FR2510078A1 - CONTINUOUS CONVEYOR FOR FRAMEWORK OR OTHER PARTS INTENDED TO BE SUBJECT TO ONE OR MORE MACHINING BY MACHINES PLACED ALONG THE CONVEYOR - Google Patents

Abstract

CARRIER ESSENTIALLY CONSISTING OF TWO CONTINUOUS CHAINS 3 PLACED SIDE BY SIDE AND SUPPORTED BY IDLER WHEELS 16 ARRANGED AT THE ENDS OF THE CARRIER, TRAINING DEVICES 18 OF THE SAID CHAIN, GUIDES 30 DISTRIBUTED ALONG THE BRANCHES OF SUCH CHANNELS, FOR PAIRS CRADLES 34 PROVIDED WITH ARTICULATED JOINTS AND WHICH HANG FROM THE CHAINS TO HOLD AND SUPPORT THE ENDS OF A PART SO THAT THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE PART IS LOCATED AT A LEVEL LOWER THAN THE OSCILLATION AXIS OF THE CRADLES, 60X, 60Y DETECTOR DEVICES PLACED ON IDLER WHEELS TO SUCCESSIVELY DETERMINE STOP POSITIONS CORRESPONDING TO AT LEAST TWO SERIES OF PAIRS OF CRADLES INTERCALED WITH ONE THE OTHER, DEVICES FOR RECEIVING AND RETURNING PARTS TO THE CORRESPONDING COOPERATING MACHINES DISTRIBUTED ALONG THE CONVEYOR, EACH POSITION IS EQUIPPED WITH A SENSOR THAT DETECTS THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF A PART IN THE PA IRES OF CRADLES DURING TRANSPORT.

Description

-1 -

  The present invention relates to transport

  and it relates more particularly to trans-

  carriers suitable for transporting reinforcements or

  other documents intended to be submitted to one or more

  machining by machines placed along the path

transport jet.

  The conveyor consists essentially of the following parts: a pair of continuous chains (or other flexible elements) placed side by side; common idlers placed at the ends of the conveyor for said chains; controlled driving devices for said chains; Guides placed along the branches of said chains; pairs of cradles with articulated joints and which hang from the two chains, the cradles of each pair being placed face to face and being arranged

  to oscillate around a common transverse axis, the-

  said cradles being further adapted to hold and support the ends of a part so that the center of gravity of the part is located lower than the axis of oscillation; detector devices placed

  on either of the idle wheels or on the struc-

  rotating tures associated with them to detect

  successive stop positions, said devices

  carriers corresponding to at least two series of pairs of cradles which are interposed with each other; a certain number of parts reception and return positions, each corresponding to a cooperating machine

  and each provided with a probe to detect the pre-

  sence or absence of a coin in the pairs of ber-

  hoops of each of said positions, said probes being associated with detectors which recognize the series to which a pair of cradles belongs passing in each position, with a view to transferring the part into the machine from the pair of cradles of a series and - 2- to return the part to a pair of cradles from another series.

  Detector devices can be combined

  ciés à une disc which moves at the same time as the chain at an angular speed equal to that of the idle wheels; alternatively, said detectors can be associated with a disc moving at the same time as the

  chain but with a reduction ratio in particular

  bind 1: 2 to the idle wheels.

  The transporter also includes two struc-

  chain support and guide structures, including the

  spacing is adjustable For this reason, the

  idlers corresponding to the two chains are pre-

  ference connected with articulated trees by means of

slippery.

  Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will be highlighted in the rest of the

  description, given by way of nonlimiting example,

  with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

  fig 1 is a side view of the transport

  tor, fig 2 is a partial view on an enlarged scale of the conveyor of fig 1, fig 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of fig 4, fig 4 is a side view of a cradle done along line IV-IV of fig 3;

  fig 5 is a section of a group of liai-

  kinematic sounds placed between the idlers of the two chains, fig 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of fig 5,

  FIG. 7 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale.

  die of the detector, FIG. 8 is a side view of a feeler t -3- used to detect the presence or absence of a part in a pair of cradles during transit or waiting,

  fig 9 is a plan view of the installation

transport tion.

  In the drawings, a struc-

  support structure of a section of conveyor which is designated as a whole by the reference 1 in FIG. 1 In this regard, it should be noted that the conveyor according to the invention can be composed of a single section

  or more than one section that are combined, each of-

  said sections comprising two continuous chains, desi-

  generically generated by the reference 3 These two chains are supported by two longitudinal bars 5 of which

  the spacing distance is adjustable Each of the bars

  res 5 (see also fig 5) is mounted on a slide

  bucket 7 arranged to move by transverse sliding

  sal on the supporting structure 1 Each slide 7 has a threaded hole 9 which allows the adjustment of this slide In the threaded hole 9 is engaged a threaded rod 12 which can be maneuvered using its

  head 12 A, said rod being connected to a tongue

  corresponding 1 A of the structure 1 In this way, it is possible to adjust the position of each slide

  7 along the axis designated by the arrow f 7, the adjustments

  two slides located on the same long bar

  tudinal being carried out successively and not simultaneously

  Once the sliders 7 are adjusted, they can be locked on structure 1 using

  3 U of bolts 14 In this way it is possible to

  set the distance between the two longitudinal bars

  and therefore the distance between the corresponding chains

  laying. Each longitudinal bar 5 (which can be placed in one or more contiguous sections) is provided at each end with a idler wheel 16 for its associated chain 3, the corresponding idler wheels of the two bars 5 being essentially coaxial At least one of the two idler wheels of each chain functions as a drive wheel In general, a gear motor 18, mounted laterally and overhanging relative to one of the uprights, is used to drive

  the idle wheels which function like the mo-

  The motor 18 drives a shaft 20 mounted on one of the bars 5 and carries a wheel 16 (fig 5) The other corresponding wheel 16 is driven by a shaft 20

  via an articulated joint 22 and an ar-

  bre 24, connected by sliding and stressed coupling

  by a hollow shaft 26 mounted on the other bar 5 and solidified

  pair the other idler wheel 16 In this way, we obtain a simultaneous movement of the two chains while an adjustment of the spacing distance between the two chains remains possible, as well as an inclination

limited during adjustment.

  Each chain 3 is guided along the two idler wheels 16 of the chain so that it can support the parts to be transported. For this purpose, the

  transporter according to the invention is provided with

  guide ties 30 These guides are provided with channels, the recess of which corresponds to the cross section of the chains and of the associated elements which will be described in detail below. In this way, the chains

  can support the weight distributed over the branches

  upper and lower of said chains, whatever

  the length of the branches in the transporter.

  The chains 3, which can be of the Galle type,

  Fleyer or similar, are provided, on pre-pivoted

  determined, of extensions 32 intended for the suspension of an element in the form of a cradle These cradles execute a pendulum and oscillating movement with respect to the -5.- extensions 32 of the chain pivots and they comprise sections in the form of saddles 34 k profiled in V to support the extreme parts of the parts to be transported

  (the shaft ends of a frame of an electric motor

  stick, for example, or from another part) even if these ends have different diameters or different non-circular sections The mounting and phasing of the chains are carried out in such a way that the two chains comprise pairs of cradle elements 34 which are placed opposite each other, and saddles 34 A which support the ends of a part, over the entire length of the chains Since the joints provided between the elements 34 and the cha-Ines 3 are

  articulated, the parts supported by the corresponding pairs

  of 34 elements can circulate conti-

  naked and repeated throughout the annular path of movement

  With regard to the axial dimensions of the

  parts (every 9 m) that the transporter is

  tine to handle, the longitudinal bars are adjusted to obtain the desired distance between the saddles 34 k of the two elements 34, placed one opposite

  on the other, each pair of cradles.

  As best shown in Figures 1 and 9, where fi indicates the direction of movement of the upper branch of the chains, a chain loading station is placed in a position adjacent to the 1 X end of the conveyor and an unloading station is provided in an area adjacent to the 1 Y end of the conveyor In practice, the loading and unloading stations can correspond to the extreme idle wheels 16 A

  system (not shown) intended to bring in.

  individual pieces in a first series predeter-

  mined pairs of cradles is provided in the loading station, when said cradles arrive empty in said loading station Similarly a system of

  unloading of finished parts, presented by a se-

  in accordance with predetermined series of pairs of cradles, is provided in station 1 Y. Cooperating machines intended to perform at least one operation on the parts which are attached to them

  supplied are distributed along the transport route

  tor, for example at points A, B, C and D (fig 9) It goes without saying that more than one machine can be used to perform the same operation, each obviously operating on different workpieces and each returning a workpiece identical to those returned

  by others The distances separating the machines exe

  cutting the same operation are multiples of the dis-

  separating the suspended cradles The cradles of a series (for example those corresponding to the rooms

  to be machined) are identified for example by a colora-

  tion in a different way from those of the other or other series, which receive the finished parts, and by

  example the parts ready for unloading.

  In the simplest case, which is considered here by way of example, the parts being transported on the conveyor are subjected to a single machining and

  are then discharged In this case, the pairs of ber-

  the carrier 34 are divided into two series, the pairs of the first series being intercalated with those of the second series The cradles of the first series are arranged to receive and transport the workpieces while the pairs of cradles of the second series are arranged to receive and transport

  n O the finished parts and to unload them.

  Each series of cradle pairs, or at least the cradles of the first series, must be capable of permitting continuous circulation and

  repeated pieces on the upper and lower branches

  A finished part carried by the cradles of the second series can be evacuated the first time it

  arrives at the IY unloading station, even without

  cycling, if the evacuation is not carried out, the finished part can be recycled As will understand the specialists in the matter, each of the machines is

  provided with mechanical means which are capable of effecting

  kill, in one position, the reception of a workpiece and, in another position (or in the same position), the return of a finished part In this regard,

  reception is carried out from a pair of cradles

  those of the first series while the reference is eff-

  performs towards a pair of second cradles or

from another series.

  Reception and return operations are carried out subject to at least the following criteria: A first criterion concerns the presence of a

  pair of cradles of a particular series in the posi-

  tion o a particular operation must be carried out.

  A second criterion is the availability of a pair of cradles containing a part to be returned or

  well the availability of a pair of cradles to receive

  see a finished part in a specified predetermined position This second criterion relates essentially to the indication of the presence or absence of a part

in the position in question.

  A third criterion concerns the co-machine

  perante which is coordinated with the specific position considered This third criterion depends on the request for a part by the machine awaiting execution

  of an operation, or of the request, by said ma-

  china, returning a finished part.

  The means to satisfy the third

  seventh criterion, compared to the 7.5 operating phase of a machine at a given time, will not be described -8 -

  in the following the fact that they are of the traditional type.

  The first criterion (identification of the series to which a pair of cradles arriving in a certain position belongs) is a function of the position taken by the chain in its cycle, which is in practice a function of the angular position of the idlers 16 To this regard, reference is made to FIGS. 5 and 6 which represent a disc 42 for supporting a synchronization wheel 44 The synchronization wheel 44 can

  be set on disc 42 via rai-

  nures 46 or equivalent means Disc 42 is as-

  associated with the shaft 20 of the wheel 16 The synchronizing wheel

  station 44 is provided with two series of projections 48 and

  placed on two different circumferences, spa-

  angularly alternating 1: 1 and corresponding to the angular spacing between the contiguous pairs of cradles placed on the chain Since the projections 48

  and 50 are interposed angularly, cradles al-

  tarnished placed along the chain are affected cor-

  response to the first or second predefined series-

  completed with pairs of cradles The pairs of cradles in a series correspond to projections 48 and the pairs

  of cradles of the second series correspond to the sail-

  lies 50 Two detectors 52 and 54 cooperate with projections 48 and 50 Consequently the system shown

  par 44, 48, 50, 52, 54 represents the detectors used

  for the identification of the series to which

  holds a pair of cradles in a specified position.

  To determine if a pair of cradles in a specific position is being

  wear a coin or else is empty, use pal-

  fears 60 X placed in position IX and a detector

  Y placed in position 1 Y, or the sensor

  numeric 60 Z placed in a receiving or returning position of an intermediate machine Fig. 8 represents __ -X -9 - a probe 60 in more detail It includes a

  body 62 mounted in an adjustable manner on the longitu-

  dinales or the carrying structure of the transporter, a device with an oscillating rocker arm, comprising on one side a hook-shaped element 66 which continues the feeler and on the opposite side a core 68 which cooperates with a proximity switch 70 The element in shape

  hook and the core are connected to the body by the inter-

  hinge joint 64 The hook-shaped element 66 is moved from the position

  indicated in fig 8 when the part reaches the posi-

  tion of the probe, for example when it follows the arrival path indicated by the arrow f A At this point the core is moved, from the eccentric position shown in fig 8, into a position placed against the

  proximity switch 70, which results in the

  generation of a signal indicating the presence of a coin.

  Alternatively, the element 66 is not moved when a pair of cradles arriving in the commanded position

  by the detector in question is empty.

  In summary, detectors 44, 48, 50, 52, 54

  indicate the series to which a specific pair belongs

  cific of cradles arriving in a predeter position-

  mined while the probe 60 signals the presence or

  the absence of a piece arrives in a specific position

  These two data, which are applied to a circuit

  electric control, are used by a circuit

  logical cooked, associated with a machine which must receive or return a part in the position in question, so as to initiate (when favorable data are

  received) the desired operation to be performed by the machine.

  This logic circuit / also causes (when favorable data is received) the halt of the transporter as well as the engagement of the associated mechanical means to execute

  the reception or return operation.

-10 -

  Similarly, the 1 X load position-

  parts in the cradle pairs of the first

  first series arriving in position 1 X empty as well as position 1 Y for unloading finished parts arriving in position 1 Y in pairs

  of cradles of the second series, are provided with the

  electric control bake described above.

  It is evident that when more than one ma-

  of the same type are placed in different posi-

  tions (as in A, B, C, D in fig 9), along the conveyor, each of said machines can quickly and efficiently receive a part and return a finished part, since the conveyor moves so

continuous and cyclical.

  Fig 7 shows a second embodiment

  sation of the transporter which is arranged to transport

  parts that are larger than the separation distance

  rant the adjacent cradles In this embodiment

  tion, a shaft 120, integral with a idler wheel such as wheel 16, engages with a pinion 122 which is itself engaged with a toothed wheel 124 having a diameter twice that of the pinion 122 A disc 126

  is integral with a toothed wheel 124 and is adjustable an-

  The disc 126, as well as the disc 44,

  carries two series of projections 128 and 130 which are

  parts angularly on two different circumferences

  rents In this way, the interval between the wheels 16 and the disc 126 is doubled. It is therefore possible to adapt the conveyor so

  to transport larger parts ne-

  ceasing a greater interval between pairs of

contiguous cradles.

  To facilitate understanding of the invention, it has been described with reference to the use of

  more than one machine performing a single operation iden-

251 0078

  -11 - tick on the parts being transported In this case,

  only two sets of pairs of ber-

  hides, identified differently and to be recognized

  by the detector devices described above Cepen-

  It goes without saying that the conveyor according to the invention can be provided with a number of machines which perform two or even more operations. As a variant, there can be

  have only one machine, or two or more ma-

  identical chines, for each operation carried out along the transporter's path In the case where two different operations must be carried out, it is necessary to involve three series of pairs of cradles: a first series for the raw parts,

  a second series for parts having undergone the first

  first operation and a third series for the finished parts which have undergone the two operations and which must be unloaded The pairs of cradles of the different

  series can be inserted along the chains

  according to a predetermined criterion so that the

  pairs of each of the three series can be recognized

  naked by the detectors These detectors are preset to produce three different signals, assigned to the pairs of cradles of the three series, using projections or other devices distributed over three circumferences The probes used to determine the presence or absence of a part in the individual positions are kept, as well as the criteria for requesting parts and requesting empty cradles

for a return of parts.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown, from which other modes and other embodiments can be provided, without thereby departing from the

part of the invention.

-12-

Claims (4)

CLAIMS -   1 Carrier for transport   of fittings and other parts intended to be supported   put to one or more machining operations carried out   killed by machines distributed along the transporter, characterized in that it comprises in combination   a pair of continuous chains (3) (or other elements   flexible elements) placed side by side; common idlers (16) placed at the ends of the conveyor   for the passage of said chains; training devices   dragging (18) controlled from said chains; guides (30) placed along the branches of said chains; pairs of cradles (34) comprising articulated joints and which hang from the two chains, the cradles of each pair being placed face to face and being arranged   to oscillate around a common transverse axis, the-   said cradles being further adapted to hold and support the ends of a part so that the center of gravity of the part is located lower than the axis of oscillation; detector devices (60 X, Y, 60 Z) placed on one or the other of the idle wheels or on the rotating structures associated with them   to detect successive stop positions, the-   said detector devices corresponding to at least two series of pairs of cradles which are interposed with each other; a certain number of parts receiving and returning positions, each corresponding to a cooperating machine (A, B, C, D) and each provided   a probe (60 X) to detect the presence or absence of   sence of a part in the pairs of cradles of each of said positions, said probes being associated with   detectors (60 Y, 60 Z) which recognize the series at   which belongs a pair of cradles passing in each position, in order to transfer the part in the machine from the pair of cradles of one series and to return the part to a pair of cradles of another series. 2 Conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the detector devices are associated with a disc moving at the same time as the chain and having an angular pitch equal to that of idler devices.   3 Conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the detector devices are associated with a disc (126) moving at the same time as the chain but with a reduction ratio in particular 1: 2 relative to the devices with idle wheels.   4 Carrier according to one of the claims   tions 2 or 3, comprising two support and guide structures for the two chains, characterized in that one or both structures are adjustable with regard to their spacing distance and in that the corresponding idler devices are connected using advantageously articulated shafts and sliding joints. Carrier according to one of the claims   tions 2 to 4, characterized in that the devices de-   sensors and / or probes are in the form of proximity switches, the probes comprising oscillating elements.