JP2021123759A - Anode clamp device, anode clamp method, and anode transfer machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent an anode held by an anode transfer machine from contacting an inlet door of a crossfeed conveyor.SOLUTION: Each of a pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b can separately rotates. When the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are closed, the following steps are performed: one clamp arm 28a rotates, and the clamp arm 28a stops in a state that a grip face of a clamp claw part 29a of the clamp arm 28a matches a vertical direction; the grip face of the clamp claw part 29a contacts one of the surfaces of an anode 1; the other clamp arm 28b then rotates, and a grip face of a clamp claw part 29b of the clamp arm 28b presses the other surface of the anode 1; and the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b thus hold the anode 1 in an upright state in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention includes, for example, an anode clamping device and an anode clamping method for gripping an anode, which are used when moving an anode for copper electrolysis from a receiving system to a lateral feed system in a process of correcting an anode for copper electrolysis, and the above-mentioned. The present invention relates to an anode transfer machine provided with an anode clamping device and laterally feeds an anode gripped by the anode clamping device.

The anode for copper electrolysis charged in the electrolytic cell of electrolytic refining in which electrolytic copper is produced consists of a substantially rectangular plate-shaped portion and a pair of ears protruding to the right and left from both upper corners thereof. Has a structure of This anode for copper electrolysis is generally produced by casting blister copper, and at that time, the molten metal scattered or overflowing on the edge of the mold may solidify as it is to form so-called fins. This fin can be prevented to some extent by making the depth of the mold deeper than the thickness of the anode for copper electrolysis. So-called casting is likely to occur. Further, when the anode for copper electrolysis is taken out from the mold, if it is partially caught or insufficiently cooled, bending is likely to occur. As described above, the shape of the anode for copper electrolysis after casting may deviate from the standard.

Further, in the pair of ears of the anode for copper electrolysis, the anode for copper electrolysis is kept in a stable state with high verticality while maintaining good contact with the bus bar, which is an electrode provided on the upper part of the electrolytic cell. A function to hang it on a bus bar is required.

Therefore, the anode after casting is sent to the process of straightening the anode for copper electrolysis, and the bending of the anode is corrected by pressing with a hydraulic machine, and the variation in the thickness of the anode is suppressed by cutting with a cutting machine. By removing the protrusions at the ends of the anode and adjusting the flatness and the shape of the under-ear of the pair of ears, copper having the desired verticality, flatness, and levelness, and without protrusions, etc. It forms an anode for electrolysis.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a general copper electrolysis anode straightening process. The straightening process usually comprises a receiving system 2 and a lateral feed system 4. The receiving system 2 receives the copper electrolysis anode transported by the forklift from the casting process into the receiving conveyor 6 and sequentially vertically feeds the anode through the receiving transfer device 7 and the like to align the copper electrolysis anodes with the receiving aligning conveyor 10.

The copper electrolysis anode is transferred from the receiving system 2 to the lateral feed system 4 using the first anode transfer machine 20. In the lateral feed system 4, the copper electrolysis anodes are arranged in the same plane so that the ears adjacent to each other are close to each other, are sequentially laterally fed, and the above-mentioned correction step is sequentially performed. The corrected anode for copper electrolysis is transferred from the lateral feed system 4 to the alignment system 5 using the second anode transfer machine 50.

In the alignment system 5, the state of the copper electrolysis anode after correction is determined by a predetermined inspection device, defective products are removed, and the accepted products are then transferred to the electrolysis step.

In the lateral feed system 4 of the straightening process, in order to stably straighten a large number of copper electrolytic anodes using a hydraulic machine or a cutting machine, a copper electrolytic anode (hereinafter, simply referred to as "anode"). Various devices have been proposed for continuously laterally feeding (sometimes).

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-145468 describes a receiving alignment conveyor 10 composed of a pair of endless tracks in which the anodes for copper electrolysis are supported by a pair of ears and vertically arranged in a row in the horizontal direction. An anode lifting device that lifts the anodes transported in a row on the receiving alignment conveyor 10 one by one from the beginning is disclosed. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-31168 discloses an anode transfer device including a clamp device and a transfer carriage for sequentially laterally feeding the cathode gripped by the clamp device, although it is for cathode transfer. There is.

The anode transfer device includes a device for vertically transferring the anode for copper electrolysis, such as the receiving transfer device in the receiving system, and the first anode transfer machine and the second anode transfer device in the horizontal feed system. There is a device such as a mounting machine, in which vertically-fed anodes are horizontally fed one by one and transferred, or horizontally-fed anodes are transferred so as to be arranged on a vertically-fed conveyor.

Various structures are adopted as these anode transfer devices. 3 and 4 show an example of a conventional receiving alignment conveyor and a first anode transfer machine. Specifically, FIGS. 3 and 4 show the receiving alignment conveyor 10, the anode transfer machine (first anode transfer machine in the illustrated example) 20, and the housing of the lateral feed system 4. ing.

The receiving alignment conveyor 10 is provided with an anode lifting device 11. The anode lifting device 11 includes a pair of elevating arm portions 12 that support a pair of anode ears from below, and a main body portion 13 that elevates and elevates the pair of elevating arm portions 12. A wheel 14 as a traveling means is provided on the bottom of the main body 13. The anode lifting device 11 can reciprocate in the vertical direction between the receiving alignment conveyor 10 and the anode transfer machine 20 along the rail 15. As the traveling means, in addition to a mechanism consisting of wheels and rails, a traveling means composed of a rack and pinion mechanism can also be adopted. Instead of the traveling means, the anode can be vertically fed by a mechanism in which the support rods supporting the pair of elevating arm portions 12 rotate about 180 degrees around one end portion thereof.

The anode transfer machine 20 is installed so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the receiving alignment conveyor 10 between a position displaced vertically from the end of the receiving alignment conveyor 10 and the inside of the lateral feed system 4. It can move laterally on the rail 22 of the gantry 21 by a predetermined distance. The anode transfer machine 20 can travel by a carriage 24 including a drive device including a servomotor 23 and an accelerator / reducer (not shown). The anode clamp device 25 is arranged on the side surface of the anode transfer machine 20 in the longitudinal direction. The anode clamp device 25 includes a bracket 26 installed on the side surface of the carriage 24 of the anode transfer machine 20, two rotating shafts 27 rotatably supported by the bracket 26 and extending in the horizontal direction, and the two. It includes at least one set (two sets in the illustrated example) of a pair of clamp arms 28 assembled to the rotating shaft 27 of the book. A clamp claw portion 29 is attached to the tip of each clamp arm 28. The pair of clamp arms 28 are driven by a cylinder 30 attached to one end of two rotating shafts 27 to open and close. Specifically, a pair of clamps is obtained by simultaneously rotating the two rotating shafts 27 via a lever 31 and a gear 32 integrally attached to one of the two rotating shafts. The arm 28 can be opened and closed. That is, the anode clamp device 25 includes a mechanism in which the pair of clamp arms 28 closes when the cylinder 30 is moved forward, and the pair of clamp arms 28 opens when the cylinder 30 moves backward.

When the plurality of copper electrolysis anodes 1 are conveyed by a forklift and put into the receiving system, they are placed on the receiving aligning conveyor 10 via the receiving conveyor 6, the receiving transfer device 7, and the like, and are placed on the receiving aligning conveyor 10. Is conveyed as the anode group A in the direction of the arrow in FIG. In this transport state, the head anode 1 of the anode group A transported in a row on the receiving alignment conveyor 10 reaches a predetermined position, that is, directly above the elevating arm portion 12 of the anode lifting device 11. Continue until.

Next, the anode lifting device 11 is activated, and the elevating arm portion 12 raises the anode 1 by lifting the ear of the first anode 1 in the anode group A arranged in a row on the receiving alignment conveyor 10. When the anode 1 reaches a predetermined position in the vertical direction by the elevating arm portion 12, the elevating arm portion 12 stops ascending. In this state, the anode lifting device 11 moves forward to the position where the anode transfer machine 20 is arranged.

The pair of clamp arms 28 of the anode transfer machine 20 can be opened and closed in the thickness direction of the anode 1. When the first anode transfer machine 20 is substantially above the anode 1 on the anode lifting device 11, the pair of clamp arms 28 are in the open state.

When the anode 1 is further raised by the anode lifting device 11 and reaches a predetermined position in the vertical direction, the central portion in the width direction of the main body of the anode 1 enters between the pair of clamp arms 28 from below, and the anode 1 The upper end of the main body faces the clamp claws 29 of the pair of clamp arms.

In this state, the pair of clamp arms 28 are closed by the cylinder 30. At this time, the pair of clamp arms 28 are simultaneously close to the anode 1 and are closed. As a result, the anode 1 is gripped by a pair of clamp arms 28. After that, when the elevating arm portion 12 of the anode lifting device 11 descends and the carriage 24 starts to move in parallel, the inlet door 40 provided at the inlet portion of the lateral feed system 4 rotates or moves horizontally to the outside. It opens to allow the anode 1 to enter the lateral feed system 4. When the anode transfer machine 20 conveys the anode 1 to the lateral feed system 4, the inlet door 40 closes inward and the pair of clamp arms 28 is opened, so that the anode 1 is released from gripping and the anode is released. 1 is placed or held at a predetermined processing position (for example, a processing position of a straightening step such as a body straightening press) in the lateral feed system 4.

In the lateral feed system 4, the anode 1 for copper electrolysis is an anode transfer machine similar to the anode transfer machine 20 or a direction similar to the anode lifting device 11 and perpendicular to the traveling direction of the anode lifting device 11. The anode is sequentially and laterally fed by a device capable of moving the anode, and finally discharged from the laterally feed system 4 to the alignment system 5 by a second anode transfer machine 50 similar to the anode transfer machine 20.

JP-A-2018-145468 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-31168

When the first anode transfer machine 20 advances and moves to the lateral feed system 4, the anode 1 held by the anode transfer machine 20 comes into contact with the inlet door 40 of the lateral feed system 4 and stops, and the inlet The door 40 may not be closed. As shown in FIG. 5, the anode lifting device 11 swings the entire anode 1 with the anode support portion of the anode lifting device 11 as a fulcrum, and the anode 1 clamps the anode 1 in a state of being inclined in the thickness direction of the anode 1. This is because it is gripped by the device 25.

The state in which the anode 1 is stopped and the inlet door 40 is not closed is treated as a serious failure, in which case the automatic operation of the entire apparatus in the anode correction process including the receiving system and the lateral feed system is stopped. In the case of automatic operation stop due to such a serious failure, the equipment during automatic operation is stopped immediately, so it is necessary to operate each device individually to move it to the origin in order to resume automatic operation. It will take time. In addition, the frequency of serious failures due to the stoppage of the anode 1 due to the contact between the anode 1 and the inlet door 40 and the improper closing of the inlet door 40 is high, which contributes to a decrease in the equipment utilization rate in the anode correction process. There is. Therefore, immediate improvement is required for such contact between the anode 1 and the inlet door 40.

The present invention provides an anode clamping device and an anode transfer machine that can suppress variations in the attitude of the anode and prevent contact between the anode held by the anode transfer machine and the inlet door of the lateral feed system. The purpose is to provide.

That is, the anode clamp device of the present invention includes a pair of clamp arms and a drive mechanism for driving the pair of clamp arms.

In particular, in the anode clamp device of the present invention, the drive mechanism can rotate the pair of clamp arms individually one side at a time, and when the pair of clamp arms are closed, the drive mechanism Is to rotate one of the pair of clamp arms so that the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion attached to the one clamp arm coincides with the vertical direction (the gripping surface is perpendicular to the ground). (Or the gripping surface faces parallel to the ground or horizontally), the one clamp arm is stopped to bring the gripping surface into contact with one surface of the gripped anode. After that, the other clamp arm of the pair of clamp arms is rotated, and the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion attached to the other clamp arm presses the other surface of the anode. , The pair of clamp arms is configured to grip the anode.

The anode clamping device of the present invention further comprises a sensor, which presses the anode from both sides when it senses that the clamp claw portion of the other clamp arm has come into contact with the other surface of the anode. As such, the pair of clamp arms can be configured to operate.

The anode transfer machine of the present invention includes a trolley, a drive mechanism of the trolley, and an anode clamp device attached to the side surface of the trolley and capable of gripping the anode, and the anode clamp device is described above. It is characterized in that it is composed of the anode clamp device of the present invention.

The carriage can move, for example, on a gantry or a rail installed on the gantry, and can laterally feed the anode gripped by the anode clamping device in the horizontal direction.

The anode clamping method of the present invention uses an anode clamping device provided with a pair of clamp arms, and comprises a step of arranging an anode between the pair of clamp arms and a step of closing the pair of clamp arms. Be prepared.

In particular, in the anode clamping method of the present invention, in the step of closing the pair of clamp arms, one of the pair of clamp arms is rotated and attached to the one clamp arm. In a state where the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion coincides with the vertical direction, the one clamp arm is stopped to bring the gripping surface into contact with one surface of the clamped anode, and then the pair of clamp arms. By rotating the other clamp arm of the clamp arm and pressing the other surface of the anode with the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion attached to the other clamp arm, the pair of clamp arms is pressed. It is characterized in that the anode is gripped.

According to the present invention, when an anode such as an anode for copper electrolysis is transferred by an anode transfer machine, the entire anode swings with the anode support portion of the anode lifting device as a fulcrum by the anode lifting device, and the thickness of the anode is increased. Even when tilted in the direction, the anode can be held by the anode transfer machine in a good posture, that is, in a vertically standing state, and the anode is stopped and the inlet by contact with the inlet door of the lateral feed system. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of poor closing of the door.

1 (A) and 1 (B) show the anode clamping device of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows a state in which one of the clamp arms of the anode clamping device of the present invention is moved so that the clamp claw portion of the one clamp arm is brought into contact with one surface of the anode. FIG. 1B shows a state in which the other clamp arm is further moved and the anode is gripped from both sides by a pair of clamp arms. It is the schematic which shows the whole straightening process of the anode for copper electrolysis. It is the schematic which shows the receiving alignment conveyor and the anode transfer machine. It is the schematic which shows the anode transfer machine and the lateral feed system. It is the schematic which shows the state which the closing failure of the inlet door occurred by the contact between the anode and the inlet door of the lateral feed conveyor with respect to the conventional anode transfer machine.

The present inventors are keen on the serious failure of the conventional anode transfer machine, which is caused by the contact between the anode held by the anode transfer machine and the inlet door of the lateral feed conveyor, which is a failure to close the inlet door. Study was carried out. Then, it was considered that the anode swings back and forth in the traveling direction when it is vertically fed on the receiving alignment conveyor, and the first anode is lifted by the anode lifting device in this swinging state. When the lifted anode swings around the anode support portion in the anode lifting device as a fulcrum, gripping by the anode transfer machine may be performed in a state of being inclined in the thickness direction of the anode. The clamp claws attached to the pair of clamp arms of the anode transfer machine are not completely fixed to the clamp arms, and the clamp claws are to each clamp arm of the pair of clamp arms. By making it possible to displace the anode in the vertical direction within a range of about 30 degrees, it is possible to avoid an accident in which the anode is dropped when gripping the tilted anode, but the anode is held at the tilt angle immediately before gripping. This inclination angle takes various values depending on the swing period of the anode and the like. It was found that when this inclination angle is large, the anode held by the anode transfer machine comes into contact with the inlet door of the lateral feed system when it reaches the lateral feed conveyor.

Based on such findings, the present invention has been made after diligent studies on the configurations of the anode clamping device, the anode clamping method, and the anode transfer machine by the inventors.

The present invention is applicable to a moving device and a moving method in which an anode having an arbitrary shape such as a flat plate shape is sandwiched and moved from both sides. Specifically, as a step to which the anode clamping device, the anode clamping method, and the anode transfer machine of the present invention are applied, the lateral feed system 4 is performed by using the anode lifting device 11 and the anode transfer machine 20 from the receiving alignment conveyor 10. The process of transferring the anode 1 to the anode 1 will be described below as an example. In addition, the anode clamping device, anode clamping method, and anode transfer machine of the present invention provide a step of laterally feeding the anode 1 inside the lateral feed system 4 and from the lateral feed system 4 to the alignment system 5. It is also applicable in the step of transferring the anode 1 using the second anode transfer machine 50.

The configurations of the anode clamp device, the anode clamp method, and the anode transfer machine of the present invention are basically the same as the configurations of the conventional anode clamp device, the anode clamp method, and the anode transfer machine shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The same is true.

The receiving alignment conveyor 10 is composed of a pair of endless tracks in which a plurality of anodes 1 are supported by their respective pairs of ears and are arranged in a horizontal row in a row and conveyed in a vertical feed (in a direction in which the air resistance applied to the anode is large). Will be done. The pair of endless tracks can be composed of, for example, a plurality of sprocket wheels coaxial with each other and two roller chains extending endlessly between the sprocket wheels.

The anode lifting device 11 is provided on the receiving alignment conveyor 10. More specifically, the anode lifting device 11 is a terminal portion of the anode group A that is conveyed between a pair of endless tracks of the receiving alignment conveyor 10 and is conveyed on or inside the receiving alignment conveyor 10, that is, an anode. It is arranged at a position where the first anode 1 of the plurality of anodes 1 constituting the group A exists. The anode lifting device 11 is composed of a pair of elevating arm portions 12 that support a pair of ears of the anode 1 from below, and a main body portion 13 that elevates the pair of elevating arm portions 12. A known actuator such as a servomotor or a power cylinder can be applied to the mechanism for raising and lowering the pair of elevating arm portions 12.

A wheel 14 as a traveling means is provided on the bottom of the main body 13. The anode lifting device 11 can reciprocate in the vertical direction between the receiving alignment conveyor 10 and the anode transfer machine (first anode transfer machine in the illustrated example) 20 along the rail 15. There is. As the traveling means, in addition to a mechanism consisting of wheels and rails, a traveling means composed of a rack and pinion mechanism can also be adopted. Instead of the traveling means, the anode can be vertically fed by a mechanism in which the support rods supporting the pair of elevating arm portions 12 rotate about 180 degrees around one end portion thereof. When the anode transfer machine 20 is directly above the receiving alignment conveyor 10, the anode lifting device 11 does not have to be provided with traveling means.

The anode lifting device 11 is activated, and the elevating arm portion 12 raises the anode 1 by lifting the ear of the first anode 1 in the anode group A arranged in a row on or inside the receiving alignment conveyor 10. When the anode 1 reaches a predetermined position in the vertical direction by the elevating arm portion 12, the elevating arm portion 12 stops ascending. In this state, or in a state where the anode 1 is separated from the receiving alignment conveyor 10 and does not come into contact with the anode 1, the anode lifting device 11 moves forward to the position where the anode transfer machine 20 is arranged.

The anode transfer machine 20 transports one anode 1 lifted by the anode lifting device 11 in a horizontal direction (in a direction that matches the arrangement of a pair of ears of the anode), and is a receiving alignment conveyor. It has a function of sequentially transferring from 10 to the lateral feed system 4.

Also in the present invention, the anode transfer machine 20 extends in a direction perpendicular to the receiving alignment conveyor 10 between a position displaced in the vertical direction from the terminal portion of the receiving alignment conveyor 10 and the inside of the lateral feed system 4. It is possible to move laterally by a predetermined distance on the rail 22 of the gantry 21 installed in the above. The anode transfer machine 20 can travel by a carriage 24 including a drive device including a servomotor 23 and an accelerator / reducer (not shown). However, the traveling means of the anode transfer machine 20 is not limited to the mechanism including the carriage 24 and the rail 22, and a rack and pinion mechanism or the like can also be applied. In either case, the anode transfer machine 20 laterally feeds the anode 1 by traveling means from above a predetermined position vertically displaced from the end of the receiving alignment conveyor 10 to a predetermined position in the lateral feed system 4. It can be moved horizontally.

The anode clamp device 25a is arranged on the side surface of the anode transfer machine 20 in the longitudinal direction. The anode clamp device 25a includes a bracket 26 installed on the side surface of the carriage 24 of the anode transfer machine 20, two rotating shafts 27 rotatably supported by the bracket 26 and extending in the horizontal direction, and the two rotating shafts 27. It includes at least one set (two sets in the illustrated example) of a pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b assembled to the rotating shaft 27 of the book. Clamp claws 29a and 29b, each of which has a gripping surface, are attached to the tips of the clamp arms 28a and 28b. The pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are a lever 31 and a gear 32 integrally attached to one of the two rotating shafts by a cylinder 30 attached to one end of the two rotating shafts 27. The rotating shaft 27 rotates independently by switching the switch, so that the rotating shaft 27 can be opened and closed. That is, in the anode clamping device 25, when the cylinder 30 is moved forward, one of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b is closed, and when the cylinder 30 is moved backward, one of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b is closed. Equipped with a mechanism to open. Similarly, by switching the switch, the other of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b can be opened and closed based on the movement of the cylinder 30. In addition, each of the rotating shafts 27 may be provided with an independent cylinder 30, a lever 31, and a gear 32. Further, as a mechanism for independently driving each of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b, another actuator such as a servo motor can be applied instead of the cylinder 30. It is also possible to apply a known drive device capable of rotating a pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b without using the rotation shaft 27. Further, for the control, a control device including a known means such as timing control by a processor such as a CPU can be applied in addition to the switch function.

In this example, the anode transfer machine 20 is non-displaceably fixed to the carriage 24 via the bracket 26. However, the anode transfer machine 20 is provided with a lifting device (not shown) including a jack such as a screw jack or a power cylinder for moving the bracket 26 in the vertical direction, so that the anode transfer machine 20 is displaced in the vertical direction with respect to the carriage 24. Can also be configured to enable.

The pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are composed of metal rods or tubes such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and rolled steel for general structure. The upper end portions (base end portions) of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are pivotally attached to the rotation shaft 27, respectively. Therefore, the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b can be rotated (opened and closed) with respect to the thickness direction of the anode 1 by the drive mechanism.

The clamp claws 29a and 29b attached to the lower ends (tips) of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are made of steel, the same metal or resin material as the anode, such as copper. Non-slip processing can be applied to the portions of the clamp claws 29a and 29b that come into contact with the anode 1, or replaceable materials such as wear-resistant materials and sacrificial materials can be attached. The clamp claws 29a and 29b are attached to the clamp arms 28a and 28b so as to be displaceable in a range of 25 to 35 degrees, preferably 30 degrees in the vertical direction by means such as a spring. The facing surfaces of the clamp claws 29a and 29b are gripping surfaces. The gripping surface is preliminarily adjusted in a direction that enables close contact with the vertically arranged anode 1 when the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are closed. When applied to gripping the anode 1 having a flat plate shape, as shown on the left side (or right side) of FIG. 1B, when the clamp arm 28a (28b) is closed, the clamp claw portion 29a (29b) is gripped. The angle formed by the surface and the clamp arm 28a (28b) is equal to the angle formed by the clamp arm 28a (28b) in a vertical line. However, as the clamp claws 29a and 29b wear, the former angle changes, and the rotation angles of the clamp arms 28a and 28b also change accordingly. However, the rotation angle of the clamp arm 28a and the rotation angle of the clamp arm 28b Are adjusted to be equal.

In the closed position, the distance between the gripping surfaces of the clamp claws 29a and 29b is preferably set to be equal to or slightly smaller than the thickness of the anode 1 to be gripped. Further, the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b themselves can rotate until the gripping surfaces of the respective clamp claws 29a and 29b come into contact with each other.

The anode lifting device 11 moves forward to the position where the anode transfer machine 20 is arranged while the anode 1 is lifted. At this position, when the anode 1 is further raised by the anode lifting device 11 and reaches a predetermined position in the vertical direction, the central portion of the main body of the anode 1 in the width direction is between a pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b from below. The upper end of the main body of the anode 1 faces the clamp claws 29a and 29b.

In particular, in the anode clamp device 25a of the present invention, when closing the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b, the drive mechanism first uses one of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b as the clamp arm 28a. By rotating the clamp arm 28a, the one clamp arm 28a is stopped in a state where the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion 29a of the one clamp arm 28a coincides with the vertical direction. In this state, the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion 29a of the one clamp arm 28a is brought into contact with one surface (front surface or back surface) of the anode 1 gripped by the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b. At this time, since the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion 29a of one of the clamp arms 28a extends in the vertical direction, the posture of the anode 1 is controlled by the gripping surface so as to follow the vertical direction.

That is, even when the anode 1 lifted by the anode lifting device 11 swings with the anode support portion in the anode lifting device 11 as a fulcrum, the swinging motion of the anode 1 is performed by the clamp claw portion 29a of one of the clamp arms 28a. The anode 1 stands up in the vertical direction when it is dampened or stopped due to contact with the gripping surface of the anode 1.

In this state, that is, in a state of being supported by the clamp claw portion 29a of one clamp arm 28a in a substantially vertical upright state, the other clamp arm 28b of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b is rotated. Then, the other surface of the anode 1 is pressed by the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion 29b attached to the other clamp arm 28b. As a result, the anode 1 is sandwiched from both sides by the gripping surfaces of the clamp claws 29a and 29b of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b, including the state where the swinging motion of the anode 1 is not completely stopped. 1 is gripped by a pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b in a state of standing upright in the vertical direction.

In other states, that is, after contacting the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion 29a of the clamp arm 28a, the upper part of the anode 1 swings to the right, or the upper part of the anode 1 swings to the right and the swinging motion remains. Even in the swinging state, by closing the clamp arm 28b, the upper part of the anode 1 is pushed back in the direction of the clamp arm 28a, and the anode 1 can be in an upright state.

The timing difference between rotating one clamp arm 28a and the other clamp arm 28b is arbitrary as long as the above function can be exhibited, but from the viewpoint of processing efficiency in the correction process of the anode 1, the above timing difference is as much as possible. It is preferable to make it smaller. For example, the rotation of one clamp arm 28a can be stopped and the rotation of the other clamp arm 28b can be started at the same time, or one clamp arm 28a is rotating toward the anode 1. In the meantime, the rotation of the other clamp arm 28b can be started. That is, the rotational movement of at least one clamp arm 28a precedes the rotational movement of the other clamp arm 28b, the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion 29a of one clamp arm 28a comes into contact with the anode 1 in advance, and then. With a time lag, the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion 29b of the other clamp arm 28b comes into contact with the anode 1, so that the effect according to the present invention can be obtained.

When a sensor (not shown) such as a contact sensor or a position sensor is provided and it is detected that the clamp claw portion 29b of the other clamp arm 28b is in contact with the other surface of the anode 1, a pair of clamps is provided. It is also possible to operate the rotation operation of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b so as to further press the anode 1 from both sides by the clamp claws 29a and 29b of the arms 28a and 28b. As a result, the anode 1 can be firmly supported, and there is no need to worry about dropping it.

In the anode transfer machine provided with the anode clamp device of the present invention, the configurations other than the application of the anode clamp device 25a of the present invention as the anode clamp device are the conventional anode transfer machines shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The configuration is the same as that of the on-board machine. Further, the apparatus and processing procedure in the process of correcting the anode for copper electrolysis using the anode transfer machine of the present invention are the same as those of the conventional configuration except that the anode transfer machine of the present invention is applied. .. Therefore, the details thereof will be omitted, and the outline and differences will be briefly mentioned below.

The plurality of copper electrolysis anodes received by the receiving system 2 in the straightening process are supplied to the receiving aligning conveyor 10 via the receiving conveyor 6, the receiving transfer device 7, and the like, and are vertically fed as the receiving aligning anode group A. Be transported. When the head anode 1 of the anode group A reaches a predetermined position, the elevating arm portion 12 of the anode lifting device 11 rises and lifts only one head anode 1 to a predetermined height. The anode lifting device 11 moves forward to the position where the anode transfer machine 20 is arranged. In this state, the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b of the anode clamp device 25a of the anode transfer machine 20 located above the forward position of the anode lifting device 11 are in an open state. When the anode 1 is further raised by the anode lifting device 11 and reaches a predetermined position in the vertical direction, the central portion in the width direction of the main body of the anode 1 enters between the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b from below.

In the anode clamp device 25a of the present invention, as described above, since the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are driven independently, the anode 1 is in a vertically standing state and the pair of clamp arms 28a, The anode 1 is gripped by a pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b in a state of being sandwiched and supported by the gripping surfaces of the clamp claws 29a and 29b of 28b, respectively.

When the carriage 24 starts to translate, the entrance door 40 provided at the entrance of the housing of the lateral feed system 4 is opened by a predetermined interval, and the anode 1 can enter the lateral feed system 4.

By using the anode transfer machine 20 and the anode clamping device 25a of the present invention, the anode 1 transferred by the anode transfer machine 20 is held and moved in an upright state in the vertical direction with almost no inclination. , The situation where the anode 1 held by the anode transfer machine 20 comes into contact with the inlet door 40 in any of the open operation state, the open state, and the closing operation state of the inlet door 40 of the lateral feed system 4. Is prevented.

As described above, by using the anode clamping device, the anode clamping method, and the anode transfer machine of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the holding failure of the anode for copper electrolysis and the like by the anode transfer machine. It is possible to suppress the contact between the anode and the inlet door of the lateral feed conveyor, which is a serious failure due to poor holding, and the occurrence of the anode stop and the inlet door closing failure.

Although an example of the anode clamping device, the anode clamping method, and one embodiment of the anode transfer machine of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such an example and does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. It is possible to carry out in various aspects of. For example, the present invention is applicable not only to the anode for copper electrolysis but also to the anode for nickel electrolysis, and especially for solid materials that are transported by grasping a portion away from the center of gravity and transshipping, especially before transshipment. It can be suitably used for a plate-shaped solid material that is transported without being fixed to the surface. In addition to the anode correction process, the anodes arranged on the conveyor are transferred from the vertical feed system to the horizontal feed system, or from the horizontal feed system to the vertical feed system such as on the conveyor. It is possible to apply the present invention even in a step in which mounting is required and in which the attitude of the anode needs to be appropriately controlled.

1 Anode 2 Accepting system 4 Horizontal feed system 5 Alignment system 6 Accepting conveyor 7 Accepting transfer device 10 Accepting alignment conveyor 11 Anode lifting device 12 Lifting arm part 13 Main body 14 Wheels 15 Rail 20 Anode transfer machine (1st anode transfer) On board)
21 Stand 22 Rail 23 Servo motor 24 Bogie 25, 25a Anode clamp device 26 Bracket 27 Rotating shaft 28, 28a, 28b Clamp arm 29, 29a, 29b Clamp claw 30 Cylinder 31 Lever 32 Gear 40 Entrance door 50 Second anode transfer On-board machine A Anode group on the receiving alignment conveyor

Claims (4)

A pair of clamp arms and
A drive mechanism that drives the pair of clamp arms,
With
The drive mechanism can rotate the pair of clamp arms individually one side at a time, and when closing the pair of clamp arms, the drive mechanism is among the pair of clamp arms. By rotating one of the clamp arms and stopping the one clamp arm in a state where the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion attached to the one clamp arm coincides with the vertical direction, the gripping surface is held. The gripping surface of the clamp claw portion attached to the other clamp arm is brought into contact with one surface of the clamp to be gripped, and then the other clamp arm of the pair of clamp arms is rotated. By pressing the other surface of the anode, the pair of clamp arms grips the anode.
Anode clamp device. The pair of clamps comprises a sensor, the pair of clamps so as to press the anode from both sides when the sensor senses that the clamp claw of the other clamp arm has come into contact with the other surface of the anode. The anode clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the arm is operated. The anode clamp device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a trolley, a drive mechanism of the trolley, and an anode clamp device attached to a side surface of the trolley and capable of gripping an anode. Anode transfer machine, which is composed of. Using an anode clamp device with a pair of clamp arms
A step of arranging the anode between the pair of clamp arms and a step of closing the pair of clamp arms are provided.
In the step of closing the pair of clamp arms, one of the pair of clamp arms is rotated so that the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion attached to the one clamp arm is in the vertical direction. In the same state, the one clamp arm is stopped to bring the gripping surface into contact with one surface of the clamp to be gripped, and then the other clamp arm of the pair of clamp arms is rotated. By pressing the other surface of the anode with the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion attached to the other clamp arm, the pair of clamp arms grip the anode.
Anode clamping method.

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