PACKAGER

Abstract: Packager (10) which comprises at least one delivery line with conveyors (11) and with movable abutments (13) to form layers of rolled stock (12), removal means (18) that serve also to form stacks of such rolled stock (12) and movable arms (14) with magnetic heads (15), such packager (10) being able to take layers of rolled stock (12) which are all right-side-up (15A) or are all upside-down (15B), or are alternately right-side-up and upside-down, the arms (14) with magnetic heads (15) having an upper engagement position (15A) and a lower engagement position (15B) to engage the rolled stock (12), there being one single series of heads (15) able to take the rolled stock right-side-up (15A) and to overturn it, as required, with a rotation of 180° after having taken it.

Description: "PACKAGES" * * * * * * * * * Tnis invention concerns a packager. To be more exact, the invention concerns a packager of a type able to take from a delivery line layers of bars or sections alternately rightside-up and upside-down, or all right-side-up or all upsidedown, and to package them on a removal conveyor. Many more or less complicated embodiments to accomplish this purpose are known in the art. The majority of such embodiments employs a complicated system of arms normally connected together mechanically by transmission shafts so as to use one single actuation system. Such arms bear magnetic heads to take the rolled stock which is to be placed in superimposed layers. Embodiments are also known in which the engagement and movement of the rolled sections or bars are performed by several cooperating arms or several cooperating magnetic heads. For instance, GB-A-100841706 discloses a packager device in which layers of sections moving along a conveyor can be formed on one or another of two magnetic heads positioned in series. The magnetic head located further downstream of the two heads serves to deposit layers of sections upside-down on a collector surface, such sections being overturned by 180 U as compared to their orientation while on the conveyor. The magnetic head located further upstream serves, instead, to overturn a layer of sections by 1800 for the first time so as to take them upside-down to the downstream magnetic head, which in its turn overturns such layer again by 180", as described earlier, and deposits it right-side-up. In this way an alternation can be obtained with layers right-side-up or upside-down as required. However, this device requires two sets of magnetic heads cooperating in series, one behind the other, and entails downtimes due to the overturning of one or both of the heads to provide for layers to be deposited upside-down or right-side-up respectively. FR-A-2.189.290 discloses a device able to take sections from a conveyor and lay them on a stacker truck. This device comprises a parallelogram-shaped articulated arm for to-andfro movement, on this arm is located a magnetic turret which can move vertically to take and deposit the sections. This system requires overturning means on a conveyor to overturn sections which are to be laid upside-down, and is able to take the sections only from above. DE-A-l.198.287 discloses an overturning device equipped with a magnetic head. Such device is able to take a layer of sections on a conveyor from below, lift the layer, overturn it and lay it again on the conveyor. In this way the same conveyor can remove layers of sections right-side-up or upside-down, but this device is not a packager in the true sense of the word but is only an overturning device. DE-A-3.308.474 discloses an articulated arm operated by means of cables and pulleys, and does not concern a packager in particular. US-A-4,356,554 discloses a system to control industrial robots and shows a possible embodiment of an articulated arm. The known embodiments are generally very complicated from a mechanical and constructional point of view, firstly because the actuation systems are complicated and secondly because it 1s necessary to synchronise the various movements, the syn- chronisation being generally performed by mechanical devices, and also because it is difficult to make the operation very regular and capable of being reproduced in an excellent manner. A purpose of the invention is to simplify the construction of a packager of this type by providing a set of arms equipped with one single series of magnetic heads as a means to transfer the rolled stock between a delivery line and the removal line of a package of rolled bars. Such set of arms acts according to a programme, with a perfect reproduction of the operation. Each of such arms bears at least one magnetic head, whicli according to the invention can engage the rolled stock from above or from below and can place it, either right-side-up or upside-down, on a stationary removal station. This invention is therefore embodied with a packager which comprises at least one delivery line with conveyors and with movable abutments to form layers of rolled stock, removal means that serve also to form stacks of such rolled stock and movable arms with magnetic heads, such packager being able to take layers of rolled stock which are all right-side-up or are all upside-down, or are alternately right-side-up and upsidedown, and being characterised in that the arms with magnetic heads have an upper engagement position and a lower engagement position to engage the rolled stock, there being one single series of heads able to take the rolled stock right-side-up and to overturn it, as required, with a rotation of 180 after having taken it. We shall now describe a preferred embodiment of the invention as a non-restrictive example with the help of the attached figures, in which:- Fig.l shows in a very diagrammatic manner a three-dimen sional overall view of a packager according to the invention: rig.2 gives a side view of the method of working of the packager. In the figures a packager 10 comprises in a known manner a delivery line consisting of a plurality of parallel conveyors 11, which are, for instance, conveyor belts or roller conveyors. Such conveyors 11 deliver rolled bars or sections 12 and comprise at their ends retractable abutments 13 to form layers which are to be superimposed on one another. In the example shown a set of articulated arms 14 equipped with magnetic heads 15 is positioned in correspondence with the conveyors 11. In this case each arm.14 faces one of the conveyors 11. As can be seen in the diagram of Fig.2, the magnetic heads 15, which are aligned with each other and form one single series of heads, are able to take the layers of sections 12 from above (position 15A) or from below (position 15B) and to deposit such layers 12 at a placement position 15C. Such position 15C is stationary according to the invention. In fact, temporary support arms 16 are provided which can slide vertically in upright guides 17 and descend on each occasion when a layer of sections 12 is deposited, so that the placement position 15C remains stationary. The support arms 16 lie initially in correspondence with the placement position 15C and descend progressively as the stack of superimposed layers is formed, so that the magnetic head 15 merely has to deposit the layers 12 always at the same position 15C. hhen a package has been completed. the support arms 16 descend in their downward movement below the level of removal means 18, which in this example consist of a roller conveyor with horizontal rollers 19 and vertical rollers 20. The vertical rollers 20 have the task of obviating lateral displacements of the rolled bars or sections 12 forming the package to be removed. Each arm 14 comprises a forearm 23 which bears the magnetic head 15, and an arm 22 which supports rotatably the forearm 23 and is pivoted on a stationary base 21. It should bt noted in particular that the employment of arms 14 with one single series of heads 15 makes possible a very fast operational sequence, particularly because the en engagement positions 15A-15B and placement position 15C are stationary, and there is no prior overturning of the sections and therefore no waiting before engagement of the layer. The overturning of the layers 12 to be deposited upsidedown takes place after they have been engaged at 15B and can occur at the same time as they are transferred from 15B to 15C. Tne invention can deposit either wholly right-side-up layers by engagement at 15A and placement at 15C, or wholly upside-down layers by engagement at 15B and placement at l5C, or alternate right-side-up and upside-down layers by alternate engagement at 15A and 15B. Such operating versatility can be obtained by merely changing the progranuse of the arlas 14. The various arms 14 will be synchronised preferably with each other electronically. We have described here a preferred embodiment of the invention but variants are possible without departing thereby from the scope of the invention. Thus it is possible to provide an arm structured otherwise than as shown, and differently articulated and/or with a greater number of degrees of freedom, for instance; it is possible to provide one or more cooperating magnetic heads supported and aligned by each arm; it is possible to provide a conformation of such arms 14 and of the magnetic heads 15 other than that shown, without departing thereby from the scope of this invention.

Claims: CLAIMS **** 1 - Packager (10) which comprises at least one delivery line with conveyors (11) and with movable abutments (13) to form layers of rolled stock (12), removal means (18) that serve also to form stacks of such rolled stock (12) and movable arms (14) with magnetic heads (15), such packager (10) being able to take layers of rolled stock (12) which are all right-sideup (lea) or are all upside-down (15B), or are alternately right-side-up and upside-down, and being characterised in that the arms (14) with magnetic heads (15) have an upper engagement position (15A) and a lower engagement position (1SB) to engage the rolled stock (12), there being one single series of heads (15) able to take the rolled stock rightside-up (15A) and to overturn it, as required,. with a rotation of 1800 after having taken it. 2 - Packager (10) as claimed in Claim 1, in which each arm (14) comprises at least one orientable magnetic head (15). 3 - Packager (10) as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which each arm (14) comprises a forearm (23) bearing a magnetic head (15), and an arm (22) which supports rotatably such forearm (23) and is pivoted on a stationary base (21). 4 - Packager (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which a position (15C) for placement of the rolled stock (12) is stationary. 5 - Packager (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the various arms (14) are synchronised.

Inventors: NONINI, GEREMIA
Applicants: DANIELI & C. OFFICINE MECCANICHE S.P.A.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B65G57
IPC codes: B25J9, B65G57