DEVICE FOR CONVEYING ELONGATE OBJECTS

Abstract

A device (1) designed as a chuck-jaw discharge system for conveying elongate objects includes two chains (3, 4) equipped with chuck jaws (5). The chains (3, 4) are driven by two drives (10). Each of the drives (10) includes an endless roller chain (11), in which toothed edges (13) that are fastened to the chains (3, 4) equipped with chuck jaws (5) engage. The roller chains (11) of the drives (10) are coupled to the straight, adjacent strands of the chains (3, 4) equipped with chuck jaws (5).

Claims

1. Device (1) for conveying elongate objects, in particular pipes or cables, with two continuous chains (3, 4) that are guided via guide gears (2), which chains are equipped with chuck jaws (5), and with a drive (10) for the chains (3, 4), wherein the drive (10) comprises continuous chains (11), each chain (3, 4) that is equipped with the chuck jaws (5) is coupled to a chain (11) as a drive, the chains (11) of the drives (10) are arranged on both sides of the chains (3, 4) that are equipped with chuck jaws (5), and toothed edges (13) are arranged on both sides of the chains (3, 4) that are equipped with the chuck jaws (5), which edges engage in the chains (11) of the drive (10).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the chains (11) of the drive (10) are coupled to strands, which are straight and oriented essentially parallel to one another, of the chains (3, 4) that are equipped with chuck jaws (5).

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the chains (11) of the drive (10) are in particular multi-barreled roller chains (11).

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the chains (11) of the drive (10) are arranged symmetrically in relation to the plane in which the chuck jaws (5) adjoin one another in the area of the straight strand of the chains (3, 4).

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the toothed edges (13), which couple the chains (11) of the drive (10) to the chains (3, 4) that are equipped with chuck jaws (5), are arranged on the lateral surfaces of the chuck jaws (5).

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the straight strands, facing one another, of the chains (3, 4) that are equipped with chuck jaws (5) are guided by guides (7), and wherein one of the guides (7) can be moved to a position crosswise to the straight strands.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein a pneumatic adjusting drive, in particular at least one expansion bellows (8), is assigned to the adjustable guide (7).

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the chains (11) of the drive (10) are designed as two-barreled or multi-barreled chains, and wherein one barrel each of the chains (11) of the drive (10) is coupled to a chain (3, 4) that is equipped with chuck jaws (5).

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein the guide gears (2) for the chains (3, 4) that are equipped with chuck jaws (5) are free-wheeling gears.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the guide gears (2) for the chains (3, 4) that are equipped with chuck jaws (5) are mounted securely to the machine frame.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the chains (11) of the drives are synchronized with one another, for example by an electric shaft.

Description

[0019] Additional details and features of the invention follow from the description below of an embodiment based on the drawings. Here:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention in an oblique view, and

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a device according to the invention in side view (without a drive).

[0022] A device 1 according to the invention for conveying elongate objects, in particular pipes or cables, comprises two continuous chains 3, 4 that are guided via guide gears 2. Each of the chains 3, 4 is equipped with a number of chuck jaws 5. The chuck jaws 5 adjoin one another with essentially zero play in the straight sections (strands) of the chains 3, 4. The chuck jaws 5 adjoin the elongate object (pipe or cable) to be conveyed and are pressed against the object, so that the friction, necessary for the conveying of the object, between chuck jaws 5 and object is provided.

[0023] The chains 3, 4 of the device 1 according to the invention, equipped with chuck jaws 5, run via the non-driven, i.e., free-wheeling, guide gears 2, which are mounted in a stationary manner in the machine frame 6.

[0024] Guides 7, which adjoin the insides of the chains 3, 4, are assigned to the straight strands, adjacent to one another (cf. FIG. 2), of the chains 3, 4 that are equipped with chuck jaws 5.

[0025] In this connection, it is preferably provided within the scope of the invention that one of the guides 7, the guide 7 in the embodiment shown, of the straight strand of the upper continuous chain 3 that is equipped with chuck jaws 5, is mounted in a stationary manner in the machine frame 6.

[0026] The guide 7 for the lower chain 4, equipped with chuck jaws 5, is loaded on the straight strand of the upper chain 3, equipped with chuck jaws 5, using expansion bellows 8 to which pressurized gas (air) can be applied. Thus, the necessary friction between the elongate object to be conveyed and the chuck jaws 5, which is necessary for the problem-free and uniform conveying of the elongate object, is achieved.

[0027] In the embodiment shown, drives 10 that are arranged on sides that are opposite to one another in relation to the chains 3, 4, i.e., on both sides of the chains 3, 4, are assigned to the chains 3, 4. Each of the drives 10 comprises a multi-barreled roller chain 11, to which a drive motor 12 is assigned. The drive motors 14 of the two drives 10 are (electrically) coupled to one another. On the lateral surfaces of the links, of the chains 3, 4 that are equipped with chuck jaws 5, toothed edges 13 are arranged, in which the roller chain 11 engages, so that the chains 3, 4 that are equipped with chuck jaws 5 are driven synchronously. The chains 11 of the drives 10 engage in the straight strands of the chains 3, 4 that are equipped with chuck jaws 5, i.e., in the area where the chuck jaws 5 adjoin one another or rest on the object to be conveyed.

[0028] The design according to the invention makes it possible for the toothed edges 13 to be arranged essentially in the middle of the chuck jaws 5, so that favorable lever ratios are produced and no breakdown torque occurs on the chuck jaws 5 because of the drives 10.

[0029] Since, as in the embodiment shown, both chains 3, 4 that are equipped with chuck jaws 5 are driven by a common drive 10 with one multi-barreled roller chain 11 each, a synchronous movement of the chains 3, 4 equipped with chuck jaws 5 is ensured.

[0030] In summary, an embodiment of the invention can be described as follows.

[0031] A device 1 that is designed as a chuck-jaw discharge system for conveying elongate objects comprises two chains 3, 4 that are equipped with chuck jaws 5. The chains 3, 4 are driven by two drives 10. Each of the drives 10 comprises a continuous roller chain 11, in which toothed edges 13 fastened to the chains 3, 4 that are equipped with chuck jaws 5 engage. The roller chains 11 of the drives 10 are coupled to the straight strands, adjoining one another, of the chains 3, 4 that are equipped with chuck jaws 5.