JPH04256523A - Shaft feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To feed multiple kinds of shafts simultaneously by using a parts feeder and erecting them after selecting the direction of the shafts. CONSTITUTION:The direction of shafts 4 delivered from a parts feeder and being transferred in indiscriminate directions by a linear feeder 6 is detected by a detector means 19. When the shaft 4, after it is detected, is stored in a storing hole 13 of a rotor for erecting 11, the rotor for erecting 11 is turned by a specified angle by a drive device according to the detected result to erect the shaft 4 in the storing holes 12 and 13 in regular direction.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention is useful for moving shafts that serve as fulcrums of gears, levers, etc. onto a free-flow conveyor in the assembly process of aluminum die-cast or sheet metal mechanical chassis for car stereos, floppy disk drives, etc. This invention relates to a shaft feeding device used to feed chassis, etc. set on a jig pallet.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventionally, this type of shaft feeding device can vertically feed a large number of shafts one by one by standing them up on a jig and arranging them in a grid as a preliminary preparation. It looks like this.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-mentioned conventional shaft supply device, it is necessary to take up a large area for the supply section, so when supplying a wide variety of shafts, it is necessary to enlarge the equipment or It is necessary to divide the process into smaller parts. In addition, if there is little clearance between the insertion hole of the chassis etc. and the outer diameter of the shaft to be supplied, the supply method in which the shafts are lined up on a jig,
It was difficult to ensure the positioning accuracy of the shaft.

The present invention solves these conventional problems, and uses a parts feeder and allows the shaft to be erected by selecting the direction of the shaft. Similarly, since it can be supplied using a parts feeder, it can be used for simultaneous supply of a wide variety of products, and also provides a shaft feeding device that can simplify the shaft feeding process and downsize the equipment. The purpose is to

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The technical solution of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a parts feeder, a linear feeder that continuously transports a shaft discharged from the parts feeder, and a rotatable an upright rotor having a storage hole for removably storing a shaft supported and transferred by the linear feeder; a detection means for detecting the direction of the shaft stored in the upright rotor from the linear feeder; and a drive device for rotating the erecting rotor so that the shaft housed in the storage hole thereof can be erected in a normal direction based on the detection result of the means.

The detection means includes an air suction path communicating with the supply path of the shaft housed in the upright rotor, a vacuum generator connected to the air suction path, and an air suction path provided midway through the air suction path. A device equipped with a flow rate differential pressure switch can be used.

[0007]

[Operation] Therefore, according to the present invention, the direction of the shaft discharged from the parts feeder and transferred in an indiscriminate direction by the linear feeder is detected by the detection means, and the shaft is stored in the storage hole of the upright rotor. Then, based on the above-mentioned detection result, the erecting rotor is rotated by a desired angle by the drive device, and the shaft in the storage hole is erected in the normal direction.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a shaft feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being a perspective view and FIG. 2 being a sectional view of the main parts.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a parts feeder 2 is mounted on a base 1, and a shaft 4 housed inside a ball 3 is moved in a line by the vibration of a vibration source (not shown). They are arranged in such a way that they are sequentially and continuously discharged from the discharge port 5. A linear feeder 6 is mounted on the base 1 adjacent to the parts feeder 2. This linear feeder 6 is equipped with a linear chute 7 that communicates with the discharge port 5 and a vibration source 8, and the vibration of the vibration source 8 causes the shaft 4 discharged from the discharge port 5 to continuously flow in a straight line within the chute 7. It is configured to be transported in the same manner. A support block 10 is mounted on a base 9 adjacent to the base 1. An erecting rotor 11 is rotatably supported by the support block 10. Two storage holes 12 and 13 in the diametrical direction are formed in the upright rotor 11 so as to be orthogonal to each other. It is cut out to have orthogonal planar parts 14. Support block 1
0 is formed with a supply path 15 for communicating the chute 7 with the storage hole 12 or 13 of the upright rotor 11,
A shaft 4 is provided at the end of the supply path 15 on the upright rotor 11 side.
In order to detect the direction, an air suction path 16 is formed which is open to the outside in a direction perpendicular to the supply path 15. The air suction path 16 is connected to a vacuum generator 18 by a suction pipe 17, and a flow differential pressure switch 19 is connected in the middle of the suction pipe 17. An air index actuator 20, which is an intermittent drive device, is attached to the lower side of the base 9.
This air index actuator 20 is driven by a command from the flow differential pressure switch 19. Timing belt pulleys 21 and 2 are provided at the protruding end of the standing rotor 11 and the output shaft of the air index actuator 20, respectively.
2 is installed, both timing belt pulleys 21,
A timing belt 23 is attached to the belt 22. Then, the timing belt pulley 22 and the timing belt 23 are driven by the air index actuator 20.
The erecting rotor 11 is intermittently rotated every 90 degrees via a timing belt pulley 21. Therefore, when stopping due to intermittent rotation, the storage holes 12 and 1
3 are arranged alternately in a horizontal position and a vertical position, communicating with the supply path 15 in the horizontal position, and opening outward from the notch 24 of the support block 10 in the vertical position.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained below. Vibrations generated from the vibration source of the parts feeder 2 cause the shafts 4 from the bowl 3 to be aligned in a line, discharged from the discharge port 5, and sequentially supplied to the chute 7 of the linear feeder 6. The shaft 4 in the chute 7 is continuously moved by the vibration of the vibration source 8, and the leading shaft 4 is moved by the support block 10.
is inserted into the supply channel 15 of. In this state, the linear feeder 6
The vibration source 8 is stopped and the transfer of the shaft 4 is stopped, and the vacuum generator 18 and flow rate differential pressure switch 19 are driven to detect the air flow rate difference due to the difference in the end shape of the shaft 4.
Select the direction of. That is, as shown in FIG.
When the small diameter part of the air suction path 1 is located at the front
6 is open to the supply path 15, air flows into the orifice of the flow rate differential pressure switch 19 due to suction by the vacuum generator 18, and a pressure difference is created before and after this orifice, causing the diaphragm to act as a leaf spring. Press to close the contact. On the other hand, when the small-diameter portion of the shaft 4 is located at the rear, contrary to the above, the inner end of the air suction path 16 is blocked by the shaft 4 in the supply path 15, and air enters the orifice of the flow rate differential pressure switch 19. Since there is no flow, there is no pressure difference across this orifice, the diaphragm does not push against the leaf spring, and the contacts open. After the detection, the vibration source 8 of the linear feeder 6 is driven, and the shaft 4 whose direction has been detected is pushed by the following shaft 4 and stored in one storage hole 12 of the standing rotor 11, which has stopped rotating. . After storage, the vibration source 8 of the linear feeder 6 is stopped and the transfer of the shaft 4 is stopped, and the air index actuator 20 is driven by the command from the flow rate difference switch 19, and the timing belt pulley 22, as described above, is driven. The erecting rotor 11 is intermittently rotated at a desired angle via the timing belt 23 and the timing belt pulley 21. For example, if the orientation in which the small diameter portion of the shaft 4 is positioned upward is in the normal direction, the standing rotor 11 is
If the posture in which the shaft 4 is rotated intermittently by 0 degrees and the small diameter portion of the shaft 4 is positioned downward is in the normal direction, the standing rotor 11 is rotated intermittently by 270 degrees. During this time, the linear feeder 6
Since the drive of the vibration source 8 is stopped, there is no risk that the subsequent shaft 4 will be accommodated in the other accommodation hole 13. The shaft 4 erected in the normal direction can be taken out from the storage hole 12 using a suction device (not shown) or the like and supplied to the chassis or the like. At this time, since the upright rotor 11 is cut out so as to have the planar part 14 at the opening of the storage holes 12 and 13 as described above, the shaft 4 can be easily taken out. Thereafter, the direction of the shaft 4 can be detected in the same manner as described above, and it can be erected in the normal direction and supplied.

As described above, according to the above embodiment, the shafts 4, which are indiscriminately transferred in the longitudinal direction using the parts feeder 2 and the linear feeder 6, can be sorted and erected in the normal direction.

[0013]

【Effect of the invention】
As explained above, according to the present invention, the detection means detects the direction of the shaft discharged from the parts feeder and transferred in an indiscriminate direction by the linear feeder, and the shaft is stored in the storage groove of the upright rotor. Then,
Based on the above detection results, the erecting rotor is rotated by a desired angle by the drive device, so that the shaft in the storage hole is erected in the normal direction. In this way, in addition to using a parts feeder, the direction of the shaft can be sorted and erected. Therefore, even relatively long shafts can be fed using the parts feeder in the same way as other shafts, so a wide variety of products can be fed at the same time. It can be used for supply, and it is also possible to simplify the shaft supply process and downsize the equipment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a shaft feeding device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of the main parts of the device

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Parts feeder 4 axis 6 Linear feeder 10 Support block 11 Erecting rotor 12 Storage hole 13 Storage hole 15 Supply route 16 Air suction path 18 Vacuum generator 19 Flow rate differential pressure switch

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A parts feeder, a linear feeder that continuously transports shafts discharged from the parts feeder, and a storage hole that is rotatably supported and that removably stores the shafts that are transported by the linear feeder. an upright rotor, a detection means for detecting the direction of an axis stored in the upright rotor from the linear feeder, and a detection means for detecting the direction of the shaft stored in the upright rotor from the linear feeder; A shaft supply device comprising a drive device that rotates the shaft so that it can stand up in a normal direction. [Claim 2] The detection means includes an air suction path communicating with a supply path of a shaft housed in an upright rotor, a vacuum generator connected to the air suction path, and an air suction path provided midway through the air suction path. The shaft feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a flow rate differential pressure switch.