages of the processing. At the end of this online handling, the finished rolls are moved to a stockroom or to other locations, for example test rooms.
In industrial contexts, logistics advantages are very important. The production of heavy materials and heavy end products requires effective handling methods. Fork-lift trucks, also known as counterbalanced trucks, are widely used in the handling of products with high dead weight. Cable drums constitute a product which at maximum cable volume can weigh as much as 60 tons and which have a circular shape with a diameter up to approximately 5 metres. Paper and steel rolls weigh from 5 to 30 tons and have a circular-cylindrical shape up to approximately 1.6 metres.

Brief Description of the Invention

The present invention focuses on the apparent advantages of being able to perform the operations of lifting, moving and rotating using one and the same handling equipment. These advantages are obtained by a device for rotating rolls of material of circular cross-section, comprising a self-propelling machine, which is provided with wheels and which has a drive unit and a load-carrying frame, which is formed of two parallel lifting beams and a transverse beam, each lifting beam being connected at one end substantially perpendicularly to the transverse beam and being displaceable along the longitudinal extension of the transverse beam, such that the distance between the lifting beams is adjustable, while the opposite ends of the lifting beams are free ends, and the load-carrying frame being vertically adjustable relative to a base with the aid of power generating means. The device further comprises a rotary cylinder which is arranged parallel to each lifting beam and rotatingly carried, at each end, in the lifting beam and at least one of the rotary cylinders is drivingly connected to a driving means in such a manner that when a roll of material is lifted by means of the load-carrying frame the roll of material will be supported on the rotary cylinders, thus allowing material to be unrolled from and rolled onto, respectively, the roll of material by rotating the rotary cylinders with the aid of the driving means.
The invention is useful when moving items in preparation of the different stages of production. Advantageously, the rotating function is incorporated into the self-propelling, truck-like machine that lifts and moves the roll of material. The need to rotate the roll arises, inter alia, in the final packing stage and during final tests. The present invention relates to a device for rotating rolls of material of circular cross-section.
The object of the present invention is to solve problems related to the handling of rolls of material of circular cross-section, which today is very time-consuming, requires a great deal of space and generates high costs. Moreover, the invention helps to reduce the risk of accidents in all the operational stages such as lifting, moving and rotating. These characteristic features are essential to the invention.

Description of Accompanying Drawings

Fig. 1: is a side view of a drive unit and a load-carrying frame connected with the same.
Fig. 2: is a top plan view of a load-carrying frame with rotary cylinders.
Fig. 3: is a front view of a cable coil of circular cross-section, in its position for rotation.

Detailed Description of an Embodiment of the Invention

The invention relates to a device which enables rotation of industrially produced products in the form of rolls of material, for example a cable drum, paper roll or steel roll. Rotation of a cable drum is necessary, inter alia, in order to enable unrolling and rolling up of the part of the cable end that needs to be connected for testing or that, for other reasons, requires rotation of the drum.
The invention thus concerns a self-propelling load-carrying device which is so equipped as to enable rolls of material of circular cross-section to be moved and rotated. The device further includes technical solutions of the kind that enables handling of roll-shaped products of varying circular dimensions and with varying lengths of the roll.
Fig. 1 shows a load-carrying frame 7 together with a drive unit 8. The load-carrying frame has the shape of a fork-like frame comprising two parallel lifting beams 1, which are held together at one end by a transverse beam 2 arranged perpendicularly to the lifting beams.
Fig. 2 shows the two parallel lifting beams 1, which are both movably mounted to one end of the transverse beam 2. The transverse beam is provided at its outer ends with sliding-motion guide members 3 and has centrally located hydraulic cylinders, which are arranged to exert tractive and compressive forces when adjusting the distance between the lifting beams to accommodate rolls of varying dimensions.
Rotary cylinders 4 are mounted adjacent to the inner side of each lifting beam. At their ends, these rotary cylinders are mounted in bearings to the respective lifting beam. Each of the rotary cylinders 4 is caused to rotate by a driving means 5 arranged on the respective transverse beam and connected, by means of a matching chain transmission, to the corresponding chain wheel at the end of the rotary cylinder for driving thereof.
To enable the lifting and moving actions specially adapted bogie units 6 are incorporated into the lifting beams. These bogie units are hydraulically connected to the mobile drive unit.
Fig. 3 shows the rotary cylinders when positioned such that they, during lifting of a roll of material, form contact surfaces which are subjected to and support the load of the roll of material, which is carried exclusively by the rotary cylinders. The forces that are transferred to the respective lifting beams via the bearings and mounts of the rotary cylinders cause both torsional stress and bending stress. This is a determining factor in the dimensioning of the beams. The length of the rotary cylinders corresponds to the length of the largest roll of material that is to be handled.
The rotary cylinder is made of steel tubing with a wall thickness corresponding to the load. A shaft journal is centrically attached at both ends of the pipe. Each shaft journal is carried in a bearing mounted in the respective lifting beam.

Technical Modifications of the Invention

The invention is not limited to the shape and design of the rotary device as described herein. Thus, an alternative rotary cylinder consisting of a driving part and a non-driven, idle part is a conceivable solution for special products and handling. A divided rotary cylinder of this kind will have three points of attachment with bearings. It is also conceivable for only one of the rotary cylinders to be driven.
The rotary cylinders are made of steel tubing with a wall thickness adapted to withstand the load. A shaft journal is attached at both ends of the steel pipe, said shaft journal being centrically positioned in a washer welded in the pipe. The shaft journals are carried in bearings mounted in special bearing plates provided in the lifting beam mounts.
In the embodiment of the invention described and illustrated herein, the rotary cylinders are arranged inside the respective lifting beam. This is normally preferred as it allows the dimensions of the device to be reduced to a minimum. However, it would also be conceivable to arrange the rotary cylinders above, outside or partly incorporated in the lifting beams.
Rotary cylinders made of another material or in combination with steel and with a coating of plastic, polyurethane or the like constitute embodiments that fall well within the scope of the invention.
Driving of the rotary cylinder is normally achieved by chain drive from a driving gear to chain wheels attached to the inner end of the rotary cylinder, but also other forms of driving are conceivable.
The invention is designed and adapted for industrial use and its characteristic features are particularly advantageous when the device is an integrated part of a self-propelling machine, in which a power source for the lifting and rotating operations has been provided and the functional characteristics can be coordinated. A piece of machinery of this kind enables the operator to perform advanced handling operations which, when using existing technology, involve great risks and require considerable temporary efforts and additional equipment.

Claims

A device for rotating rolls of material of circular cross-section, characterised in that it comprises a self-propelling machine, which is provided with wheels and which has a drive unit (8) and a load-carrying frame (7), which is formed of two parallel lifting beams (1) and a transverse beam (2), each lifting beam being connected at one end substantially perpendicularly to the transverse beam and being displaceable along the longitudinal extension of the transverse beam, such that the distance between the lifting beams is adjustable, while the opposite ends of the lifting beams are free ends, and the load-carrying frame being vertically adjustable relative to a base with the aid of power generating means, and comprising a rotary cylinder (4), which is arranged parallel to each lifting beam (1) and rotatingly carried, at each end, in the lifting beam and at least one of the rotary cylinders is drivingly connected to a driving means (5) in such a manner that when a roll of material is lifted by means of the load-carrying frame (7) the roll of material will be supported on the rotary cylinders, thus allowing material to be unrolled from and rolled onto, respectively, the roll of material by rotating the rotary cylinders with the aid of the driving means.
A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the rotary cylinders (4) are arranged adjacent to the inner side of each lifting beam (1).
A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the rotary bearing mechanism for the rotary cylinders (4) comprises shaft journals arranged at both ends of each rotary cylinder, said shaft journals being mounted in bearing plates attached to the respective lifting beam (1).
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rotatingly driven rotary cylinder (4) is connected to the driving means (5) by chain drive.
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that both rotary cylinders (4) are rotatingly driven and connected to a common driving means (5).
A device as claimed in any one claims 1-4, characterised in that both rotary rollers (4) are rotatingly driven and that each is connected to a separate driving means (5).
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each of the rotary cylinders (4) is designed with at least two parts, more specifically a driven part and a non-driven part with an intermediate supporting bearing.
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that all the functions such as lifting, rotating and moving are functionally connected in such a manner as to allow them to be carried out by a single operator from the operator's seat of the self-propelling machine.