DE4415188C2 - Workpiece transport device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a workpiece transport device for use in a step press, the at least two counteracting and in each press stroke has press parts which can be moved towards one another with tools, these Tools form at least one tool stage, on the first workpieces and the second Workpieces are brought together.

"Press" in the sense of the invention is basically a machine with at least two relatively movable and counteracting machine or To understand press parts, preferably a tool press for Manufacture of components from sheet metal.

In the sense of the invention, “tool” basically includes one in one machine provided at least two machine parts movable relative to each other To understand the tool, preferably a punching and / or shaping tool, but also other tools, for example for assembling, joining, fastening etc. Tool is preferably a so-called follow-up tool with which in a press a workpiece or component in several successive work steps is made of sheet metal, etc.

The production of workpieces from a sheet pulled from a coil or from individual sheets or sheets using a press or one in one such press arranged tool (for example, a follow-up tool) Punching, permanent deformation, etc. is known. It is also known that Workpieces in the press at the same time with connecting elements, such as nuts, To provide bolts, etc., by inserting them into a workpiece and then pressing the connecting element. This is done, for example using a so-called punching head (DE 12 92 112 B), which the Fasteners are fed via a feeder.  

In many cases, however, it is also necessary not only to connect such connecting elements to the to connect components to be manufactured in a press, but also different types Workpieces for which the well-known punch heads used for connecting elements are not suitable and which in turn, for example, from sheet metal by punching, by permanent deformation, etc. are produced. So far, it has been common practice to use such Workpieces after their completion manually or in another device (e.g. Assembly machines) and bring them together in the desired manner connect, which, however, means an increased mechanical engineering effort and often also means that the workpieces to be joined together after have to be reoriented from a disordered quantity.

A workpiece transport device for presses (DD 106 799) is also known a holder that can be moved back and forth in the horizontal direction for workpieces having.

The object of the invention is to show a device that brings together and possibly also the connection of two workpieces in the respective press or in the tool there, which is used to manufacture one of these Workpieces is used.

To solve this problem, a device according to the features of Claim 1 trained.

In the invention, the second workpiece is transferred to the working position or to the tool level to which the chain of first workpieces is conveyed, in that the respective second workpiece of the at least one, on Swivel plate provided recording at a recording position, through which Lifting movement of the holder is lifted from the holding position and then through the pivoting movement of the receptacle moves to the tool stage and through there Lift movement is placed on the ready first workpiece.  

The peculiarity is, among other things, that the lifting movement of the recording or the swivel plate having the receptacle on one of two counteracting tool or press parts Workpiece transport device directly through the relative movement of these two counteracting tool parts is effected or controlled.

In a preferred embodiment, there are at least two receptacles and two Recording positions provided so that both recordings in the same direction and synchronously be moved and with each stroke these recordings from a rest position into one Working position of a recording one available at a recording position second workpiece and the second located on the other holder Workpiece is merged with a first workpiece at the tool stage.

The pivoting movement is preferably a reciprocating pivoting movement, which is preferably generated by a double-acting cylinder.

The two workpieces are preferably also connected at the tool stage, for example by permanent material deformation, such as. B. Bending Fixing tabs, pressing bolts inserted into a workpiece, riveting or by welding etc. The removal of the second workpiece from the respective Recording at the tool stage takes place in that after connecting the Workpieces in their initial stroke position from the workpieces is moved away and the recording of that on the first workpiece retained second workpiece is released. This is a particularly simple one Training of admission possible. With a follow-up tool, this also means that the respective first workpiece is only moved on when on the second workpiece is attached.

Developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The invention is described below with reference to the figures using an exemplary embodiment explained in more detail. Show it:

Figure 1 in a simplified representation and to explain the invention two workpieces made of sheet metal, each in plan view.

Figure 2 shows the two workpieces after connecting.

Fig. 3 is a simplified representation of a device according to the invention, for explaining the basic operation of this apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the device along the line II of Fig. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 in cross-section and in longitudinal section a of the object positions of the apparatus of Figs. 3 and 4, along with a lowered there recording.

In the figures, 1 is a first workpiece which is produced by punching in a press, also not shown, in at least one preceding tool section using a follow-up tool, not shown, in the same way as a plurality of similar workpieces 1 . The figures show the workpiece 1 in a tool stage or working position 2 of the follow-up tool, in which the workpieces 1 are still connected to one another via material webs 3 from the sheet used and from which the workpieces 1 move in the direction of arrow A to further working positions, not shown on which, for example, further processing of the workpieces 1 and / or separation of the webs 3 takes place. It is understood that the further movement of the workpieces 1 takes place step by step during the upward stroke of the press.

For the sake of simplicity, the workpiece 1 is essentially plate-shaped. Of course, this workpiece can also have a different shape. At work position 2 , the workpiece 1 is connected in the follow-up tool to a further workpiece 4 produced outside the follow-up tool. For the sake of simplicity, the latter is again in the form of a plate and has two regions 5 , which are produced by Aufkelchen, on which the workpiece 4 is each provided with an internal thread. Furthermore, the workpiece 4 has two rectangular openings 6 , with the aid of which it is fastened to the workpiece 1 , namely in that the workpiece 4 with the openings 6 each on a tab 7 , in one of the working position 2 preceding the working position of the following tool by partial Punching and bending from the material of the workpiece 1 or from the sheet metal is made, is pushed on and then each tab 7 is bent onto the workpiece 4 lying flat against the workpiece 1 , as shown in FIG. 2.

The feeding of the workpieces 4 to the working position 2 , the insertion of the workpieces 4 into the workpieces 1 or onto the tabs 7 there, and the bending of these tabs is carried out with the device 8 shown in FIGS. 3-6, which is a complete, full forms a functional unit and can be installed as such in the follow-up tool or in the press and, if necessary (e.g. for repair purposes), can also be removed or replaced as a complete unit.

Another essential feature of the device 8 is that one of the movements of this device 8 is achieved by the lifting movement of the press or two counteracting press or tool parts.

In FIG. 3, the device 8 is very simplified presented to illustrate their function. Also shown are the workpieces 1 connected to one another via the webs 3 and moved in the direction of arrow A by the follower tool, of which a workpiece 1 is at the working position 2 , which is also the delivery position of the device 8 for the workpieces 4 .

The device 8 has two parallel feeds 9 , via which the workpieces 4 are fed substantially in the horizontal direction or slightly obliquely downward, in such a way that the plate-shaped workpieces 4 in each case at a receiving position 10 formed by one end of the feeder 9 are arranged horizontally or are available.

On a swivel plate (hereinafter referred to as support 11 ), which in the illustrated embodiment is designed in the form of a circular disk, is oriented with its axis in the vertical direction and defines a vertical device axis VA ( FIG. 4), and which is arranged at a level above the receiving positions 10 , two receptacles 12 are provided at an angle α, ie offset from one another by an angle of 90 ° about the axis VA in the embodiment shown. The receiving positions 10 are offset from one another by the angle 2 × a and the working position in each case by an angle a with respect to each receiving position 10 .

By means of a double-acting cylinder 13 (pneumatic cylinder) and a toothed rack 14 , which cooperates with a gear wheel 15 , which is connected to the carrier 11 and is arranged axially with the axis VA, the carrier 11 is about this axis over an angular range a, ie in the illustrated Embodiment can be pivoted back and forth by the angular range of 90 °, in such a way that, through the corresponding arrangement of the receptacles 12 on the carrier 11 , a receptacle 12 at a receptacle position 10 and the other receptacle 12 at the dispensing or in each end position of this pivoting movement Working position 2 is located, ie in the end position shown in FIG. 3, the one receptacle 12 at the receptacle position 10 of the left feed 9 there and the other receptacle at the delivery position 2 . When the carrier 11 is pivoted into the other end position, the receptacle 12 previously located at the delivery position 2 is then moved to the receptacle position 10 of the right feeder 9 and the receptacle 12 previously located at the receptacle position 10 of the left feeder 9 is moved to the delivery position 2 .

The workpieces 4 are then fed to the feed positions 10 on the feeders 9 close to one another.

For example, in order to transfer the workpiece 4 waiting at the receiving position 10 of the left feed 9 to a workpiece 1 , the carrier 11 is lowered by a predetermined stroke H by the downward stroke of the press, so that the waiting workpiece 4 is lowered from the receiving position 10 to this Recording 12 is detected. During the upward stroke of the press, ie when the press or tool part moves apart, activating the cylinder 13 then pivots the support 11 about the axis VA by 90 °, so that the receptacle 12 occupied by the workpiece 4 arrives at the delivery position 2 and 4 is placed in the next downstroke of the press, the workpiece held in the receptacle 12 on a waiting at the discharge position 2, workpiece 4 and fixed by bending over the flap. 7 At the same time, with this downward stroke from the other receptacle 12, the workpiece 4 available at the receiving position 10 of the right feeder 9 is detected, so that with each downward stroke of the press a workpiece 4 is actually inserted into a workpiece 1 and a workpiece 4 for insertion in the next downward stroke the press is received by a receptacle 12 . The vertical lifting movement of the carrier 11 is brought about by the movement of the press and thus runs absolutely synchronously with the movement of the press, in particular also at different press speeds, so that in the short period of time in the region of the bottom dead center of the press stroke the onset of the respective workpiece 4 into the workpiece 1 and the connection of the two workpieces to one another can be carried out with the required high precision.

It goes without saying that the feeds 9 , the receiving positions 10 and the receptacles 12 are designed in such a way that the workpieces 4 have an exact, predetermined orientation.

Since the workpieces 4 are connected to the workpieces 1 at the work position or delivery position 2 , the receptacles 12 are designed with respect to the holding of the workpieces 4 on these receptacles in such a way that the workpieces 4 are resilient, for example by resilient latching lugs or the like. Resilient elements and / or are held by magnets. No special measures are therefore necessary to release the workpieces 4 at the delivery position 2 . Rather, they are held on the respective workpiece 1 until it is finally fastened and then moved upwards to the corresponding receptacle 12 . This not only simplifies the device 8 or its receptacle 12 , but also ensures a highly precise operation.

The feeds 9 are, for example, slanting sliding guides with which the workpieces 4 are fed via linear conveyors, for example from the pot of a spiral conveyor.

The control of the pivoting movement of the carrier 11 is possible with high precision, for example in that appropriate stops are provided for the carrier 11 , so that possible tolerances caused by a play between the rack 14 and the gear 15 are eliminated.

Figs. 4-6 show the apparatus in more detail.

16 in these figures is a stationary press or tool part, to which the device 8 is attached. 17 is a press part moved up and down in accordance with the press stroke, namely, for example, a spring-loaded hold-down device, which is shown in FIG. 4 in a lower stroke position.

A base plate 18 of the device 8 is fastened on the upper side of the press part 16 . In this plate 18 , a shaft 19 is rotatably supported coaxially with the axis VA, on which the gear wheel 15 is provided directly above the bearing or the plate 18 and which is designed as a hollow shaft in its section 19 ′ which extends upward above the gear wheel 15 is.

On the shaft 19 there is a cylindrical housing 20 enclosing this shaft, which is connected to the shaft 19 via wedges 21 for a rotary movement about the axis VA, but is axially displaceable relative to the shaft 19 by the predetermined stroke H. The housing 20 is mounted on its outer surface in a sliding or support bearing 22 which encloses this housing and allows axial movement, which is provided at the upper end of a cylindrical bearing carrier 23 which surrounds the housing 20 and which is also arranged and aligned with the axis VA its lower open end is provided with a flange-like housing part 24 . With this, the bearing bracket 23 is attached to the top of the plate 18 . The housing part 24 also accommodates the gear wheel 15 and the part of the rack 14 which engages with it and also forms a guide for the rack 14 .

The disk-shaped carrier 11 is fastened with its underside to the upper end face of the housing 20 projecting beyond the bearing carrier 23 . This has a central bore 25 through which the shaft 19 protrudes upwards and extends into a cover 26 fastened on the upper side of the carrier 11 .

In section 19 'a gas spring 27 is arranged, which is supported with its lower end on the bottom of the hollow shaft-like section 19 ' and with its upper end on the cover 26 and thus prestresses the housing 20 with the carrier 11 in the upper stroke position. On its upper side, the cover 26 has a cylindrical, axial projection 28 which is arranged coaxially with the axis VA and which is curved on its upper end face like a spherical surface or forms a corresponding contact surface 29 .

An insert or ram 30 is provided on the press part 17 , in which a shaft-like pressure piece 31 , which forms a counter surface for the contact surface 29, is freely rotatable about the axis VA.

When the press is open, the pressure piece 31 is spaced from the contact surface 29 so that the support 11 with the receptacles 12 is moved into the upper stroke position of the stroke H by the gas spring 27 . If the press part 17 or a press or tool part (not shown) acting on the ram 30 from above moves into the lower stroke position, then the pressure piece 31 finally comes to rest against the contact surface 29 , which then causes the press or tool part to move further downward the carrier 11 is also moved downward against the action of the gas spring 27 , the lower stroke position of the stroke of the carrier 11 being reached at the bottom dead center of the press stroke.

The receptacles 12 , which are provided on the underside of the carrier 11 outside the bearing carrier 23 , are shown in more detail in FIGS . 5 and 6.

In the illustrated embodiment, each receptacle 12 consists of the block 32 fastened directly to the underside of the carrier 11 and of the block 33 which is guided in an axial direction parallel to the axis VA on the upper block 32 and relative to this block against the action of compression spring 34 is displaceable by a predetermined amount.

The lower block 33 forms on its underside, inter alia, recesses 35 into which the projections or fluted areas 5 of the workpieces 4 can be positively received, so that an exact positioning of each workpiece 4 on the underside of the block 33 and thus on the receptacle 12 results ,

Furthermore, the block 33 also forms control surfaces 36 for resilient retaining pawls 37 , which secure the respective workpiece 4 at the receiving position 10 against lifting until the respective holder 12 has lowered so far that the workpiece 4 with its regions 5 in the recesses 35 is recorded.

A permanent magnet 40 is provided on the lower block 33 to hold the workpieces 4 made of a ferromagnetic material on the respective receptacle 12 .

In FIG. B, 38 also denotes a resilient pawl provided at the end of the receiving position 10, which interacts with a sensor 39 , via which an error signal is then emitted when no workpiece 4 is available at the relevant receiving position 10 .

Each receptacle 12 also has two punches 41 which extend in their axis parallel to the axis VA and are fastened with their upper end in the block 32 and are displaceably mounted in the lower block 33 . When the respective receptacle 12 is lowered at the working or dispensing position 2, these stamps 41 serve to bend the tabs 7 .

It is understood that the connection between the workpieces 1 and 4 or workpieces of a different shape in the working position 2 can also be made in another way, for example by pressing pins etc. Furthermore, the connection can also be made by welding, in particular spot or resistance welding.

The invention has been described above using an exemplary embodiment. It it goes without saying that changes and modifications are possible without this the inventive idea on which the invention is based is abandoned.  

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

workpiece

2

Work and delivery position

3

web

4

workpiece

5

Area

6

opening

7

cloth

8th

contraption

9

feed

10

pickup position

11

Carrier or swivel plate

12

admission

13

cylinder

14

rack

15

gear

16

.

17

press part

18

plate

19

wave

20

casing

21

wedge

22

camp

23

bearing bracket

24

housing part

25

drilling

26

cover

27

gas spring

28

axial projection

29

contact surface

30

Insert or pestle

31

Pressure piece

32

.

33

block

34

compression spring

35

recess

36

control surface

37

pawl

38

pawl

39

sensor

40

magnet

41

stamp

Claims (10)

1. Workpiece transport device for use in a stepped press, which has at least two counteracting press parts ( 16 , 17 , 30 ) that move towards each other in each press stroke, with tools that form at least one tool step ( 2 ) to which a chain of first workpieces ( 1 ) is conveyed step by step in the form of a coherent sheet metal strip, with at least one swivel plate ( 11 ) arranged laterally for this purpose, for guiding a second workpiece ( 4 ) to be brought together with each first workpiece ( 1 ) at the tool stage ( 2 ),
With at least one receiving position ( 10 ) below the swivel plate ( 11 ), in which a feed ( 9 ) for the second workpieces ( 4 ) ends, and with at least two receptacles ( 12 ) present and spaced apart from the swivel plate ( 11 ). for the second workpieces ( 4 ), the swivel plate ( 11 ) executing a rotary movement about an axis (VA) between two strokes of the press in such a way that a second workpiece ( 4 ) from the receiving position ( 10 ) to the tool stage ( 2 ) is transported, and
with a mobility of the swivel plate ( 11 ) in the direction of its axis (VA) against spring force ( 27 ) with each press stroke, driven by the relative movement of the press parts ( 16 , 17 , 30 ). 2. Workpiece transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring force ( 27 ) biases the swivel plate ( 11 ) in an upper stroke position. 3. Workpiece transport device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the swivel plate ( 11 ) with its respective above the tool stage receptacle ( 12 ) in addition to releasing the second workpiece ( 4 ) in the same stroke at the same time a machining operation on the two assembled workpieces ( 1 , 4 ) causes. 4. Workpiece transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary movement of the swivel plate ( 11 ) by a motor or an actuator, preferably by a working cylinder ( 13 ), via a control device depending on the press stroke. 5. Workpiece transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by two receiving positions ( 10 ) and by at least two synchronously and synchronously moving receptacles ( 12 ) on the swivel plate ( 11 ) such that in each working cycle of the device a second workpiece ( 4 ) a pickup position ( 10 ) picked up by a pickup ( 12 ) at the same time a second workpiece ( 4 ) on the tool stage ( 2 ) is transferred to a first workpiece ( 1 ) there. 6. Workpiece transport device according to claim 5, characterized in that the two receiving positions ( 10 ) about the axis (VA) are offset by an angle (2 × a) and the tool step ( 2 ) is provided on the bisector of this angle that the two Recordings ( 12 ) are offset about the axis (VA) by half the angular amount (a), and that a pivoting angle forming the rotary movement is also equal to half the angular amount (a). 7. Workpiece transport device according to claim 6, characterized in that two by 180 ° - based on the swivel plate ( 11 ) - spaced apart receiving positions ( 10 ) below the swivel plate ( 11 ) are provided that at each receiving position ( 10 ) has a feeder ( 9 ) for the second workpieces ( 4 ) ends that two spaced apart by 90 ° under the swivel plate ( 11 ) and on this existing receptacles ( 12 ) for the second workpieces ( 4 ) are provided, with between two strokes of the press Swivel plate ( 11 ) performs a 90 ° swivel, once before and between the next strokes of the press. 8. Workpiece transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one receptacle ( 12 ) has means for holding the second workpiece ( 4 ), for example at least one magnet ( 40 ) and / or elastic or resilient clamping means, vacuum holder or the like , 9. Workpiece transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that means for connecting the first and second workpieces ( 1 , 4 ) are provided on the tool stage ( 2 ). 10. Workpiece transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one receptacle ( 12 ) and / or the means provided on this for holding a second workpiece ( 4 ) are designed such that on the tool stage ( 2 ) after the connection of the workpieces ( 1 , 4 ), the receptacle ( 12 ) there is withdrawn during the lifting movement of this receptacle ( 12 ) upwards from the second workpiece ( 4 ) attached to the first workpiece ( 1 ).