JPS5976757A - Welding line follower - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automate an opertion by a method wherein a running unit is moved under detecting the protuberance of the welding line with a contact piece in the device moving along the welding line to effect the rust removal operation or the rust-proof paint painting operation of a part along the welding line of the outer surface of a shell plating. CONSTITUTION:A robot 7, constituted so as to be attracted to the surface 8 of the plating for a shell 2 and capable of running transversally and longitudinally along the welding line 10, is equipped with a rectangular frame work 11, four pieces of electromagnets 12, a bar 13 movable upwardly and downwardly on the frame 11 and the running unit 14 movable along the bar 13. The running unit 14 accommodates a main body position control circuit 19, controlling the movement of the robot 7, and is equipped with four sets of the contact pieces 34, one set of which is consisting of three pieces of the contact piece, which are provided on the holding member 14b of the running unit 14. Each switches 36 are put ON or OFF by the advancing and retreating motions of each sets of contact pieces 34 due to the protruding parts of the welding line 10, the movement of the running unit 14 is controlled based on the outputs of each switches 36, and the rust removal operation by a chisel for rust removing, for example, may be effected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device that moves along a surface of a structure, such as a ship's outer plate, while tracing a weld line running on the surface.

Traditionally, the work of removing rust and scale or touching up rust preventive materials along the weld lines on the hull's outer skin surface required nine workers to build scaffolding along the hull surface and stand on top of it. A lot of effort and time is wasted in setting up and removing two scaffolds. Furthermore, working on scaffolding is always dangerous and is not very efficient.

An object of the present invention is to obtain a device that can automate such work.

That is, the present invention includes a running part that can move along the surface of a structure in which welding lines run vertically and horizontally, and a running part that is attached to the running part so as to be able to move in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the structure, and whose tip Four sets of tentacles are pushed into contact with the surface of the structure, switches are linked to these tentacles, and the 'fttJk running section is moved along the welding line according to the outputs of these switches. The four sets of feelers are configured to ride on the welding lines at four positions sandwiching the intersection when the running section comes over the intersection where the welding lines intersect vertically and horizontally. N' are arranged, and each set of said tentacles has at least two tentacles,
These two tentacles are attached to the 'f8
To provide welding line following devices disposed at slight intervals in a direction perpendicular to a tangent line.

The welding line tracking device of this invention focuses on the fact that the surface of the f8 tangent line is more raised than other parts, and runs the running part along the welding line while detecting this raisedness with a contact. It is.

According to this invention, the traveling section includes four sets of tentacles,
Since the running part does not need to rotate to follow the weld lines that run vertically and horizontally, the structure can be easily constructed. In addition, even when tracing a single weld line with a running part, it is possible to know the existence of other weld lines running in a direction perpendicular to this weld line. It doesn't take long to move. Moreover, one set of probes consists of at least two probes, and if the running part comes off the weld line that is being traced, you can tell which side it has come off to from these two tentacles. The effect is that the trajectory can be corrected immediately.

Hereinafter, a case in which the present invention is embodied as a magnetic attraction robot will be described with reference to nine drawings.

1st. FIG. 2 shows the state in which this robot is used, and reference numeral 1 indicates a cart placed on the side of the hull 2.

This includes operation panel 3. Power supply receiving device 4. An emergency storage battery 5 is provided. A robot 7 is hoisted up by a crane (not shown) from the storage section 1a of the truck 1 and carried to the outer surface of the hull 2, that is, the surface to be attracted 8, and thereafter.

It receives power from the cable 9 and is attracted to the surface by the provided g-magnet. The robot 7 will be described later.

It can also move laterally along the adsorbed surface.

Tools and the like attached to this can be moved vertically and horizontally along the welding line 10 of the attracted surface 8. Therefore, if a grinder is attached to this, it is possible to remove rust along the weld line, and an ultrasonic flaw detector can also be installed to search for flaws in the weld. Furthermore, by attaching a paint spray gun and moving it along the weld line, you can touch up the anti-rust paint along the weld line, or by moving the spray gun in a zigzag pattern regardless of the weld line. It is possible to paint the entire surface to be attracted.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, each robot 7 includes a square bar-shaped frame 11, four electromagnets 12, a rod 13 that moves up and down on the frame, and a running section 14 that moves along the rod. ing.

The upper and lower frames lla and llb, which are constituent members of the frame 11, have guide grooves 15 formed therein, and the electromagnet 12 is attached to a ball nut 16 that is slidably fitted into these grooves. There is. On the other hand, two screw shafts 17 that are screwed into the screw holes of these pole nuts are supported vertically in two each on the upper and lower frames lla and llb, and when these shafts are rotated by their respective drive motors 18, Electromagnet 12 is adapted to move laterally along axis 17.

A body position control circuit 19 for controlling the movement of the robot is installed in the traveling section 14, and its function will be explained next. When the robot is at rest, each electromagnet 12
As shown in Figure 3, the upper and lower frames 11a, l
It is located at ff1fA, which corresponds to the side of lb. For example, when the robot tries to move to the right in Figure 3.

First, the two electromagnets 12a and 12b on the left are de-energized and moved to the right while being demagnetized and moved to position B near the center of the upper and lower frames. During this time, the movement of the two electromagnets 12a and 12b is 9 so that the robot is supported by three electromagnets.
Go back and forth in time.

Next, the control circuit 19 controls the drive motor 18 so that all four electromagnets 12 move to the left with respect to the main body.

Then, 1! Since the magnet 12 is attracted to the surface to be attracted,
The electromagnet remains stationary and the robot moves to the right. In this case, to move all electromagnets at the same speed.

It is necessary to synchronize the four drive motors 18, and for this purpose, using a stepping motor for the same motors simplifies hydrocyanic acid.

As the robot moves forward in this way, the two electromagnets 12a and 12b on the left return to their original positions! Returning to A, the ones on the right side 12c and 1.2d are placed in filB near the center of the frame. Therefore, these right side electromagnets 12c and i2d are moved to the right to the 1 position A. The procedure in this case is the same as that described above for the one on the left.

With the operations so far, each robot has 1! Magnet travel.

In other words, by repeating this series of operations, the robot has progressed by a distance corresponding to the distance between points A and B.

The desired position is reached.

As is clear from the explanation so far, this robot is
It is held on the surface to be attracted by an electromagnet 12 that is in close contact with the surface.

Moreover, since it is supported by at least three electromagnets during movement, there is little risk of it falling from the surface to be attracted. Also.

The structure required for the movement of the robot is extremely simple, as it only moves the electromagnet 12 along the surface to be attracted.

It is normal for electromagnets to have some residual arsenic even after disconnection from the source, and for this reason electromagnet 12
When moving along the surface to be attracted as described above.

It is preferable to perform this after separating the electromagnet from the surface to be attracted.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the electromagnet 12 and the ball nut 1
A telescopic cylinder 20 is placed between the magnets 6 and 6, and by introducing a working fluid such as compressed air into this cylinder, the S magnet 12 can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the attracting surface 8.

In order to ensure close contact between the electromagnet and the surface to be attracted when the IIt magnet rides on the weld line 10 running on the surface to be attracted, the electromagnet 12 is rotated to some extent in either direction. It is preferable to be able to move. For this reason, electromagnet 1.2
The telescopic cylinder 20 can be connected to the telescopic cylinder 20 by a ball joint (not shown).

Guide grooves 21 are formed inside the left and right frames lie and lid of the frames, and these grooves include
Pole nuts 23 fixed to both ends of the rod 13 are slidably fitted. These pole nut screw holes are
Screw shafts 24 rotatably supported by the left and right frames 11c and ild are screwed together, and when these screw shafts are rotated by respective drive motors 25, the pole nut 23 and rod 13 move along the left and right frames. It has become. Note that the two drive motors 25 also need to be synchronized, but for this reason, the configuration can be simplified if stepping motors are used for these motors.

A guide groove 26 is formed along the rod 13, and a pole nut 27 connected to the running portion 14 is slidably fitted into this groove. A screw @ 28 supported along the rod 13 is engaged with the screw hole of this pole nut, and when this screw shaft is rotated by a drive motor 29, the running section 1
4 is adapted to move along the rod 13.

As described above, since the traveling section moves vertically and horizontally and has a rectangular movable range, by sequentially moving the robot in the horizontal direction, the surface to be attracted 8 can be covered in a band shape.

In addition, in FIG. 3, the point where the traveling portion 14 reaches the apex of the rectangular movable range is indicated by a chain line.

The running portion 14 is a box body 14 connected to the pole nut 27.
a, and a holding member 14b that continues to this box body.

The box body 14a has a telescopic cylinder (not shown) between it and the pole nut 27, and by introducing compressed air into this, the 9M body and the holding member can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the surface to be attracted 8. and when the robot moves.

The holding member 14b is held apart from the surface to be attracted.

The holding member 14b is pushed toward the suction surface 8 by a spring 30, and the protrusion 31 on the back abuts the suction surface to maintain a constant distance from the suction surface. (Figure 7).

Tools and inspection equipment are held in the center of this holding member 14b, and in this embodiment, a butt 32 for removing rust is held. This chisel is.

The needle bundle 32a makes a piston movement in response to the supply of compressed air.

At the tip, tap the surface to be attracted along the weld line]0 to knock off any rust or scale that may have adhered to it. Note that in order to prevent the knocked-off rust and scale from adhering to the electromagnet 12, it is also possible to vacuum-suction the rust and scale near the needle bundle 32a.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the holding members 14b are placed in sets of three at locations apart from the center in each direction, up, down, left, and right in order to find the position of the weld line. Tentacle 34
It is equipped with These tentacles can slide in a direction perpendicular to the surface to be attracted 8, and are supported by built-in springs 35.
As a result, its tip is pressed against the surface to be attracted. Each contactor 34 is linked to a corresponding switch 36, and when the tip of the contactor is above the welding line 10, the surface of the welding line is slightly more protruding than the other parts. The feeler retracts by that amount, and in response, the output of the switch 36 becomes 5.
For example, it can be turned on. One set of tentacles consists of multiple tentacles arranged at slight intervals in the direction perpendicular to the welding line so that when the running part is about to come off the welding line, it can be seen which side it has deviated to. Become. One set of tentacles is composed of three in this embodiment, but there are two.
It can also be composed of individuals.

The traveling part 14 moves along the weld line on the surface to be attracted.

A traveling section position control circuit 37 for controlling the drive motors 25 and 29 in response to the output of the switch 36 is placed in the box 14a, and the operation of this circuit will now be described.

Now, as shown in Fig. 3, the robot is making vertical and horizontal welding lines 1.0a, 1.
Suppose that Ob is running. The control circuit 37 first moves the traveling section 14 from, for example, the upper left position S to the right, and then 7. ), it is known that the traveling section has ridden on the vertical welding line 10 by turning on the lower set of probes 34a+34b.

Knowing this, the control circuit moves the traveling section downwards.
JJ and make the vertical welding line 10a t. At this time.

For example, if the traveling section] 4 is about to come off to the left of the weld line, the control circuit will detect this and send it to each set of upper and lower contactors 34a.

341], it was detected when the left one was turned off.

The drive motor 29 is controlled to correct the trajectory i of the traveling section 14 to the right. While the running section 14 moves in this manner following the welding line 10a, the chisel 32 held by the running section moves.

Tap the part of the surface to be scooped 8 along the weld line to remove any rust or scale that may have adhered to it.

Eventually, when the running section approaches the intersection 10c, the lower group of tentacles 341 is turned off, and then the left and right pairs of probes 34 are turned off.
Since C, 34d rides on the welding line 10b and turns on, the control circuit can know that the vertical welding line 10a ends and another welding line ]Ob runs in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the control circuit 37 moves the traveling section 4 in the lateral direction 2, for example, to the left, and the chisel 32 strikes the lateral welding line 10b. When the runner reaches the left limit of movement, the control circuit reverses the direction of movement of the runner so that the runner follows the weld line 10b from left to right. child. ], the rust has already been removed up to all intersections 0c.

Stop the chisel and return it at a fast speed. Then, when the running section 14 reaches the right limit of movement, the control circuit deactivates the chisel and advances the running section 14 downward until it reaches the lower right position T while searching for another weld line.

This means that all the weld lines within the movable range of the running part have been removed, and the robot moves to the ram and starts removing rust from the adjacent part. The specific configuration of the control circuit 37 for controlling the traveling section as described above is as follows.
Since this can be easily accomplished using conventional techniques, the explanation will be omitted.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the operating state of the robot seen from the side of the ship, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the same state when viewed along the hull, and FIG. 3
The figure is an elevational view of the robot, Figure 4 is an enlarged bottom view of the robot seen from the ■ direction in Figure 3, Figure 5 is an enlarged side view of the robot seen from the V direction in Figure 3, and Figure 6 is the traveling section. FIG. 7 is a back view of the holding member, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the holding member. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of FIG. 7 viewed from the direction ■. ]...Bolly 2...Hull 7...Robot 8...Surface to be attracted 10...Welding line 11...
... Frame 12 ... Electromagnet 13 ... Rod 14 ... Running part 14a ... Holding member 17
... Screw shaft 18 ... Drive motor 19 ...
Main body position control circuit 20...Telescopic cylinder 24...
...Screw shaft 25...Drive motor 28...Screw shaft 29...Drive motor, 32...Chisel
34...Toucher 36...Switch 37...
・Travelling part position control circuit Patent attorney Yoshiaki Satake Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A running part that can move along the surface of the structure in which the welding line runs in all directions, and a running part that is attached to this running part so that it can move in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the structure, and whose tip is attached to the part that can move along the surface of the structure. four pairs of tentacles pushed into contact with the surface,
It consists of switches that are interlocked with these contactors and a control circuit for moving the running section along the welding line in accordance with the outputs of these switches, and the four sets of contactors are connected to the welding line. When the running section comes over an intersection that intersects vertically and horizontally, it is arranged so as to ride on these weld lines at four positions sandwiching this intersection, and one set of the tentacles has at least two tentacles. The welding line tracking device consists of two contactors arranged with a slight interval in the direction perpendicular to the welding line on which these contactors ride.