Steel-frame cutting method and device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12145222-B2
Application number	US-201917056222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2019
Priority date	May 31, 2018
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A method and an apparatus efficiently and reliably cut a steel frame. The cutting method includes locating a cutting torch apart from the steel frame held by a holding device in a direction along a cutting surface, moving the cutting torch from a cutting start position to a first cutting end position in a first feed direction perpendicular to a supply direction along the cutting surface, while applying a flame from a fire port of the cutting torch in the supply direction and supplying cutting oxygen to thereby cut a part of the cutting surface, stopping the cutting torch at the first cutting end position and thereafter cutting an uncut part by moving the cutting torch from the first cutting end position in a second feed direction opposite to the first feed direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cutting apparatus for cutting a steel frame along a cutting surface perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the steel frame, the cutting apparatus comprising:
a first gripping member and a second gripping member that grip the steel frame in a gripping direction along the cutting surface;
a gripping drive unit that moves the first gripping member and the second gripping member in the gripping direction to make the first gripping member and the second gripping member grip and release the steel frame;
a cutting torch having a fire port and being capable of supplying a flame and oxygen for oxidation of the steel frame to the steel frame from the fire port;
a torch feed unit capable of holding the cutting torch at a position apart from the steel frame in a direction along the cutting surface and in a specific posture where the fire port of the cutting torch is directed to the steel frame and moving the cutting torch in a first feed direction which is a direction along the cutting surface and perpendicular to a supply direction in which the flame and the oxygen are supplied from the fire port and in a second feed direction opposite to the first feed direction while maintaining the specific posture;
a gripping position detector that detects respective positions of the first gripping member and the second gripping member;
a position setting section that sets a cutting start position to a position of a first end of the cutting surface or to a position on an outer side of the first end with respect to the gripping direction based on the position of the first gripping member and sets a first cutting end position to a position of a second end of the cutting surface opposite to the cutting start position across the cutting surface or to a position on an outer side of the second end with respect to the gripping direction based on the position of the second gripping member; and
a cutting control section that controls respective operations of the cutting torch and the torch feed unit so as to move the cutting torch in the first feed direction from the cutting start position to the first cutting end position, while making a flame be applied from the fire port of the cutting torch in the supply direction along the cutting surface and making oxygen for oxidation of the steel frame be supplied, and so as to stop the cutting torch at the first cutting end position and thereafter move the cutting torch from the first cutting end position in the second feed direction opposite to the first feed direction.

2. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting control section has a first control mode and a second control mode as cutting control modes, configured to perform, in the first control mode, an operation of controlling an operation of the torch feed unit so as to end a movement of the cutting torch and an operation of the cutting torch at a time when moving the cutting torch from the cutting start position to the first cutting end position, and configured to perform, in the second control mode, an operation of controlling the operation of the torch feed unit so as to move the cutting torch from the cutting start position to the first cutting end position and further move the cutting torch from the first cutting end position in the second feed direction opposite to the first feed direction, the cutting apparatus further comprising a mode switching unit that switches the cutting control mode of the cutting control section.

3. The cutting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the mode switching unit has an information input unit to which an input of information on the cutting surface is applied, and a mode determination section that determines the cutting control mode of the cutting control section based on the input of information on the cutting surface applied to the information input unit.

4. The cutting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the mode switching unit has a selection input unit to which an input of a selection command for selection of the cutting control mode is applied, and a mode determination section that determines the cutting control mode of the cutting control section to a cutting control mode selected by the selection command.

5. The cutting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the mode switching unit includes: a cutting condition detector for detecting a cutting condition of the cutting surface produced by the movement of the cutting torch from the cutting start position to the first cutting end position; and a mode determination section that determines the cutting control mode of the cutting control section based on the cutting condition detected by the cutting condition detector.

6. The cutting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein: the mode switching section includes an end command operation section to which a cutting end command operation for making the cutting operation be ended at a stage when the cutting torch arrives at the first cutting end position, and an operation judgment section that judges whether or not the cutting end command operation has been applied to the end command operation section within a judgment period after the arrival of the cutting torch at the first cutting end position; and the cutting control section is configured to operate the torch feed unit to make the cutting operation be ended when the operation judgment section judges that the cutting end command operation has been applied to the end command operation section within the judgment period and configured to operate the torch feed unit to start moving the cutting torch from the first cutting end position in the second feed direction when the operation judgment section judges that the cutting end command operation has not been applied to the end command operation section within the judgment period.

7. The cutting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein: the mode switching unit includes a continuation command operation unit to which a cutting continuation command operation for continuing the cutting operation even after the cutting torch arrives at the first cutting end position is applied, and an operation judgment section that judges whether or not the cutting continuation command operation has been applied to the continuation command operation unit within a judgment period after the arrival of the cutting torch at the first cutting end position; and the cutting control section is configured to operate the torch feed unit to make the cutting operation be ended at the first cutting end position when the operation judgment section judges that the cutting continuation command operation has not been applied within the judgment period and configured to operate the torch feed unit to make the movement of the cutting torch from the first cutting end position to the second feed direction be started when the operation judgment section judges that the cutting continuation command operation has been applied within the judgment period.

8. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the position setting section sets a second cutting end position for ending the cutting by the movement of the cutting torch in the second feed direction, in addition to the cutting start position and the first cutting end position.

9. The cutting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the position setting section sets a second cutting end position for ending the cutting by the movement of the cutting torch in the second feed direction, in addition to the cutting start position and the first cutting end position, and determines the second cutting end position based on the input of the information on the cutting surface applied to the information input unit.

10. The cutting apparatus according to claim 5 ,

Assignees

• Kobelco Constr Mach Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamasaki Takanori
• Yamashita Koichi
• Hosaka Yoshinobu
• Fujita Tsuguhito

Classifications

• B23K37/0435

  Clamps · CPC title

• B23K7/10 Primary

  Auxiliary devices, e.g. for guiding or supporting the torch · CPC title

• B23K2103/04

  Steel {or steel} alloys · CPC title

• B23K2101/24

  Frameworks · CPC title

• B23K37/0294

  Transport carriages or vehicles · CPC title