JP7724115B2 - Handling Device - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. Website posting date: May 3, 2021, URL: [https://diamond.jp/articles/-/269803] DIAMOND online, Published by: Diamond Inc.

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. Publication date: May 26, 2021. Publication: REA Kansai No. 48. Publisher: Japan Railway Electrical Engineering Association. Discloser: Japan Railway Electrical Engineering Association.

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies Distribution date: May 26, 2021, Publication: BLUE SIGNAL Vol. 193, Publisher: West Japan Railway Company

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. Website posting date: April 7, 2021, URL: [https://www. westjp. co. jp/press/article/2021/04/page_17684. htme], Publisher: West Japan Railway Company

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. Distribution date: June 1, 2021, Publication: NESCO NOW vol. 389, Published by: Nishi-Nippon Electric Systems Co., Ltd.

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. Publication date: May 20, 2021 - September 14, 2021. Publication location: On the tracks of West Japan Railway Co., Ltd. (JR West Japan). Publishers: West Japan Electric Systems Co., Ltd., West Japan Railway Co., Ltd.

The present invention relates to a handling device for handling movable brackets, which are railway materials, and in particular to a handling device for handling movable brackets having a pair of support pipes connected to a support structure.

This type of handling device is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 (Title of Invention: Road-rail Vehicle). In Patent Document 1, the handling device is composed of a crane device mounted on the road-rail vehicle and a clamping mechanism mounted on the crane device. The crane device comprises a swivel base mounted on the road-rail vehicle, a post pivotally connected to the swivel base, and a boom attached to the upper end of the post, with a clamping mechanism mounted on the tip of the boom. The swivel base is rotatable around a vertical axis, and the boom is configured to be able to raise and lower and extend freely relative to the post. The clamping mechanism has two pairs of clamping claws, and can grip the movable bracket by clamping one of the support pipes of the movable bracket with both clamping claw pairs.

Utility Model Registration No. 3153761

The handling device in Patent Document 1 uses a clamping mechanism to hold and grip the movable bracket connected to the utility pole, allowing the connection between the utility pole and the movable bracket to be released while maintaining the position of the movable bracket. The released movable bracket can then be transported to a recovery position, such as a loading platform, using a crane. Furthermore, the movable bracket placed on a loading platform can be gripped with the clamping mechanism and then transported and held at the installation position using a crane, allowing the connection structure to be tightened. Handling the movable bracket with a handling device in this way facilitates the replacement of the movable bracket, which involves attaching and detaching it to and from the supporting structure.

However, in Patent Document 1, only one of the pair of support pipes held by the movable bracket is clamped by the clamp mechanism. Therefore, if the center of gravity of the movable bracket shifts from below the clamp claw pair during transport between the recovery position and the installation position, a rotational moment around the support pipe clamped by the clamp mechanism will inevitably act on the movable bracket. The rotation of the movable bracket around the support pipe is restricted by the holding force caused by friction between the clamp claw pair and the support pipe. If a rotational moment that exceeds the holding force is generated, the movable bracket will rotate around the clamped support pipe, potentially coming into contact with the surrounding support structure, overhead lines, etc. Furthermore, if it rotates too far, there is a risk that the movable bracket will fall off.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a handling device that can stably grip a movable bracket, prevent inadvertent rotation during transport, and safely handle the movable bracket.

The present invention relates to a handling device 8 that handles a movable bracket 22 having a pair of upper and lower support pipes 23, 24 connected to a support body 21. The handling device 8 includes a moving means 34 that moves a movable tip 32 and a bracket hand 33 that is provided at the movable tip 32 and grips the movable bracket 22. When one of the upper and lower support pipes 23, 24 is defined as a first pipe 42 and the other as a second pipe 43, the bracket hand 33 includes a chuck portion 37 that grips and holds the first pipe 42 and a restricting portion 38 that restricts movement of the second pipe 43 in a direction around the axis of the first pipe 42 gripped and held by the chuck portion 37. The bracket hand 33 includes a hand base 36 that is fixed to the movable tip 32, with the chuck portion 37 provided on the upper side of the hand base 36 and the restricting portion 38 provided on the lower side. The hand base 36 includes a connecting shaft 39 connected to the movable tip 32 and a lower base plate 41 extending downward from the connecting shaft 39. The restricting unit 38 includes a restricting frame 56 mounted on a slider 55 of a rodless cylinder 54 fixed to the lower base plate 41 so as to be movable up and down. The restricting frame 56 includes a receiving wall 57 oriented toward the chuck unit 37 to receive and hold the second pipe 43 in the vertical direction, and a pair of front and rear restricting walls 58 extending upward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57 to receive the second pipe 43 in the vertical direction. A buffer structure including a connecting frame 59 connected to the slider 55 is provided below the restricting frame 56, and the buffer structure supports the restricting frame 56 so as to be able to float up and down relative to the connecting frame 59 .

The buffer structure includes a connecting frame 59 that has a lower wall 60 disposed below the receiving wall 57 and is connected to the slider 55, a float shaft 62 that is inserted into a float hole 63 that is formed through the lower wall 60 and fixed to the underside of the receiving wall 57, and a rubber bushing 61 that is formed in a cylindrical shape and that is disposed between the lower wall 60 and the receiving wall 57 with the float shaft 62 inserted into the cylinder. The restriction frame 56 is supported so as to be able to float up and down relative to the connecting frame 59 by being biased upward by the rubber bushing 61.

The chuck portion 37 has upper chuck claws 47 and lower chuck claws 48 that extend forward and clamp and hold the first pipe 42 from above and below. The relative position of the receiving wall 57 with respect to the chuck portion 37 is configured so that it can be moved closer to or farther away from the chuck portion 37 in the vertical direction.

The chuck jaws 47 and 48 of the chuck portion 37 are configured to move toward or away from each other in sync.

The moving means 34 includes an industrial robot 31.

In the handling device 8 of the present invention, when one of the upper and lower support pipes 23/24 of the movable bracket 22 is defined as the first pipe 42 and the other as the second pipe 43, the bracket hand 33 includes a chuck portion 37 that grips and holds the first pipe 42, and a restricting portion 38 that restricts movement of the second pipe 43 around the axis of the first pipe 42 gripped and held by the chuck portion 37. In this way, when the movable bracket 22 is gripped by the bracket hand 33 with the first pipe 42 gripped and held by the chuck portion 37 and the movement of the second pipe 43 restricted by the restricting portion 38, the restricting portion 38 can prevent the movable bracket 22 from rotating around the axis of the first pipe 42, even if a relatively large rotational moment occurs around the axis of the first pipe 42 during transport of the movable bracket 22. This allows the movable bracket 22 to be securely held and prevents it from rotating unintentionally during transport, allowing the movable bracket 22 to be handled safely without coming into contact with the surrounding support structure 21, overhead lines, etc.

The restricting portion 38 includes a receiving wall 57 that faces the chuck portion 37 and receives and holds the second pipe 43 in the vertical direction, and a pair of front and rear restricting walls 58 that extend upward and/or downward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57 and receive the second pipe 43 in the vertical direction. This allows the upper or lower surface of the second pipe 43 to be received and held by the receiving wall 57, preventing the second pipe 43 from rotating around the axis of the first pipe 42, thereby preventing the movable bracket 22 from rotating. Furthermore, even if the second pipe 43, which is received and held by the receiving wall 57, shifts around the axis of the first pipe 42, the front or rear surface of the second pipe 43 is received by the pair of restricting walls 58, reliably preventing inadvertent rotation of the movable bracket 22.

The chuck portion 37 includes upper and lower chuck jaws 47 and 48 that extend forward and clamp and hold the first pipe 42 from above and below. The relative position of the receiving wall 57 with respect to the chuck portion 37 can be configured to move toward or away from each other in the vertical direction. This allows the first pipe 42 to be pressed against the upper chuck jaws 47 by moving the restricting portion 38 toward the chuck portion 37 and displacing the first pipe 42 upward via the second pipe 43. Conversely, the first pipe 42 can be pressed against the lower chuck jaws 48 by moving the restricting portion 38 away from the chuck portion 37 and displacing the first pipe 42 downward via the second pipe 43. In this way, when the first pipe 42 is pressed against the upper chuck jaws 47 or lower chuck jaws 48 via the second pipe 43, the reaction force from this pressing force allows the second pipe 43 to be firmly received by the receiving wall 57, preventing the movable bracket 22 held by the bracket hand 33 from rattling and allowing the movable bracket 22 to be handled more safely.

If the chuck jaws 47, 48 of the chuck unit 37 are configured to move toward or away from each other in sync, when clamping the first pipe 42, the bracket hand 33 can be moved relative to the first pipe 42 so that the first pipe 42 is positioned approximately midway between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48. This minimizes damage to the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 due to contact with the first pipe 42 when the bracket hand 33 is moved by the moving means 34. On the other hand, if the upper chuck jaws 47 are fixed and the lower chuck jaws 48 move toward each other to clamp the first pipe 42, the bracket hand 33 must be moved toward the first pipe 42 so that the first pipe 42 comes into contact with the upper chuck jaws 47. This increases the risk of damage to the chuck jaws 47 due to contact with the first pipe 42. Furthermore, since precise operation of the moving means 34 is required, it takes time for the bracket hand 33 to grasp the movable bracket 22.

When the moving means 34 is configured to include an industrial robot 31, the moving means 34 can be compact yet capable of precise and versatile movements, compared to, for example, a moving means 34 that includes a crane device with an extendable boom.

1 is a side view showing a bracket hand of a handling device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view showing a construction vehicle equipped with a handling device of Example 1 and a transport vehicle that transports a movable bracket, and shows the state in which the industrial robot has been rotated 180 degrees around the vertical axis and the bracket hand has been moved backward. FIG. FIG. FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which the movable bracket is gripped by the bracket hand. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a movable bracket connected to a support body is held by a handling device. FIG. 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing the operation of gripping the movable bracket with the handling device. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a movable bracket loaded on a transport vehicle is gripped by a bracket hand. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a gripping portion of a handling device according to a reference example of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view showing the main part of the grip portion.

(Example 1) Figures 1 to 8 show Example 1 in which a handling device according to the present invention is mounted on a construction vehicle. In this example, front, rear, left, right, and up and down refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figures 2 and 4 and the indications given near each arrow. As shown in Figure 2, construction vehicle 1 is based on a truck-type vehicle and is equipped with a loading platform 2 at its rear. Construction vehicle 1 is configured as a road-rail vehicle equipped with wheels 3 with rubber tires for traveling on roads and track running wheels 4 made of steel wheels for traveling on rails (tracks).

Installed on the loading platform 2, in the listed order from the cabin side (front) of the loading platform 2, are a drive source 5 that supplies air pressure and hydraulic pressure to each piece of equipment for operation, a catenary support device 6 that supports the catenary during construction work, a work platform 7 that can be raised and lowered and on which workers sit, and a handling device 8 that handles railway materials during construction. The catenary support device 6, work platform 7, and handling device 8 are configured to operate using air pressure and hydraulic pressure supplied from the drive source 5. The drive source 5 is driven by the engine (not shown) of the construction vehicle 1.

The construction vehicle 1 is operated together with a transport vehicle 11 that transports railway materials. The transport vehicle 11 is based on a truck-type vehicle and has a loading platform 12 at its rear. The transport vehicle 11 is configured as a road-rail vehicle equipped with wheels 13 with rubber tires for traveling on roads and track running wheels 14 made of steel wheels for traveling on rails. On the loading platform 12, a drive source 15 that supplies air and hydraulic pressure for operation to each device, and a rack device 16 on which railway materials are loaded that operates with air and hydraulic pressure supplied from the drive source 15 are installed in the listed order from the cabin side (rear side) of the loading platform 2. The construction vehicle 1 and transport vehicle 11 are operated with their loading platforms 2, 12 facing each other.

The rack device 16 comprises a movable platform 17 that can be raised and lowered, and a plurality of racks 18 that are installed on the movable platform 17 and can slide back and forth to place railway materials. Each rack 18 is configured to be slid back and forth between a storage position on the cabin side of the loading platform 12 (on the left side of the loading platform 12 as viewed in Figure 2) where the railway materials fit within the projected area of the loading platform 12 in a plan view, and an extraction position on the opposite side of the loading platform 12 from the cabin (on the right side of the loading platform 12 as viewed in Figure 2) where the railway materials extend beyond the projected area of the loading platform 12 in a plan view.

The railway materials handled by the handling device 8 are so-called movable brackets 22 that are fixed to a support structure 21 consisting of a pillar and suspend the overhead wires. As shown in Figure 6, the movable bracket 22 includes an upper support pipe 23 that is installed horizontally, a lower support pipe 24 that is installed diagonally relative to the upper support pipe 23, and a pull fitting 25 that suspends the overhead wires and is supported by the upper and lower support pipes 23, 24. A connecting fitting 26 equipped with an insulator is attached to the free ends of the upper and lower support pipes 23, 24.

As shown in FIG. 3, the handling device 8 comprises an elevator 29 installed on the loading platform 2, a base 30 that is raised and lowered by the elevator 29, an industrial robot 31 equipped with multiple joints that is installed on the base 30, a movable tip 32 installed at the tip of the industrial robot 31, and a bracket hand 33 installed at the movable tip 32 and that grasps the movable bracket 22. The elevator 29, base 30, and industrial robot 31 constitute a moving means 34 that moves the movable tip 32, and the industrial robot 31 has five rotary joints.

1 and 4, the bracket hand 33 includes a vertically elongated hand base 36 fixed to the movable tip 32, a chuck portion 37 provided on the upper side of the hand base 36, and a restricting portion 38 provided on the lower side of the hand base 36. The hand base 36 includes a connecting shaft 39 connected to the movable tip 32, an upper base plate 40 extending upward from the connecting shaft 39 and having a thickness in the front-to-rear direction, and a lower base plate 41 extending downward from the connecting shaft 39 and having a thickness in the left-to-right direction. When one of the pair of upper and lower support pipes 23, 24 is defined as the first pipe 42 and the other as the second pipe 43, the bracket hand 33 grasps and holds the first pipe 42 with the chuck portion 37 and restricts the movement of the second pipe 43 with the restricting portion 38 to grip the movable bracket 22.

As shown in FIG. 5, the chuck unit 37 includes a chuck base 46 provided on the front surface of the upper base plate 40 and a pair of upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 extending forward from the chuck base 46. A drive mechanism for driving the chuck jaws 47, 48 is housed within the chuck base 46, and the drive mechanism moves the chuck jaws 47, 48 toward or away from each other in a synchronized manner in the vertical direction. Specifically, when moving the chuck jaws 47, 48 toward each other, the drive mechanism displaces the upper chuck jaw 47 downward and the lower chuck jaw 48 upward. When moving the chuck jaws 47, 48 away from each other, the drive mechanism displaces the upper chuck jaw 47 upward and the lower chuck jaw 48 downward.

The opposing surfaces of the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 are the upper clamping portion 49 and the lower clamping portion 50, respectively. The upper clamping portion 49 is configured with an inverted V-shaped notch that opens downward, and the lower clamping portion 50 is configured with a flat surface. In Figure 5, reference numeral 51 denotes a friction body made of rubber that improves contact friction between each chuck jaw 47, 48 and the clamped first pipe 42. The first pipe 42 is clamped in the vertical direction between the upper clamping portion 49, which is configured with a V-shaped notch, and the lower clamping portion 50, which is configured with a flat surface, with three points on its periphery coming into contact.

The restricting portion 38 is fixed to a slider 55 of a rodless cylinder 54 fixed to the front edge of the lower base plate 41 and includes a restricting frame 56 that is movable up and down. The restricting frame 56 is formed in an upwardly opening U-shape and includes a receiving wall 57 that faces the chuck portion 37 and receives and holds the lower peripheral surface of the second pipe 43, and a pair of front and rear restricting walls 58, 58 that extend upward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57 and receive the front and rear peripheral surfaces of the second pipe 43 as it rotates around the axis of the first pipe 42. The upper halves of the pair of restricting walls 58, 58 are bent outward to serve as guides for receiving the second pipe 43, and the distance between the lower portions of the pair of restricting walls 58, 58 is greater than the diameter of the second pipe 43. The restricting frame 56 is fixed to the slider 55 via a buffer structure.

The buffer structure includes a U-shaped connecting frame 59, which is slightly larger than the regulating frame 56 and is connected to the slider 55, and rubber bushings 61 arranged between the bottom wall 60 of the connecting frame 59 and the receiving wall 57 of the regulating frame 56. Two float shafts 62 are fixed to the front and rear of the underside of the receiving wall 57. Each float shaft 62 is inserted into a float hole 63 formed through the bottom wall 60, and a fastener 64 consisting of a hexagonal nut is screwed into the male threaded portion of the tip of the shaft 62. The rubber bushing 61 is cylindrical and has the float shaft 62 inserted into it. The float-supported regulating frame 56 is biased upward by the rubber bushing 61. As a result, the regulating frame 56 is supported so that it can float up and down relative to the connecting frame 59, with the float shaft 62 guided by the float hole 63. In Figure 5, reference numeral 65 denotes a reinforcing metal fitting that supports the connecting frame 59 from below.

Here, an example of the work of replacing a movable bracket 22 will be described. In this description, it is assumed that the upper support pipe 23 is the first pipe 42, the lower support pipe 24 is the second pipe 43, and the overhead wire has been removed from the pull fitting 25 in advance. First, the work vehicle 1 is stopped at a predetermined position near the movable bracket 22 to be replaced. Next, the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 of the chuck portion 37 are displaced apart (opened), and the slider 55 of the restrictor portion 38 is moved to the bottom. After that, the lifting device 29 and industrial robot 31 are operated to move the bracket hand 33 behind the movable bracket 22 connected to the support body 21.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7 , the height of the bracket hand 33 is adjusted so that the approximate midpoint between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 is aligned with the height of the first pipe 42. The bracket hand 33 is then moved further forward so that the first pipe 42 is positioned between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48. In this state, the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 are moved toward each other (closed), gripping and holding the first pipe 42 between them. The slider 55 is then moved toward the second pipe 43 (upward), and the receiving wall 57 receives the second pipe 43 from below. This allows the bracket hand 33 to grasp the movable bracket 22 in the mounting position. In this state, the restricting frame 56 has moved slightly toward the connecting frame 59 against the elasticity of the rubber bushing 61. Furthermore, the first pipe 42 is displaced upward via the second pipe 43 and pressed against the upper chuck jaw 47.

After the movable bracket 22 is grasped by the bracket hand 33, the connecting structure 66, consisting of a bolt and nut that connects the connecting band 67 wrapped around the support body 21 to the connecting fitting 26, is loosened and released. Because the movable bracket 22 is held in position by the bracket hand 33, the worker can easily loosen the connecting structure 66 without having to support the movable bracket 22. After the connecting structure 66 is released and the movable bracket 22 is separated from the support body 21, it is transported from its mounting position to a recovery position by operating the lifting device 29 and industrial robot 31. If the center of gravity of the movable bracket 22 shifts from below the upper and lower clamping portions 49 and 50 (chuck portion 37), a rotational moment is generated around the axis of the first pipe 42, but the movement of the second pipe 43 is restricted by the receiving wall 57. Furthermore, even if the movable bracket 22 were to rotate around the first pipe 42 as a fulcrum, that rotation would be prevented by a pair of restricting walls 58, 58. After the movable bracket 22 has been transported to a recovery position (for example, rack 18 of the transport vehicle 11), the restricting frame 56 is displaced away from the chuck portion 37, and the upper and lower chuck claws 47, 48 are displaced away from each other to release the bracket hand 33 from its grip on the movable bracket 22, and the movable bracket 22 is then placed at the recovery position.

After placing the movable bracket 22 in the recovery position, the bracket hand 33 grasps a new movable bracket 22 placed on the rack 18 in the removal position. As shown in Figure 8, the movable bracket 22 on the rack 18 is placed upside down with the connecting fitting 26 positioned forward. Therefore, the upper and lower chuck claws 47, 48 of the chuck portion 37 are displaced apart (opened), and the slider 55 of the restrictor portion 38 is moved to the bottom, and then the bracket hand 33 is moved to the left (or right) of the movable bracket 22 while upside down.

Next, the height of the bracket hand 33 is adjusted so that the approximate midpoint between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 is aligned with the height of the first pipe 42, and the bracket hand 33 is then moved further to the left so that the first pipe 42 is positioned between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48. In this state, the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 are moved closer together (closed) to hold the first pipe 42 between them, and the slider 55 is then moved closer (downward) to the second pipe 43, so that the receiving wall 57 receives the second pipe 43 from above. This allows the bracket hand 33 to grip the movable bracket 22 on the rack 18.

The movable bracket 22 held by the bracket hand 33 is transported to the mounting position for attachment to the support body 21 by operating the lifting device 29 and industrial robot 31. After transport to the mounting position, the connecting structure 66 that connects the connecting band 67 of the support body 21 to the connecting fitting 26 is tightened and fastened, connecting the movable bracket 22 to the support body 21. After connecting the movable bracket 22 to the support body 21, the restricting frame 56 is displaced away from the chuck portion 37, and the upper and lower chuck claws 47, 48 are displaced away from each other, releasing the bracket hand 33 from its grip on the movable bracket 22, and the bracket hand 33 is retracted from the movable bracket 22. This completes the series of steps required to replace the movable bracket 22.

As described above, the bracket hand 33 is equipped with a chuck portion 37 that grips and holds the first pipe 42, and a restricting portion 38 that restricts movement of the second pipe 43 around the axis of the first pipe 42 gripped and held by the chuck portion 37. Therefore, even if a relatively large rotational moment occurs around the axis of the first pipe 42 when the movable bracket 22 is being transported, the restricting portion 38 can prevent the movable bracket 22 from rotating around the axis of the first pipe 42. Therefore, the movable bracket 22 can be stably gripped and inadvertent rotation during transport can be prevented, making it possible to handle the movable bracket 22 safely without coming into contact with the surrounding support structure 21, overhead lines, etc.

The restricting portion 38 includes a receiving wall 57 that faces the chuck portion 37 and receives and holds the second pipe 43 in the vertical direction, and a pair of front and rear restricting walls 58 that extend upward and/or downward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57 and receive the second pipe 43 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the upper or lower surface of the second pipe 43 is received and held by the receiving wall 57, preventing the second pipe 43 from rotating around the axis of the first pipe 42 and preventing the movable bracket 22 from rotating. Furthermore, even if the second pipe 43, which is received and held by the receiving wall 57, shifts around the axis of the first pipe 42, the front or rear surface of the second pipe 43 is received by the pair of restricting walls 58, reliably preventing inadvertent rotation of the movable bracket 22.

The receiving wall 57 is configured so that its relative position can be moved toward or away from the chuck portion 37, which has upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48, in the vertical direction. Therefore, by moving the restricting portion 38 toward the chuck portion 37 and displacing the first pipe 42 upward via the second pipe 43, the first pipe 42 can be pressed against the upper chuck jaw 47. Conversely, by moving the restricting portion 38 away from the chuck portion 37 and displacing the first pipe 42 downward via the second pipe 43, the first pipe 42 can be pressed against the lower chuck jaw 48. In this way, by pressing the first pipe 42 against the upper chuck jaw 47 or the lower chuck jaw 48 via the second pipe 43, the reaction force from the pressing force allows the second pipe 43 to be firmly received by the receiving wall 57. This prevents the movable bracket 22 held by the bracket hand 33 from rattling, allowing for safer handling of the movable bracket 22.

The chuck jaws 47, 48 of the chuck unit 37 are configured to move toward or away from each other in sync. Therefore, when clamping the first pipe 42, the bracket hand 33 can be moved relative to the first pipe 42 so that the first pipe 42 is positioned approximately midway between the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48. This minimizes damage to the upper and lower chuck jaws 47, 48 due to contact with the first pipe 42 when the bracket hand 33 is moved by the moving means 34. On the other hand, if the upper chuck jaws 47 are fixed and the lower chuck jaws 48 move toward each other to clamp the first pipe 42, the bracket hand 33 must be moved toward the first pipe 42 so that the upper chuck jaws 47 contact the first pipe 42, which could result in damage to the chuck jaws 47. Furthermore, since precise operation of the moving means 34 is required, it takes time for the bracket hand 33 to grasp the movable bracket 22.

Because the moving means 34 is configured to include an industrial robot 31, it can be compact yet capable of precise and versatile movements, compared to, for example, a moving means 34 that includes a crane device with an extendable boom.

( Reference Example ) FIGS. 9 and 10 show a reference example of a handling device. In this reference example, the configuration of the regulating unit 38 differs from that of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9 , each regulating wall 58 of the regulating frame 56 is composed of an upper regulating wall 70 and a lower regulating wall 71 extending upward and downward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall 57, respectively. The regulating frame 56 as a whole is formed in an H-shape in side view, and the upper and lower regulating walls 70 and 71 on the rear side are fixed to the slider 55. In the front regulating wall 58, a stopper cylinder 73 equipped with a pin 72 that can be extended and retracted in the front-rear direction is provided at the upper end of the upper regulating wall 70 and the lower end of the lower regulating wall 71. The buffer structure is composed of resin blocks 74 provided on the upper and lower U-shaped inner surfaces of the regulating frame 56. Since other aspects are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

The restricting frame 56 is provided with upper and lower restricting walls 70 and 71 on the receiving wall 57, so the second pipe 43 can be received and held not only by the upper surface of the receiving wall 57 but also by the lower surface of the receiving wall 57. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, by advancing the pin 72 of the stopper cylinder 73 while the second pipe 43 is received on the upper surface of the receiving wall 57, the second pipe 43 can be surrounded by the receiving wall 57, the front and rear upper restricting walls 70 and 70, and the pin 72, thereby reliably restricting the movement of the second pipe 43.

In addition to the above, the industrial robot 31 of the moving means 34 may be a crane device or other device capable of moving the movable tip 32. The lower clamping portion 50 may also be configured with a V-shaped notch, similar to the upper clamping portion 49. The restricting portion 38 may also be configured with a downwardly or upwardly curved curved wall. While the upper support pipe 23 is the first pipe 42 and the lower support pipe 24 is the second pipe 43, the reverse may also be true.

8 Handling device 21 Support body 22 Movable bracket 23 Upper support pipe 24 Lower support pipe 31 Industrial robot 32 Movable tip 33 Bracket hand 34 Moving means 36 Hand base 37 Chuck portion 38 Restriction portion 42 First pipe 43 Second pipe 47 Upper chuck jaw 48 Lower chuck jaw 57 Receiving wall 58 Restriction wall

Claims (5)

A handling device for handling a movable bracket (22) having a pair of upper and lower support pipes (23, 24) connected to a support body (21),
a moving means (34) for moving the movable tip (32);
a bracket hand (33) provided at the movable tip (32) and gripping the movable bracket (22);
Equipped with
When one of the upper and lower support pipes (23, 24) is defined as a first pipe (42) and the other as a second pipe (43), the bracket hand (33) comprises a chuck portion (37) that grips and holds the first pipe (42) and a restricting portion (38) that restricts movement of the second pipe (43) in a direction around the axis of the first pipe (42) gripped and held by the chuck portion (37) ,
The bracket hand (33) has a hand base (36) fixed to the movable tip (32), and a chuck portion (37) is provided on the upper side of the hand base (36) and a regulating portion (38) is provided on the lower side thereof.
The hand base (36) includes a connecting shaft (39) connected to the movable tip (32) and a lower base plate (41) provided downward from the connecting shaft (39);
The regulating portion (38) includes a regulating frame (56) provided on a slider (55) of a rodless cylinder (54) fixed to the lower base plate (41) so as to be vertically displaceable;
The regulating frame (56) includes a receiving wall (57) that is oriented toward the chuck portion (37) and receives and holds the second pipe (43) in the vertical direction, and a pair of front and rear regulating walls (58, 58) that extend upward from the front and rear ends of the receiving wall (57) and receive the second pipe (43) in the front and rear direction.
A buffer structure including a connecting frame (59) connected to the slider (55) is provided below the regulating frame (56), and the buffer structure supports the regulating frame (56) so that it can float up and down relative to the connecting frame (59) . The buffer structure includes a lower wall (60) disposed below the receiving wall (57), a connecting frame (59) connected to the slider (55), a float shaft (62) fixed to the lower surface of the receiving wall (57) in a state where the float shaft (62) is inserted into a float hole (63) formed through the lower wall (60), and a rubber bush (61) formed in a cylindrical shape and disposed between the lower wall (60) and the receiving wall (57) in a state where the float shaft (62) is inserted into the cylinder.
2. A handling device according to claim 1 , wherein the regulating frame (56) is supported so as to be vertically floatable relative to the connecting frame (59) by being biased upward by the rubber bushing (61) . The chuck portion (37) includes upper chuck claws (47) and lower chuck claws (48) that extend forward and clamp and hold the first pipe (42) from above and below,
3. A handling device according to claim 1, wherein the relative position of the receiving wall (57) with respect to the chuck portion (37) is configured so that it can be displaced toward or away from the chuck portion (37) in the vertical direction. A handling device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein both chuck jaws (47, 48) of the chuck portion (37) are configured to move toward or away from each other in synchronization with each other. A handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the moving means (34) comprises an industrial robot (31).