GB854712A - Improvements relating to work handling apparatus for use with plating machines - Google Patents

Abstract

854,712. Transferring articles from one level to another. UDYLITE RESEARCH CORPORATION. Nov. 27, 1958 [Dec. 6, 1957], No. 38364/58. Class 104 (2). In an apparatus for transferring workpiece carriers between a first conveyer and a second conveyer at least one track section is pivoted about an axis parallel to the first conveyer for movement between a position filling a gap in first conveyer track and a second position in which a work carrier carried by a trolley supported by the track section is aligned with the second conveyer. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, articles are transferred between a plating machine 16 and a conveyer 14 by a loader 18 and a pair of transfer devices 12, 12a. The loader 18 comprises an hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly arranged between a pair of telescoping arm assemblies 54. The piston and cylinder assembly and the telescoping arms are pivotally secured at one end to a base 50 and at the other end to a frame carrying a segment 46 of a track 40 overlying the plating machine 16. In the retracted position of the loader 18, shown in full lines on Fig. 4, the track segment 46 is aligned with a track 40 so that work carriers 42 can be moved off or on to the segment 46. In the retracted position, rollers 60 carried by the frame carrying the segment 46 are engaged in fixed upwardly inclined tracks 62. When the loader 18 is moved to the extended position, shown in chain-dotted lines on Fig. 4, in which the segment 46 is in the transfer position relative to the conveyer 14, the rollers 60 leave the track 62 and pairs of rollers 66, carried by the segment carrying frame, engage upwardly-inclined tracks 68. The transfer devices 12, 12a, each consist of a C-shape member pivoted at 76 by an hydraulic ram 78. The upper portion 84 of each member 12, 12a carries a section 72 of the conveyer track 14. Wheels 24 of trolleys 22 run on the lower flanges 26 of the sections 72 and the conveyer 14. Each trolley 22 has a depending loop 30 comprising a horizontal lower portion 34 and upright legs 32 and is provided with an arm 36 for driving and indexing the trolley with any suitable mechanism. The members 12, 12a are provided with a lower portion 86 which engages the trolley loop 30 when the members 12, 12a with the trolley 22 thereon are tilted by the ram 78 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Load-carrying racks 90 are provided at their upper ends with a hook 92 and an intermediate bearing portion 94. The apparatus operates as follows. A trolley 22 without a load-carrying rack 90 is moved by means of a suitable indexing and stop mechanism on to a track 72 on the transfer device 12a and a trolley 22, carrying a rack 90, supported from the portion 34 by the bearing portion 94 and having a workpiece to be plated, is moved on to the tracks 72 of the transfer device 12. A control mechanism now operates the loader 18 and the transfer devices 12, 12a in the following sequence. The transfer device 12 is tilted by a ram 78 and the bearing portion 94 of rack 90 pivots around the loop portion 34 to maintain the rack in a vertical position. The loader 18 is now extended so that the lower end portion 96 of a workcarrier 42 carried by the end 47 of the segment 46 is moved into a position beneath the hook 92. The work-carrier 42 carried by the other end 45 of the track segment 46 and supporting a rack 90 carrying plated articles is simultaneously raised. The device 12a is now tilted so that the bearing portion 34 of the trolley 22 carried by the device 12a engages beneath the portion 94 of the loaded rack 90. The device 12 is now' moved to its initial position to leave the freshly loaded rack 90 suspended by its hook 92 on a track carrier 42. The loader 18 is now retracted to leave the loaded rack 90 supported by the bearing 94 on the trolley 22 of the device 12a and to carry downwards into the plating machine the freshly loaded rack 90 previously supported by the trolley 22 on the device 12. The device 12a is now moved to its initial position with the rack 90 carrying the plated articles. Specification 654,307 is referred to.