JP3167742B2 - Welding machine work clamp device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a work clamping device for a welding machine, and more particularly to a work clamping device for a welding machine which presses and fixes a work to a contact member in a welding machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a welding machine, in particular, in a vertical welding machine, a work clamp device of a type in which a work placed on a work table is pressed against and fixed to a barrier-like abutting member has been generally used. A vertically movable frame that moves up and down at a position in front of the contact member, and a clamp mold provided at a lower end portion of the vertically movable frame so as to be movable in a pressing direction of the work;
The workpiece is pressed against the abutting member and fixed by the clamp die being driven forward by a dedicated hydraulic cylinder device for longitudinal movement, and the workpiece is driven backward by the hydraulic cylinder device for longitudinal movement. Is released from the pressing member.

[0003]

In the work clamping apparatus as described above, when the work to be clamped is a box-shaped work, the clamp mold is moved up and down so as to be located at a position facing the inner surface of the work. It is necessary that the clamp die together with the moving frame enter the box-shaped work through the upper opening of the box-shaped work. Therefore, the box-shaped work has an upper opening large enough to allow the entire vertical moving frame and the clamp die to pass through. It is necessary to have a part. On the other hand, in the work clamp device as described above, the assembly of the vertical moving frame and the clamp mold is relatively large, and the lowering position of the vertical moving frame is constant, so that a small box-shaped work can be clamped. Becomes impossible. Also, since the lowering position of the vertical moving frame is constant, if there is a protrusion such as a stud on the inner surface of the bottom of the box-shaped work, the vertical moving frame will collide with the protrusion in the lowering process. In the work clamping apparatus as described above, it is impossible to clamp a box-shaped work having a projection such as a stud on the inner surface of the bottom.

In the work clamp device as described above, the raising position in addition to the lowering position of the vertical moving frame is uniquely set invariably by the stroke end position of the hydraulic cylinder device for vertical movement. The retreat position of the mold is also set unambiguously unchanged by the stroke end position of the hydraulic cylinder device for forward and backward movement, and these are constant irrespective of the height dimension, flange dimension, etc. of the work. Depending on this, the movement of the vertically moving frame and the clamp mold during clamping and unclamping may be wasted, which hinders shortening of the tact time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional work clamping device,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a work clamp device capable of clamping a small product or a work having a protrusion such as a stud on the inner surface of a bottom portion and shortening the tact time.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a work clamp apparatus for a welding machine for fixing a work by pressing the work against a striking member. A first reciprocating frame, and a second reciprocating frame reciprocating in a direction perpendicular to the pressing direction of the workpiece, wherein the second reciprocating frame is replaced with a clamp die having a different length from each other. This is achieved by a work clamp device of a welding machine, wherein the work clamp device is mounted so that the stroke end positions of the first reciprocating frame and the second reciprocating frame are variably set.

[0007]

According to the above construction, a clamp mold having an appropriate length of a work clamp is exchangeably mounted on the second reciprocating frame according to the flange size of the work, and the like.
Further, the stroke end positions of the first reciprocating frame and the second reciprocating frame are variably set to appropriate positions without excess or deficiency according to the size of the work and the like.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a vertical automatic welding machine to which the work clamping device according to the present invention is applied. The vertical automatic welding machine 1 includes a base 3 and an upper frame 5 erected on the base 3, and has a work table 7 that supports a box-shaped work W on an upper surface of the base 3. I have.

A work head 11 having a welding torch 9 is provided on the upper frame 5 so as to be movable in each of X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions.

A pair of barrier-like abutting members 13 are provided upright on the base 3 on the back side of the work table 7.

An operation box 17 is suspended from an upper frame 5 by an arm 15, and a work clamp device 19 is attached to the operation box.

As shown in FIG. 1, the work clamping device 19 has a forward / backward support base 21 fixedly connected at its base end to the upper frame 5 and positioned above the work table 7. A linear guide rail 23 is provided on the back-and-forth moving support base 21 along the extending direction thereof, that is, the pressing direction of the work W against the abutting member 13.
A forward / backward moving frame 25 is slidably engaged with the linear guide rail 23 with a linear guide member 27.

The forward / backward moving frame 25 is guided by the linear guide rails 23 to move forward and backward above the work table 7, and is a rodless forward / backward moving fluid pressure mounted on the forward / backward supporting base 21. Cylinder device 29
To be driven forward and backward.

A stopper guide rail 31 is fixed to the side surface of the forward / backward supporting base 21 along the extending direction thereof.
A rear end positioning stopper 35 is attached to the stopper guide rail 31 such that the stopper 33 fixed to the forward / backward moving frame 25 abuts on the stopper guide rail 31 so that the mounting position can be adjusted in the direction in which the stopper guide rail 31 extends. The reverse drive of the forward / backward moving frame 25 by the forward / backward moving hydraulic cylinder device 29 is stopped by contacting the stopper 35.

A linear guide member 37 is attached to the forward end of the forward / backward moving frame 25 in a vertical direction. The linear guide member 37 has a linear guide rail 41 fixed to a vertical moving frame 39 and extending in the vertical direction. It is slidably engaged.

The vertically movable frame 39 is moved up and down by being guided by the linear guide member 37, and a clamp die 45 is exchangeably attached to a lower end portion thereof by a clamp plate 43. The clamp dies 45 are of a stacking type, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the number of stacks can be selectively set according to the height of the clamp portion of the work W. . As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of sets of the clamp plates 43 having different lengths are prepared, and the effective length of the clamp mold 45 changes depending on the use thereof. I have.

A rodless type hydraulic cylinder device 47 for vertical movement is mounted on the frame 25 in the horizontal direction. The vertical movement fluid pressure cylinder device 47 has a guide rod 47a fixed along the extending direction of the forward and backward moving frame 25, and a pulley 49a is rotatably attached to the slider 47b. Pulley 49a has one end 5
A wire cable 51 having a flexible structure in which 1a is locked to the forward / reverse frame 25 is hung. The wire cable 51 is hung over a pulley 49b rotatably supported by the forward / backward frame 25 and hangs down from the pulley 49b. The lower end, that is, the other end 51b, is locked to the vertical movement frame 39.

A stopper guide rail 53 is fixed to the side surface of the forward / backward moving frame 25 along the extending direction thereof.
The stopper guide rail 53 includes a stopper 55 fixed to the slider 47b of the hydraulic cylinder device 47 for vertical movement,
The ascending end positioning stopper 59 and the descending end positioning stopper 61 with which the abutment 57 abuts are individually mounted so as to be adjustable in the mounting direction of the stopper guide rail 53, and the stopper 55 abuts on the ascending end positioning stopper 59. As a result, the upward drive of the vertical movement frame 39 by the vertical movement fluid pressure cylinder device 47 is stopped, and the stopper 5
The lowering movement of the vertically moving frame 39 by the vertically moving fluid pressure cylinder device 47 is stopped by bringing the 7 into contact with the lower end positioning stopper 61.

At the time of clamping the box-shaped work W on the work table 7, in the initial state in which the forward / backward moving frame 25 is located at the rear end position and the vertically moving frame 39 is located at the rising end position thereof. First, the corner of the work W is pressed against the abutting member 13 as shown in FIG.

The rear end position of the forward / rearward movement frame 25 at this time is adjusted by adjusting the mounting position of the rear end positioning stopper 35, as shown by a virtual line in FIG. 2 or FIG. The tip of the mold 45 is set to a position closest to the tip of the flange portion Wf of the workpiece W within a range where the tip does not interfere with the tip of the workpiece W. The rising end position of the vertical movement frame 39 is adjusted by adjusting the mounting position of the rising end positioning stopper 59. 2 or 3, the lower end of the vertically moving frame 39 does not interfere with the upper surface of the work W and the work W is set within a range where the setting of the work W can be performed. It is set at a position close to the upper surface.

When the setting of the work W is completed, the hydraulic cylinder device 47 for vertical movement is driven to
b is moved to the right in FIG. As a result, the wire cable 49 is paid out, and the vertical moving frame 3 is accordingly moved.
9 descends by its own weight. The lowering of the vertical moving frame 3 by the vertical moving hydraulic cylinder device 47 is performed by the stopper 57 contacting the lower end positioning stopper 61.
9 is performed until the descent drive is stopped. In this case, even if the vertical moving frame 39 collides with the workpiece W during the lowering process of the vertical moving frame 39 and the lowering of the workpiece W is hindered, the wire cable 51 is only bent and the vertical moving frame 39 is damaged. Is avoided.

The rightward movement of the slider 47b in FIG. 1 causes the stopper 57 to abut the lower end positioning stopper 61, thereby moving the slider 47b of the vertical moving fluid pressure cylinder device 47 rightward in FIG. When the movement stops,
The vertical movement frame 39 is located at a predetermined lower end position. As a result, the clamp mold 45 is moved to the box-shaped workpiece W.
Will be located inside. The position of the lower end of the vertical moving frame 39 by the lowering end positioning stopper 61 is determined according to the height position of the bottom surface of the box-shaped work W and the protrusions such as studs on the bottom inner surface of the work W. In the case where there is, the height may be set to a lower position within a range that does not interfere with them, according to the height position of the vertex of the protrusion.

Next, the forward / backward moving frame 25 is moved forward by driving the forward / backward moving hydraulic cylinder device 29. This forward movement causes the clamp mold 45 to move toward the abutting member 13 and press the work W against the abutting member 13. Thereby, the clamping of the work W is completed.

To release the clamp of the work W, the hydraulic cylinder device 29 for forward and backward movement is driven in reverse to stop the stopper 3.
The reverse frame 25 is moved backward until the 3 comes into contact with the rear end positioning stopper 35, and then the hydraulic cylinder device 47 for vertical movement is reversely driven to move the slider 47 b to the left in FIG. Vertical frame 3
9 is lifted up. This upward movement is performed until the stopper 55 comes into contact with the upward-end positioning stopper 59, whereby the movement of the slider 47b of the hydraulic cylinder device 47 for vertical movement to the left in FIG. 1 stops.

As described above, the lowermost position of the vertical moving frame 39 is set by the lower end positioning stopper 61, and the highest position of the vertical moving frame 39 is set by the upper end positioning stopper 59.
And the rearmost position of the forward / backward moving frame 25 is individually and variably set by the rear end positioning stopper 35, so that these are set to the minimum necessary limits according to the size and shape of the work W, so that the Forward and backward moving frame 25 and vertical moving frame 3 during unclamping
9 is eliminated.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the clamp die 45 attached to the vertically movable frame 39 is provided with a work W by selectively using clamp plates 43 having different lengths.
The appropriate effective length changes in an exchangeable manner according to the size of the flange portion Wf. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the size of the flange portion Wf of the work W is large, a long clamp plate 43 is used. On the other hand, when the size of the flange portion Wf of the work W is small, FIG. , A short clamp plate 43 is used.

As a result, the required retreating position of the vertical movement frame 39 changes, and when the dimension of the flange portion Wf of the work W is small, it is clearer than in FIGS. As described above, the required rearmost position of the vertically moving frame 39 is displaced forward, and accordingly, the required forward / backward stroke of the forward / backward moving frame 25 is reduced. This is arbitrarily set by adjusting the mounting position of the rear end positioning stopper 35.

In the above embodiment, the clamp mold 4
The change of the effective length of the clamp plate 4 is different from the clamp plate 4 of a different length.
3, but may be performed by exchanging the clamp dies 45 having different lengths.

Each of the forward and backward moving frame 25 and the vertically moving frame 39 is driven by a rodless type hydraulic cylinder device 29 or 47, which is a normal type hydraulic cylinder device or a rack and pinion. It may be performed by another type of driving device.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various embodiments can be made within the scope of the present invention. Some will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0032]

As will be understood from the above description, according to the work clamping apparatus of the present invention, a clamp die having an appropriate length for clamping the work in accordance with the flange size of the work and the like is used for the vertical movement frame. The stroke end positions of the first reciprocating frame and the second reciprocating frame, such as the forward and backward moving frames, are properly and properly mounted in accordance with the size of the work and the like. Since the position is variably set, small products and workpieces with studs etc. on the bottom inner surface can be clamped without difficulty, and unnecessary movement of the frame during clamping and unclamping is eliminated. , The tact time is shortened and the productivity is improved. Further, in this case, it is not necessary to mount a driving device for reciprocating the first reciprocating frame on the second reciprocating frame, which makes the second reciprocating frame compact, which also allows the second reciprocating frame to be compact. The responsiveness to small products is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which a work clamping device according to the present invention is applied to a vertical automatic welding machine.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the work clamping device according to the present invention in a clamped state of a work having a large flange size.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the work clamping device according to the present invention in a clamped state of a work having a small flange size.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a vertical automatic welding machine to which the work clamping device according to the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vertical automatic welding machine 3 Base 5 Upper frame 7 Work table 9 Welding torch 11 Processing head 13 Butt member 19 Work clamp device 21 Reciprocating support base 25 Reciprocating frame 29 Reciprocating fluid pressure cylinder device 35 Rear end positioning Stopper 39 Vertical movement frame 43 Clamp plate 45 Clamp die 47 Vertical movement fluid pressure cylinder device 51 Wire cable 59 Rising end positioning stopper 61 Descent end positioning stopper

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In a work clamp apparatus of a welding machine for fixing a work by pressing the work against an abutment member, a first reciprocating frame reciprocating in a work pressing direction and a work reciprocating direction perpendicular to the work pressing direction. A second reciprocating frame that reciprocates in the direction, wherein clamp dies having different lengths are interchangeably mounted on the second reciprocating frame, and the first reciprocating frame and the second A work clamp device for a welding machine, wherein the stroke end position of the reciprocating frame is variably set.