ITTV20120032A1 - PLANT FOR FORMING SHEETS PACKAGES - Google Patents

Description

Description of the industrial invention

entitled "Plant for the formation of packs of plates".

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a plate handling, sorting and storage system for the formation of packs of plates. In particular, the slabs are agglomerated stone material, ceramic or natural.

Advantageously, the invention relates to a plant capable of sorting the sheets according to their surface characteristics in order to obtain groups of sheets generally having the same or similar characteristics or in any case selected characteristics.

It is known that in the processing lines of agglomerated or natural or ceramic stone slabs, after the slabs have been calibrated and smoothed / polished, it is necessary to classify them on the basis of their also aesthetic characteristics. This classification is carried out by a vision device or by an operator who must visually examine each plate and decide which quality grade to assign to them. To carry out this operation it is necessary to evaluate the actual aesthetic characteristics, that is the veins, the tonality, the homogeneity, together with the possible manufacturing defects.

It is evident that the more a slab is free from defects and the better its visual appearance, the more it will be considered of superior quality. It is possible to have up to ten qualitative levels, but a number of different levels, both lower and higher, can also be defined.

Once the quality level has been assigned, the slabs are transported from the processing line to a storage station containing slabs of the same quality level so as to form packs of slabs with selected characteristics or quality standards. Basically, the plates are sorted and grouped into groups so that each group contains plates with selected characteristics.

The number of storage stations is therefore at least equal to the number of quality levels according to which the slabs are divided or, better still, a slightly higher number to cope with situations in which a storage location is completely full and therefore no longer usable. .

To move the slabs from the processing line to the respective storage station, for example, motorized roller conveyors or stacker cranes are used or, more simply, the handling is carried out by an operator through the use of forklifts or lifting equipment.

Then when the slabs of a group reach a limit number, the pack of slabs is moved and taken to their destination such as a warehouse if the pack is to be temporarily stored, or in an unloading / loading area if the pack is to be picked up and loaded on a vehicle for its immediate transport.

It is evident that such a configuration requires considerable space to be able to create the different storage positions for the slabs. This space is the greater the greater the number of types into which the slabs are divided.

Furthermore, considering the dimensions and weight of the slabs as well as the distance between the end of the processing line and the various unloading stations of the slabs, the handling of the slabs is rather complex and takes quite a long time, being carried out manually.

If we consider that often there are more than one processing lines and that each processing line is equipped with its own unloading stations, it is easy to understand how the space required for the stations is truly remarkable.

Therefore, an aim of the invention is to realize a slab handling and storage system capable of producing packs of slabs starting from a sequential arrival of single slabs, efficiently and with reduced bulk and complexity.

Another object is to simplify the handling of the plates between the end of the processing line and the various plate storage stations thus also reducing the relative handling times.

Another object is to easily allow the formation of packs of plates with predetermined characteristics starting from the sequential arrival of plates with mixed characteristics.

In view of these purposes, according to the invention, it was thought to realize a plant for the formation of packs of plates, comprising at least one column of superimposed shelves, on one side of the column there being at least one motorized pick-up with a platform of transfer which is movable in the vertical direction along the shelves, said transfer platform comprising gripping means for a plate which are translatable between a position extracted from the shelves and a position inserted between the shelves, said gripping means being suitable for picking up a plate in at least one sequential arrival station of the plates on the side of the column and insert it in a selected shelf of the column, on the opposite side of the column there being at least one motorized translator with a pick-up platform that is movable along the shelves and that has elements that can be moved between a position extracted from the shelves and a position inserted between the shelves for picking removing a pack of plates from a selected shelf and transferring it to at least one station for the sequential unloading and evacuation of packs of plates.

To clarify the explanation of the innovative principles of the present invention and its advantages with respect to the known art, an exemplary embodiment applying these principles will be described below, with the help of the attached drawings. In the drawings:

-figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a plant for handling and storing slabs made according to the present invention -figure 2 is a schematic elevation view of the plant of figure 1; -figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are visits similar to that of figure 2 but with the plant represented in different operating conditions;

-figures 7 and 8 schematically show a partial view of a possible realization of the plant according to the invention;

-Figures 9 to 14 and 15 to 22 show (respectively in plan and side elevation) possible sequences of handling plates and packs of plates in a plant according to the invention as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

With reference to the figures, in figure 1 a plant for handling, sorting and storage of slabs according to the invention is indicated as a whole with 10. The slabs are, for example, in natural stone or agglomerate or ceramic material.

The system 10 comprising at least one column or vertical warehouse 20, formed by a plurality of superimposed shelves 24. On one side of the column there is a motorized pickup 30 with a transfer platform 34 which is movable vertically along the shelves and which has gripping means 36 which are translatable horizontally between a position extracted from the shelves and a position inserted between the shelves.

The shelves can be made in various known ways, for example as lateral support brackets or crosspieces to allow the free passage of means for lifting the packs of plates, as will become clear below.

Advantageously, the gripping means comprise a plane with suction cups which is designed (thanks to suitable known controlled suction devices) to adhere to the upper surface of a plate to be picked up, so as to lift it from above.

The pick-up 30 is able to pick up a plate in a sequential arrival station 90 of the plates on the side of the column and insert it in a selected shelf of the column.

On the opposite side of the column there is a motorized shifter 50 with a pickup platform or motorized trolley 58 which is movable along the shelves and which has pickup elements 60 which can be moved horizontally between a position extracted from the shelves and a position inserted between the shelves for picking up a pack of plates from a selected shelf and transferring it to a station 80 for the sequential unloading and evacuation of packs of plates. The pick-up elements 60 are advantageously motorized forks.

As can always be seen in figure 1, the plant 10 can advantageously comprise a plurality of columns side by side (20A-20D) with each column having its own station (90A-90D) for the sequential arrival of plates and its own suction cup picker. (30A-30D). The translator 50, on the other hand, is advantageously movable also horizontally between the columns of the plurality and the unloading and evacuation station, so as to serve the various columns.

Figure 1 also shows the final part of four processing lines 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D at the end of which the slabs arrive. These plates may have already been finished and classified by known devices (not shown) upstream of the arrival stations.

For example, the slabs, as specified above, after being calibrated and smoothed / polished, pass through a selection station (not shown in the figures) in which, thanks to a detailed examination performed either manually by trained operators or automatically by known systems of vision, a predetermined classification is attributed to them based on the characteristics found in them.

Advantageously, the assignment of the assigned characteristic class to each plate is achieved by means 91, for example a suitable input keyboard in the case of manual selection or a suitable known system for automatic detection of the characteristics of the plates in transit.

Here with quality level or characteristic class we generally mean a subdivision of the slabs based on any selection criteria, although the selection based on aesthetics is the preferred one.

Control means 92 (known per se, for example with a suitably programmed microprocessor) control the movement of the picker for sending the slab to a predetermined shelf on the basis of the quality level assigned to the slab.

Advantageously, each arrival station can comprise a motorized platform 93 for horizontal rotation of the plate. In this way, the plates can arrive at the station oriented with their greatest extension parallel to the direction of movement along the processing lines, with the lines advantageously arriving at the end of the respective station. The rotation platform (of a type substantially known per se) rotates the slab by 90 ° so that the greatest extension of the slab is arranged transversely to the direction of insertion of the slab into the shelves.

The shifter on the other side of the shelves can thus extract the pack of plates already oriented with its shorter side facing the direction of transport of the packs on the outfeed line. This transport direction is advantageously parallel to the horizontal sliding direction of the translator.

In other words, thanks to the presence of the rotation platform, it is possible to use the translator with guides arranged at right angles to the processing lines from which the slabs arrive. This is also advantageous for the space occupation of the plant.

In greater detail, an example of a handling and storage system 10 according to the invention can comprise four columns or vertical warehouses 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D each placed respectively at the ends of the four processing lines 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D . Between each of the four processing lines 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D and the respective vertical warehouses 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D there is a vertically movable pickup 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D able to pick up the slabs from the respective line, lift them and store them in their respective storage, as described below.

On the opposite side of the vertical magazines 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D with respect to the pick-ups 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D there is the translator 50 which advantageously slides along a rail 52 arranged orthogonally to the four processing lines 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D .

The translator 50 is able to pick up packs of slabs from any point of the vertical warehouses 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D and deposit them on an unloading station 80 connected to a motorized roller conveyor 82 as shown in the figure or to another handling device .

The picker 30A and the vertical magazine 20A are described below, it being understood that the characteristics of the remaining pickups 30B, 30C, 30D and of the vertical stores 20B, 20C, 20D are identical.

From figure 2 it can be seen that the pick-up 30A advantageously comprises one or two uprights 32 on which the motorized transfer platform 34 slides vertically, provided with the pick-up platform or retractable pick-up arm 36 capable of extending to grasp the sheet from the line 12A and deposit it in the shelving. Advantageously, the retractable arm is an arm with a known cup holder surface.

Still from the same figure, it can be seen that the column or vertical warehouse 20A consists of a shelving 22 on which a certain number of shelves are positioned. For example, the figures show twelve shelves 24a, b, .. n for the storage of the slabs.

For example, each shelf is advantageously designed to accommodate slabs of the same quality level. The number of shelves must be conveniently greater than the number of quality levels to allow continuous operation. While waiting for the translator to release a shelf full of plates, the plates corresponding to the quality level of that full shelf can be stored in one of the additional shelves which are therefore available.

As is now easily imagined by the technician, the assignment of a shelf to a certain class of slabs can be done dynamically, so as to make the most of the number of shelves present, as they fill up or empty.

The number of plates that can be placed on each shelf depends on the useful span between one shelf and the next, on the thickness of the plates and on the size of the suction cup picker. Assuming for example a useful height of about 25 cm and a thickness of the slabs equal to 3 cm, it is possible to deposit up to a maximum of about 6 slabs per shelf.

The pickup 30A, thanks to the arm or retractable cup holder 36, is able to pick up a slab from the respective line 12A, lift it to the desired height and deposit it on one of the twelve shelves 24a, b, .. n.

Figure 3 shows the pickup 30A in the condition in which the arm 36 is completely extracted from the side of the line 12A and has gripped a plate 14 positioned at the end of the line 12A, while in figures 2 and 4 the suction cup holder arm 36 with plate 14 it is shown in a raised position. Finally, in figure 5 the cup holder arm 36 is shown completely extracted but on the opposite side with respect to the line 12A and therefore positioned in correspondence with one of the shelves of the vertical warehouse 20A so that the plate 14 can be unhooked from the cup holder arm 36 and placed on the shelf.

Figure 2 also illustrates the translator 50 which advantageously comprises a motorized base 54 which slides along the rail 52. From the base 54 there are guide uprights 56 along which the motorized trolley 58 is vertically slidable, provided with elements of picking, advantageously made by a pair of extractable forks 60, capable of picking up a pack of plates 16 from any of the shelves 24a, 24b, .. 24n,

It is evident that the translator will direct itself towards the completely full shelves and, if there are none, it will carry out the picking according to the requests of the systems placed downstream which are fed by the translator.

The pack of plates 16 is lifted by the pair of extractable forks 60, as indicated in figures 2 and 5, and subsequently deposited on the motorized trolley 58 as indicated in figure 6. At this point the trolley 58 is lowered to the ground level, the translator 50 is moved and positioned near the unloading station 80 where the pack of slabs is unloaded. The pack of slabs 16 is then advantageously sent to the motorized roller conveyor 82 or to another handling device which carries out the beginning of an exit handling line for the packs of slabs.

Figure 7 shows an advantageous embodiment in which the arrival station 90 with the rotation platform 92 is below the vertical of the pick-up, so that the gripping means must not protrude towards the arrival line of the slabs, but translate horizontally. only to enter between the shelves, while in the withdrawn rest position they are already on the vertical of the slab to be picked up.

Figure 8 shows in greater detail an advantageous embodiment of the rotation platform 93, with a suitable roller plane 94 which receives the incoming sheet and then the wheel to arrange it at 90 ° under the pick-up which lowers and picks it up. In figure 8, only two finish lines are shown for simplicity.

Advantageously, for each arrival station the plant also comprises a device 95 (substantially of a known type per se) for the deposition of spacer strips (for example, in fabric or felt) on the surface (upper and / or lower) of the plates arriving at the arrival station. These strips, in a suitable number (for example two or three per slab and arranged spaced apart and parallel to each other), keep the slabs of a pack slightly raised from each other. For example, the risk of damage to the plates is avoided.

As can also be seen in Figure 8, the unloading and evacuation station can advantageously comprise a first motorized unloading roller conveyor 96 onto which the pick-up elements unload a pack of plates, and transport means that receive the pack of plates from the first motorized roller conveyor. . Advantageously, as can be seen in figure 8, in the case of pick-up elements made with motorized forks, the roller conveyor can have suitable spaces between the rollers so that the forks can pass through them in order to deposit the pack of plates.

Preferably, the forks are made bi-directional, i.e. they come out both on one side to pick up the pack of plates from the shelving, and on the opposite side to deposit the pack of plates on the motorized roller conveyor.

The unloading roller conveyor can also be extended along all the columns, so that the output translator can unload the pack on the roller conveyor without having to translate horizontally along the columns after having picked up and lowered the pack from the corresponding shelf. The sideshift can thus move horizontally completely unloaded and only to pass from one column to another.

Advantageously, the transport means onto which the first roller conveyor unloads can comprise another motorized roller conveyor 97 which acts as a buffer and a motorized shuttle 98 which receives the packs from the second roller conveyor and which runs along two rails 99. This is achieved at least the initial part of a parcel transport line.

Figures 9 to 14 schematically show a plan of a sequence of arrival, rotation and insertion in a shelf of a slab (figures 9-11) and subsequent collection, storage and evacuation of a pack of slabs (figures 12-14) ). Figures 15 to 22 show a similar sequence seen in side elevation.

In particular, in the sequence we see a plate 14 which arrived on the rotation platform 93 (figures 9 and 15) to be rotated by 90 ° (figure 10). The suction cup picker can thus lift the slab (figure 16) and place it on a suitable shelf of the column (figures 11, 17, 18) so as to compose a package.

A complete pack can be picked up by means of the translator 50 (figures 12, 19, 20) and deposited on the output line (figure 13, 21, 22) to be sent outside (figure 14).

At this point it is clear how the intended purposes have been achieved.

Thanks to a plant according to the invention, a reduction in the overall dimensions of the equipment necessary for the handling and storage system of the plates and packs of plates, a simplicity of the equipment and a good speed in the formation of the plates are obtained. packs of plates

Naturally, the above description of an embodiment applying the innovative principles of the present invention is given by way of example of such innovative principles and must therefore not be taken as a limitation of the patent scope claimed herein.

For example, it is possible to provide variants to the invention such as the number of managed lines which can vary from a minimum of one line up to a large number, such as 8 or 10 lines.

The advantage of saving space and automating the process becomes more and more evident the greater the number of lines managed.

It is also possible to provide two translators 50 with two unloading stations placed at the two opposite ends of the rail 52. Any unloading roller conveyor can also be duplicated and made of suitable length, as well as the another motorized roller conveyor that acts as a lung and the motorized shuttle.

The number of shelves per shelving may be less or more than shown here.

Downstream of the unloading station 80 there could be a second translator or transporter serving a warehouse capable of picking up the pack of plates from the unloading station and depositing it in the warehouse.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS 1. Plant for the formation of packs of plates, comprising at least one column (20) of superimposed shelves, on one side of the column there being at least one motorized pickup (30) with a transfer platform (34) which is movable in the direction vertical along the shelves, said transfer platform comprising gripping means (36) for a plate which are translatable between a position extracted from the shelves and a position inserted between the shelves, said gripping means (36) being suitable for picking up a plate in at least one station (90) for the sequential arrival of the plates at the side of the column and insert it in a selected shelf of the column, on the opposite side of the column there being at least one motorized translator (50) with a pick-up platform (58) which is mobile along the shelves and which has pick-up elements (60) which can be moved between a position extracted from the shelves and a position inserted between the shelves to pick up a pack of plates from a selected shelf and transfer it to at least one station (80) for sequential unloading and evacuation of packs of plates. 2. Plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping means comprise a suction cup plane (36) which is intended to adhere to the upper surface of a plate to be picked up. 3. Plant according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of columns (20) of side by side shelves, each column having its own station (90) for the sequential arrival of slabs and its own pick-up (30) and the translator (50) being horizontally movable between the columns of the plurality and the unloading and evacuation station (80). 4. Plant according to claim 3, characterized in that the translator (50) comprises vertical guide uprights (56) for the vertical sliding of the picking platform and horizontal rails (52) for its sliding between the columns and the unloading station and evacuation. 5. Plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the pick-up elements comprise lifting forks (60). 6. Plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the sequential arrival station is at the end of a sequential plate transport line (12). 7. Plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the unloading and evacuation station is at the beginning of a line (82, 97, 98) for the sequential transport of packs of slabs. 8. Plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the arrival station comprises a platform (93) for horizontal rotation of the plate. 9. Plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the unloading and evacuation station (80) comprises a first motorized roller conveyor (96) on which the pick-up elements unload a pack of plates, and transport means (97, 98) which they receive the pack of plates from the first motorized roller conveyor. 10. Plant according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a device (95) for depositing spacer strips on the surface of the slabs arriving at the arrival station. 11. Plant according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (91) for assigning a characteristic class of the sheets arriving at the arrival station and means (92) for controlling the picker for sending the sheet to a predetermined shelf based on the class assigned to the slab.