JPS5828059B2 - Automatic pallet loading/unloading device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device in which a revolving table of an indexing table can also be used as a pallet, and is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with an automatic workpiece exchange device.

Conventionally, when exchanging workpieces using an automatic workpiece exchanger (A, W, C), the workpiece must first be mounted on a pallet, and the pallet must be carried onto or removed from the indexing table by the automatic workpiece exchanger. Therefore, a clamping mechanism was needed to attach the pallet onto the indexing table.

As shown in FIG. 1, which shows a state in which such a conventional indexing table and a pallet are connected, a swingable indexing table 3 is assembled on a main body 1 so as to be rotatable about a central axis 2. The rotating indexing table 3 is arbitrarily indexed and rotated by an indexing device.

The idle roller 4 attached to the rotating indexing table 3
, 5, when the pallet 6 is carried in, fluid is pumped into the fluid clamp device 8 built into the guide plate 7, and the clamp piece 9 presses against the pallet 6 and rotates and indexes the table 3. Pallets 1 to 6 are clamped.

In this way, in the conventional device described above, only the main parts are the main body 1, the rotating indexing table 3, and the pallet 6.
In addition, the positioning accuracy of the pallet 6 with respect to the rotating indexing table 3 is required.
There were problems in terms of manufacturing costs and technology, such as the difficulty of maintaining a high level of indexing accuracy over time.

In recent years, complete automation of machining is being promoted by combining automatic tool changers and automatic workpiece changers, and from this perspective, it is necessary to simplify the mechanism between automatic workpiece changers and pallets and reduce costs. .

Based on the above-mentioned findings, the present invention aims to provide a device in which a rotating indexing table can be used as a pallet, thereby simplifying the mechanism and reducing costs.

The automatic pallet attachment/detachment device of the present invention that achieves this objective has a structure including a rotating indexing pallet that can be rotatably supported on a table base, and a clamping steel ball fixed to the center of the rotating indexing pallet. A cylindrical center metal fitting having a receiving seat formed on the inner circumferential surface, and a center metal fitting that is attached to the table base so as to be movable up and down with an upward spring force always applied thereto, and that holds the steel ball for clamping. A cylindrical clamp tube that can fit into the center metal fitting, a large diameter portion that is fit into the clamp tube so as to be able to move up and down and that can push out the clamping steel ball to the receiving seat, and an upper part of the large diameter portion. a central shaft formed with a small-diameter escape portion located at the center of the clamp tube for drawing the clamping steel ball into the inner side of the clamp tube; a lifting means for driving the central shaft up and down; and a lifting means provided at the upper end of the central shaft. and a presser foot that locks onto the upper end of the clamp tube as the center shaft descends and presses down the clamp tube together with the center shaft against the spring force, the table base and the clamp tube. and a jack which is provided between the clamp cylinder and the clamp cylinder and which is capable of locking the clamping steel ball to the seat by pushing down the clamp cylinder against the spring force.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the automatic pallet attaching/detaching device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 showing its cross-sectional structure. The cylinder stored in (
A lifting means) 13 is attached, and the piston 1
A small-diameter relief portion 15 and a large-diameter portion 16 located below the relief portion 15 are formed at the upper end of the central shaft 14, which is the second piston rod.

Rotating body 1 with a worm wheel 17 attached to the outer peripheral surface
8 is rotatably supported by a table base 11, and a cylindrical jack 20 having a support plate 19 attached to the upper end is screwed into this rotating body 18.

Therefore, by driving and rotating the worm 21 that engages with the worm wheel 17, the jack 20 that is spline-fitted to the table base 11 is moved up and down. It is also possible to mold it.

A clamp tube 23 has a flange portion 22 that can come into contact with the lower end surface of the support plate 19 and a large diameter portion 16 of the central shaft 14 is slidably fitted therein. 24 is held movably in the radial direction of this clamp tube 23, and a compression coil spring 25 that always presses the clamp tube 23 upward is attached to the cylinder 13 and the clamp tube 23.
It is interposed between.

Additionally, a sleeve 26 is provided between the clamp tube 23 and the support plate 19.
is fitted into the sleeve 26, and the clamp tube 2 is fitted onto this sleeve 26.
A pin 28 that engages with a long groove 27 vertically carved on the outer circumferential surface of 3 is provided to protrude inward.

A compression coil spring 29 is interposed between the flange portion 22 of the clamp tube 23 and the lower end of the sleeve 26 to constantly press the sleeve 26 upward. A presser foot 30 is fixedly provided to restrict the lowering end of the central shaft 14.

On the other hand, in the center of the rotating indexing pallet 33, on which the guide steel balls 32 are mounted, which are guided by the support device 31 and roll thereon, there is a seat part 34 on which the clamp steel balls 24 can be locked.
A cylindrical center metal fitting 35 having an inner peripheral surface formed with a cylindrical shape is fixed, and the clamp tube 23 can be slidably fitted into an open end 36 of this center metal fitting 35.

An auxiliary shaft 37 integral with the central shaft 14 is protruded from the lower end surface of the piston 12, and a cylindrical dog 39 with an annular groove 38 carved therein is attached to the lower end of the auxiliary shaft 37 so as to be movable up and down within a certain range. There is.

Two dogs 42 and 43 are fixed to the base end of a detection rod 41, which has a roller 40 that can be engaged with this groove 38 at its tip. It is attached to the table base 11 so as to be able to reciprocate in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the direction.

Limit switches 45 and 46 are provided on the table base 11 to detect the reciprocating end of the detection rod 41 which is always pressed toward the cylindrical dog 39 via the compression coil spring 44. Cylindrical dog 39
is lowered, the detection rod 41 retreats to the left in the figure, and presses the dog 42 against the limit switch 45, whereby the lowering end of the piston 12 is detected;
As the cylindrical drag 39 rises, the detection rod 41 advances to the right and presses the dog 43 against the limit switch 46, thereby detecting the rising end of the piston 12.

As shown in the left half of FIG. 2, the rotating indexing pallet 33
To remove the table base 11 from the clamped state, rotate the rotating body 18 to raise the jacks 20 together with the support plate 19 to lift the rotating indexing pallet 33, and then actuate the piston 12 to move the center axis 14, the presser foot 30 first comes into contact with the upper end of the clamp tube 23, as shown in the right half of FIG. 14, but at this time the clamp steel ball 24 is drawn into the relief part 15 from the seat part 34, and the clamp cylinder 23
is removed from the center metal fitting 35.

In this process, the upper end of the long groove 27 of the clamp tube 23 comes into contact with the pin 28 of the sleeve 26, and the sleeve 26 is moved into the clamp tube 2.
3, there is no risk that the clamping steel ball 24 will fall off from the clamp tube 23.

On the other hand, as the piston 12 descends, the lower end of the auxiliary shaft 37 comes into contact with the cylindrical dog 39 halfway and pushes it down, so the detection rod 41 retreats and the limit switch 45
The dock 42 comes into contact with the piston 12, and the lowering end of the piston 12 is detected as shown in the left half of FIG.

In parallel with this operation, the support device 31 moves directly below the guiding steel balls 32 of the rotating indexing pallet 33, but in response to the signal from the limit switch 45, the rotating body 18 is reversed by the operation of the worm 21, and the jack 20 supporting plate 19
As a result, the rotating indexing pallet 33 is placed on the support device 31 as shown in the right half of FIG. 3, and the rotating indexing pallet 33 is completely separated from the table base 11.

Moreover, this rotating indexing pallet 33 is attached to the table base 11.
If you want to attach it to a 2000, the procedure described above can be completely reversed, but if you raise the jack 20 and then actuate the piston 12 to raise the center shaft 14, the compression coil springs 25, 29 The clamp cylinder 23 and sleeve 26 rise due to the spring force.

On the way, the upper end of the sleeve 26 comes into contact with the lower end of the center fitting 35, causing only the clamp tube 23 and the central shaft 14 to rise, and then the flange portion 22 of the clamp tube 23 comes into contact with the lower end of the support plate 19, stopping the rise. .

At this time, the clamping steel ball 24 is attached to the seat part 3 of the center fitting 35.
As the large diameter portion 16 of the central shaft 14 passes and rises, the clamping steel ball 24 is pushed out to the seat portion 34 of the central fitting 35, where the rotating body 18 is rotated and the jack 20 is lowered together with the support plate 19, and the clamp cylinder 23 is pushed down, so that the clamping steel ball 24 is moved to the seat part 34.
, and the integration of the rotating indexing pallet 33 is completed.

On the other hand, as the piston 12 rises, the cylindrical dog 39 rises from the middle, and the roller 40 of the detection rod 41 fits into the groove 38 due to the spring force of the compression coil spring 44, and the dog 43 operates the limit switch 46. Let piston 12
Detects the rising end of and the end of clamping work.

As described above, according to the automatic pallet attachment/detachment device of the present invention,
By integrating the conventional pallet and the rotating indexing table of the indexing base and eliminating the clamping mechanism between the pallet and the rotating indexing table, the overall mechanism can be simplified and a significant cost reduction is planned. It is possible.

Furthermore, since the clamp table for attaching the pallet to the rotating indexing table can be omitted, the time for automatic workpiece exchange can be shortened, and work efficiency can be significantly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a conventional pallet and an indexing table are connected, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of an embodiment of the automatic pallet attachment/detachment device according to the present invention, with the right half and left half respectively. The state is changed so that the installation and removal procedures are shown in both halves. The symbols in the figure are: 11 is the table base, 12 is the piston, 13 is the cylinder, 14 is the central shaft, 15 is the relief part of the central shaft, 16 is the large diameter part of the central shaft, 19 is the support plate, and 22 is the clamp cylinder. 23 is a clamp tube, 24 is a steel ball for clamping, 25 is a flange portion of
, 29 is a compression coil spring, 26 is a sleeve, 27 is a long groove, 28 is a pin, 30 is a presser foot, 31 is a support device, 33 is a rotating indexing pallet, 34 is a seat for a center metal fitting, and 35 is a center metal fitting. , 36 is the open end of the center fitting.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rotating indexing pallet that can be rotatably supported on a table base, and a cylindrical center fixed to the center of the rotating indexing pallet and having a seat for a clamping steel ball formed on the inner peripheral surface. a metal fitting; a cylindrical clamp tube that is attached to the table base so as to be movable up and down with an upward spring force applied thereto; , a large-diameter portion that is fitted into the clamp tube so as to be able to move up and down and that can push out the steel ball for clamping into the receiving seat; A central shaft is formed with a small-diameter relief part that can be drawn into the flesh sting; a lifting means for raising and lowering and driving this central shaft; a presser foot that locks onto the upper end and pushes down the clamp cylinder together with the central shaft against the spring force;
and a jack provided between the table base and the clamp tube and capable of locking the clamping steel ball to the seat by pushing down the clamp tube against the spring force. Device.