NL1036962C2 - DEVICE FOR PREPARING USED STREET VONES FOR REUSE. - Google Patents

Description

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Device for preparing used street vowels for reuse.

The invention relates to a device for the reuse of paving stones, wherein the cleaning, sorting, positioning and preparation of the paving stones for the paving package takes place successively with the aid of a robot arm with a gripper, which holds the stones for lays the pavement package in the desired and pre-set pattern or relationship.

Nowadays, paving streets with paving stones must be carried out mechanically according to the Occupational Health and Safety legislation 10. Paving machines have been developed for this that process entire paving packages. These starter packs are supplied by the manufacturers of new paving stones. Such machines are also known for reusing used stones. However, these work with vulnerable and wear-resistant parts. The device, known from the Dutch patent specification NL1033605, makes use of guide rods for positioning the bricks, which bars are subject to wear by the bricks. For measuring the stones, eyes are used that are extremely vulnerable.

The present device overcomes these problems and preferably comprises a raking wall for vertical transport and a first selection, a first measuring unit and a second measuring unit for checking and sorting, a rotating platform and a slide valve for positioning. The rake wall also preferably consists of a number of parallel, switched rake plates, which alternately perform a linear or a rotating movement, whereby the paving stones are transported upwards, while the rake plates are designed with a number of rakes. The lower two rakes of the linear rake plate are preferably provided with wide bearings, while the remaining rakes of the linear rake plate and the rakes of the rotary rake plate are provided with narrow bearings. The rakes of the rake plates are also preferably provided with small strips, the linear and rotating rake plates of the rake wall performing a first selection of the paving stones.

It is also preferred that the first measuring unit presses, scans, weighs and, in the case of rejection, presses the paving stone, while the second measuring unit scans the paving stone and determines the position of 1036962 -2- the paving stone. Preferably, the turntable, together with the slide-on valve, tilts the stone and pushes it through with the discharge valve onto the intermediate transport, wherein the intermediate transport preferably accommodates twelve bricks with gaps and the intermediate transport slides eight bricks to the transport buffer.

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The device for the reuse of paving stones according to the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following drawings:

Figure 1 shows schematically the principle of the device;

Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the entire device; Figure 3A-B shows two plates of the rakes wall, in side view and in front view;

Figure 4 shows a composite raking wall;

Figure 5 A-G shows the seven phases of the raking wall;

Figure 6 shows a side view of the rakes wall with the discharge belt;

Figure 7 shows the funnel with the brushes; Figure 8 shows the first measuring unit;

Figure 9 shows the turntable;

Figure 10 shows the slide and exit valve;

11A-B shows the intermediate transport;

Figure 12 shows the transport buffer.

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The present device 1 for the recycling of paving stones is of such a compact construction that it can be transported over the public road in the transport position. This makes the device 1 usable at any desired location.

In order to achieve the greatest possible efficiency of the device 1, it is, after preferably the 4-meter wide hopper 2, designed twice with two machines IA and 1B acting independently of each other, as schematically shown in Figure 1. When putting together the paving package, the two processing lines come together again, whereby the robot arm 19 with gripper can build up two pallets with paving packages.

Figure 2 shows how the device 1 is constructed and that the bottom of the cistern 2 is placed in an inclined position, whereby the stones are forced against the raking walls 3.

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For paving with already used paving stones, only whole, undamaged stones are required. The bishop's hats and the half stones are also not used when putting together the pavement packages. In order to remove the unwanted stones from the processing process, the stones are lifted from the cistern 2 by two independently operating rake walls 3 and removed.

Each rake wall 3 consists of a series of rake plates which perform alternately a linear back and forth - backwards and forwards - movement 3A or a linear up and down and back and forth movement 3B, somewhat comparable to a rotation, and also 10 in different cycles. Rake plates 3A and 3B are also referred to as "bulldozer" rake plates and "rotor" rake plates respectively. The stones are pulled out of the cistern 2 by these movements. Figures 2A-B show the two different rake plates in side and front views. Since the plates are placed at a small distance from each other and perform different movements, the stones are automatically checked and the unwanted stones are selected therefrom and discharged by the conveyor belt 4 which runs past the raking wall 3.

The conveyor belt 4 is located approximately 9 cm in front of the raking wall 3. A few rubber flaps are attached to the conveyor belt 4 which ensure that bricks are raised but that bricks cannot be lowered. The rubber flaps are located approx. 3 cm below the 5th rake of the rake plates 3A. This is the height at which the half stones, the broken stones and the bishop's hats are knocked out of the rake wall 3. In this way all the stones emitted are collected by the discharge belt 4.

A rake wall 3 preferably comprises 16 reciprocating "bulldozer" rake plates 3A and 17 "rotating" rake plates 3B. This is shown in Figure 4.

The rake plates 3A move horizontally back and forth in the X direction.

The rake plates 3B move both horizontally in the X direction and vertically in the Y direction. As a result of the movement combination of the "bulldozer" rake plates 3A and the "rotor" rake plates 3B, the paving stones (the whole but also the slightly damaged ones) are transported up in horizontal, horizontal position. The cooperation and the different cycles of the two rake plates is described with reference to the following list, with reference to figure 5A-G: -4- A. Rake plates 3A represent, rake plates 3B represent and low.

B. Rake plates 3A move to the rear, rake plates 3B are in front and rise approx. 2 cm and stop.

C. Rake plates 3A are behind, rake plates 3B are in front and move to the highest position.

5 D. Rake plates 3A go forward, rake plates 3B are in front and go down approx. 2 cm and stop.

E. Rake plates 3A are in front, rake plates 3B move back and down.

F. Rake plates 3A are in front, rake plates 3B are behind and low.

G. Rake plates 3A are in front, rake plates 3B are in front and are low.

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After the stones have been worked up, they are gradually moved backwards. Due to the rotating movement of the "rotor" rake plates 3B, the stones are transferred one place backwards with each cycle. The last transfer is from the rakes wall 3 to the feed-through device 5.

Above the rake plates 3A there are arranged horizontal box profiles with a division, between which the rotating rake plates 3B perform their rotating movement. Because the rake plates 3B move underneath the box sections in the forward movement during each cycle and above it during the backward movement, the bricks in each cycle of the rake wall 3 are transferred one step further to the box sections.

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The lower two rakes of the rake plates 3A are provided with a wide support 24 to prepare the paving stones for transport. The remaining rakes of the rake plates 3B have a narrow bearing 25 to allow the paving stones, which are still upright, to fall over. In this way the paving stones always come to lie on the rakes in the longitudinal direction. Due to the uncontrolled fall movement of the paving stones, it is not yet completely straight in the raking wall 3.

When the rake plates 3A move backwards, the paving stones (due to the present height difference) are pulled backwards into the rake plates 3B, and vice versa, the rake plates 3B pull the stones into the rake plates 3A.

The difference in height between the lower four rakes of the "bulldozef" rake plates 3A and the "rotof" rake plates 3B is 45 mm. From the 5th rake up to and including the top one, this difference in height is -δ- ΙΟ mm. Due to the small center distance between the "bulldozer" rake plates 3A and the "rotor" rake plates 3B, the damaged paving stones (up to and including the% stones) position themselves diagonally between the rake plates. At the bottom of the rakes wall 3, the broken paving stones will be transported upwards due to the large difference in height. But as soon as the 5 paving stones reach the 5th rake and the height difference is small, they are pushed out of the rake wall 3, so that as few damaged paving stones as possible are included in the further process.

Because the rake plates are 15 mm wide, there is a good chance that the broken stones will continue to balance on this width. To prevent this, small strips 26 are attached to the rakes of the "bulldozer" rake plates 3A and to the rakes of the "rotor" rake plates 3B. First on the right-hand side and then again on the left-hand side, in order to keep varying the placement of the stones. This forces the broken stones to lie diagonally between the rake plates.

In addition to sorting out the broken paving stones, the bishop's hats are also knocked out of the 15 rakes wall 3. The 5th rake of the "bulldozer" rake plates 3A has a narrower bearing than the remaining rakes of both the "bulldozer" rake plates 3A and the "rotor" rake plates 3B. Because the bishop's hats are larger and the center of gravity of the hat comes to lie outside the raking wall 3, the hats fall out of the raking wall 3 and are discharged by a conveyor belt 4. This is shown in Figure 6.

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After the stones are pressed against each other, they are transported by the feed device 5 in the direction of the funnel 7. The feed-through device 5 ensures that the stones are fed into the hopper 7 one by one. When the first measuring unit 8 is ready to receive a brick, the lead-through device 5 enters the funnel 7 one brick. The 25 stones are moved by means of a chain with drivers. During the sliding, the stones slide over and along the hardened guide strips, which are placed on the left, right and under the stone to ensure that the stone cannot deviate from the track.

Within the lead-through device 5 and the funnel 7 there are a few brushes 6, which ensure that the top, the two sides and the bottom of the brick are brushed clean. The lead-through device 5 is provided with a brush that brushes the top of the brick. The underside of the brick is brushed by the brush placed between the bushing device 5 and the funnel 7. The sides of the stone are brushed because brushes are also placed on the left and right halfway through the funnel 7.

The feed-through device 5 guides the stones into the funnel 7 and ensures that the stones are guided from the horizontal position to the vertical position. The funnel 7 is made up of plates placed next to each other. The stones are guided over these plates from a horizontal position to a vertical position. The strips are located both below and above the stone. In this way no stones can fall out of the system. This is shown in Figure 7.

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Via the funnel 7 the stone now falls on the valve 9 in the first measuring unit 8, where the stone is weighed and scanned. Based on this data, the stone is inspected and it is determined how the stone is positioned. In the measuring unit 8, the brick is located in a square tube to prevent the brick from turning. The valve 9 on which the stone falls 15 serves as a seal, so that the stone cannot fall any further.

The stone is pressed into the corner by two cylinders 21. Immediately thereafter, a touch roller 22 is pressed on the corner of the stone, as Figure 8 shows, whereby the stone is clamped. After these actions, valve 9, on which the brick stands, opens and the brick hangs in the measuring unit 8, which is supported by three weight sensors 23, which determine the weight of the brick. If the stone is too light (broken stone), it is considered to be rejected and removed.

The position of the stone is determined on the basis of the two cylinders 21 pressing the stone in the corner and the feeler roller 22. The two cylinders 21 are provided with two signal generators. This determines whether the stone is high or low. The feeler roller 22 is pressed against the corner of the brick by means of a pivot point and cylinder. A long arm is attached to the other side of the pivot. As a result, the displacement of the feeler roller 22 becomes 5 times greater at the end of the arm. A signal generator, which is located at the end of the arm, determines the deflection of the sensor roller. The displacement of the feeler roller 22 determines whether the stone has a bevelled edge or an acute angle.

When the second measuring unit 10 is ready to receive a new brick and all measurements have been taken by the first measuring unit 8, the cylinder of the angle measurement pulls the sensor roller 22 from the brick and the two cylinders 21 are sent back again.

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This causes the stone to fall at the next station. After the stone has fallen out of the measuring unit 8, the valve 9 closes and the measuring unit 8 is ready for processing the next stone.

The second measuring unit 10 is a station that is only switched on with square bricks. 5 With square bricks the high / low measurement can no longer be carried out, so that it is not possible to determine how the brick is positioned in one unit of measurement.

The two measurement units 8 and 10 are mirrored with respect to each other. As a result, the angle measurement of the brick takes place at the other corner of the brick. Because measuring unit 8 has already determined the weight of the brick, measuring unit 10 is not equipped with weight sensors.

After measuring unit 8, the stone falls on valve 11 in measuring unit 10. Within measuring unit 10, it is determined by means of the angle measurement how the square brick is positioned.

When the stone is in the measuring unit 10, it is pressed into the corner by two cylinders 21. Immediately thereafter, a touch roller 22 is pressed on the corner of the stone. After these actions, valve 11, on which the brick stands, opens and the brick hangs in the measuring unit 10.

The angle measurement is carried out exactly in the same way as within measurement unit 8. The angle measurement of both measurement units 8 and 10 determine how the stone is positioned. When the turntable 12 is ready to receive a new brick and the measurement has been made, the cylinder of the angle measurement pulls the sensor roller 22 from the brick and the two cylinders 21 are sent back again. As a result, the stone falls into the next station, valve 11 is closed and the measuring unit 10 is ready for processing the next stone.

From the measuring unit 10 the stone falls onto the slide valve 13 in the turntable 12, which rotates the stone in position, so that all stones are positioned the same in the further course of the machine. The brick is positioned on the basis of the measured values within the measuring unit 8 (or 25 measuring units 8 and 10). As is shown in Figure 9, the turntable 12 is also provided with a square tube into which the stone falls and the stone stands on the slide valve 13. To ensure that the stone cannot rotate within the square tube, the tube is provided with two resiliently designed walls 27 which hold the stone in position when the turntable 12 rotates.

When the turntable 12 has performed its action and the intermediate transport 16 is ready to receive a new brick, the cylinder 28 pulls the slide valve 13 backwards and the brick falls vertically on the output valve 14. This is shown in Figure 10.

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On both sides of the slide-on valve 13 there is a cheek 29 which ensures that the stone cannot fall to the side. When the slide valve 13 now moves forward, the back plate 30, together with the back plate 31, causes the stone to tilt and to be slid onto the intermediate transport 16. The slide valve 13 tilts the brick backwards so that the brick (in horizontal position) comes to lie on the intermediate transport 16.

If the stone has been rejected by the measuring unit 8 (by weight), the slide valve 13 and the output valve 14 open, as a result of which the stone falls onto the conveyor belt 15 from the turntable 12 from the system.

The intermediate transport 16, as Figs. 11A-B shows, creates a space between the bricks and serves as a lateral transport and offers space for twelve bricks. The space is important for the gripper on the robot arm 19. After placing 11 stones, 8 stones are now moved from the intermediate transport 16 to the transport buffer 17, so that there is room again for receiving new stones, as shown in figure 11B.

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The transport buffer 17 ensures that the intermediate transport 16 is emptied, that the robot arm 19 is fed with new rows of bricks. The transport buffer 17 also serves as a buffer to realize a minimum standstill for sorting and positioning. The transport buffer 17 consists of a plate with separating strips and the transport system which slides through the rows of bricks 20. All this is shown in Figure 12.

The transport buffer 17 offers space for five rows of stones (5 compartments). Each row contains eight stones. A number of signal generators has been placed at the buffer location, each signal generator giving a message when a row of bricks is signaled within a compartment. Finally, a row of eight stones reaches the alpak position 18. This is the place where the row of eight stones 25 are accurately positioned and ready for the gripper of the robot arm 19. The last section of the buffer plate is the take-off position. Separate guide strips are provided within this compartment to ensure that the required space between the bricks is reached. The last signal generator reports to the robot arm 19 that the stones are ready to be taken away. When the row of stones is taken from the alpak position 18, the transport buffer 17 30 shifts through a new row of stones.

The robot arm 19, in combination with the gripper, places the stones in the previously desired and adjusted pattern. The gripper of the robot arm 19 is equipped with eight slippers, which pick up the stones by means of vacuum. The slippers are controlled individually. In this way the stones can be put away individually. The gripper is designed in such a way that the stones can be placed in a number of patterns on a pallet which lies on the pallet location. The pallet location 20 consists of two separate frames, while a pallet is placed on each frame.

It has already been stated earlier that the entire device 1 is designed with two processing lines operating independently of each other, the stones of which are ultimately laid on the pallets by the same robot arm 19. Because the robot has a considerable speed, it can serve two packing positions 18 and two pallet locations 20 and thereby build up two paving packages.

When the amount of paving stones to be processed is small, it is obvious that the device 1 consists of one processing machine.

1036962

Claims (12)

Device for preparing used paving stones for reuse, consisting of an input dump, where the used stones are collapsed loosely, followed by a transport, a cleaning, a checking, a sorting, a positioning and a stacking unit , where the bricks are laid in a desired position, characterized in that the device (1) for vertical transport and a first selection comprises a raking wall (3), for checking and sorting a first measuring unit (8) and a second measuring unit (10) comprises, for positioning, a turntable (12) and a slide valve (13). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rake wall (3) consists of a number of parallel, switched rake plates (3A; 3B), which alternately perform a linear or rotary movement, whereby the paving stones are transported upwards. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rake plates (3A; 3B) are designed with a number of rakes (32). Device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the lower two rakes (32) of the linear rake plate (3A) are provided with wide supports (24), while the remaining rakes of the linear rake plate (3A) and the rakes (32) of the rotary rake plate (3B) are provided with narrow bearings (25). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rakes 20 (32) of the rake plates (3A; 3B) are provided with small strips (26). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the linear and rotating rake plates (3A; 3B) of the rake wall (3) perform a first selection of the paving stones. 7. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the first measuring unit (8) presses, scans, weighs and removes the paving stone. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second measuring unit (10) scans the paving stone and determines the position of the paving stone. 9. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the turntable (12) together with the slide valve (13) tilt the stone and push it through with the discharge valve (14) on the intermediate transport (16). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intermediate transport (16) accommodates twelve stones with spaces. 1036962 - π - Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intermediate transport (16) shifts eight stones to the transport buffer (17). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) is equipped with two independently operating identical machines (1A; 1B). 1036962