JP6743389B2 - Engine transport pallet - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an engine transportation pallet, and more particularly to a pallet capable of commonly carrying engines of different lengths.

BACKGROUND ART In a production facility such as an engine assembly factory or a vehicle assembly factory, a pallet is used to carry an engine (internal combustion engine) as a transported object. There are various sizes of engines, and there is a demand to transport engines of different lengths on a common pallet. Therefore, it is considered that the pallet base is provided with an extendable arm so that a part of the pallet can be extended and contracted to meet the request.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-42134

However, if only a part of the pallet can be expanded and contracted, the end of the arm in the contraction direction may protrude from the pallet base when the pallet is contracted. There is a risk that the operator's foot will be caught on the protruding end of the arm, which is a problem in terms of workability and safety.

Therefore, the present invention has been devised in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an engine transportation pallet capable of improving workability and safety.

According to one aspect of the invention,
A pallet base, and an arm that can expand and contract in the length direction of the pallet base,
An pallet for transporting an engine is provided, wherein the arm has at least two arm parts arranged in a telescopic manner.

Preferably, the pallet base has a storage unit for storing the contracted arm.

Preferably, the pallet base has a half-divided guide pipe that slidably supports the arm from below in order to guide the expansion and contraction movement of the arm.

Preferably, the pallet is
A rear mount for supporting the rear end of the engine, which is provided at the rear end in the length direction of the pallet base,
And a front mount connected to a front end of the arm for supporting a portion in front of a rear end of the engine.

Preferably, the two arms are arranged on both sides in the width direction of the pallet base,
The pallet further includes a connecting member that connects the front ends of the two arms,
The front mount is detachably attached to the connecting member.

According to the present invention, workability and safety can be improved.

It is a schematic side view of the pallet for engine transportation. It is a perspective view showing a pallet in an extended state. It is a perspective view showing a pallet in a contracted state. It is a perspective view showing a pallet base. It is a vertical side view which shows the arm in an extended state. It is a vertical side view showing the arm in a contracted state.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an engine carrying pallet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The pallet 1 is for commonly and alternatively carrying vehicle engines E1 and E2 as objects to be transported having different lengths (dimensions in the left-right direction in the drawing), and has an expansion/contraction mechanism described later. For example, the engine E1 is an in-line 6-cylinder engine, and the engine E2 is an in-line 4-cylinder engine.

The pallet 1 includes a pallet base 2 and an arm 4 that can extend and contract in the length direction of the pallet base 2. The pallet 1 is provided at the rear end of the pallet base 2 in the lengthwise direction, is connected to the rear mount 3 for supporting the rear end of the engines E1 and E2, and is connected to the front end of the arm 4 so that the engine E1 and E2 are connected. And a front mount 5 for supporting a portion in front of the rear end.

In FIG. 1, the contracted state of the pallet 1 in which the arm 4 is most contracted is shown by a solid line, and the extended state of the pallet 1 in which the arm 4 is most expanded is shown by an imaginary line. When the relatively long engine E1 is mounted, the pallet 1 is in the expanded state, and when the relatively short engine E2 is mounted, the pallet 1 is in the contracted state.

The rear ends of both engines E1, E2 are supported by the common rear mount 3 at the same longitudinal position. In the present embodiment, the rear mount 3 includes a housing receiving member 6 that supports the flywheel housing located at the rear ends of the engines E1 and E2, and a support post 7 that holds the housing receiving member 6 at a predetermined height position. Have. The height dimension of the support post 7 (dimension in the vertical direction in the figure) can be adjusted, and the height of the housing receiving member 6 can be adjusted according to the engine.

Mount parts (not shown) that are supported on the vehicle side when the vehicle is mounted are provided on both sides of the engines E1 and E2. In this embodiment, a pair of front mounts 5 spaced apart in the width direction is provided to support these mounts (only one is shown). In the present embodiment, the front mount 5 has a mount support portion 8 that supports the mount portion, and a support post 9 that holds the mount support portion 8 at a predetermined height position. The height dimension of the support post 9 can be adjusted, and the height of the mount support portion 8 can be adjusted according to the engine. The mount support portion 8 is detachably attached to the support post 9 and can be replaced according to the engine. In addition, the support post 9 is also detachably connected to the arm 4, and the entire front mount 5 can be replaced according to the engine.

2 shows the pallet 1 in the expanded state, and FIG. 3 shows the pallet 1 in the contracted state. However, in these figures, the front mount 5 is removed. As shown in these figures, the pallet 1 includes a pallet base 2 and an arm 4, and a rear mount 3 is provided at the rear end of the pallet base 2 in the length direction L.

FIG. 4 shows the pallet base 2 alone. As shown in the figure, the pallet base 2 is a substantially rectangular member whose dimension in the length direction L is larger than that in the width direction W. The pallet base 2 has a symmetrical structure in the width direction W. The pallet base 2 has a base 14 that defines a bottom surface 1B (see FIG. 1) of the pallet 1, and two pipes 10 fixed to both sides or both ends of the base 14 in the width direction W by welding. These pipes 10 extend over substantially the entire length of the base 14 and have a circular cross-sectional shape. The rear portion of the pipe 10 has a circular cross-sectional shape and forms a storage portion 11 for storing the arm 4 in the contracted state. On the other hand, the front part of the pipe 10 is vertically divided into two parts, of which the upper half is deleted. The lower half thus left forms a guide pipe 12 having a half-split shape and a semicircular cross section. When the arm 4 expands and contracts, the guide pipe 12 slidably supports the arm 4 from below and guides the expansion and contraction movement of the arm 4. The storage portion 11 also supports the arm 4 slidably from the entire circumference and guides the expansion and contraction movement of the arm 4. A honing pipe is used for the pipe 10 in order to smooth the sliding movement of the arm 4.

The base 14 has front and rear thick portions 15 and 16 extending in the width direction W and connected to the pipes 10 on both sides by welding, and a central opening 17 formed between the pipes 10 on both sides. The front end face of the front thick portion 15 is arranged at the same position as the front end face of the guide pipe 12 in the length direction L. A cover mounting plate 18 for mounting a central cover, which will be described later, is provided on both sides of the central opening 17. The cover mounting plate 18 is provided with a plurality of cover mounting holes 19 which are screw holes.

A bridge member 20 is provided so as to span the rear end portion and the upper surface portion of the pipes 10 on both sides, and is fixed by welding. Two mounting members 21 are fixed on the bridge member 20 by welding, and the rear mount 3 is detachably mounted on these mounting members 21 with a plurality of bolts 22 (see FIG. 2 ). Reference numeral 23 is a bolt hole into which the bolt 22 is tightened.

A horizontal scaffolding plate 24 on which a worker puts his/her foot is fixed by welding on the rear part of the pipe 10, that is, on the storage part 11. That is, since the top surface of the pipe 10 is circular, it is difficult to stabilize the scaffolding even if the foot is placed on the pipe 10. In this embodiment, since the horizontal scaffolding plate 24 is provided, the feet can be placed on the scaffolding plate 24 to perform work efficiently and safely. Although the scaffolding plate 24 of the present embodiment is formed of a steel plate with a hole that is hard to slip, it may be formed of another plate material such as grating.

A screw hole 26 for engaging the engaging screw 25 as shown in FIG. 2 is provided at the front end portion of the storage portion 11 of the pipe 10 and at a position on the outer side in the width direction. The engagement screw 25 is used to determine or regulate the slide movement amount of the arm 4 with respect to the storage portion 11, as described later. As shown in FIG. 2, a lock nut 48 for determining the amount of protrusion of the engagement screw 25 into the storage portion 11 is added to the engagement screw 25.

As shown in FIG. 2, the arm 4 has two arm parts arranged in a telescopic manner, that is, a front arm part 31 and a rear arm part 32. The front arm part 31 forms the foremost arm part located on the most front side, and the rear arm part 32 forms the last arm part located on the most rear side. The front arm component 31 is extendable and retractable with respect to the rear arm component 32, and the rear arm component 32 is extendable with respect to the storage unit 11. Therefore, the arm 4 expands and contracts in two stages, for example, a first stage in which the rear arm component 32 expands and contracts with respect to the storage section 11 and a second stage in which the front arm component 31 expands and contracts with respect to the rear arm component 32. It is possible. In this way, the arm 4 can be expanded and contracted in a number of steps equal to the number of arm parts.

The front arm part 31 and the rear arm part 32 have a circular cross-sectional shape. The front arm part 31 has a smaller diameter than the rear arm part 32, and is coaxially and slidably inserted into the rear arm part 32 made of a pipe material. The front arm part 31 is formed of a solid shaft in this embodiment, but may be formed of a pipe material. The rear arm part 32 has a diameter smaller than that of the storage portion 11, and is coaxially and slidably inserted into the storage portion 11.

In this embodiment, two arms 4 are provided in parallel on both sides or both end portions of the pallet base 2 in the width direction W. Each arm 4 is arranged in each pipe 10 and is supported by each pipe 10 so as to be slidable in the length direction L. The pallet 1 of this embodiment includes a connecting member 33 that connects the front end portions of the two front arm parts 31. As shown in the figure, the connecting member 33 is formed of a channel steel that extends in the width direction W and opens downward. The pair of front mounts 5 are detachably attached to both sides in the width direction W of the connecting member 33. Plural bolt holes 34 used for attaching the front mount 5 are provided on both sides of the connecting member 33 in the width direction W, and the front mount 5 is formed by using these bolt holes 34 and a plurality of bolts (not shown). Is detachably attached to the connecting member 33. As a result, the front mount 5 is detachably connected to the front end of the arm 4 via the connecting member 33.

The aforementioned central opening 17 is closed by a plurality of central cover plates 35 aligned in the length direction L. The central cover plate 35 is placed on the cover mounting plate 18. The cover mounting bolt 36 is fastened to the cover mounting hole 19 through the hole of the central cover plate 35, so that the central cover plate 35 is fixed to the base 14. An operator can place his/her feet on the center cover plate 35 to perform the work.

5 and 6 are longitudinal side views showing the arm 4 in the extended state and the contracted state, respectively. In particular, as shown in FIG. 5, the connecting member 33 integrally has a ring member 37 that is fitted to the outside of the front end portion of the front arm part 31. The ring member 37 has the same inner diameter and outer diameter as the rear arm part 32, and slides on the guide pipe 12 when the front arm part 31 expands and contracts. As a result, when the front arm component 31 expands and contracts, the front arm component 31 can be smoothly moved without axial displacement with respect to the rear arm component 32.

A front end cap 38 is provided for fixing the connecting member 33 to the front arm part 31. The front end cap 38 has a fitting portion 39 fitted inside the front end portion of the ring member 37, and a flange portion 40 extending radially outward from the front end of the fitting portion 39. The fitting portion 39 is fixed to the front arm component 31 with a bolt 41 at its center, and the flange portion 40 is fixed to the ring member 37 with a plurality of bolts 42 on its circumference. As a result, the connecting member 33 is detachably fixed to the front arm part 31.

Due to the change of the mounted engine, the space and arrangement of the front mounts 5 on both sides in the width direction may be changed. Even in such a case, the engine after the change can be mounted without any trouble by exchanging the connecting member 33 suitable for the engine after the change.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the extended state, the rear end of the front arm part 31 is fitted inside the front end of the rear arm part 32. A rear end cap 43 is put on the rear end of the front arm part 31, and is attached by a bolt 44. The rear end cap 43 integrally has a ring portion 45 fitted to the rear end outer peripheral portion of the front arm part 31. A step portion 46 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rear arm component 32 so as to change from the outer diameter of the ring portion 45 to the outer diameter of the front arm component 31 in a stepwise manner toward the front. At the time of extension, when the front arm part 31 moves forward relative to the rear arm part 32, the position where the ring part 45 abuts on the step part 46 defines the maximum extension position (or protruding position) of the front arm part 31. To do. However, even when the arm 4 is maximally extended in accordance with the long engine E1 during actual use, the ring portion 45 and the step portion 46 are prevented from hitting the step portion 46 due to a manufacturing error. There is a slight clearance between them.

The rear arm part 32 is configured to slide on the inner surface of the guide pipe 12 or the pipe 10 while making surface contact. Since the pipe 10 is formed of a honing pipe, the sliding operation is smooth. The rear end of the pipe 10 or the storage portion 11 is open.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the contracted state, the front arm part 31 is inserted into the rear arm part 32 until the ring member 37 hits the rear arm part 32. Further, the rear arm part 32 is almost entirely inserted into the housing portion 11 except for a very small portion near the front end. In this way, the front arm part 31 and the rear arm part 32, that is, the arm 4 is almost entirely housed in the storage part 11 and is not projected to the rear of the storage part 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, a guide groove 47 extending in the length direction L is formed on the side surface portion of the rear arm component 32 on the outer side in the width direction W. The guide groove 47 extends almost the entire length of the rear arm part 32, but is slightly shorter than the length of the rear arm part 32, and its front and rear ends are closed. The distal end portion of the engagement screw 25 protruding into the storage portion 11 is inserted into or engaged with the guide groove 47 so as to be relatively movable. Since the rear arm component 32 slides back and forth with respect to the storage portion 11 while maintaining such an engaged state, the rear arm component 32 can slide by the length of the guide groove 47. Further, due to such engagement, rotation of the rear arm component 32 with respect to the storage portion 11 is restricted.

FIG. 5 shows the maximum extension position of the rear arm part 32 in which the rear end of the guide groove 47 abuts on the engagement screw 25. Further, FIG. 6 shows the maximum contracted position of the rear arm part 32 in which the front end of the guide groove 47 abuts on the engagement screw 25.

As described above, the pallet 1 is provided with the regulation mechanism for defining the maximum extension position and the maximum contraction position of the rear arm component 32 with respect to the pallet base 2. In the case of this embodiment, the regulation mechanism includes the engagement screw 25 and the guide groove 47.

The rear arm part 32 can be locked at any position in the length direction L by loosening the lock nut 48 and sufficiently tightening the engagement screw 25 until it abuts in the guide groove 47.

The present embodiment has the following advantages because the arm 4 is composed of the front arm part 31 and the rear arm part 32, which are two arm parts arranged in a nesting manner. It is assumed that one arm having the same length as the arm 4 in the extended state as shown in FIG. 5 is provided. In this case, when the arm is in the contracted state, the rear end portion of the arm 4'projects rearward from the storage portion 11 and protrudes from the pallet base 2 as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. Since the operator's foot may be caught by the protruding rear end portion of the arm 4', workability and safety are difficult.

On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, since the protrusion of the arm 4 can be eliminated, it is possible to reliably improve workability and safety.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the short engine E2 is mounted on the pallet 1 in a contracted state, a part of the pallet 1 protrudes from the front end of the engine E2. However, this protruding portion is a part of a relatively large pallet, as shown in FIG. 3, is easily visible to the operator, and can be put on the foot. Therefore, there is no particular problem in terms of workability and safety.

However, as shown in FIG. 6, when only the rear end portion of the arm 4′ protrudes from the pallet base 2, the protruding portion is small, and it is difficult for an operator to stand out and trip easily. It becomes a hindrance. The present embodiment can solve these problems.

Further, in the present embodiment, the half-divided guide pipe 12 that supports the arm 4 slidably from below is provided, so that the extension/contraction operation of the arm 4 can be smoothly performed. Since the guide pipe 12 has a half-split shape, the member (the connecting member 33 in the present embodiment) provided on the arm 4 can pass therethrough, and the degree of freedom of installation of the member and the arrangement of the front mount 5 can be increased. The degree of freedom can be increased.

Further, in this embodiment, two arms 4 are arranged on both sides in the width direction W of the pallet base 2, and a connecting member 33 for connecting the front end portions of these arms 4 is provided, and the front mount 5 is attached to and detached from the connecting member 33. I tried to attach it as much as possible. Therefore, the two arms 4 can be simultaneously operated by the same amount, and the expansion/contraction operation can be smoothed. Further, the front mount 5 can be easily replaced according to the engine. Further, since the load of the engine is supported on both sides in the width direction W, the support can be stabilized.

The engines E1 and E2 shown in FIG. 1 are the longest and shortest engines scheduled to be placed on the pallet 1. However, of course, another engine having an intermediate length of these engines can also be placed on the pallet 1. When mounting such another engine, the length of the arm 4 may be set to an intermediate length corresponding to the other engine. Further, the front mount 5 or the connecting member 33 may be replaced according to another engine.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the present invention can be applied to other embodiments.

(1) The number of arm parts in the arm may be at least two. For example, the number of arm parts may be increased, such as three or four, to increase the number of arms.

(2) The number of arms may be one that is smaller than that in the above-described embodiment, or may be three or more that is larger than that in the above-described embodiment. When the number is three or more, they can be arranged in parallel while being separated in the width direction. Of course, it is preferable to provide as many guide pipes or pipes as there are arms.

(3) The cross-sectional shape of the arm is not limited to the circular shape, but may be any shape such as a quadrangle. The same applies to the cross-sectional shapes of the guide pipe and the pipe.

The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all modifications, applications, and equivalents included in the concept of the present invention defined by the claims are included in the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be limitedly interpreted, and can be applied to other arbitrary techniques belonging to the scope of the idea of the present invention.

1 Pallet 2 Pallet Base 3 Rear Mount 4 Arm 5 Front Mount 11 Storage Part 12 Guide Pipe 31 Front Arm Part 32 Rear Arm Part 33 Connecting Member E1, E2 Engine

Claims (4)

A pallet base, and an arm that can expand and contract in the length direction of the pallet base,
The arms have at least two arms parts arranged telescopically,
The pallet base for engine transportation , wherein the pallet base has a half-divided guide pipe for slidably supporting the arm from below in order to guide the expansion and contraction movement of the arm . The pallet for transporting an engine according to claim 1, wherein the pallet base has a storage portion for storing the arm in a contracted state. A rear mount for supporting the rear end of the engine, which is provided at the rear end in the length direction of the pallet base,
The engine-carrying pallet according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising a front mount that is connected to a front end of the arm and that supports a portion in front of a rear end of the engine. The two arms are arranged on both sides in the width direction of the pallet base,
The pallet further includes a connecting member that connects the front ends of the two arms,
The pallet for transporting an engine according to claim 3 , wherein the front mount is detachably attached to the connecting member.

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