US3776398A

US3776398A - Brick regrouping apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3776398A
Application number: US00276031A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Stuart; F Paschal
Original assignee: Forrest Paschal Machinery Co
Current assignee: Forrest Paschal Machinery Co
Priority date: 1972-07-28
Filing date: 1972-07-28
Publication date: 1973-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-04
Also published as: AU5859373A; DE2338306A1; AU469265B2; GB1416635A; ZA735143B

Abstract

Bricks arranged in a plurality of stacks on kiln cars in doublelayer courses having a prescribed number of bricks in each row and column are first transferred to an intermediate table by means of a first, side gripper pickup head. The side gripper pickup head includes several pair of gripper members which grip the bricks at the ends of the rows thereof and compact the rows in preparation for the first head to lift and transfer the bricks to the intermediate table. A second, end gripper pickup head includes several pairs of gripper segments, movable with respect to each other, to grip the bricks at the ends of the columns, lift and adjust the row-wise spacing therein to arrange the bricks into courses having a different number of bricks in the rows thereof than the courses on the kiln cars. The second pickup head then transfers the bricks held therein to an off-bearing conveyor leading to a stacking and strapping station.

Description

United States Patent Stuart et al.

BRICK REGROUPING APPARATUS Inventors: Gerald L. Stuart; Forrest A.

Paschal, both of Siler City, NC.

[73] Assignee: Forrest Paschal Machinery Corporation, Siler City, NC.

22 Filed: July 28, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 276,031

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-George F. Abraham AttorneyCharles R. Rhodes [57] ABSTRACT Bricks arranged in a plurality of stacks on kiln cars in double-layer courses having a prescribed number of bricks in each row and column are first transferred to an intermediate table by means of a first, side gripper pickup head. The side gripper pickup head includes several pair of gripper members which grip the bricks at the ends of the rows thereof and compact the rows in preparation for the first head to lift and transfer the bricks to the intermediate table. A second, end gripper pickup head includes several pairs of gripper segments, movable with respect to each other, to grip the bricks at the ends of the columns, lift and adjust the row-wise spacing therein to arrange the bricks into courses having a different number of bricks in the rows thereof than the courses on the kiln cars. The second pickup head then transfers the bricks held therein to an off-bearing conveyor leading to a stacking and strapping station.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures IIII PAIENIEU E w 3,776,398

1 SHEET 2 BF 3 HIM FIG. 2

BRICK REGROUPINGAPPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In accordance with conventional practices, bricks are arranged for firing on kiln cars in a plurality of stacks, two or three stacks across the width of the kiln car and two-four stacks along the length thereof. The number- The courses on the kiln car do not generally corre spond to thecourses inthe final strapped package as far as the number of bricks in'each row is concerned. Therefore, the courses cannot be removed from the kiln car and stacked atop each-other to form the package because of the differencein' the number of bricks in each row. It is also true that the number of bricks in each column on the kiln car is not the same as the number of bricks in each column of the finished package, however this is immaterial as the stacker receives bricks continuously fed in lengthwise of the columns and forms the bricks into one long continuous package, which is subsequently cut off to desired lengths in a well known manner.

Regrouping of the bricks from the kiln car into courses having rows of proper number for the final package does present, a problem, however, which has been solved previously by completely breaking down the courses from the kiln car into single rows on an off 2 conveyor havingthe correct number .of bricks in each row for the final packaging operation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for transferring bricks from a kiln car to a stacking and strapping station more economically and without completely breaking down the courses from the kiln car.

It is another object of the present invention to probearing conveyor, moving the bricks in single file along the conveyor and regrouping by some mechanism at the end of the conveyor into rows of the proper length, said rows being reformed into courses and stacked in the final package. It is quite obvious that this procedure requires extra operations, is thus slower and inoreexpensive. I

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION In accordance with the'pre sentinvention, there is provided an apparatus whichincludes the combination of a first side gripperhead and a second end gripper head. The first, side gripper head includes a plurality of gripper members which pick up the uppermost course from each of several stacks onthe kiln car simultaneously, and'transfer them to an .intermediate table thereof have a prescribed number of bricks therein.-

The off-bearing conveyor'then carries thebricks'to a stacking and strapping station already formed in courses rather than rows. The bricks are thereby regrouped from courses on the kiln car having a'prescribed number of bricks in each row to courses on the off-bearing from a kiln car to a conveyor leading to a stacking and strapping machine and simultaneously regrouping the courses of one row length on the kiln car into courses of proper row length for the final package.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method .and apparatus of the type described wherein the uppermost courses on several stacks of the kiln car are transferred to an intermediate tablewith therows in each course compacted, then transferred to an off-bearing conveyor with simultaneous regrouping into courses having rows of proper length for stacking and-strapping into the final package.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, along with an inspection 'of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus'according to the present invention with the side gripper mechanism (shown in phantom'lines) positioned above one end of the kiln car and the end gripper mechanism (phantom lines) positioned above the intermediate table;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.'1; and

FIG. 3 is aperspective view of the end-gripper appa ratus alone.

Turning now to the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, it is conventional practice in the brick making industry to position brickson kiln cars K for firing in the kiln. As described hereinabove, the bricks are conventionally stacked in the kiln cars in a plurality of stacks S, .the number of stacks S depending on the size of the kiln car K. Each stack S includes a plurality of double-layer courses stacked one atop each other with the headers of successive courses'facingin a direction perpendicular to the headers of the courses above and below in order to achieve more even distribution of the heat over each brick. Each course or each layer thereof I comprise a plurality of rows R of bricks spaced sidewise from each other and also arranged in columns C with the bricks thereof generally abutting in end to end relationship.

Kiln cars K are initially moved to a receiving position beneath one end of a frame 10 which in turn comprises upstanding comer columns l2, 14 supporting an upper horizontal frame 16 extending from a point overlying kiln car K to a point at the other end above an offbearing conveyor 38. An intermediate table 28 is sup ported in any well known manner intermediate the ends of frame 16 for reasons to. be hereinafter discussed.

A carriage 18 having wheels 20 is movably mounted on opposite side members of frame 16. A motor 22 connected to one axle 19 of carriage l8 selectively drives carriage 18 back and forth in a horizontal path between a first position where one end of the carriage overlies the receiving position and a second position where the same end of the carriage overlies intermediate 'table 28..

U. S. Letters Patent No. 3,669,283, issued June 13,

1972 and assigned to the assignee of the present application, except that said patent shows a pickup head for lifting courses from only one stack at a time. The present application utilizes a pickup head in which a plurality of gripper pairs lift bricks from one, two, three or any'number of stacks simultaneously. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, eight courses are lifted from kiln car K and transferred simultaneously. The uppermost double-layer course is removed from each stack simultaneously as the first pickup head 24 grips-the bricks along opposite sides of each course (against the ends of rows R) and transfers the courses removed following planar reorientation of alternate ones and longitudinal compacting of the rows R in each, and places the courses on the intermediate table 28.

The loaded kiln cars K supporting the stacks are moved along conventional tracks (not shown) to the position beneath one end of frame 10, where the car is halted while a first group of stacks beneath the first pickup head 24 are removed therefrom. Kiln car K is then indexed forwardly for a portion of its length, passing beneath the receiving station whereby the next series of stacks of bricks may be unloaded. After unloading of all stacks on the kiln car, the empty car is moved further forward in the direction of the previously emp' tied car, and passes eventually from beneath the receiving station.

As substantially taught by the previously identified patent No. 3,669,283, the first pickup head 24 comprises a first gripping means or gripper frame 25 mounted for multi-directional movement above kiln car K at the unloading station by means of carriage 18 as previously mentioned. Hydraulic cylinder 26 depends from carriage 18, the piston of which is attached to head 24, which in turn includes a preselected number of pivotally movable frames 25 each of which supports a gripper pair. Each gripper pair grips the uppermost double-layer course from one of the stacks when activated. Frames 25 are so connected to the pickup head 24 as to permit horizontal pivotal movement of the frames through an arc of at least 90."In unloading a.kiln car K, the first pickup head 24 is lowered onto the uppermost course of each of the stacks to be unloaded, and grippers (not shown) grip the upper course of each stack along opposite ends of the rows, compacting the rows thereof in the direction of their length. The first pickup head 24 is then raised, carriage 18 moved to its second position overlying intermediate table 28, and the. grippers caused to release the compacted courses onto the table. While transporting alternate courses between the kiln car and the intermediate table, frames 25 pivot 90 in a horizontal plane so that each course deposited upon the conveyor has its rows R extending in the same direction, notwithstanding the alternating header-stretcher orientation of the courses within the stacks initially upon the kiln car. After unloading the uppermost course from the stacks and depositing them on table 28, first pickup head 24 returns to the unloading position and similarly successively unloads the next course.

Intermediate table 28 is simply some type of flat stationary surface supported by frame 10 or from the floor onto which the bricks are temporarily placed and may, if desired, include a plurality of upstanding guides or walls 29 arranged on the table between the courses placed thereon to prevent toppling of the bricks as they are positioned by the first pickup head 24.

The second pickup head 30 includes a second gripping means 32, to be discussed more fully hereinafter, also supported from carriage 18 at the other end therefor for reciprocal movement in a vertical direction similar to that of first pickup head 24 by means of a hydraulic cylinder 34 or other similar means. As first pickup head 24 is moved from its first position to its second position, the second pickup head 30 is moved from its first position above intermediate table 28 to its second or discharge position overlying offbearing conveyor 32. Therefore, as the first pickup head 24 is moving one course of bricks to the intermediate table 28, the second pickup head 30 is moving the preceding course of bricks from the intermediate table 28 to the discharge position above offbearing conveyor 38.

Turning now to FIG. 3 for a more detailed illustration of second pickup head 30, a plate 5 0 is attached to the piston of hydraulic cylinder 34 and thus moves up and down in response thereto. A pair of

side frame members

52, 54 are attached to opposite edges of plate 50 and extend transversely thereto along the length of and above either side of intermediate table 28. Cross braces 56 extend between and connect side frame members 54 and support three activating means in the form of

air cylinders

58, 60, 62 thereon.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 in the embodiment herein described, the bricks are placed on table 28 in two ranks of courses, there being four courses in each rank. Each course in turn includes three rows of brick with eight bricks in each row compacted into side-by-side relationship by the first pickup head. It is then desired to regroup this arrangement of brick into courses having three rows with eleven bricks in each row, and in such an arrangement as illustrated on conveyor 38 in FIG. 1, there will be formed two ranks of courses with three courses in each rank, the outer courses in each rank having rows of brick with eleven in each row while the middle courses include rows of bricks with ten in each row. The thought is that the operator can add the extra brick in each row of the middle courses as he is conducting his other operations from spare brick gathered, for example, from the bricks removed from certain courses to form the tyne layers somewhere along conveyor 38 (not shown).

In order to regroup the brick from the arrangement shown on table 28 to the arrangement shown on eonveyor 38 in FIG. 1, the second pickup head 30 includes means for sliding selected columns of bricks in said courses one way or the other longitudinally of the

frame members

52, 54. In this regard a series of frames 64a-64f are suspended from side frame members by means of T-hangers 66, and certain of said frames 64!), 64c, and 6442 include

upstanding brackets

68, 70, 72 in turn attached to the free end of the pistons of

cylinders

62, 60, 58 respectively. End gripper members 32 are formed as gripper sements 32a-32e as illustrated in FIG. 3, and operatively attached to frames 64a-f according to any of several well known manners. There are basically three types of gripper segments, one being the-type shown by. segments 32a, 32f, which grip the ends of rows having eight bricks,-a second type 32b, 32e, grip only three brick rows, while the third type 32c, 32d grip five brick rows. Some of the segments,

i.e., 32b, 32c and 32e are slidable relative to the other gripper members in response to movement of one of

air cylinders

58, 60, 62 which activate frames 64b, 64c and In FIG. 3, the segmented grippers 32a-32f are positioned for picking up on intermediate table 28 as is evident that the grippers are set to-pick up four pairs of double-layer courses (see FIG. 1). After pickup head 30 is lifted,

air cylinders

58, 60 and 62 are activated to engagement with-each other which then forms a third pair of double-layer courses, however in these courses, there are only ten bricks in each row, to which another brick will be added as described hereinbefore. The brick are then positioned so as to be set down at the discharge positionwith one rank of double-layer courses in trays 40 on offbearingconveyor 38 and the other rank of courses deposited on side table 42. As the offbearing conveyor carries the first rank of courses away from the area, the pusher 44 moves the second rank onto succeeding trays 40 on the conveyor 38. The courses as a result of the regrouping are the proper row size for stacking and strapping without the necessity of breaking the courses down into single rows, as has been necessary hereinbefore.

Although the specification describes one illustrative embodiment in which bricks are regrouped from courses of eight in a row to eleven in a row, it is obvious that other combinations of regroupings may be formed by utilizing the apparatus illustrated hereinabove.

Further, although a preferred embodiment has been described and illustrated, it is obvious that certain modranged in courses of one prescribed size and forming courses .of a second prescribed size in preparation for a stacking and strapping operation, wherein the bricks are initially positioned on the kiln car in a plurality of stacks, each stack including a plurality of double-layer courses and each course made up of a plurality of rows and columns, the bricks in each row having spaces therebetween, said apparatus comprising the combination of:

a. a receiving station, an intermediate table and a discharge station; b. a first pickup head mounted for reciprocal, horizontal movement between a first position at said receiving stationand a second position at said intermediate table; said first pickup head including a first gripping means associated therewith for trans-. ferring the uppermost course from each of a prcscribed number of stacks to said intermediate table; I a second pickup head mounted for reciprocal movement between a first position at said intermediate. station and a second position at said discharge station, said second pickup head including a second gripping means associated therewith for lifting said courses deposited on said intermediate table and regrouping said courses into said second prescribed size. 7 I v2. The apparatus according to claiml further. including a horizontal frame overlying said receiving station, said intermediate table and said discharge station; a carriage mounted for reciprocal movement along said frame, said first and second pickup heads mounted on said carriage.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first gripping means includes a plurality of gripper pairs,'each of said gripper pairs at said first position being engageable with opposite ends of the rows in one of said courses to.close said spaces prior to the transfer thereof.

4. The apparatus according to claim'3 wherein succ'essive courses on said kiln car have the headers facing perpendicular to the headers of the preceding course and further including means associated with said first gripping means for rotating alternate courses in a horizontal plane whereby all courses are placed on said intermediate table with the headers facing in the same direction.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said second gripping r'neans in its first position is positioned adjacent and selectively engageable with the ends of the columns of said courses.

second pickup head includes a pair of side frame members and said second gripping means comprises a plurality of segmented gripper pairs slidably mounted on.

said side frame members for relative movement with respect to each other in a row-wise direction, and an activating means for selectively moving'at least some of said segmented gripper pairs in a row-wise directionwith respect to others.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said activating means includes a plurality of air cylinders, the cylinder portion of said air cylinders being stationarily connected to said second pickup head and the piston of each air cylinder being connected to one of said gripper pairs, other of said gripper pairs not connected with any of said air cylinders, whereby the distance between gripper pairs may be selectively varied in response to said air cylinders.

Claims

1. Apparatus for removing brick from a kiln car arranged in courses of one prescribed size and forming courses of a second prescribed size in preparation for a stacking and strapping operation, wherein the bricks are initially positioned on the kiln car in a plurality of stacks, each stack including a plurality of double-layer courses and each course made up of a plurality of rows and columns, the bricks in each row having spaces therebetween, said apparatus comprising the combination of: a. a receiving station, an intermediate table and a discharge station; b. a first pickup head mounted for reciprocal, horizontal movement between a first position at said receiving station and a second position at said intermediate table, said first pickup head including a first gripping means associated therewith for transferring the uppermost course from each of a prescribed number of stacks to said intermediate table; c. a second pickup head mounted for reciprocal movement between a first position at said intermediate station and a second position at said discharge station, said second pickup head including a second gripping means associated therewith for lifting said courses deposited on said intermediate table and regrouping said courses into said second prescribed size.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a horizontal frame overlying said receiving station, said intermediate table and said discharge station; a carriage mounted for reciprocal movement along said frame, said first and second pickup heads mounted on said carriage.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first gripping means includes a plurality of gripper pairs, each of said gripper pairs at said first position being engageable with opposite ends of the rows in one of said courses to close said spaces prior to the transfer thereof.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein successive courses on said kiln car have the headers facing perpendicular to the headers of the preceding course and further including means associated with said first gripping means for rotating alternate courses 90* in a horizontal plane whereby all courses are placed on said intermediate table with the headers facing in the same direction.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said second gripping means in its first position is positioned adjacent and selectively engageable with the ends of the columns of said courses.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said second pickup head includes a pair of side frame members and said second gripping means comprises a plurality of segmented gripper pairs slidably mounted on said side frame members for relative movement with respect to each other in a row-wise direction, and an activating means for selectively moving at least some of said segmented gripper pairs in a row-wise direction with respect to others.