EP1015300A1

EP1015300A1 - Attachment for an industrial truck, and an industrial truck

Info

Publication number: EP1015300A1
Application number: EP98936267A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael Katzer
Original assignee: Ufp Unternehmensberatung Fabrik und Produktionsplanung GmbH
Current assignee: Ufp Unternehmensberatung Fabrik und Produktionsplanung GmbH
Priority date: 1998-07-26
Filing date: 1998-07-26
Publication date: 2000-07-05
Also published as: WO2000006445A1; AU8533898A

Abstract

The invention relates to an industrial truck, especially provided for automobile body structures for manufacturing automobiles, comprising carriages (16) which are guided along a hall floor and on which a lifting device (30) is arranged. According to the invention, the lifting device can rotate at least approximately 90° around a vertical axis and comprises means in the load plane, i.e. in the plane of the elevating platform. Said means are provided for bringing the elevating platform and the transported object carried thereon into an overhanging position so that an automobile body (70), in particular, is at least partially accessible from underneath. In this manner, it should be possible, for example, to install the engine and transmission from underneath without requiring the body structure to be transferred to expensive suspended conveying installations or the like.

Description

Attachment for an industrial truck and industrial truck

The invention relates to an industrial truck, in particular for automobile body shells for automobile production, consisting of carts guided along a hall floor, each cart carrying a lifting device * in order to be able to change the height of the conveyed goods above the hall floor for assembly purposes.

The invention further relates to an attachment for a positively driven cart for an industrial truck for automobile manufacture of the generic type.

Industrial trucks, which essentially consist of carts running along the floor of a hall, are used in particular in the series production of automobiles. The carts are often guided on rails, the rails being arranged in a channel embedded in the hall floor, so that the surface of the

Karrens can be arranged flush with the hall floor, which can be arranged by closing the open channel cross-section. Each cart usually carries a lifting device, which can be designed in the form of a scissor table, with a load level on which the body shell to be completed is mounted. Such a cart

is referred to in the relevant industry as "push-skid". The "push skid" is generally pushed by the following "push skids" over the rails or through the channel embedded in the hall floor.

Due to the lifting device, the working height can be adjusted for various assembly purposes. The base of the push skid is usually chosen so wide that workers can ride alongside the automobile, which is, for example, at chest height and is ready to be assembled, and leave the push skid after a certain cycle time to go to the next one.

While the adjustable working height, which is given in conventional push skids due to the lifting device, enables ergonomically favorable working, it is particularly useful for the so-called "wedding", i.e. the installation of the engine and transmission from below into the body shell, as well as for the installation of axles and exhaust systems, the body shell has to be stored differently in order to provide enough assembly space below the body shell.

In the case of known assembly lines for the series production of automobiles, the body-in-white are therefore removed from the respective push skid from above at a particular production time in a transfer station and transferred to a drag-belt conveyor or an electric overhead conveyor. Both grants hold the bodyshell from above. Both the drag chain conveyor and the electric overhead conveyor are attached to a steel frame on a ceiling of the respective assembly hall. On the one hand, such a construction is very complex, on the other hand, the transfer of the body-in-white from a push skid to a hanging device and from there back to a push skid for complementing the vehicle means an additional expenditure of time, which increases the total time for building an automobile.

It is therefore desirable from the point of view of investment costs in an automobile factory such as from the point of view of shortening the overall construction time for an automobile during the get along with all of the assembly work with just one funding, and to be able to do without the complex drag chain conveyor or overhead conveyor.

The invention is therefore based on the object of further developing a generic industrial truck in such a way that it is possible to enable sufficient work space and access options for the assembly of units from below into the bodyshell without moving the bodyshell to another industrial truck.

The solution to the problem is characterized in a generic industrial truck in that the lifting device is mounted on the cart so that it can be rotated about the vertical axis by at least 90 °, preferably 180 °. In a particularly preferred embodiment, means are arranged in the load plane of the lifting device for translatory displacement of the conveyed material, in particular an automobile body, in the load plane. By rotating the lifting table through 90 ° and moving the body-in-white to a cantilevered position, it is possible to move the engine and gearbox to the side of the assembly line and install from below.

While with conventional push skids the center of gravity of the body-in-white always lies above the footprint defined by the lifting device, when moving the body-in-white on a lifting device or a push-in skid according to the invention, conditions can arise in which the body-in-white far to the side - with respect to Direction of conveyance - cantilevered. In order to prevent the body-in-white from falling due to its own weight, a particularly preferred embodiment of the industrial truck according to the invention has holding means acting on the body for fixing the body relative to the load plane.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, four essentially vertically arranged stands are provided, on which the body-in-white rests, while in at least one stand pivotally mounted hooks are arranged that hold the body-in-white reach behind in a suitable place.

In order to make it possible for the finished automobile to roll from the push skid onto the hall floor on its own tires, it can in particular preferably be provided that the lifting device can be lowered to such an extent that the load plane is essentially flush with the hall floor and that the stand are foldable, retractable or otherwise movable into the load plane.

In this case, it can preferably be provided in particular that the hooks provided in at least one stand, which secure the body-in-white against tipping, are automatically retracted when the respective stand is folded, i.e. unlock the body as it were.

In a preferred construction it is provided according to the invention that at least one stand has pivotably mounted hooks which can be actuated by a plunger mounted in a central bore of the stand. The plunger rests on a lever mounted in the stand, one leg of which, in the locked state, projects beyond the cross section of the substantially cylindrical stand. A sleeve is guided on the outside of the stand and is connected to an actuating cylinder via a pull rod. The kinematic arrangement is selected so that when the actuating cylinder is moved, the sleeve is positively controlled from the pull rod into the pivoting area of the lever, the free leg of which is pressed into the stand, the other leg acting on the plunger and thus unlocking the hooks . The stand is supported at its lower end so that when the actuating cylinder is extended further, the stand is pivoted about its pivot axis and in the load plane, i.e. comes to rest on the lifting device.

The industrial truck according to the invention can be realized by constructing attachments for already known and existing push skids, ie carts guided along a floor of the hall, which have a lifting device which is mounted on a base frame such that it is at least 90 ° with respect to the push kid can be rotated, means being arranged in the load plane of the lifting device, for example linear guides, with which a body shell mounted on the lifting device can be translated into a projecting position.

It is particularly preferably provided that the base frame is mounted on at least one circular rail such that the lifting device can be rotated through 360 ° as desired.

It is preferably provided that the lifting height of the lifting device is at least two meters, so that the underside of the vehicle - for example for mounting an exhaust system - can be arranged so high above the level of the hall floor that a worker can step under the body without to have to bend down.

The industrial truck according to the invention makes it possible to carry out all of the individual steps required for assembling a motor vehicle without having to change the industrial truck during the assembly process. The special design of the push-in skid according to the invention enables the vehicle or the body-in-white to be brought into a position for every conceivable assembly step in which the necessary areas of the body-in-white are accessible, ergonomic aspects being preserved.

The invention is explained below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. The drawing shows:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an attachment according to the invention for the carts (push skids) of an industrial truck according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the attachment according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a side view, the viewing direction being perpendicular to that of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 shows a detail Q according to FIG. 11 on an enlarged scale,

FIG. 5 shows a section along the line A-A in FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 - an enlarged detailed view of the central bearing visible in FIG. 5, designated X,

FIG. 7 - an enlarged detail, designated Y in FIG. 2, representing a plan view of one of the stands visible in FIG. 1 above the load level,

FIG. 8 - a section along the line B-B in FIG. 1,

Figure 9 - the detail shown in Figure 7 according to view Z in Figure 8,

FIG. 10 shows an enlarged section according to detail V in FIG. 8,

FIG. 11 shows a section at right angles to that of FIGS. 5 and 8 along the line C-C in FIG. 3,

FIG. 12 - an enlarged representation of the detail designated by J in FIG. 3,

FIG. 13 - the enlarged representation of the stand according to individual width W in FIG. 11, already shown in FIGS. 7 and 9,

Figure 14 - a schematic representation of the on one

Carts (push skid) attached attachment according to Figures 1 to 13,

FIG. 15 - a top view of the view according to FIG. 14, FIG. 16 shows a section through the industrial truck according to FIGS. 14 and 15,

Figures 17 to 20 - a schematic representation of the procedure for presenting the front underside of the body shell for mounting the engine.

1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 11, a base frame 10 can be seen, which has a circularly curved outer wall which rims like five spokes arranged like spokes 12 - cf. Figure 2 - is connected to a central bearing 14.

As shown in FIG. 14, the base frame 10 is intended to be attached to a cart (push skid) 16 known per se. The push skid 16 runs with wheels 18 on rails 20 which are arranged in a channel 24 embedded in the hall floor 22.

As FIGS. 14 to 16 also show, an upper working surface 26 of the push-in child is arranged in such a way that it is flush with the hall floor 22, as is known per se. The worker symbolically represented in FIGS. 14 and 16 can travel with the push skid moved to the left or right in FIG. 14 in order to carry out work on the vehicle to be mounted on the push skid during a limited cycle time.

As FIG. 2 shows, the base frame 10 carries two circular rails 28 which are arranged concentrically to the bearing 14 and on which a lifting device 30 with four wheel arrangements 32 is rotatably mounted. The axis of rotation is additionally predetermined by the central bearing 14, which is shown in detail in FIG. 6.

A single wheel 34 of the wheel arrangement 32 is shown in FIG. 4.

As FIG. 4 further shows, the base frame 10 is equipped with an inwardly projecting leg 36, which serves as a support surface act in order to be able to support, via supports 38 connected to the lifting device, tilting moments which occur when the center of gravity of a load to be carried by the lifting device does not lie within the rectangle defined by the four roller arrangement 32.

Figure 6 also shows a bevel gear 40, which is used to drive a motor, not shown in the drawing. By introducing a moment via the bevel gear 40, the entire arrangement can be rotated about the axis formed by the central bearing 14, so that the entire lifting device can be rotated through 360 °. The lifting device 30 consists of a scissor table known per se with a load level L indicated in FIG. 1.

As the detail Z in Figure 9 - cf. Figure 8 - shows, in the load plane of the lifting device 30, a linear guide consisting of two mutually displaceable parts 42 and 44 is installed.

This can - as shown in FIGS. 17 to 20 - show a vehicle raised with the lifting device, in particular a body-in-white in the production line of an automobile plant, in a position in which, for example, the engine compartment is accessible from below to "celebrate the wedding" ". FIG. 17 shows the body shell on the lifting device 30 in the raised state. FIG. 18 shows the representation according to FIG. 17, the viewing direction being opposite to the conveying direction symbolized by an arrow in FIG. 17.

As symbolized by arrows in FIG. 18, the entire body can be rotated through 360 °, for example into the position shown in FIG. 19, the vehicle now standing transversely to the conveying direction — symbolized by the arrow in FIG. 17. The transition from FIG. 19 to FIG. 20 shows the movement of the body-in-white using the linear guide 42/44 shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 20 shows a position of the body-in-white in which the front carriage floor is freely accessible from below, the size relationships being based on the Figures 14 to 16 become clear.

Figure 20 shows that the center of gravity of the entire device in the projecting position is no longer above the base of the device.

As already explained with reference to Figure 4, boom 38 - cf. Figure 2 - which are connected to the lifting device 30 so that the corresponding tilting moment is supported.

So that the body-in-white cannot fall down due to its own weight, it is fixed to the load plane L - FIG. 1 - by standing on four stands 46, the stands having locking means in the form of hooks which are cut into suitable undercuts or the like. the body shell to be able to transmit tensile forces.

So that the fully assembled motor vehicle can move onto the hall floor after lowering the lifting device 30 at the end of the channel 24 shown in FIG. 17 and thus leave the assembly line, it is necessary to move the stand 46 into the level of the hall floor - with the load level L of the lifting device lowered 30 - to bring. Furthermore, it is necessary to unlock the locking means again. Stands and locking means are shown in detail on the basis of FIGS. 7, 9 and 13, the details Y in FIG. 2, Z in FIG. 8 and W in FIG. 11 clarifying the respective position and viewing direction of the details. Each stand 46 consists essentially of a cylindrical component, each of which is pivotably mounted on a pivot axis 48, so that the stand 46 can be pivoted through 90 °. While the body shell rests on the vertical stands in the raised state, the stands can be folded into a horizontal position in the load level or on the load level L so that the finished motor vehicle can drive on its own tires on the hall floor without going through the stands to be hindered. In order to be able to secure the body-in-white against tipping, each stand has two pivotably mounted hook means 50 which, in the locked state, protrude radially to the longitudinal axis of the stand 46 and reach behind suitable undercuts or the like of the body-in-white.

In order to be able to fold the stand 46, i.e. In order to pivot the pivot axis 48 into the horizontal position, an actuating cylinder 52 is provided for each stand, the piston rod 54 of which is articulated via a pull rod 56 to a sleeve 58 which surrounds the stand 46.

When the piston rod 54 is extended, the pull rod 56 pulls down the sleeve 58, which strikes a lever 60 on its way. On the other leg of the lever 60, a plunger 62 is supported, which is pressed upward when the lever 60 is pivoted and presses the pivotably mounted hooks 50 into the unlocking position.

When the sleeve 58 is moved downward, it abuts against a flange 64, and when the piston rod 54 and the pull rod 56 are moved further, the cylinder 46 is pivoted into the horizontal position about the pivot axis 48.

The completed vehicle is now released and can roll onto the floor of the hall under its own power.

Reference list

Base frame steel girder central storage trolley (push skid) wheels (from 16) rails (in 24) hall floor channel work surface circular rails lifting device wheel arrangement wheel (from 32) legs (from 10) girder bevel gear part 1 of linear guide part 2 of linear guide stand swivel joint holding device, hook actuating cylinder Piston rod Tie rod Sleeve Lever Tappet Flange Body in white

Claims

claims

1. Industrial truck, in particular for automobile bodies for automobile production, consisting of trolleys (pushers) (16) guided along a hall floor (22), each trolley carrying a lifting device (30) in order to change the height of the conveyed goods above the hall floor for assembly purposes can, characterized in that the lifting device (30) is mounted on the cart (16) so that the vertical axis can be rotated by at least 90 °.

2. Industrial truck according to claim 2, characterized by means arranged in the load plane of the lifting device (42/44) for translatory displacement of the conveyed goods in the load plane (L).

3. Industrial truck according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carts (16) are rail-guided (20).

4. Industrial truck according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carts (16) in a recessed in the hall floor channel (24) are moved.

5. Industrial truck according to one of claims 2 to 4 for conveying raw automobile bodies on an assembly line, characterized by holding means (46, 50) acting on the body for fixing the body relative to the load plane.

6. Industrial truck according to claim 5, characterized in that the holding means comprise four substantially vertically arranged stands (46) on which the body shell rests.

7. Industrial truck according to claim 6, characterized in that the lifting device (30) can be lowered so far that the load level (L) with the hall floor (22) is substantially flush, and that the stand (46) in the load level (L ) can be folded, retracted or moved in any other way.

8. Industrial truck according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one stand (46) has pivotably mounted hooks (50) which can be actuated by a plunger (62) mounted in a central bore of the stand (46).

9. Industrial truck according to claim 8, characterized in that the plunger (62) for actuating the hooks (50) rests on a lever (60), one leg of which, in the locked state, projects beyond the cross section of the substantially cylindrical stand (46), and that on the outside of the stand a sleeve (58) is guided, which is connected via a pull rod (56) to an actuating cylinder (52), in such a way that when the actuating cylinder is moved, the sleeve (58) is positively controlled from the pull rod into the swivel range of the lever (60) and unlocks the hooks (50) via the tappet (62), the stand (46) being mounted at its lower end in such a way that when the actuating cylinder is extended further, the stand is pivoted about its pivot axis (48). pivots.

10. Attachment for a positively guided cart (16) for an industrial truck for automobile production (push skid), characterized by a lifting device which can be rotated about the vertical axis by at least 90 ° relative to a base frame (10) to be supported on the push skid (16), and that means (42/44) are arranged in the load plane (L) of the lifting device (30), by means of which a body shell mounted on the lifting device can be translated into a projecting position (Fig. 2).

11. An attachment according to claim 10, characterized in that the base frame (10) is mounted on at least one circular rail (28) such that the lifting device (30) can be rotated through 360 ° as desired.

CHANGED REQUIREMENTS

[Received at the International Office on May 4, 1999 (May 4, 1999); original claim 1 changed; all other claims unchanged

(1 page)]

claims

1. Industrial truck, especially for automobile bodies for

Automobile production, consisting of trolleys (16) guided along a hall floor (22), each trolley carrying a lifting device (30) to adjust the height of the conveyed goods above the

To be able to change the hall floor for assembly purposes, characterized in that the lifting device (30) can be rotated about the vertical axis by at least 360 ° on the cart (16) below the

Hall floor (22) is mounted so that the load level (L) is freely accessible from below when the lifting device (30) is extended and that the lifting device is always below the load level (L) and due to the external dimensions of the load in the load level

(L) is limited.

2. Industrial truck according to claim 1, characterized by means arranged in the load plane of the lifting device (42/44) for translatory displacement of the conveyed goods in the load plane (L).

CHANGED SHEET (ARTDXEL 19)