JPH0819940A - Outer diameter measuring device for thin width workpiece - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an outer diameter measuring device for a thin width workpiece capable of speedily and precisely measuring outer diametrical dimension of a work by a laser beam while conveying the work after machining the thin width workpiece. CONSTITUTION:For example, a conveying device 10 to convey a thin width work W after machining in the diametrical direction is arranged on the delivery side of a grinder, while a laser measuring instrument 11 to measure outer diameter of the work to be conveyed is provided in the downstream of this conveying device 10. The conveying device 10 carries the work W immediately after grinding by way of changing its position from an erected state to a laid state. The laser measuring instrument 11 scans a laser beam in the diametrical direction of the work W to be conveyed in the laid state and continuously measures its outer diameter while conveying it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for measuring the outer diameter of a thin work piece, and more specifically, for example, in a centerless grinder for performing through feed grinding, the outer diameter of a thin work piece can be measured. The present invention relates to an outer diameter dimension measurement technique suitable for continuous measurement with a laser beam during movement after grinding.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a workpiece (hereinafter referred to as a work) in through feed grinding of a centerless grinding machine.
For measuring the outer diameter of the workpiece W, as shown in FIG. 5, dry air is blown to the outer diameter of the workpiece W being conveyed after grinding by the air blowers a and a provided in the conveying path.
After removing the grinding fluid, dust, grinding debris, etc. adhering to, the work W is passed through the inside of the laser measuring device b provided on the downstream side of the air blowing device a, a in the transport direction, and the outer diameter dimension thereof is measured. Is going.

The laser light from the laser measuring device b is
The work W moving in the axial direction is scanned in the vertical direction so as to be orthogonal to the axis line. As a result of the measurement of the outer diameter of the workpiece W by the laser measuring device b, if the cutting amount of the grinding machine c needs to be corrected, a correction signal is issued from the control device f to the correction device g of the grinding machine c. The depth of cut is corrected.

[0004]

However, the above measuring apparatus has the following problems.

(1) When the workpiece W to be measured is a so-called thin workpiece whose axial width is narrower than the outer diameter, such as the inner and outer rings of a bearing or a valve seat, the workpiece discharged from the grinding machine c. Regarding W, the conveyance posture on the conveyance device e is unstable, and the measurement accuracy is poor.

(2) When the work W is placed on the transfer device e, it is necessary to feed the work W with a small interval so that the work W does not fall down. In that case, from the grinding work point to the inspection position (grinding work). Accumulation of the work W on the board c to the laser measuring device b) inevitably increases, and even if an attempt is made to correct the processing dimension of the work W, the correction timing is delayed and the variation in the processing dimension becomes large.

(3) When the work W has a ring shape, the coolant liquid has entered the inner diameter of the work W, and even if the measurement surface (work outer diameter) is cleaned (air blown), the inner diameter of the work W gradually increases. The coolant liquid will flow out, worsening the cleaning effect and causing variations in measurement accuracy.

(4) When the work W is through-feed ground by the centerless grinder, it is necessary to place a dummy at the head and perform grinding so that the work W does not fall in the grinding wheel at the start of grinding. A mechanism for processing this dummy after the completion of measurement is required.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to, for example, grind a thin work piece, and then adjust the outer diameter of the work piece during its conveyance. An object of the present invention is to provide a device for measuring the outer diameter of a thin work piece that can be quickly and accurately measured by laser light.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, an outer diameter measuring device of the present invention is a carrying device which is arranged on a carry-out side of a machine tool and which carries a machined work in a radial direction thereof. For the work transported by this transport device,
And a laser measuring device for measuring the outer diameter of the work by scanning the laser beam in the radial direction.

Further, the centerless grinding machine of the present invention is characterized in that the outer diameter measuring device is connected and arranged on the work carrying-out side.

[0012]

In a machine tool equipped with the outer diameter measuring device of the present invention, for example, in a centerless grinder that performs through-feed grinding, a thin work that has been ground is discharged from the grinder due to thrust during grinding. The grinding dummy placed at the beginning of the work at the time of start is collected and held by the dummy collecting section provided on the carry-out side of the grinder by this thrust.

Therefore, the work continuously discharged from the grinding machine to the dummy is naturally dropped by its own weight from between the end face of the dummy collected and held by the dummy collecting section and the outer diameter provided below the dummy. It is discharged onto a discharge chute that constitutes the attitude conversion unit of the measuring device.

At this time, the work is posture-converted from the standing state during the grinding process to the collapsed state, and is conveyed in this collapsed state. That is, the work is converted from the movement in the axial direction in the grinding process to the movement in the radial direction.

The work blown into the transfer section of the transfer device is transferred by an air blower provided during transfer.
Dry air is blown to the outer diameter and the end surface,
After the grinding fluid, dust, grinding debris, etc. are removed, they are fed into the laser measuring instrument.

In the laser measuring device, the laser light is scanned in the direction of conveyance of the work, for example, in the horizontal direction, the laser light is scanned in the radial direction of the work, and the outer diameter of the work is continuously measured during the conveyance.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 show a centerless grinding machine according to the present invention. Specifically, this grinding machine slew-feed grinds a so-called thin work W, W, ... Having a narrow axial width. Then, on the work loading side, the works W, W, ...
Is provided with a feeding device 1 for continuously feeding the workpieces in an upright state, and an outer diameter measuring device 2 for measuring the outer diameter while conveying the workpieces W, W, ...
It has.

Reference numeral 3 is a bed, 4 is a grinding wheel, 5 is an adjusting wheel, 6 is a blade, and 7 is a guide plate on the work carry-in side and the work carry-out side. Further, the grinding machine is also provided with a correction device 8 for correcting the processing size and a control device 9 for driving and controlling the correction device 8 according to the measurement result of the outer diameter measuring device 2.

The outer diameter measuring device 2 is used for the work W after processing.
.. and a laser measuring device 11 for measuring the outer diameter dimension of the works W, W ,.

The carrying device 10 is composed of a posture changing unit 15 and a carrying unit 16. The posture changing unit 15 changes the posture of the work W from a standing state to a lying state. Specifically, the posture changing unit 15 includes a discharge chute 20 disposed below the carry-out side of the grinder, and the work W after processing falls. It is configured to be discharged. Also in connection with this, the discharge chute 2
A dummy recovery unit 21 is provided above 0.

The dummy collecting section 21 collects and holds the dummy W'used at the start of grinding. The dummy collecting section 21 is arranged so as to face the guide plates 7, 7 on the work unloading side, and the collecting upper surface 21a thereof has the blade 6 mentioned above. It is set at the same height position as. At the rear of the dummy recovery part 21, a stopper 21b that allows the recovery position to be adjusted is provided.

Although not shown, this dummy recovery unit 2
1 is provided with a means for pulling the dummy W'in the direction of the stopper 21b, and has a structure for ensuring a drop space A for the work W. A magnet provided at the tip of the stopper 21b, a clutch, an air cylinder, or the like may be used as the drawing means.

The discharge chute 20 is provided below the dropping space A existing between the carry-out side end of the blade 6 and the dummy recovery part 21, and is arranged so as to be inclined downward toward the downstream side in the carrying direction. ing. More specifically,
As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge chute 20 has a substantially cylindrical shape, the upstream end of which enters the lower side of the carry-out side end of the blade 6 and the downstream end thereof above the upstream end of the transport unit 16. It is provided to face. The width of the falling space A in the transport direction is set so that the works W can be dropped one by one.

The carrying section 16 carries the work W whose posture has been changed by the posture changing section 15 as it is.
Specifically, it is in the form of a belt conveyor, which is composed of a first belt conveyor 16a and a second belt conveyor 16b, and both of them are linked by a link chute 16c.

First and second belt conveyors 16
a and 16b are a plurality of belt wheels 22, 22, ...
, And the conveyor belt 2 is attached to these belt wheels 22, 22 ,.
3, 24 are laid around each. In these belt wheels 22, 22, at least one belt wheel 22 is linked to a belt drive source (not shown) for each of the first and second belt conveyors 16a and 16b, and rotation of the belt drive source is performed. Is transmitted to the belt wheel 22, and the conveyor belts 23 and 24 are rotationally driven.

The conveyor belt 23 by this belt drive source,
The transport speed of 24 (transport device 10) is constant, and is set to be slightly higher than the workpiece discharge speed of the centerless grinding machine.

Then, the first belt conveyor 16a
As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the conveyor belt 23 in FIG. 3 is in the form of a round belt.
It is composed of 3a and 23a. This belt 23a,
The space 23a is set to be slightly narrower than the work W so that the work W can be held.

On the other hand, the conveyor belt 24 of the second belt conveyor 16b is made of a thin and elastic steel belt, and the lower surface of the conveyor belt 24 is placed at the measurement position where the laser measuring device 11 is arranged. A belt guide 25 that slides and guides is provided, and the upper surface of the conveyor belt 24 guided by the belt guide 25 is configured to be a measurement reference surface 24a by the laser measuring device 11 (FIG. 3 (b). )).

Further, the second belt conveyor 16b has
As shown in FIG. 3B, side surface guides 26, 26 are provided to guide and hold the work W from the side surface except for the measurement position where the laser measuring device 11 is arranged.

Conveying device 10 having the above-mentioned structure
After the posture of the work W is changed from the standing state to the lying state by the posture changing unit 15, the work W is conveyed in the radial direction by the belt conveyor of the conveying unit 16.

Then, the midway point of transportation of the transportation section 16,
Specifically, the laser measuring device 11 is arranged at the downstream end of the second belt conveyor 16b. The laser measuring device 11 measures the outer diameter of the work W by scanning the work W transported by the transport device 10 with the laser light L in the radial direction.

The laser measuring device 11 includes a light projecting section 27 which emits a laser beam L, a light receiving section 28 which receives the laser beam L, and a control section 29 which processes the measurement result of the light receiving section 28.
And a second belt conveyor 16 (not shown).
It is attached to the base of b.

The laser beam L from the light projecting section 27 is used for the work W.
The workpiece W is scanned in the radial direction, that is, in the feeding direction, from the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction, and the outer diameter of the workpiece W being conveyed is measured. The arrow L in FIG. 2 indicates the scanning direction of the laser measuring instrument 11.

The scanning position of the laser light L is set to the work W.
Depending on which part of the outer diameter of the part to measure, the height of the part from the measurement reference surface 24a is calculated and set in advance. As a result, it becomes possible to measure a workpiece W having an uneven outer diameter such as the raceway dimension of the bearing as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D based on the end surface thereof. That is, it becomes possible to measure the outer diameter D of the work W shown in each of FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (d).

In the outer diameter measuring apparatus 2 of the present invention, air blowers 30, 30, ... For cleaning the work W are arranged at appropriate positions upstream of the laser measuring device 11. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, it is provided above the falling space A, and on each of the first belt conveyor 16a and the second belt conveyor 16b.

Then, dry air is blown to the outer diameter and the end surface of the work W by these air blowing devices 30, 30, ..., And the grinding liquid, dust, grinding dust and the like adhering to the surface are removed.

Next, the operation of the centerless grinding machine according to the present invention will be described.

First, the work W sent by the feeding device 1 between the grinding wheel 4 and the adjusting wheel 5 of the centerless grinder.
Is sent to the guide plates 7, 7 on the work unloading side by the thrust during grinding. At this time, since the dummy upper surface 21a of the collecting part 21 and the blade 6 are set to the same height in the dummy W'disposed at the head of the work W at the start of grinding, the dummy collecting is performed by its thrust. It is collected and held in the section 21.

The workpieces W, W, ... Which are continuously discharged from the centerless grinder to the dummy W ′ are naturally dropped by their own weight from the drop space A between the dummy W ′ end surface of the recovery section 21. And the discharge chute 2 provided below
Is discharged above zero. At this time, since the width of the falling space A in the transport direction is set so that the works W can be dropped one by one, the works W, W, ... Are separated from each other and are surely dropped one by one onto the discharge chute 20.

The work W dropped on the discharge chute 20
The postures of W, ... Are changed from the standing state to the lying state by the posture changing unit 15, and the conveying device 10 is kept in the lying state.
Is sent to the machine, and the movement in the axial direction is converted into the movement in the radial direction to be conveyed.

On the other hand, the transfer speed of the transfer device 10 (workpiece W
The feeding speed of the work W is faster than the through speed of grinding, so that when the work W is transferred to the conveyor belt 23, the speed of the work W to be fed is increased, and the work W is separated from the succeeding work W and is conveyed to the conveyor belt 23. Will be moved. The transport speed in this case is set so that the transport pitch of the works W, W, ... (Gap between the works W, W) is wider than the scanning width of the laser light L of the laser measuring instrument 11.

The work W sent to the transfer device 10 is ground by the dry air blown onto the outer diameter and the end surface of the work W by the air blow devices 30, 30 ,. The liquid and the like are removed, and preparations are made for measuring the outer diameter of the work W.

The work W, which has been prepared for measurement by the air blower 30, passes the measurement position of the laser measuring device 11, and the laser light L is scanned in the carrying direction of the work W, that is, in the radial direction of the work W. Thus, the outer diameter dimension is continuously measured during transportation.

When the measurement result of the outer diameter dimension of the work W is within the allowable range of the set machining dimension, the work W is discharged and collected as a non-defective product to the work collection section 31, and the measurement result is the above-mentioned allowable value. When it enters the correction area within the range, in addition to the recovery operation, a correction signal is output from the control device 9, and the correction device 8 corrects the processing dimension.

On the other hand, the above measurement result is out of the correction range and N
In the case of G (defective dimension), a signal from the control device 9 activates an NG ejection device (not shown) to eject the work W to the NG ejection part.

It should be noted that the above-described embodiment is merely for showing a preferred specific example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this, and various design changes can be made within the range.

For example, in the above embodiment, the transport section 16 is the first
And the second two belt conveyors 16a and 16b, the measurement reference plane 2 in the laser measuring device 11
If 4a can be secured, they can be combined into one, and the belt used for the belt conveyor can be changed to a flat belt, a round belt, or the like.

Further, although the second belt conveyor 16b is provided horizontally in the above embodiment, it is sufficient that the laser beam L of the laser measuring device 11 is scanned in the carrying direction of the work W, that is, the radial direction. It is also possible to provide the second belt conveyor 16b with an inclination.

Further, the outer diameter measuring apparatus of the present invention can be applied to machine tools other than the centerless grinder, and
In addition to the outer diameter dimension of the work W as in the illustrated embodiment, the length dimension of the rod-shaped work can be measured by using a similar transportation method.

[0051]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
Various effects described below can be obtained. (1) A thin workpiece is conveyed in the radial direction, and the laser beam scans in this conveying direction to measure the outer diameter of the workpiece, so the measurement posture of the workpiece is stable and more accurate than conventional measuring devices. High measurement results are obtained.

That is, since the work is conveyed in a state in which the posture is changed from the upright state to the collapsed state, even a thin work can be conveyed in a more stable state than before, and the outer diameter measured by the laser measuring instrument can be increased. At the time of measurement, the work can be measured in the collapsed state, so it is possible to measure the outer diameter based on the end surface of the work, and the outer diameter of the raceway of the bearing, which has been impossible or difficult until now. The dimensions can also be measured.

(2) Conventionally, in the case of a thin work, the work was carried in a state in which the work was closely attached in the axial direction, so that the number of works existing between the grinding work point and the laser measuring device was very large. However, according to the present invention, since the work is laid down and conveyed as it is in the radial direction, the conveyance posture is stable and the feed speed of the work can be increased.

Therefore, the number of works existing between the grinding work point and the laser measuring device is much smaller than in the conventional case, the timely dimension correction is possible, and the variation of the machining dimension is small.

(3) Further, since the work is conveyed in the radial direction, even if it is a cylindrical work, the coolant liquid or the like that has entered the inner diameter of the work is easily discharged, and the cleaning effect by the air blower is maintained high. it can.

(4) Further, since the centerless grinding machine of the present invention is provided with the dummy collecting section for collecting and holding the dummy used at the start of grinding, the dummy can be automatically collected in the dummy collecting section, and the dummy processing can be performed. It can be done easily.

(5) Further, since the outer diameter of the work being conveyed can be accurately measured continuously by the laser measuring device, all the ground work can be measured, and the size of the work having a small thin width such as a miniature bearing can be measured. It is suitable for management as well as automation of the device.

(6) Since the work is conveyed and measured with reference to the center, the model number of the work can be changed only by adjusting the position of the belt guide without changing the width of the conveyance belt or the like, and the setup can be changed. It's easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a centerless grinding machine equipped with an outer diameter measuring device for a thin workpiece according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the centerless grinding machine.

3 is a diagram showing a conveyor belt of the centerless grinding machine, FIG. 3 (a) is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.
(b) is a sectional view taken along the line YY of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the shape of a work that can be measured by the outer diameter measuring device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a configuration of a conventional outer diameter measuring device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Feeding Device 2 Outer Diameter Measuring Device 3 Bed 4 Grinding Grinding Wheel 5 Adjusting Wheel 6 Blade 7 Guide Plate 8 Correcting Device 9 Control Device 10 Conveying Device 11 Laser Measuring Device 15 Posture Converting Unit 16 Conveying Unit 20 Ejecting Chute 21 Dummy Collecting Unit 23, 24 Conveyor belt 24a Measurement reference surface 25 Belt guide 26 Side guide 30 Air blow device 31 Work recovery part W Thin work W'Dummy A Drop space L Laser light

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A transfer device which is disposed on the carry-out side of a machine tool and which transfers a thin work after processing in the radial direction, and a radial direction with respect to the work carried by the transfer device. A laser measuring device for measuring the outer diameter of a workpiece by scanning a laser beam, and an outer diameter measuring device for a thin workpiece. 2. The carrier device comprises a posture changing portion for changing the posture of a thin work piece from a standing state to a lying state, and a carrying portion for carrying a workpiece lying in the lying state by the posture changing portion in a radial direction thereof. 2. The outer diameter measuring device for a thin workpiece according to claim 1, wherein the laser measuring device is disposed at a midway point of conveyance of the conveying section. 3. The posture changing unit of the transfer device includes a discharge chute that drops and discharges the processed workpiece, and a downstream end of the discharge chute is provided so as to face an upstream end of the transfer unit. The outer diameter measuring device for a thin workpiece according to claim 2, characterized in that. 4. The conveyor section of the conveyor device is in the form of a belt conveyor having a conveyor belt, and a belt guide for slidingly guiding the lower surface of the conveyor belt to a measurement position where the laser measuring device is arranged. The outer surface of the thin work piece according to claim 3, wherein an upper surface of the conveyor belt guided by the belt guide is configured to be a measurement reference surface by the laser measuring device. Diameter measuring device. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 on the work unloading side.
A centerless grinding machine, to which the outer diameter measuring device according to any one of 1 to 3 is connected.