Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D65/00—Designing, manufacturing, e.g. assembling, facilitating disassembly, or structurally modifying motor vehicles or trailers, not otherwise provided for
  • B62D65/02—Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components
  • B62D65/18—Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines

Definitions

• the invention relates to a drag conveyor system for transporting and pulling loads in industrial plants and warehouses with the aid of a motor-driven drive unit which can be moved on running rails.
• the invention is therefore based on the object of developing a drag conveyor system for transporting and pulling loads, for example of motor vehicles, in particular in the final assembly area of the automotive industry, which avoids complex gripping and lifting devices and overcomes height differences in the production lines without expensive lifting and lowering stations , significant improvements in environmental conditions in terms of noise and exhaust fumes for the workers and a saving in labor costs and fuel.
• the towing conveyor system consists of a known, monorail-mounted electric monorail vehicle and a load-bearing towing vehicle provided with rollers, the towing vehicle being connected to the overhead monorail vehicle by means of a towing linkage.
• the tow truck partially lifts the load to be transported.
• the towing vehicle comprises an uppercarriage and an undercarriage which are arranged one above the other and articulatedly connected to one another, that the undercarriage has an extendable and retractable caster rocker, at the ends of which the caster wheels are arranged, the extension being extended by the Roller rocker of the towing vehicle can be raised so that the undercarriage has laterally rigid, front pickup rollers and the uppercarriage has horizontally opening and closing rear clamping rollers assigned to the front pickup rollers at the rear end.
• the towing linkage is connected to the elec- can be coupled and folded up together with the empty towing vehicle around the coupling unit in the direction of the running rail.
• a support carriage is expediently arranged on the towing linkage, said support carriage having a support roller and guide rollers and carrying the empty towing carriage, which is folded up in the direction of the running rail, on an assigned reversing line.
• the load to be transported is a motor vehicle, the front wheels of which are arranged between the rigid, front pick-up rollers and the closed, rear clamping rollers, and the front part of which can be raised by extending the roller rocker.
• An embodiment of the invention provides that motor drives with control units are available for actuating the roller rocker and the foldable, rear pinch rollers.
• the towing conveyor system can be produced inexpensively and can be easily installed both in existing and in newly constructed monorail systems in the entire assembly area, since complex and heavy gripping and lifting devices for transporting the Motor vehicles and complicated lifting and lowering stations for overcoming differences in height are eliminated. Since the motor vehicles are driven without a driver and without the engine running, downtimes and set-up times can be shortened, personnel costs and fuel saved and noise levels and pollutant loads in the conveying area reduced.
• FIG. 1 schematically shows a side view of the towing conveyor system according to the invention with towing vehicle in the receiving position
• FIG. 3 schematically shows a further side view of the towing conveyor system, but with a towing vehicle in the driving position
• FIG. 4 is a top view of the towing vehicle belonging to FIG. 3,
• FIG. 5 schematically shows a side view of an empty towing conveyor system in the folded-up position
• Fig. 6 shows schematically a side view of the handover of a motor vehicle from the
• Towing conveyor system to a floor conveyor and overcoming a height difference by empty towing conveyor systems in the rising and horizontal areas and
• FIG. 7 schematically shows a side view of the return of the motor vehicle from the floor conveyor to the towing conveyor system and the overcoming of a height difference by empty towing conveyor systems in the horizontal and downhill areas.
• the towing conveyor system 1 shows a schematic side view of a towing conveyor system 1 according to the invention.
• the towing conveyor system 1 consists of an electric monorail vehicle 2 which can be moved on rails 6 and which is known, for example, from DE-PS 44 01 210 and is described there, and a towing vehicle 3 which is movable on the floor 21 of factories and warehouses and is provided with corresponding rollers 11 , where the towing vehicle 3 is connected to the Eletoro suspension bogie vehicle 2 via a towing linkage 4.
• the towing linkage 4 is coupled to the monorail vehicle 2 with the aid of a coupling unit 14 only indicated in the drawing.
• the towing vehicle 3, which serves to accommodate the loads 5 to be moved, preferably motor vehicles 5, is composed essentially of an upper carriage 7 and an undercarriage 8, which are arranged one above the other and with the aid of a top view of the towing vehicle 3 in FIG. 2 designated 9 ball bearings, for. B. an angular contact ball bearing, are hinged together and form a turntable.
• the undercarriage 8 is connected to the towing linkage 4 via a drawbar 22 and has a retractable and extendable roller rocker 10 at its rear end, on the outer ends of which the roller rollers 11 are arranged.
• rigid, front pick-up rollers 13 project laterally, against which the front wheels 18 of a motor vehicle 5 run onto the towing vehicle 3 when it is picked up.
• the uppercarriage 7 has on its rear end, which projects beyond the undercarriage 8, rear clamping rollers 12, which are assigned to the front pick-up rollers 13 of the undercarriage 8 and can be folded up and closed horizontally.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 which show the tow truck 3 according to the invention embarkiiahmeposition, ready for receiving a motor vehicle 5, show, the rear glue rollers 12 are opened and run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle 3.
• the roller rocker 10 is retracted so that the towing vehicle 3 has only a small ground clearance of about 4 cm.
• the front wheels 18 of the motor vehicle 5 are driven against the rigid, front take-up rollers 13, the rear clamping rollers 12, as indicated by the arrows, are folded against the front wheels 8 from behind and held with the aid of toggle levers 26 .
• the roller rocker 10 is extended downwards, causing the undercarriage 8 and the uppercarriage 7 to move upward and raise the front part 19 of the motor vehicle 5 via the front wheels 18 positioned between the pinch rollers 12 and the take-up rollers 13.
• the motor vehicle 5 can now be moved through workshops and warehouses and from assembly site to assembly site without manual driving with the aid of the towing conveyor system 1 according to the invention.
• roller rocker 10 is retracted and extended by a lifting drive 20, which is fastened together with a control unit 23 for the roller rocker 10 and the electric suspension vehicle 2 to the towing linkage 4.
• the power transmission to the roller rocker 10 takes place via linkage 28 and eccentric 29.
• a further motor drive 24 with corresponding control is provided on the front part of the superstructure 7 for opening and closing the rear clamping rollers 12; the power transmission takes place with the aid of Bowden cables 25 and toggle levers 26.
• a corresponding protective device 30 is also installed in front of the tow bar 4 as personal protection.
• FIGS. 1 and 4 show, in the same views as in FIGS. 1 and 2, the towing vehicle 3 according to the invention in the driving position with the motor vehicle 5 open.
• the roller rocker 10 is extended downward and the rear clamping rollers 12 are folded against the front wheels 18 of the motor vehicle 5.
• the position of the aforementioned components 10, 12 is indicated by signal lamps on the assigned control units.
• the delivery of a motor vehicle 5 takes place in the reverse order: retract the roller rocker 10 and open the pinch rollers 12.
• the empty towing conveyor system 1 can be folded up around the coupling unit 14, which establishes the connection between the electric suspension vehicle 2 and the towing linkage 4, against the running rail 6 (FIG. 5).
• the return transport of the Carry out empty towing conveyor systems 1 and overcome height differences, for example in the area of test benches or water test sections, of the empty towing conveyor systems 1, without the previously expensive lifting and lowering stations.
• the empty towing vehicle 3 is switched to the pick-up position, i.e. the roller rocker 10 is retracted and the rear pinch rollers 12 are opened.
• the superstructure 7 is brought congruent to the undercarriage 8.
• FIG. 6 and 7 schematically show in side view the overcoming of a height difference by empty towing conveyor systems 1 in the area of a water test section through which the motor vehicles 5 are moved by a floor conveyor, not shown in the drawing.
• the towing conveyor systems 1 are conveyed into the reversing line 17 without an additional device for the riser area 27 and are returned to the electric monorail cycle circuit at the transfer position over a downward slope 32, likewise without an additional device.
• a towing conveyor system 1 has been described in which the towing vehicle 3 partially lifts the load 5 to be transported, for example a motor vehicle.
• the towing vehicle 3 is designed such that a lifting movement is not required, but the motor vehicle 5 is placed on the towing vehicle 3 with the aid of a decentralized lifting station, the front wheels 18 of the motor vehicle 5 having no ground contact and the motor vehicle 5 is movable through the factory and warehouse.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Automobile Manufacture Line, Endless Track Vehicle, Trailer (AREA)
• Structure Of Belt Conveyors (AREA)
• Intermediate Stations On Conveyors (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8011782

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1995
  • 1995-08-16 DE DE29513096U patent/DE29513096U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1996
  • 1996-08-16 CZ CZ98447A patent/CZ44798A3/cs unknown
  • 1996-08-16 WO PCT/DE1996/001528 patent/WO1997007041A2/de not_active Ceased
  • 1996-08-16 EP EP96938910A patent/EP0844974A2/de not_active Ceased
  • 1996-08-16 JP JP9508831A patent/JPH11510763A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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