JPH0151304B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a loading device for loading and unloading workpieces to and from a plurality of machine tools, particularly for transporting workpieces between a plurality of machine tools using a manipulator provided on one running table. The purpose is to perform it with high efficiency.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a conventional workpiece loading device is generally equipped with an overhead carrier 1 and loading/unloading manipulators 2 and 3, and moreover, it is capable of loading and unloading workpieces to multiple machine tools. For unloading, one overhead carrier 1 was provided for each machine tool, and each machine tool was provided with its own loading device. The guide rail 5 that guides the overhead carrier 1 requires a relatively long span, and thick beams are used to increase bending rigidity.Moreover, the pillars 6, 6 that support both ends of the guide rail are also provided with a special space on the floor. I had to install it. For this reason, not only is it inevitable to increase the cost of the loading device itself, but it is also disadvantageous due to floor space constraints.

Moreover, when multiple machine tools are arranged in-line, special transfer operations are required to transfer workpieces between adjacent manipulators, which complicates the control cycle and increases loading cycle time. was.

Further, the overhead carrier 1 is equipped with a carry-in manipulator 2 and a carry-out manipulator 3, so that an unprocessed workpiece can be carried in immediately after carrying out a processed workpiece. The time required from the time of arrival at the loading/unloading position 1 to the start of loading operation of the unprocessed workpiece is by no means short. In other words, there will be a delay by the time required to carry out the processed workpiece. In this unloading operation, in addition to the time required for the unloading manipulator 3 to move forward, grip the workpiece, and retreat, it is also necessary to move the tailstock backward after the unloading manipulator 3 grips the workpiece, and to shift the workpiece back in the axial direction.

Here, if the loading operation can be started immediately after the carrier arrives at the loading/unloading position, it is possible to significantly shorten the loading cycle time.

In view of the above problems, the present invention shortens the time required for loading and unloading workpieces between a machine tool and a manipulator, and allows workpieces to be transported between a plurality of machine tools. Moreover, the installation space of the manipulator for transporting the workpiece is reduced and the structure of the manipulator is simplified.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of machine tools (grinding machines in the embodiment) M1 and M2 are arranged in-line so that their center axes for supporting workpieces are coaxial. A headstock 11 and a tailstock 12 that centrally support both ends of the workpiece are placed directly on the bed 10 of each machine tool M1, M2, and the machine tool M1, M2 has no work table. A recess 10a is formed on the upper surface of the bed 10 between the headstock 11 and the tailstock 12, and a carry-out arm 20 (described later) is formed in this recess 10a.
is located. A grindstone 13 is slidably guided on the bed 10 in a direction intersecting the center axis, and the workpiece W is ground by a grindstone 14 rotatably supported by the grindstone 13.

The front surfaces of the beds of each of the machine tools M1 and M2 are arranged so as to be substantially on the same plane, and a pair of horizontal guide rails 15 parallel to each other are horizontally fixed on the bed front surface 10b. A traveling platform 30 is slidably guided on this guide rail 15, and a fourth
A pinion 17 that meshes with a rack 16 disposed on the guide rail side is reversibly driven by a traveling motor 31 shown in the figure. A vertically slidable ram 32 is guided on this traveling platform 30, and on the upper part of this ram 32 there is a horizontal arm 34 having a first gripping claw 35 at its tip that can be opened and closed for gripping a workpiece. An arm support 33 is provided that guides the arm so that it can move forward and backward. A vertical drive motor 36 for the ram 32 is provided on the traveling base 30, and is configured to rotate a pinion that meshes with a rack (not shown) carved along the axial direction of the outer peripheral surface of the ram 32. Similar to the ram 32, the horizontal arm 34 is also provided with a rack, and a pinion that meshes with the rack is supported by the arm support 33 and driven by an arm movement motor 37 provided on the support 33. The ram 32
and the horizontal arm 34 constitute a manipulator,
The workpiece W gripped by the first gripping claw 35 is moved by the vertical drive motor 36 and the arm advancement/retraction drive motor 37 to a carry-in position where it is supported between centers, and then from this carry-in position to a second carry-in position. second in position
A driving device for a manipulator is configured to move the first gripping claw 35 to a delivery position where the workpiece W is delivered by the gripping claw 22 of the manipulator.

A support shaft 21 parallel to the center axis is axially movably and rotatably supported on the side wall of the recess 10a of the bed 10, and a carry-out arm 20 is fixed to one end of the support shaft 21. When the second gripping claw 22 provided at the tip of the carry-out arm 20 is opened, the carry-out arm 20 is allowed to rotate without interfering with the center-supported workpiece W, and is moved to a first position corresponding to the center axis. By closing the gripping claws 22 at , the workpiece W can be gripped. Support shaft 21
A second piston 22 is provided protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the central portion thereof, and is fitted into a cylinder 23 formed on the bed side to perform a shifting action of the carry-out arm. Also, the support shaft 21
A spur gear 24 having a tooth width larger than the shift stroke is carved on the outer circumferential surface of one end, and meshes with a rack bar 25 that is moved back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the spindle axis by a cylinder (swing drive device, not shown). The shift operation of the carry-out arm 20 is allowed and the rotation operation is performed. The cylinder (swivel drive device) moves the second gripping claw 22 between the first position corresponding to the center axis and the second position where the workpiece can be delivered to the first gripping claw of the manipulator 35. It is rotated by .

The machine tools M1 and M2 each perform a first process,
It is responsible for the second process, and grips the workpiece from a workpiece support stand 40 placed at one end of the guide rail and carries it into the machine tool M1 for the first process, and the workpiece W that has completed the first process is If necessary, the workpiece is transported to a reversing station 41 located between the machine tools M1 and M2, and after being reversed, the workpiece is transported to the machine tool M2 for the second process. The workpiece that has undergone the second step is carried out to a workpiece support stand 42 located at the other end of the guide rail.

This loading/unloading operation will be explained in more detail.
The original state of the traveling table 30 is a state in which it grips a workpiece placed on the workpiece support table 40 and is positioned in front of the machine tool M1. When the grinding process in the first step is completed, the grindstone head 13 retreats, and at the same time, the carry-out arm 20 is rotated to correspond to the workpiece, and the gripping claws 22 are closed to grip the workpiece W. Thereafter, the center of the tailstock 12 is moved back, the carry-out arm 20 is shifted back, the workpiece is disengaged from the center, and the carry-out arm 20 is swiveled back to be carried out. From this point, the horizontal arm 34 is advanced to carry the unprocessed workpiece to the processing position, and the center of the tailstock 12 is advanced to support the workpiece at the center. The first gripping claw 35 of the manipulator is opened and the horizontal arm 34 is retracted, and the ram 32
is lowered to bring the workpiece gripped by the carry-out arm 20 into correspondence with the first gripping claw 35. horizontal arm 3
4 and close the gripping claws of the manipulator 35, then open the gripping claws of the carry-out arm 20 to receive the workpiece, and return the horizontal arm 34 a little, as shown in FIG.
The traveling base 30 is run in the state shown by the dotted chain line. When transferring the workpiece to the machine tool M2 of the second process, if it is necessary to reverse the workpiece, a reversal cycle is performed at the reversing station 41, and if it is not necessary, the traveling table 30 is moved directly to the front position of the machine tool M2. Moving. In this case, if the second step has been completed, the carry-out operation by the carry-out arm 20 has been performed, and therefore the carry-in operation can be started immediately. After reaching the front position of the machine tool M2, the ram 32 is raised, then the horizontal arm 34 is advanced, and the first
The workpiece gripped by the gripping claws 35 is carried into the processing position. The workpiece is supported at the center by the advancement of the center of the tailstock 12, and the gripping claws are opened to move the workpiece to the horizontal arm 34.
is moved backward, and the machined workpiece held by the carry-out arm 20 is grasped and transferred onto the machined workpiece support stand 42 in the same manner as before.

In this way, a manipulator with a second gripping claw that can be opened and closed at the tip is installed, and the unloading arm can be rotated around an axis parallel to the center axis on the bed between the headstock and tailstock of each machine tool. A second grasping claw that can be opened and closed for grasping the processed workpiece on the center axis is provided at the tip of the carrying-out arm, and the second grasping claw rotates to the first position corresponding to the center axis and toward the manipulator side. The second gripping claw and the first manipulator
A swing drive device is provided for rotating the unloading arm to a second position where the workpiece can be transferred between the first gripping claw and a processing position where the workpiece gripped by the first gripping claw is supported between the centers. The manipulator is provided with a drive device for the manipulator that moves the first gripping claw from this processing position to a delivery position where the workpiece is transferred from the second gripping claw at a second position. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time required for loading and unloading workpieces between the machine tool and the manipulator. In addition, multiple machine tools, each consisting of a headstock and a tailstock that centrally support one end and the other end of the workpiece, are placed on the bed, so that the front surfaces of the beds of each machine tool are located on approximately the same plane. A pair of parallel horizontal guide rails are placed in front of these beds to movably guide a traveling platform across a plurality of machine tools, and the manipulator is installed on the traveling platform. Workpieces can be transported between the two, the installation space for the manipulator can be reduced, and the structure of the manipulator can be simplified.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 show a conventional device, FIG. 3 is a front view showing an embodiment of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the loading device at the loading/unloading position of the machine tool. FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along the - arrow in FIG. 4. 15...Horizontal guide rail, 20...Export arm, 21...Spindle, 23...Cylinder, 24...
Spur gear, 25... Rack, 30... Running platform, 32
... Ram, 33 ... Arm support, 34 ... Horizontal arm, 35 ... Manipulator.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of machine tools each having a headstock and a tailstock that centrally support one end and the other end of a workpiece are placed on a bed, so that the front surface of the bed of each machine tool is substantially on the same plane. A pair of parallel horizontal guide rails are supported on the front surface of these beds to movably guide the traveling platform across multiple machine tools, and the traveling platform has a groove that can be opened and closed at the tip. A manipulator equipped with 1 gripping claw is installed, and a carry-out arm is supported on the bed between the headstock and tailstock of each machine tool so as to be able to rotate around an axis parallel to the center axis. A second gripping claw that can be opened and closed for gripping a processed workpiece on the axis is provided, and the second gripping claw rotates toward the first position corresponding to the center axis and the manipulator side, so that the second gripping claw and the manipulator are connected to each other. A swing drive device is provided for rotating the carry-out arm to a second position where the workpiece can be delivered to and from the first gripping claw, and the workpiece gripped by the first gripping claw is supported between the centers. Then, from this processing position, the workpiece is transferred to the first delivery position where the workpiece is delivered by the second gripping claw located at the second position.
A workpiece loading device, wherein the manipulator is provided with a manipulator drive device for moving the gripping claws of the manipulator. 2. The workpiece loading device according to claim 1, wherein the carry-out arm has a pivot axis parallel to the center axis and a shift mechanism in the direction of the pivot axis.