System and method for handling semi-finished metal products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12448253-B2
Application number	US-201917764307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2019
Priority date	Oct 2, 2019
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

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′).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. 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.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the rotation axis passes through a center of gravity of the gripper.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the gripper includes at least one tong able to grasp the semi-finished product via longitudinal sides of the semi-finished product.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein the at least one tong includes a plurality of tongs connected to one another by at least one longitudinal connector.

5. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein the at least one tong includes two opposing jaws including a first jaw connected to a yet further actuator for achieving translational movement relative to an opposite second jaw of the two opposing jaws so as to clamp the semi-finished product between the first and second jaws.

6. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein the tilting means includes a second tilting device including at least:
a further first and a further second vertical beams with respective further first ends connected in rotation with the gripper;
a further first connector extending from the further first beam to the further second beam and being connected in rotation with the further first and further second beams, and being mounted on a third rotation point situated in the plane passing through the rotation axis;
a further second connector extending from the further first beam to the further second beam and being connected in rotation with the further first and further second beams, and being mounted on a fourth rotation point situated in the plane passing through the rotation axis, the fourth rotation point being distinct from the third rotation point, the further first and further second vertical beams and the further first and further second connectors forming a further deformable parallelogram; and
a second actuator configured to deform the parallelogram around the third and fourth rotation points, thereby causing the gripper to tilt around the rotation axis, the deformable parallelogram of the first tilting device extends in a plane parallel to a plane of the further deformable parallelogram of the second tilting device, the second tilting device extending above the gripper.

7. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein the gripper and the tilting means define a first handling device, and further comprising a second handling device independent of the first handling device and symmetric to the first handling device in a plane perpendicular to the surface, the second handling device including a second gripper and a second tilting means for tilting the second gripper around a second rotation axis symmetric to the rotation axis of the gripper, the at least one tong of the first handling device being positioned in a staggered configuration to at least one second tong of the second handling device, and further comprising a transverse actuator configured to move the gripper and the second gripper transversely to the rotation axis so to align the gripper and second gripper and allow the lifted semi-finished product to be transferred from the gripper to the second gripper.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the actuator includes a lift configured to lift the gripper and a translational actuator.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the actuator includes a crane and at least one hoist designed to be connected to the crane, and a trolley able to be moved translationally in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the crane, the hoist comprising at least one lifting cable for lifting the gripper.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein the vertical plane passes through the rotation axis.

11. 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.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the semi-finished product in a substantially vertical position is set down in step vi in a heat recuperation system.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the gripper and the tilting means define a first handling device, and wherein a second handling device independent of the first handling device and symmetric to the first handling device in a plane perpendicular to the surface includes a second gripper and second tilting means for tilting the second gripping means around a second rotation axis symmetric to the rotation axis of the first gripping means in the plane of symmetry, the method further comprising, after step iii, the following successive steps:
actuating the second tilting means to rotate the second gripper around the second rotation axis, so that the second gripper is able to grasp the semi-finished product grasped and suspended in a vertical position by the gripper of the first handling device;
actuating the second gripper to grasp the semi-finished product in the vertical position, followed by actuation of the gripper of the first handling device in order to release the semi-finished product;
actuating the second tilting means to rotate the second gripper around the second rotation axis so that the semi-finished product turns into a position that corresponds to the semi-finished product having been turned over with respect to the initial position; and
actuating the actuator or a second actuator to set the turned-over semi-finished produ

Assignees

• Arcelormittal

Inventors

• Bansal Akshay
• Boissiere Benjamin
• Griffay Gérard
• Georges Pierre

Classifications

• B66C13/08

  for depositing loads in desired attitudes or positions · CPC title

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title

• B66C1/447 Primary

  by hydraulic or pneumatic motors · CPC title