Counter and splitter device for bars in layers, particularly for final packing of rolling mill products

Abstract: Splitter device (1) for bars in layers, particularly for final packing of rolling mills with layers line up device, of the type that includes on one supporting and conveying plane layers of bars advancing crosswards (2): bars line up devices (32), suitable to flatten the layer of bars, aligning them and arranging them parallel on the same plane; photoelectric cell devices (8) to detect and count the number of advancing bars, devices supplied on one side with means for the emission of orthogonal infrared rays through the bars being counted (8a), and on the other side with means for the detecting of such rays; bars splitters devices getting through the layer of overlapped bars to separate them; characterized by the fact that such means for detecting and counting advancing bars include: pulse devices (32i) corresponding to the space of cross advancing of the bars to be counted and separated, together with photocell counter devices (8, 8a, 8b), connected to a data processing device (MP), such data processing device (MP) being: connected to issue instructions to the bars advancing system and to the splitter devices for advancement and stop and/or speed variation; programmed to elaborate data received by such pulse devices (32i) and such photoelectric cell devices (8, 8a, 8b) to count a pre-set number of bars, and after the advancement stop command, to issue a signal to the bars splitter (5-7) to separate the upwards bars (1) from the downwards ones and reissue a signal of advancement to the bars downwards (4) to discharge them (12) in a packing pocket (6) and afterwards restart the advancement and the counting of the bars upwards, being foreseen that the photoelectric cell devices (8a-8b) issue two successive signals too far apart (2l,3l,...nl), proportional to the advancement (nl) supplied by the pulse devices in such interval if compared to a preset value (1) equal to the shade of a bar that is supplied by dividing the respective number of bars (nl/l=number of bars).

Description: This patent deals with a counter and splitter device for bars in layers particularly for final packing of rolling mills. The innovation is of useful but not exclusive application to hot rolling mills producing bars and profiles to be packed in pre-set quantities. At present there are several different counter and splitter devices working on one layer of bars for the above mentioned purposes. The known devices are however complex, expensive and not reliable and furthermore they have the drawback of not clearly dividing the bars according to their total length; also considering the possibility for the bars to be bent or overlapped; furthermore they cannot operate continuously. A system of this type is disclosed in the European patent EP-A-O 403 745 filed on 07 April 1990 (State of the art according to Article 54(3) EPC). One of the most important problems remains however the counting of the bars and the locating of the separation spot. Problem that has not been solved yet, being the normal devices (mechanical and optical sensors) not efficient, practical and fast enough. A particular problem is represented by the fact that when using photocell devices they count one bar all the time; even if the bars are overlapped or too close to each other. It is obvious that with this drawback the manufacturer would have a considerable loss in selling a pack with a number of bars higher than what marked. Aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks. This and other goals are achieved with the present innovation according to characteristics of the attached claims overcoming the problems described by means of a splitter device for bars lying parallel in one plane, particularly for final packing of the bars, of the type including on one supporting and converting plane, a layer of bars advancing in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal axis: bar line up device, suitable to flatten the layer of bars, aligning them and arranging them on the same plane; photoelectric cell devices to detect and count the number of advancing bars, a device supplied on one side of the plane of the bars with means for the emission of orthogonal infrared rays, and a device supplied on the other side with means for the detecting of such rays; bars splitting device able to pass through the layer of bars to separate them; characterized in that the means for detecting and counting advancing bars include : pulse device corresponding to the space of cross advancing of the bars to be counted and separated, together with photocell counter devices, connected to a data processing device being : connected to issue instructions to the bar advancing system and to the splitter device for advancement and stop and/or speed variation; programmed to elaborate data received from pulse device and the photoelectric cell devices to count a pre-set number of bars, and after the advancement stop command, to issue a signal to the bar splitting device to separate the upstream bars from the downstream ones and reissue a signal of advancement to the bars downstream to discharge them into a packing pocket and afterwards restart the advancement and the counting of the bars upstream, being able to evaluate the number of bars passing through the photoelectric cell devices by dividing the advancement spaces supplied by the pulse device between successive signals from the photoelectric devices by, which corresponds to the advancement space referring to one bar. In this way the working procedure is a lot simplified and there is no chance for crossed bars to give only one signal to the photoelectric cell and to be counted as one. These and other advantages will be clear in the following detailed description of possible solutions with the help of the drawings attached; the details for the realization are to be considered not restrictive but only as examples. Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a bars splitter device on the plane transversal to the bars. Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the splitter device of previous figure on the plane parallel to the bars. Figure 3 shows the blocks scheme of the installation system and the way to operate of the counter device and bars separating command. Figure 4 shows a top view of the way how the cell detects the bars for the following data processing. By referring to the figures; it can be noticed that the bars separation system includes a splitter device for bars in layers, particularly for final packing of rolling mills supplied with layers alignment device; of the type that includes on one supporting and conveying plane layers of bars advancing crosswards (2): magnetic rolling chain devices (3), or similar (32), that flatten and line up the bars on the same plane on the roller so that the rolling is not jeopardized; photocell devices to track and count the bars of the layer, including an infrared emitter above (8a) and a receiver below (8b); mobile bars splitters and below (5, 7) including splitter pins. The first splitter is fixed (5), the second (7) flag type and moved by cylinders; they both come on a mobile trolley so they can be moved longitudinally to the bars after pins penetration; this in order to obtain a clear separation between two layers. According to the invention when there are many bars overlapping (21, 31) you will have equivalent times d2-d3=21 and d4-d5=31, etc. (defined time as "n1") bigger than those referring to one bar only (1), consequently, for a precise count, on the roller (3) is placed a pulse device (32i) that gives the processor (2) even the advancement spaces (n1); through a simple division (n1/1) by a processor ex. microprocessor (MP) you can have the exact number of bars gone through two signals red by the photocell (8b), therefore: once got a pre-set number, stop the rolling and issue a signal to the bars pin splitter (5) to make it penetrating in the position corresponding to the number required. Advantageously the detector system could be connected to an information monitor "m" capable of providing also output totals, a printer to provide the total of the bars in the pack, a servocontrol decoder (DC) to command the bars separation an packing system (A Fig.1,2). The splitter device is composed by a head penetrating pin (5) followed by a system (7) with flag devices (71) rotated by fluid-dynamic systems (72), the all on a mobile trolley transversal to the advancement, as already mentioned. The line-up device (3) of the bars (1) is placed at the end of a main chain continuos conveyor (2) slightly above its transfer plane in order to free the rolling bars from the main conveyor (2). Downwards of the main conveyor (2) and devices for flattening bars layers (3) it is conveniently contemplated another chain conveyor endless system (4) to discharge the separate bars (11) in a collecting pocket (6) to form the pack with pre-set number of bars (12). The procedure is as follows: The layer rolls forward on the chain roller (2); on one side of it there is a line-up device which is made up by a magnetic chain ( or magnetic carpet) moving at the same (or slightly higher) speed as the roller (3.32) and operated by the same command. The magnetic chain (or magnetic carpet) (3-32) has the purpose to avoid movements of the end of the bars, along the track between the position of the photocell (emitter 8a receiver 8b) and the pin splitter device 5. Furthermore it has the purpose to flatten the layer of bars so to dispose them in parallel in order for the photocell to read them correctly during the rolling. a) the microprocessor MP elaborates the signals from photocell (8:8a-8b) and from the encoder (32i) applied on the command shaft of the magnetic chain (32); the reading of the number of bars passing through the photocell is based on the assumption that there is space between one bar and the other (d1,d2,d3, .....) in the case of two ( or more bars) too close so that the light does not go through them, the reading signal of a bar does not disappear. Elaborating the distance covered by the bar (together with the data impulses from the encoder) we know that the signal shall disappear after a space equal to the diameter of the bar (1). If the signal disappears after a space equal to two bars diameter (21) the microprocessor will increase the count of two units. The above mentioned will take place with 3 or more bars overlapped; b) once reached the pre-set number of bars the microprocessor will stop the conveyor in order to separate the two bars when they are exactly on the tip of the first pin splitter (at a distance "x" from the photocell). The control of the deceleration of the roller will be done following the encoder impulses; c) once carried out the separation of the layer the first pin splitter (5) disappears while the others (installed on a mobile trolley 7) move the bars toward the downwards conveyor (4) which transports them to the collecting pockets (6); d) when the trolley with pin splitters (7) is back in position the conveyor (2) starts moving again, restarting also the count that had been interrupted to carry out the separation.

Claims: Splitter device for bars lying parallel in one plane, particularly for final packing of the bars, of the type including on one supporting and converting plane, a layer of bars advancing in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal axis (2) : bar line up device (32), suitable to flatten the layer of bars, aligning them and arranging them on the same plane; photoelectric cell devices (8) to detect and count the number of advancing bars, a device supplied on one side of the plane of the bars with means for the emission of orthogonal infrared rays (8a), and a device supplied on the other side with means for the detecting of such rays; bars splitting device able to pass through the layer of bars to separate them; characterized in that the means for detecting and counting advancing bars include : pulse device (32i) corresponding to the space of cross advancing of the bars to be counted and separated, together with photocell counter devices (8, 8a, 8b), connected to a data processing device (MP) being : connected to issue instructions to the bar advancing system and to the splitter device for advancement and stop and/or speed variation; programmed to elaborate data received from pulse device (32i) and the photoelectric cell devices (8, 8a, 8b) to count a pre-set number of bars, and after the advancement stop command, to issue a signal to the bar splitting device (5-7) to separate the upstream bars (1) from the downstream ones and reissue a signal of advancement to the bars downstream (4) to discharge them (12) into a packing pocket (6) and afterwards restart the advancement and the counting of the bars upstream, being able to evaluate the number of bars passing through the photoelectric cell devices by dividing the advancement spaces (21, 31, .. n1) supplied by the pulse device (32i) between successive signals from the photoelectric devices by (1), which corresponds to the advancement space referring to one bar. Bars splitter device and related packing system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the alignment conveyor for the separation of the bars is of magnetic type (3).

Inventors: OFFOIACH RENZO, OFFOIACH, RENZO
Applicants: SIMAC SPA, S.I.M.A.C S.P.A.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B65B27
IPC codes: B65B65, B65B27, B65B57