JP2024067790A - Automatic level adjustment device and automatic level adjustment method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic level adjustment device that uses a foundation bolt insertion hole of a base plate as an acceptance place and a locking part, which can prevent a structure from falling even if earthquake occurs so that strong horizontal vibration occurs.SOLUTION: The automatic level adjustment device comprises: a lifting mechanism part 10 that includes a screw shaft 11 that can rotate and cannot move in a vertical direction, which upper end part is inserted through a bolt insertion hole formed in a base plate B and a nut 12 that is screwed with the screw shaft 11 to accept the base plate, which is configured so that when the screw shaft 11 rotates, the nut 12 is driven unrotatably by friction with a structure A; a rotation direction conversion mechanism part 20 that converts rotation around a horizontal axis to rotation around a vertical axis through bevel gear transmission mechanisms 21 and 22 to transmit the rotation to the screw shaft 11; and a motor 31 for controlling that applies driving-rotation to the bevel moving bevel gear 21. The motor 31 for controlling is configured to perform driving-rotation until completing adjustment of a level of an upper surface of the base plate B, on the basis of output pulse from a digital level gauge 40 installed to detect levelness of the upper surface of the base plate B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic level adjustment device and an automatic level adjustment method that are used when adjusting the level of a structure that requires level adjustment of the base plate, such as a machine tool, and installing the structure.

Conventionally, for example, in the manufacturing process of machine tools, it was necessary to adjust the level of the structure at each process, such as machining, assembly, and inspection. Specifically, for example, the machine tool was placed on a surface plate or the like for each process, and a level (also called a spirit level) was placed on the table or the like that served as the reference surface. While looking at this, the worker would turn the adjuster attached to the leg of the machine tool with a wrench so that the machine tool was level, relying on experience and intuition. The vertical alignment of the structure was also performed after the level of the workpiece placed on the surface plate or the like was adjusted.

Machines used for processing, assembly, inspection, etc. are designed to perform at their best when placed on a level (horizontal) surface. A level refers to the degree of horizontality, and for industrial machinery, achieving a highly precise horizontal surface for each process, such as processing, assembly, inspection, etc., is fundamental and essential for maintaining operational precision.

In various types of processing machines, manufacturing equipment, assembly equipment, etc. (hereafter referred to as structures), in order to fix a workpiece and perform highly accurate horizontal and vertical flat and hole machining on the workpiece, the base plate of the machining machine and the surface plate that fixes the workpiece must be installed with highly accurate level adjustment. Level adjustment is an essential task when installing equipment stands and base equipment frames, and in particular, measuring the floor level and adjusting the path line are important for transport equipment that transfers between equipment.

If the workpiece fixing plate is not precisely leveled, not only will it be impossible to precisely adjust the level of the wire cut of a wire cut electric discharge machine that precisely drills vertical holes, but it will also be impossible to precisely set it vertical, meaning that highly precise vertical hole drilling will not be possible.

In structures where level adjustment has not been performed with high precision, even the slightest error in the horizontality of the base plate or the top surface of the stand on which the workpiece is to be installed will prevent high-precision machining of the workpiece to create a horizontal surface or drilling of vertical holes, resulting in defective products and shortening the lifespan of machinery and tools. Furthermore, because the horizontality of industrial machinery changes due to its own weight, vibration, heat, etc. while it is in use, it is necessary to periodically adjust the level even after installation.

Similarly, highly precise level adjustments are also required in food processing machines, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and other industrial machines.

For many industrial machines, anchor bolts are buried in the floor of a factory or the like, and the industrial machine is lowered so that the heads of the anchor bolts are inserted into bolt holes on the periphery of the base plate of the industrial machine. The base plate is supported by a double nut that acts as an adjuster and screws onto the bolts. Level adjustments are then performed manually by checking the height and angle by tightening and loosening the nuts while checking a level, dial gauge, laser marker, convex, or the like placed on the base plate.

Manual level adjustments often take a long time. When the weight of a structure is large, the force required to turn the wrench also increases, making fine adjustments difficult. Even an experienced worker would take several tens of minutes to level both the X and Y axes.

As for the level, a digital level (digital precision level) is used, which has a bubble tube and a monitor that digitally displays the measured value, and can read not only horizontal and vertical but also subtle values at various angles, and can also output palms. In addition, the latest three-dimensional measuring machines are also used.

Therefore, an automatic leveling device has been proposed that can automatically perform high-precision leveling (synonymous with level adjustment) in a short time, regardless of the skill level of the operator (Patent Document 1).

This automatic leveling device is configured so that one of the three vertices of the planar triangle on the underside of a structure is supported by a fixed support with a support leg at the center of one side, and two points at each of the other corners are supported by jacks. A level is placed on the reference surface of the structure to measure the inclination angles of the X and Y axes, and the two jacks are raised and lowered based on the sensor signals to level the structure. The jack has a structure in which a lifting unit (lifting mechanism) and a drive unit (servo motor with a reducer) that drives it are detachably connected. After leveling is complete, the drive units are removed, leaving each lifting unit of the two jacks as support legs, and the removed drive unit is combined with another jack and used to level another structure.

Patent Publication No. 2000-107962

[Second application of automatic level adjustment device]
In a manufacturing plant for a structure, the automatic leveling device of Patent Document 1 is used to level the top surface of the base plate of the structure once, and then another level is used to adjust the level of the surface plate of the structure, the level or plumbing of the cutting tool, the plumbing of the wire cut line, etc. When the structure is transported and installed in a user company's plant and the base plate is leveled, the base plate is manually leveled using the level in a short period of time. A second leveling using the automatic level adjustment device is not performed. This is because handling the base plate leveling in this way maintains the leveling accuracy of the surface plate and other elements after the first leveling, and does not cause any problems with processing accuracy.

However, the automatic leveling device of Patent Document 1 has the following problems. The automatic leveling work is performed at the installation site of the user company, and the automatic leveling device of Patent Document 1 removes the drive unit (servo motor with reducer) that constitutes part of the jack after completing leveling, and continues to use the lifting unit as a support leg for two of the three vertices of the planar triangle on the underside of the base plate of the structure. This lifting unit includes a device frame, and a worm that can rotate around a horizontal axis is meshed with a worm wheel that can rotate around a vertical axis, so that the power rotation of the drive unit is input to the rotation axis of the worm, and a lifting body that cannot rotate around the vertical axis is screwed into the female screw at the center of the worm wheel and can be raised and lowered, and a saddle is provided at the upper end of the lifting body. Therefore, when using the automatic leveling device of Patent Document 1, the lifting body alone cannot be separated from the worm or worm wheel, etc., and used as a support leg, and there is a problem that the structure in which only the servo motor with reducer can be separated is expensive and uneconomical. Additionally, the saddle only supports the base plate over a small area and is not connected to it.

In addition, in the pinpoint support state of the two automatic leveling devices of Patent Document 1 and one support leg, in which the three vertices of a planar triangle near the edge of the underside of the base plate of the structure are selected, if there is a large lateral movement due to a major earthquake, for example, if a large lateral shift occurs in the pinpoint support, there is a risk of an accident in which the structure falls. Therefore, it would be desirable to prevent accidents in which the structure falls by using the foundation bolt through holes provided on the periphery of the base plate as a fastening means, rather than simply supporting the structure at a point.

When the inventor invented the new automatic level adjustment device, he targeted structures handled in manufacturing plants as the target of application. In other words, the target of application is structures handled in manufacturing plants where the first automatic level adjustment of the base plate of the structure is performed using an automatic level adjustment device, and the level adjustment and plumbing adjustment of the surface plate, cutting tools, wire cut lines, etc., provided in the structure are performed using a level separate from the automatic level adjustment device. Furthermore, when the structure is moved to the user company's installation site and the second level adjustment is performed, the target of application is structures where the use of a normal level and spacers as support legs for the underside of the structure is not necessary, and where it is acceptable to perform level adjustment using a normal level and spacers instead of the automatic level adjustment device.

The inventors therefore invented a new automatic level adjustment device, which allows the foundation bolt holes on the periphery of the base plate of the structure to be used as fastening means when the automatic level adjustment device is used in the manufacturing plant, preventing accidents such as the structure falling off the automatic level adjustment device even if a large earthquake occurs during automatic level adjustment.

The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide an automatic level adjustment device and method for automatic level adjustment in a manufacturing factory for structures that require level adjustment, by allowing the foundation bolt holes on the periphery of the base plate to be received as receiving points and locking parts, preventing accidents in which the structure falls even in the event of a major earthquake, and converting the power rotation of a motor rotating around a horizontal axis into linear fine movement and high torque by combining a bevel gear mechanism, a vertical screw shaft, and a nut runner, thereby increasing the lifting force and providing sufficient lifting function even for large and heavy structures.

To achieve the above objective, the automatic level adjustment device of the present invention supports the base plate of a structure that requires level adjustment, raises and lowers it in small increments, measures the horizontality of the top surface of the base plate with a digital level, and automatically adjusts the level based on the output pulses. The device is equipped with a lifting mechanism, a rotation direction changing mechanism, and a rotation drive means.

The automatic level adjustment device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a screw shaft whose axial direction is vertical and which is rotatable but immovable in the vertical direction, and whose upper end is inserted into a central hole in the base plate during level adjustment work, and a nut that is screwed onto the screw shaft and receives the base plate. When the screw shaft rotates, the nut is imrotatable due to friction with the structure and moves vertically. The automatic level adjustment device is equipped with an elevation mechanism that converts rotation around the horizontal axis into rotation around the vertical axis via a bevel gear transmission mechanism and transmits the rotation to the screw shaft. The control motor is configured to rotate based on the output pulse of a digital level that is installed to detect the horizontality of the top surface of the base plate until the level adjustment of the top surface of the base plate is completed.

The automatic level adjustment device according to the second aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the first aspect of the invention, but also includes a flat washer-like eye plate that has a central hole through which the screw shaft is inserted, is in close contact with the upper surface of the nut, receives the lower surface of the base plate, and is unable to rotate together with the nut due to friction caused by the load of the structure.

The automatic level adjustment device according to the third aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the first aspect of the invention, but the control motor is a servo motor or a pulse motor.

The automatic level adjustment device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the first aspect of the invention, but is also provided with a brake device that disables the screw shaft or the rotating shaft of the control motor from rotating when the control motor stops driving rotation after completing the level adjustment of the top surface of the base plate, so that the screw shaft does not rotate in the reverse direction due to the load on the base plate of the structure.

The automatic level adjustment device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the first aspect of the invention, but also includes a pressure sensor that is held by a bracket protruding from the side of the nut or is provided on the underside of the driven bevel gear and detects when the nut bears the load of the structure.

The automatic level adjustment method according to the sixth aspect of the present invention includes, in addition to the configuration of the fifth aspect of the invention, suspending the structure in the level adjustment work space of the structure and arranging the automatic level adjustment lifting device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention at a plurality of predetermined positions under the base plate of the structure, passing the upper end of the screw shaft 11 of the automatic level adjustment lifting device through a bolt through hole provided on the periphery of the base plate, arranging a first digital level that detects the level in the X direction and a second digital level that detects the level in the Y direction on the upper surface of the base plate, outputting a pulse from one of the first and second digital levelers, performing automatic level adjustment using the automatic level adjustment lifting device corresponding to the one digital leveler, and then outputting a pulse from the other digital leveler, performing automatic level adjustment using the automatic level adjustment lifting device corresponding to the other digital leveler, thereby adjusting the levels in the X and Y directions on the upper surface of the base plate.

The automatic level adjustment method according to the seventh aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the sixth aspect of the invention, and further comprises installing the automatic level adjustment lifting device described in any one of claims 1 to 5 on the floor of the level adjustment work space of the base plate of the structure at multiple positions where the base plate can be stably supported, and placing the base plate on the lifting device.

The automatic level adjustment method according to the eighth aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the sixth aspect of the invention, and further comprises: installing a plurality of the automatic level adjustment lifting devices described in any one of claims 1 to 5 and one or more support legs having an adjuster function on the floor of the level adjustment work space of the base plate of the structure at a plurality of positions that can stably support the base plate; and placing the base plate on them.

The automatic level adjustment method according to the ninth aspect of the present invention includes, in addition to the configuration of the sixth aspect of the invention, a plurality of the automatic level adjustment lifting devices described in any one of claims 1 to 5 are arranged in a state in which the upper surface of the nuts is several millimeters lower than the lower surface of the base plate before or after the structure is suspended, and the structure, on which support legs including bolts and nuts whose height can be adjusted by tightening are suspended from the four corners of the lower surface of the base plate, is suspended onto the floor of the level adjustment work space.

The automatic level adjustment method according to the tenth aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the sixth aspect of the invention, and is configured to drive the control motors of the multiple automatic level adjustment lifting devices described in claim 5 to raise each nut by a small amount, and when the pressure sensor detects that the nuts are in close contact with the underside of the base plate, the drive of the control motor is terminated.

According to the present invention, an automatic level adjustment device can be used in a manufacturing factory to automatically adjust the level of a structure that requires level adjustment by allowing the foundation bolt holes on the periphery of the base plate to be received as receiving points and locking parts, preventing accidents in which the structure falls even in the event of a major earthquake, and providing an automatic level adjustment device and method that converts the power rotation of a motor that rotates around a horizontal axis into linear fine movement and high torque by combining a bevel gear mechanism, a vertical screw shaft, and a nut runner, increasing the lifting force and providing sufficient lifting function even for large and heavy structures.

1 is a front view showing an automatic level adjustment device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view illustrating an automatic level adjustment method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view illustrating an automatic level adjustment method according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes an automatic level adjustment device and an automatic level adjustment method according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The first embodiment relates to an automatic level adjustment device, and the second to fourth embodiments relate to automatic level adjustment methods.

[First embodiment]
1 shows an automatic level adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automatic level adjustment device 1 supports a base plate B of a structure A that requires level adjustment, raises and lowers it in small increments, measures the horizontality (inclination) of the upper surface of the base plate B with a digital level 40, and automatically adjusts the level based on the output pulse. The automatic level adjustment device 1 comprises a lifting mechanism 10, a rotation direction changing mechanism 20, and a rotation drive means 30, all of which are held together in a device frame 60.

The lifting mechanism 10 includes a screw shaft 11 whose axial direction is vertical and which is rotatable but immovable in the vertical direction. The upper end of the shaft is inserted into a foundation bolt through hole C provided in the base plate B during leveling work, and a nut 12 which is screwed onto the screw shaft 11 and supports the underside of the base plate B. When the screw shaft 11 rotates, the nut 12 is configured to move vertically without being able to rotate due to friction with the structure A.

It is preferable that the upper surface of the nut 12 is provided with a threaded plate 13. The threaded plate 13 is in the form of a flat washer, i.e., has a central hole through which the screw shaft 11 is inserted and is placed in close contact with the upper surface of the nut 12. The threaded plate 13 supports the lower surface of the base plate B over a wide area, and is unable to rotate together with the nut 12 due to friction caused by the load of the structure A. Note that the threaded plate 13 is not required.

It is preferable that the nut 12 is elastically supported by an elastic support device 14 protruding from the side of the nut 12, and that the pressure sensor 15 is provided to detect when the base plate B is seated on the upper surface of the eye plate 13. The pressure sensor 15 may be provided on the underside of the driven bevel gear 22, which will be described later, and may be arranged to detect when the load of the structure A is transmitted to the driven bevel gear 22.

The pressure sensor 15 is used as follows. For example, when structure A is transported from a separate assembly factory to a factory where pre-shipment inspection is performed and is lowered by a crane or the like to a position where level adjustment is performed, the base plate B of structure A is received by pedestals or support legs prepared in advance at the four corners of the plate, and then two or three automatic level adjustment devices are inserted into base plate B, and the nut 12 is raised until the eye plate 13 is in close contact with base plate B, and when automatic level adjustment is performed, the pressure sensor 15 is used as a detection means that detects this contact and stops the rise of the driven block 13.

The rotation direction conversion mechanism 20 has a driving bevel gear 21 and a driven bevel gear 22 that rotate in mesh with each other. The driving bevel gear 21 is supported by the device frame 60 via a bearing and can rotate around the horizontal axis. The driven bevel gear 22 has a screw shaft 11, whose axis is vertical, inserted into its central hole and is fixed in a state where the screw shaft 11 is supported by the device frame 60 via a bearing at its upper and lower positions relative to the driven bevel gear 22, and can rotate around the vertical axis together with the screw shaft 11. Thus, the rotation direction conversion mechanism 20 converts rotation around the horizontal axis into rotation around the vertical axis and transmits the rotation to the screw shaft 11.

The rotational power unit 30 is equipped with a control motor 31 that is arranged to transmit the motor output rotation to the driving bevel gear 21 via a reduction gear 33. The reduction gear 33 amplifies the torque of the motor output rotation and transmits it to the driving bevel gear 21.

The control motor 31 is configured to input to the motor driver 32 an output pulse (horizontal LEVEL signal) that is output by a digital level (digital precision level) 40, which is installed to detect the horizontality of the top surface of the base plate B, until the horizontality reaches zero, and a dedicated application within the motor driver 32 receives and processes the output pulse (horizontal LEVEL signal) to generate the drive pulse required to drive the control motor 31, and the control motor 31 inputs the drive pulse and continues to rotate until the level adjustment of the top surface of the base plate B is completed.

The control motor 31 is a servo motor or a pulse motor. A servo motor is a motor used in a servo mechanism that accurately achieves position/speed/torque and the like according to instructions, and is generally an electric motor with a detector that performs feedback control. Here, the pulses output from the digital level 40 are input to the motor driver 32 and multiplied to output motor drive pulses, and feedback control is performed so that the tilt angle output by the digital level 40 converges to zero. A pulse motor is a motor that moves and rotates at a fixed angle by switching the phase through which current flows, and can be positioned without a sensor, and is easier to control than a servo motor.

The rotating power unit 30 is provided with a brake device 34. The brake device 34 may be provided to disable the rotation of the screw shaft 11 or the rotating shaft of the control motor 31. The brake device 34 is adapted to brake when the control motor 31 stops driving rotation after completing the level adjustment of the upper surface of the base plate B, and prevents the screw shaft 11 from rotating in the reverse direction due to the load of the base plate B of the structure A, which would impair the level adjustment of the base plate B. In this embodiment, the brake device 34 is provided to brake the rotation of the disk 10 provided on the shaft coupling 35, but may be provided in any suitable position.

The digital level 40 may be a digital level manufactured by ANYDESIN or a digital level (Levelnic (registered trademark)) manufactured by Niigata Seiki Co., Ltd. The procedure for detecting the horizontality of a digital level varies depending on the manufacturer of the digital level. In one example, the digital level is adjusted so that the direction of horizontality detection is aligned in the X or Y direction on the top surface of the base plate B, the zero setting button is pressed so that the display memory shows zero, then the direction is turned 180 degrees and the measurement button is pressed to show the value in the display memory, and when the half-value correction button is pressed, the half-value shown in the display memory shows the actual inclination. The digital level can output a certain number of pulses using the pulse output setting button until the inclination becomes zero (horizontal), and these pulses can be used to drive a motor.

In particular, according to the present invention, the upper part of the nut 12 that screws onto the top of the screw shaft 11 is passed through the foundation bolt through hole C provided on the periphery of the base plate B, and the nut 12 supports the underside of the base plate B. The rotation of the motor is converted in direction via a bevel gear transmission mechanism and transmitted to the screw shaft 11, which is the vertical shaft, and the rotation of the screw shaft 11 is transmitted to the nut 12, which has a high lifting force and moves slightly upward to support the base plate B. Therefore, even if a large earthquake occurs during automatic level adjustment, it is possible to prevent the structure A from falling off the automatic level adjustment device 1, and it is possible to provide an automatic level adjustment device that can be used for automatic level adjustment work for large and heavy structures A.

Next, we will explain several examples of the automatic level adjustment method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Second embodiment]

Figure 2 shows an automatic level adjustment method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this automatic level adjustment method, three automatic level adjustment devices 1 shown in Figure 1 are used. First, automatic level adjustment devices 1A, 1B, and 1C are placed at three points among the four corners of the level adjustment work space (planar space where base plate B of structure A is planned to be installed), namely, two corners on one short side and the midpoint of the other short side, as shown in Figure 2, and automatic level adjustment device 1C is placed at the midpoint of the short side.

At this time, in order to perform the level adjustment work efficiently, the base plate receiving heights of the three automatic level adjustment devices 1A, 1B, and 1C are set to relative receiving heights, with 1C being the lowest, followed by 1A and 1B. For example, the top surface of the driven block 12 of the automatic level adjustment device 1C is set to be 2 mm lower than the top surface of the driven block 12 of the automatic level adjustment device 1A, and the top surface of the driven block 12 of the automatic level adjustment device 1A is further set to be 2 mm lower than the top surface of the automatic level adjustment device 1B. When doing this, as described below, automatic level adjustment is not required for the automatic level adjustment device 1B, and the automatic level adjustment in the X direction is first performed by the automatic level adjustment device 1A, and then the automatic level adjustment in the Y direction is performed by the automatic level adjustment device 1A, so that the level adjustment of the base plate B of the structure A can be performed.

Structure A is hung so that base plate B rests on the driven blocks 12 of the three automatic level adjustment devices 1A, 1B, and 1C, which are set to the relative support heights described above. The three automatic level adjustment devices 1 are positioned at the three vertices of a triangle in a plan view, and the center of the area of the triangle in a plan view is located close to the center of gravity of structure A, so that structure A can be stably supported. Note that base plate B presses against pressure sensor 14 shown in Figure 1, but pressure sensor 14 is not used in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the direction along the short side of base plate B is the X direction. A first digital level 41 that detects the horizontality in the X direction and a second digital level 42 that detects the horizontality in the Y direction are arranged on the top surface of base plate B of structure A to sequentially detect the horizontality in the X direction and the Y direction of the top surface of base plate B.

In this embodiment, the height of the upper surface of each of the eyelet plates 13 of the three automatic level adjustment devices 1A, 1B, and 1C is set as described above before the structure A is lowered, so that as the first level adjustment, the level is measured by the first digital level 41, and then a pulse is output. Based on this output pulse, the control motor 31 of the automatic level adjustment device 1A is driven to raise the upper surface of the eyelet plate 13, and the upper surface of the eyelet plate 13 of the automatic level adjustment device 1A is raised by small amounts to adjust it to the same height as the upper surface of the eyelet plate 13 of the automatic level adjustment device 1B. This allows the level adjustment in the X direction of the base plate B to be performed. In addition, when the upper surface of the eyelet plate 13 of the automatic level adjustment device 1B is set lower than the upper surface of the eyelet plate 13 of the automatic level adjustment device 1A, the inclination angle is reversed in the first digital level 41, and in this case, the control motor 31 of the automatic level adjustment device 1B is driven based on the output pulse from the first digital level 41 to raise the upper surface of the eyelet plate 13.

After adjusting the level of base plate B in the X direction, the second digital level 42 measures the level of base plate B in the Y direction (measures the inclination), then a pulse is output. Based on this output pulse, the control motor 31 of the automatic level adjustment device 1C on the other side in the Y direction of the two automatic level adjustment devices 1A, 1B that have already completed level adjustment in the X direction is driven to raise the upper surface of the eye plate 13 and adjust it to the same height as the upper surfaces of the eye plates 13 of the automatic level adjustment devices 1A, 1B. This allows the level adjustment of base plate B in the Y direction to be performed.

After the level adjustment in the Y direction, level detection is performed again using the first digital level 41 and the second digital level 42, and if the detected level is not a zero value, the level adjustment in the X direction and the Y direction may be repeated.

Next, for structure A, for which the level adjustment of base plate B has been completed, the level and vertical adjustments of the surface plate, processing tools, etc. have been performed, so the level and vertical adjustments of the surface plate, processing tools, etc. are performed. After that, only the structure A that has been accepted by the automatic level adjustment devices 1A, 1B, 1C and is not connected is lifted by a crane or the like and transported for shipping. In this way, only the structure A that does not include the automatic level adjustment devices 1A, 1B, 1C is moved from the manufacturing factory to the user's factory and placed directly on the floor, and the level adjustment of the base plate B is performed again by hand using a level and spacers in a short time, and the required high-precision level and vertical adjustments can be ensured without having to adjust the level and vertical of the surface plate, processing tools, etc. again.

As a modification of this embodiment, the automatic level adjustment device 1B may be replaced with a base (or support leg) having an adjuster function. This allows the two automatic level adjustment devices 1A and 1C and the base with an adjuster function to receive the base plate B of the structure A to be lowered with a wide receiving surface. In this case, the height at which the automatic level adjustment devices 1A and 1C receive the base plate before lowering the base plate B of the structure A is set so that the base plate receiving height of the automatic level adjustment device 1C is the lowest, the base plate receiving height of the automatic level adjustment device 1A is the second lowest, and the base plate receiving height of the base or support leg is the highest. Next, the first digital level 41 and the automatic level adjustment device 1A are used to automatically adjust the X-direction of the base plate B, and then the second digital level 42 and the automatic level adjustment device 1C are used to automatically adjust the Y-direction of the base plate B. This allows the level adjustment of the base plate B of the structure A.

Four automatic level adjustment devices may also be used, but the plane is formed by three support points, and the fourth support point follows to support the plane.

[Third embodiment]
3 shows an automatic level adjustment method according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this automatic level adjustment method, four support legs (adjuster bolts) 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D are used, as well as two automatic level adjustment devices 1A and 1C. The four support legs (adjuster bolts) 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D are attached to four foundation bolt holes C provided on the periphery of a base plate B of a structure A.

In this case, for example, the base plate receiving height of support legs 50C and 50D is set to the lowest, the base plate receiving height of support leg 50A is set to be 2 mm higher, and the base plate receiving height of support leg 50D is set to be another 2 mm higher.

As described above, in this embodiment, the four foundation bolt holes are used to attach the four support legs (adjuster bolts) 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D, and cannot be used to insert the screw shafts 11 of the automatic level adjustment devices 1A and 1C. For this reason, bolt holes C2 for passing the upper ends of the screw shafts 11 of the automatic level adjustment devices 1A and 1C are pre-drilled on the periphery of the base plate B, one on the inside of the support leg 50A and one halfway between the support legs 50C and 50D. The structure A is suspended so that the upper ends of the screw shafts 11 of the automatic level adjustment devices 1A and 1C pass through these bolt holes C2.

First, the support legs 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D whose support heights have been adjusted as described above are attached to the foundation bolt holes C of the base plate B in the level adjustment work space (the planar space where the base plate B of the structure A is planned to be installed), and the structure A is suspended. Then, the automatic level adjustment device 1A is placed below the bolt hole C2 near the support leg 50A, and the control motor 31 is chopper-driven to raise the screw shaft 11 and pass the upper end of the screw shaft 11 through the bolt hole C2. Similarly, the automatic level adjustment device 1C is placed below the other bolt hole C2, and the control motor 31 is chopper-driven to raise the screw shaft 11 and pass the upper end of the screw shaft 11 through the bolt hole C2. At this time, the pressure signal from the pressure sensor 15 is used to stop the motor drive, completing the preparations before starting the automatic level adjustment.

Next, in this embodiment, automatic level adjustment can be performed in the same manner as the automatic level adjustment method according to the second embodiment. As the first level adjustment, the level is measured using the first digital level 41, and the control motor 31 of the automatic level adjustment device 1A is driven based on the output pulse of the first digital level 41 to raise the upper surface of the eye plate 13, thereby adjusting the level of the base plate B in the X direction between the base plate support height of the upper surface of the eye plate 13 and the base plate support height of the support leg 50B.

Then, the second digital level 42 measures the level of base plate B in the Y direction and outputs a pulse. Based on this output pulse, the upper surface of the eye plate 13 of the automatic level adjustment device 1C, which is aligned in the Y direction with respect to the automatic level adjustment device 1A and support leg 50B, whose level adjustment in the X direction has been completed, is raised, and the level of base plate B in the Y direction is adjusted. This allows the level adjustment of base plate B of structure A.

Next, for the structure A, for which the level adjustment of the base plate B has been completed, the level adjustment and vertical adjustment of the surface plate, processing tools, etc. are performed, so the level adjustment and vertical adjustment of the surface plate, processing tools, etc. are performed. After that, the structure A, which has been received by the automatic level adjustment device 1A, 1C and is not connected, is lifted together with the support legs 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D by a crane or the like, and transported for shipping. In this way, only the structure A with the support legs 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D hanging down is moved from the manufacturing factory to the user's factory, and the level adjustment of the base plate B is performed again by placing it on the floor. This can be completed in a short time by simply manually adjusting the support legs 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D using a level, and the required high-precision level adjustment and vertical adjustment can be ensured without performing the level adjustment and vertical adjustment of the surface plate, processing tools, etc. again.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the top surface of the base plate B of structure A is leveled once in the manufacturing factory of structure A, and then another level is used to level the surface plate etc. equipped on structure A, level or plumb the cutting tools etc. used to process, assemble or measure the workpiece fixed to the surface plate etc., and plumb the wire cut line, etc., which are suitable for structure A, and can automatically perform high-precision leveling in a short time regardless of the skill level of the operator.

In particular, according to the present invention, the screw shaft 11 is passed through the foundation bolt hole C (or through a separately drilled bolt hole C2 when the foundation bolt hole C is used to attach a support leg) provided on the periphery of the base plate B, and the bottom surface of the base plate B is supported and lifted by a nut 12 screwed onto the screw shaft 11 or a threaded plate 13 provided on the nut 12, i.e., the foundation bolt hole C is used as a support point and a locking part, and an automatic level adjustment device can be provided that can prevent the accident of structure A coming off the initial support surface and falling even if a large earthquake occurs during automatic level adjustment.

According to the present invention, the power rotation of a motor that rotates around a horizontal axis is converted by a screw mechanism into fine movement, linear movement, and high torque, and then converted again by a screw mechanism into fine movement, linear movement, and high torque, thereby increasing the force with which the base plate B is received and lifted by a factor of two, thereby providing an automatic level adjustment device that can be used for automatic level adjustment of a large, heavy structure A.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, similar to the automatic leveling device of Patent Document 1, high-precision leveling can be achieved automatically in a short time, regardless of the skill level of the operator.

Note that the present invention is also implemented when the automatic leveling device of the present invention is used to carry out the second to fourth automatic level adjustment methods at a user company's factory, rather than at a structure manufacturing plant.

1...Automatic level adjustment device,
10...Lifting mechanism part,
11...Screw shaft,
12...Nut,
13...Metal plate,
14...ammunition holding device,
15...pressure sensor,
20...Rotation direction changing mechanism,
21...Drive bevel gear,
22... driven bevel gear,
30...rotational power unit,
31...control motor,
32...motor driver,
33...Reduction gear,
34...Brake device,
35...shaft coupling,
40...Digital level,
41...first digital level,
42...second digital level,
60...Device frame,
A...structure,
B...base plate,
C...Foundation bolt through hole,
C2: Bolt hole,
50A-50D…Support legs

The automatic level adjustment device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a screw shaft whose axial direction is vertical and which is rotatable but immovable in the vertical direction, and whose upper end is inserted into a hole in the base plate through which a bolt is provided during level adjustment work, and a nut that is screwed onto the screw shaft and receives the base plate, and when the screw shaft rotates, the nut is immovable in the vertical direction but is unable to rotate due to friction with the structure, a lifting mechanism that rotates in the vertical direction when the screw shaft rotates, a rotation direction conversion mechanism that converts rotation about the horizontal axis into rotation about the vertical axis via a bevel gear transmission mechanism and transmits the rotation to the screw shaft, and a control motor that provides driving rotation to the bevel gear transmission mechanism, and the control motor is configured to drive rotation until the level adjustment of the top surface of the base plate is completed based on the output pulses of a digital level that is installed to detect the horizontality of the top surface of the base plate.

The automatic level adjustment device according to the second aspect of the present invention has, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect of the invention, a configuration including a flat washer-like eye plate through whose central hole the screw shaft is inserted, which is in close contact with the upper surface of the nut, receives the lower surface of the base plate, and is unable to rotate together with the nut due to friction caused by the load of the structure.

1...Automatic level adjustment device,
10...Lifting mechanism part,
11...Screw shaft,
12...Nut,
13...Metal plate,
14...ammunition holding device,
15...pressure sensor,
20...Rotation direction changing mechanism,
21...Drive bevel gear,
22... driven bevel gear,
30...rotational power unit,
31...control motor,
32...motor driver,
33...Reduction gear,
34...Brake device,
35...shaft coupling,
40...Digital level,
41...first digital level,
42...second digital level,
60...Device frame,
A...structure,
B...base plate,
C...Foundation bolt hole (hole for passing the bolt) ,
C2: Bolt hole (hole for passing a bolt) ,
50A-50D…Support legs,

[First embodiment]
Fig. 1 shows an automatic level adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automatic level adjustment device 1 supports a base plate B of a structure A that requires level adjustment, raises and lowers it in small increments, measures the horizontality (inclination) of the upper surface of the base plate B with a digital level 40, and performs automatic level adjustment based on the output pulse. The automatic level adjustment device 1 comprises a lifting mechanism 10, a rotation direction changing mechanism 20, and a rotation drive means 30, all of which are held together in a device frame 60.

The rotation direction conversion mechanism 20 has a driving bevel gear 21 and a driven bevel gear 22 which rotate in mesh with each other. The driving bevel gear 21 is journaled on the device frame 60 via a bearing and can rotate around a horizontal axis. The driven bevel gear 22 has a central hole through which the screw shaft 11, whose axis is vertical, is inserted and fixed, and the screw shaft 11 is journaled on the device frame 60 via a bearing at its upper and lower positions relative to the driven bevel gear 22 and can rotate around the vertical axis together with the screw shaft 11. Thus, the rotation direction conversion mechanism 20 converts the rotation around the horizontal axis into rotation around the vertical axis and transmits the rotation to the screw shaft 11.

At this time, in order to perform the level adjustment work efficiently, the base plate receiving heights of the three automatic level adjustment devices 1A, 1B, and 1C are set to relative receiving heights, with 1C being the lowest, 1A being the lowest, and 1B being the lowest. For example, the upper surface of the driven block 12 of the automatic level adjustment device 1C is set to a state in which it is 2 mm lower than the upper surface of the driven block 12 of the automatic level adjustment device 1A, and the upper surface of the driven block 12 of the automatic level adjustment device 1A is further set to a state in which it is 2 mm lower than the upper surface of the automatic level adjustment device 1B. In this case, as described below, it is not necessary to perform automatic level adjustment for the automatic level adjustment device 1B, and the level adjustment of the base plate B of the structure A can be performed by first performing automatic level adjustment in the X direction by the automatic level adjustment device 1A and then performing automatic level adjustment in the Y direction by the automatic level adjustment device 1C .

Claims (10)

An automatic level adjustment device that receives a base plate of a structure that requires level adjustment, and automatically adjusts the level of an upper surface of the base plate by raising and lowering the base plate by a small amount of change,
a lifting mechanism including a screw shaft whose axial direction is vertical and which is rotatable but immovable in the vertical direction, and whose upper end is inserted into a central hole provided in the base plate during level adjustment work, and a nut which is screwed onto the screw shaft and receives the base plate, and when the screw shaft rotates, the nut moves in the vertical direction without being able to rotate due to friction with the structure;
a rotation direction conversion mechanism that converts the rotation about the horizontal axis into a rotation about the vertical axis via a bevel gear transmission mechanism and transmits the rotation to the screw shaft;
a control motor for applying a driving rotation to the bevel gear transmission mechanism,
The automatic level adjustment lifting device is characterized in that the control motor is configured to drive and rotate until level adjustment of the upper surface of the base plate is completed based on output pulses from a digital level device installed to detect the horizontality of the upper surface of the base plate. 2. The automatic level adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising a flat washer-like eye plate having a central hole through which the screw shaft is inserted, which is in close contact with the upper surface of the nut, receives the lower surface of the base plate, and is unable to rotate together with the nut due to friction caused by the load of the structure. The lifting device for automatic level adjustment according to claim 1 , wherein the control motor is a servo motor or a pulse motor. When the level adjustment of the upper surface of the base plate is completed and the control motor stops driving rotation, a brake device is provided to disable the screw shaft or the rotating shaft of the control motor from rotating so that the screw shaft does not rotate in the reverse direction due to the load of the base plate of the structure. The automatic level adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor that is held by a bracket protruding from a side of the nut or is provided on the underside of the driven bevel gear and detects that the nut has received the load of the structure. an automatic level adjustment method comprising: suspending the structure into a level adjustment work space for the structure, and arranging the automatic level adjustment lifting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 at a plurality of predetermined positions under a base plate of the structure, passing an upper end of a screw shaft 11 of the automatic level adjustment lifting device through a bolt through hole provided on the periphery of the base plate, arranging a first digital level for detecting levelness in the X direction and a second digital level for detecting levelness in the Y direction on an upper surface of the base plate, outputting a pulse from one of the first and second digital level devices and performing automatic level adjustment using the automatic level adjustment lifting device corresponding to the one digital level device, and then outputting a pulse from the other digital level device and performing automatic level adjustment using the automatic level adjustment lifting device corresponding to the other digital level device, thereby performing level adjustments in the X direction and Y direction on the upper surface of the base plate. The automatic level adjustment method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of: installing the automatic level adjustment lifting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 on a floor of a level adjustment work space for the base plate of the structure at a plurality of positions where the base plate can be stably supported; and placing the base plate on the lifting device. The automatic level adjustment method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of: installing a plurality of the automatic level adjustment lifting devices according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and one or more support legs having an adjuster function on a floor of a level adjustment work space for the base plate of the structure at a plurality of positions where the base plate can be stably supported; and placing the base plate on the lifting devices. The automatic level adjustment method according to claim 6, further comprising arranging a plurality of the automatic level adjustment lifting devices according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in a state in which the upper surface of the nuts is several millimeters lower than the lower surface of the base plate before or after the structure is suspended, and suspending the structure having supporting legs including bolts and nuts that can be adjusted in height by tightening them from the four corners of the lower surface of the base plate onto a floor of a level adjustment work space. 10. The automatic level adjustment method according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising the steps of: driving each of the control motors of the plurality of automatic level adjustment lifting devices according to claim 5 to raise each nut by a minute amount, and terminating the driving of the control motor when the pressure sensor detects that the nuts are in close contact with the underside of the base plate.

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