JPS6045019B2 - Automatic feeding device for workpieces - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic workpiece feeding device that automatically moves a workpiece from one processing machine to another.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, large-sized automatic feeding devices of this type, which are installed between relatively distant processing machines, are movable on the floor of a factory.

For example, the automatic feeding device itself is mounted on a truck, and the truck moves on rails laid on the factory floor. When replacing various components of a processing machine, such as a mold when the processing machine is a press machine, the automatic feed device itself is moved horizontally from between the processing machines to a predetermined evacuation position in the front or rear. In this way, a work space for exchanging the parts is created between the processing machines. This is because it is difficult to secure enough work space around the processing machine for replacing parts in the limited space within the factory.
However, in such a limited factory, it is difficult to secure a special evacuation area for automatic feed devices in front or behind each processing machine. There were various problems such as it obstructing traffic and requiring special renovation of some of the pillars of the factory.

Therefore, the inventor of the present invention proposed Japanese Patent Application No. 56-89591 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. J.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 57-206534, we proposed a system in which an automatic feeding device for the workpiece, which is installed between two processing machines, moves up and down, and solved this type of conventional drawback. Although this has been resolved, if there are obstacles such as rice cakes or various types of cutting machinery attached to these rice cakes in the trajectory space in which the automatic feeding device moves up and down, it is not possible to raise the automatic feeding device to a predetermined raised position. Therefore, there were inconveniences such as not being able to secure enough space between the processing machines for exchanging parts such as molds. This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and by equipping the main body of an automatic feeder so that it can move up and down in the vertical plane between the processing machines and freely rotate in the horizontal direction, When replacing various component parts, etc., the main body of the automatic feeding device can be retracted as it is or rotated to the raised position, and a work space for replacing the parts can be extremely easily formed below the main body of the automatic feeding device. By providing a pedestal for the workpiece between processing machines, the workpiece can be reliably moved via the pedestal even between processing machines that are relatively far apart. Our aim is to provide automatic feeding equipment.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

In the figure, devices 1 and 2 are installed relatively apart on the floor of a factory so as to be interposed in a processing line for a workpiece W. According to this embodiment, these processing machines 1 and 2 are both so-called gate-shaped press machines with four pillars 3 as frameworks, and one on the left side in the figure is located above the processing line. It is located on the side. In the figure, 4 and 5 are both press machines 1
, 2 are shown, respectively. On the factory floor, in the middle position between both press machines 1 and 2, there is a
A cylindrical support 6 for this automatic feeder is erected.
A cylindrical body 45 is rotatably fitted on the outside of this support 6, and guide rails 7 each having a substantially T-shaped cross section are provided on both sides of the cylindrical body 45 along the acute direction. It is set up. An elevating frame 9 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is guided by each of these guide rails 7 so as to be movable up and down via a plurality of guide rollers 8 that sandwich the flanges thereof. Also, the top of the cylinder 45. The section is equipped with a winch 10 for raising and lowering the lifting frame 9. This is a wire such as a chain or wire whose lower end is connected to the upper end of the lifting frame 9 to a drum 13 which is rotated forward or reverse as appropriate by the driving force of a motor 12 transmitted via a worm reducer 11. shaped connector 14
The lifting frame 9 is raised and lowered in accordance with the amount of winding of the linear connecting body 14 as the drum 13 rotates. Furthermore, the upper end of the support column 6 is equipped with a rotation drive mechanism 35 for freely rotating the cylindrical body 45. This rotation drive mechanism 3
5 consists of a motor 36, a small gear 38 directly connected to the motor 36 via a reducer 37, and a large gear 39 fixed to the upper part of the cylinder body 45 and meshed with the small gear 38. The rotational force generated by the forward or reverse rotation of the motor 36 is transmitted to the small gear 38 and the large gear 39, so that the cylindrical body 45 can be freely rotated to a predetermined rotation angle. Note that an operation panel (not shown) for the motors 12 and 36 is provided behind the cylindrical body 45. A pair of guide gate bodies 15 each having an inwardly bent shape and having upper portions close to each other is provided along the vertical direction on both sides of the front surface of the elevating frame 9.

The holding body 1 is placed between these pair of guide bodies 15.
By matching the flange portions 17 of 6, the holder 16 itself is guided so as to be vertically movable. Furthermore, various fluid pressure cylinders 18 are provided between the upper portion of the lifting frame 9 and the upper end portion of the holding body 16 for vertically moving the holding body 16 with respect to the lifting frame 9. The holder 16 has a horizontally symmetrical shape and is located between the press machines 1 and 2 along a straight line connecting them. A guide portion 19 extending in the horizontal direction is provided on the lower side of the holding body 16, and an oblong slide body 20 is supported by the guide portion 19 so as to be movable in the horizontal left-right direction. An intermediate portion of the slide body 20 is connected to a connecting body 22 such as a chain or a belt via a connecting fitting 21. This connecting body 22 is
Wheels 23 located on both sides of the holder 16, the holder 16
The connecting fitting 21 moves back and forth as the motor 24 rotates. The movement causes the slide body 20 to slide repeatedly in the left and right direction. In addition, at a total of three locations on the lower side of the slide body 20, at the intermediate portion and on both left and right sides, support bodies 2 are sequentially placed.
4 vacuum suction cups 30 via 7, 28, 29
Three sets are supported downward. The vacuum suction cups 30 in each set are symmetrically supported, two at the top and two at the bottom in FIG. 2, and each is connected to a vacuum generator (not shown) through a tube. In addition, each support 2 in each set
7, 28, and 29 are rotatable relative to each other in a horizontal plane, and the arrangement form of the suction cups 30 in each set can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the shape of the workpiece W. Left and right pedestals 32 are fixed to the lower side of the elevating frame 9 via a horizontal support 31.
This pedestal 32 is provided at a position that equally divides the moving distance of the workpiece w between both press machines 1 and 2, that is, the distance between both lower molds 5 into three. and,
The rightmost pedestal 32 in the figure is the workpiece W that has been pressed.
A reversing device is provided so that the material can be reversed and further press processing can be performed. Note that 33 in the figure is a control panel for the motor 24 that drives the slide body 20, and is installed on the front side of the support base 31.

Next, the operation of the above-mentioned component device will be explained.

When the device is in operation, the lifting frame 9 is in the lowered position as shown in FIG. cradle 3 at this time
2 is set in advance to be the same height as the lower mold 5 in both press machines 1 and 2. In this state, first, the piston rod of the cylinder 18 is retracted, and the holder 16 is temporarily moved to an upward position relative to the elevating frame 9, as shown in FIG.

Then, the motor 24 is operated and the slide body 20 is moved to the first position.
It slides to the left from the neutral position shown in the figure, and the left set of suction cups 30 is located above the workpiece w on the lower die 5 of the press machine 1 on the left side. Then cylinder 1
The piston rod 8 is extended and the holder 16 moves downward until the suction cup 30 comes into contact with the workpiece w. When the suction cup comes into contact with the workpiece W, the suction cup 30 vacuum-chucks the upper part of the workpiece W. after that,
The piston rod of the cylinder 18 is retracted, and the holder 16 is again moved to the upward position relative to the elevating frame 9 as shown in FIG. At this time, the suction cup 30 suction-holds the workpiece W in a suspended state. after that,
The motor 24 operates, and the slide body 20 passes through the neutral position shown in FIG. 1 and slides to the right, and the left suction cup 30 is positioned above the left pedestal 32. Then, the piston rod of the cylinder 18 expands and contracts again and moves downward until the workpiece W, which is suction-held by the suction cup 30, is placed on the pedestal 32 on the left side, and then the suction cup 30 is vacuum-adsorbed. will be released. Therefore, the workpiece w pressed by the left pressing machine 1 is automatically moved onto the left pedestal 32 by the left set of suction cups 30. By the way, since the left and right pedestals 32 are provided at positions that equally divide the distance between the lower molds 5 into three,
By repeating the above-described operation of this device, the workpiece w on the pedestal 32 on the left side is moved to the suction cup 3 of the center set.
0, it is sequentially moved onto the pedestal 32 on the right side,
After the workpiece W on the pedestal 32 on the right side is inverted, it is sequentially moved onto the lower mold 5 of the press machine 2 on the right side by the suction cup 30 of the right side set.

In this way, the workpiece W processed by the press machine 1 on the left side is automatically moved to the press machine 2 on the right side via the two pedestals 32 in a so-called step feed method.

Next, when replacing or maintaining various component parts such as the molds 4 and 5 in the press machines 1 and 2, first stop the operation of this device as described above, and then start the motor 12. to raise the elevating frame 9 to a predetermined raised position.

In this raised position, the lower surface of the support base 32 is set in advance to be at a height of approximately 2 m from the floor surface. Therefore, the height between the press machines 1 and 2 is approximately 2TrL.
Only the pillar 3 exists in the space, and this space can be used extremely effectively as a space for exchanging the molds 4, 5, etc. of the press machines 1, 2. Furthermore, if there are obstacles such as beams or various types of machinery in the upward movement trajectory space of the holder 16, the elevating frame 9 cannot be moved to a predetermined elevated position.
When it is not possible to raise it in the same state,
The motor 36 is operated to rotate the small gear 38 in either the forward or reverse direction, and the large gear 39 that meshes with the small gear 38 is rotated by a predetermined angle to move the holder 16 to a predetermined position. The elevating frame 9 is raised to a predetermined raised position while rotating by an angle and avoiding obstacles.

As explained above, according to the automatic feed device for a workpiece according to the present invention, when replacing various components in a processing machine, the main body of the automatic feed device can be left as it is or while being rotated on a horizontal plane. Since the structure is such that the main body of the automatic feeder is retracted to the raised position, an obstacle may occur in the ascending locus space of the main body of the automatic feeding device, preventing the front packing main body from rising, and ensuring sufficient working space below the main body. Even if possible, the main body can be rotated in the forward or reverse direction on a horizontal plane and raised to a predetermined raised position while avoiding the obstacles, which saves space for replacing various components, etc. A sufficient space can be secured below the main body of the automatic feeder, and it does not occupy any of the limited floor space in the factory, so it is extremely easy to install it in the factory. In addition, by moving the workpiece in a so-called step-feeding method, the workpiece can be moved reliably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 1--2 in FIG. 1, 2...Bress machine (processing machine), 6...
Pillar, 9... Lifting frame, 16...
Holding body, 30... Suction cup, 32... cradle.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an automatic workpiece feed device that automatically moves a workpiece from one processing machine to another, a rotary drive mechanism installed on the floor between the two processing machines is installed. a column provided with the column, a cylinder rotatably fitted to the outside of the column, an elevating frame that raises and lowers the cylinder along the axial direction, and a holder that is attached to the elevating frame and moves up and down. ,
a plurality of suction bodies that reciprocate synchronously at predetermined intervals along a line connecting both of the processing machines attached to the holding body, and are capable of adsorbing and releasing the suction of the workpiece; a pedestal attached to the suction body and located below the movement locus of the suction body, and when the elevating frame is in the lowered position, the suction body temporarily holds the workpiece on the one processing machine side. After being transferred onto a pedestal, it is sequentially fed to the other processing machine side, and when the elevating frame is in a raised position, a work space for replacing parts of the processing machine is formed below the elevating frame. An automatic feeder for workpieces featuring: