FR2620297A1 - Methods and devices for automatically selecting, from a set of conducting wires, several predetermined subsets and for successively placing them in the magazine for loading an automatic wiring machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the invention is methods and devices for automatically selecting, from a set of conducting wires, several predetermined subsets and for successively placing them in a magazine for loading an automatic wiring machine. The device according to the invention includes a general magazine 71, 72... 7n, in which the ends of each of the wires 8 of a set of wires are arranged in a parallel fashion, each wire occupying a predetermined address. It includes a magazine 1 for loading an automatic wiring machine which includes a restricted number of clamping (blocking) grippers 31, 32... 3n each presenting the end of a wire 21, 22... 2n to the pay-out device of the wiring machine. It includes a manipulator 9 which includes three motorised carriages 11, 13, 15 moving along three tri-rectangular rolling tracks 10, 12, 14, the motors of which are controlled by a central computer 4. One application is the automatic manufacture of large batches of sections of conducting wires which include wires of different type.

Description

DESCRIPTION
Methods and devices for automatically selecting from a plurality of conductive wires a plurality of specific subassemblies and placing them successively in a loading magazine of an automatic wiring machine.

 The present invention relates to methods and devices for automatically selecting in a set of conductive son several specific subsets and to place them successively in a loading magazine of a cabling machine.

 The technical field of the invention is that of the construction of automatic machines or flexible workshops of wiring.

 Automatic wiring machines are known that wind wires that can be chosen from a set of several conductive threads of section, of different color or nature, which cut into these threads sections of determined length and which automatically crimp on the ends of these son of the connecting pieces.

Such an automatic machine is described for example in the patent application FR. 81 / 18.181 (AUTOMATISMS AND TECHNIQUES
ADVANCED).

 The cabling machines known to date, comprise, at the head of the machine, a thread loading magazine # in the machine which contains a limited number of threads which are placed manually in the loading magazine, before the start of a machine. operating cycle.

 The number of threads on which the machine can work without manual intervention is limited to the number of positions or locations of the loading magazine.

 The object of the present invention is to add to automatic cabling machines, means for selecting automatically and successively several subsets of son taken in a much larger set of son that includes all available son, on which the cabling machine may have to work and which also allow to automatically place, in turn, each of the selected subassemblies in the loading magazine of the cabling machine which can thus automatically produce large batches of threads with son of color, diameter or nature very diverse.

The object of the invention is achieved by a method for automatically selecting in a set of conductive wires several successive subsets of wires and for successively placing each of said subassemblies in a loading magazine of an automatic wiring machine, which method comprises the following operations
placing the end of each of the wires of said assembly in a determined location of a general store, which location is defined by an address, the ends of all the wires being parallel to one another;
a manipulator which is controlled automatically by a microprocessor in which the address of each of the wires of said assembly and the wires which constitute each of said successive subsets, which manipulator successively goes to address of each of the son to constitute the first of said subsets, grasps the end of the wire directed towards the front of the wire therein, releases this wire, moves to a free location of said loading magazine of said machine by unwinding the thread of a spool, inserting the end of the thread into this free location, blocking the thread and then retaking a new thread until all the threads of said first subassembly have been transferred to said loading magazine .

 A method according to the invention for replacing a first subset of wires located in said loading magazine by a second subset of wires, comprises the following operations: said manipulator is automatically placed in order to bring it successively to the address said loading magazine where there is a first thread that does not fit into the composition of the second subassembly and said manipulator grabs the thread at that address, releases it and automatically moves to the address of said thread in said general store holding the end of said wire which automatically winds on a reel and said manipulator repeats its movements, until all the son of said first subset, which is not part of said second subset, have been brought back into said general store, after which said manipulator selects the son of the second subset and transfers them from said store to audit loading magazine by repeating the sequence of operations set out above.

 According to a particular embodiment, the end of each wire is locked in a mobile end which comprises two sleeves and a bore through which said wire passes and said manipulator carries said movable end holding said wire from said general store to said loading magazine. said machine and vice versa and each time engaging one of said sleeves in a bore of said general magazine or in a bore of said supply magazine.

A device according to the invention for automatically selecting in a set of conductive wires several successive subsets of wires and for successively placing each of said subassemblies in a loading magazine of an automatic wiring machine comprises
a general store for storing all the wires in which the ends of each wire are arranged parallel to each other at a given address;
a loading magazine for a wiring machine capable of receiving the ends of a limited number of wires belonging to said assembly, each end of wire occupying a determined position;
a manipulator which moves between said general magazine and said loading magazine and which can move along three axes;
and a computer which contains the list of all the son of said set with their address in said general store and into which subset lists of wires to be transferred are entered, which computer automatically controls said manipulator.

 According to a first preferred embodiment, said general magazine and said loading magazine comprise fixed wire locking pieces which each comprise a bore in which said wire is engaged and a latch pierced with a bore through which said wire passes, which The latch is actuated by a jack and an antagonistic return spring of said jack.

 According to a second embodiment, the end of each wire is engaged in a bore of a mobile end which carries a lock for locking said wire constituted by a sliding rod pierced with a hole through which said wire passes, which rod is equipped with a pusher and a return spring.

 The invention results in the possibility of automatically placing in the loading magazine of a wiring machine, which is located at the head thereof, several successive subsets of selected wires in a set which can group all types different wires on which the wiring machine must work.

 This possibility makes it possible to program the cabling machine in advance so that it executes large batches of wire sections having many different types of wires, which may vary in color, diameter or composition.

It is sufficient to introduce in the central computer of the cabling machine a table indicating for each type of wire the address of the general store where it is located and which does not change. Then, before each automatic manufacturing cycle, the computer of the central computer, the composition of each of the subsets of wires on which the cabling machine will have to work, is entered into the memory, each type of wire being designated by a code and each subassembly being established in the order in which the wires are to be placed in the loading magazine of the machine. The central computer establishes the correspondence between the wires comprising each subassembly and the addresses of the general store where these wires are stored and it automatically controls the manipulator that commutes between the general store and the loading magazine to bring it into the first subassembly and, when the first cycle of operation of the machine is over, to bring back the first sub-assembly -Set in the store and replace it with a second subset and so on.

 The following description refers to the accompanying drawings which show, without any limiting character, an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention.

 Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a device according to the invention.

 Figure 2 is an axial section of a locking piece of the fixed wire equipping the general store.

 Figure 3 is an axial section of a locking piece of the fixed wire equipping the loading magazine of the machine.

 Figure 4 is a horizontal axial section of a movable tip placed on the general store.

 Figure 5 is a horizontal axial section of a movable tip engaged in the loading magazine.

 Figure 6 is a perspective view of a plurality of movable tips placed opposite the loading magazine.

 Figure 1 is an elevational view of the mechanical doors of a device according to the invention.

This device is intended to be placed at the head of an automatic wiring machine or a flexible wiring workshop, for example a machine such as that described in the patent
EN. 81 / 18.181 (AUTOMATISMS AND ADVANCED TECHNIQUES).

 FIG. 1 represents the loading magazine of an automatic wiring machine 1, which is placed at the head of the machine to feed it, and which contains a vertical row of wires 21 at 2n, for example a row of about ten of son.

 Each wire is placed in a locking piece 31 at 3n. The ends of the wires are parallel to each other and directed towards the machine unwinding station which can thus seize a wire one after the other and pull it to unwind it after releasing it from the corresponding locking piece.

 The loading magazine 1 is movable vertically, so that it can successively present each end of wire 31 at 3n in the alignment of the unwinding station.

 The vertical movements of the magazine 1 are actuated by a servomotor which is controlled by a microprocessor 4.

 A device according to the invention comprises a storage area 5, in which are placed son coils 6 corresponding to a set of all types of son that may have to be used on a machine for a given period.

 The storage zone 5 comprises a general magazine 7, which is divided into several elementary magazines 71 72 ... 7n, having the shape of a column such as the magazine 1 and each containing a row of wires, for example about thirty son, so that each location of the general store is defined by two coordinates forming an address, a horizontal coordinate that corresponds to the column in which it is located and a vertical coordinate that corresponds to the line on which it is located.

 The end of each wire 8 is clamped in a locking piece 81, so that the ends of all the wires available in the general magazine are visible on the side which is directed towards the magazine 1 of the machine and are parallel to each other. Each locking piece 8 comprises a locking jack as will be explained below.

 FIG. 1 furthermore represents a manipulator 9 which receives instructions from the microprocessor 4 and which moves automatically to fetch a wire at a given address from the general store, to unwind it up to a given address of the machine magazine for introduce it into one of the blocking parts 3 equipping it and to block it.

 The manipulator 9 may be for example an articulated arm movable along three axes.

 FIG. 1 represents a preferred embodiment in which the manipulator 8 comprises a rail or raceway 10, which is parallel to a horizontal axis xx 'and which carries a motorized carriage 11, which moves along the rail 10. carriage 11 carries a vertical slide 12 parallel to a vertical axis Y Y '.

 A second motorized carriage 13 moves in this slideway. The carriage 13 carries a horizontal slide 14 which is parallel to a third axis Z Z 'perpendicular to the axes x x' and y y '. A third motorized carriage 15 moves in the slide 14 and this carriage carries a gripping tool 16 capable of holding the end of a wire.

 The three motors 11, 13 and 15 are controlled by the central computer 4.

 At the beginning of a cycle of operation of the cabling machine, there is entered in the computer with a keyboard several lists of n son each corresponding to a subset which will in turn be brought into the store 1 and on which the machine wiring will have to work. The computer has in memory the address of each type of wire in the general store.

 Suppose store 1 is empty. The computer moves the manipulator 9, for example by controlling the three motors 11, 13 and 15 to bring the tool 16 in front of the first address of the general store.

 The tool 16 grasps the end of the wire 8 at this address and releases the locking piece 81 which held the wire.

 The manipulator then moves automatically and will place the wire in the address of the magazine 1 which indicates the computer which is for example the first free address from the top down and the same cycles start again until the store the machine 1 is lined with a first subset of threads that can occupy the entire store or only part.

 When the machine has completed its first cycle of operation and must attack a second cycle that requires to fill the magazine 1 with a second subset of different son, at least in part, those of the first subset, the manipulator controlled by the central computer takes a first thread of the first subassembly in the loading magazine 1, releases it from its blocking part 3 and brings it back to the general magazine 7 where the thread automatically resumes its initial place. The son in the storage area are held taut, for example by counterweight pulleys, so that the wire held by the manipulator returning to the general store is swallowed automatically and it remains tense.

 When all the threads of the first subassembly that are not part of the second subassembly have been extracted from the magazine 1 and brought back to the general magazine 7, a new selection cycle starts again to automatically fill the magazine 1 with a new subset taken. in the set contained in the storage area 5.

 To bring the son of the first subassembly to the general store the manipulator proceeds in the reverse order of the operations that were used to bring them into the loading magazine, that is to say, it first enters the last wire that he brought into the loading magazine then the penultimate and so on to avoid crossing son between them.

 FIG. 2 represents a horizontal partial section of an elementary magazine, for example magazine 71. It comprises a vertical block 17 comprising superposed horizontal bores 18 in each of which a wire 8 is engaged. The rear end 18a of the bore 18 is advantageously flared to facilitate the introduction of the wire 8 into the bore which is made manually.

 The block 17 comprises on its front face locking pieces 81 which each comprise a bore 19 aligned with the bore 18.

 Each locking piece comprises a brake or lock 20 which comprises a rod or a plate 21, pierced with a hole 22, having substantially the same diameter as the bore 19. The rod 21 slides in the part 81. It carries a collar 23, on which rests a spring 24 which tends to push the rod, so that the hole 22 is no longer aligned with the bore 19, which has the effect of blocking the wire 8.

 A jack 25 moves the rod in the opposite direction of the action of the lock until the flange 23 abuts the piece 81, in the position shown in FIG. 2. In this position, the hole 22 is aligned with the 19 bore and the wire is unlocked.

 FIG. 2 shows, in addition, the two jaws 16a, 16b or the two jaws of the clamp 16, mounted on the carriage 15 of the manipulator 9, which grip the wire 8 as close as possible to the locking piece 81, so as to leave a determined length of free wire at the front of the clamp to be able to engage this free wire in one of the parts of the magazine 1.

 FIG. 3 is a partial horizontal section of an embodiment of the magazine 1, passing through the axis of one of the locking pieces 3.

 This figure shows the free end of a wire 8 held by the noses 16a and 16b of the gripper 16 of the manipulator.

 The magazine 1 comprises a frame 26 which carries a vertical row of holes 27 in front of each of which is fixed a locking piece 3 having a bore 28 aligned with the hole 27.

 The locking pieces 3 are identical to the locking pieces 81 shown in FIG. 2 and the homologous parts are represented by the same marks accompanied by the index 1.

 The operation of the cable lock consisting of the sliding rod 251 bearing a light 221 and actuated in the opposite direction by a jack 251 and a counter-spring 241 is the same as that of the lock of FIG. 2.

 The loading magazine 1 further comprises two wheels or rollers 291 and 292 with a vertical axis, one of which rotates in both directions. These wheels are mounted on a motorized support movable vertically, on which is also mounted a tube end 30 whose axis is parallel to the direction of the son.

 The vertical displacement of the motorized support makes it possible to bring the wheels 291 and 292 and the tube 30 in front of a hole 27 which will receive a wire 8 brought by the manipulator.

 After the wire 8 has been engaged in a fastener 3 by the clamp 16a and 16b, the wheels 291 and 292 are brought together and pressed against the wire 8, the clamp 16a, 16b is open, the lock is also opened by the cylinder 251. The motorized wheel 291, for example, is moved in a counterclockwise direction and it drives the wire into the tube 30 which brings it to the wire unwinding station of an automatic wiring machine. when it has to cut sections of this thread.

 Advantageously, the second roller 292 is a feeler which is equipped with a rotation sensor which is used to measure the amount of wire unwound.

 When the machine is finished with a thread 8 and must pass to another thread contained in the magazine 1, the wheel 291 is driven in the direction of clockwise, which has the effect of bringing the wire 8 back up to its initial position shown in Figure 3 and the supply of the cylinder is cut off desorte that the lock automatically resumes the locking position of the wire under the effect of the spring 241.

 When it is necessary to remove a wire from the magazine to bring its end to the general store, the handle 16a, 16b of the manipulator is closed on the wire, then the manipulator moves until the clamp 16a, 16b returns to the position shown in Figure 1. During the return of the manipulator, the wire which remained engaged in the channel 18, 19, is automatically reduced by means of automatic tensioning of the wire.

After which the supply of the cylinder 25 is cut off and the wire is again blocked by the lock 21, 22 and the manipulator can pass to the next wire.

 Figures 2 and 3 show an embodiment of the general store and supply store of the machine in which the fasteners son 3 and 81 are fixed.

 According to another embodiment of the invention, the locking pieces 81 and 3 may be replaced by movable locking pieces which each hold one end of wire and which follow it in its movements between the general magazine 7 and the shop 1 of the machine.

FIG. 4 represents an axial section of an embodiment of a movable thread locking tip 31 engaged in one of the elementary magazines, for example in the store.
This locking tip comprises a body which is traversed by a bore 31a, in which a wire 8 can be engaged. The body 31 is extended by two cylindrical sleeves 32 and 33.

 The sleeves 32 have an outer diameter slightly smaller than that of the bores 31a, in which they engage. Similarly, the sleeves 33 have an outer diameter which corresponds to that of the bores pierced in the magazine 1 to receive them. The body contains a latch 34 provided with a window 34a and a return spring 34b which is identical to the latches shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

 The sleeve 33 has two semicircular recesses 351 and 352 located in a horizontal plane, on either side of the axial bore 33a in which they open.

 These recesses are intended for the passage of the drive wheels 291 and 292 shown in FIG.

 To engage a thread in a locking piece, the latter is placed on the magazine 7, then the thread is manually engaged in the bore 31a of the sleeve 32. The lock head 34 is manually pressed to allow the thread to pass, then release the latch when the end of the wire emerges sufficiently from the sleeve 33.

 To move a wire end of the general store to the supply store of the wiring machine, the manipulator 9 grasps the tip 31 and transports it to the store 1 where it engages the sleeve 33 in a bore of this store.

 To unwind a yarn from the magazine 1, the vertically movable support which carries the unwinding wheels 291 and 292, carries a cylinder that presses on the head of the latch 34 to open it during the unwinding of the wire and during the return behind the wire.

 Figure 5 is an axial horizontal section of a movable tip 31 engaged in a location of the magazine 1. The homologous parts of the movable tip are represented by the same references in Figures 4 and 5.

 FIG. 5 shows the driving wheel 291 which drives the wire 8 towards the unwinding station of the wiring machine and the wheel 292 facing it which drives an angular displacement sensor which measures the length of wire unwound.

 FIG. 5 shows two vertical worms 36 and 362, which are screwed into threaded bores of the magazine 1 and which are rotated, which makes it possible to vertically move the magazine 1 to bring a wire 8 into alignment the rewinding station of the wiring machine.

 FIG. 5 also shows a flared nozzle 37 which is screwed onto the inlet orifice of the bore 31a and which makes it possible to adapt the nozzle to specific diameters of threads.

 A calibrated nozzle 38 is also screwed onto the outlet of the bore 31a and performs the same function.

 FIG. 5 shows two holes 39a, 39b in which two fingers of the manipulator 9 are positioned.

 Figure 6 is a perspective view of the magazine 1 which comprises a row of bores la, lb, lu ..., for receiving a movable tip.

 Shown in perspective in Figure 6 several movable tips 31 with their two sleeves 32 and 33.

 One of the recesses 352 intended to receive the wheel 392 is seen. The blind bores 391 and 392 are also seen intended to receive two fingers 401 and 402 of the manipulator 9 which is shown in dashed lines in FIG.

 Figures 4, 5 and 6 show an embodiment in which the drive of the wires to the wiring machine is actuated by two tangential wheels 291, 292 which enclose the wire.

It is specified that these two wheels can be replaced by endless belts coming to tighten the thread between them.

Claims (10)

 A method for automatically selecting from a set of conductive wires (8) a plurality of predetermined subsets of wires (2riz ...... 2n) and successively placing each of said subassemblies in a charging magazine (1) an automatic cabling machine, characterized by following operations  the end of each of the wires (8) of said assembly is placed in a determined location of a general store (71 72 ...  a manipulator (9) is moved along three axes which is automatically controlled by a microprocessor in which the address of each of the wires of said assembly and the wires which constitute each of said successive subsets have been entered, which manipulator successively goes to the address of each of the son to constitute the first of said subsets, grasps the end of the wire directed towards the front of the wire therein, releases this wire, moves to a free location of said magazine (1 ) loading said machine by unwinding the wire of a coil (6), introduces the end of the wire in this free location, blocks the wire and goes back to take a new wire until all the son of said first subset have been transferred to said loading magazine (1). 7n), which location is defined by an address, the ends of all the wires being parallel to each other;  2. Method according to claim 1 for automatically replacing a first subset of son (8) in said loading magazine (1) by a second subset, characterized in that it comprises the following operations: one moves automatically said manipulator (9) to bring it successively to the address of said loading magazine (1) where there is a first wire which does not fit into the composition of the second subassembly and said manipulator grasps said wire, releases it and it moves automatically to the address of said wire in said general magazine (7) holding the end of said wire (8) which automatically winds on a reel (6) and said manipulator repeats its movements, until all the threads of said first subassembly, which is not part of said second subassembly, have been brought back into said general magazine (7), after which said manipulator selects the threads of the second subassembly and transfers them from said magazine to said magazine (1) by repeating the sequence of operations according to claim 1.  3. Method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the end of each wire (8) is locked in a movable tip (31) which comprises two coaxial sleeves (32, 33) and a bore ( 31a) through which said wire (8) passes and said manipulator (9) carries said movable tip (31) holding said wire from said general magazine (7) to said loading magazine (1) of said machine and vice versa and engages each time one of said sleeves (32, 33) in a bore of said general magazine or in a bore of said supply magazine (1) of said wiring machine.  4. Device for automatically selecting from a plurality of conductive wires (8) several successive subsets of wires (2riz 22 ... 2n) and, to successively place each of said subassemblies in a loading magazine (1). an automatic wiring machine, characterized in that it comprises  - A general store (7) for storing all the son in which the ends of each wire (8) are arranged parallel to each other at a given address;  a magazine (1) for loading a wiring machine capable of receiving the ends of a limited number of wires belonging to said assembly, each end of wire occupying a determined position;  - a manipulator (9) which moves between said general magazine (7) and said magazine (1) loading and which can move along three axes;  - And a computer (4) which contains the list of all the son of said set with their address in said general store and in which we enter lists of subsets of son to transfer, which computer automatically controls said manipulator.  5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said general magazine (7) and said magazine (1) loading comprise fixed son locking pieces (8 ,, ## î '# î> # 2 .3n) each having a bore (19, 28) in which said wire is engaged and a latch (21) pierced by a bore (22) through which said wire passes, which latch is actuated by a jack (25, 251) and by a return spring (24, 241) antagonist of said cylinder.  6. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said manipulator comprises three motorized carriages (11, 13, 15), which respectively move on three tracks (10, 12, 14) parallel to three trirectangular axes and which are each actuated by a servomotor controlled by said central computer (4).  7. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the end of each wire (8) is engaged in a bore (31a) of a movable tip (31) which carries a latch (34) for locking said wire formed by a sliding rod (34) pierced with an orifice (34a) through which said wire (8) passes, which rod is equipped with a pusher and a return spring (34b).  8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said movable tip (34) comprises two coaxial sleeves (32, 33) pierced with an axial bore (31a) in which said wire passes, which sleeves are intended to be engaged respectively and alternatively in a bore of said general magazine (7) and in bores of said loading magazine (1) of said automatic wiring machine.  9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that said sleeve intended to be engaged in bores of said magazine (1) for loading comprises two circular recesses (351 352) diametrically opposed which open into the axial bore (33a) of said sleeve 33), which recesses are intended to receive one a wheel (291) driving the wire (8) to said wiring machine and the other, a wheel (292) which drives a sensor of the unwound length of said wire .  10. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the axial bore (31a) of said movable nozzle (31) has a diameter corresponding to that of the largest son of said set and is equipped with each of its ends, a removable base (37, 38) whose inner diameter corresponds to that of the wire which is engaged in said movable tip.