Abstract
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for receiving cylindrical bodies. In the method according to the invention, the receiving utilizes tight, self-restoring pressure elements, in which by adjusting the inflow and/or outflow of compressed air, the motion speed of the cylindrical body is decelerated. The apparatus according to the invention includes a pressure element within the elastic and tight material of which is installed self-restoring porous material. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the method and the apparatus for receiving a cylindrical body.
Claims
1. A method comprising: receiving cylindrical bodies by utilising elastic pressure elements, wherein the elastic pressure elements each comprise a self-restoring porous material, and in which by adjusting inflow and/or outflow of compressed air, a motion speed of the cylindrical body is decelerated, and restoring the elastic pressure elements to receiving readiness due to the self-restoring porous material.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein adjusting a power of receiving by changing the size and/or number of air discharge flues of the elastic pressure elements.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein adjusting the amount of air flow by the size of the flue/flues, chokers and/or check valves.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein adjusting the flow intensity of air flow by electromagnetic valves.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein utilising in the receiving several smaller pressure elements.
6. An apparatus configured to receive a cylindrical body, wherein the apparatus includes a pressure element and an adjusting mechanism, wherein the pressure element comprises a self-restoring porous material, and wherein the adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust inflow and/or outflow of compressed air.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6, in which to the pressure element comprises a pneumatic connector configured to control air flow.
8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pressure elements are installed in two rows such that no empty gaps remain when the cylindrical body is received.
9. An apparatus according to claim 6, in which the apparatus includes chokers installed in flues to control the amount of outflowing air.
10. An apparatus according to claim 6, in which the apparatus includes electromagnetic valves to control the amount of outflowing air.
Description
(1) Next, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached illustrations of principle on the method according to the invention and the construction of the apparatus.
(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 show how to operate in the method according to prior art.
(3) FIG. 3 shows how the construction according to the invention operates.
(4) FIG. 4 shows a construction according to the invention.
(5) FIGS. 5 and 6 show how the construction according to FIG. 4 operates.
(6) FIGS. 7 and 8 show the use alternatives of the construction according to FIG. 4.
(7) FIG. 9 shows the construction of an apparatus according to the invention.
(8) FIGS. 10 and 11 show the uses of the apparatus according to the invention.
(9) FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of the operation of the apparatus according to the invention.
(10) FIG. 1 shows a typical receiving apparatus which utilises a pneumatic cylinder 2 and an arm 4 fastened to it when receiving. As the cylindrical body 1 arrives to the receiver, the pneumatic cylinder 2 starts its motion from the effect of a sensor 3. When meeting, the receiver arm 4 and the cylindrical body 1 have almost the same motion speed. After this, the pneumatic cylinder 2 returns the apparatus and the cylindrical body has been received to a substation 5. Such an apparatus is known and its use requires a lot of energy.
(11) In FIG. 2, a cylindrical body 1 arrives downwards and goes over a substation 5 and hits a steel stopper 6 which includes a pneumatically-operated cylinder 2 as pressurised. In this case, the pneumatically-operated cylinder does not assist in receiving but operates as a pneumatic spring. Such an apparatus is known and, irrespective of using the pneumatic cylinder 2 or not, a reel starts to roll at an extremely high kinetic energy back in the incoming direction.
(12) FIG. 3 shows an arrangement according to the invention. A cylindrical body 1 (a reel) arrives downwards and goes over a substation 5 and hits an apparatus according to the invention in which a pressure element 7 decelerates the motion speed of the reel when compressing. Air discharges controlledly from discharge flues 8 of the pressure element, and the apparatus does not incur thrust as the cylindrical body departs back to the substation 5 from a considerably less sloping stopper 9. This apparatus improves the stopping of the cylindrical body substantially compared with the known apparatus/method shown in FIG. 2 and saves energy significantly compared with the known apparatus/method shown in FIG. 1.
(13) FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show by usual graphic symbols and conceptual drawings of the field the operation of an apparatus according to the invention. The apparatus includes a pressure element 7 manufactured of elastic material within which is located porous material 10. The pressure element includes air discharge flues 8 the size of which can be adjusted by electromagnetic valves 13 or by check valves 15.
(14) The elastic pressure element 7 and the porous self-restoring material 10 make the pressure element swell for receiving. Swelling speed can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of air flowing within by a choke 11. As the cylindrical body 1 hits the pressure element 7 in a way shown in FIG. 5, the pressure within the pressure element 7 increases. The pressure increase provides the deceleration of the reel. The pressure increase can be adjusted by the number of the discharge flues 8 in the pressure element and by means of the size of the flue. Using electromagnetic valves 13 enables adjusting discharge flow as the weight and the speed of the cylindrical body varies by opening or closing the flues. When the pressure element 7 has compressed totally 14 in a way shown by FIG. 6, choked outflown air has increased pressure in the pressure element and performed damping.
(15) To decelerate the restoring of the pressure element, it is possible to provide the discharge flues 8 with check valves 15. The apparatus restores to receiving readiness by the force of the self-restoring material. This speed is adjusted by adjusting the amount of inflowing air by chokers 11. The choker 11 also provides that the self-restoring material 10 does not push the cylindrical body 1 and thus accelerate its speed.
(16) FIGS. 7 and 8 show two different implementations of the invention. In FIG. 7, there is one pressure element 7 which is filled with self-restoring material 10. This receives a very wide cylindrical body 16, but the power of receiving weakens at the point of a narrow cylindrical body 1. This is due to the fact that there is room in the pressure element where the air escapes and from which it can deliver energy back to the reel.
(17) FIG. 8 shows several smaller pressure elements 7 which are filled with self-restoring material 10. The pressure elements are installed side by side and in two rows. Such an apparatus will receive both the wide 16 and the narrow 1 cylindrical body well. This is due to the fact that air discharges totally from the pressure elements in the receiving situation and no remaining energy occurs. By setting the pressure elements in this way, no empty gaps remain in the receiving and the receiving of the cylindrical body is improved.
(18) FIG. 9 shows a practical embodiment of a pressure element. Elastic and tight surface material 17 of the pressure element is sealed at ends 18 and thus made air-tight. Within the elastic pressure element is installed self-restoring porous material 10, such as e.g. foam plastic. For pneumatic connections, the pressure element is provided with one tight connection or several tight connections using pneumatic connectors 20 and retaining nuts 19. Even though FIG. 9 shows the construction of the pressure element in a very simple way, it is evident that the sealing or pneumatic connections can be implemented also in other known ways.
(19) FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of the invention. Self-restoring pressure elements 7 are installed one after the other on a slightly sloping plane 9. As a cylindrical body 1 arrives, it starts to compress the pressure elements 7 which provide increase in pressure and deceleration of the cylindrical body.
(20) FIG. 11 shows another common embodiment of the invention. A self-restoring pressure element 7 is installed in a wall 21. As a cylindrical body 1 hits the wall, the pressure element performs damping.
(21) FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of the operation of the apparatus according to the invention. The operation corresponds to that shown in FIG. 3. In this figure, the apparatus is shown with a self-restoring pressure element 7 which includes porous material 10, a valve 13 and a choker 11 of inflowing air.
(22) The method and the apparatus according to the invention can be applied for various different purposes. An interesting utilisation area is the papermaking industry where a lot of paper reel transfers are performed. In these application targets, the construction according to the invention enables gentler reel handling without consuming energy.
(23) It is evident that the invention is not limited to the above applications and utilisation environment, but it has various uses in many fields. The invention can be applied in many ways within the scope of the inventive basic idea and the attached claims.
