JPH04310331A - Nut liftup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the defective feeding due to the position slippage, fall or unsmooth transfer of a nut from generating in a nut liftup device integrated in a nut feeding device. CONSTITUTION:A cylindrical casing 10 is fixed with the shaft center line being turned to the direction orthogonal with the transfer direction of a nut 2 at the guide rail 1 outlet port of a nut feeder which transfers the nut that the axial line of a screw hole is turned to the vertical direction with its alignment A lifter 11 abutting on the lower face of the nut 2 located at the above guide rail 1 outlet port by being energized in the descent direction by a spring 16 is provided liftably in this casing 10. A guide rod 13 penetrating liftably relatively on the concentric line into this lifter 11 and fittable to the screw hole of the above nut 2 is provided, a pushup member 18 abutting on the lower face of the above lifter 11 at the specified ascent position H of the guide rod 13 is fixed to this guide rod 13 and the lower end of the guide rod 13 and a cylinder 19 for lift are combined.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a nut lift-up device incorporated in a nut supply device.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art When nuts are tightened on a workpiece by a robot or the like, the nuts are aligned in a certain direction by a nut supply device and transferred to a guide rail outlet, where the robot or the like transfers the nuts. In order to facilitate chucking when transferring nuts at the guide rail exit, the nut located at the guide rail exit is lifted up from the guide rail.

[0003] As a conventional nut lift-up device,
As shown in FIG. 3, a lifter 3 that comes into contact with the lower surface of the nut 2 is provided at the exit of the guide rail 1 so as to be able to rise and fall, and this is connected to a lifting cylinder 4, so that the nut 2 located at the exit of the guide rail 1 can be moved up and down. Generally, there are two types: one that lifts up by a predetermined amount, and the other that has a structure in which a small protrusion 3a that fits into the screw hole of the nut 2 projects from the center of the upper end surface of the lifter 3, as shown in FIG. It is used.

0004

In the former case, in the conventional device described above, since the lower surface of the nut 2 is lifted by the flat surface of the lifter 3, there is a problem in that the nut 2 may shift or fall due to vibrations or the like. In the latter case, the small protrusion 3a fits into the screw hole of the nut 2 and lifts it up.
Although the former problem mentioned above has been resolved, this small protrusion 3a
Since the recess 5 is formed around the guide rail 1, the nut 2 at the front end that is conveyed on the guide rail 1 falls into the recess 5 and tilts, and gets caught on the small protrusion 3a, causing a feeding failure.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a nut lift-up device that solves the above-mentioned conventional problems.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The gist of the present invention to achieve the above object is to transfer nuts to the guide rail outlet of a nut feeder that aligns and transfers the nuts with the axis of the screw hole directed in the vertical direction. A cylindrical casing fixed with its axis oriented perpendicular to the direction, and a lower surface of a nut movable up and down inside the casing, biased in the downward direction by a spring, and located at the exit of the guide rail. a lifter that abuts on the lifter, a guide rod that passes through the lifter so that it can move up and down relatively on a concentric line and that can be fitted into the threaded hole of the nut, and a guide rod that is fixed to the guide rod and at a predetermined raised position of the guide rod. and a lifting cylinder that is coupled to the lower end of the guide rod.

[0007]

[Operation] With the above configuration, the guide rod first rises and fits into the threaded hole of the nut to prevent it from shifting and falling.
In this state, the lifter rises and lifts the nut up from the guide rail of the feeder.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a guide rail of a nut feeder, which aligns and transfers nuts 2 whose screw hole axes are directed in the vertical direction. Nut 2 is attached to the exit of this guide rail 1.
A cylindrical casing 10 is fixed with its axis oriented in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport.

A cylindrical lifter 11 is fitted into the casing 10 so as to be movable up and down and abuts the lower surface of the nut 2 located at the outlet of the guide rail 1.
The lower end is regulated by engaging with a stepped portion 12 provided therein. At the lower end of the lifter 11, the upper end surface is flush with the bottom surface of the guide rail 1.

A rod 13 is fitted into the lifter 11 so as to be relatively movable on a concentric line, and a nut 2 is attached to the upper end of the rod 13.
A guide shaft 14 that can be fitted into the screw hole is fixed. The upper end surface of the guide shaft 14 is also flush with the bottom surface of the guide rail 1, which coincides with the upper end surface of the lifter 11, at the lower end of the rod 13.

The lifter 11 is always elastically biased in the downward direction and is positioned in engagement with the step portion 12. The mechanism includes a collar 15 that contacts the lower end of the guide shaft 14 within the lifter 11, and a spring 1 that contacts the upper end of the collar 15 and the lower end of the lifter 11 within the collar 15.
6.

Reference numeral 19 is a lifting cylinder fixed to the casing 10. A knuckle 20 is attached to the end of the piston rod of the lifting cylinder 19, and a connecting member 18 shaped to hold the knuckle 20 is provided at the lower end of the rod 13 and is coupled to the knuckle 20. This connecting member 18 also serves as a pushing member that comes into contact with the lower surface of the lifter 11, and is positioned so that it comes into contact with the lower surface of the lifter 11 with a phase difference when the rod 13 moves upward by a predetermined amount H. Incidentally, reference numeral 17 is a scraper interposed between the outer periphery of the guide shaft 14 and the inner periphery of the lifter 10, and is used to prevent chips, dust, etc. from entering into the lifter 10.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained. Figure 1
is the in-situ state. In order to lift up the nut 2 on the guide rail 1 from this state, the rod 13 is moved upward by the lifting cylinder 19, as shown in FIG. 2(A). As described above, the connecting member 1 at the lower end of the rod 13
8 does not come into contact with the lower surface of the lifter 11 unless the rod 13 is at the stroke position where it has risen by a predetermined amount H, so the lifter 11 is held at the lower end at this point. Therefore, only the guide shaft 14 rises and fits into the screw hole of the nut 2. As a result, the nut 2 is positioned at a fixed position and is prevented from falling.

Next, at a stroke position where the rod 13 has risen by a predetermined amount H, the connecting member 18 comes into contact with the lower surface of the lifter 11, and the lifter 11 rises together with the guide shaft 14, as shown in FIG.
As shown in B), the guide shaft 14 comes into contact with the lower surface of the fitted nut 2 and lifts up the nut 2 by a predetermined amount. This lifted-up nut 2 is chucked by a robot or the like (not shown), transported to a predetermined workpiece assembly position, and tightened by a nut runner or the like. After the nut 2 is taken out, it is returned to the original position shown in FIG. 1 by the downward movement of the lifting cylinder 20, and the above-mentioned operation is repeated based on a command.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, the double action structure includes a guide shaft that fits into the threaded hole of the nut, and a lifter that lifts the nut after the guide shaft is fitted into the threaded hole of the nut. Therefore, when the nut is lifted up, the nut is completely prevented from shifting or falling, and a reliable nut delivery operation can be achieved. Further, since the guide shaft and the lifter are raised and lowered using one lifting cylinder, the lifter is compact and can be provided at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Fig. 1] Cross-sectional diagram of the present invention

[Fig. 2] Cross-sectional view showing the operation of the present invention

[Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of conventional device

[Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of conventional device

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Guide rail 2 Nut 10 Casing 11 Lifter 13 Rod 14 Guide shaft 16 Spring 18 Connecting member 19 Lifting cylinder

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A cylindrical structure fixed to the guide rail outlet of a nut feeder that aligns and transfers nuts with screw hole axes oriented in the vertical direction, with the axis oriented in a direction perpendicular to the nut transfer direction. a casing, a lifter which is movable up and down within the casing and which is biased in the downward direction by a spring and comes into contact with the lower surface of the nut located at the outlet of the guide rail; a guide rod that can pass through the guide rod and fit into the threaded hole of the nut; a push-up member that is fixed to the guide rod and comes into contact with the lower surface of the lifter at a predetermined raised position of the guide rod; A nut lift-up device characterized by comprising a coupled lifting cylinder.