JP3285291B2 - Pallet transfer 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 transfer device which can be used, for example, in an assembly line of automobiles, and more particularly to a pallet transfer in which a pallet unit is continuously fed to enable efficient assembling work. Related to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in an automobile assembly line,
After the body is mounted and connected to a chassis that incorporates an engine system such as an engine and a drive transmission system from the transmission to the axle, various operations are performed while being placed on a pallet and flowing down the line.

Conventionally, as such a transfer apparatus for moving a pallet on a line, a pair of friction rollers is disposed at a position sandwiching the line, and the pallets are rotated in the transfer direction while abutting them on both side surfaces of the pallet. Are generally used.

However, in the case of using such a friction roller, it is necessary to provide the pallet with rigidity that can withstand the pressure from the friction roller, which increases the weight as compared with a normal pallet and causes an obstacle in terms of cost. Cheap. In addition, a slip may occur between the pallet and the friction roller, so that the pallet feed becomes uncertain, which adversely affects the line operation.

[0005] In order to eliminate such obstacles in pallet conveyance by the friction roller, there is one proposed by the present applicant and filed as Japanese Patent Application No. 5-308330.
In this method, pallets are arranged in a line direction, front and rear ends of front and rear pallets are abutted with each other, and all pallets are pushed by a pusher in a row. By providing such a pusher, reliable feeding can be provided without causing a slip or the like.

[0006]

However, in the pusher in the prior application, the pallet is extruded by one stroke equal to the length of the pallet in the transport direction, and then the pusher is retracted to prepare for the extrusion of the next pallet. It is. For this reason, at least the time required for completing the retraction operation of the pusher is an interval between sending out the pallet sent earlier and sending out the subsequent pallet.

[0007] Therefore, although the pallets can be arranged in rows and conveyed all at the same time, only intermittent feeding is possible. For this reason, the above-mentioned equipment can be suitably used in a line for feeding pallets at a pitch, but it is not appropriate for an efficient line to continuously feed a line without stopping at each station in a vehicle assembling operation.

The problem to be solved in the present invention is to provide a conveying device for continuously feeding pallets on a line for conveying pallets.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus for sequentially feeding pallets onto a line, transferring the pallets at their tail ends and their ends in an integrated flow, and transferring the pallets at the downstream end of the line. Or, in the middle, two pushers for moving the pallet in the line flow direction are arranged, and these pushers perform a stroke operation for a distance shorter than the length of the pallet in the flow direction to attach the pallet in the movement direction. The system is characterized in that it is a system that is driven in such a manner that it is possible to drive the pusher from the initial position and to overlap the start of the advance of the one pusher from the initial position with the time before the start of the retreat from the stroke end of the other pusher.

[0010]

The two pushers capable of moving back and forth in the line direction push one pallet with a stroke shorter than the length of the pallet in the flow direction. For this reason, the leading end of the following pallet can always be abutted against the tail end of the pallet sent in advance, and the leading and trailing sides of the sent pallet are joined on the line as a flow to join them. Can be moved.

Before one of the pallets pushes out the preceding pallet and reaches its maximum stroke, the other pusher starts to advance and the following pallet is sent out in the line direction. Before stopping, the following pallet can be abutted against the tail end of the preceding pallet. Therefore,
The pallet row on the line can always keep moving irrespective of the pallet sent from the pusher, and even if the pallet unit is conveyed, the operation can be performed in a continuous flow.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an example in which a pallet transfer device of the present invention is applied to an automobile assembly line.

In FIG. 1, pallets 1 each carrying an automobile M during an assembling process are arranged so as to run on a line. These pallets 1 are continuously fed by abutting the front end of the succeeding pallet against the rear end of the preceding pallet. A pit 2 for carrying the automobile M is provided at the right end of the line, and a lifter 3 is provided therein. Further, a traverser 4 for taking out the automobile M after the line processing is disposed at the left end. It goes without saying that a line configuration in which the pallet 1 is circulated as a line forming a plane loop may be used instead of such a line.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the lifter 2 and FIG.
3 is a plan view of a portion shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, a trolley 3a movable in a direction perpendicular to the drawing is provided in the pit 2, and a base 3b is provided on the trolley 3a. Link rods 3c are connected in two sets. An elevating frame 3d is connected to these link rods 3c by a slider link mechanism, and the elevating frame 3d is moved between a position indicated by a dashed line and a solid line in the figure by an appropriate driving mechanism (not shown) such as a hydraulic cylinder. Can be moved up and down.

The pallet 1 has a plurality of rollers 1a on its lower surface.
The crawler belt 1b provided around the vehicle is provided at a plurality of locations, and the pallet 1 can be freely moved by traveling the crawler belt 1b. And the lifting frame 3
In d, two pushers 5, 6 for pushing the pallet 1 from the pit 2 in the line direction are arranged in the width direction.

FIG. 4 is a side view when the pusher 5 is expanded.

The pusher 5 is a lifting frame 3d of the lifter 3.
The movable frame 5b is attached to the fixed frame 5a
And the operating frame 5c. The movable frame 5b moves left and right with respect to the fixed frame 5a in the figure, and the operation frame 5c is similarly moved
b. The motor 5a-1 provided on the fixed frame 5a is used as a drive source, and the fixed frame 5a, the movable frame 5b, and the operating frame 5
The movable frame 5b and the operating frame 5c can be simultaneously extended and contracted by a so-called telescopic system constituted by a connection relationship of the chains 5d, 5e, 5f provided in the respective members c.

The stroke of the operating frame 5c is, for example, approximately equal to the length of the pallet 1 in the line direction. An engaging block for engaging with the pallet 1 and pushing it toward the downstream side of the line during the extension stroke operation. 8 are provided at two places at the tip. FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the engagement block 8.

The engagement block 8 is rotatably mounted around a pivot 5d provided on the operation frame 5c, and forms a head 8a having a height at the tip end. Then, when no external force acts, as shown in FIG.
The base end side is held in a posture where it abuts against a stopper 5h provided on the operation frame 5c. For this purpose, the weight on the base end side side with respect to the pivot 5d than on the head 8a side may be made larger. The head 8a of the engagement block 8 in the posture of FIG. 5A is a roller 1a on the lower surface of the pallet 1 placed on the lifting frame 3d.
Is located slightly above the lower end level of the support shaft 1a-1. Note that the support shaft 1a-1 is
In order to generate an engaging force with the pallet 1, a rectangular cross section as shown is fixed to the pallet 1 and only the roller 1a is rotatable.

On the other hand, when the pallet 1 is placed on the elevating frame 3d, the engaging block 8 is set, for example, so as to enter the back of the second roller 1a from the tip end side of the pallet 1 as shown in FIG. Thus, when the operation frame 5c moves in the forward direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5A, the head 8a of the engagement block 8 abuts on the support shaft 1a-1 of the second roller 1a from this tip. At this time,
The engaging block 8 receives a counterclockwise acting force around the pivot 5d, but the base end is restrained by the stopper 5h, so that the engaging block 8 engages with the rib 1b while maintaining the illustrated posture. . Therefore, the pallet 1 is sent out downstream with the advance of the operation frame 5c.

When the operation frame 5c and the movable frame 5b are folded toward the fixed frame 5a, the heads 8a of the engagement blocks 8 are arranged on the lower surface of the pallet 1 as shown in FIG. Abuts on the support shaft 1a-1 of the existing roller 1a. At this time, the engagement block 8
Is free to rotate clockwise around the pivot 5d, so that the engagement block 8 has its head 8a attached to the support shaft 1a-1 as shown in the figure.
In the case of, it runs through like an operation to escape below. Therefore, when the pusher 5 is returned to the original position, the pallet 1 can be quickly moved to the standby position without applying an engaging force to the pallet 1.

The other pusher 6 also has a fixed frame 6a,
An electric motor 6a having a completely similar configuration including a movable frame 6b and an operation frame 6c, and provided on a fixed frame 6a.
The movable frame 6b and the operating frame 6c can be expanded and contracted by -1, and the pallet 1 can be sent out by the engaging block 8 provided at the tip of the operating frame 6c.

In the above configuration, the pallet 1 loaded with the automobile M is loaded and positioned on the elevating frame 3d descending into the pit 2 as shown by the dashed line in FIG. The pallet 1 is also positioned with respect to the two pushers 6 on the lifting frame 3d, and the head 8 of the engagement block 8 provided at the tip of each of the operation frames 5c, 6c.
a can be engaged with the support shaft 1a-1 of the second roller 1a from the front end.

The pallet 1 extruded in advance is located on the line as shown in FIG. 6. The pallet 1 is extruded by raising the elevating frame 3d by driving the ring rod 3c to match the line level. The level of pallet 1 to be adjusted is adjusted to pallet 1 on the line.
Then, the pallet 1 at the position indicated by the one-dot chain line in the figure is pushed out by operating one of the pushers 5.

At this time, by the operation of the electric motor 5a-1 and the running of the chains 5d, 5e and 5f, the pusher 5 causes the movable frame 5b and the operating frame 5c to simultaneously advance in the line direction in a telescopic manner with respect to the fixed frame 5a. . As a result, the pallet 1 is pushed out by the engagement between the support shaft 1a-1 of the roller 1a and the engagement block 8. When the pallet 1 moves, its crawler 1
These crawler belts 1b can run on guides (not shown) arranged on the line in accordance with b.

While the pusher 5 is operating, the succeeding pallet 1 is loaded onto the elevating frame 3d and positioned so as to be ready for pushing out to the line.

After the positioning of the subsequent pallet 1 with respect to the pusher 6 on the lifting frame 3d is completed, and immediately before the operating frame 3c of the previously operated pusher 5 approaches its maximum stroke, the electric motor 6a of the pusher 6 -1 is activated. As a result, the following pallet 1 moves forward so as to follow the tail end of the pallet 1 which has been sent out and continues to move, and finally, as shown in FIG. The ends hit each other.
Such an operation is possible by appropriately setting the relationship between the maximum stroke of the pushers 5 and 6 and the length of the pallet 1 in the line direction.

The pusher 5 during which the subsequent pallet 1 is being pushed out by the pusher 6 and the operating frame 5c has reached its maximum stroke is the electric motor 5a-1.
The movable frame 5b and the operating frame 5c are returned to the lifting frame 3d by the reverse rotation of the output shaft of (3), and are ready for the loading of a new pallet 1. Then, as in the previous operation, the pusher 5 is actuated immediately before the pusher 6 advances to its maximum stroke, whereby the second subsequent pallet 1 is sent out onto the line, and the previous pallet 1 pushed by the pusher 6 is moved. Pallet 1 at the tail end.

As described above, the two pushers 5 and 6 are provided and operated independently, and the pushers 5 and 6 are sequentially operated within a range where the front end of the succeeding pallet 1 abuts the tail end of the preceding pallet 1. Pallet 1 can be continuously and not intermittently sent out to the line. For this reason, the row of pallets 1 arranged and moving on the line moves like one flow, and the speed is also kept uniform. Accordingly, various assembling operations of the automobile M on the line can be performed in a constant movement without repeating stop and movement of the pallet 1, so that the operation becomes very easy.

[0031]

According to the present invention, with a simple structure utilizing the mutual operation of the two pushers, the pallet can be continuously fed at a uniform speed on the line as continuous feeding instead of intermittent feeding. It is possible to cope with a line suitable for a work while continuously flowing, and by adopting a line configuration or the like that is used in combination with a pitch-feeding type conveying device, productivity in the line can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an outline of an automobile assembling line provided with a transfer device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the feeding of a pallet from a pit in the line of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion shown in FIG. 2 and shows an arrangement of two pushers.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state when a pusher is advanced together with its drive system.

5A and 5B show details of an engagement block provided in an operation frame of the pusher, wherein FIG. 5A shows engagement of the engagement block with a roller, and FIG. This shows a change in the posture of the combined block.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a main part showing a positional relationship between a pallet sent out to a line by a pusher and pallets.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 pallet 1a roller 1b crawler belt 2 pit 3 lifter 3d lifting frame 4 traverser 5 pusher 5a fixed frame 5b movable frame 5c operating frame 6 pusher 6a fixed frame 6b movable frame 6c operating frame 8 engaging block 8a head M automobile

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI B65G 35/08 B65G 35/08 Z (56) References JP-A-7-97026 (JP, A) JP-A-63-22422 ( JP, A) JP-A-62-288811 (JP, A) JP-A-5-111828 (JP, A) JP-A-63-113534 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B23P 19/00-21/00 B23Q 7/00 B62D 65/18 B65G 25/08 B65G 35/08

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A conveying device for sequentially feeding pallets onto a line, transferring the pallets to each other as a unitary flow by abutting the tail ends and the tips of the pallets, wherein the pallets are lined at a downstream end or halfway of the line. Two pushers for moving in the flow direction are arranged, and these pushers are capable of performing a stroke operation for a distance shorter than the length of the pallet in the flow direction to enable the pallet to be biased and driven in the movement direction. A pallet conveyance device that is driven in such a manner that the start of the pusher from the initial position starts to overlap with the time before the start of retreat from the stroke end of the other pusher.