DD202521A5 - TRANSPORT DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING FITTINGS OR OTHER WORKSPIECES - Google Patents

Abstract

The task is to be able to supply the workpieces automatically to and from the processing stations, the transport apparatus being adaptable to different workpiece sizes. According to the invention, the transport device is provided with a chain pair arranged next to one another, supported by guide wheels, which are arranged at the end of the transport device and equipped with drive devices for the chains as well as guides along the chain branches for the support thereof. Gostell pairs are also provided with pendulum hinged joints to hold and guide the ends of a workpiece such that their center of gravity is lower than the rocker axes of the frames. Sensors are arranged on the guide wheels to determine the successive stops and correspond to at least two rows of pairs of hinges, with the pairs of hinges of the rows arranged in alternating sequence. The workpiece receiving positions and return positions corresponding to the cooperating machines arranged along the transport device, wherein at each stop position there is a Berueufungsfuehler, which determines presence or absence of a workpiece in the frame pairs in the passage. Fig. 1

Description

Transport device sum 'Transport of valves or other workpieces

Field of application of the invention

The invention relates to a transport device for transporting valves or other workpieces which are to be subjected to one or more machining processes by machines which are arranged along the transport device.

Characteristic of the known technical solutions

According to the applicant's patent application P 2750134.4 (IT patent application 9463 9/76; patent application 77,34043), a transport device for transporting valves or other workpieces to be processed by machines arranged along the transport device is already known. This known transport device has stably designed frame elements, which are arranged on a chain. There are further provided rails along the chain of flanges on which the workpieces slide along. This known solution has the disadvantage that the workpieces are thereby damaged during their transport.

Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to increase the work productivity in the machining of workpieces by an improved transport device and a

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Damage to the workpieces during transport should be avoided. Explanation of the essence of the invention

The invention has for its object to provide a transport device, with the help of workpieces to be automatically fed to and removed from the various processing stations, the transport device of different size workpieces is formed in a simple manner adaptable.

The solution of this object is according to the invention is that the transport device listed above for the transport of valves or other 'workpieces is characterized by:

a) a pair of juxtaposed endless chains or elastic elements with Pührungs- and deflection wheels at the ends of the transport device and drive-controlled means for these chains or elements;

b) guide rails along the individual branches' of the chain or elastic members and pairs of pendulum mounted on the two chains or elastic elements, the two frames of each pair being mounted to oscillate about and opposite to each other on a common transversal axis To hold workpiece such and lead that the center of gravity of the workpiece is lower than the vibration axis;

c) sensors which are in communication with the guide wheels or with intermediate rotation elements

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successively determining holding positions su which serve different purposes and which correspond to at least two rows of bearings, one bearing of which interacts with the other;

d) workpiece receiving and returning positions, each position being in correspondence with a cooperating machine, and each machine being equipped with a touch sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a workpiece in the pair of bearing frames as they pass through the respective position, and wherein the touch probes are connected to the sensors which detect the rows to which a pair of frames pass when passing through the position in question to pick up the workpieces from one bearing of a pair of frames to the processing machine and return them to a bearing of another pair of frames.

In a further development of the invention, the sensors are connected to a disk which moves simultaneously with the chain or the elastic elements and which has an angle step which is equal to that of the guide and deflection wheels. It is particularly advantageous to connect the sensors to a disk. which moves with the chain or the elastic elements simultaneously with a reduction ratio, which is 1: 2 with respect to the guide and deflection wheels.

One or both support elements of the two chains or the elastic elements are adjustable with respect to the distance under each other, wherein the respective guide and deflection wheels are connected by means of a hinge slot connection, preferably with propeller shafts.

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In a further development of the invention, the sensors and / or touch sensors are designed as proximity switches, the touch sensors having vibration elements.

embodiment

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment dargestellen in the drawings. Hereby show:

Pig. 1: a side view of the transport device; Pig. 2: an enlarged partial view according to Pig. 1;

Pig. 3: a cross section along the section lines III-III after Pig. A ;

Pig. 4: a side view of a Gestella along the lines IY - IY after Pig. 3;

Pig. Fig. 5i shows a cross section of a kinematic connection group between the drive wheels of the two chains;

Fig. 6: a cross section along the section line YI - YI after Pig. 5;

Pig. 7: an enlarged view of a sensor in cross section;

Pig. FIG. 8: a side view of a touch sensor for measuring the presence or absence of a workpiece in a frame pair during passage or in the waiting position and

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Fig. 9: a plan view of a transport device.

1, a support structure of a portion of a transport device is provided with the reference numeral 1. The transport device according to the invention may consist of a single portion or of a plurality of combined sections, each having two endless chains, which are provided with the reference numeral 3. These two chains are held by two longitudinal supports 5, the distance between them being adjustable. Each longitudinal support 5 (see also Fig. 5) is mounted on a guide 7, wherein the guides 7 can slide on the support structure 1 transversely. Each guide has a threaded hole 9, with the help of the guide 7 can be adjusted »can. Through the threaded bore a spindle 12 is guided, which can be handled by the spindle head 12 A, wherein the spindle is connected to a corresponding tongue 1 A of the support structure 1. % F this way, the position of each guide 7 along the axis in the direction of the arrow f 7 can be adjusted, wherein the adjustment of the two guides 7 on the same support preferably takes place one behind the other. Once the guides 7 are adjusted, they can be bolted to the support structure 1 by means of the bolts 14. In this way it is possible to adjust the distance between the two longitudinal supports 5 and thus the distance between the relevant chains 3.

Each longitudinal support 5 (which may be present in one or more adjacent sections) is equipped with a guide wheel 16 at each end of the corresponding chain 3, the guide wheels 16 of the two longitudinal supports 5 being coaxial

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aligned with each other. At least one of the two guide wheels 16 of each chain 3 acts as a drive wheel. Sin geared motor 18, which is arranged on one of the longitudinal supports 5 laterally overhanging, is used as a drive of the guide wheels 16 which are formed as drive wheels. The geared motor 18 drives a shaft 20 which is mounted on one of the longitudinal supports 5 at which a guide wheel 16 is located (see Pig. 5). The other corresponding guide wheel 16 'is driven by the shaft 20 via a hinge connection 22 and a shaft 24 which has a sliding coupling and is connected by a hollow shaft which is fixed on the other longitudinal support 5 and fixedly connected to the other guide wheel 16. This provides for the simultaneous movement of the two chains, while allowing the adjustment of the distance between them, as well as a limited inclination during adjustment,

Each chain 3 is guided by the two guide wheels 16 so that they can carry the su transporting workpieces. For these purposes, the rapport device according to the present invention is provided with guide members 30. These guide members 30 have recessed channels which correspond to the cross-section of the chains 3 including the elements connected thereto, which will be described in more detail later. By this measure, the chains 3 "can carry the weights distributed over the upper and lower run, regardless of the length of the run in the transport device.

The chains 3, which may be of the GaIl, Fieiyer or a similar type, have rotating links on certain chain links.

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These frame elements 34 are oscillatingly and oscillatingly mounted on the lugs 32 of their axes of rotation and have a V-shaped support 34A for receiving the end of a workpiece to be transported (for example the shaft end of a shaft) Fitting for an electric motor or the like). These ends may have different diameters or different and non-circular portions · The attachment and the assignment of the chains 3 is formed such that the two chains 3 each have mutually facing frame members 34 and supports 34 A, which receive the ends of a workpiece. These frame members 34 are over the

entire length "" of the "chain 3 distributed. Since the connections

are formed articulated between the frame members 34 and the chains 3, the work carried by the corresponding Ge ^ tellelemente 34 workpieces can circle continuously and repeatedly over the entire chain circle. In respect to the axial AQ _{S (3 e} hnung of the workpieces, which are preferably identical to one another and which can handle the transport apparatus, the longitudinal supports can be adjusted to provide the desired spacing between the supports 34 A of the two opposing frame members 34 of each frame pair to achieve",

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 9, the arrow f indicates the direction of movement of the upper run of the chains 3. The end 1 X of the transport device is a workpiece loading station and a discharge or supply station is provided at the adjacent end 1 Y of the transport device , In practice, the loading and unloading stations may correspond to the final guide wheels 10. On

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The 3Ladungsstation is not shown in detail system for feeding a single Y / erkstückea on a first certain series of frame members 34 when these frame members 34 reach the loading station in the empty state. Correspondingly, there is a system for removing finished workpieces at the unloading or supply station 1 Y, which is delivered by a second specific frame element row.

For carrying out at least one processing operation on the delivered workpieces are along the transport device corresponding processing machines, for example, at the points A, B, G and D of FIG. 9. Thus, for example, several machines can be used to perform the same processing, each " The machine handles various workpieces to be machined, and each finished and returning workpiece is equal to the other returning workpieces.The distances between the machines performing the same operation are many times the distance between the hanging rack members 34. The stacking members 34 of a row (For example, those for the workpieces to be machined) are marked, for example, by different colors in contrast to those of another series, which receive the finished workpieces, for example, the workpieces that are ready for removal nd.

In the simplest case assumed here as an example, the workpieces transported on the transport device are subject to a single processing and are then removed. In this case, the pairs of the frame members 34 of the transport device are divided into two rows, wherein

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the pairs of the first rows are interposed with those of the second rows. The frame members 34 of the first rows are configured to receive and support the workpieces which are about to be processed, while the frame pairs 34 of the second rows are adapted to receive and support and unload the finished workpieces. Each row of frame element pairs 34, or at least the first element frame members 34, must be capable of allowing the workpiece to continuously and repeatedly circulate on the upper and lower runners. A finished workpiece carried by the frame member 34 of the second row can be detached when it first arrives at the discharge station 1 Y, without recirculation; if the acceptance is not carried out, the finished workpiece can circulate again. Each of the machines is provided with mechanical arms which are capable of taking off, in one position, the workpiece which is to be further processed and returning a finished workpiece in another or the same position. The decrease is made by a Gestellelementenpaar34 of the first series, while the return to a pair of frame elements 34 of the second or another series takes place.

The acceptance and return operations are subject to at least the following criteria: The first criterion is the presence of a rack element pair 34 of a certain row at a location at which a particular door travel is to be performed.

Sin second criterion is the availability of a pair of frame elements 34 with a piece to be accepted or in the operational readiness of Gestellelementeen-

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Paares 34 to receive a finished workpiece at a predetermined location. The second criterion is essentially aimed at signaling the presence or absence of a workpiece at the position in question,

A third criterion is directed to the cooperating machine, which is coordinated with the relevant position in question. This third criterion depends on the demand for a workpiece by the machine waiting to perform an operation or to return a finished workpiece from the request of that machine.

The means for solving the third criterion relative to the operation phase of a machine at a given time will not be described here in detail, since conventional means known per se can be used for this purpose.

The first criterion (the identification of the rows to which a pair of frames that comes to a certain position) is a function of the position which the chain occupies in its circulation, which in practice is a functior of the angular position of the guide wheel 16. Reference is made in this regard to FIGS. 5 and 6, in which a support disk 42 for a phase wheel 44 is shown. The phase wheel 44 is adjustable on the support disk 42 by means of slots 46 or equivalent means. The support disk 42 is connected to the guide wheel 16 with the shaft. The phase wheel 44 has two rows of cams and 50, which are on two different circumferential circles and are angularly spaced in a ratio of 1: * 1 alternately according to the angular distance

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As the squats 43 and 50 are angularly interposed, alternate rack members 34 are associated along the chain 3 corresponding to the first or second particular row of rack member pairs 34. The pair of frame members 34 of one row correspond to the lugs 48 and the frame member pairs 34 of the second correspond to the squat 50. The sensors 52 and 54 cooperate with the cams 48 and 50, and for these reasons the system consists of the members 44, 48, 50, 52 and 54 are the sensors used to identify the rows to which the frame pairs belong in a particular position.

To determine whether a frame member pair 34 carries a workpiece in a particular position or is empty, touch sensors 60 X located at 1 Z and sensors 60 Y located at 1 Y or generally sensors 60 Z are used are between a machine acceptance or playback position. The pig. 8 shows a contact sensor 60 in its details. It has a body 62 which is adjustably mounted on the longitudinal supports 5 or on the support structure 1 of the transport device; a swinging rocker arm with a hook-shaped element 66 on one side representing the touch sensor and on the opposite side a core 68 cooperating with a proximity switch 70. The hook-shaped element 66 and the core 68 are connected to the body 62 by means of a Articulated connection 64 connected. The hook-shaped element 66 is moved away from the position shown in FIG. 8 when a workpiece reaches the touch sensor 60, for example,

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four, the workpiece arrives on a lane indicated by the arrow f A. Here, the core 68 is brought from the pivoted position shown in Fig. 8 to a position against the proximity switch 70, thereby generating a signal indicative of the presence of a workpiece. Similarly, the hook-shaped member 66 is not deflected when an empty frame member pair 34 comes to the position that is sensed by the sensor.

The sensors 44, 43, 50, 52, and 54, therefore, signal the rows to which a particular frame member pair 34 belongs, which comes to a predetermined position, while the touch sensor 60 signals the presence or absence of a piece of work to This particular data is fed to an electrical control circuit and is processed by means of a logic circuit connected to a machine which must pick up or deliver a workpiece in the position in question, such that upon receipt of appropriate data, the data is transferred desired operation can be carried out by the machine. This logic circuit also causes, upon receipt of appropriate data, that the transport device stops and that the embossed mechanical arm performs the removal or return operation.

Similarly, the position 1 Σ for feeding the workpieces onto the first-row rack element pairs 34 arriving empty at the 1 X position, as well as the Pozitic 1 X for removing the finished workpieces located at the 1-Y position in the Frame members 34 of the second row arrive, with the above-described electrical control

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provided. Therefore, if more than one machine of the same type is placed at the various positions (such as A, B, C, D in Fig. 9) along the conveyor, each machine can quickly and efficiently pick up a workpiece and return a finished workpiece, because the transport device moves continuously and cyclically.

Fig. 7 illustrates a second embodiment of the transport device which serves to receive a workpiece greater than the distance between adjacent frame members 34. According to this embodiment, a shaft 120 is integrally connected to a guide wheel such as the guide wheel 16 on which there is a toothed pinion 122 which engages a gear 124 having a diameter twice as large as the pinion 122. A disc 126 is integrally connected to the gear 124 and angularly adjustable. The disk 126 as well as the support disk carries two rows of squibs 123 and 130, which are arranged offset angularly over two different circumferential circles. In this way, the step between the guide wheels 16 and the disk 126 is doubled. Ba is therefore possible to adapt the transport device for larger sized workpieces, which require a larger step between the adjacent frame element pairs 34.

For ease of understanding, the present invention has been described as having more than one machine performing a single and identical machining on the passing workpieces. In this case

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Only two rows of frame element pairs 34 are required, which are marked differently in order to be recognized by the described sensor devices can. However, the transport device of the present invention may be configured to use a number of machines performing two or more machining operations. Of course, a single machine or two or more identical machines may be arranged along the transport device for each operation. In the pail, where two different operations are to be performed, three rows of rack element pairs 34 are required; A first row for the first workpieces, a second row for those workpieces which have been subjected to the first machining operation and a third row for those finished workpieces on which · both operations have been carried out and which are to be removed. The frame element pairs 34 of the various rows may be interposed along the chains 3 according to a certain criterion so that the frame element pairs 34 of each of the three rows can be recognized by the sensors. These sensors are prepared to receive three different signals fit to the frame element pairs 34 of the three rows, for example using cams or other devices arranged on three circumferential circles.The contact sensors 60 for determining the presence or absence of a workpiece in the individual positions is maintained, and so, as the criteria for the requirement of Y / erkäriicken as well as for the plague position of empty racks for the return of the workpieces are ·

Claims (5)

241831 5 "^ 9.1 ?. 1982 61 193/16 Invention A transport device for transporting fittings or other workpieces subjected to one or more machining processes by machines disposed along the transport device, characterized by: a) a pair of juxtaposed endless chains (3) or elastic elements with guiding and deflecting wheels 16 at the ends of the transporting device, as well as drive-controlled means for these chains (3) or elements; b) guide means (30) along the individual tracks of the chain or the elastic elements with pendulum-mounted frame pairs (34) on the two chains or elastic elements, the two frames of each pair facing each other and each on a transverse axis (32) are mounted to vibrate to guide the ends of a workpiece and hold so that the center of gravity of the workpiece is lower than the vibration axis (32); c) sensors (43, 52, 50, 54) which communicate with the guide wheels or with intermediate rotation elements for determining sequential, serving for different purposes holding positions, which correspond to at least two rows of brackets (34, 34 A) wherein the holders of the rows are arranged in an alternating sequence, 2. Transport device according to item 1, characterized in that the sensors (48, 50) are connected to a disc (44) which moves simultaneously with the chain (3) or the elastic elements and which has a 'tfinkelstufe, the same that of the guide and deflection wheels, 2/1 Q Q 1 ζ "^ 9.12.1932 Transport device according to item 1, characterized in that the sensors (48, 50) are connected to a disc which moves simultaneously with the key (3) or the elastic elements at a reduction ratio which, in relation to the guiding and deflecting wheels (16) is preferably 1: 2. 4. Transport device according to item 2 or 3, characterized in that one or both support elements (5) of the two chains (3) or the elastic elements with respect to the distance "are mutually adjustable and that the 31 5 - ^ - β · ¹² · ¹ ** 61 193/16 speaking guide and deflection wheels (16) by means of a hinge slot connection (22), preferably with drive shafts (24) are connected · 4 J G J I J 61 193/16 d) workpiece receipt and return positions, each position being in accordance with a cooperating machine and each machine being equipped with a touch sensor (60) to detect the presence or absence of a workpiece in the pair of bearing frames (34) as they pass through it Position and wherein the touch sensors (60) are connected to the sensors (52, 54), which detect the rows to which a frame pair (34) in passing through the position in question belongs to the workpieces from a bearing of a frame pair ( 34) to the processing machine and return them to a bearing of another frame pair (34). Transport device according to item 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the sensors and / or contact sensors (60) are designed as proximity switches, wherein the contact sensors (60) comprise vibration elements (64, 66). - For this 7 pages drawings -