ES2408454B1 - LINE PROLONGER FOR CERAMIC PARTS MANAGEMENT - Google Patents

Abstract

Line extender for handling ceramic pieces. # It has a device for increasing the time of ceramic pieces in the drying line, this device consisting of at least one storage and drying machine for the parts. # The storage and drying machine. of the pieces is a storage machine with vertical transport (1) in which the support and movement of the ceramic pieces is carried out through a plurality of tools belonging to said vertical transport machine (1) each being These tools interchangeable in a horizontal transport machine (3), so that the wet, partially wet or dry parts are permanently arranged for the entire drying line on said tools, including their placement and stay in the storage machine .

Description

LINE PROLONGER FOR CERAMIC PARTS MANAGEMENT

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, as expressed in the statement of this specification, refers to a line extender for handling ceramic pieces whose essential purpose is to enable the storage of ceramic pieces for drying at room temperature, further determining a shorter length of the drying line of the facilities and therefore a saving in surface area destined for such operation; Another important objective of the invention is to handle ceramic pieces of very different sizes I, so that the tiles, tiles or ceramic pieces that are intended for the extension of the invention do not have to have a single standard size, allowing work with all formats that are currently produced in the tile industry, and in general is glazed ceramic pieces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present, there are mechanisms that allow increasing the time of stay of ceramic pieces in line, which facilitates the reduction of the length of said lines, allowing subsequent operations with the ceramic pieces already dry and save a certain space in the production area intended for drying ceramic pieces; being the aforementioned mechanisms similar to a ferris wheel, so that the transport of the pieces in vertical facilitates both drying and storage with surface savings and depending on various schedules and speeds on the line, adjustments that were not possible possible in the lines prior to the invention. These known systems require relatively large, complex and expensive size machines, as well as transport lengths that remain excessive for the possibilities of many manufacturers, also requiring products to be fixed or the use of stoves in the conveyors to accelerate drying. On the other hand, it is very difficult to work with different sizes on existing machines, so they are used for single standard size parts. Another difficulty of current systems is that they are very aggressive with raw parts, and undesirable deformations can occur.

Regarding industrial property registers related to the invention, we can mention the "procedure for drying and baking ceramic pieces, for example to sinter ferrites and the like as well as a baking oven for performing the procedure", with publication number ES 2. 054 187, in which the coincidence with the invention is considerably small, since this European patent procedure uses an oven for drying, while the extension of the invention is intended for drying at room temperature. We also know the invention patent with publication number ES 2. 000 918, set forth as "improvements introduced in the drying and cooking of ceramic products" in which the said ceramic products also pass through a drying oven, so this register is also remarkably remote from the present invention. Another record on drying ceramic pieces that we have located is the "industrial drying dryer for ceramics, utility model

187 782, in which two helical fans are installed on a suspended ceiling that provide aeration of drying with expulsion due to differences in specific weight of water vapor, with partial recovery of semi-humid hot air, obtaining a multi-service drying through four hatches lower and upper arranged two by two on the sides of the aforementioned fans, also using collector pipes

which are combined with a natural shot and a forced shot; as can be read in the first claim of said utility model. Although this industrial dryer, unlike the previous records cited, lacks

The oven cannot also be considered as a precursor or antecedent in which the present invention may be inspired, since it does not include machines with vertical displacement of the parts that are initially cited in this section.

Finally, by way of example of another patent that does not use a drying oven and which, however, does not anticipate the invention, we can cite patent 179. 322, which despite its age and poor reproduction by default of the original in the document available from the SPTO, may

15 be interested in obtaining lines and devices that improve the efficiency and perfection in the drying of ceramic pieces, enunciating said patent 179. 322 as "device for automatic progressive drying of tiles, earthenware and ceramics in generalH •

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention consists of a line extender for handling ceramic pieces that has a device for increasing the time of ceramic pieces in the drying line, said device consisting of at least one

25 parts storage and drying machine. This storage and drying machine collects and displaces ceramic pieces vertically at conveniently studied and programmed speeds to facilitate continuous production of ceramic pieces without leaving the line that

30 leads to different processes.

Novelly, according to the invention, in the line extender for handling ceramic pieces of said invention, the storage and drying machine of the pieces is a storage machine with vertical transport in which the support of the pieces is made through a plurality of tools belonging to the

own vertical transport machine; each of these being useful is interchangeable in the horizontal transport machine itself; so that pieces with any degree of humidity are arranged, so

5 permanent for all the referred part of drying, on said tools, including its placement and stay in the storage machine.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, said storage machine has a column

10 loading and a discharge column; said storage machine being combined with a transfer machine that allows changing the useful referrals from one of the columns to the other. In addition, in said preferred embodiment of the

In this invention, the transfer machine is a machine that has a rectangular shaped frame, provided with four or six legs with respective fixing pins and that houses a drive group that gives movement to two circular, parallel and associated running paths.

20 pushers who are responsible for the referred change of tools. Also, for the preferred embodiment of the invention, the horizontal transport machine is a belt machine equipped with a plurality of segments with belts of imbicated arrangement and related by

25 transversal axes. Said transverse axes are sized in number of three, two of them being lateral transverse axes, while the other is a central transverse axis that gives movement to the referred segments by their

30 connection with a drive box.

Another feature of the preferred embodiment of the invention is that each of said useful is composed of an "H" structure whose central branch incorporates crossbars of various lengths that determine fingers provided with rubber seats on which both ceramic pieces are placed

little

how pieces ceramics big .

By

other part, in the realization preferential from the

invention,

the machine from storage have a chassis from

setting

prismatic Y a only engine that together to a

group

from reducers and investors give movement to a

first,

second, third Y fourth axes of drag

With the structure described in the invention, it has relative advantages in that it allows working with all the sizes of pieces that are currently produced in the market of tiles, tiles and other ceramic pieces with standard measures, allowing to handle both small sizes of ceramic pieces and those that have a large surface in their major faces. Another advantage of the invention is that it allows to avoid deformations in the ceramic pieces, regardless of their degree of humidity, due to the stability and horizontality of the fastening, which also facilitates the manipulation of both fragile and hard pieces with minimal risk of breaks. Another advantage of the invention is the ease of storage that it makes possible, by determining large pluralities of horizontal, parallel ceramic pieces with a very small but sufficient spacing to allow air to pass through. This last advantage that has been pointed out also makes it possible to greatly reduce the surface area in the buildings or facilities where the aforementioned ceramic pieces are manufactured that can be handled by means of the extension of the invention.

Next, in order to facilitate a better understanding of this descriptive report and as an integral part thereof, some figures are attached in which the object of the invention has been shown as an illustrative and non-limiting nature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure l. -Represents a profile view in which

the three component machines of the prol ongador are appreciated

according to the invention, according to a preferred embodiment thereof. Figure 2 -Represents a perspective view of one of the 5 machines of the previous figure 1, specifically of a tool transfer machine.

Figure 3 -Represents a profile view of two of the machines in the previous figure 1, specifically the tool transfer machine mentioned in the

10 above figure 2 and a part of a storage machine in which drying and vertical transport of the ceramic pieces is facilitated.

Figure 4.-Represents a profile view of another of the three machines seen in the previous figure 1, 15 specifically a transport machine that facilitates a linear and horizontal displacement of the ceramic pieces, having added to this transport machine a group of small ceramic pieces and a large ceramic piece to show the ease of the invention in working with

20 pieces of different sizes. Figure 5.-It is a plan view of the machine of the previous figure 4.

Figure 6.- It is a partial and perspective view of the upper part of the storage machine referred to in the previous figures, showing its combination with the

transfer machine, also referred to above.

Figure 7.-It is a perspective view analogous to that of the previous figure 6, but showing in its entirety the set of them, and being slightly changed the

30 perspective view, further showing in FIG. 7 the lower zone through which the third component machine of the extension of this example of the invention passes; said third component machine not being appreciated in this figure 7.

35 Figure 8.- Represents a schematic view of

profile that improves the understanding of the previous figure 7, by showing the combination of the horizontal transport machine with the storage machine, looking like the support tools that run along the transport machine are being picked up and released by the storage machine

Figure 9 - Represents a plan view of the support tool mentioned in the previous figure 8, also noticeable in the previous figure 5 supporting small ceramic pieces and large ceramic pieces, showing in this figure 9 lacking ceramic pieces and separated from the rest of the transport machine that were seen in this figure 5. DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE REALIZATION OF THE

INVENTION

Next, a description of an example of the invention is made with reference to the figures; First, a list of references used in these figures is provided to more easily follow the corresponding description:

1.-Storage machine

11.-Load column of the storage machine

12.

Column from discharge from the machine from

storage

13. -

First axis from drag from the machine from

storage

14. -

Second axis from drag from the machine from

storage

fifteen . -

Third axis from drag from the machine from

storage

16. -

Fourth axis from drag from the machine from

storage

17. -Chasis of

machine from storage

18. -Only

engine from machine from storage .

19. -Group

from reducers and investors of the engine from the

a machine] _macenami ento

2 . -Transfer machine

twenty-one . -Transfer machine bearer

22 - Transfer machine pushers

2. 3 . - Belts of the transfer machine

24. -Transfer machine drive group

25. -Transfer machine support legs

3 . -Transport machine 34.-Useful vertical storage machine support

35 - Support tool data

36. - Rubber seats of the support tool fingers

37. -Transport segments of the transport machine 38.-Drive box of the transport machine 39.-Central transverse axis of the transport machine

40 -Transverse lateral axes of the transport machine

41. -Small ceramic piece 42.-Large ceramic piece Thus, the line extension for handling parts

ceramics shown in this example of the invention, allows the handling of both small ceramic pieces 41 and that of large ceramic pieces 42 in the drying part of the production line of said ceramic pieces, be they tiles, tiles or other .

The extension of this example has a storage machine 1 that allows vertical transport and drying of the ceramic pieces 41, 42 by means of a plurality of tools 34 belonging to a vertical storage machine 1, the horizontal transport machine being appreciated 3 as the tools 34 in figures 4 and 5, while one of the tools 34 is seen in the figure

9.

1.05 tools 34 are sandwiched in the horizontal transport machine 3 and are moved by the storage machine 1, so that said tools 34 dragged by said storage machine 1, taking

5 at the same time, obviously, to the large ceramic tiles 42 or small 41 being transported, as depicted in the scheme of Figure 8. For this, the transport machine 3, where a horizontal transport of said pieces 41, 42 takes place, is located under the

10 storage machine 1, so that the ceramic pieces 41, 42 arranged in the tools 34 can be lifted and stored in the storage machine 1 at programmable speeds and cycles, whereby the ceramic pieces can be more or less time in the machine of

15 storage 1, according to various factors, such as production needs, drying needs, type of parts, etc.

The storage machine 1 of the present example also has a load column 11 and a discharge column 12, although in other embodiments it could be implemented differently. For this implementation with loading column 11 and unloading column 12, the storage machine 1 is combined with a transfer machine 2 which allows the useful references 34 25 to be changed from one of the columns to the other, as shown in the figure 3 . Said transfer machine 2 is a machine that has a rectangular shaped frame 21, and provided with four or six legs 25 provided with respective pi is fixed. In addition, the transfer machine 30 houses a drive group 24 that gives movement to two circular belts 23 which are also parallel and are associated with pushers 22 that are responsible for the said change of tools 34 from one of the columns towards the another, usually from the

35 charge 11 towards discharge 12, however, said transfer movement may be reversible.

On the other hand, the horizontal transport machine t 3 is a machine that also operates on belts, being configured in this case by means of a plurality of belted segments 37 of imbricated arrangement and

5 r elapsed by tr ansver sales axes, 39 and 40. Of said transverse axes, which in the present example are sized in number of 3, two of them are lateral transverse axes 40, while the other is a central transverse axis 39 which gives referrals to the referrals

10 segments 37 due to its connection with a drive box 38. In the embodiment shown in the present example, each of the tools 34 is materialized by an "H" structure whose central branch incorporates crossbars of various lengths that determine fingers

15 35 provided with rubber seats 36 on which the large ceramic pieces 42 or small 41 are located, as can be seen in Figure 5.

Another remarkable feature of the present example of the invention and belonging to the storage machine 20 1, is that said storage machine 1 has a single motor 18 which together with a group of reducers and inverters 19 give movement to four independent axes This is the first drive shaft 13, the second drive shaft 14, the third drive shaft 15 and the fourth drive shaft 25 that were mentioned in the previous list, and their movements can be coordinated as appropriate. Said axes 13 to 16 are arranged parallel two to two, and consecutive, also two to two, by virtue of the chasi s of primary configuration 17 which it presents is a machine of

30 storage 1.

With the extension of this example it is possible that the ceramic pieces after being pressed and before cooking eliminate the degree of moisture suitable for applications of enamelling, decoration by ink or others, being in this very delicate stage their treatment, so its manipulation has to be carried out with the elements of great precision and very

control fines, which until now was not possible without the structure provided by the extension of the invention.

Thus, according to the example just shown, the pieces are always transported horizontally, both in displacements of elevation, descent or transport with respect to the horizontal plane, realizing said movements on specific trays, such as those referred to useful 34. When these linear movements are facilitated, with the pieces horizontally, and on at least two Cartesian axes, being able to easily be done in other examples on the three Cartesian axes, very long and very short work cycles can be adjusted according to needs without danger of deformations, breaks or other damages that happened in a large percentage before having an extension with the possibilities that have been demonstrated in this example. In most applications for which the invention is envisaged, the reduction of the length between the press and the furnace of the ceramic pieces determines the fundamental advantage.

Another feature that can be cited in the present example, and which could be different in other embodiments, consists in the way of connecting the support tools 34 to the storage machine, both in ascent and descent operations, said connection consisting of fins or flaps of the lateral branches of the "constituent HU of the said useful tools 34, so that when the ceramic pieces 41, 42 pass under the storage machine they are adjacent and with little clearance said to the etas of the said" Hu with respect to the gripping elements of the storage machine, whereby the ascent from the transport machine 3 to the storage machine 1 can be carried out very smoothly, the movements of the pushers 22 described above for the passage of the same being equally smooth. tools 34, loaded with the pieces, from column 11 to column 12, or vice versa.

With the protot.jpo that has been described in the invention and shown in this section, it could be possible to handle tiles or ceramic pieces with a quadrangular contour of one meter, as well as all geometric divisions.

5 allowing the distance between fingers 35 of the tool

3. 4 .

Claims (8)

one . -LINE LINE FOR PARTS MANAGEMENT

CERAMICS I

that bill with a device from increase of the

weather

from the pieces ceramics (4 1, 42) in the part from

dried up

from the line from production, consisting saying

device

in to the less a machine from storage Y

drying of the pieces; characterized in that the storage and drying machine of the pieces is a storage machine with vertical transport (1) in which the support of the ceramic pieces (41, 42) is carried out through a plurality of tools (34) belonging to said vertical transport machine; each of these tools (34) being interchangeable in a horizontal transport machine (3); so that the pieces with any degree of humidity (41, 42) are permanently arranged for all the said drying part, on said tools (34), including their placement and stay in the storage machine (1). 2 . -LINE LINE PRESSURE MANUFACTURER FOR CERAMIC PARTS, according to claim 2, characterized in that the storage machine (1) has a loading column (11) and a discharge column (12); said storage machine being combined with at least one transfer machine (2) that allows changing the useful referrals (34) from one of the columns to the other. 3 . -LINE LINE PRESSURE FOR CERAMIC PARTS MANAGEMENT, according to claim 2, characterized in that the transfer machine (2) is a machine that has a frame (21) configured rectangularly, provided of four or six legs (25) with respective fixing feet, and which houses a driving group (24) that gives movement to two circular belts, parallel (23) and associated with pushers (22) that are responsible for the referred change of tools (34). 4. -LINER FOR LINE MANAGEMENT OF PARTS CERAMICS, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the horizontal transport machine (3) is a belt machine equipped with a plurality of segments to arrangement belts (37) 5 imbricated and related through transverse shafts (39, 4 O). 5 . -LINE LINE PRESSURE MANUFACTURER FOR CERAMIC PARTS, according to claim 4, characterized in that said transverse axes are sized in number of 3, 10 two of them being ex is lateral transverse (40), while the other is a central transverse axis (39) that gives movement to said segments (37) by their connection with a drive box (38). 6. -LINER FOR LINE MANAGEMENT OF CERAMIC PARTS, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said useful (34) is composed of a structure in "H" whose central branch incorporates crossbars of various lengths and spacings that determine fingers (35) provided with 20 rubber seats (36) on which both small ceramic pieces (41) and large ceramic pieces (42) are placed. 7. -LINE LINE PRESSURE MANAGER FOR CERAMIC PARTS, according to any one of the claims 25 above, characterized in that the storage machine (1) has a chassis of prismatic configuration (17) and a single motor (18) that together with a group of reducers and inverters (19) give movement to a first, second, third and fourth drive axles (13, 14, 15, Y 30 16).