Rack type pipe feeder for a pipe fusion machine

摘要

For use in loading heavy sticks of plastic pipe into a pipe fusion machine, a pipe storage rack with hydraulically powered pipe stick dispensers and stands allows sticks of pipe stored on the rack to roll gravitationally onto a rocking V-shaped dispenser cam disposed between the rack and the fusion machine loading path for one-stick-at-a-time loading onto powered track and roller stands which enable Cartesian manipulation of the stick into the fusion machine. The cam is adjustable to suit pipe stick diameters ranging from 20″ to 48″. Many sticks can be stored at one time, releasing heavy lifting equipment and operators to work elsewhere. The process requires only one operator using a pendant controller and the pipe sticks are handled by heavy equipment only when being loaded onto the racks.

主权项

1. For transferring sticks of heavy polyolefin pipe to a fusion machine for joining the sticks to a pipeline, a process comprising the steps of:
loading multiple sticks of pipe on a rack inclined to gravitationally cause the supported sticks of pipe to roll toward a downstream end of the rack; adjusting an angular relationship of downstream and upstream arms of a pair of spaced-apart V-shaped cams for compatibility with a diameter of the loaded pipe sticks; synchronously rocking said cams to receive a stick of pipe from the rack with downstream arms of said cams preventing the stick from gravitationally rolling downstream out of the cams; synchronously rocking said cams to discharge the received stick of pipe downstream of the cams with the upstream arms of the cams preventing another stick from gravitationally rolling downstream into the cams from the rack; catching a discharged stick of pipe on a mechanical structure in approximately longitudinal alignment with a path to the fusion machine; manipulating the mechanical structure by operation of the hydraulic system to align planar Cartesian coordinates of a longitudinal axis of the caught stick of pipe for insertion into the fusion machine; and driving the aligned stick of pipe along the mechanical structure toward the fusion machine by operation of the hydraulic system.