Fin stacker assembly

Abstract

In the manufacture of heat exchangers, fins are produced in a fin press and shear from a sheet of stamped metal and are sheared from the sheet in rapid succession and placed on a fin stacker. The fin stacker includes vertical rods aligned for receiving the fins. The fin stacker is placed adjacent the fin press and shear in a docking bay that is adjustable for proper alignment of the stacker with the press. The rods are electrically connected with the control system but insulated from the stacker or ground, so that if a fin becomes jammed between the rods and the fin press and shear, a ground circuit is completed and the control system shuts down the fin press and shear. The control system also shuts down if the stacker becomes displaced, releasing a proximity switch located in the docking bay.

1 . In a material handling rack configured to arrange a plurality of perforated articles, the perforated articles grouped in adjacent sets, wherein the perforated articles are carried by the material handling rack on a plurality of elongate guide rods, and wherein adjacent sets are individually removable from the material handling rack, a mounting system for the plurality of elongate guide rods, comprising: 
 a base plate arrangement for pivotally mounting the guide rods;    at least one fixed plate arranged above the base plate arrangement and including a plurality of apertures for receiving the guide rods, the apertures having a width greater than a width of the guide rods in at least one direction; and    at least one movable plate having a mechanism for selectively placing the movable plate in a first position immobilizing the guide rods within respective apertures and in a second position for releasing the guide rods to move freely within the respective apertures.    
   
   
       2 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one movable plate further comprises a plurality of apertures for receiving the guide rods and corresponding to the plurality of apertures of the at least one fixed plate.  
   
   
       3 . The mounting system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one movable plate further comprises a guide for directing the movable plate in sliding linear movement relative to the at least one fixed plate.  
   
   
       4 . The mounting system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one movable plate further comprises at least one slot.  
   
   
       5 . The mounting system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one slot of the movable plate and a corresponding aperture of the fixed plate define a passage substantially equal to the diameter of the guide rod when the movable plate is in the first position.  
   
   
       6 . The mounting system of  claim 5 , wherein the corresponding aperture of the at least one fixed plate further comprises a slot.  
   
   
       7 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism further comprises a swivel post for levering the movable plate between the first and second positions.  
   
   
       8 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein movement of the movable plate to the second position permits separation of the adjacent sets of perforated articles.  
   
   
       9 . The mounting system of  claim 8 , wherein the movement of the movable plate is linear.  
   
   
       10 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is configured for linear movement of the movable plate.  
   
   
       11 . A fin stacker assembly comprising: 
 a module base plate having an array of receivers for carrying a plurality of rods;    a rod-mounting plate with an array of keyhole apertures aligned with the array of receivers;    an upper plate having an array of slots aligned with the array of receivers, with a first end of each slot aligned with the first end of the receivers;    a slidable locking plate having an array of slots aligned with the array of receivers, the slots each having a first end and a second end, the slidable locking plate configured to slide between a first, locked position and a second, unlocked position,    wherein the slidable locking plate is configured to engage at least one rod for securing the rod in a vertical position when in the first, locked position and for releasing the rod when in the second, unlocked position.    
   
   
       12 . The fin stacker assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of rods include ball ends for engaging the array of receivers.  
   
   
       13 . The fin stacker assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the rod-mounting plate is configured to engage ball ends of the plurality of rods for securing same in the array of receivers.  
   
   
       14 . The fin stacker assembly of  claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of rods includes a tapered upper end.  
   
   
       15 . The fin stacker assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a swivel post mounted to the module base plate and the slidable locking plate.  
   
   
       16 . The fin stacker assembly of  claim 15 , the swivel post further comprising a locking mechanism for selectively holding the slidable locking plate in the first, locked position.  
   
   
       17 . A fin stacker assembly comprising: 
 a base plate assembly for mounting a plurality of rods in a substantially vertical arrangement;    an upper plate having an array of apertures configured to receive the plurality of rods;    a locking plate having an array of slots aligned with the array of apertures of the upper plate to receive the plurality of rods, and configured to slide between a locked position and an unlocked position,    wherein at least one of the array of slots of the locking plate is configured to cooperate with a corresponding one of the array of apertures of the upper plate to hold a respective one of the plurality of rods in a vertical position when in the locked position and to release the respective rod for lateral movement when in the unlocked position.    
   
   
       18 . The fin stacker assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the array of apertures comprises at least one slot.  
   
   
       19 . The fin stacker assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising a swivel post mounted between the base plate assembly and the locking plate.  
   
   
       20 . The fin stacker assembly of  claim 19 , the swivel post further comprising a locking mechanism for selectively holding the locking plate in the locked position.  
   
   
       21 . In a material handling rack configured to arrange a plurality of perforated articles, the perforated articles grouped in adjacent sets, wherein the perforated articles are carried by the material handling rack on a plurality of elongate guide rods, and wherein adjacent sets are individually removable from the material handling rack, a mounting system for the plurality of elongate guide rods, comprising: 
 a base plate arrangement for pivotally mounting the guide rods;    a laterally fixed plate and a laterally movable plate arranged above the base plate arrangement, at least one of the laterally fixed plate and the laterally movable plate including a plurality of apertures for receiving the guide rods, the apertures having a width greater than a width of the guide rods in at least one direction; and    a mechanism for selectively placing the movable plate in a first position laterally immobilizing the guide rods within respective apertures and in a second position for releasing the guide rods to move laterally within the respective apertures.    
   
   
       22 . The mounting system of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the laterally fixed plate and the laterally movable plate is arranged for vertical movement relative to the base plate arrangement toward an upper end of the guide rods, with the guide rods received in the plurality of apertures, to laterally stabilize the guide rods, and the material handling rack includes a lift mechanism for effecting the vertical movement.  
   
   
       23 . The mounting system of  claim 21 , further comprising a second laterally movable plate, at least one of the laterally fixed plate and the second laterally movable plate including a plurality of apertures for receiving a portion of the plurality of guide rods, and a second mechanism for selectively placing the second laterally movable plate in a first position laterally immobilizing the guide rods within respective apertures and in a second position for releasing the guide rods to move laterally within the respective apertures.  
   
   
       24 . In a material handling rack configured to arrange a plurality of perforated articles, the perforated articles grouped in adjacent sets, wherein the perforated articles are carried by the material handling rack on a plurality of elongate guide rods, and wherein adjacent sets are individually removable from the material handling rack, a mounting system for the plurality of elongate guide rods, comprising: 
 a base plate arrangement for pivotally mounting the guide rods;    at least one fixed plate arranged above the base plate arrangement and including a plurality of apertures for receiving the guide rods, the apertures having a width greater than a width of the guide rods in at least one direction; and    at least one movable plate having a mechanism for selectively placing the movable plate in a first position immobilizing the guide rods within respective apertures and in a second position for releasing the guide rods to move freely within the respective apertures.    
   
   
       25 . A fin press and shear and a fin receiving and stacking assembly, comprising: 
 a fin press and shear;    a fin receiving and stacking assembly including: 
 a receiving dock;  
 a fin receiving and stacking cart configured for moving into and out of the receiving dock, and for receiving a plurality of fins from the fin press and shear, the cart including a plurality of elongate rods for receiving the fins and a mounting mechanism for the elongate rods;  
 the mounting mechanism including a plurality of plates for selectively holding the elongate rods in one of a plurality of vertical positions and for supporting fins received on the plurality of rods, the mounting mechanism and the elongate rods being electrically insulated from the fin receiving and stacking cart; and  
 the receiving dock including a cart elevation adjustment mechanism, and a plate elevation mechanism for selectively positioning at least one of the plurality of plates on the elongate rods for receiving the fins;  
   a plurality of sensors mounted on one of the fin press and shear, the receiving dock and the fin receiving and stacking cart; and    a control system configured to receive signals from the plurality of sensors and provide control signals to the fin press and shear and the fin receiving and stacking assembly.    
   
   
       26 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the control system is configured to send signals to the plate elevation mechanism to raise and lower the at least one of the plurality of plates, and to lower the at least one of the plurality of plates every 100 cycles of the fin press and shear.  
   
   
       27 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the receiving dock includes a base portion adjustably supported by a plurality of wheels for alignment with the fin press and shear.  
   
   
       28 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the plate elevation mechanism is configured to lower for a predetermined period every 100 cycles of the fin press and shear.  
   
   
       29 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the plate elevation mechanism is configured to lower at a constant rate during operation of the fin press and shear.  
   
   
       30 . The assembly of  claim 25 , the fin receiving and stacking cart further comprising a plurality of wheels, the wherein the wheels are lifted from a support surface by the cart elevation adjustment mechanism.  
   
   
       31 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a proximity switch assembly.  
   
   
       32 . The assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the control system is configured to provide a power-on signal after a predetermined delay initiated by actuation of the proximity switch assembly.  
   
   
       33 . The assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the control system is configured to activate the cart elevation mechanism upon actuation of the proximity switch assembly.  
   
   
       34 . The assembly of  claim 31 , further comprising an electrical connection of the rods to the control system through the proximity switch assembly.  
   
   
       35 . The assembly of  claim 34 , wherein an electrical grounding of the rods to the fin press and shear completes a circuit with the control system and initiates an automatic shutdown of the fin press and shear.  
   
   
       36 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein an electrical grounding of the rods to the fin press and shear initiates an automatic shutdown of the fin press and shear by the control system.  
   
   
       37 . The assembly of  claim 25 , the plate elevation mechanism further comprising upper and lower limit switches.  
   
   
       38 . The assembly of  claim 37 , wherein the plate elevation mechanism further comprises rails having a height to receive the at least one of the plurality of plates and allow unobstructed lifting of the cart by the cart elevation adjustment mechanism.  
   
   
       39 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the rods and mounting system are electrically isolated from the cart by a non-conductive member.  
   
   
       40 . The assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the receiving dock includes a floor base plate configured for adjustable alignment with the fin press and shear.  
   
   
       41 . The assembly of  claim 40 , further comprising an adjustable bracket assembly for aligning the floor base plate relative to the fin press and shear and securing the floor base plate in place.  
   
   
       42 . The assembly of  claim 41 , wherein the adjustable bracket assembly is configured for laterally, longitudinally and rotationally aligning the floor base plate relative to the fin press and shear.