JPH0818197B2 - Screw feeder - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a screw supply device for supplying a screw to an automatic screw tightening device, and more particularly to a screw supply device for tightening a large number of screws in one station. The present invention relates to a screw supply device capable of supplying necessary screws according to a tightening order.

(Background Art) In recent years, a large number of screw supply devices of various configurations have been proposed in order to automate screw tightening work in all industrial fields.

For example, in JP-A-60-104659, a screw tightening device having a pipe for holding a screw by making a negative pressure in the inside, and the opening of the screw tightening device when the pipe is lowered and rotated to rotate the opening. Disclosed is a screw feeding device including a screw feeding device having a U-shaped pipe whose end faces, and a screw pressure feeding device pneumatically feeding a screw to the U-shaped pipe opening end of the screw feeding portion. In addition, JP-A-60-172474 and JP-A-61-8283 also disclose a screw supply device for supplying a screw to an automatic screw tightening device.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, when trying to tighten various screws in one station, a number of screw transfer positions and transfer mechanisms are required according to the type of screw. . Therefore, if it is attempted to supply a large number of screws of various types with conventional devices, the equipment space must be large. Also, if the type of fluid changes and the number of required screws increases, it is necessary to add a screw delivery position and a screw delivery mechanism accordingly, but the conventional device requires a large installation space, so it is possible to change the model. It wasn't easy.

(Means for Solving Problems) The present invention solves the above problems, and can selectively supply various kinds of screws required for fluid models, and a screw that does not require a space required for installation. An object is to provide a supply device.

The present invention adopts the following technical means in order to achieve the above object.

That is, according to the present invention, a plurality of parts feeders accommodating a large number of screws, and a plurality of parts feeders provided corresponding to the plurality of parts feeders, respectively, for aligning and feeding the screws supplied from the respective parts feeders. A plurality of linear feeders, a plurality of escapes which are provided corresponding to the respective tips of the plurality of linear feeders, and separate the screws from the linear feeders one by one, and the plurality of escapes, respectively. It is provided with a plurality of chucks which are provided corresponding to the tips respectively and which clamp the screw supplied from the escape and which can be freely opened and closed, and a rotary table whose positioning can be controlled. The plurality of chucks are attached to the rotary table. Along with the center of rotation of the rotary table, the parts are arranged in a radial pattern on the circumference of the rotary table. And a screw supply mechanism composed of one each of the escapes, which are arranged radially on the circumference centered on the rotation center so as to face the outer sides in the radial direction of the chucks. It features a device.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, screws of different types are stored in each of the parts feeders in advance, the rotary table is rotated to align the chuck with one of the screw supply mechanisms, and the screw supply mechanism is used. Hold the supplied screw. Then, the rotary table is rotated to bring each chuck to a predetermined screw passing position. By repeating this operation, a large number of various screws required for fluid machines are selected and supplied to the automatic screw tightening device according to a random tightening order.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1a, 1b ... are well-known parts feeders capable of accommodating a large number of screws and successively supplying the screws, and 2a, 2b ... are arranged by aligning the screws supplied from the parts feeder 1 in a desired posture. It is a linear feeder for conveying. 3a, 3b ... are arranged at the tip of the linear feeder 2 and
Are escapes that sequentially separate the screws that are sequentially fed through, and 4a, 4b ... Are chucks that sandwich the screws separated by the escape 3 one by one. Reference numeral 5 is a rotary table which is rotationally driven by a DC motor described later via a gear 6. Further, 7a, 7b, 7c indicate screw delivery positions arranged along the circumferential direction of the rotary table 5. In this embodiment, a total of 24 chucks 4 are attached to the rotary table 5, and the chucks 4 (4a to 4i)
Are arranged in a radial pattern on the circumference centered on the center of rotation of the rotary table 5. Similarly, each one parts feeder 1
A total of 24 sets of screw feeding mechanisms including the linear feeder 2 and the escape 3 are provided, and each screw feeding mechanism is radially arranged around the rotary table 5 so as to be aligned with any one of the chucks 4. .. More specifically, the arrangement of each screw supply mechanism will be described. Each screw supply mechanism is arranged so as to oppose the respective chucks 4 on the outer side in the radial direction.
The rotary tables 5 are radially arranged on the circumference centered on the center of rotation.

In FIG. 2, the rotary table 5 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 8, and a DC motor 9 for driving the rotary table is controlled by a computer control means 10 to perform positioning control of the rotary table 5. The chuck 4 is attached via a plate 14 to rods 12 and 13 slidably supported by a bearing 11 fixed to a rotary table 5, and can be moved forward and backward with respect to the linear feeder 2.
Reference numeral 15 is a rod connecting a drive source (not shown) for moving the chuck 4 back and forth and the rods 12 and 13,
Is a cam plate for controlling the opening and closing of the chuck 4.

The chuck 4 comprises a pair of pawl members 18 and 18 closed by a spring 17 as shown in an enlarged view in FIG.
By inserting / removing the cam plate 16 into / from the rear end gap portion 19 of the 8, 18, the front end portions of the pawl members 18, 18 are opened and closed, and the screw 20 is clamped.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the escape 3 is rotatably supported by a shaft 22 provided vertically on a frame 21, and a spring 23
Is urged counterclockwise by the air cylinder 24
By this, it is configured to be able to rotate clockwise against the spring 23. Reference numeral 25 is a proximity switch for confirming the front end of the air cylinder 24 and controlling the drive of the air cylinder 24.

Next, FIG. 4 illustrates the screw delivery mechanism arranged at the delivery positions 7a, 7b, 7c.

Holders 33 and 34 are slidably supported by shafts 31 and 32 vertically provided on a base frame 30. The holder 33 is driven by a cylinder 35, and the holder 34 is driven by a cylinder 36 in a vertical direction. A pin 38 urged downward by a spring 37 is attached to the holder 33, and when the holder 33 descends, the pin 38 abuts the screw 20 held by the chuck 4 to feed the screw attached to the holder 34. It acts to drop the screw 20 into the tube 39 for use. The tube 39 is connected to an automatic screw tightening device (not shown). Further, a cam plate 40 similar to the above-mentioned cam plate is fixedly mounted on the holder 33, and when the holder 33 is lowered, it enters the clearance between the rear ends of the chuck 4 to open the chuck 4. Compressed air is sent to the tube 39, and the screw 20 dropped in the tube 39 is pressure-fed to the automatic screw tightening device.

This embodiment has the above-mentioned structure, and its operation will be described below.

For example, four kinds of screws 20a, 20d, 20g, 20h are 20a → 20d → 20g
When tightening in the order of → 20h → 20a → 20d, for example, a large number of screws 20a are stored in the parts feeder 1a in advance. Similarly, insert a screw 20d in the parts feeder 1d, a screw 20g in the parts feeder 1g, and a screw 20h in the parts feeder 1h. And first clamp the screw 20a with the chuck 4a,
Next, the DC motor 9 is rotated and controlled by the computer control means, the rotary table 5 is rotated to a position where the chuck 4b and the linear feeder 2d are aligned, and the screw 20d is moved by the chuck 4b.
Sandwich. Similarly, the rotary table is sequentially rotated so that the chuck 4c holds the screw 20g and the chuck 4d holds the screw 20h.
Further, the chuck 4e holds the screw 20a, and finally the chuck 4f holds the screw 20d. The rotation of the rotary table 5 during this period is controlled according to a program previously input to the computer control means.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the chucking operation of the chucks 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, and 4f is performed by moving the chuck 4 forward through a rod 15 by a driving source (not shown) to move the linear feeder. Get close to the tip of 2. At the same time, the cam plate 16 is lowered to open the pawl members 18, 18 and the air cylinder 24 is driven forward to rotate the escape 3 clockwise. Then, the screw 20 sent by the linear feeder 2 in a desired posture is inserted into the opening of the chuck 4. Then, when the cam plate 16 is raised, the chuck 4 is closed by the urging force of the spring 17, and the screw 20 is clamped. Then, while moving the chuck 4 backward, the air cylinder 24 is driven backward to rotate the escape 3 counterclockwise to close the tip of the linear feeder 2. During this time, a pair of auxiliary escapes 50, 51 opens and closes the passage of the linear feeder 2 at an appropriate timing, and the chuck 4 holds one screw 20, 20, 20 so that the screw 20 is pinched exactly one by one. Separate one by one.

The chucks 4a, 4b, 4c, 4 are moved by the series of operations described above.
d, 4e and 4f have screws 20a and 20 necessary for tightening screws of fluid type
One each of d, 20g, 20h, 20a and 20d is sandwiched.

Then, the rotary table 5 is rotated again, and the chuck is first
Bring 4a, 4b, 4c to screw delivery positions 7a, 7b, 7c respectively. Here, the cylinder 35 is driven to lower the holder 33, and at the same time, the cylinder 36 is driven to raise the holder 34. Then, the pin 38 comes into contact with the head of the screw 20 held by the chuck 4, and at the same time, the upper end opening of the tube 39 is screwed.
Charged to 20. When the holder 33 is further lowered, the chuck 4 is opened by the cam plate 40, the screw 20 is separated from the chuck 4 and dropped into the tube 39 by the pin 38, and is fed to the automatic screw tightening device by compressed air.
In this way, the screws 20a, 20d, 20g are fed from the chucks 4a, 4b, 4c to the respective automatic screw tightening devices. Next, the rotary table 5 is rotated again to align the chucks 4d, 4e and 4f with the screw transfer positions 7a, 7b and 7c, where the screws 20h and 20f are aligned.
Feed a and 20d to each automatic screw tightening device. This completes the screw delivery.

Incidentally, in this embodiment, 24 sets of screw feeding mechanisms including the parts feeder 1, the linear feeder 2, the escape 3 and the chuck 4 are provided, and the screw passing positions are set at three places, but this number may be changed as necessary. Further, it is a matter of course that a positioning control of the rotary table 5 is performed by appropriately creating a program of the computer control means so that the required types and numbers of screws can be delivered in the shortest time according to the fluid type. Therefore, as described in the operation of the above-described embodiment, each chuck 4 (4a to 4i) does not individually receive the different types of screws 20 from each screw supply mechanism, and a plurality of screws 20 are provided. If the chucks 4 (4a to 4i) are aligned and opened at the same time with respect to the plurality of screw supply mechanisms, the plurality of screws 20 can be simultaneously attached to the plurality of chucks 4 (4a to 4i). You can also receive it at.

(Effect of the Invention) According to the present invention, a plurality of sets of screw feeding mechanisms including a part feeder, a linear feeder, an escape and a chuck are provided, and these screw feeding mechanisms are radially arranged in the radial direction of the rotary table, so that one station is provided. With this, it is possible to efficiently select and feed the screws required when tightening a large number of screws, and the screw transfer positions can be arranged along the circumferential direction of the rotary table. I'm done. Furthermore, even if the type and number of screws required increase with the change of the model, it is possible to easily cope with them without adding new equipment. Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a screw feeding mechanism in which a plurality of chucks are radially arranged on a circumference centered on the rotation center of the rotary table and each of which is composed of one part feeder, one linear feeder and one escape. , The chucks are radially arranged on the circumference centered on the center of rotation of the rotary table so as to face the outer sides in the radial direction, so that a plurality of chucks are provided for a plurality of screw supply mechanisms. By simultaneously aligning and releasing the screws, a plurality of screws supplied from a plurality of screw supply mechanisms can be simultaneously received by a plurality of chucks at the same time. After being rotationally moved to the delivery position, it can be collectively supplied to a plurality of supply destinations.

That is, according to the present invention, a plurality of screws can be collectively received and collectively delivered, and the screws can be supplied very efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an essential part of an embodiment apparatus, FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of an escape and a chuck, and FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section of a screw transfer mechanism. FIGS. 5 to 7 are explanatory views of the operation of the chuck and the escape. 1a to 1i ... Parts feeder, 2a to 2i ... Linear feeder, 3a to 3i ... Escape, 4a to 4i ... Chuck, 5 ...
… Rotary table

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of parts feeders accommodating a large number of screws, and a plurality of parts feeders provided corresponding to each of the plurality of parts feeders for aligning and feeding the screws supplied from the respective parts feeders. Linear feeders, a plurality of escapes which are provided corresponding to the respective tips of the plurality of linear feeders, and separate the screws from the linear feeders one by one, and the tips of each of the plurality of escapes. And a plurality of chucks that are opened and closed to hold the screws supplied from the escape, and a rotary table that can control the positioning. The chucks are attached to the rotary table. Radially arranged on a circumference centered on the center of rotation of the rotary table, the parts feeder, the linear feeder and the front A screw supply mechanism composed of one escape is arranged radially on the circumference centered on the center of rotation so as to face the outer side in the radial direction of each chuck. Screw feeder.