Device to handle reels of metallic wire

Abstract: Device to handle reels of metallic wire, the device (10) being installed downstream of machines that carry out hot or cold drawing or rolling of metallic wire, which may have a round, oval, three-lobed, square, rectangular, hexagonal, etc. section and is wound in rolls on reels, which are advantageously but not only a type that can be dismantled, on winding machines which are included in wire processing plants, the device consisting of a structure (11) bearing an arm (12), which can be rotated according to the arrow (19) at an angle and can move in a straight line according to the arrow (16) in relation to the structure (11) and is provided with reel engagement means (29) to handle the reels from the winding station to the downstream stations employing the reels, and viceversa.

Description: This invention concerns a device to handle reels of metallic wire of the type described in the main claim. To be more exact, the invention concerns a device able to engage and handle with automatic methods the reels wound with wire on winding machines with the purpose of obtaining the removal of the roll of wire wound on such reels. The device according to the invention is installed advantageously downstream of machines that wind the metallic wire and upstream of the stations where the reels are dismantled and the rolls of wire are removed from the reels of a type that can be dismantled. The device is therefore installed in plants performing the hot or cold drawing or rolling of metallic wire. In this invention the word "wire" is to be understood in its widest meaning as covering products having a round, oval, three-lobed, square, rectangular, hexagonal, etc. section. The state of the art covers the problems concerning the packaging and handling of reels of metallic wire. These problems concern in particular the handling of the rolls of wire produced in the winding machines. In fact, these reels, if they are of a type which can be dismantled and to which we shall refer in the following description, not only entail difficulties caused by their size and weight but also have to be moved to appropriate stations where the rolls of wire are removed. This removal takes place by withdrawal of one of the flanges of the reel and by removal of the roll of wire thereafter. Next, the reel thus dismantled has to be re-assembled so that it can be used again in the production cycle. This offers a considerable saving as regards the cost of the overall number of reels employed, the space occupied owing to a great reduction in the intermediate storage areas, the circulation of the reels and other necessary materials as the working cycle can be limited to a short travel, and other advantages. At present all of the above operations are carried out by hand with the use of auxiliary means and entail long times for execution, a great labour force and considerable use of production means and noteworthy downtimes during processing of the wire together with a resulting increase in production costs. Moreover, the trend towards full automation of the operation to wind the metallic wire presupposes the inclusion of automatic devices to remove the reels thus produced so as to make the working cycle economically feasible. Document EP-A-0276651 provides for a programmable robot of a wire-guided or radio-controlled type to load and unload empty reels and full reels automatically onto and from wire winding machines. This document arranges for the reels which cannot be dismantled, to be conveyed by being supported from below with their axis horizontal. Such a device comprises a vertically upwards extending structure bearing an inner sleeve able to rotate about the vertical axis of the structure together with an outer sleeve able to move vertically along the length of the inner sleeve, the outer sleeve bearing a movable arm substantially normal to the structure and capable of being moved vertically on the structure, while the arm can also be rotated at an angle about the structure. Document DE-A-3627569 provides for a manipulator to handle reels with their axis horizontal. The manipulator can move and cooperates with an overhead guide runway, so that the reel is suspended while travelling on the runway, thus entailing problems of the overhead space taken up and of the danger to the machine operators. The present applicant has the purpose of overcoming the problems of the state of the art by providing a fully automatic device to handle reels of metallic wire. The invention is set forth in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe various features of the invention. The handling device according to the invention is an automatic apparatus located downstream of a winding machine that winds metallic wire so as to cooperate with a station that removes rolls of wire produced on the winding machine. The handling device is located advantageously in a stationary position in relation to the removal station and to the subsequent stations with which the device has to cooperate. The subsequent stations are preferably a station to dismantle the reel and a station to remove the roll of wire wound on the reel. In any event the handling device can cooperate with other types of station and, if necessary, can be moved to various positions according to the requirements of the production cycle. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the reel handling device consists of a stationary structure that bears a movable assembly which performs the actual handling of the reels. The movable assembly is capable of an alternating rotary movement about the axis of the stationary structure so as to be able to cover the areas of cooperation with the cited stations on its outward or return path. It is also capable of an alternating straight movement along the axis of the stationary structure so as to be able to carry out at each station the operations required at that station. The movable assembly is equipped with means to engage the reels, means able to cooperate with reels capable of being dismantled by withdrawing one of the flanges of those reels and also means to control the roll of metallic wire. The movable assembly during its return travel from the cited stations towards the winding machine can also be used to re-assemble the reel dismantled beforehand and to take that reel back to the production cycle. The device can also handle reels which cannot be dismantled; in this case the station to dismantle the reel can be replaced or be amalgamated with an automatic store that feeds empty reels, while the station that removes the rolls of wire will become a station for discharge of the reels full of wire. During its return travel from the reel removal station the movable assembly will arrange to take from the empty reel store the reel required for positioning on the winding machine. During its outward travel the movable assembly will proceed directly to the removal station. These and other special features of the invention will be made clearer in the description that follows. The attached figures, which are given as a non-restrictive example, show the following: Fig.1 shows a vertical section of a reel handling device according to the invention; Fig.2 shows from above a detail of the handling device of Fig.1; Fig.3 shows a plate to prevent shaking of the movable arm; Fig.4 is a front view of the handling device with its arm raised in the reel dismantling station; Fig.5 shows the device from above in the position of Fig.4; Fig.6 is a front view of the device in the reel dismantling station with clamping and containment grippers raised. In the figures a reel handling device 10 according to the invention comprises substantially a stationary structure 11 having a vertical development and bearing a movable arm 12. The movable arm 12 is firmy secured to an outer sleeve 13 positioned coaxially with the stationary structure 11. The outer sleeve 13 is connected in turn to an inner sleeve 14, which too is coaxial with the structure 11 and in relation to which the outer sleeve 13 can slide vertically by means of slider elements 15. The movable arm 12 can therefore move vertically according to the arrow 16 and can pass from a lower position marked with continuous lines in Fig.1 to a higher position marked with lines of dashes in Fig.1 and viceversa. The vertical movement of the arm 12 in the direction of the arrow 16 is obtained in this instance by a jack 17 secured at 18 to the inner sleeve 14. The inner sleeve 14 can rotate through a full circle together with the outer sleeve 13 about the axis of the stationary structure 11 in the directions of the arrows 19. This rotation is made possible by rotary slider elements 20 and is actuated by a suitable motor 21 solidly fixed to the inner sleeve 14. This motor 21 is advantageously, but not necessarily, a D.C. motor 22 required to control the gradients of acceleration and deceleration of speed in relation to the rotary motion of the arm 12. The D.C. motor 22 drives, through a speed reduction unit 23, a gearwheel 24, which engages a stationary crown wheel 25 solidly fixed to the structure 11. Fig.1 shows a vertical plate 26 integral with the inner sleeve 14; this plate 26 has the function of preventing shaking of the movable arm 12. The plate 26 passes vertically through an opening 27 in the arm 12, which in its vertical travel in the direction of the arrow 16 is guided on both side of the plate 26 by suitable movement means, for instance rollers 28. The movable arm 12 is equipped with reel engagement means 29 consisting in this case of a pair of grippers 30 able to oscillate about pivots 31. The grippers 30 are suitably actuated by a pair of corresponding jacks 32 so as to engage an upper flange 33 of the reel handled by the device 10; the upper flange 33 is indicated with lines of dashes in Fig.1. The movable arm 12 is also equipped with a means 39 to actuate release of the removable flange 33 of the reel 41 by acting in an axial direction, for instance, if the reel 41 being handled is of a type having a removable flange. In the example shown the means 39 in question is represented by a jack 34 and a rod 35, which can move axially so as to cooperate with coordinated release means within the reel. These latter means are not shown here and are not relevant to the purposes of the invention. The release actuation means 39 for the flange 33 will not be included or, if included, may be disarmed where the device 10 of the invention is handling reels which cannot be dismantled. Fig.2 shows a view of part of the arm 12 along the line of the arrow 36. A transverse plate 37 is connected to the arm 12 and has the purpose of cooperating in the retention and control of the roll of metallic wire 43 reached by the arm 12 being oriented when in the station 40 where the reel is dismantled. For this purpose the transverse plate 37 comprises suitable seatings 38 able to engage any clamping grippers included in that station 40. The reel dismantling station 40 does not form part of the invention. We have described here a preferred embodiment of the device 10 according to the invention, but obviously many variants are possible to a person skilled in this field without departing thereby from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims: Device to handle reels of metallic wire, the device (10) being installed downstream of machines that carry out hot or cold drawing or rolling of metallic wire, which is wound in rolls on reels (41), positioned with their axis vertical and advantageously of a type that can be dismantled, on winding machines included in wire processing plants, the device (10) comprising a vertically upwards extending stationary structure (11) bearing an inner sleeve (14) able to rotate about the vertical axis of the structure (11) together with an outer sleeve (13) able to move vertically along the length of the inner sleeve (14), the outer sleeve (13) bearing a movable arm (12) substantially normal to the structure (11) and capable of being moved vertically on the structure (11), while the arm (12) can also be rotated at an angle (19) about the structure (11), the movable arm (12) comprising grippers (30) actuated by jacks (32) and able to engage the upper flange (33) of the reels (41) so as to handle the reels (41) from the winding station to the downstream stations (40) handling the reels (41), and viceversa, and also comprising a transverse plate (37) including suitable seatings (38) able to engage any clamping grippers included in a reel dismantling station (40). Device as in claim 1, in which the movable arm (12) comprises in a central position a vertically arranged means (39) which actuates release of the upper flange (33) of the reel (41). Device as in claims 1 or 2, which includes between the inner sleeve (14) and the outer sleeve (13) a jack (17) for the vertical positioning of the outer sleeve (13). Device as in any claim hereinbefore, which includes means (21 -24) to actuate rotary movement (19) of the inner sleeve (14) about the stationary structure (11). Device as in any claim hereinbefore, which includes a plate (26) to prevent shaking of the movable arm (12), this plate (26) being solidly fixed to the inner sleeve (14) and parallel to the axis of the same (14).

Inventors: GRAZIUTTI GIUSEPPE, PLACEREANI CARLO, SARO GIANCARLO, GRAZIUTTI, GIUSEPPE, PLACEREANI, CARLO, SARO, GIANCARLO
Applicants: IMPIANTI INDUSTRIALI SPA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B65H67
IPC codes: B65H67