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US 12,448,253 B2Granted
System and method for handling semi-finished metal products
AssigneeArcelorMittal
InventorsAkshay Bansal, Benjamin Boissiere, Gérard Griffay, Pierre Georges
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system (1) for handling semi-finished metal products (5) including a gripper (3) suitable to grasp at least one semi-finished product (5) laid on a surface (40), a conveyor configured to lift the gripping means (3) from a low position towards a high position, and a tilter (2) configured to rotate the gripper (3) in their high position around a rotation axis (X-X′).
Claims15
A system for handling semi-finished metal products comprising:
- a gripper suitable to grasp at least one semi-finished product laid on a surface, an actuator configured to at least lift the gripper from a low position towards a high position, and tilting means configured to rotate the gripper in the high position around a rotation axis, wherein the tilting means includes at least a first tilting device including at least:
- first and second vertical beams with respective first ends connected in rotation with the gripper,
- a first connector extending from the first vertical beam to the second vertical beam and being connected in rotation with the said first and second vertical beams and being mounted on a first rotation point situated in a plane passing through the rotation axis;
- a second connector extending from the first vertical beam to the second vertical beam and being connected in rotation with the first and second vertical beams and being mounted on a second rotation point situated in the plane passing through the rotation axis, the second rotation point being distinct from the first rotation point, the first and second vertical beams and the first and second connectors forming a deformable parallelogram;
- and
- a further actuator configured to deform the parallelogram around the first and second rotation points thereby causing the gripper to tilt around the rotation axis, the first tilting device extending above the gripper.
3 more elements
A method for handling semi-finished metal products initially laid on a surface, comprising at least the steps of:
- i. grasping the semi-finished product with a gripper;
- ii. lifting the semi-finished product off the surface with an actuator able to lift the gripper from a low position towards a high position;
- iii. tilting the lifted semi-finished product around a rotation axis with tilting means configured to rotate the gripper in the high position around the rotation axis;
- iv. actuating the actuator to move the gripper grasping the semi-finished product, over a semi-finished product reception zone;
- v. actuating the actuator to lower the gripper and set the semi-finished product down in the receiving zone in a perpendicular position, followed by actuation of the gripping means to release the semi-finished product;
- vi. actuating the actuator to lift the gripper, then actuating the tilting means to rotate the gripping means towards an initial position, so that another semi-finished product laid on the surface can be grasped.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.