JPS6324059Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a vehicle transfer conveyor that transports a vehicle by lifting the front wheel shaft or the rear wheel shaft.

This type of conventional vehicle transfer conveyor has a structure in which the carrier that lifts and supports one wheel axle and the carrier drive chain always maintain engagement and do not separate, so the carrier must be stopped in order to load or unload the vehicle. In this case, the conveyor must also be stopped, which significantly reduces the transfer efficiency, and there is also the drawback that the vehicle cannot be separated from the drive chain for storage.

The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle transfer conveyor which eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional vehicle and further allows arbitrary points on the conveyance path to be selected as a vehicle loading position and a vehicle unloading position.

An illustrated embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The conveyor of the present invention is installed in an underfloor pit provided along an annular transfer path, and has a carrier rail 2 close to the floor surface 1 and a chain rail 3 running parallel to it directly below. Both rails 2 and 3 are formed by a pair of channel members facing each other, the carrier rail 2 guides and supports wheels 5 of a carrier 4, and the chain rail 3 guides and supports rollers of an endless carrier drive chain 6.

Both rails 2 and 3 are close to the floor 1 in the transfer section from the vehicle loading position to the unloading position, but are provided sufficiently deeper than the floor 1 in the non-transfer section so as not to obstruct traffic on the floor 1. Immediately before the loading position and immediately after the unloading position, both rails 2,
3 are close to the floor surface 1, respectively. Furthermore, two slat conveyors 7 for transporting automobiles are provided at the loading position so that the loading surface coincides with the floor surface 1.

A carrier coupling body 8 for towing the automobile M connects carriers 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e with a coupling rod 9.
The lengths of the connecting rods 9a, 9b are such that, for example, the distances between the carriers 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4e are equal, and the carrier 4d is the same as the carrier 4c. ,4
e, and the connecting rod 9a is exposed on the floor surface 1 in the transfer section.
b is located between a pair of channels constituting the carrier rail 2 and is attached to the carrier so as not to be exposed on the floor surface 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the leading carrier 4a has a dog device 11 that engages and disengages from a pusher 10 that projects from the chain 6.
A pusher dog 12, a retainer dog 13, and an engagement/holding device 14 for the pusher dog 10 are provided, and the device 14 normally falls down to the illustrated state due to its own weight to push the pusher dog 12 down to the engaged position. When it rides on the stopper 15 provided on the stopper 15 or the release piece 16 provided on the rear carrier 4e of the preceding carrier connection body 8, it tilts upward to release the engagement, and the carrier connection body 8 is moved to the stopper 15 or the release piece 16 provided on the rear carrier connection body 8. Stop when it comes in contact with the body. The engagement holding device 14 and the release piece 16 are connected to a long hole 17 (first
(Figure) to be exposed on the floor and move.

The carrier 4b is provided with a support device 20 for lifting the front wheel shaft portion 19 of the vehicle, and a wide hole 21 is provided in the floor surface 1 at the loading position and the unloading position through which the support device 20 can pass in the vertical direction. The support device 20 includes a vertical shaft 22 fixed to the carrier 4b as shown in FIG.
An inner cylinder 23 is fitted to the inner cylinder 23 so as to be movable up and down, an outer cylinder 26 is fitted to the outer cylinder 26 and rotatably supported on the lower end flange 24 by a bearing 25, and the inner cylinder 23 is held in the raised position. , and a lock device 27 for regulating the rotational position of the outer cylinder 26 when the inner cylinder is lowered. 28
is a retaining nut for the outer cylinder 26.

The outer cylinder 26 has a pad 30 that supports the front wheel shaft 19 on the top surface of the tip of an arm 29 that projects laterally to the left and right.When the inner cylinder 23 is in the lowered position supported by the flange 31 of the shaft 22, the pad 30 is front wheel axle 1
9 and at a height that does not contact the rear wheel shaft.

The locking device 27 includes a round pin 33 that is guided and supported on the upper part of a vertical support plate 32 fixed to the carrier 4b so as to be slidable back and forth, and a rotation shaft 34 that is supported by the support plate 32 below the round pin 33 and extends outward from the carrier 4b. and a lever 35 fixed to the rotation shaft 34.
A lever 36 whose tip is pin-coupled to the outer end of a round pin 33 so as to be movable up and down, and fixed to the outer end of the rotation shaft 34.
The roller 37 floating from the floor 1 is pivotally supported. The lever 35 is connected to the tension spring 3 provided between the lever 35 and the support plate 31.
8 pressurizes the round pin 33 toward the outer cylinder 26, and when the inner cylinder 23 is in the lowered position, the tip of the round pin 33 is fitted into the guide groove 39 provided on the outside of the outer cylinder 26, and the arm The rotational position of the outer cylinder 26 is restricted so that the outer cylinder 29 is perpendicular to the transfer direction. The lower end of the guide groove 39 becomes a slope 40, and when a lifting device, for example a cylinder 41, which is provided with the lower part of both arms 29 on the floor in order to lift the front wheel shaft 19 by the pad 30 is extended and pushed up, the round pin 33 is pushed up by the slope 40. When the flange 24 is pushed back out of the guide groove 39 against the tensile force of the round pin 38 and the flange 24 passes through the round pin 33, the round pin 33 protrudes. Then, when the cylinder 41 is shortened, the load on the front wheels of the automobile is supported by the round pins 33 and the front wheels are lifted off the floor 1. In this state, the automobile M is towed by the carrier coupling body 8.

To unload the automobile M from the carrier coupling body 8, the arm 29 is pushed up slightly by the cylinder 41, and the roller 37 is pushed up by the cylinder 42, which is another pushing up device provided on the floor, and the round pin 33 is pushed up.
is retracted outside the flange 24, and then the cylinder 41
is shortened, and the cylinder 42 is subsequently shortened.
At this time, the pin 33 is fitted into the guide groove 39 again as the outer cylinder 26 is lowered.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be explained. When the carrier coupling body 8 reaches the loading position, the engagement holding device 14 of the leading carrier 4a rides on the stopper 15, and the pusher dog 12 rotates upward (the chain line position in FIG. 3), disengaging from the pusher 10. The carrier connection body 8 then stops. At this time, when the automobile M is carried into the loading position by the slat conveyor 7 and stopped at the fixed position, the cylinder 41 is extended to lift the front wheel shaft 19 as described above, and the stopper 15 is activated by the lifting completion signal. Tilt downward and dog device 1
1 is lowered to the engaged position. Therefore, the next pusher 10 pushes up the retainer dog 13, engages with the pusher dog 12, and tows the automobile M.

When the carrier coupling body 8 tows the automobile and enters the curved transfer path, the longitudinal direction of the automobile M differs from the moving direction of the carrier 5b due to the difference between the inner wheels, but the outer cylinder 26
can rotate with respect to the inner cylinder 23, so there is no problem with towing, and the rear wheels of the car are biased inward from the curved transfer path, but since the connecting rod 9b is below the floor 1, it interferes with the rear wheel shaft. Never. Since the carrier coupling body 8 can travel on a curved transfer path whose radius is considerably smaller than the total length of the vehicle, the vehicle M can also travel along this curved transfer path, and the floor space required for vehicle transportation on the curve is becomes significantly smaller.

Furthermore, if a stopper 15 is provided on the transfer path and the engagement between the dog device 11 and the pusher 10 is released, the carrier linkage 8 will stop, and the following carrier linkage will automatically come into contact with the stopped leading carrier linkage. Since it stops, cars can be stored on the transfer route. In this case, since the carrier coupling body 8 has a longer overall length than the automobile, the automobiles M do not directly collide with each other, and the automobiles can be stored safely. Furthermore, if the stopper 15 is tilted downward,
It is also possible to start the vehicles sequentially from the first carrier linkage 8, and the interval between vehicles to be transferred can be adjusted as the vehicle assembly process progresses.

In the present invention, as described above, the support device provided on the carrier coupling body is pushed up by a lifting device such as a cylinder provided along the transfer path to lift the front wheel shaft portion or the rear wheel shaft portion and automatically lock it in the lifted position. Alternatively, since the lock is released, it is only necessary to provide a carrier rail with a simple structure and a rail for the drive chain under the floor, which is easy to install, and a lifting device can be installed at any position on the transfer path to release the drive chain. This has the effect of being able to load/unload and store cars without stopping the chain, and also has the effect of reducing the travel area of cars on a curved transfer path.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 1 is a plan view, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the dog device, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the support device. The elevational view, FIG. 5, is a side view of the support device. 1...Floor surface, 2...Carrier rail, 4a-4
e...Carrier, 4a...First carrier, 4e...
...Rear carrier, 6... Drive chain, 8... Carrier connection body, 9a, 9b... Connection rod, 11...
Dog device, 16...Release piece, 22...Vertical fixed shaft, 23...Inner tube, 26...Outer tube, 29...Arm, 33...Round pin, 39...Groove, 40...Slope, 41 ...Pushing device, M...Automobile.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A drive chain is installed under the floor at the leading carrier of a carrier connection body in which multiple carriers running on a carrier rail installed under the floor are connected by connecting rods so as to be able to bend horizontally, vertically, and vertically, and the length is longer than the total length of the vehicle to be transferred. In addition to providing a removable dog device,
A release piece for the dog device is provided on the rear carrier, and on either carrier there is an inner cylinder that fits up and down on a vertical fixed shaft, and an inner cylinder that moves up and down together with the inner cylinder and that fits rotatably with respect to the inner cylinder, and on both sides. an outer cylinder equipped with an arm that lifts and supports the front wheel shaft of an automobile; and a ring that is pressed against the side surface of the outer cylinder and, when the outer cylinder is raised, engages with the lower surface of the inner cylinder to lock it in the lifted state. 1. A vehicle transfer conveyor, characterized in that a pin is provided, and an arm push-up device is provided at a vehicle loading position on a transfer path.