JPH09301539A - Pallet carrying in/out device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pallet carrying in/out device having a simple structure and capable of efficiently performing conveyance at a low cost. SOLUTION: An elevator is provided on one side of a pallet rack so as to be freely raised and lowered, and a moving table of a processing device is provided on the other side of the pallet rack. A pallet pusher 33 (a pallet transferring means) for pushing out the pallet to the moving table side or the elevator side is provided on the lowermost stage of the pallet rack. A plurality of supporting arms 65 are provided on two rising and lowering frames 51 positioned on right and left sides and on the upper parts of the pallet pusher 33, and to be interlocked with each other by the rising and lowering device so as to be freely raised and lowered in the same direction, and respective supporting arms are engaged with the sides of a not-processed work pallet, raised by the raising and lowering device, and waited. A processed work pallet is transferred from the moving table to the elevator side by the pallet pusher 33, raised, and housed into the pallet rack. The non-processed work pallet in waiting is placed on the pallet pusher after the rising and lowering frames are lowered, and it is transferred to the moving table side.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pallet loading / unloading device, and more particularly to a pallet loading / unloading device that automatically unloads or loads a pallet on which a work is placed into or from the work processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of pallet loading / unloading device is
For example, it is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-111787, and according to this disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, a pallet 10 on which a work is placed corresponding to the laser processing apparatus 101.
A pallet rack 105 for storing 3 in a plurality of stages is provided, and a pallet lifter (elevator not shown) having a traverser for loading and unloading the pallet 103 is provided on one side of the pallet rack 105 so as to be vertically movable. The moving table 1 of the laser processing apparatus 101 is provided on the other side of the shelf.
07 is provided.

Below the pallet rack 105, a two-stage lifter 109 for accommodating the pallet rack in two upper and lower stages.
Are provided so as to be movable up and down. The upper and lower stages 109a and 109b of the two-stage lifter respectively push the pallet 103 from the pallet lifter to the moving table side,
Pallet pushers 111a, 111 for moving the pallet 103 from the moving table 107 to the pallet lifter side
b is provided.

Each of the pallet pushers 111a, 111
B is provided with a hook 113 that engages with the bottom of the pallet 103 on which the work is placed.
Is fixed to the upper stage side of a chain 119 wound around two sprockets 115 and 117 which are supported on the pallet lifter side and the moving table side of the pallet rack 105. One of the sprockets 115 or 117 is rotated forward and backward by the rotation driving means, and the hook 113 reciprocates between the pallet lifter side of the pallet rack and the moving table side.

While the work of the pallet 103 is being laser-processed by the laser processing apparatus 101, the work-unprocessed pallet 103 to be laser-processed next is moved from the pallet rack 105 to the upper-stage lifter 1 of the two-stage lifter by the pallet lifter.
Moved to 09a. Then, the lower lifter 109b of the two-stage lifter is raised to the same height as the pass line to put the workpiece-unprocessed pallet 103 on standby.

The work-processed pallet 103, which has been laser-processed by the laser processing apparatus 101, is moved to the moving table 10.
7 to the lower lifter 109b of the two-stage lifter by the pallet pusher 111b. Then, the upper lifter 109a of the two-stage lifter 109 is lowered to the same height as the pass line. The workpiece unprocessed pallet 103 on the upper lifter is transferred to the moving table 107 side by the pallet pusher 111a and is laser processed by the laser processing apparatus 101.

On the other hand, the lower lifter 109b of the two-stage lifter 109 is raised to the same height as the pass line, and the work-processed pallet 10 on the lower lifter 109b is processed.
3 is transferred to the pallet lifter and stored in the pallet rack 105 by the pallet lifter.

[0008]

By the way, in the conventional pallet carrying-in / out apparatus, two expensive pallet pushers 111a and 111b are installed in the upper tier lifter 109a and the lower tier lifter 109b. Therefore, there was a problem that the equipment cost was high.

Further, the two-stage lifter 109 needs to be moved up and down to adjust the height of the upper lifter 109a and the lower lifter 109b to the same height as the pass line.
There is a problem that this adjustment takes time.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pallet loading / unloading device which has a simple structure and is inexpensive and can be efficiently transported.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the pallet loading / unloading device of the present invention according to claim 1 is provided with pallet transfer means for transferring the pallet to the processing device adjacent to the processing device. Positioned on the left and right of the transfer direction of the pallet placed on the transfer means, there are provided elevating frames that can be moved up and down in the same direction by interlocking with an elevating device. It is characterized in that a support arm that can be freely engaged and disengaged is provided on a side portion.

Therefore, the work-unprocessed pallet is transferred onto the pallet transfer means. The supporting arm of the elevating frame lowered by the elevating device engages with and supports the side portion of the workpiece unprocessed pallet, and then is lifted by the elevating device to stand by. On the other hand, the work-processed pallet processed by the processing device is unloaded from the processing device by the pallet transfer means. Then, the workpiece unprocessed pallet waiting on the pallet transfer means is placed on the pallet transfer means by the elevating device to lower the elevating frame.
The pallet transfer means carries the pallet into the processing apparatus.

In the pallet loading / unloading device of the present invention according to claim 2, the plurality of support arms are provided so as to project and retract from the end of the elevating frame so as to be detachable from the side of the pallet on the pallet transfer means. It is characterized by that.

Therefore, the pallet on the pallet transfer means is supported so that the support arm projects from the end of the elevating frame and engages with the pallet so that the pallet can be lifted by the elevating device.
Next, the workpiece unprocessed pallet to be processed is waited above the pallet transfer means, and the already processed workpiece processed pallet is placed on the pallet transfer means.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an embodiment of a pallet loading / unloading device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, using a general laser processing device as an example of a work processing device.

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, a pallet loading / unloading apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has a pallet rack 5 for storing a plurality of pallets 3 on which a work is placed, and one side of the pallet rack 5. Elevator 9 provided with a traverser 7 that can be lifted up and down (on the left side in FIGS. 6 and 7) and that puts in and out the pallet 3, and the other side of the pallet rack 5 (on the right side in FIGS. 6 and 7). ) And the moving table 13 of the laser processing apparatus 11 provided in FIG.

The laser processing apparatus 11 irradiates a work with a laser beam and moves in the direction of the arrow Y-Y on the paper surface of FIG. 6, a laser oscillator 17, an NC device 19, and below the laser head 15. Located on pallet 3
Is composed of a movable table 13 which is movable in the direction of arrow XX, and a duct device 21.

For details of the movable table 13, referring to FIG. 9, the movable table 13 travels on the guide rail 23 in the direction of arrow XX (FIG. 7), and the movement control of the movable table 13 is performed by the movable table 13. It is carried out by forward and reverse rotation of a ball screw 25 provided on the bottom surface of 13. Therefore,
The pallet 3 placed on the movable table 13 is processed in the arrow XX direction by the movement of the movable table 13, and is processed in the arrow YY direction by the movement of the laser head 15.

A positioning member (not shown) may be provided at the end of the moving table 13 in the YY direction.
In this case, the pallet 3 inserted in the YY direction is positioned by a positioning roller (not shown) provided at an end of the pallet 3 engaging with the positioning member. The positioning member may be provided with a limit switch (not shown) so as to stop the rotation of a motor (described later) that moves the pallet 3 after the positioning member is positioned.

Further, referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, the pallet rack 5 has a plurality of pallets 3 each having a work placed on a plurality of vertical shelves. An elevator 9 is vertically movable on one side of the pallet rack 5, that is, on the side opposite to the moving table 13. A traverser 7 is attached to the elevator 9. This traverser 7 draws in the pallet 3 from the pallet rack 5,
The elevator 9 is lowered to move the pallet 3 in the Y-Y direction, and the pallet guide 3 provided at the lowermost stage of the pallet rack 5.
Place on 1. It should be noted that the pallet guide 31 is located at substantially the same position as the height of the moving table 13, and the pallet shelves 5 to Y
It extends to the outside in the −Y direction, that is, near the end of the moving table 13.

1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in the pallet loading / unloading apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the pallet pusher 33 (pallet transfer means) is located at the top of the pallet rack 5. The pallet guide 3 is provided in the lower row.
It is located below the pallet 3 placed on the No. 1. Move the pallet 3 from the elevator 9 to the moving table 13
Side or pallet 3 from the moving table 13
There is provided a pallet pusher 33 for moving the vehicle toward the elevator 9 side.

The pallet pusher 33 is provided with a hook 35 that engages with the bottom portion of the pallet 3 on which a work is placed. The hook 35 is supported on the elevator 9 side of the pallet shelf 5 and the moving table 13 side. It is fixed to the upper stage side of the chain 41 wound around the two sprockets 37 and 39. One of the sprockets 37 is rotated forward and backward by the rotation driving means, and the hook 35 reciprocates between the elevator 7 side and the moving table 13 side of the pallet rack 5.

Further, as a main part of the pallet loading / unloading apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, an elevating device 44 is provided on each of the lowermost four corner columns 43 of the pallet rack 5. The lifting device 44 has a driven sprocket 45 at the upper part and two sprockets 47a and 47b made up of a drive sprocket 47 at the lower part, and a chain 49 is wound around each of the two sprockets 45 and 47a. Two chains 49, 49 attached to the two columns 43 arranged in the same direction as the pallet pusher 33 in the pallet transfer direction are respectively fixed with substantially horizontal elevating frames 51, 51. The two elevating frames 51 are located outside the pallet guide 31, and are provided above the pallet guide 31 so as to be movable in the same direction at substantially the same height in cooperation with each other.

More specifically, the above four chains 49
Of the eight sprockets wound around, the four upper sprockets are driven sprockets 45 and the lower four sprockets are
Each sprocket is a drive sprocket 47 driven by the rotational force of a rotational drive means such as a motor transmitted by rotational force transmission means such as a chain or sprocket.

For convenience of explanation, of the four lower drive sprockets 47, the two sprockets supported by the drive shaft 55 which is rotationally driven by the motor 53 are referred to as the first drive sprockets 47a, and the lower drive sprockets 47a are referred to as the lower drive sprockets 47a. The other two sprockets are referred to as a second drive sprocket 47b.

Two lower first drive sprockets 47
a and 47a are provided on the same drive shaft 55 so as to face each other with the pallet pusher 33 interposed therebetween, and the drive shaft 55 is attached to the sprocket 57 of the rotary shaft of the motor 53 via the main sprocket 59 and the main drive chain 61. It is connected and driven to rotate. Other third drive sprockets 47c, 47c are integrally provided on the drive shaft 55 so as to be adjacent to the two first drive sprockets 47a, 47a.

On the other hand, a fourth drive sprocket 47d is integrally supported on the rotary shafts of the other two second drive sprockets 47b on the lower side. The fourth drive sprocket 47d and the third drive sprocket 47c are wound around an endless annular chain 63, and the rotational force of the drive shaft 55 by the motor 53 is transmitted.

FIG. 3 is a side view as viewed from the right side on the paper surface of FIG. 1. Each elevating frame 51 is integrated with the chain 49 and is shown by a chain double-dashed line from the lower end position shown by a solid line. It goes up and down to the upper end position. The elevating frame 51 is provided with limit switches at the upper end stop position and the lower end stop position, and the rotation of the motor 53 is controlled by the detection signal of each limit switch.

Therefore, when the motor 53 rotates forward and backward, each of the four chains 49 rotates in the same direction, and
The individual lifting frames 51, 51 move up and down in the same direction.

Further, referring to FIG. 1, the elevating frame 51 is provided with a support arm 65 which can be engaged with and disengaged from the side portion of the pallet 3 placed on the pallet guide 31. More specifically, two support arms 65 are respectively attached to the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the elevating frame 51 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction.
The rear ends of the two support arms 65 are connected by a long push rod 69 so that the tip of the push rod 69 can be retracted from the end 67 of the elevating frame 51.
A rod of a cylinder 71 for operating in the longitudinal direction is connected to the.

The supporting arms 65 are not limited to the above-mentioned example, and each supporting arm 65 is formed in a rod shape and is directed from the end portion 67 of the elevating frame 51 to the side portion 73 of the pallet 3 by a cylinder or a link mechanism. It is also possible to set it up and down freely. Further, each lifting frame 51 may be provided with two or more support arms 65.

The operation of the pallet loading / unloading device 1 configured as described above will be described below.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, while the laser processing apparatus 11 is laser-working the work on the pallet 3, the work-unprocessed pallet 3 stored in the pallet rack 5 to be laser-processed next. Is drawn out by the traverser 7 of the elevator 9 and lowered to the lowest stage of the pallet rack 5 by the elevator 9. The work-unprocessed pallet 3 in the elevator 9 is pushed out by the traverser 7 and placed at a predetermined position on the pallet guide 31 (FIG. 2).

When the motor 53 is normally rotated and the two first drive sprocket 47a and the second drive sprocket 47b are normally rotated through the drive shaft 55, the third drive sprocket 47 is rotated.
c and the fourth drive sprocket 47d rotate in the forward direction via the chain 63, and the two elevating frames 51 descend. At this time, the tip of the support arm 65 is connected to the end portion 6 of the lifting frame 51.
Retreating from 7. The two elevating frames 51 stop outside the side portion 73 of the work-unprocessed pallet 3 already mounted on the pallet guide 31 at a position substantially the same height as the work-unprocessed pallet 3.

Next, the cylinder 7 on the lifting frame 51
1 is operated and the support arm 6 is pushed through the push rod 69.
5 is rotated, and the tip of the support arm 65 moves up and down the frame 5.
It projects from the end 67 of the first piece and engages with the side part 73 of the work-unprocessed pallet 3 (FIGS. 4 and 5). Therefore, the workpiece unprocessed pallet 3 is held by the tips of the four support arms 65.

Then, the motor 53 is rotated in the reverse direction to drive the drive shaft 55.
When the first drive sprocket 47a and the second drive sprocket 47b rotate in the reverse direction via the chain, the third drive sprocket 47c and the fourth drive sprocket 47d rotate in the reverse direction via the chain 63, and at the tips of the four support arms 65. While holding the workpiece unprocessed pallet 3, the two lifting frames 51 rise and stop at a predetermined rising end position, as shown in FIG.
The workpiece-unprocessed pallet 3 stands by above the pallet guide 31 as indicated by the two-dot chain line.

On the other hand, the work-processed pallet 3 whose laser processing has been completed by the laser processing apparatus 11 is moved to the moving table 13.
Is transferred by the pallet pusher 33 onto the pallet guide 31 of the pallet rack 5 (the position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 2). The work-processed pallet 3 is drawn into the elevator 9 by the traverser 7 of the elevator 9, raised by the elevator 9, and stored in the pallet rack 5.

Then, the motor 53 is rotated in the normal direction to lower the elevating frame 51, so that the work-unprocessed pallet 3 is placed on the pallet guide 31 to have the same height as the pass line (FIG. 2). Position of the two-dot chain line).

Next, the cylinder 7 on the lifting frame 51
1 is operated and the support arm 6 is pushed through the push rod 69.
5 is rotated, and the tip of the support arm 65 moves up and down the frame 5.
Work piece unprocessed pallet 3 retracted to the inside of end 67 of 1
Is detached from the side portion 73. Therefore, the workpiece unprocessed pallet 3 is released from the tips of the four support arms 65.

In the work-unprocessed pallet 3, the hook device of the pallet pusher 33 is actuated to raise the hook 35, and the tip of the hook 35 is inserted into an insertion hole (not shown) at the bottom of the pallet 3 and engaged. The pallet pusher 33 is moved to the moving table 13 side. This work-unprocessed pallet 3 is laser-processed by the laser processing device 11 by operating the moving table 13 and the laser head.

[0041]

As can be understood from the above-described examples of the embodiment, according to the invention of claim 1, the work-unprocessed pallet is transferred onto the pallet transfer means, and the work-unprocessed pallet is moved up and down. The supporting arm of the elevating frame lowered by the above is engaged with and supported by the side portion of the work-unprocessed pallet, and then raised by the elevating device to stand by. On the other hand, the work processed pallet processed by the processing device can be carried out from the processing device by the pallet transfer means. The workpiece unprocessed pallet that is waiting above the pallet transfer means is placed on the pallet transfer means with the elevating frame lowered by the elevating device, and can be carried into the processing apparatus by the pallet transfer means. Since only one pallet transfer means is required and the lifting device is less expensive than the pallet transfer means, it is possible to provide an inexpensive pallet loading / unloading device with a simple structure as a whole.

Further, since the pallet transfer means is installed at a predetermined position, it is not necessary to adjust the lifter to the same height as the pass line unlike the conventional two-stage lifter, so that the transfer efficiency can be improved. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pallet on the pallet transfer means can be supported so that the support arm projects from the end portion of the elevating frame and engages with the pallet so as to be lifted by the elevating device. The work-unprocessed pallet can be easily raised above the pallet transfer means to stand by, and the work-processed pallet already processed in this state can be carried out by the pallet transfer means.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pallet loading / unloading device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view for explaining the operation of the pallet loading / unloading device of the present invention.

3 is a side view seen from the front right side of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of main parts taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along the line VV of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the entire apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 6;

8 is a side view of the pallet rack taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the moving table according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view for schematically explaining the operation of a conventional pallet loading / unloading device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Pallet loading / unloading device 3 Pallet 5 Pallet rack 9 Elevator 11 Laser processing device 13 Moving table 31 Pallet guide 33 Pallet pusher (pallet transfer means) 44 Elevating device 45 Driven sprocket 47a 1st drive sprocket 47b 2nd drive sprocket 47c Third drive sprocket 47d Fourth drive sprocket 49 Chain 51 Lifting frame 63 Chain 65 Support arm 67 End 73 Side

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A pallet transfer means for transferring a pallet to the processing apparatus is provided adjacent to the processing apparatus, and the pallets placed on the pallet transfer means are positioned on the left and right of the transfer direction and are interlocked with each other by an elevating device. A pallet loading / unloading device, characterized in that a lifting frame that can be lifted up and down in the same direction is provided, and each of the lifting frames is provided with a support arm that can be engaged and disengaged at the side of the pallet placed on the pallet transfer means. 2. The plurality of support arms are provided so as to project and retract from the end of the elevating frame and can be engaged with and disengaged from the side of the pallet on the pallet transfer means. Pallet loading / unloading device.