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US 10,196,218 B2Granted
Stacking systems for structural components
AssigneeASC Machine Tools, Inc.
InventorsRobert David Dion, David Joshua Pettis, Andrew Damon Flack
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stacking system including an inverting arm arranged above the stacking system for selectively overturning a first elongated metal member into a second elongated metal member or not overturning the first elongated metal member into the second elongated metal member.
Claims14
A system comprising:
- a conveyor for receiving a plurality of elongated metal members from a rollformer, the conveyor displacing the plurality of elongated metal members in a first direction;
- a stacking system for receiving the plurality of elongated metal members, the stacking system displacing the plurality of elongated metal members in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
- a stripper mechanism including a bar slideably received by a tube having a cam, and the bar coupled to an actuator by at least one of a rack and pinion actuator, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a screw and nut drive, a belt, a chain, or a rope;
- and
- an inverting arm suspended above the stacking system via a first end of the inverting arm, the inverting arm having a second end opposite the first end,
- wherein when the stacking system displaces a first elongated metal member of the plurality of elongated metal members in the second direction, the stacking system displaces the first elongated metal member into contact with the second end of the inverting arm, the inverting arm catching hold of the first elongated metal member being displaced by the stacking system in the second direction and overturning the first elongated metal member into a second elongated metal member of the plurality of elongated metal members arranged adjacent to the first elongated metal member, and
- wherein the first elongated metal member overturned into the second elongated metal member define a nested pair of elongated metal members, and
- wherein the stripper mechanism is configured to selectively hold the nested pair of elogated metal member at a predefined position to remove the nested pair from the stacking system.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- a stacking system having a loading zone and an unloading zone, the stacking system displacing respective ones of a plurality of elongated metal members in a direction from the loading zone to the unloading zone;
- a stripper mechanism including a bar slideably received by a tube having a cam, and the bar coupled to an actuator by at least one of a rack and pinion actuator, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a screw and nut drive, a belt, a chain, or a rope;
- and
- an inverting arm suspended above the stacking system via a first end of the inverting arm, the inverting arm having a second end opposite a first end,
- wherein when the stacking system displaces a first elongated metal member of the plurality of elongated metal members in the direction, the stacking system displaces the first elongated metal member into contact with the portion of the second end of the inverting arm, the inverting arm catching hold of the first elongated metal member being displaced by the stacking system in the direction and overturning the first elongated metal member into a second elongated metal member of the plurality of elongated metal members arranged adjacent to the first elongated metal member, and
- wherein the first elongated metal member overturned into the second elongated metal member define a nested pair of elongated metal members, and the stripper mechanism is configured to selectively hold the nested pair of elongated metal members at a predefined position to remove the nested pair from the stacking system.
3 more elements
A method of stacking a plurality of elongated metal members, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a stacking system, a first elongated metal member of the plurality of elongated metal members;
- displacing, by the stacking system, the first elongated metal member in a direction;
- catching hold of the first elongated metal member being displaced in the direction by at least a portion of a first end of an inverting arm, the inverting arm suspended above the stacking system via a second end of the inverting arm;
- receiving, by the stacking system, a second elongated metal member of the plurality of elongated metal members;
- displacing, by the stacking system, the second elongated metal member in the direction;
- positioning the second elongated metal member adjacent to the first elongated metal member as the second elongated metal member is displaced, by the stacking system, in the direction,
- wherein when the stacking system displaces the first elongated metal member in the direction, the stacking system displaces the first elongated metal member into contact with the portion of the first end of the inverting arm, and the inverting arm overturns the first elongated metal member into the second elongated metal member arranged adjacent to the first elongated metal member, the first elongated metal member overturned into the second elongated metal member define a nested pair of elongated metal members, and
- wherein the method further comprises selectively holding, via a stripper mechanism, the nested pair of elongated metal members at a predefined position to remove the nested pair from the stacking system the stripper mechanism including a bar slideably received by a tube having a cam, and the bar coupled to an actuator by at least one of a rack and pinion actuator, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a screw and nut drive, a belt, a chain, or a rope.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.