Means for counting,bundling and weighing of elongated elements

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

While this invention is capable of use in the bundling ¹and weighing of all types of elongated elements that may be coming from a production source, it has been put to particular use in the steel industry (although of course not limited thereto) for bundling the product produced by a merchant mill. Such products may be bars, rods, angles and the like which must be collected and bundled immediately following the rolling operation. The product as it leaves the mill on a roller conveyor is immediately cut to suitable length. The herein disclosed mechanism is _₁₍₎designed to accumulate these cut lengths of material and bundle and weight them preparatory to storage or shipping to the customer. Other types of machines have heretofore been developed for accomplishing this result and two such may be found in the U.S. patents to Hill— ,_r3,135,076 and 3,299,609.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is capable of receiving, counting, bundling and weighing a succession of elongated elements 50 which for convenience will hereinafter be referred to as bars. The term bars, however, will be understood to include all types of products made by merchant or other mills in which the product is conventionally cut to required lengths as it leaves the rolling process. 55

The mechanism first receives a succession of bars which move into side by side relation. The ends of the bars are aligned by engagement with stops and then through specially designed chain conveyors are lifted from the delivery rolls and transferred laterally to a second chain con- 60 veyor with which is associated a counting mechanism and means under control of the counting mechanism for stopping the movement of the second conveyor. The bars leave the ends of the chains of the second conveyor either one at a time or in small groups more or less parallel 65 to each other to fall into a series of aligned collecting pockets present in the peripheries of a plurality of spaced wheels carried on a common shaft. The counting mechanism counts the number of bars falling into the pockets and when the proper number have fallen in, stops the 70 second conveyor. The wheels, turned by the common shaft, advance one step so that the first group of col2 lected bars is presented to a position where the bars may be strapped into a bundle.

While this strapping is being done, a new pocket will have been presented to the delivery end of the second chain conveyor which is then automatically put back into operation along with the counting means so that a second group of bars may be accumulated in the newly presented pockets. As soon as the proper number of bars have been accumulated, as determined by the counting mechanism, the wheel advances another step. The first group of strapped bars in the first pocket are now so positioned that they move by gravity out of the first pocket to be lowered to a third conveyor. The third conveyor advances the first strapped bundle and those that follow to a final collecting, strapping and weighing bin. In this way, a final large strapped bundle consisting of a predetermined number of individual bundles may be prepared. At the same time, this final large bundle may be accurately weighed prior to removal to a shipping or storage position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the entire unit.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the entire unit with certain portions broken away for greater clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Any suitable base or support may be used to mount the hereinafter described mechanism. As shown schematically in FIG. 1, this may consist of vertical members carrying longitudinally and transversely extending beams all of which is so familiar to those skilled in this field that further detailed description may be omitted.

Referring to the drawings, the bars 2 arrive on rollers 4. The bars may arrive singly or in groups and their leading ends 6 are aligned by engagement with any selected one of the vertically raisable stops 8, 10 or 12. In this disclosure, the stop 12 has been selected and raised. This is the stop that will be used preferably in handling 16 and 31 foot lengths. Stop 10 will be used with 35 foot lengths and stop 8 with 16 foot lengths (alternatively with stop 12), 40 foot or 71 foot lengths. These figures are given to show the general flexibility of the system but are in no way limiting since it will be understood that the overall length of the mechanism may be increased or decreased at will to accommodate any lengths of bars. Likewise, the position of the stops may be changed as may be found convenient.

With the bars 2 resting on rolls 4 and aligned against stop 12, the transfer chains 14, driven by motor 16, bevel and reduction gears 18, shaft 20, sprockets 22 on shaft 20 and idler sprockets 24 on shaft 26, are simultaneously raised enough to lift the bars 2 off rolls 4 and to start the bars moving laterally in the direction of the arrows shown in both FIGS. 1 and 2.

The chains 14 are raised by the following described mechanism. Under each chain 14 is a chain lifter 28 in the form of an elongated plate. It can be seen in elevation in FIG. 1 and in plan in FIG. 2 where the fourth chain 14 in from the left has been broken away. The chain lifters have thereunder at the left as shown in FIG. 1, cams 30 with under sloping surfaces 32 resting on rollers 34 and at the right, bell crank 35, pivoted at 38, the upper arm 36 being movably connected to chain lifter 28, and the lower arm 40 positioned to be moved upward by operation of hydraulic cylinder 42.

This mechanism functions as follows. When arm 36 is rotated to the right by cylinder 42, the chain lifter 28 is moved to the right and simultaneously raised by both arm 36 and cam 32 a distance sufficient to bring the

3,497,084 chains 14 into engagement with lower sides of bars 2 and raise the bars above the rolls 4. As soon as the moving chains 14 are raised, the bars 2 commence to advance laterally from their initial positions at A to a position indicated at B.

At position B, the bars 2 will gradually descend upon a second set of conveying chains which will be referred to as the counting chains 44. These chains, between chains 14, are driven by motor 46, reduction gears 48, and drive shaft 50 on which are sprockets 52. The chains are supported at their other ends by idler sprockets 54 on shaft 56. The upper bar carrying part of each chain 44 is held level by a fixed chain support 58.

Thus the bars 2 are delivered by transfer chains 14 to counting chains 44 which normally will be in operation to advance the bars 2 to position C.

Immediately adjacent the delivery end of each chain 44 is a bundle forming wheel 60. As shown in elevation in FIG. 1, these wheels are carried by a common shaft 62 permitting the wheels to be simultaneously rotated in step by step fashion by the motor 64 and reduction gears 66.

The periphery of wheels 60 may have formed therein a plurality of different sized pockets 68, 70 and 72, for example, and spaced equally apart. The purpose of the different sizes is to facilitate reception in the pockets of different sizes and numbers of bars.

Guides 74 are located at the discharge ends of counting chains 44 to direct the bars 2 into the adjacent wheel pockets which in this case are pockets 68.

Between the chains 44 are automatically operating counting devices 76 which are capable of counting accurately the number of bars which leave chains 44 to fall into pockets 68. These counters 76 are known mechanisms and do not need to be described in detail. The counters may be set to stop the motor 46 as soon as a predetermined number of bars 2 have fallen into pocket 68.

One counter 76 which has proven satisfactory for use in this construction is a General Electric Company reflected light scanner. This counter is shown to be located at the discharge end of the counting chains. Every bar passing this point produces a pulse which in turn operates an electronic pulse counter, having two preset counts. The scanner will operate even though the bars are adjacent and contacting each other. Tests have shown that it is capable of counting as many as 12 bars (% diameter rounds) per second.

Assume the bundles are to weigh one ton each and are to consist of Vi rounds, 16 feet long. 209 pieces of this sized bar weigh one ton. The first preset count on the counter is used to slowdown the counting chains 44. and would be set to effect the slowdown after say 185 pieces had been deposited in pocket 68. The second preset count on the counter which stops the counting chains 44 would be set at 209. If the Vi rounds were being sheared at the bar shear in batches of say approximately 80 bars, then the counting chain would operate at high speed on the first two batches totalling 160 bars. Toward the end of the third batch, the counting chains 44 would slow down when the count reached 185 and then run at creep speed until 209 bars had been deposited in pocket 68 at which time the counters 76 function to stop the chains 44 by deactivation of motor 46.

As soon as the last bar has fallen into pocket.68., motor 64 is activated to advance wheel 60 90° bringing the pocket 68 and bars therein to a position adjacent an operator O who will immediately attend to banding the group of bars 2 so that they are brought into the form of a generally cylindrical bundle 78.

The next pocket 68, 90° behind the first, has in the meantime arrived in position at the discharge end of chains 44 which causes reactivation of motor 46 and chains 44 so that a next group of bars 2 fall into the next pocket 68. The bars are counted by counter 76 and the chains 44 are stopped when the correct number of bars have fallen into the pocket.

Motor 64 is again started to turn wheels 60 another 90°. The first bundle 78 falls from first pocket 68 onto a series of spaced aligned bundle lowering arms 80, fastened to shaft 82 and actuated by hydraulic cylinders 84. The cylinders 84 forthwith function to draw pistons 85 upwardly so that all of the arms 80 spaced along shaft 82 that support bundle 78 are simultaneously swung counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1 to lower bundle 78 on bundle transfer chains 86. Chains 86 are driven by motor 90 reduction gears 92, chain 94 and shaft 96 carrying sprockets 98. Idler sprockets 100 on shaft 101 support the other end of chains 86. These chains are timed to move in step by step relation to the movement of wheels 60. Thus, as soon as wheels 60 advance another 90°, chains 86 will advance to move bundle 78 to a one step forward position 78' where it will be out of the way of the next descending bundle 78. With first bundle 78 at position 78', and clear of arms 80, the arms 80 are then actuated by cylinders 84 in a clockwise direction to be ready to receive the next bundle 78 falling from the next pocket 68. To insure correct advance of bundles 78 on chains 86, aligned dogs 88 may be provided.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that a predetermined number of bars may be successively collected, banded automatically or manually by an operator if preferred and then deposited as a succession of bundles 78 on bundle transfer chains 86.

When the first bundle 78 reaches the end of transfer chains 86, it rolls off to be received in a weighing bin 102. However, since the weighing bin is of considerable depth, being designed to receive a number of bundles 78, it is preferable that the descent of the bundle be eased which is accomplished by using a bin pocket chain 104. This bin pocket chain when unloaded, extends across the mouth of the large pocket 106 of the weighing bin 102. One end of each bin pocket chain is attached to a shock absorbing spring 108. The chain passes over pulleys 110 and 112 and thence to a sprocket 114 driven by motor 115.

As the number of bundles 78 on chains 104 increases, the chains are gradually and simultaneously paid out so that the bundles are lowered gently into the pocket 106 until the latter is filled. The total number of bundles 78 in bin 102 are then weighed by an associated weighing mechanism 116 of known construction. Finally, the group of bundles 78 are banded automatically or manually into a master bundle and removed by suitable carrying mechanism to storage or shipping position.

The weighing bin unit in which the master bundle will be assembled has in one case been sized for five one-ton bundles and in another case sized for two two-ton bundles.

The capacity of the pockets 68 will in the latter case be adequate to receive two tons of bars from counting chains 44.

The circuitry for causing the step by step advance of wheel 60 and the corresponding movements of chains 14, chain lifters 28 and chains 44 and 86 is conventional and need not be disclosed herein as it is well within the scope of those skilled in this art. When the bars 2 are initially banded by an operator to produce bundle 78, it might be considered preferable to leave the initiation of the next 90° rotation of wheel 60 under the operator’s control, instead of on a fixed time cycle.

When the stop 12 is used as herein illustrated, there is no need to operate the left hand part of the machine. Since there are motors 46, 64, 92 and 115 at both ends of the mechanism, clutches 118, 120 and 122 may be opened and the left end motors 46, 64, 92 and 115 deactivated.

In the event that any of the foregoing mechanisms should temporarily fail to operate properly which would

3,497,084 lead to an accumulation of bars 2 to an extent necessitating shutdown of the mill, provision is made for reversing the direction of motor 16 so that chains 14 will move in the opposite direction, that is to the right as viewed in FIG. 1, thereby to collect all of the bars 2 immediately adjacent the open side of the delivery table below sprocket 24.

It is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.