RELIABLE HANDLING OF SLEEVES OR METAL COILS OF SMALL EXTERNAL DIAMETER ON A COILER MANDREL

Abstract

The invention relates to a coil-transporting carriage with adjustable retaining arms and to a method for the reliable handling of metal coils of small external diameter, or of sleeves, on a coiler mandrel. The coil-transporting carriage has a vertically displaceable coil saddle for accommodating a coil or a sleeve, also has two retaining arms for stabilizing the coil or the sleeve, the retaining arms being arranged opposite one another on the coil saddle and being pivotable by means of rotary drives, and additionally has a second drive unit for moving the coil-transporting carriage. For pulling off from a coiler mandrel, the coil saddle is positioned against a coil located on the coiler mandrel and the retaining arms are pivoted onto the coil. For pushing onto a coiler mandrel, first a sleeve is placed on the coil saddle of the coil-transporting carriage and is thereby guided by the retaining arms.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A coil-transporting carriage for handling one of a coil and a sleeve on a coiler mandrel, comprising: a coil saddle vertically displaceable by a first drive unit and having a plurality of bearing rollers, each of the plurality of bearing rollers being axially rotatable about a first horizontal direction for receiving the one of the coil and the sleeve; retaining arms pivotable about the first horizontal direction by rotary drives for stabilizing the one of the coil and the sleeve, the coil being stabilized when an external diameter of the coil is not greater than a limit diameter, the retaining arms being arranged in pairs in a second horizontal direction oriented perpendicularly to the first horizontal direction and opposing one another on the coil saddle; a second drive unit for horizontally displacing the coil-transporting carriage; a control unit for actuating the first drive unit, the second drive unit, and the rotary drives; and a data interface for communication with a higher-level control unit.

15. The coil-transporting carriage as claimed in claim 14, wherein the rotary drives are geared motors.

16. The coil-transporting carriage as claimed in claim 14, wherein: the retaining arms are configured to be pivoted into a park position; the retaining arms in the parked position having a greatest extent between the retaining arms in a second horizontal direction; and the greatest extent being smaller than or equal to a greatest dimension of the coil-transporting carriage in the second horizontal direction.

17. The coil-transporting carriage as claimed in claim 14, wherein the retaining arms stabilize the one of the coil and the sleeve having an external diameter of between 500 mm and the limit diameter in a form-locking manner.

18. The coil-transporting carriage as claimed in claim 14, wherein inner faces of the retaining arms have one of a friction-reducing coating and slide rollers.

19. A method for pulling off a coil from a coiler mandrel by the coil-transporting carriage as claimed in claim 14, the coil having an external diameter smaller than a limit diameter, comprising: in a first step, displacing the coil saddle vertically by a first drive unit and adjusting against the coil located on the coiler mandrel and connected to an uncoiled strip portion so that the bearing rollers of the coil saddle come into contact with the coil on a peripheral side on a lower face of the coil; in a second step, pivoting the retaining arms onto the coil by the rotary drives; in a third step, cutting off the uncoiled strip portion from the coil by a cutting device; in a fourth step, rotating the coil by the coiler mandrel counter to an unwinding direction of the coil until the free strip end of the coil is positioned on the peripheral side within a predetermined angular range relative to a vertical through a longitudinal axis of the coil, and subsequently the coiler mandrel is collapsed; in a fifth step, moving the coil-transporting carriage by the second drive unit away from the coiler mandrel until the coil is fully pulled off from the coiler mandrel, wherein at a same time the coiler mandrel is rotated counter to the unwinding direction; and in a sixth step, transporting, by activating the second drive unit, the coil by the coil-transporting carriage to a target position.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the target position is a binding station.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein, in a step between the fifth and the sixth step, the coil saddle is lowered vertically by the first drive unit.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein: the control unit receives data via the data interface from a higher-level control unit; and the control unit actuates the first drive unit, the second drive unit, and the rotary drives based on the data to perform the method.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the data comprise at least one of a state of the coiler mandrel, dimensions of the coil on the coiler mandrel, a coil weight, and a target position.

24. A method for pushing a sleeve onto a coiler mandrel by the coil-transporting carriage as claimed in claim 14, comprising: in a first step, displacing the coil-transporting carriage by the second drive unit to a receiving position in front of a delivery station, the coil saddle being displaced by the first drive unit into a transfer height and the retaining arms being pivoted by the rotary drives into a securing position; in a second step, depositing the sleeve by a delivery device of the delivery station onto the coil saddle of the coil-transporting carriage; in a third step, pivoting the retaining arms by the rotary drives onto the sleeve, inner faces of the retaining arms coming into contact with the sleeve on a peripheral side; in a fourth step, displacing the coil-transporting carriage by the second drive unit to a position directly in front of the coiler mandrel; in a fifth step, displacing the coil saddle vertically by the first drive unit so that a longitudinal axis of the sleeve is located level with the coiler mandrel; in a sixth step, moving the coil-transporting carriage by the second drive unit toward the coiler mandrel until the sleeve is pushed fully onto the coiler mandrel; in a seventh step, expanding the coiler mandrel so that the sleeve is held in a force-locking manner by the coiler mandrel; and in an eighth step, pivoting the retaining arms away from the sleeve by the rotary drives, the coil saddle being lowered vertically by the first drive unit.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein during the second step the coil saddle is displaced by the first drive unit in the vertical direction so that the coil-transporting carriage does not collide with any part of the delivery device.

26. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein: the control unit receives data via the data interface from the higher-level control unit; and the control unit actuates the first drive unit, the second drive unit, and the rotary drives based on the data to perform the method.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the data comprise dimensions of one of the sleeve, a state of the coiler mandrel, and a receiving position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which they are achieved will become clearer and more easily comprehensible in connection with the following description of exemplary embodiments which are explained in more detail in combination with the drawings, in which:

[0050] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first exemplary embodiment of a coil-transporting carriage according to the invention when viewed in a first horizontal direction X.sub.1 when transferring a coil or residual coil,

[0051] FIG. 2A shows a detail of FIG. 2 with the residual coil,

[0052] FIG. 3 shows the exemplary embodiment of the coil-transporting carriage of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a second horizontal direction X.sub.2,

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a coil-transporting carriage according to the invention when viewed in the first horizontal direction X.sub.1 in a delivery position A for transferring a sleeve,

[0054] FIG. 5 shows the coil-transporting carriage according to the invention of FIG. 4 when viewed in the second horizontal direction X.sub.2,

[0055] FIG. 6 shows a delivery station for a sleeve,

[0056] FIG. 7 shows a sequence of a method according to the invention for pulling off a coil from a coiler mandrel, and

[0057] FIG. 8 shows a sequence of a method according to the invention for pushing a sleeve onto a coiler mandrel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] Parts which correspond to one another are provided in the figures with the same reference numerals.

[0059] FIG. 1 (FIG. 1) and FIG. 2 (FIG. 2) show a coil-transporting carriage 1 according to the invention in the direction of a first horizontal direction X.sub.1 when transferring a coil 20 from a coiler mandrel 22. The longitudinal axis M of the coil 20 coincides with the longitudinal axis M of the coiler mandrel 22 and is oriented in the first horizontal direction X.sub.1. The coil-transporting carriage 1 has a coil saddle 5 which can be displaced by means of a first drive unit 3 in the vertical direction. The first drive unit 3 can be designed, for example, as a hydraulic cylinder. Four bearing rollers 7, which are axially rotatable about the first horizontal direction X.sub.1, are arranged in pairs on the upper face of the coil saddle 5 in each case in the first horizontal direction X.sub.1, respectively two bearing rollers thereof being visible in FIGS. 1, 2 and 2A. The coil-transporting carriage 1 also has a chassis 4 and a second drive unit 13 arranged thereon, the coil-transporting carriage 1 being able to be displaced thereby in the first horizontal direction X.sub.1 on rails 8.

[0060] The coil-transporting carriage 1 also has four retaining arms 11 for stabilizing a residual coil 20 or a sleeve 21, respectively two arms thereof being visible in FIG. 1, 2 or 2A. The retaining arms 11 are arranged in pairs in a second horizontal direction X.sub.2 opposing one another on the coil saddle 5, wherein the second horizontal direction X.sub.2 is oriented perpendicularly to the first horizontal direction X.sub.1. The retaining arms are designed to be pivotable about the first horizontal direction X.sub.1 by means of rotary drives 9 (shown in FIG. 3).

[0061] In FIG. 1 a residual coil 20 is shown, the external diameter thereof being smaller than a limit diameter do and which is still connected via a strip portion 20 to an already unwound portion of the metal strip 2. The unwinding direction U when unwinding the metal strip 2 from the residual coil 20 runs clockwise, wherein the strip portion 20 which does not bear against the residual coil 20 is held by a pair of drive rollers 23. When viewed in the unwinding direction U a cutting device 24 is arranged downstream of the pair of drive rollers 23, the metal strip 2 being able to be cut off thereby from the residual coil 20 remaining on the coiler mandrel 22.

[0062] FIG. 1 also shows the coil saddle 5 in a lower vertical position and also schematicallyadditionally to the residual coil 20 for the purpose of illustrating the size ratiosa coil 20 shown in dashed dotted lines, the external diameter thereof being greater than a limit diameter do shown in dashed lines, and the free strip end 20 thereof being positioned in a 7 o'clock position in the vicinity of the bearing rollers 7 of the coil saddle 5. Since such a coil 20 does not have to be stabilized due to its dead weight, the retaining arms 11 of the coil-transporting carriage 1 in FIG. 1 are pivoted into a park position P.

[0063] In FIG. 2 the coil saddle 5 of the coil-transporting carriage 1 is shown both in the lower vertical position thereof as in FIG. 1 and schematically in a raised vertical position, in which the retaining arms 11 are adjusted onto a residual coil 20 on the coiler mandrel 22, so that the retaining arms 11 with their respective inner faces 11 come into contact with the residual coil 20 on the peripheral side. Once again, the free strip end 20 of the residual coil 20 is also positioned in FIG. 2 in a 7 o'clock position in the vicinity of the bearing rollers 7 of the coil saddle 5. It can also be seen in FIG. 2 that in the second horizontal direction X.sub.2 the greatest extent d max between the retaining arms 11, which are located in the park position P, is smaller than the greatest dimension d.sub.btw of the coil-transporting carriage 1 which extends in the view of FIGS. 1 and 2 along the chassis 4.

[0064] FIG. 2A (FIG. 2A) shows a detailed enlargement of FIG. 2, a residual coil 20 being positioned on the bearing rollers 7 of the coil saddle 5 (not shown in FIG. 2A) and the retaining arms 11 being adjusted against the residual coil 20. The free strip end 20 of the residual coil 20 is positioned below the longitudinal axis M of the residual coil 20 and in the vicinity of the left-hand bearing roller 7 within a predetermined angular range ?.sub.max relative to the vertical, through the longitudinal axis M of the residual coil 20, so that the dead weight thereof advantageously counteracts the springing-open of the residual coil 20. A friction-reducing coating 14 is applied to the inner face 11 of the left-hand retaining arm 11, and slide rollers 15 are attached to the inner face of the right-hand retaining arm 11.

[0065] FIG. 3 (FIG. 3) shows the exemplary embodiment of the coil-transporting carriage 1 according to the invention in the unloaded state in a second horizontal direction X.sub.2, wherein in FIG. 3 two of the four bearing rollers 7 or two of the four retaining arms 11 can be seen. The retaining arms 11 are arranged in the first horizontal direction X.sub.1 between the bearing rollers 7 on the coil saddle 5. In a modification of the exemplary embodiment, the coil-transporting carriage 1 can also have more than four bearing rollers 7, for example six or eight bearing rollers 7, or a different number of retaining arms 11, for example two or six retaining arms 11. Each two of the retaining arms 11 are driven by a rotary drive 9 and can be pivoted thereby about the first horizontal direction X.sub.1. The chassis 4 of the coil-transporting carriage 1 is mounted via wheels 12 on the rails 8.

[0066] A data interface 17 which is connected to a control unit 16 of the coil-transporting carriage 1 enables the control unit 16 to exchange data with a higher-level control unit 19. According to a first exemplary embodiment of the coil-transporting carriage according to the invention, the communication path to the higher-level control unit 19 is designed as a wireless radio link, for example in the form of a WLAN connection or a data laser connection. Alternatively, however, a wired transmission path between the data interface 17 and the higher-level control unit 19 is also possible, for example in the form of a trailing cable or as a signal modulated to a power supply of the coil-transporting carriage 1.

[0067] In FIG. 4 (FIG. 4) the coil-transporting carriage 1 according to the invention is shown in a receiving position A in front of a delivery station 30 during the transfer of a sleeve 21. The delivery station 30 comprises a multistage base 31, a roller conveyor 36 for onward transportation of a sleeve 21 and a movable pivoting device 32 for delivering a sleeve 21 to the coil-transporting carriage 1. Via a fixed longitudinal member 38, which is supported on a first step of the base 31, a sleeve 21 can be transferred from the roller conveyor 26 to the pivoting device 32. The pivoting device 32 comprises two support arms 34 with upwardly bent runners connected via a crossmember 35. The support arms 34 can be lowered with the sleeve 21 located thereon by means of a pivoting drive 37 which, as shown for example in FIG. 4, can be designed as a rotatably mounted hydraulic cylinder and at its upper end is connected to the crossmember 35.

[0068] For illustrating the process of delivering the sleeve 21 to the coil-transporting carriage 1, in FIG. 4 the pivoting device 32 is shown in three pivoting positions, wherein the sleeve 21 in the uppermost pivoting position is positioned at an initial height h.sub.1 on the support arms 34 of the pivoting device 32.

[0069] Equally the coil saddle 5 of the coil-transporting carriage 1 is shown in a lower vertical position in which the retaining arms 11 are in the park position P, and in a vertical position located thereabove at the transfer height h.sub.0 at which the delivery takes place by a displacement of the weight of the sleeve 21 from the pivoting device 32 to the coil saddle 5. During the delivery, the retaining arms 11 are pivoted into a securing position S in order to secure the sleeve 21 against falling out to the side in the direction of the second horizontal direction X.sub.2, when the pivoting device 32 is lowered. The initial height h.sub.1 and the transfer height h.sub.0 refer in each case to the first step of the base 31. If required, the lowering of the pivoting device 32 and the coil saddle 5 can take place in a coordinated manner with the delivery of the sleeve 21, so that a collision is avoided between the parts of the pivoting device 32 and the parts of the coil-transporting carriage 1.

[0070] FIG. 5 (FIG. 5) coincides in essential parts with FIG. 3, wherein additionally the receiving position A of the coil-transporting carriage 1 is shown in front of the delivery station 30 and a sleeve 21 and the support arms 34 are shown schematically in the uppermost pivoted position of the pivoting device 32.

[0071] FIG. 6 (FIG. 6) shows in a plan view in a vertical direction the delivery station 30 with the roller conveyor 36, the pivoting device 32 with the support arms 34, the crossmember 35 and the pivoting drive 37 and a sleeve 21 which is secured by the runners of the pivoting arms 34 against rolling down in the second horizontal direction X.sub.2. The receiving position A for the coil-transporting carriage 1 which is located in the first horizontal direction X.sub.1 centrally between the support arms 34 is also shown.

[0072] In FIG. 7 (FIG. 7) a method according to the invention for pulling off a coil 20 from a coiler mandrel 22 by means of a coil-transporting carriage 1 according to the invention is shown schematically in the form of a sequence consisting of the above-described steps S1 to S6. Via the interface 17 and via a wireless connecting path to a higher-level control unit 19, the key data of a coil transportation to be carried out are initially transmitted therefrom to the control unit 16 of the coil-transporting carriage 1. The key data comprise at least the state m of the coiler mandrel 22, the dimensions of the coil 20 (external diameter, dimension along its longitudinal axis M, etc.), the coil weight g and a target position Z to which the coil 20 is to be transported by the coil-transporting carriage 1. The control unit 16 is designed to carry out the sequence automatically, by the corresponding facilities of the coil-transporting carriageas described above the first and second drive unit 3 and 13 for displacing the coil saddle 5 or the coil-transporting carriage 1 and the rotary drives 9 for setting the retaining arms 11being activated by the control unit 16 in the steps S1, S2, S5, S5 and S6. These activations are shown in FIG. 7 in each case by dashed arrows from the corresponding steps to the aforementioned facilities.

[0073] In the third and fourth step S3 or S4, the cutting step carried out by a cutting device 24 or the rotation of the coil 20 by the coiler mandrel 22 counter to the unwinding direction U and the subsequent collapse of the coiler mandrel 22, which in FIG. 7 is symbolized by dashed arrows from the respective facilities to the relevant steps, is reported to the control unit 16. This reporting can be carried out, for example, by corresponding confirmation signals, in turn via the external control unit 19 and the interface 17. In other words: the control unit 16 waits for confirmation of the implementation of the aforementioned processes by the external facilities before it carries out the further steps of the sequence.

[0074] Similar to FIG. 7 (FIG. 7), in FIG. 8 (FIG. 8) a sequence of a method according to the invention for pushing a sleeve 21 onto a coiler mandrel 22 is shown schematically in the form of a sequence consisting of the above-described steps S11 to S18. Once again, via the interface 17 and via a wireless connection path to a higher-level control unit 19, the key data of a sleeve transportation to be carried out are initially transmitted therefrom to the control unit 16 of the coil-transporting carriage 1. The key data comprise at least the dimensions of the sleeve 21 (external diameter, dimension along its longitudinal axis M, etc.), the state m of the coiler mandrel 22 and a receiving position A of a delivery station 30 from which the sleeve 21 is to be transferred from the coil-transporting carriage 1. Once again, the control unit 16 is designed to carry out the sequence automatically, by the corresponding facilities of the coil-transporting carriageas described above the first and second drive unit 3 and 13 and the rotary drives 9being activated by the control unit 16 in the steps S11 to S16 and S19 (in FIG. 8 once again symbolized by dashed arrows to the aforementioned facilities).

[0075] In the second step S12, it is reported to the control unit 16 that the sleeve 21 has been deposited by means of the delivery device 32, which again can take place for example by transmitting a corresponding confirmation signal via the external control unit 19 and the interface 17. While the sleeve 21 is being deposited, further signals (for example current position signals of the delivery device 32) for the above-described synchronization of the movement of the coil saddle 5 and the delivery device 32 can be reported to the control unit 16. In the seventh step S17, it is reported to the control unit 16 that the coiler mandrel 22 has been spread apart, which means that from this point in time the sleeve 21 is held in a force-locking manner by the coiler mandrel 22, whereupon the control unit 16 proceeds to the final step S18.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0076] 1 Coil-transporting carriage [0077] 2 Metal strip [0078] 3 First drive unit [0079] 4 Chassis [0080] 5 Coil saddle [0081] 7 Bearing roller [0082] 8 Rails [0083] 9 Rotary drive [0084] 11 Retaining arm [0085] 11 Inner face [0086] 12 Wheel [0087] 13 Second drive unit [0088] 14 Coating [0089] 15 Slide roller [0090] 16 Control unit [0091] 17 Interface [0092] 19 Higher-level control unit [0093] 20 Coil, residual coil [0094] 20 Strip portion [0095] 20 Free strip end [0096] 21 Sleeve [0097] 22 Coiler mandrel [0098] 23 Drive rollers [0099] 24 Cutting device [0100] 30 Delivery station [0101] 31 Base [0102] 32 Delivery device, pivoting device [0103] 34 Support arm [0104] 35 Crossmember [0105] 36 Roller conveyor [0106] 37 Pivoting drive [0107] 38 Longitudinal member [0108] ?.sub.max Angular range [0109] a Dimension of coil, sleeve [0110] d.sub.max Maximum extent [0111] d.sub.0 Limit diameter [0112] d.sub.btw Dimension of coil-transporting carriage [0113] g Coil weight [0114] h.sub.0 Transfer height [0115] h.sub.1 Initial height [0116] m State of coiler mandrel [0117] M Longitudinal axis [0118] P Park position [0119] S Securing position [0120] A Receiving position [0121] S1 . . . S18 Method step [0122] U Unwinding direction [0123] X.sub.1, X.sub.2 Horizontal direction [0124] Z Target position