FR2834706A1 - Feeder for individual vehicle body supports has motorised carriage travelling along parallel guides positioned over support collecting zone - Google Patents

Abstract

The feeder consists of a motorised carriage (1) travelling in a linear motion along parallel guides (2) positioned over a collecting zone (3) with individual body supports (4, 4') located side by side and over a dispatch zone (5). The carriage can move vertically on a telescopic arm (6) with two parallel heads (7) on its lower end, each with a detector (71), a retaining wedge (72) and mobile stops (76).

Description

<Desc / Clms Page number 1>

SUPPLIER OF INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTS FOR BODYWORK
VEHICLES OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a supplier of individual supports for vehicle bodies, usable in vehicle assembly plants, and whose individual supports supplied or supplied by it are responsible for supporting the chassis of the vehicle at least during the manufacturing phase.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Currently, the use of double or individual supports in vehicle assembly factories for mounting vehicle bodies is usual, the bodies being moved on these supports at least during one of the vehicle manufacturing or assembly phases. .

These supports usually have protruding pins or hooks intended to allow their attachment to the vehicle body. These nipples or hooks frequently constitute a nuisance when handling the supports individually to introduce them on the assembly line.

Also, the technical problem posed is the development of a supplier capable of carrying out the detection of individual supports on a pick-up area and their adhesion and their individualized transport to a sending area, ensuring that the support picked up does not cause contiguous media.

<Desc / Clms Page number 2>

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the objectives mentioned, the supplier of individual supports for vehicle bodies, object of the invention, has been imagined, which comprises a motorized linear displacement carriage mounted on parallel guides positioned above an area for picking up individual supports on which the individual supports are placed sideways and above a sending area for these individual supports.

On the motorized trolley is mounted a telescopic arm for vertical displacement, the lower end of which carries two heads mounted in parallel and responsible for achieving the individual adhesion of the supports to the pick-up zone, and their fixing during transport to to the sending area.

According to the invention, each of the heads mentioned comprises: - A detector responsible for detecting the presence of the support to be provided on the collection area, - Movable stops which exert pressure on the upper and lower areas of the support to be provided individualized adhesion from the head,
A retaining wedge actuated by vertical displacement means responsible for locking it on the recovery zone between the support to be transported and the adjoining support, and keeping it in a fixed position during the start of the transport of the support taken by the head, preventing involuntary training of this contiguous support.

In accordance with the invention, the mobile stops provided on the heads for the individualized adhesion of the supports are composed by an upper stop associated with a vertical displacement cylinder and by a lower stop.

<Desc / Clms Page number 3>

 folding designed to act against the lower surface of the support to be picked up.

In their turn, the means of displacement of the wedge are composed by a pneumatic cylinder of vertical displacement responsible for locking it between the support to be transported and the contiguous support, and by a horizontal displacement chassis actuable by means of a pneumatic cylinder, this same chassis being responsible for maintaining the retaining wedge in a fixed position during the start of the transport of the individual support from the head.

With this arrangement of elements, the supplier of individual supports for vehicle bodies, object of this invention, makes it possible to achieve the adhesion of the individual supports, one by one, to the pick-up zone and their transport to the zone d send, the retaining wedge preventing some of the contiguous supports arranged on the pick-up zone from being able to be involuntarily driven by the individual support picked up by the heads of the supplier.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES - Figure 1 shows a view of the supplier of individual supports object of the invention, on which we can observe the motorized carriage mounted on the parallel guides and the telescopic arm of vertical movement carrying two heads responsible for carrying out the adhesion of the supports, the telescopic arm having been shown in the folded position.

 - Figure 2 shows an elevational view of the supplier of individual supports object of the invention on which we can observe the motorized carriage mounted on the parallel guides and the telescopic arm of vertical movement carrying two heads responsible for carrying out

<Desc / Clms Page number 4>

 the adhesion of the supports, the telescopic arm having been shown in the deployed position.

 Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the supplier's profile with the telescopic arm in the folded position, the longitudinal guide of the front side having been removed to allow observation of the motorized trolley.

- Figures 4,5, 6 and 7 each show schematic profile views of one of the heads responsible for achieving individualized adhesion of the supports on the pick-up zone and its transport to the dispatch zone; a sequence of movements made by the head from the approach of the head of the support to be transported, until its extraction from the recovery zone can be seen in these figures.

PREFERABLE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the supplier, object of the invention, comprises a motorized trolley (1) mounted with the possibility of linear movement on parallel guides (2) which extend over a pick-up zone (3) of the individual supports (4, 4 ′) and a sending zone (5) thereof.

On the carriage (1) is mounted a telescopic arm (6) for vertical displacement on the lower end of which there are mounted in their turn two heads (7) responsible for picking up the individual supports, (4,4 ') one by one on the collection area (3) and transport them to the sending area (5).

As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, on the pickup area (3) individual supports (4,4 '), shown schematically, are attached, it being specified that the heads (7) take up only the support (4) which occupies the first position to transport it to the sending area (5).

<Desc / Clms Page number 5>

For this, each of the heads (7) has a detector (71) which is responsible for detecting the presence of the support (4) to be transported when these heads approach the pickup zone as shown in Figure (4).

The heads (7) also have a retaining wedge (72) which can move vertically relative to a frame (73) by the action of a cylinder (74) for vertical displacement which is mounted on the chassis mentioned (73).

As can be seen in Figures 4,5 and 6, once the support (4) to be transported detected by the detector (71) the descent of the heads (7) is carried out and subsequently the locking of the retaining wedge ( 72) by the action of the cylinder (74) between the two first individual supports (4,4 ') existing on the pick-up zone (3); taking place after the adhesion of the first individual support (4) by means of an upper stop (75) which is actuated by a vertical displacement cylinder (not shown to obtain better clarity in the drawing) and by means of a lower folding stop (76) which acts against the lower surface of the support (4) to be taken up.

To ensure the extraction of a single support (4) from the area taken from the heads (7), it is provided that the chassis (73) is mounted on the head (7), with the possibility of horizontal displacement. on the guide (77), the horizontal movement of this frame (73) being controlled by a cylinder (78).

This arrangement of elements allows, as can be seen in FIG. 7, that the retaining wedge (72) remains in a fixed position, preventing the displacement of the support (4 ′) while the head (7) realizes the extraction of the individual support (4) which occupies the

<Desc / Clms Page number 6>

 first position on the collection area (3).

For this, it is specified that the cylinder (78) passes from the folded position to the extended position at the same speed as the head moves back during the extraction of the support (4) from the recovery zone, as shown in FIG. 7 .

Once the nature of the invention, as well as an example of embodiment described, it appears for all practical purposes that the materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements described may be modified, always and when this does not require a alteration of the essential characteristics of the invention which are claimed below.

Claims (3)

1. Supplier of individual supports for vehicle bodies; CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT that it includes a motorized trolley (1) for linear movement mounted on parallel guides (2) positioned above a pick-up zone (3) for the individual supports (4,4 ') on which the individual supports (4,4 ') are leaned laterally and, above a sending area (5) of these individual supports (4, 4'), a telescopic arm (6) for vertical displacement mounted on the motorized carriage (1) and two heads (7) mounted in parallel on the lower end of the telescopic arm (5), each of the heads (7) having: - a detector (71) responsible for detecting on the collection area (3) the presence of the support (4) to be supplied, - movable stops (75, 76) which exert pressure on the upper and lower zones of the support (4) to be supplied, achieving individualized adhesion from the head (7), - a retaining wedge (72) actuated by vertical displacement means responsible for locking it on the recovery zone (3) between the support (4) to be transported and the contiguous support (4 '), and keep it in a fixed position during the start of the transport of the support (4) taken by the head (7), preventing the involuntary drive of this adjoining support (4 ').  2. Supplier according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the movable stops provided on the heads (7) for the individualized adhesion of the supports (4) are composed by an upper stop (75) associated with a displacement cylinder vertical and by a lower folding stop (76) intended to act against the lower surface of the support (4) to be picked up.  3. Supplier, according to claim 1, <Desc / Clms Page number 8>  CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the means of displacement of the wedge (72) are composed by a cylinder (74) of vertical displacement responsible for locking it between the support (4) to be transported and the adjoining support (4 '), and by a chassis (73) for horizontal movement which can be actuated by means of a cylinder (78), this chassis (73) being responsible for holding the retaining wedge (72) in a fixed position during the start of the transport of the support (4) from the head (7).