FR2627761A1 - Flat plate transfer transformer - has scissors jack carrying chassis with suction plate and plate alignment stops - Google Patents

Abstract

The transfer transporter for flat plates e.g. planks of wood (2) has a chassis (5) suspended from a trolley (6) by a scissors linkage (8) and a hydraulic jack (9). The chassis carries a suction plate (4) suspended from rollers (14). After the suction plate is lowered onto a plank at the end of the supply conveyor (10), the vacuum pump (12) is switched on and the plank is picked up and held against the underside of the plate. Alignment stops (17,18) on either side of the plank are moved up against the sides of the plank to move the plank and the suspension plate into alignment with the axis (3) of the stack of planks. After moving laterally along the guide rail (7), the plank is lowered onto the pile (1) and the suction pump is turned off. ADVANTAGE - The transporter is provided with an automatic mechanism to align each plank with a stacking axis with no intervention from the operator.

Description

 The present invention relates to a new installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden boards such as trays.

 The term “plates” is understood to mean flat objects having two longitudinal edges which may or may not be parallel and the thickness of which varies within reasonable proportions and by “trays11 the planks of wood cut, for example by a long saw.

 There are known plate transfer installations provided with suction means open downwards. The plate is generally held by a chassis suspended by vertical displacement devices on an upper carriage movable in a horizontal plane.

 This type of installation is, in particular, used to form aligned packages of trays for their introduction into a drying installation, as well as for the formation of wooden studs.

 More generally, this type of installation is used whenever it is necessary to transfer plates and in particular to stack and / or unstack them.

 In the state of the art, the worker in charge of operating the installation rotates the suction head manually or with mechanical assistance, until the edge of the plate to be transferred appears to him aligned with the reference line that 'it is fixed. I1 then orders the removal of said plate.

 This type of installation has, in particular, the disadvantage of requiring numerous manual interventions always subject to errors and introduces a consequent loss of time due to the manual or semi-manual positioning of the plate before or after transfer.

 The present invention relates to a transfer installation avoiding these disadvantages and which can be the subject of advanced automation.

 The present invention relates more particularly to a transfer installation in which the chassis comprises at least one lateral stop longitudinally oriented and a second stop constituted by at least one cleat.

 The stops are directed downwards and extend beyond the suction surface of the stage. At least one of the stops is actuated laterally until the inner edges of the two stops are in contact with the longitudinal edges of the board held by suction against the plate.

 With one of the stops, a fixed reference can be formed in the space corresponding for example to the desired orientation of one of the edges of. the plate to be transferred after removal.

 This orientation corresponds, for example, to the outer edge of the pack of trays to be formed or to the orientation of the board next to which the board to be transferred must be placed. This reference is independent of the position of the plate and / or the plate to be transferred.

 When the second stop is moved in the direction of the board adhering to the movable stage, it begins to make contact with the nearest edge, then to push it back until the opposite edge comes into contact with the other stop.

 At this time, the edges of the board are. attached to the stops. The displacement of the plate leads, of course, to the displacement of the movable plate, since the latter firmly holds the plate by suction.

 Of course, this operation can be carried out during the time of transfer of the board, in particular during the time of movement of the mobile upper carriage.

 There is therefore no loss of time due to the positioning of the board which takes place in masked time.

 This time saving incidentally reduces the size of the storage area.

 According to a particular embodiment, the plate comprises at each of its lateral ends sliding means resting on the upper sliding surface secured to the lateral end of the chassis.

 This embodiment ensures maintenance in the vertical plane of the plate, while allowing movement in the horizontal plane and / or a variable orientation in this same horizontal plane.

 By sliding means is also understood to mean ball bearings, lubricated surfaces or any other means known to those skilled in the art.

 According to an advantageous embodiment, the plate comprises at each of its lateral edges rollers freely mounted on longitudinal axes, the rollers resting on a tread integral with the chassis and oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chassis.

Indeed, the displacement of. the plate, and therefore of the plate, takes place essentially in a lateral direction, possibly combined with a rotation relative to a vertical axis,
The angle of rotation being relatively small, the longitudinal displacement of the rollers causes only reduced and acceptable friction, the forces necessary to actuate the movable stops are therefore extremely low and require mechanical devices of low power.

 According to a variant of the present invention, the plate transfer installation comprises a plate provided with suction means open downwards. The platina is held by a chassis suspended by vertical displacement devices on an upper carriage movable in a horizontal plane. The orientation of the chassis relative to the upper carriage is fixed.

 The installation further comprises a reception area for the plate to be transferred. This reception area comprises at least a first lateral stop longitudinally oriented and a second stop constituted by at least one cleat. At least one of the stops is actuated laterally until the inner edges of the two stops are in contact with the longitudinal edges of the plate.

 According to this variant, the desired orientation of the plate takes place not during the transfer period of said plate but during the de-transfer period of the previous plate. This orientation takes place on the reception area, in masked time.

 According to a preferred embodiment, the plate transfer installation comprises control means for laterally moving, after transfer and removal of the plate, the lateral stop until the inner edge is parallel with the inner edge of the second stop. and to then move, in the same direction, the second stop with a length at least equal to the maximum width of the plates to be transferred.

 This embodiment is particularly suitable for juxtaposing edge to edge of the plates.

 The second stop constitutes a mark of the position and the orientation of the outer edge of the plate which has just been deposited. By moving the opposite stop until it comes into contact with the inner edge of the second stop, the position of the inner edge of the next board is determined.

 Then it suffices to move the second stop sufficiently to be able to grip the next board on the receiving area and orient it suitably by lateral displacement of the second stop until the two stops are in contact with the opposite edges of the new board to transfer.

 According to another embodiment, the two stops are movable and are actuated symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the chassis. This embodiment makes it possible to orient not one of the edges of the plate with a reference axis but the median axis of said plate.

 This type of installation is in particular intended to form studs reproducing the volume of the trunk which has just been cut by a long saw or also for feeding a edger. For this last application, it even becomes possible to control the spacing of the two saws so that it corresponds to the minimum spacing of the stops for the plate in transfer stroke.

 According to another embodiment, at least one of the stops is retractable. This embodiment is particularly suitable for the production of an installation intended to form packages aligned to the right and to the left of more than two plates. In the case of packages of three trays, the right and left trays are oriented so that their outer edge is aligned with the edge of the package and the central tray is oriented so that its median axis is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the package.

 According to a preferred embodiment, each of the stops consists of two tabs. These tabs are preferably arranged at the two longitudinal ends of the chassis so as to define a line of alignment as long as possible.

 According to an advantageous embodiment, the cleats arranged on the same line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis are arranged at two opposite points of a chain forming a closed loop maintained by two rollers mounted on vertical axes, the plane containing the two axes vertical being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, said chain being set in motion by a mechanical device until said tabs come into contact with the lateral edges of the plate to be transferred.

 According to another embodiment, the tabs are arranged on racks moving laterally. The two opposite cleats of the same end of the chassis are connected to two parallel racks, arranged on either side of a notched pinion driving them symmetrically in opposite directions.

 The mechanical effector can be a hydraulic, electric jack or an electric motor driving one of the rollers. This device provides a simple and robust movement symmetrical relative to the median axis of the two opposite lugs.

 According to an advantageous embodiment, the installation comprises for each of the mobile stops two position or displacement sensors delivering a signal used by a computer for determining the metering of the plate to be transferred. Indeed, if the length of the plate is known, the position of the movable stops makes it possible to deduce the width and therefore the yardage of the plate to be transferred.

 This signal can also be used by a second computer controlling the mobile upper carriage.

 The displacement of the stops is preferably carried out during the transfer period of the board in order to work in hidden time.

Other advantages and embodiments will emerge more clearly from the description which follows, based on the figures where:
FIG. 1 represents a front view of an installation according to the present invention,
- Figure 2 shows a bottom view of a chassis provided with a plate according to the present invention.

 - Figures 3 to 6 show schematic front views of the installation in different operating modes.

 The transfer installation as shown in Figure 1 is intended to constitute studs (1) of wood formed by trays (2). It is therefore an example of application where the plates to be transferred must be arranged symmetrically with respect to one. median axis (3) of the stack to be formed.

 The installation comprises a plate '(4) provided with suction means, a chassis (5), an upper carriage (6) movable in a horizontal plane on a support and guide rail (7).

 The chassis (5) is connected to the carriage (6) by link arms (8) and can be moved vertically using a jack (9).

 The plates to be transferred are brought to a reception area (10) by known means, for example treads.

 The suction plate (4) has a series of downward-facing orifices making it possible to hold a plate (2) strongly pressed against its lower surface (11). The plate is connected to means for placing under vacuum.

 The chassis (5) has a tread (13). The plate (4) comprises rollers (14) bearing on the tread (13). The chassis further comprises stops (15), (16) oriented downwards. These stops can move laterally until they bear on the edge of the plate to be transferred, thereby causing the movable stage both in translation and in rotation.

 Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment where the stops (15), (16) and (17), (18) move symmetrically with respect to the median axis of the chassis (5). The stops (15), (16) are mounted on a chain (19) guided by two rollers (20), (21). The movement of the chain (19) is controlled by an effector (22) constituted for example by a jack whose body (23) is connected to the chassis and the piston (24) dbnt bears on the chain (19).

 The action of the actuator causes the chain (19) to scroll, forming a loop and therefore a movement in the opposite direction of the stop (15) and the stop (16). This displacement is completely symmetrical with respect to the median axis.

 In the example shown in FIG. 2, the stop (16) will first come into contact with the edge (26) of the plate (2) - held by suction against the plate (4).

When it is in contact, it will drive the plate (2) until the opposite edge (26) also comes into contact with the stop (15). It will therefore cause the plate (4) which will perform a combination of lateral translation and rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow (27).

 Similarly, at the other end, the stops (17) and (.18) will be moved until they come into contact with the edges of the plate. When the four stops (15 to 18) are in contact with the plate (2), the action of the effectors (22), (28) is stopped. This stopping can be controlled by contactors on each of the stops (15 to 18), the stopping of the effector (22) being controlled by the simultaneous closing of the contacts (15) and (16).

 The lateral displacement of the plate (4) relative to the chassis (5) is facilitated by the presence of rollers (29).

The component of rotation of the plate relative to the chassis (5), generally of small amplitude, results on the one hand by a lateral displacement in opposite direction of the two series of rollers- (29), (30) and other part by a slight sliding of the same rollers on the tread secured to the chassis (5).

 Different operating modes. can be considered.

 First mode of operation: chassis provided with two symmetrically movable stops, formed by two tabs arranged on either side of the plate.

 According to this operating mode, the main steps of which are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3, the mobile carriage (6) supporting the chassis (5) is brought to the vertical of the reception area (10). The vertical displacement means (9) are actuated so as to lower the chassis (5) until the plate (2) comes into contact with the plate disposed on the receiving area (10) (step A of the figure 3). The vacuum means (12) are actuated so as to maintain the plate to be transferred against the plate (2). The vertical displacement means (9) are then actuated to raise the chassis (5) and the mobile displacement carriage (6) is brought above the stud (1) to be formed.

 During the travel of the mobile carriage (6), the front tabs (15), (16) and the rear tabs (17), (18) are actuated laterally until all four are in contact with the edges of the plate ( 2) to transfer (step B).

 The plate (2) being firmly held against the plate (4), the displacement of the first tabs in contact with one of the edges of the plate- (2) causes a displacement in a horizontal plane of the plate (4) relative to the chassis (5) (step C) until the plate (2) is arranged symmetrically with respect to the median plane (38) of the chassis (5).

 When the four tabs are in contact with the edges of the plate (2), said plate (2) is arranged symmetrically with respect to the median axis of the chassis (5). The movement of the mobile carriage (6) to a predetermined point corresponding to the central axis (3) of the pad (1) to be reconstituted ensures perfectly centered positioning of the new plate on the top of the pile to be formed.

 The vertical displacement means (9) are then actuated to lower the chassis (5) until the plate has. transfer comes into contact with the top of the already formed pad. The means for placing under vacuum are then uncoupled so as to cause the removal of the plate.

 A new cycle can then start again. The correct orientation of the plate deposited at the top of the stud is obtained whatever its position on the reception area (10).

Repositioning being done during the period of movement of the upper mobile carriage (6), no loss of time results from this operation being carried out completely in masked time.

 This operating mode is also perfectly suited for depositing a plate on an edger made up of two circular saws intended to cut a board with a parallel edge in a wooden tray.

 In this case, the displacement or the position of each of the tabs can be acquired by a sensor. The measurement of the width at the level of the front cleats and of the rear cleats is obtained by the indication delivered by the sensors on the spacing of said cleats. It is possible to deduce, on the one hand the yardage of the wooden tray, on the other hand the minimum width of the tray. This minimum width can be automatically taken into account for the adjustment of the spacing of the two edger sites.

 Second operating mode: alignment of the edges of a stack (Figure 4).

 Other applications require an alignment of the transferred plates not relative to the median axis (38) but relative to the lateral edges (39) of the stack to be formed.

This is particularly the case for the constitution of packages, wooden trays intended for wood drying and storage.

 For this operating mode, one of the lateral stops, for example that constituted by the cleats (16) and (17) is fixed. The movable stop, for example constituted by the tabs (15) and (18) pushes the edge (26) of the board (2) held against the plate (4) until the opposite edge (25) comes into contact with the fixed stop.

 As before, the positioning takes place in masked time during the movement of the mobile carriage (6).

 Third operating mode: alignment on both sides.

 According to a variant of the previous operating mode, the chassis (5) may comprise two fixed lateral stops formed by the cleats (30), (31) on the one hand, and (32), (33) on the other hand. A central movable stop, consisting for example of a front cleat and a rear cleat or even by a single central cleat, comes to bear with the central edge (26) of the plate (2) and exerts lateral pressure up to that the opposite edge (25) comes into contact with the fixed tabs (30), (31).

 For the plate to be placed on the other side of the package, the central movable stop comes into contact with the opposite edge (25) and exerts pressure until the edge (26) comes into contact with the other two fixed cleats (32, 33) (see also Figure 2).

 Fourth operating mode: alignment on both sides and / or central (Figure 5).

 For an application requiring alignment at the same time on the two lateral edges and in the center, for example the constitution of piles of an odd number of juxtaposed plates or for the realization of a universal installation, the chassis will comprise-à-la. times two fixed lateral stops constituted for example of the cleats (30), (31) and (32), (33) and two movable stops constituted for example of two cleats (15), (18) on the one hand, and (16 ), (17) on the other hand. The movable tabs are retractable, that is to say that they can be folded back so that they no longer protrude from the lower surface of the plate (4).

When it is desired to position the plate so that it is centered relative to the median axis, or relative to a longitudinal axis, the movable stops are put in place and act in accordance with the first mode of operation.
When a lateral alignment is sought, one of the movable stops, for example that constituted by the cleats (16), (17), is retracted. The second movable stop constituted by the tabs (15), (18) presses on the edge (25) of the plate (2) until it comes into contact with the fixed stops (32), (33) ..

 According to a 'variant, one of the movable stops, for example that constituted by the cleats (16), (17) is transformed into a fixed stop, when alignment relative to the lateral edge is sought, by immobilization at a fixed point before taking a new plate to transfer.

 During the movement of the upper mobile carriage (6), only the second stop constituted by the tabs (15), (18) is moved laterally so as to push the plate (2) against the first stop become fixed.

 Fifth operating mode: fixed and / or movable stops can also be provided on the reception area (Figure 6).

 In this case, the positioning of the plate to be transferred is done before it is taken up by the plate (4), for example during the phase of displacement of the previous plate. These fixed and / or mobile stops, which may consist of cleats as above, operate according to one of the modes listed above depending on the type of alignment which is sought.

 A less advantageous solution consists in combining a plate (4) movable relative to a frame (5 and an alignment by means of stops arranged on the receiving area (10). The positioning is carried out in this case, after suction by the plate (4) and, before vertical movement of the chassis (5). Nevertheless, this mode of action does not allow working in masked time and leads to a loss of time.

 The displacement can be carried out by any known means.

It is possible, in particular, to provide movement using mechanical and / or electric jacks, electric motors, in particular step-by-step numerically controlled. It is also possible, in the case of cleats fixed to a chain held by rollers, to ensure displacement by driving with the aid of a motor one of the rollers.

 The stops can be constituted as in the example described by tabs arranged at the two ends of the plate, or even by a straight bar connecting for example said tabs.

 The plate can advantageously be provided with return means (35) intended to make it return to its initial position relative to the frame (5) after removal of the plate to be transferred. This avoids successive repositioning of average amplitude resulting in the blocking of the plate in a position of maximum clearance relative to the chassis (5).

 The return to the initial position can also be carried out by means of the movable tabs, when the latter return at the end of the race after removal of the plate.

 The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments and to the examples described above but extends, on the contrary, to all the variants making it possible to obtain the same result.

Claims (13)

 1) Installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays, of the type comprising a plate provided with suction means open downwards, said plate being held by a chassis suspended by vertical displacement devices from a upper carriage movable in a horizontal plane, the orientation of the chassis being fixed relative to the orientation of the upper carriage, characterized in that said chassis (5) comprises at least one lateral stop longitudinally oriented and a second stop constituted by at least a stopper, said stops being directed downwards and extending beyond the suction surface of the plate (4), at least one of said stops being actuated laterally until. the inner edges of the two stops are in contact with the longitudinal edges (25, 26) of the plate held by suction against said plate (4).  2) installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden boards such as trays, according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate comprises at each of its lateral ends sliding means resting on the upper sliding surface integral with the 'lateral end of the chassis (5)  3) installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays, according to claim 2, characterized in that the plate (4) comprises at each of its lateral edges rollers (, 14) freely mounted on longitudinal axes, the rollers (14) resting on a tread (13) integral with the chassis (5) and oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chassis (5).  4) Installation for transferring plates, in particular of wooden planks, such as trays, of the type comprising a plate provided with suction means open downwards, said plate being held by a chassis suspended by vertical displacement devices to an upper carriage movable in a horizontal plane, the orientation of the chassis relative to the upper carriage being fixed, said installation comprising, in addition, an area for receiving the plate to be transferred, characterized in that said area for receiving comprises at least a first longitudinally oriented lateral stop and a second stop constituted by at least one cleat, at least one of said stops being actuated laterally until the inner edges of the two stops are in contact with the longitudinal edges of the plate .  5) installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises control means for moving laterally, after transfer and removal of the plate, the lateral stop until the inner edge is in contact with the inner edge of the second stop and to then move, in the same direction, the second stop with a length at least equal to the maximum width of the plates to transfer.  6) installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the two stops are movable and are actuated symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame.  7) installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays, according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one of the stops is retractable.  8) Installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays, according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each of the stops is constituted by two cleats (15 to 18).  9) installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays, according to claims 6 and 8, characterized in that the cleats arranged on the same line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis are arranged at two opposite points of a chain (19) forming a closed loop maintained by two rollers (20, 21) mounted on vertical axes, the plane containing the two axes being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, said chain (19) being set in motion by a mechanical device until said tabs (15 to 18) come into contact with the lateral edges 25, 26) of the plate (2) to be transferred.  10) installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays according to claims 6 and S, characterized in that the two tabs, acting symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis, are each arranged on a rack, the two racks being parallel to each other and arranged on either side of a toothed drive pinion.  11) Installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays, according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises, for each of the movable stops, two position or displacement sensors delivering a signal used by a computer for determining the metering of the plate to be transferred.  12) installation for transferring plates, in particular 'of wooden boards such as trays, according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the signal delivered by said sensors is exploited by a second computer controlling the movements of the mobile upper carriage.  13) Installation for transferring plates, in particular wooden planks such as trays, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the displacement of the stops takes place during the transfer period of the board.