GB2227697A - Transport apparatus for components in a progressive press - Google Patents

Description

1 TRANSPORT APPARATUS The invention relates to a transport apparatus for

transporting large surface or double components in a progressive or multi-stage press of the kind in which the components are advanced through the press' stages by two carrier rails capable of horizontal and vertical movement extending lengthwise of the working area of the press and carrying transverse bars fitted with grippers (preferably suction grippers) for said components.

When resetting the press for pressing a new component the transverse bars with grippers suited to the old component have to be exchanged along with the tool set.

In transport apparatus of this kind described in German (Fed. Rep.). Patent Application P 38 40 454.0, the two carrier rails are divided into sections located in the sliding table region and in the press support frame region and are separated for the tool change by automatic locks. The carrier rail sections located in the sliding table region, having the transverse bars secured thereto, are deposited on the sliding table and are withdrawn from the press with the tools at the time of tool exchange.

The automatic locks increase the weight of the carrier rails and inertia forces on acceleration and deceleration.

Furthermnre, the carrier rail sections located in the sliding table region must al:t be present for the change sliding table, which results in increased costs.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantages by avoiding a separation of the carrier rails thereby achieving a saving in weight and cost.

According to the present invention there is provided transporting apparatus for transporting large surface area components andlor double components in a large component multi-stage press in which two horizontally and vertically moveable carrier rails extend lengthwise of the working space of the press and carry transverse bars fitted with grippers for said components, characterised in that the transverse bars are detachable from the carrier rails onto tool supporting sliding tables intermediate the tools, and in that the carrier rails free of the transverse bars are moveable upwardly clear of the upper tools when 2 deposited on the sliding tables in readiness for a tool change.

By virtue of the inventive arrangement the sliding tables with the tools can be withdrawn from the press at a level below the carrier rails. The height adjustment for the carrier rails may also be used for changing the transport plane with high and low tool sets and for adjusting the grippers in relation to the pressed component.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 shows the front view of a progressive press with the suction apparatus transfer in the position of removing the parts from the tool, Fig. 2 shows the same front view in the tool change position, Fig. 3 shows a section along the line A-B of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows a section along the line C-D of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 shows a section along the line E-F of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 shows a section along the line G-H of Fig. 2, Fig. 7 shows a section along the line J-K of Fig. 3, and Fig. 8 shows a section along the line L-M of Fig. 1.

In the present example, there are four working stages 1, 2, 3, 3a, and void stages 4 and 5 of a large-component multi-stage press comprising press platens 6 and 7, upper struts 8 and 9, press support frames 10-15, sliding tables 16, 17, 18, 19, press plungers 20, 21, 22, lower tools 23, 24, 25, 26 and upper tools 27, 28, 29 and 30.

Two carrier rails 31 and 32 extend through the press, transverse bars 3338 with suction spiders 39 and 39a being pivotally secured to the carrier rails for connection thereto and disconnection therefrom.

The carrier rails 31 and 32 are guided for displacement in and in opposition to the direction of transport by guide elements 40 and 40a in guides 41 and 41b which are secured to pillars 43-43b vertically displaceably mounted in guide columns 42-42b.

The horizontal movement 44 of the carrier rails 31 and 32 is driven via a cam drive (not shown) by levers 45 and 45a, which are connected by the push rods 46 and 46a to the carrier rails 31 and 32.

The vertical movement 48 (production axis) of the carrier rails 31 and 32 is also driven via a cam drive (not shown) and push rods onto the guide columns 43-43b. The drive for the height adjustment of the carrier rails 31 and 32 is effected by a serve motor (not shown) and nuts and 3 spindles similarly onto the guide columns 4343b.

For the tool change, the carrier rails 31 and 32 are moved only half a step (Fig. 2) so that the transverse bars are in the intermediate spaces between the tools 23-26 and are engaged by locating pins 48-52a fixed to the sliding tables 16-19 and mounted rotatably and heightadjustably in guide tubes 53-57a. By rotating the pins 48-52a through 90% the transverse bars 33-37 located thereon are secured axially against displacement by pins 58. If the transverse bars 33-37 are located on the pins 48-52a, the locating pins 60 of the carrier rails 31, 32 are withdrawn by the action of pressure medium from the roller bearings 62, which are located in the bearing flanges 61 welded to the ends of the transverse bars 33-37.

A rocker 63, pivotal by means of a rolling bearing 64, is mounted on a bearing bush 59.

To change the position when transporting the pressed components from one tool stage to the next, it is necessary for the transverse bars to be capable of performing a pivotal movement 86. For this purpose, the rocker 63 is held at the upper end in a sliding block 65 which is mounted on a bearing pin 67 guided in a housing 66.

By means of programmable driving motors 68-68i which are in operative connection with spindles 69 and nuts 70 secured in the head of the bearing pin 67, the bearing pins 67 performs a horizontal movement, producing a pivotal movement of the transverse bars 33 about the locating pins 60.

Because of the sensitivity to torsion of the transverse bars 3338, the driving motors 68-68i are located on both carrier rails 31 and 32. The opposed driving motors at the transverse bars 33-38 are electrically synchronised.

For fixing the suction strips to the rockers 63, guide bushes 71 and 72 are provided on the bearing flanges 61 and fixing pins 73 and 74 present on the rockers 63 engage in these guide bushes 71 and 72. Beside the guide bushes 71 there are on the rockers 63 electrical socket couplings 75 and beside the guide bushes 72 air couplings 76, and on the bearing flanges 63 of the transverse bars 35 beside the fixing pins 73 are electrical connectors 77 and beside the fixing pins 74 connecting nipples 78 for air.

On raising and lowering the carrier rails 31, 32 for coupling and 4 uncoupling the transverse bars 39 located on the pins 48-52 of the sliding tables 16-19 to or from the carrier rails 31 and 32, the fixing pins 73 and 74 serve also for centring the electrical connectors 77 with the electrical socket couplings 75 and the air couplings 76 with the connecting nipples 78.

Blanks 82 and 82a are supplied by a conveyor belt 79 to a lifting station 80 and thence by a blank feeder 81 to the machining stage 1.

From there, pressed parts 83 and 83a are laid by the transverse bar 33 secured to the carrier rails 31 and 32 at one void station 4 on the setdown patterns 85 secured to the pattern carriers 84, and from there are transported further through the press.

Claims (9)

1. Transporting apparatus for transporting large surface area components andlor double components in a large component multi-stage press in which two horizontally and vertically moveable carrier rails extend lengthwise of the working space of the press and carr transverse bars fitted with grippers for said components, characterised in that the transverse bars are detachable from the carrier rails onto tool supporting sliding tables intermediate the tools, and in that the carrier rails free of the transverse bars are moveable upwardly clear of the upper tools when deposited on the sliding tables in readiness for a tool change.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that, for coupling and uncoupling, an insertion pin (60) is present which engages in a bearing (62) of a bearing flange (61) of the transverse bar.

3. Apparatus according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the bearing flange (61) has guide bushes (71 and 72) in which fixing pins (72 and 74) engage.

4. Apparatus according to claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the socket couplings (75-78) are present parallel to the fixing pins (73 and 74).

5. Apparatus according to claims 3 and 4, characterised in that the fixing pins (73 and 74) are secured on a rocker (63) pivotal about the axis of the locating pin (60).

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the pivotal movement of the rocker (63) is carried out by a programmable servo motor.

7. Apparatus according to claims 1 to 6, characterised in that air and electrical socket connections can be coupled and uncoupled at the same time as raising and lowering of the carrier rails.

8. Transporting apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A multi-stage press including transporting apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

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