JPS6150846B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an article delivery device between conveyors that relays workpieces at a connecting position between a pre-process conveyor and a post-process conveyor.

Conveyor equipment that performs assembly operations such as painting and assembling automobile bodies is a combination of a front-process conveyor that carries goods, such as a slat conveyor, and a post-process conveyor that hangs goods, such as an overhead conveyor. There is a conveyor system in which a relay means is interposed between the two conveyors to relay the workpieces from the front-process conveyor to the post-process conveyor. Since each workpiece is arranged so that it moves at the same speed, the flow of workpieces is continuous and work efficiency can be maintained at high levels. When time stops,
Interference and collision between the workpieces at the workpiece delivery position will occur, so to avoid this, the front-end conveyor is also stopped at the same time, so the front-end work on the workpieces on the front-end conveyor, which is functioning normally, is also interrupted. There are disadvantages such as reduced productivity.

The present invention has been made in view of these drawbacks, and provides a method for quickly moving articles in parallel with the front-end conveyor between an article-mounted front-end conveyor and an article-suspended back-end conveyor. We have installed a delivery device that has a rapid forwarding function, a forward and backward forwarding function that moves slowly, and a lifting function that moves up and down between both conveyors, so that even if the post-process conveyor temporarily stops, the delivery will be possible. To provide an article delivery device between conveyors that allows the pre-process conveyor to continue pre-process work with a margin of time until an emergency stop by shortening the distance between each article at a position to an allowable limit. With the goal.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to one embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a delivery device, which connects a front-process conveyor 2 of an article-mounting type (for example, a slat conveyor) to a post-process conveyor 3 of a hanging-type article (for example, an overhead conveyor, etc.). Articles 4, 4, etc., such as automobile bodies, etc., are sequentially delivered. The delivery device has beam-shaped lifting tables 5 and 6 extending horizontally in parallel with the front-end conveyor 2 on both sides of the front-end conveyor 2, and is equipped with a lift means 8 on a base 7, so that the conveyor 2 can be raised and lowered. The carts 9 and 10 are disposed above the elevator platform so as to be able to reciprocate between the front end position and the rear end position of the elevator platform along the pre-process conveyor 2. Rod-shaped engagement means 11 and 12 that engage with the articles 4 on the pre-process conveyor 2 are fixedly installed at the left end in FIGS. 1 and 2. Rapid feed cylinder 1 that reciprocates with
3 is provided.

The elevating tables 5 and 6 each have two girder members 14, 14, etc. made of channel steel, etc., arranged opposite each other with a web spacing 15, 15 between the girder members, and extend along the pre-process conveyor 2. Rail parts 16, 16... having a U-shaped cross section opening outward are formed on both sides in the length direction of the girder, and guide surfaces 17, 17 at the lower ends of the rails are formed.
. . . rollers 42, 42, . . . of the carts 9, 10 are rotatably supported.

The lifting means 8 includes lift cylinders 18, 18.
Drive-side parallel link mechanisms 19, 19 connected to
(See Figures 1, 3, and 4) and a driven side parallel link mechanism 2 that supports the lifting platforms 5 and 6.
0, 20 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and not shown in FIG. 1 as it is located directly below the lifting platforms 5 and 6), and a connecting shaft 21 for synchronously operating the both parallel link mechanisms. It is made up of. The drive side parallel link mechanisms 19, 19 are the drive side link 2
2, 22, 23, 23 are respectively arranged at outer positions parallel to the lifting tables 5, 6 with a gap between them. It is connected to an elongated connecting shaft 21 that is disposed straddling the upper position of the rear end (the right end in FIG. 1), and one drive side link 22 has its base end connected to both bases. The connection shaft 21 and the rotation shafts 24, 24 are connected to short rotation shafts 24, 24, respectively, which are disposed above the front end portions (left end portions in FIG. 1) of 7, 7. Bearings 25, 25, 26, 26, 27, 2 fixed on the bases 7, 7
7 and bearings 28, 28, 29, 29, 30, 3
0, and each drive side link 22, 22,
Both ends of the connecting rods 31, 31 are pivotally attached to the tips of the links 23, 23, and one drive side link 2
The tips of the piston rods 32, 32 of the lift cylinder 18 are pivotally attached to the intermediate portions of the piston rods 2, 22, and the base ends of the lift cylinders 18, 18 are pivotally supported by brackets 33, 33 on the bases 7, 7. . The driven side parallel link mechanism 20, 20 is the driven side link 3
4,34 and 35,35. The base ends of the driven links 35, 35 and 34, 34 are connected to the connecting shaft 21 and the rotating shafts 24, 2, respectively.
4, and the distal end of the driven link is pivotally connected to brackets 36, 36 and 37, 37 that project downward from the lower surface of the lifting platforms 5, 6. The lifting means 8 includes lift cylinders 18,1
The forward and backward movement of 8 is the drive side parallel link mechanism 19, 19.
The swinging motion of one of the driving links 23, 23 is converted from the connecting shaft 21 to the other driven side. It is transmitted to the driven side parallel link mechanisms 20, 20 via the links 35, 35, and the lifting platforms 5, 6 move in parallel along the swing radius _R2 of each driven side link 34, 35, causing the lift L to move up and down. It is configured as follows. Note that the above-mentioned elevating means 8 is provided with a length in which the swing radius R ₁ of each driving side link 22, 23 and the swing radius R ₂ of each driven side link 34, 35 are equal; By changing the lengths of the swing radii R ₁ and R ₂ , the lifts L of the lifting platforms 5 and 6 can be expanded or contracted according to the ratio of the radii.

In the carts 9 and 10, substrates 38 and 38 are disposed above the lifting tables 5 and 6 and parallel to the lifting tables, and side plates 39 and 39 having the same length as the substrate 38 extend downward from both ends of each substrate. A saddle-shaped underframe 40, 40 that opens downward is formed by projecting ..., and side plates 39, Brackets 41, 41... extending downward from 39 are arranged in series, respectively, and opposing brackets 41, 41...
Inside the lower end, rollers 42, 42... are pivotally supported by cantilever shafts 43, 43... to form carts 9, 10, and the carts move the rollers 42, 42... It is engaged with the rail portion guide surfaces 17, 17, . . . and mounted so as to be able to reciprocate. Trolley 9
The tip of a piston rod 44 of the rapid feed cylinder 13 is connected to the lower end of one of the brackets 41, and a lifting platform 5 is provided at the front and rear ends (left end and right end in FIG. 2) of the carts 9 and 10. ,6
Both ends of front and rear feed chains 45 and 46 arranged to pass through the web spaces 15 and 15 are connected, and the front and rear feed chains are arranged at both ends of the lifting tables 5 and 6, respectively. Sprocket 4
7, 47, 48, 48 and sprockets 49, 49, 50, 5 arranged at the lower middle of the lifting platform.
0, 51, and 51 in a loop shape.
On the support shaft 52 of the sprockets 50, 50,
Sprockets 53, 53 are disposed close to sprockets 50, 50, while sprockets 5
Bearings 54, 54 are fixedly installed on the bases 7, 7 at positions below 3, 53 to pivotally support an intermediate shaft 55, and intermediate sprockets 56, 54 are provided at both ends of the intermediate shaft.
56 is fixedly installed to correspond to the sprockets 53, 53, and both sprockets 53, 53 and 5
6, 56 are loop-engaged with the interlocking chains 57, 57, so that the forward and backward feeding chains 45, 4
The trolleys 9 and 10 connected to 6 are interlocking chain 5
7, 57 and the intermediate shaft 55 to reciprocate simultaneously. The rapid feed cylinder 13 is configured to short-circuit an input source such as pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure to disable the operation of the piston rod 44, that is, to a free state, so that the piston rod follows the reciprocating motion of the truck 9. 58, 58, . . . are article receiving seats arranged at intervals on the upper surfaces of the substrates 38, 38 of the carts, 59, 60 are stoppers for regulating the stroke S of the carts 9, 10, 61 is a chain 45 for forward and backward feeding, 46 is a tensioning means, 62 and 63 are detection means for detecting when the carts 9 and 10 enter the front end position and the rear end position, and 64 and 6 are tension means.
Reference numeral 5 denotes detection means for detecting the upper and lower limit positions of the lifting tables 5 and 6.

In addition to the rod-like structure of this example, the engaging means 11 and 12 may be formed into a plate-like or other shape.

Next, the operation of the device of the present invention will be explained.

First, the carts 9 and 10 of the delivery device 1 are positioned at the rear end positions of the lifting platforms 5 and 6 (solid line positions in FIG. 5), and the front-process conveyor 2 and the rear-process conveyor 3 are moved forward (arrow A). drive.

If both conveyors are operating normally,
The article 4 placed on the pre-process conveyor 2 and transferred (arrow a) is placed on the lower surface 4a of both ends of the article and the upper surface 58a, 58a of the article receiving seats 58 of the carts 9, 10...
When the article 4 moves above the carts 9 and 10 with a narrow gap between them and reaches the receiving position F (the position indicated by diagonal lines in FIG. 5) where the cart and the article 4 engage with each other, the article 4
Detecting the entry of
is driven upward, and the lifting platform 5,
6 moves upward (arrow b) to move the article 4 to the upper limit position of the lift L.

Next, the fast-forwarding cylinder 13 is driven forward in response to a detection signal from the upper limit position detection means 64 due to the contact of the drive side link 23 at the upper limit position, and the carriage 9,
10 performs a rapid forwarding operation (arrow C) to move the article 4 below the hanging position F ₂ (upper chain line position in Fig. 5) and lifts it onto the post-process conveyor 3, and then performs the opposite operation to the above. Then, it returns to the article 4 receiving position F, and waits for the next article 4 to be sent. The article 4 lifted up (arrow f) by the post-process conveyor 3 is further transported (arrow g). .

In the event that the back-process conveyor 3 stops, even if the article 4 enters the receiving position F of the delivery device 1, the lift cylinders 18, 18 will not operate due to the failure signal of the back-process conveyor 3, and Since the switching valve (not shown) of the fast-forwarding cylinder 13 is in the neutral state and the fast-forwarding cylinder 13 is in the free state, the bogies 9 and 10 are connected to the engagement means 11 and 12 of the bogies.
The article 4 engaged with the front-end conveyor 2
Elevating platforms 5 and 6 are moved by slow movement (arrow d) following
The article 4 is moved forward to a predetermined position F ₁ (an intermediate position of the trolley stroke S) where it does not interfere with the preceding article 4 that is hanging and stopped, and this movement is detected by, for example, a phototube, and the object is detected at this point. Only then will the pre-process conveyor 2 be stopped.

Carts 9 and 10 move from receiving position F to predetermined position F ₁
If the failure, etc. of the post-process conveyor 3 is repaired within the margin time for moving the stroke up to 100 at a slow speed, the transfer device 1 will drive the lift cylinders 18, 18 upward upon completion of the feed operation d. , the carts 9 and 10 lift the lift L to move the article 4 below the hanging position _F2 .

According to the above-mentioned configuration, the article delivery device of the present invention has an elevating platform installed parallel to a side position of the pre-process conveyor so that it can be raised and lowered by the elevating means, and a cart on the elevating platform that moves along the pre-process conveyor. The carriage is arranged to be reciprocally movable between a front end position and a rear end position, and an engagement means for engaging with an article on a front-end conveyor is fixed to the trolley, and the article transported by the front-end conveyor is After lifting the article at the time when the engaging means of the cart located at the rear end position on the lifting platform is engaged, the article is rapidly transported to below the hanging position of the post-process conveyor, and in the unlikely event that the post-process conveyor stops. In some cases, even if the article on the pre-process conveyor engages with the engaging means of the cart, it becomes free and is delayed to follow the pre-process conveyor while being engaged with the engaging means of the cart. Because the cylinder is equipped with a cylinder, interference between articles is prevented, and even if the downstream conveyor stops for a short time, the front process conveyor can continue operating, so even if both conveyors stop. This has the excellent effect of eliminating interruptions in assembly line work and preventing a decline in productivity.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings illustrate embodiments of the device of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a plan view of the delivery device, and FIG.
The same front view along the line, Figure 3 is the - of Figure 1.
4 is a right side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the operation of the delivery device. 1...Delivery device, 2...Pre-process conveyor, 3
... Post-process conveyor, 4 ... Article, 5, 6 ... Lifting platform, 8 ... Lifting means, 9, 10 ... Cart, 1
1, 12... Engagement means, 13... Rapid feed cylinder.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A device for transferring articles from an article-mounted pre-process conveyor to an article-suspended post-process conveyor, in which an elevating platform is installed parallel to a side position of the pre-process conveyor so as to be movable up and down by an elevating means; A cart is disposed on the lifting platform so as to be able to reciprocate along the pre-process conveyor between a front end position and a rear end position of the lifting platform, and an engaging means for engaging with an article on the pre-process conveyor is fixed to the cart. Usually, the lifting platform is raised by the lifting means at the time when the article to be loaded and transferred on the pre-process conveyor engages with the engaging means of the cart located at the rear end position on the lifting platform. When the article is lifted, the cart is quickly moved to the front end position to transport the article to below the hanging position of the post-process conveyor, while
When the post-process conveyor stops, the article placed on the pre-process conveyor becomes a free state when it engages with the engaging means of the cart, and the article remains engaged with the engaging means of the cart. 1. A device for transferring articles between conveyors, characterized in that a cylinder is provided that allows the article to be moved at a slow rate following a preceding process conveyor from an end position to a position where it does not interfere with preceding articles.