Handling machine for rails and handling process associated thereto

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9499874-B2
Application number	US-201013138325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2010
Priority date	Feb 3, 2009
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A handling machine for rails, arranged in line and immediately downstream of a rolling plant, which allows both to easily handle the rail for transferring it from the roller table to the thermal treatment zone, and to ensure an optimal gripping of the rail along its longitudinal extension, thus effectively contrasting its bending and variations while allowing a longitudinal movement of the rail caused by thermal shrinkage, thus avoiding damages both to the external surface of the rail and to the handlers. A rail handling process is also described, which optimizes moving, positioning along a roller table and maintaining the rail substantially rectilinear during the thermal treatment to which it is subjected.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Handling machine for a rail provided with a head and a flange, the machine comprising:
a plurality of moving means for taking and turning over the rail from a position inclined on a side thereof to a position wherein the head of the rail is turned upwards;
a plurality of handlers provided with clamping means adapted to clamp the rail at the flange, and able to move the rail from said position wherein the head of the rail is turned upwards to a position wherein the head is turned downwards, wherein said moving means are configured to transfer the rail to the plurality of handlers, and comprise
first levers adapted to be actuated by first actuating means and configured so that they move the rail from the position inclined on a side thereof, provided on a first resting plane, to the position with the head of the rail turned upwards and with a base of the flange resting on a second resting plane higher than said first resting plane.

2. Machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first levers are integrally fixed, at a respective first end, to a transmission shaft, and are provided at the respective second end with two projecting parts configured so that said second end defines a space to house a portion of rail during the movement of the first levers.

3. Machine according to claim 1 , wherein the moving means comprise second levers adapted to be actuated by second actuating means and configured in order to translate the rail along said first plane from a first position inclined on a side thereof to a second position inclined on the same side.

4. Machine according to claim 3 , wherein the second levers are rotatable around a respective oscillation pin by a predetermined angle.

5. Machine according to claim 1 , wherein said clamping means are provided with two jaws, rotatable around respective rotating pins and configured so that the rail is clamped by means of a contact between portions of internal surface of the jaws and the sides of the flange of the rail only.

6. Machine according to claim 5 , wherein the handlers comprise each an arm, integrally fixed at a first end to a transmission shaft, and wherein the jaws of said clamping means are provided at a second end of the arm.

7. Machine according to claim 6 , wherein actuating means for actuating the jaws are provided on each arm.

8. Machine according to claim 7 , wherein further moving means of the jaws comprising a system with pinions or levers are provided in cooperation with said actuating means.

Assignees

• Poloni Alfredo
• Schreiber Marco
• Danieli Off Mecc

Inventors

• Poloni Alfredo
• Schreiber Marco

Classifications

• B21B1/085

  Rail sections · CPC title

• B21B39/24

  by tongs or grippers · CPC title

• C21D2221/00

  Treating localised areas of an article · CPC title

• C21D1/63

  for bath quenching · CPC title

• C21D9/06 Primary

  with diminished tendency to become wavy · CPC title