JP7380277B2 - Anode clamping device, anode clamping method, and anode transfer machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an anode clamp device and an anode clamp method for gripping an anode, which are used when moving the copper electrolytic anode from a receiving system to a cross-feeding system in a straightening process of the copper electrolytic anode, for example, and The present invention relates to an anode transfer machine that includes an anode clamp device and traverses an anode gripped by the anode clamp device.

The anode for copper electrolysis, which is charged into the electrolytic refining electrolytic bath in which electrolytic copper is produced, consists of a substantially rectangular plate-shaped part and a pair of ears protruding from both upper corners of the plate to the right and left, respectively. It has the following structure. This anode for copper electrolysis is generally produced by casting blister copper, and at this time, molten metal that scatters or spills over the edge of the mold may solidify as it is, resulting in protrusions 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, but in this case, the inner peripheral surface of the mold bulges due to the wetness of the molten metal and solidifies as it is, forming an approximately picture frame shape. It is easy to cause so-called casting. Furthermore, when taking out the copper electrolytic anode from the mold, it tends to bend if some parts get caught or if it is insufficiently cooled. As described above, the shape of the copper electrolytic anode after casting may deviate from the standard.

In addition, the pair of ears of the anode for copper electrolysis is designed to maintain good contact with the bus bar, which is an electrode provided at the top of the electrolytic tank, and to hold the anode for copper electrolysis in a highly vertical and stable state. The ability to hang it on a busbar is required.

For this reason, the anode after casting is sent to the copper electrolytic anode straightening process, where the anode is pressed using a hydraulic machine to straighten its bends, and the anode is cut using a cutting machine to reduce variations in the thickness of the anode. By removing the protrusions at the anode end and adjusting the plane of the pair of ear parts and the shape of the subauricular part, copper having the desired verticality, flatness, and horizontality and without any protrusions can be obtained. Forms an anode for electrolysis.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a general straightening process for an anode for copper electrolysis. The straightening process usually consists of a receiving system 2 and a cross-feeding system 4. The receiving system 2 receives the copper electrolytic anodes transported by a forklift from the casting process onto the receiving conveyor 6, sequentially vertically feeds them via a receiving transfer device 7, etc., and aligns them on the receiving alignment conveyor 10.

The anode for copper electrolysis is transferred from the receiving system 2 to the cross-feeding system 4 using the first anode transfer machine 20. In the cross-feeding system 4, the anodes for copper electrolysis are arranged so that adjacent ear portions are close to each other in the same plane, and are sequentially fed laterally, and the above-described straightening process is sequentially performed. The copper electrolytic anode after straightening is transferred from the cross-feeding system 4 to the alignment system 5 using the second anode transfer machine 50.

In the alignment system 5, the state of the copper electrolytic anodes after straightening is determined by a predetermined inspection device, defective products are removed, and acceptable products are then transferred to the electrolytic process.

In the horizontal feeding 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, copper electrolytic anodes (hereinafter simply referred to as "anodes") are A variety of devices have been proposed for continuous horizontal feeding.

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2018-145468 discloses a receiving and aligning conveyor 10 consisting of a pair of endless tracks that support copper electrolytic anodes with a pair of ears and vertically feed the anodes in a row in the horizontal direction; An anode lifting device is disclosed that lifts anodes conveyed in a line on a receiving alignment conveyor 10 one by one from the top. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-311680 discloses a cathode transfer device that is used for cathode transfer, but is composed of a clamp device and a transfer cart that successively cross-transfers the cathode gripped by the clamp device. There is.

The anode transfer device includes a device that transfers copper electrolytic anodes by vertical feeding, such as a receiving transfer device in a receiving system, and a first anode transfer device and a second anode transfer device in a horizontal feeding system. There is a device, such as a loading machine, that transfers vertically fed anodes by horizontally feeding them one by one, or transfers the horizontally fed anodes so that they are placed on a vertically feeding conveyor.

Various structures have been adopted as these anode transfer devices. FIGS. 3 and 4 show an example of a conventional receiving and aligning conveyor and a first anode transfer machine. Specifically, FIGS. 3 and 4 show the housings of the receiving and aligning conveyor 10, the anode transfer machine (in the illustrated example, the first anode transfer machine) 20, and the traversing system 4. ing.

The receiving and aligning conveyor 10 is equipped with an anode lifting device 11 . The anode lifting device 11 includes a pair of lifting arms 12 that support a pair of ears of the anode from below, and a main body 13 that lifts and lowers the pair of lifting arms 12. Wheels 14 as a traveling means are provided at the bottom of the main body 13. The anode lifting device 11 can reciprocate in the vertical direction along the rails 15 between the receiving and aligning conveyor 10 and the anode transfer device 20. In addition to the mechanism consisting of wheels and rails, it is also possible to use a mechanism consisting of a rack and pinion mechanism as the traveling means. Instead of the traveling means, it is also possible to vertically transport the anode by a mechanism in which a support rod supporting the pair of lifting arms 12 rotates approximately 180 degrees around one end thereof.

The anode transfer machine 20 is installed between a position vertically shifted from the terminal end of the receiving alignment conveyor 10 and the inside of the traversing system 4 so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the receiving alignment conveyor 10. It can be moved laterally on the rails 22 of the pedestal 21 by a predetermined distance. The anode transfer device 20 is movable by a cart 24 equipped with a drive device consisting of a servo motor 23 and an accelerator/decelerator (not shown). An anode clamp device 25 is arranged on the longitudinal side of the anode transfer machine 20. The anode clamp device 25 includes a bracket 26 installed on the side surface of the trolley 24 of the anode transfer machine 20, two rotating shafts 27 that are rotatably supported by the bracket 26 and extend in the horizontal direction, and It includes at least one pair (two in the illustrated example) of a pair of clamp arms 28 assembled to a rotating shaft 27 of a 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 the two rotating shafts 27 to open and close. Specifically, the two rotating shafts 27 are simultaneously rotated via a lever 31 and a gear 32 that are integrally attached to one of the two rotating shafts, thereby causing a pair of clamps to be rotated. 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 moves forward, and opens the pair of clamp arms 28 when the cylinder 30 moves backward.

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

Next, the anode lifting device 11 is activated, and the lifting arm 12 lifts the ear of the leading anode 1 of the anode group A lined up on the receiving and aligning conveyor 10, thereby lifting the anode 1. When the anode 1 reaches a predetermined position in the vertical direction by the lifting arm 12, the lifting arm 12 stops rising. In this state, the anode lifting device 11 moves forward to the position where the anode transfer device 20 is located.

The pair of clamp arms 28 of the anode transfer device 20 can be opened and closed in the thickness direction of the anode 1. When the first anode transfer device 20 is located substantially above the anode 1 on the anode lifting device 11, the pair of clamp arms 28 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 part of the main body of the anode 1 in the width direction 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 simultaneously approach the anode 1 and enter the closed state. Thereby, the anode 1 is held by the pair of clamp arms 28. After this, when the lifting arm 12 of the anode lifting device 11 is lowered and the trolley 24 starts to move in parallel, the entrance door 40 provided at the entrance of the cross-feeding system 4 rotates or moves horizontally to move outward. It opens to allow entry of the anode 1 into the traversing system 4. When the anode transfer machine 20 transports the anode 1 to the cross-feeding system 4, the entrance door 40 closes inward and the pair of clamp arms 28 are opened to release the grip on the anode 1. 1 is placed or held at a predetermined processing position within the cross-feeding system 4 (for example, a processing position for a straightening process such as a trunk straightening press).

In the cross-feeding system 4, the anode 1 for copper electrolysis is moved in an anode transfer machine similar to the anode transfer machine 20 or similar to the anode lifting device 11, and in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the anode lifting device 11. The anodes are sequentially traversed by a device capable of moving the anode, and finally discharged from the traverse feeding system 4 to the alignment system 5 by a second anode transfer machine 50 similar to the anode transfer machine 20.

JP 2018-145468 Publication Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-311680

When the first anode transfer machine 20 moves forward and moves to the cross-feed system 4, the anode 1 held by the anode transfer machine 20 comes into contact with the entrance door 40 of the cross-feed system 4 and stops. A situation may arise in which the door 40 cannot be closed. As shown in FIG. 5, the entire anode 1 is swung by the anode lifting device 11 using the anode support section provided by the anode lifting device 11 as a fulcrum, and the anode 1 is held tilted in the thickness direction of the anode 1 by the anode clamp. This is because the device 25 may grasp it.

A state in which the anode 1 stops and the inlet door 40 does not close is treated as a serious failure, and in this case, automatic operation of the entire apparatus in the anode straightening process, including the receiving system and the traversing system, is stopped. If automatic operation is stopped due to such a major failure, the equipment in automatic operation will stop immediately, and in order to resume automatic operation, each device must be operated individually to move it to its origin. This will take time. In addition, serious failures frequently occur due to stoppage of the anode 1 due to contact between the anode 1 and the entrance door 40 and improper closing of the entrance door 40, which is one of the causes of a decrease in the equipment operating rate of the anode correction process. There is. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the contact between the anode 1 and the entrance door 40.

The present invention provides an anode clamp device and an anode transfer machine that suppress variations in the posture of the anode and prevent contact between the anode held by the anode transfer machine and the entrance door of the cross-feeding 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 that drives the pair of clamp arms.

In particular, in the anode clamp device of the present invention, the drive mechanism is capable of individually rotating the pair of clamp arms one side at a time, and when closing the pair of clamp arms, the drive mechanism The mechanism rotates one of the pair of clamp arms so that the gripping surface of the clamp claw attached to the one clamp arm coincides with the vertical direction (the gripping surface is aligned with the ground). stopping the one clamp arm and bringing the gripping surface into contact with one surface of the anode to be gripped; and then rotating the other clamp arm of the pair of clamp arms so that the gripping surface of the clamp claw attached to the other clamp arm presses the other surface of the anode. According to the present invention, the pair of clamp arms are configured to grip the anode.

The anode clamp device of the present invention further includes a sensor, and when the sensor detects that the clamp claw portion of the other clamp arm has contacted the other surface of the anode, the anode is pressed from both sides. The pair of clamp arms may also be configured to operate in such a manner.

The anode transfer machine of the present invention includes a truck, a drive mechanism for the truck, and an anode clamp device that is attached to the side surface of the truck and is capable of gripping the anode, and the anode clamp device includes the above-mentioned anode clamp device. It is characterized in that it is constituted by the anode clamp device of the present invention.

The trolley can move, for example, on a pedestal or a rail installed on the pedestal, and can horizontally transport the anode gripped by the anode clamp device.

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

Particularly, in the anode clamping method of the present invention, in the step of closing the pair of clamp arms, one of the clamp arms of the pair of clamp arms is rotated, and the clamp arm attached to the one clamp arm is rotated. With the gripping surface of the clamp claw section aligned with the vertical direction, one of the clamp arms is stopped to bring the gripping surface into contact with one surface of the anode to be gripped, and then the pair of clamp arms By rotating the other clamp arm and pressing the other surface of the anode with the gripping surface of the clamp claw attached to the other clamp arm, the pair of clamp arms are The feature is 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 is swung by the anode lifting device using the anode support part of the anode lifting device as a fulcrum, and the thickness of the anode is Even if the anode is tilted in the direction, it is possible to hold the anode in a good posture, that is, in an upright state in the anode transfer machine, and the anode can be stopped and entered by contact with the entrance door of the cross-feeding system. This makes it possible to prevent the door from closing incorrectly.

1(A) and 1(B) show an anode clamping device of the present invention. FIG. 1(A) shows a state in which one of the clamp arms of the anode clamp device of the present invention has been moved so that the clamp claw portion of the one clamp arm is in contact with one surface of the anode. FIG. 1(B) shows a state in which the other clamp arm is further moved and the anode is gripped from both sides by the pair of clamp arms. It is a schematic diagram showing the whole straightening process of an anode for copper electrolysis. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a receiving alignment conveyor and an anode transfer machine. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an anode transfer machine and a cross-feeding system. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional anode transfer machine in which the anode and the entrance door of the cross-feeding system come into contact with each other, causing the entrance door to fail to close.

The present inventors have worked diligently to resolve serious failures in conventional anode transfer machines, such as failure to close the entrance door, which occurred due to contact between the anodes held by the anode transfer machine and the entrance door of the cross-feeding system . Study was carried out. Then, it was considered that the anodes oscillated back and forth in the advancing direction when being conveyed vertically on the receiving and aligning conveyor, and that the leading anode was lifted by the anode lifting device while in this oscillating state. When the lifted anode swings about the anode support portion of the anode lifting device as a fulcrum, the anode may be held by the anode transfer device in an inclined state 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 attached to each of the pair of clamp arms. By allowing the anode to be displaced within a range of about 30 degrees in the vertical direction, it is possible to avoid the accident of dropping the anode when gripping an inclined anode, but on the other hand, the anode is held at the tilt angle just before being gripped. This angle of inclination takes various values depending on the oscillation period of the anode. It has been found that when this angle of inclination is large, the anode held by the anode transfer machine comes into contact with the entrance door of the cross-feeding system when it reaches the cross-feeding system.

The present invention was made based on this knowledge and after intensive study by the inventors regarding the configuration of an anode clamp device, an anode clamp method, and an anode transfer machine.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION This invention is applicable to the moving device and the moving method which clamp and move an anode which has arbitrary shapes, such as a flat plate shape, from both sides. Specifically, as a process to which the anode clamping device, anode clamping method, and anode transfer device of the present invention are applied, the transverse feeding system 4 is moved from the receiving alignment conveyor 10 using the anode lifting device 11 and the anode transfer device 20. The process of transporting the anode 1 to the substrate will be described below as an example. Additionally, the anode clamping device, the anode clamping method, and the anode transfer machine of the present invention include the steps of transversely feeding the anode 1 inside the transverse feeding system 4, and from the transverse feeding system 4 to the alignment system 5. It is also applicable to the process of transferring the anode 1 using the second anode transfer device 50.

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

The receiving and aligning conveyor 10 is composed of a pair of endless tracks that support a plurality of anodes 1 with their respective pairs of ears, line them up horizontally, and convey them vertically (in the direction of greater air resistance acting on the anodes). be done. The pair of endless tracks can be composed of, for example, a plurality of coaxial sprocket wheels, and two roller chains endlessly strung between the sprocket wheels.

An anode lifting device 11 is provided on the receiving and aligning conveyor 10 . More specifically, the anode lifting device 11 is located between a pair of endless tracks of the receiving and aligning conveyor 10 and lifts the terminal end of the anode group A conveyed on or inside the receiving and aligning conveyor 10, that is, the anodes. The first anode 1 among the plurality of anodes 1 constituting the group A is arranged at the position where the first anode 1 exists. The anode lifting device 11 includes a pair of lifting arms 12 that support the pair of ears of the anode 1 from below, and a main body 13 that lifts and lowers the pair of lifting arms 12. Note that as a mechanism for raising and lowering the pair of lifting arms 12, a known actuator such as a servo motor or a power cylinder can be used.

Wheels 14 as a traveling means are provided at the bottom of the main body 13. The anode lifting device 11 is capable of vertically reciprocating along the rail 15 between the receiving alignment conveyor 10 and the anode transfer device (in the illustrated example, the first anode transfer device) 20. There is. In addition to the mechanism consisting of wheels and rails, it is also possible to use a mechanism consisting of a rack and pinion mechanism as the traveling means. Instead of the traveling means, it is also possible to vertically transport the anode by a mechanism in which a support rod supporting the pair of lifting arms 12 rotates approximately 180 degrees around one end thereof. When the anode transfer device 20 is located directly above the receiving and aligning conveyor 10, the anode lifting device 11 does not need to be provided with a traveling means.

The anode lifting device 11 is activated, and the lifting arm 12 lifts the ear of the leading anode 1 of the anode group A lined up on or inside the receiving and aligning conveyor 10, thereby lifting the anode 1. When the anode 1 reaches a predetermined position in the vertical direction by the lifting arm 12, the lifting arm 12 stops rising. In this state, or in a state where the anodes 1 are separated from the receiving and aligning conveyor 10 and do not come into contact with each other, the anode lifting device 11 moves forward to the position where the anode transfer device 20 is located.

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 transfers it to a receiving alignment conveyor. 10 to the cross-feeding system 4 in sequence.

Also in the present invention, the anode transfer device 20 is configured to extend perpendicularly to the receiving and aligning conveyor 10 between a position vertically shifted from the end of the receiving and aligning conveyor 10 and the inside of the traversing system 4. It is possible to move laterally by a predetermined distance on the rails 22 of the pedestal 21 installed in the. The anode transfer device 20 is movable by a cart 24 equipped with a drive device consisting of a servo motor 23 and an accelerator/decelerator (not shown). However, the traveling means of the anode transfer machine 20 is not limited to the mechanism consisting of the trolley 24 and the rails 22, and a rack and pinion mechanism can also be applied. In either case, the anode transfer device 20 transversely transports the anodes 1 from above a predetermined position vertically shifted from the terminal end of the receiving alignment conveyor 10 to a predetermined position in the transverse transport system 4 using a traveling means. It is possible to move it horizontally.

The anode transfer machine 20 has an anode clamp device 25a arranged on its longitudinal side. The anode clamp device 25a includes a bracket 26 installed on the side surface of the trolley 24 of the anode transfer machine 20, two rotating shafts 27 that are rotatably supported by the bracket 26 and extend in the horizontal direction, and 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 claw portions 29a and 29b each having a gripping surface are attached to the tips of the respective clamp arms 28a and 28b. The pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are connected to a lever 31 and a gear 32 that are integrally attached to one of the two rotating shafts by a cylinder 30 that is attached to one end of the two rotating shafts 27. The rotary shaft 27 can be opened and closed by independently rotating the rotary shaft 27 by switching the switch. That is, in the anode clamp device 25, when the cylinder 30 moves forward, one of the pair of clamp arms 28a, 28b closes, and when the cylinder 30 moves backward, one of the pair of clamp arms 28a, 28b closes. Equipped with an opening mechanism. Similarly, by switching the switch, the other of the pair of clamp arms 28a, 28b can be opened and closed based on the movement of the cylinder 30. Note that each rotating shaft 27 may be provided with an independent cylinder 30, lever 31, and gear 32. Furthermore, the cylinder 30 may be replaced by another actuator such as a servo motor as a mechanism for independently driving each of the pair of clamp arms 28a, 28b. Furthermore, it is also possible to apply a known drive device that can rotate the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b without using the rotation shaft 27. Further, for the control, it is possible to apply a control device including a known means such as timing control by a processor such as a CPU in addition to a switch function.

In this example, the anode transfer machine 20 is fixed to the trolley 24 via a bracket 26 so as not to be displaceable. However, the anode transfer machine 20 is equipped with a lifting device (not shown) consisting of a jack such as a screw jack or a power cylinder to move the bracket 26 in the vertical direction, so that the displacement in the vertical direction with respect to the trolley 24 can be adjusted. It can also be configured to allow

The pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are made of metal rods or tubes made of carbon steel, stainless steel, general structural rolled steel, or the like. The upper ends (base ends) of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are respectively attached to the rotating shaft 27 so as to be pivotable. Therefore, the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b can be rotated (opened and closed) in the thickness direction of the anode 1 by the drive mechanism.

Clamp claws 29a and 29b attached to the lower ends (tips) of each of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are made of a metal such as steel, copper, which is the same as the anode, or a resin material. The portions of the clamp claws 29a and 29b that come into contact with the anode 1 may be treated with a non-slip finish, or may be provided with a replaceable material such as a wear-resistant material or a sacrificial material. The clamp claws 29a, 29b are attached to the respective clamp arms 28a, 28b by means such as springs so that they can be displaced vertically within a range of 25 degrees to 35 degrees, preferably 30 degrees. The clamp claws 29a and 29b have opposing surfaces as gripping surfaces. The gripping surface is adjusted in advance in a direction that allows it to come into close contact with the vertically arranged anode 1 when the pair of clamp arms 28a, 28b are closed. When applied to gripping the anode 1 having a flat plate shape, when the clamp arm 28a (28b) is in the closed state, as shown on the left side (or right side) of FIG. The angle between the surface and the clamp arm 28a (28b) is equal to the angle that the clamp arm 28a (28b) makes with the vertical line. However, as the clamp claws 29a and 29b wear out, the former angle changes, and the rotation angle of the clamp arms 28a and 28b changes accordingly, but 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, 28b themselves can rotate until the gripping surfaces of the respective clamp claws 29a, 29b come into contact with each other.

The anode lifting device 11 moves forward to the position where the anode transfer device 20 is placed, with the anode 1 lifted. In 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 part in the width direction of the main body of the anode 1 is located between the 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, 28b, the drive mechanism first closes one of the clamp arms 28a, 28b. The clamp arm 28a is rotated to stop the clamp arm 28a with the gripping surface of the clamp claw 29a of the clamp arm 28a aligned 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 or back surface) of the anode 1 gripped by the pair of clamp arms 28a, 28b. At this time, since the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion 29a of one clamp arm 28a extends in the vertical direction, the posture of the anode 1 is controlled by the gripping surface so as to be along the vertical direction.

That is, even when the anode 1 lifted by the anode lifting device 11 is rocking about the anode support portion of the anode lifting device 11 as a fulcrum, the rocking movement of the anode 1 is caused by the clamp claw portion 29a of one clamp arm 28a. The anode 1 is attenuated or stopped due to contact with the gripping surface of the anode 1, and the anode 1 stands up vertically.

In this state, that is, the other clamp arm 28b of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b is rotated in a state in which the clamp arm 28a is supported in a substantially upright state by the clamp claw portion 29a of the one clamp arm 28a. 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. This allows the anode 1 to be held between both sides by the gripping surfaces of the clamp claws 29a and 29b of the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b, even when the swinging movement of the anode 1 has not completely stopped. 1 is held by a pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b in a vertically standing state.

In other states, that is, after coming into contact with the gripping surface of the clamp claw part 29a of the clamp arm 28a, the top of the anode 1 swings to the right and stops, or the top of the anode 1 swings to the right and the rocking motion remains. Even in the swinging state, by closing the clamp arm 28b, the upper part of the anode 1 is pushed back toward the clamp arm 28a, and the anode 1 can be placed in an upright state.

The timing difference between the rotations of one clamp arm 28a and the other clamp arm 28b is arbitrary as long as the above function can be achieved, but from the viewpoint of processing efficiency in the anode 1 straightening process, the timing difference is as much as possible. It is preferable to make it small. 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 can be rotated toward the anode 1. During this period, the other clamp arm 28b can also be started to rotate. That is, the rotational movement of at least one clamp arm 28a precedes the rotational movement of the other clamp arm 28b, and the gripping surface of the clamp claw part 29a of one clamp arm 28a comes into contact with the anode 1 beforehand, and then The effects of the present invention can be obtained by the gripping surface of the clamp claw portion 29b of the other clamp arm 28b coming into contact with the anode 1 with a time lag.

Note that a sensor (not shown) such as a contact sensor or a position sensor is provided, and when it is sensed that the clamp claw part 29b of the other clamp arm 28b has contacted the other surface of the anode 1, the pair of clamps It is also possible to rotate the pair of clamp arms 28a, 28b so as to further press the anode 1 from both sides by the clamp claws 29a, 29b of the arms 28a, 28b. This allows the anode 1 to be firmly supported and eliminates the fear of it falling off.

The anode transfer machine equipped with the anode clamp device of the present invention has a configuration other than that of the conventional anode transfer machine shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, except that the anode clamp device 25a of the present invention is applied as the anode clamp device. The configuration is the same as that of the on-board machine. Furthermore, the apparatus and processing procedure in the step of straightening an anode for copper electrolysis using the anode transfer machine of the present invention are also similar to the conventional configuration except that the anode transfer machine of the present invention is applied. . Therefore, the detailed explanation will be omitted, and the outline and differences will be briefly mentioned below.

The plurality of copper electrolytic anodes received in the receiving system 2 of the straightening process are supplied to the receiving and aligning conveyor 10 via the receiving conveyor 6, receiving and transferring device 7, etc., and are vertically fed as receiving and aligning anode group A. transported. When the leading anode 1 of the anode group A reaches a predetermined position, the elevating arm portion 12 of the anode lifting device 11 rises to lift only one leading anode 1 to a predetermined height. The anode lifting device 11 moves forward to the position where the anode transfer device 20 is located. In this state, the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b of the anode clamp device 25a of the anode transfer device 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 center portion of the main body of the anode 1 in the width direction 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, the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are driven independently, so that the anode 1 is vertically erected and the pair of clamp arms 28a and 28b are driven independently. The anode 1 is held by the pair of clamp arms 28a, 28b while being held and supported by the gripping surfaces of the clamp claws 29a, 29b of the anode 28b.

When the carriage 24 starts to move in parallel, the entrance door 40 provided at the entrance of the casing of the cross-feeding system 4 is opened by a predetermined distance, allowing the anode 1 to enter the cross-feeding system 4.

By using the anode transfer machine 20 and the anode clamp device 25a of the present invention, the anode 1 transferred by the anode transfer machine 20 is hardly tilted and is moved while being held in an upright state in the vertical direction. , a situation in which the anode 1 held by the anode transfer device 20 comes into contact with the entrance door 40 of the cross-feeding system 4 in any of the open, open, and closed operating states; is prevented.

As described above, by using the anode clamp device, the anode clamp method, and the anode transfer machine of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the failure of the anode transfer machine to hold an anode for copper electrolysis or the like. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of contact between the anode and the entrance door of the cross-feeding system , as well as stoppage of the anode and failure of closing of the entrance door, which are serious failures caused by poor retention.

Although an example of an embodiment of an anode clamping device, an anode clamping method, and an anode transfer machine of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such examples, and is within the scope of the invention. It is possible to implement the method in various ways. For example, the present invention is not limited to copper electrolytic anodes, but can also be applied to nickel electrolytic anodes, and is particularly suitable for solid objects that are transported by grabbing them at a location away from the center of gravity before being transshipped. It can be suitably used for plate-shaped solid objects that are transported without being fixed to the surface. In addition to the anode straightening process, we also transfer anodes arranged on a conveyor from a vertical feeding system to a horizontal feeding system, or from a horizontal feeding system to a vertical feeding system such as on a conveyor. The present invention can also be applied to processes where the anode is placed on the anode and the posture of the anode needs to be appropriately controlled.

1 Anode 2 Receiving system 4 Traversing system 5 Aligning system 6 Receiving conveyor 7 Receiving and transferring device 10 Receiving and aligning conveyor 11 Anode lifting device 12 Lifting arm portion 13 Main body portion 14 Wheel 15 Rail 20 Anode transfer device (first anode transfer device) (loading machine)
21 Frame 22 Rail 23 Servo motor 24 Dolly 25, 25a Anode clamp device 26 Bracket 27 Rotating shaft 28, 28a, 28b Clamp arm 29, 29a, 29b Clamp claw portion 30 Cylinder 31 Lever 32 Gear 40 Entrance door 50 Second anode transfer Loading machine A Anode group on the receiving alignment conveyor

Claims (4)

a pair of clamp arms;
a drive mechanism that drives the pair of clamp arms;
Equipped with
The drive mechanism is capable of individually rotating the pair of clamp arms one side at a time, and when closing the pair of clamp arms, the drive mechanism rotates one of the pair of clamp arms. Rotate one of the clamp arms, and with the gripping surface of the clamp claw attached to the one clamp arm aligned with the vertical direction, stop the one clamp arm, and rotate the gripping surface. The gripping surface of the clamp claw attached to the other clamp arm is brought into contact with one surface of the anode to be gripped, and then the other clamp arm of the pair of clamp arms is rotated, so that the gripping surface of the clamp claw attached to the other clamp arm is the pair of clamp arms grip the anode by pressing the other surface of the anode;
Anode clamp device. the pair of clamps, including a sensor, so as to press the anode from both sides when the sensor detects that the clamp claw portion of the other clamp arm has contacted the other surface of the anode; 2. The anode clamping device of claim 1, wherein the arm is actuated. The anode clamp device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a truck, a drive mechanism for the truck, and an anode clamp device attached to a side surface of the truck and capable of gripping the anode. Anode transfer machine consisting of. Using an anode clamp device equipped with a pair of clamp arms,
arranging an anode between the pair of clamp arms, and closing the pair of clamp arms,
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 attached to the one clamp arm is aligned vertically. In the matched state, the one clamp arm is stopped to bring the gripping surface into contact with one surface of the anode to be gripped, and then the other clamp arm of the pair of clamp arms is rotated. and pressing the other surface of the anode with a gripping surface of a clamp claw attached to the other clamp arm, thereby causing the pair of clamp arms to grip the anode.
Anode clamp method.

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