Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G59/00—De-stacking of articles
  • B65G59/02—De-stacking from the top of the stack
  • B65G59/026—De-stacking from the top of the stack with a stepwise upward movement of the stack
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D5/00—Machines or plants for pig or like casting
  • B22D5/005—Devices for stacking pigs; Pigforms to be stacked

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to transport systems. More particularly, the present invention is directed to methods and devices for automatically discharging ingots from a stack of ingots.
• a metal object is created from the solidification of molten metal in a mold that defines the shape of the object.
• the metal typically arrives at a casting facility in the form of solid metal bars, generally referred to as ingots, that are stacked on a palette in the manner shown in FIG. 1.
• the ingots Prior to formation of a metal object, the ingots have to be removed from the stack 10 and carried to a furnace where the ingots are heated to the molten state required for injection into the mold.
• the ingots are, typically, placed on a conveyor; at the end of the conveyor, the ingots fall off into a bucket; and the bucket drops the ingots into a furnace where the ingots are heated.
• the metal trickles into a bath, where a ladle dips out an amount of the molten metal for injection into a mold.
• 1(b) is an exemplary ingot 12 that is about twenty-eight inches long, and approximately thirty pounds in weight.
• To remove the ingots from the stack a significant amount of manual labor and time is utilized to lift and carry the ingots from one location to another. [0005]
• the operator of the casting equipment has to stop the equipment, while ingots are being loaded, for example on the conveyor of the melt system. Accordingly, the production of objects is delayed.
• the amount of melt in the bath varies significantly between drops of ingots into the furnace.
• the die cast parameters i.e., the conditions required of the metal before it is deposited in a mold
• the die cast parameters have to be constantly monitored, and adjustments to the casting equipment have to be performed to keep the metal within the desired die cast parameters.
• the exemplary ingot of FIG. 1(b) has a trapezoidal structure. As with any trapezoidal structure, the top width 14 of the trapezoidal structure is shorter than the bottom width 16 of the trapezoidal structure.
• the top width 14 of an ingot is smaller than the bottom width 16 of the ingot.
• the tops 14 of the ingots when placed side by side, do not meet.
• the following layer of ingots is formed by inverting the ingots, such that tops 14 of the next layer of ingots fit within the openings between the tops 14 of the ingots of the previous layer (i.e., the bottoms of the ingots are at the top), and a reciprocating row 18 of ingots is formed.
• the ingots are usually laid perpendicular to the previous reciprocating stack, in the direction of arrows 20.
• all of the ingots in a stack are not aligned in the same direction.
• An additional amount of manual labor and time is needed to rotate the ingots, such that the ingots can be easily removed from the stack.
• an apparatus for transferring ingots from a stack of ingots includes a frame, a lift device positioned within the frame, a platform rotatably coupled to the lift device, and a discharge mechanism, coupled to the frame, that pushes ingots from the stack of ingots.
• the platform rotates the stack of ingots by at least ninety degrees.
• a system for transferring ingots from a stack of ingots includes a means for lifting the stack of ingots, a means for rotating the stack of ingots, which is coupled to the rotating means, and a means for discharging the ingots from the rotating means.
• a method for transferring ingots from a stack of ingots that includes pushing a first layer of ingots from the stack of ingots, lowering the stack of ingots, rotating the stack of ingots ninety degrees, and discharging a second layer of ingots from the stack of ingots.
• FIG. 1(a) illustrates ingots on a palette.
• FIG. 1 (b) illustrates an ingot.
• FIG. 2 is an automatic ingot unloading device in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 3 illustrates operation of an automatic ingot unloading device in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an automatic ingot unloading device, in accordance with the present invention, that is included in a melt system.
• FIG. 2 there is shown an automatic transfer apparatus 22 in accordance with the present invention.
• the transfer apparatus 22 is described as an apparatus for lifting a stack of ingots 10, and automatically discharging the ingots 16 from the stack.
• the transfer apparatus 22 of the present invention may be utilized for lifting and/or discharging any load.
• the transfer apparatus 22 includes a platform 24 for positioning a palette of a stack of ingots, such as the stack of ingots 10 shown in FIG. 1(a).
• the platform 24 is rotatably coupled to a lift device 26, such that the orientation of the stack of ingots 10 is variable.
• the platform 24 is stationary and the lift device 26 rotates, such that the orientation of the stack of items may be varied.
• the platform rotates and the lift device 26 is stationary.
• the platform 24 and the lift device 26 rotate.
• the lift device 26 is coupled to a base 28.
• the lift device 26 extends through a port or opening in the base 28.
• the lift device may operate, for example via hydraulics, pneumatics, or electro-mechanical methods known in the art.
• a Pro Series Lift and Rotate Table by PENTALIFTTM of Buffalo, New York may be utilized for the platform 24 and lift device 26.
• a frame 30 is coupled to the base 28, and defines the space for inserting and positioning a stack of ingots 10.
• the base 28 and frame 30 are made from a metal and welded together.
• the base 28 and frame 30 may be constructed from other materials.
• the frame 30 and/or base 28 are optional, but provide rigidity.
• the design of the frame 30 includes a first pair 32 of vertical members, which includes a front 36 and rear 38 member, connected to each other via a first upper member 40, and a second pair 42 of vertical members, which includes a front 44 and rear 46 member, connected to each other via a second upper member 48.
• a third upper member 50 is provided for connecting the front members 36, 44 of each of the first and second pair of vertical members 32, 42, and a fourth upper member 52 is provided for connecting the rear vertical members 38, 46 of each of the first and second pair of vertical members 32, 42.
• a discharge surface 54 for example, a slide or conveyor, is coupled to the third upper member 50.
• the discharge surface may be permanently, via, for example a welded joint, or removeably coupled to the third upper member 50. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the discharge surface 54 is not essential to the operation of the present invention.
• Coupled to the first upper member is a first electric motor 56 that operates to push a first pushing member 58, and coupled to the second upper member 48 is a second electric motor 60 that operates to push a second pushing member 62.
• Each of the first and second upper members 40, 48 includes a groove 64, and the first and second pushing members 58, 62 are slidably engaged with each groove 64.
• the pushing members 58, 62 are coupled to the motors via, a connecting member, for example, a chain or cord, and the pushing members 58, 62 slide within the corresponding groove by a distance corresponding to the amount of the connecting member that is released by each motor 56, 60.
• a single discharge mechanism is utilized to push the ingots 16 from a stack 10.
• the discharge mechanism could operate by pushing devices, for example, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders.
• the hydraulic or pneumatic pushing devices may be positioned in a direction perpendicular to the third upper member 50, and utilized to push the ingots 16, which may be positioned, for example, in a similar direction, from the stack 10.
• the hydraulic or pneumatic pushing devices may provide a sufficient amount of force to push ingots 16, which, for example, may be shaped in a manner that does not allow the ingots 16 to easily slide off of the underlying layer of ingots 16 onto a discharge surface 54.
• seven ingots 16 make up one layer of ingots 16.
• seven hydraulic or pneumatic pushing devices are positioned in a fixed location for pushing each of the seven ingots 16 from the stack 10.
• the seven ingots 16 are positioned parallel, lengthwise, to the pushing devices, and each pushing device independently pushes one of the seven ingots 16 from the stack 10.
• the seven ingots are positioned parallel, lengthwise, to a single pushing device, and the single pushing device moves along an axis perpendicular to the ingots 16 to individually push each ingot 16 form the stack 10.
• the seven ingots 16 are positioned parallel, lengthwise, to a single pushing device that pushes, at one time, the seven ingots from the stack 10. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the number of ingots 16 per layer may vary.
• the lift device 26 elevates a stack of ingots 10 until the first layer of the stack is positioned above the third upper member 50, such that the ingots 16 of the first layer may be discharged.
• the third upper member retains the second layer of ingots 16 in their position.
• the pushing means 58, 62 operate to push on the rear of the first layer, such that the desired number of ingots is automatically discharged from the stack of ingots 10 onto the discharge surface 54.
• the platform 24 When a layer of ingots rises to the top of the stack, 10 having ingots 16 that are stacked, for example in a direction that is not parallel to the third upper member 50, the platform 24 is lowered to a position where the frame 30 will not interfere with the rotation of the stack of ingots 10. The platform 24 is then raised again to the position, where the pushing members 58, 62 may operate to discharge the ingots 16 from the stack of ingots 10. [00041] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the platform
• the platform 24 is not raised or lowered prior to rotation.
• the stack of ingots 10 includes layers that are stacked in a direction that is parallel to the first and second upper members 40, 48
• the platform 24 is rotated ninety degrees to orient the stack of ingots 10 in a direction that is pe ⁇ endicular to the first and second upper members 40, 48 (and thus, parallel to the third upper member 50), to allow the first and second pushing members 58, 62 to discharge the ingots 16 from the stack of ingots 10.
• a controller 66 is electrically coupled to the lift device 26 and the discharge mechanism, which may be pushing members 58, 62, for example, via the motor 56, to control the lifting and pushing operations of the transfer system 22.
• the controller 66 may also be coupled to a discharge surface 54, such as an electro-mechanical conveyor, to automatically control the rate at which the ingots 16 move along the conveyor.
• the controller 66 may be electrically coupled to the transfer system 22 via conductive devices or radio frequency methods.
• the transfer system 22 of the present invention is part of a melt system 68.
• the melt system 68 includes the transfer apparatus 22, with or without the discharge apparatus 54, a conveyor 70, a bucket 72, a furnace 74 and a bath 76.
• the transfer apparatus 22 When the transfer apparatus 22 is placed in the melt system 68, the casting machines do not have to be stopped to load ingots 16 onto the conveyor 70 of the melt system 68. Accordingly, more objects can be manufactured in a certain time frame, and the production of objects is more efficient.
• the die parameters do not significantly vary because the time frame, during which the die parameters could fluctuate, is reduced. Accordingly, the die parameters of the metal can be monitored less, and the adjusting of the casting machinery to maintain the die parameters may also be less.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Furnace Charging Or Discharging (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

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Citations (10)

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• 2002
  • 2002-10-25 US US10/279,990 patent/US20040081543A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2003
  • 2003-10-22 AU AU2003284330A patent/AU2003284330A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-10-22 WO PCT/US2003/033555 patent/WO2004039709A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (10)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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