Patent Application
20210332600
The present disclosure relates to an automated brick laying machine, an adhesive application system for the machine, and an adhesive applicator assembly.
International Patent Application No. PCT/AU2017/050728 (WO/2018/009978) discloses a brick laying and adhesive applying head, or lay head, which is fitted to an articulated telescopingly extendable boom mounted on a truck, forming an automated brick laying machine. The lay head applies adhesive to the brick, and comprises a robot which lays the brick.
The truck supports the brick laying machine, which is mounted on a frame on the chassis of the truck. The frame supports an adhesive container and an adhesive pump. The adhesive pump supplies pressurised adhesive to fluid conveying apparatus in the form of a hose which runs out along the boom to the lay head.
A flipper assembly comprises jaws to grip a brick and translate and rotate the brick to move it past adhesive application nozzles, and then present the brick for transfer to the robot laying arm.
The adhesive application nozzles are extended out over the brick. The adhesive nozzles direct adhesive downwards so that gravity assists in applying the adhesive to the brick.
The brick laying machine is intended to handle a wider brick, for external wall applications, and a narrow brick for internal wall applications. In order to accommodate both the wide and narrow bricks, the adhesive applicator assembly comprises a manifold that supports two valves. Each valve is connected to the pressurised adhesive supply provided by the adhesive pump mounted to the frame of the truck. The first valve is connected to three central adhesive nozzles and the second valve is connected to two outer adhesive nozzles. The inner nozzles are provided to allow adhesive to be applied to the top face of a narrow or internal brick, while the outer nozzles allow adhesive to be applied to the outer edges of the top face of a wide or external brick. Fine control of adhesive supply at the nozzles is difficult to effect with the arrangement of PCT/AU2017/050728, which leads to unacceptable adhesive coverage on the brick, and an unacceptable joint between bricks. It was also difficult pumping adhesive out along the boom (up to 30 m long) from the adhesive supply located on the base of the truck.
It is against this background that the present invention has been developed.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
According to a first aspect, there is provided an adhesive applicator assembly for an automated brick laying machine, the adhesive applicator assembly comprising a base, at least one nozzle carriage assembly, the or each nozzle carriage assembly comprising a carriage, and at least one adhesive outlet nozzle depending from the carriage, for dispensing adhesive received from a supply of adhesive via an adhesive supply line, and at least a transverse drive means for driving the or each nozzle carriage assembly transversely relative to the base.
A position of the or each nozzle of this adhesive applicator assembly can be transversely positioned as required, and moved between various positions. This nozzle arrangement is able to dispense adhesive onto bricks of varying widths.
In one form, the adhesive applicator assembly comprises at least two of the nozzle carriage assemblies.
A transverse spacing between the nozzles of this adhesive applicator assembly can be set as required, to accommodate bricks of varying widths.
In one form, each of the nozzle carriage assemblies is movable independently of the others.
In one form, the base comprises a track, and the or each nozzle carriage assembly is disposed to run along the track.
In one form, a drive means drives the or each nozzle carriage assembly along the track.
In one form, this drive means comprises a motor driven leadscrew. In an alternative, this drive means might comprise a drive belt or a gear rack and pinion arrangement.
In one form, the or each nozzle carriage assembly comprises at least one adhesive pump delivering the adhesive to a respective nozzle. By providing a pump close to the nozzles, the required line pressure can be maintained or varied as needed in order to dispense at a desired rate and volume.
In one form, in an alternative, the base comprises an adhesive pump delivering adhesive to each nozzle.
In one form, a position of each nozzle can be vertically adjusted with respect to the base.
In one form, this vertical adjustment is manually effected. In an alternative, it is automated.
In one form, a position of each nozzle can be vertically adjusted with respect to the carriage from which it depends.
In one form, this vertical adjustment is manually effected. In an alternative, it is automated.
According to a further aspect, there is provided an adhesive application system for an automated brick laying machine, the adhesive applicator system comprising the above described adhesive applicator assembly, an adhesive reservoir, the adhesive supply line extending from the reservoir to the or each nozzle, and at least one pump for delivering adhesive to the adhesive applicator assembly.
In one form, this adhesive application system further comprises a first pump (a primary pump) positioned near to the reservoir, at least one further pump (secondary pump) positioned near to the or each of the nozzles, a supply line load cell positioned near to the at least one further pump, and a control system, wherein in use, the control system controls operation of the first pump in response to a supply pressure sensed at the supply line load cell.
According to a further aspect, there is provided an adhesive application system for an automated brick laying machine, the adhesive application system comprising an adhesive reservoir, an adhesive supply line extending from the reservoir to one or more nozzles configured to dispense adhesive, a first pump (a primary pump) positioned near to the reservoir, at least one further pump (secondary pump) positioned near to the or each of the nozzles, a supply line load cell positioned near to the further pump, and a control system, wherein in use, the control system controls operation of the first pump in response to a supply pressure sensed at the supply line load cell.
In one form, if a pressure sensed by the supply line load cell falls below a threshold pressure, the primary pump is controlled to return the sensed pressure to at least the threshold pressure.
In one form, the control system controls the secondary pumps based on an adhesive dispense recipe which comprises a set of variables used to control the dispensing of the adhesive, and a dispense signature which is determined by brick parameters and dispense recipe variables.
In one form, the adhesive application system comprises the above described adhesive applicator assembly.
In one form, the base of the adhesive applicator assembly comprises the supply line load cell.
According to a further aspect there is provided a control system for the above described adhesive application system.
According to a further aspect there is provided a method for controlling an adhesive application system, the adhesive application system comprising an adhesive reservoir, an adhesive supply line extending from the reservoir to one or more nozzles configured to dispense adhesive, a first pump positioned near to the reservoir, at least one further pump positioned near to the nozzles, a supply line load cell positioned near to the further pump, and a control system, the method comprising the steps of monitoring the supply line load cell and controlling the operation of the first pump in response to this.
In one form, if a pressure sensed by the supply line load cell falls below a threshold pressure, the primary pump is controlled to return the sensed pressure to at least the threshold pressure.
Embodiments of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the figures.
Referring now to
The machine 1 comprises an articulated telescopingly extendable boom 2 mounted on a truck 4, and an adhesive applying and bricklaying head (a lay head) assembly at the end of the boom 2. In
The boom 2 is comprised of a series of sticks 6, each of which is provided with an internal shuttle. These shuttles are not visible in
The flipper assembly 8 is located at the distal end of the most distal stick 6 of the boom 2. The flipper assembly 8 comprises a gripper with jaws to grip a brick and then translate and rotate the brick to move it past an adhesive applicator assembly 100, and then present the brick for transfer to a laying arm 12 which depends from the lay head 10.
Referring now to
The laying arm 12 comprises a robotic arm 18 which is pivotably mounted to the clevis 14 via a slewing drive, and to the end of which is fitted a further end effector 20 in the form of a gripper comprising a pair of jaws, for handling the bricks and laying them.
The lay head assembly 10 further comprises components of an adhesive application system 30, which is illustrated schematically at
The adhesive cartridge 32 contains a reservoir of between 15 to 20 litres of adhesive, which should be sufficient for the construction of an average sized brick house. It is to be appreciated however that the capacity could be higher depending on the size of the build and in some examples could be 15 to 40 litres. The adhesive cartridge mounts with respect to one of the arms 16 of the clevis 14 of the layhead. In this way, the adhesive supply is located on the layhead in proximity to the adhesive applicator assembly which dispenses adhesive onto the bricks before they are laid.
Examples of a suitable adhesive include Huntsman Suprasec® 7273, and Selleys Aquadhere Durabond®. These adhesives are moisture curing, high strength, polyurethane construction adhesives and it will be appreciated that other similar adhesives may also be used and these examples are not intended to be limiting.
Referring now to
Each nozzle carriage assembly 110 comprises a further adhesive pump 116 driven by a motor 117 for delivering the adhesive to its respective nozzle 114. Given that these further adhesive pumps 116 are downstream of the aforementioned adhesive pump 36, these will hereinafter be referred to as ‘secondary pumps’ 116, whereas the aforementioned adhesive pump 36 will be referred to as the ‘primary pump’ 36.
The primary pump 36 transports the adhesive from the adhesive cartridge 32 to the secondary pumps 116 and maintains the fluid (adhesive) pressure supplied to the secondary pumps 116, ensuring that their performance is not undermined by inconsistent supply.
These secondary pumps 116 control the adhesive flow to each nozzle 114 and can be operated independently of each other. They also can be driven in reverse to control suck-back.
The adhesive application system 30 further comprises a supply line load cell 140, which will sense fluid pressure in the supply line 34 at a position just before the secondary pumps 116. Accordingly, this supply line load cell 140 is mounted to the base 102 of the adhesive applicator assembly 100.
With reference to
An adhesive heating cartridge may also be integrated into the load cell block in order to heat the adhesive as it passes through the load cell. An electric heat cartridge could be used with thermosensing to allow the heating to be controlled by the controller as required in response to variables such as ambient temperature. As an alternative to the heat cartridge, an electrical heating cable could be housed in a conduit or sheath around part of the supply line in proximity to the secondary pumps and outlet nozzles.
The adhesive is dispensed onto the bricks via the nozzles 114. The position of the nozzle carriage assemblies 110, and thus the nozzles 114 in turn, can be positioned using the transverse drive means 120 to adjust for the width of each brick, and to change the adhesive dispense pattern.
With reference to
A nozzle holder 113 holds each nozzle 114. Where each nozzle holder 113 is bolted to its respective carriage 112, the nozzle holder 113 is slotted to permit vertical adjustment of the nozzle 114 position.
The adhesive applicator assembly 100 further comprises a top cover 104 and a bottom cover 106 for shielding the transverse drive means 120.
With reference to
In an alternative embodiment and as depicted in
Each of the primary pump 34 and the secondary pumps 116 is a peristaltic pump. Internally, these pumps comprise a rotor with a number of “rollers”, “shoes”, “wipers”, or “lobes”. As the rotor turns, the part of the tubing of the supply line 34 under compression is pinched closed (or “occludes”) thus forcing the fluid to be pumped to move through the tube of the adhesive supply line 34. A benefit of peristatic pumps is that the adhesive remains in the line and does not flow through the pump which would may cause the pump to seize up and would be difficult to clean/purge. If increased supply pressure was required, jet pumps or gear pumps could be used however they would need to be self-flushing (i.e. purging) by allowing a solvent to circulate inside the pumps to prevent damage.
Operation of the adhesive application system 30 and its adhesive applicator assembly 100 is controlled by a control system 150 represented schematically in
Accordingly, the control system 150 may include a variety of components. Exemplary components may include those that monitor electric signals, switch electric signals, perform sensing functions, and govern activation and deactivation of components.
Further, the control system may comprise a processor, a memory, storage, and a user interface. The control system may be controlled by software. The control system may provide users with precise control, data logging, diagnostic information and performance information for governing the adhesive application system.
The control system will control functions including, but not necessarily limited to: the position of the nozzles 114, the rate and direction of movement of the nozzles 114, when adhesive is dispensed from the nozzles 114, the rate at which adhesive is dispensed from the nozzles 114, the operation of the primary pump 36, and the operation of the secondary pumps 116.
The adhesive application system can operate in both an automatic control and a remote control mode. The basic function of the adhesive application system 30 is to dispense adhesive onto a brick face surface held in position by the flipper 8, with variables controlled by a ‘dispense recipe’. The flipper works in conjunction with the adhesive applicator assembly 100 to move the brick under the nozzles 114 such that the adhesive is applied onto the brick.
This control system 150 will store a number of dispense recipes. Because the properties of the adhesive vary depending on factors including the ambient temperature and humidity, these recipes will vary depending on these factors. Accordingly a different recipe will be required in the morning to the one used in the afternoon. Different recipes will require different run times and operating speeds for the primary and secondary pumps 36 and 116, and different nozzle 114 heights relative to the brick. Because some tuning of recipes will likely be required, calibration runs are performed prior to a build, and these recipes can be edited, saved and selected as required.
Under normal operating conditions the adhesive application system will operate in automatic control mode. In the event of a malfunction, operator intervention may be required.
Under normal automatic control, the adhesive application system shall operate utilising the following sequence functions:
Start sequence (Un-Pack);
Running sequence (Operating); and
Stop sequence (Pack-up).
The cartridge 32 requires onsite installation and priming during the site preparation sequence of the machine 1. Similarly, the cartridge 32 must always be removed and replaced before depletion or during the machine 1 pack up.
Referring now to
To load the cartridge 32, the operator must perform a safety stop on the machine 1 to make it safe to approach. The operator must then manually attach the adhesive cartridge 32 and feed the lines through the system to the nozzles 114 (Step 1). The nozzles 114 should be at outermost spacing position upon installation, allowing the operator to connect the tubes without needing to account for nozzle 114 movements, as this is the maximum spacing. The height position of the nozzles 114 will need to be manually adjusted to the same height by the operator, as determined by the dispense recipe.
Once the cartridge 32 has been loaded, and the machine 1 is started, the machine 1 will enable all drives in the adhesive application system 30 (Step 2). Then the adhesive application system 30 requires the operator input to select and run a priming recipe. To prime the supply line tubes 34 with adhesive the primary pump 36 and both secondary pumps 116 are run for a set time at a set speed determined by the recipe (Step 3), repeated by operator input until adhesive begins to dispense from each nozzle 114 into a waiting container, which is when the operator provides input to finish the priming (Step 4).
To transition to the running sequence, first a dispense recipe must be chosen by the operator (Step 5) then run a dispense qualification test to check the dispense signature (Step 6). This test will dispense the recipe volume and pattern onto a disposable surface held by a jig to the flipper 8. This will allow the operator to check the system is running correctly. The operator then checks the test passes the requirements and confirms it is okay, then safety stops the machine 1 to remove the qualification test jig and safety starts the machine 1 to transition to running sequence (Step 7).
Referring now to
Step 1 is the idle state of the flipper 8. In this state the adhesive application system 30 will look up the properties of the next brick in the sequence, account for its width (is it an external or internal wall brick?) and length (has the brick been cut?), define a dispense pattern and adjust the nozzles 114 to the required positions. This is the only state which allows for pausing and stopping. Once the flipper 8 requests the adhesive system 30 to arm, and the flipper 8 is within the dispense pattern region, and the nozzles 114 have been moved to the start point of the dispense pattern, the adhesive application system 30 will transition to Step 2.
Step 2 is the state responsible for applying the adhesive to the brick. In this state, the secondary pumps 116 are enabled, the nozzle 114 spacing is controlled to follow the dispense pattern and each secondary pump 116 can be toggled to account for any gaps required in the dispense pattern. The system 30 stays in this state until the flipper 8 stops at the end location of the dispense pattern or either leaves the region, or the flipper 8 requests a disarm, in which case it moves onto the next step.
The disarming and shutoff procedure is separated into 2 steps. The first of these states shuts off the secondary pump 116 (Step 3). The transition out of Step 4 is determined by a time delay as there is no feedback to their state. The specific time delays for these waits will be determined by the dispense recipe variables.
The running sequence of the primary pump 36 and load cell 140 is separate from the secondary pumps 116 and flipper 8.
Step 1 is the idle state of the primary pump 36 with the load cell 140 sampling the supply line 34 tube pressure until the pressure falls below a threshold value determined by the recipe, then will transition to Step 2.
Step 2 is the state responsible for pressurising the supply line 34 tubes via the primary pump 36. In this state the primary pump 36 is enabled and runs a set number of rotations followed by a time delay, then will transition back to Step 1.
During running sequence, the adhesive application system 30 will follow a dispense recipe which will define the exact application signature and will be dependent on several external factors including temperature, humidity and operator input. Each recipe will contain a set of variables used to control the dispensing of the adhesive.
In Table 1 below, example recipe variables are provided.
The dispense signature will define the placement of the adhesive onto each brick and will be determined by the brick data and dispense recipe variables. An example of a dispense signature is illustrated at
The dispense signature for a narrow (internal) brick will require the spacing between the nozzles 114 to be reduced. The dispense signature for a cut brick will require the beads to be shorter. The points at which the secondary pumps 116 switch on/off will vary depending on the dispense recipe, with the objective being to achieve even, continuous, identical beads that will form a good joint between the bricks in a wall.
In one example, the secondary pumps begin pumping before dispensing is required as it takes some time for the adhesive flow to reach the nozzles once the pumps are activated. The secondary pumps are then left running as adhesive begins to be dispensed along a dispense path. At a point part way along the dispense path and before a return point, the pumps are turned off so that excessive adhesive is not applied to the brick face. At the return point (when the brick begins moving in the opposite direction) the nozzles are translated slightly to begin dispensing along a parallel return path. The pumps are turned back on at the start of the return path before being turned off part away along the return path to begin slowing the rate of adhesive dispense before being turned on in reverse near the finish of the return path to operate in suck-back mode to prevent any dripping (i.e. suck drip back) or formation of large blobs near the end of the return path. The time when the secondary pumps are turned on/off or put in reverse will be determined by the dispense recipe being used which will be dependent on operating conditions and environmental factors as discussed.
In one example, approximately 4-5 mm of adhesive is applied per bead and the beads are dispensed so as to merge and puff up into a single bead via the capillary effect. In other examples, adhesive dispensed per bead may be in the range 3-4 mm, 4-5 mm, 5-6 mm, 6-7 mm, 7-8 mm, 8-9 mm and 9-10 mm. The width of a typical bead may be approximately 10 mm, although it could be anywhere in a range between 5-20 mm. In other arrangements, instead of dispensing a bead in a straight line, other patterns could be used such as zig-zag or sinusoidal having a defined amplitude etc.
Referring now to
Once the nozzles 114 are at the pack-up location, the system will disable all drives (Step 2). As with start-up, the adhesive cartridge 32 must be removed manually. The machine 1 must first be put into safe stop before approaching it. The adhesive line 34 tubes must be removed from the nozzles 114 and fed through the system in reverse. This involves opening the secondary pumps 116 and the pressure sensor 140 as per the start-up sequence. The adhesive cartridge 32 can then be removed from the machine 1 by the operator. This process is intended to be performed during machine pack-up.
The adhesive cartridge 32 and nozzle 114 supply tubes can then be disposed of according to safe operating procedure.
Referring now to
Advantageously, the present disclosure facilitates precise, controlled dispensing of adhesive to a brick, regardless of ambient conditions, or variations in brick width, length and any brick conversions, such as routs and cuts.
Throughout the specification and the claims that follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words “comprise” and “include” and variations such as “comprising” and “including” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers, but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.
The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement of any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted in its use to the particular application described. Neither is the present invention restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described or depicted herein. It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims.
Please note that the following claims are provisional claims only, and are provided as examples of possible claims and are not intended to limit the scope of what may be claimed in any future patent applications based on the present application. Integers may be added to or omitted from the example claims at a later date so as to further define or re-define the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018903276 | Sep 2018 | AU | national |
The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Application No. 2018903276 titled “ADHESIVE APPLICATOR SYSTEM AND OPERATING METHOD” as filed on 4 Sep. 2018, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The following publication is referred to in the present application and its contents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety: International Patent Application No. PCT/AU2017/050728 (WO/2018/009978) titled “ADHESIVE APPLICATOR AND OBJECT PLACING HEAD INCORPORATING THE SAME” in the name of Fastbrick IP Pty Ltd.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/AU2019/000102 | 9/4/2019 | WO | 00 |
