JPH10217061A - Pallet changing and storing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change a pallet by arranging a pallet housing shelf on an annular periphery, and arranging a pallet carrying arm which can freely perform a vertical directional movement in its central part and a turning movement around a vertical directional shaft and enables a grip of the pallet and its separation. SOLUTION: In a carrying saddle 2 which supports a carrying arm 1 through an intermediate moving body 20 and can perform a vertical directional movement and a turning movement, a first hydraulic cylinder 10 to move the intermediate moving body 20 is provided, and the intermediate moving body 20 and the carrying arm 1 are moved thereby, and are moved, in its turn, to a position where the carrying arm 1 gives/receives a pallet 8 to/from a pallet housing shelf. On the other hand, a second hydraulic cylinder 11 is arranged in the intermediate moving body 20, and the carrying arm 1 is moved thereby up to a position to give and receive the pallet 8 of a machine main body or a position to give and receive the pallet 8 in a work preparing stand.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pallet on which a workpiece is fixed in order to supply an unprocessed workpiece to a machine tool and to receive a machined workpiece from the machine tool. It relates to a device for transport and storage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various types of pallet transport and storage devices have been developed and proposed so far. The basic form is that pallet storage shelves formed in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction are arranged around an annular shape. A pallet transfer arm is provided at the center to allow vertical movement and pivoting around the column in the vertical direction, and a pallet transfer arm capable of gripping and detaching the pallet. As shown in FIG. 1, a separate pallet changing device 7 (pallet changing arm) is provided on the outside between the machine body changing position or the work setup table, whereby the transfer arm 1 is gripped. The pallet 8 is transferred to the above-mentioned position and the pallet 8 is exchanged with the pallet exchange arm.

However, in such a configuration according to the prior art, the pallet changing device 7 is indispensable in addition to the transfer arm 1, and not only is the configuration complicated, but also control of both is required, so that the control itself is extremely complicated. It is.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and eliminates the need for providing a separate pallet changer, while storing pallets in a pallet storage shelf and changing the pallets to a machine body or a work setup table. It is an object of the present invention to provide a configuration of a pallet transfer and storage device that enables pallet replacement at the position (1).

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a configuration of the present invention is to dispose a pallet storage shelf formed in a plurality of stages in a vertical direction around an annular shape, and to vertically move and vertically move the central portion thereof. A pallet transfer arm is provided, which is capable of pivoting around the axis and gripping and releasing the pallet, and the pallet transfer arm is moved to a position on the pallet storage shelf where pallets are transferred, and
Transfer of the pallet by moving to the position of the pallet transfer or the work setup table of one or more machines located outside the annular circumference where the pallet storage shelf is located. Pallet change and storage device.

[0007]

In the above construction, the pallet storage shelves formed in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction are arranged around the ring, the vertical movement at the center thereof and the rotation around the vertical axis are free, and the pallet is provided. This is similar to the prior art in that a transfer arm capable of gripping and detaching is provided.

[0008] The replacement position of the machine body or the work setup table
The pallet storage shelf is provided outside the annular periphery provided, and the transfer arm is provided not only at the position where the pallet is transferred on the pallet storage shelf, but also at the position where the pallet of the machine body is transferred or the work setup table, The transfer arm can be moved linearly to a position where pallets are transferred.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, (a) when it is located at the position closest to the pillar 3 located at the center,
(B) When the pallet 8 is transferred on the pallet storage shelf 4, (c) the replacement position of the machine body 5 or the work setup table 6
In order to cope with any case where the pallet 8 is transferred, the position of the transfer arm 1 is adjusted not only by a turning movement but also by a linear movement.

Various means can be considered as means for raising and lowering the transfer arm according to the present invention. For example, a rack is provided on a support for the transfer arm, and a pinion that meshes with the rack is provided on the transfer arm side. There is a configuration in which the vertical movement is performed, or a configuration in which a ball screw is provided on the support itself and the transfer arm is vertically moved by rotation of the ball screw.

On the other hand, in order to realize the swiveling motion in the center of the transfer arm, the column itself is rotated or a plurality of circumferential racks are provided on the column corresponding to the positions of the plurality of pallet storage shelves. , A pinion that meshes with the transfer arm is provided, and the drive motor in the transfer arm rotates by itself.

The linear movement of the transfer arm according to the present invention is achieved by providing a rotary saddle on a transfer saddle, which is a support for the transfer arm, and providing a concave groove for fitting the transfer wheel on the transfer arm, or a transfer saddle. There is a configuration in which a guide rail is provided on the transfer arm, and a rotating arm engaged with the transfer arm is provided on the transfer arm.

[0013]

[Embodiment 1] In Embodiment 1, the positions (a), (b) and (c) are adjusted by a hydraulic cylinder provided on the transport saddle 2, but as shown in FIG. A first hydraulic cylinder 10 for moving the intermediate moving body 20 is provided in the transport saddle 2 that supports the arm 1 via the intermediate moving body 20 and is capable of vertical movement and turning movement. By moving the transfer arm 1, the transfer arm 1 is moved to a position where the pallet storage shelf 4 and the pallet 8 are transferred.

On the other hand, a second hydraulic cylinder 11 is provided on the intermediate moving body 20 to move the transfer arm 1, so that the transfer arm 1 transfers and receives the pallet 8 of the machine body 5 or a work setup table. The pallet 8 is moved to a position where the pallet 8 is transferred.

As mentioned above, by the hydraulic cylinder,
The positions (a), (b) and (c) can be adjusted extremely easily. In the first embodiment, the first hydraulic cylinder 10 and the second hydraulic cylinder 11 are used. However, the linear moving device that can be employed in the present invention is not limited to the hydraulic cylinder, and for example, an air cylinder is also used. be able to. Therefore, the first embodiment shows a typical example of the embodiment using the driving device that performs the first and second linear motions.

[0016]

Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, the positions (a), (b), and (c) are adjusted by the step motor 14, but as shown in FIG. 12
Groove 13 fitted in the transfer arm 1 with the rotating wheel 12
Is provided, a step motor 14 is provided as a drive source for the rotating wheel 12 in the transport saddle 2, and the transport arm 1 moves to a position for transferring the pallet 8 of the pallet storage shelf 4. A configuration is adopted in which the number of rotations of the step motor 14 is selected when the pallet 8 is moved to a position where the pallet 8 is transferred on the machine main body 5 or the work setup table 6.

This makes it possible to control the required amount of movement of the transfer arm 1 in the linear direction.

[0018]

Embodiment 3 In Embodiment 3, as shown in FIG.
The distance between the central position of one unit of the pallet storage shelf 4 forming the annular periphery and the central portion of the work setup table 6 corresponding to the pallet storage shelf 4 is determined by the distance between the center position and the annular periphery of the pallet storage shelf 4 of another unit. It is characterized by being within the range of the distance to the part.

With such a configuration, the pallet 8 is gripped by the transfer arm 1 at the work setup table 6 from the pallet storage shelf 4 of a specific unit, and the transfer arm 1 is turned to a position where another annular periphery is formed. In addition, by performing the necessary linear movement at the swiveled position, the pallet can be moved to another unit of pallet storage shelf 4 forming another annular periphery, and the adjacent pallet can be moved without providing a special transport device. The storage shelves 4 can be added.

[0020]

According to the present invention as described above, it is not necessary to provide a separate pallet changing device, which not only simplifies the structure of the invention but also makes it unnecessary to separately control the pallet changing device. Control of the exchange of pallets at the exchange position on the machine body or at the work setup is also simplified.

In particular, in the third embodiment, the pallets between the pallet storage shelves of many units can be easily moved.

As described above, the present invention has many operational advantages, and its value is enormous.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a conventional technique.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are side views showing the configuration of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A shows a case where a transfer arm is located closest to a vertical axis, and FIG. FIG. 4C shows a case where the pallet transfer arm is at a position where the pallet is transferred between the storage shelf and the pallet, and FIG.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are plan views illustrating a configuration of the first embodiment, where FIG. 3A illustrates a case where a transfer arm is located closest to a vertical axis, and FIG. Shows a case where the pallet is at a position where the pallet is transferred to and from the pallet storage shelf, and FIG. 3C shows a case where the pallet transfer arm is at a position where the pallet is transferred between the machine main body and the work setup table.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a configuration of a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transfer arm 15 Pallet transfer arm gripping part 2 Transfer saddle 20 Intermediate moving body 3 Support 4 Pallet storage shelf 5 Machine body 6 Work setup table 7 Pallet exchange device 8 Pallet 9 Vertical drive motor 10 First hydraulic cylinder 11 Second hydraulic cylinder 12 rotating wheel 13 concave groove 14 step motor 141 mechanism part that transmits rotation of step motor to rotating wheel

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] April 18, 1997

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Figure 2

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

Figure 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the invention, it a vertical direction
At the upper, middle, and lower positions
In each case, the transfer arm and the pallet
Has been displayed in the top position shows the case where the transfer arm is in the position closest to the vertical axis, the position of the central
In shows a case where a position lower conveying arm for exchanging pallets storage shelves and pallets, lower position odor
Te is pallet carrying arm exhibits <br/> respectively when in the position for exchanging pallets in a machine body or work setup table.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A pallet storage shelf formed in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction is arranged around an annular shape, enabling vertical movement at a center portion thereof and pivotal movement around a vertical axis, and holding and removing the pallet. And a pallet transfer arm that moves to a position where pallets are transferred on the pallet storage shelf, and a pallet transfer arm that is located outside the annular periphery where the pallet storage shelf is disposed. Alternatively, a pallet exchange and storage device based on the fact that the pallet can be exchanged by moving to a position where a pallet of a plurality of machines is exchanged or a position of a work setup table. 2. A transfer arm is supported via an intermediate moving body,
In the transport saddle capable of vertical movement and swiveling movement, the transport arm moves the intermediate movable body to move to a position for transferring the pallet to the pallet storage shelf.
Is provided, and the transfer arm is moved in the intermediate moving body so that the transfer arm moves to a position where the pallet is transferred on the machine body or a position where the pallet is transferred on the work setup table. 2. The pallet changing and storing device according to claim 1, further comprising a drive device for performing a second linear motion for causing the pallet to move. 3. A transport saddle which supports a transport arm and enables vertical and pivotal movements is provided with a step motor for driving the linear movement of the transport arm. On the shelf,
Select the number of rotations to move to the pallet transfer position and the number of rotations for the pallet transfer arm to move to the pallet transfer position on the machine body or the pallet transfer position on the work setup table. The pallet changing and storing device according to claim 1, wherein 4. A pallet in which a distance between a center position of a pallet storage shelf forming an annular peripheral portion forming one unit and a center portion of a work setup table corresponding to the pallet storage shelf is the center position and another unit. 2. The pallet changing and storing device according to claim 1, wherein the pallet is located within a distance from the annular peripheral portion of the storage shelf.