EP1600226B1 - Method and bearing device for releasably connecting a gripping tool to the transverse beam of a transfer press - Google Patents

Abstract

Process for detachedly fixing a gripping tool (12) to a moving crossbeam (10) of a transfer press comprises passing the gripping tool into a rounded or tapered recess and pivoting with a bracket (16) to the crossbeam. Wedge surfaces on the bracket press a protrusion axially against the wall of the recess and the bracket is locked with a bearing. An independent claim is also included for a bearing arrangement for detachedly fixing a gripping tool to a moving crossbeam of a transfer press. Preferred Features: An axially moving locking bolt is guided into a bore in the bracket parallel to the middle longitudinal axis of the crossbeam.

Description

The invention relates to a method for releasably attaching a gripping tool to a movable crossbar of a transfer press, which has two spaced apart saddles and is brought into engagement with two mounted on the crossbeam camps and locked in a particular engagement position, and a bearing assembly for performing a such process.

From the U.S. Patent 5,746,567 It is known to set up a two saddles and two support tubes to which suction grippers are attached, existing gripping tool first with two saddles on the crossbar of a transfer press and then move by means of a clamping and locking lever overcoming the friction along the crossbar to parallel To bring wedge surfaces on both saddles at the same time with corresponding wedge surfaces on fixedly connected to the crossbar bearings to the plant and also introduce during this movement centering pins in matching center holes on the saddles or bearings. In this case, the time and effort required for the horizontal displacement of the gripping tool on the crossbar and the crimping between the wedge surfaces is disturbing.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide a method and a bearing assembly of the type mentioned are available, which allow a faster and easier, positionally accurate clamping and fixing the gripping tool on the crossbar.

The above object is procedurally achieved according to the proposal of the invention in that the gripping tool in an inclined position with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the crossbar with at least one rounded in longitudinal section or wedge-shaped projection on the first saddle in a correspondingly rounded or V-shaped narrowing recess introduced in the first bearing and then pivoted with the second saddle to the cross bar, wherein mating wedge surfaces on the second saddle and on the second bearing by gravity push the projection axially against the wall of the recess, and then the second saddle is locked to the second bearing ,

The invention has the advantage that it is sufficient for accurate positioning of the gripping tool to insert one end with the projection in the associated recess of the first bearing and then lower or drop the other end of the gripping tool. During this pivoting movement, the cooperating wedge surfaces on the second saddle and the second bearing come to rest against each other and push the gripping tool automatically in its predetermined position with respect to the crossbar. In this end position, the gripping tool is clamped between the wedge surface on the second bearing and the recess on the first bearing. Subsequently, this end position of the gripping tool needs to be secured only by locking the second saddle with the second bearing. For this purpose, at least one locking bolt guided axially in the second bearing is preferably introduced into a suitable bore in the second saddle in the direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the crossbeam. In this case, by cooperating wedge or conical surfaces on the locking bolt and the hole to be taken to ensure that in a case where the gripping tool is not exactly aligned parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the crossbar, it is pivoted a little further during locking to the predetermined end position.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, vacuum supply lines are connected via cooperating coupling halves of pneumatic clutches on the second bearing and the second saddle on tool-side vacuum lines when pivoting the gripping tool in the predetermined end position. Since the pivoting of the gripping tool is done automatically by gravity, no additional handle and effort is required for this coupling process.

The bearing assembly according to the invention is characterized in that the first saddle with at least one attached thereto, rounded in longitudinal section or wedge-shaped projection already in an inclined position of the gripping tool with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the crossbar in a correspondingly narrowing recess in the first bearing insertable and in Engagement position, the gripping tool with the second saddle to the crossbar is pivoted out, that the second saddle and the second bearing are provided in the course of the pivoting movement for mutual contact coming wedge surfaces, by the force of gravity, the projection is axially pressed against the wall of the recess, and that in this clamped position of the second saddle with the second bearing is lockable.

The projection may have, for example, at its free end an approximately semi-cylindrical shape with a cylinder axis extending horizontally in the mounted state of the gripping tool. The rounded recess is in this case correspondingly hollow cylindrical, expediently with an extended entrance area, form. Alternatively, the free end of the projection could also be formed with an upper and lower wedge surface and the recess be designed with corresponding mating surfaces. In the preferred embodiment, however, two at the free end substantially spherical cap-shaped projections are mounted on the axially outer side of the first saddle, which can be inserted into corresponding spherical cap concave recesses with flared entrance area in attached to the side surfaces of the crossbar parts of the first bearing. The two in the mounted state horizontally juxtaposed spherical cap-shaped projections allow easy insertion into the widened in its entrance area spherical cap concave recesses, but then guide the gripping tool reliably in a aligned to the longitudinal median plane of the crossbar layer in which the final phase of the pivoting movement when placing the gripping tool takes place on the transom.

At the end of the gripping tool opposite the spherical cap-shaped projections, in a further preferred embodiment of the invention, two wedges are formed or mounted on the axially outer side of the second saddle with an intermediate spacing, whose effective outer wedge surfaces axially recede from top to bottom and come into contact with corresponding wedge surfaces , which are formed on parts of the second bearing, which on the side surfaces of the crossbar are attached. Again, the paired arrangement of wedge surfaces with relatively large spacing between the automatic alignment of the gripping tool on the central longitudinal plane of the crossbar is conducive. For the same reason, if possible, the two wedge surfaces attached to the second saddle should lie in a common straight plane.

The locking of the gripping tool in its predetermined position should cause it to maintain its position on the crossbar. This is achieved in a preferred embodiment of the invention in a simple manner that is mounted axially displaceable on the two lateral parts of the second bearing each extending in the longitudinal direction of the crossbar locking bolt in the wedged position through the wedge surfaces into an aligned hole in the associated wedge on the second saddle is insertable. By in this embodiment, the free end of the locking bolt and / or the input portion of the associated bore are wedge-shaped or conical, it is achieved that the locking bolt helps to pull the second saddle in the predetermined end position on the crossbar. In addition, it is achieved by suitable arrangement and design of the parts that the wedges connected to the second saddle when lowering or falling back the preferably biased by springs in the locking direction latch bolt automatically until they engage in the associated holes.

Just as the automatic positioning and locking can be achieved, the pneumatic connections of the gripping tool can automatically to one or more supply lines be connected by the second bearing and the second saddle are provided with mating coupling parts of one or more vacuum lines, which come into engagement during pivoting of the gripping tool in the keyed position in clutch engagement.

Fig. 1

eine Draufsicht auf einen verfahrbaren Querbalken einer Transferpresse mit zwei daran befestigten Greifwerkzeugen, deren Sauggreifer im Beispielsfall ein Seitenblech eines Kraftfahrzeugs tragen;

Fig. 2

eine Schrägansicht der Innenseite eines ersten Sattels eines der beiden Greifwerkzeuge nach Fig. 1 unmittelbar vor der Verbindung mit dem Querbalken;

Fig. 3

eine Schrägansicht der Außenseite des ersten Sattels gemäß Fig. 2 nach der Verbindung mit dem Querbalken;

Fig. 4

eine Schrägansicht der Außenseite des zweiten Sattels eines der Greifwerkzeuge nach Fig. 1 im montierten Zustand und

Fig. 5

eine Seitenansicht, zum Teil im Längsschnitt, durch das zweite Lager mit Riegelbolzen sowie die am zweiten Sattel befestigten, mit dem zweiten Lager zusammenwirkenden Teile, wobei ebenso wie in Fig. 2 - 4 aus Gründen der zeichnerischen Klarheit der Querbalken sowie hier zusätzlich der zweite Sattel nicht dargestellt sind.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a plan view of a movable crossbar of a transfer press with two gripping tools attached thereto, the suction pads wear a side plate of a motor vehicle in the example;

Fig. 2

an oblique view of the inside of a first saddle of one of the two gripping tools after Fig. 1 immediately before the connection with the transom;

Fig. 3

an oblique view of the outside of the first saddle according to Fig. 2 after connection with the crossbeam;

Fig. 4

an oblique view of the outside of the second saddle of one of the gripping tools Fig. 1 in the assembled state and

Fig. 5

a side view, partly in longitudinal section, through the second bearing with Lock bolt and attached to the second saddle, cooperating with the second bearing parts, where as well as in Fig. 2-4 for reasons of clarity of drawing the crossbar and here also the second saddle are not shown.

FIG. 1 shows only schematically, not in detail, the attachment of two gripping tools according to the invention on the transversely movable crossbar (also referred to as Crossbarbalken) 10 a large-capacity transfer press. Each designated overall with 12 gripping tools (also referred to as suction bridges) each consist of two axially spaced saddles 14, 16, with two axially extending tubes 18, z. B. aluminum, are firmly connected and form a rigid unit. To the tubes 18 are attached to a vacuum source suction pads 20 are mounted in such a form and arrangement that they can take a total of a certain workpiece 22 at predetermined locations and hold to transport it from one to the next processing station of the large-capacity transfer press. If subsequently a differently shaped workpiece is to be deformed on the press, the gripper tools 12 are replaced by similar gripping tools that can be fastened in the same way at the same point of the crossbar, which differ only in the shape and arrangement of the suction grippers 20.

Because of the high investment costs of large transfer presses, the changeover times for the removal of certain gripping tools and the assembly of the next to be machined Workpiece adapted gripping tools as short as possible. In addition, the system for securing the gripping tools 12 must ensure a very accurate positioning and reliable locking in the predetermined position despite short changeover times.

As with the in the U.S. Patent 5,746,567 described fastening system, the gripping tools 12 are placed with their saddles 14, 16 from above on the crossbar 10, so that sit in the mounted state, the substantially U-shaped saddles 14, 16 on the upper side of the crossbar 10 and engage around the upper side edges. For accurate positioning and locking of the saddles 14, 16 are on the crossbar 10 with an intermediate distance in FIG. 2 and 3 shown first bearing 24 and a in FIG. 4 and 5 shown second bearing 26 firmly attached. The proposed new fastening method and proposed for its execution new bearing arrangement differ by the type of attached to the respective cooperating bearings and saddles positioning and fastening means and the handling during the retrofitting of the known bearing assembly of U.S. Patent 5,746,567 ,

In FIG. 2 and 3 is with reference to the in FIG. 1 Gripping tool 12 shown on the left, the outer, first saddle 14 shown together with the not shown crossbeam 10 first bearing 24 with details. In this case, the U-shaped recess through which the transverse bar 10 extends, designated 28. For connection to the tubes 18, the saddle 14 is formed on the sides with longitudinally spaced mating holes. The partitioned outer side parts 30 of the saddle 14 are connected by clamping screws 32 with its central part. By tightening the clamping screws 32 are the tubes 18 firmly clamped in the receiving holes.

The cooperating with the first saddle 14, fixed to the crossbar 10 bearing 24 consists of two matching in their shape bearing halves, each of which is mounted on one side of the crossbar 10. The two halves of the bearing 24 are bolted together in the example by bolts 34 which extend horizontally across the crossbar 10. Due to the tension with the crossbar 10 on the bolts 34 or corresponding tubes sitting the two halves of the first bearing 24 immovably fixed in a parallel arrangement on the side surfaces of the crossbar 10. Alternatively, the bearing halves could also be individually bolted to the side surfaces.

Each of the two halves of the first bearing 24 consists of a solid L-shaped elbow made of steel, the lower leg 36 extends horizontally in the assembled state in the longitudinal direction of the crossbar 10. At its axially outer end, it merges into a leg 38 extending vertically upwards. It is in the mounted state of the gripping tool 12 on the axially outer side of the first saddle 14. In the vertical leg 38 is on its axially inner, the saddle 14 side facing a rounded recess 40 incorporated. In the example, it has the form of a circular, axially extending blind bore with a not quite halbkugelkalottenförmig concave inner region and an outwardly flared inlet area.

To cooperate with the bearing 24 with the two rounded recesses 40 are on the outside of the first saddle 14 with the same transverse distance as the recesses 40 in the bearing 24 two of their spherical cap concave cross-section adapted, spherical rounded projections 42 attached. Behind the approximately hemispherical outer end of the cross-section of the projections 42 tapers. This taper serves as well as the extension of the input portion of the recesses 40 the purpose of the protrusions 42 in the first saddle 14 obliquely sloping sloping position of the gripping tool 12 into the recesses 40 to be able to, while the saddle 14 is supported on the horizontal legs 36 of the bearing 24. When lowering the second saddle 16, the rounded projection 42 can completely penetrate into the rounded recess 40. At the end of the saddle 14 is centered by the engagement of the projections 42 in the recesses 40 with respect to the cross section of the crossbar 10, d. H. level and laterally aligned.

The in FIG. 4 and 5 shown together with the second bearing 26 with its details second saddle 16 is firmly connected in the same way as the first saddle 14 with the tubes 18. Also, the U-shaped inner recess for receiving the crossbar 10 coincides with the corresponding recess 28 of the first saddle 14. Deviating from this, however, a wedge 44 is mounted on the axially outer side of the second saddle 16 on both sides of the U-shaped recess 44, the axially outer, effective wedge surface 44 'in the mounted state from top to bottom of the axially outer surface of the second Sattels 16 is approaching. How out FIG. 5 As can be seen, each wedge 44 is provided with a solid, over bolt 46, which extend axially through the second saddle 16, L-shaped angle piece 48 firmly connected and braced, not shown coupling halves of pneumatic clutches and line connections 50 carries for vacuum lines, which supply the suction pad 20 with negative pressure.

The second bearing 26 is in a similar manner as the first bearing 24 of two attached to the side surfaces of the crossbar 10, by bolts 34 to each other and connected to the crossbar 10, L-shaped elbows each with a in the assembled state in the longitudinal direction of the crossbar 10th extending, horizontal leg 51 and a towering in front of the axially outer side of the second saddle 16, vertical leg 52. The axially inner side of the vertical leg 52 is provided with a respective wedge surface 44 'of the wedge 44 to the wedge surface 44'. In the in FIG. 4 and 5 shown mounted state of the gripping tool 12 are the wedge surfaces 44 'and 52' flat against each other, while the tubes 18 extend parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the crossbar 10. This assembled end position is secured by two locking bolts 54, which also each extend parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the crossbar 10 through the associated wedge-shaped, vertical leg 52 of the second bearing 26 and engage in a matching axial bore 56 in the wedge 44. Each locking bolt 54 is formed at its free end with a conical inclined surface, and also the input portion of the bore 56 is provided in the example with a conical enlargement. Each locking bolt 54 is biased by a spring, not shown, in the locking direction, but can also be retracted by means of a handle 58 attached thereto by rotation via a cam guide in a neutral position be in which the locking position pointing downwards handle 58 points vertically upwards.

On the horizontal legs 51 of the second bearing 26 not shown coupling halves of pneumatic clutches are mounted in the in FIG. 4 and 5 shown mounted position with the correspondingly formed, mounted on the second saddle 16 halves of the pneumatic clutches are in alignment, so that the above-mentioned vacuum lines of the suction pads 20 via the terminals 50, the pneumatic clutches not shown and at the bottom of the horizontal leg 51 of the second Bearing 26 arranged line connections 60 are connected to vacuum supply lines, not shown.

The assembly of the gripper tools 12 on the crossbar 10 is very simple and runs largely automatically despite the described simple mechanical means. It is sufficient at the beginning of the assembly process to set up the first saddle 14 on the horizontal legs 36 of the first bearing 24 and introduced in this obliquely sloping position of the tubes 18, the rounded projections 42 in the rounded recesses 40. Then you need only the other end of the gripping tool 12, that is to drop the second saddle 16 from a small amount to the second bearing 26. In the fall movement, the lower ends of the wedges 44 push the locking bolts 54 axially outwardly, the wedge surfaces 44 'and 52' come to rest against each other, and by the wedge action, the gripping tool 12 is displaced axially further to the first bearing 24, so that there the protrusions 42 come to rest their hemispherical free ends against the hemispherical concave bottom surfaces of the recesses 40 and the gripping tool 12 axially clamped axially between this axial bearing and the wedge surfaces 52 'and is thus accurately positioned. In order to maintain this state, the locking bolts 54 in cooperation with their mounting holes 56. Normally, the second saddle 16 is lowered by itself so far down that the locking bolts 54 are aligned with the mounting holes 56. Should this not yet be the case, a sufficiently strong spring preload the locking bolt, possibly supplemented by manual pressure, urges their conical free end respectively into the associated receiving bore and thus forces the second flange 16 in the predetermined mounted position in which the Tubes 18 extend horizontally and parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the crossbar 10.

It is understood that the locking bolt can engage in a different position and / or at a different location in the second saddle 16 or a part connected to it. However, the locking arrangement proposed in the exemplary embodiment of the wedge surfaces 44 ', 52' required anyway for accurate positioning is less expensive than another solution with which it is also attempted to automatically engage the locking bolts. In addition, the locking bolts 54 in cooperation with the receiving bores 56 ensure a precise lateral alignment of the second saddle 16 with respect to the crossbar 10.

Alternative embodiments are also possible in the design of the rounded projections 42 and the recesses 40. Instead of a hemispherical free end of the projections 42 could, for example, a semi-cylindrical free end of the projections 42 with horizontal, transversely to the longitudinal direction of the crossbar 10 extending cylinder axis or a wedge-shaped free end with an upper and a lower wedge surface are used. With such projections and corresponding recesses 40 can also perform the functionally required pivotal movement of the gripping tool 12 during assembly on the crossbar 10.

It is understood that beyond the outer shape of the saddles 14, 16, their connection with the tubes 18 and the outer shape of the bearings 24, 26 and their connection to the crossbar 10 allow a variety of different embodiments. So z. B. the projections 42 on the bearing 24 and the recesses 40 may be attached to the saddle 14, and they may as well as possibly the wedge surfaces 44 ', 52' are also on the axially inner side of the saddles 14 and 16 respectively. Such modifications do not interfere, as long as the shown and described above pivoting of the gripper tool 12 can be carried out in the predetermined position on the crossbar 10.

Claims (14)

1. A method for detachably securing a gripper tool (12) to a movable crossbar (10) of a transfer press, which gripper tool has two saddles (14, 16) disposed with spacing between them and with them is brought into engagement with two bearings (24, 26) mounted on the crossbar (10) and is locked in a defined engagement position, characterized in that the gripper tool (12), in an inclined position relative to the center longitudinal axis of the crossbar (10), is introduced, with at least one protrusion (42) of rounded longitudinal section or tapering in wedgelike fashion, on the first saddle (14) into a correspondingly rounded or V-shaped narrowing recess (40) in the first bearing (24) and is then pivoted with the second saddle (16) toward the crossbar (10), whereupon wedge faces (44', 52') on the second saddle (16) and on the Second bearing (26) press the protrusion (42) by the force of gravity axially against the wall of the recess (40), and then the second saddle (16) is locked to the second bearing (26).
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that for locking the second saddle (16) to the second bearing (26), at least one locking bolt (54), guided axially in it, is introduced, in the direction parallel to the center longitudinal axis of the crossbar (10), into a fitting bore (56) in the second saddle (16).
3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that during the locking, the gripper tool (12) is pivoted into the predetermined end position by means of cooperating wedge or conical faces on the locking bolt (54) and on the bore (56).
4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the pivoting of the gripper tool (12) into the predetermined end position, underpressure supply lines (60) are connected to underpressure lines on the tool via cooperating pneumatic couplings on the second bearing (26) and on the second saddle (16).
5. A bearing assembly for detachably securing a gripper tool (12) to a movable crossbar (10) of a transfer press, which gripper tool can be clamped in clamping engagement and locked by positive engagement, with two saddles (14, 16) spaced apart from one another, to two bearings (24, 26) mounted on the crossbar (10), characterized in that the first saddle (14) can be introduced, with at least one protrusion (42) mounted on it and having a rounded longitudinal section or tapering in wedgelike fashion, already in an inclined position of the gripper tool (12) relative to the center longitudinal axis of the crossbar (10), into a correspondingly rounded or V-shaped narrowing recess (40) in the first bearing (24), and in the engagement position the gripper tool (12) can be pivoted with the second saddle (16) toward the crossbar (10); that the second saddle (16) and the second bearing (26) are provided with wedge faces (44', 52"), which in the course of the pivoting motion come to rest on one another, by which faces the protrusion (42) can be pressed axially against the wall of the recess (40) by the force of gravity; and that in this braced position, the second saddle (16) can be locked to the second bearing (26).
6. The bearing assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that two protrusions (42) which on the free end are substantially in the shape of a spherical cap ore mounted on the axially outer side of the first saddle (14) and can be introduced into corresponding spherical caplike concave recesses (40) with a conically widened entrance region in parts (38) of the first bearing (24) that are mounted on the side faces of the crossbar (10).
7. The bearing assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that two protrusions that on the front end are substantially semicylindrical are mounted on the axially outer side of the first saddle (14) with a horizontal cylinder axis extending transversely to the crossbar (10) and can be introduced into correspondingly semicylindrically concave recesses with an entrance region, widened in wedgelike fashion, in parts (38) of the first bearing (24) that are mounted on the side faces of the crossbar (10).
8. The bearing assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that two wedges (44) are mounted, with space between them, side by side on the axially outer side of the second saddle (16), and their effective outer wedge faces (44') recede axially from top to bottom and come to rest on corresponding wedge faces (52'), which are embodied on parts (52) of the second bearing (26) that are mounted on the side faces of the crossbar (10).
9. The bearing assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the parts of the first bearing (24) and of the second bearing (26) that belong together and are disposed on opposite sides of the crossbar (10) are each pressed against the crossbar (10) by mutual bracing.
10. The bearing assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that on each of the two lateral parts (52) of the second bearing (26), one locking bolt (54) each, extending in the longitudinal direction of the crossbar (10), is supported axially displaceably and in the wedged position can be introduced through the wedge faces (44', 52') into an aligned bore (56) in the associated wedge (44) on the second saddle (16).
11. The bearing assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that the free end of the locking bolt (54) and/or the entrance region of the bore (56) is embodied as wedge-shaped or conical.
12. The bearing assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that the locking bolt (54) is prestressed into the locking position by spring force.
13. The bearing assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that the locking bolt (54), on pivoting of the gripper tool (12) into the wedged position can be forced back counter to spring force by the wedge face (44') on the second saddle (16), and after reaching the wedged position can be advanced into the locking position by the spring force.
14. The bearing assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the second bearing (26) and the second saddle (16) are provided with coupling parts, fitting one another, of pneumatic couplings of one or more underpressure lines (50, 60), which enter into coupling engagement upon pivoting of the gripper tool (12) into the wedged position.

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