JPS632844B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a self-propelled article carrier.

When constructing an article conveyance system in a machine shop as shown in Figure 3, and attempting to transfer articles between stations on the floor, especially the transfer of processed workpieces, using self-propelled carts, the following steps should be taken: points are required.

In other words, it is required that the receiving of articles from each station and the delivery of articles to each station can be performed easily and quickly, and that the delivery position is always accurate.The present invention particularly satisfies the above requirements. The present invention provides an article transport vehicle.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The transport vehicle 1 has two driving wheels 2 on the underside of the vehicle.
a, 2b and one or more support wheels 3. The support wheel 3 is the tip of a swing arm 7 that is swingably supported on a horizontal shaft 6 by a swing arm 5 that is provided at the bottom of the chassis 4 by a thrust bearing so that it can freely swing around a vertical shaft. is rotatably supported. The number of support wheels 3 may be one or an arbitrary number, and in the figure, four support wheels 3 are provided at the four corners of the truck 1. The swing arm 7 is urged clockwise in FIG. 1 with the shaft 6 as a fulcrum by a spring 8 stretched between the swing arm 5 and the swing arm 6. The wheels 3 are evenly contacted on the floor 9, and the trolley 1 is supported on the floor by the two drive wheels 2a, 2b and the support wheel 3.

The two drive wheels 2a, 2b each have a motor 10,
It is equipped with a brake 11 and a tachometer 12. 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes an elevating platform for placing articles fixed on the upper end of a piston rod 15 of a cylinder 14 fixed on the chassis 4. The elevating platform 13 is a plate-shaped one shown in the figure, an outer fork-shaped one, a roller conveyor, or a chain conveyor type. is applied depending on the purpose. 16 is a guide plate fixed to the lifting platform 13, and 17 is a guide for receiving the guide plate 16 fixed to the chassis 4. 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes a positioning cylinder fixed on the chassis 4, and a conical disk 20 for positioning when stopped is fixed to the lower end of the piston rod 19 of the cylinder 18. 2
Reference numeral 1 denotes a conical body installed on the floor 9 at a location where the trolley 1 is to be positioned, and in the figure, four conical bodies 21 are installed at one location for positioning the trolley, corresponding to four conical disks 20. There is. 22 is an antenna, 23 is a battery, and 24 is a guide wire that sends a signal to the antenna 22 installed on the floor 9. The drive wheels 2a, 2b are made of metal foil with a polyurethane rubber ring fitted around the outer periphery.

The trolley 1 travels along the guide line 24 while the antenna 22 searches the guide line 24. By rotating the two drive wheels 2a and 2b at the same speed, the trolley 1
The truck 1 travels along a straight path, and the drive wheels 2a and 2b rotate at different speeds, so that the truck 1 travels along a curved path. The rotational speeds of the drive wheels 2a, 2b are feedback-controlled by a tachometer 12, and the truck 1 travels precisely along the guide line 24.

Reference numeral 25 denotes a proximity switch fixedly attached to the bogie 4 of the bogie 1. When this switch detects a sensitive plate disposed on the floor along the guide line 24, the bogie 1 is activated by the brake 1 with the help of a calculation device such as a computer.
1, it stops at a predetermined stop position. After the stop, the piston rod 19 protrudes downward and the conical disc 20 fits into the conical body 21 to slightly lift the truck 1, thereby moving the truck 1 to a predetermined stopping position.
Positioned and fixed with unit accuracy.

In this positioning, since the conical surfaces are fitted together, the trolley 1 is positioned accurately in all directions within the horizontal plane, front, rear, left and right.

Further, an example in which the above-mentioned trolley 1 is introduced into an actual workpiece conveyance system in a machine factory will be explained with reference to a diagram. 28 is a processing station, 29 is an article delivery location provided with two L-shaped members facing each other, 30 is a loading/unloading conveyor having a conveyor 31 on the top surface, and the trolley 1 is a lifting platform at each of the above locations. By raising and lowering the carriage 31, the cargo can be delivered directly and quickly, and at the delivery location 29, after placing the cargo at the delivery location 29, the trolley 1 can pass through the delivery location 29 as it is.

Of course, a cone 21 is fixed to the floor surface of each station 27, 28, 29, 30 at a predetermined stopping position.

As described above, when the transport vehicle according to the present invention is used for transporting goods in a system such as that shown in FIG. Therefore, the stopping position is accurate and the delivery position of the goods is always accurate.As there is a lifting platform on the top of the vehicle for transferring goods, goods can be transferred by simply going up and down the lifting platform. The loading operation is simple and quick.

That is, the delivery can be carried out only by moving the article in the vertical direction, and there is no need for a pusher or the like to push the article laterally to the delivery position, and the article can be transferred with an extremely simple device and operation.

Therefore, the present invention is particularly effective in a factory system that does not have a running track for the trolley, and by allowing minute position control in all directions of the front, rear, left, and right of the transport trolley at each station, Goods can be transferred between the station and the trolley simply by raising and lowering the lifting platform on the trolley, and the factory system shown in Figure 3 can be configured into a more efficient unmanned factory. It is something.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional front view of the trolley of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of an article conveyance system using the trolley of the present invention. 1... Cart, 4... Chassis, 9... Floor, 13...
Lifting platform, 14... Cylinder, 18... Positioning cylinder, 20... Conical disk, 21... Conical body, 2
4...Guiding line, 27, 28, 29, 30...Station.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a system in which goods are transported and delivered by a self-propelled trolley that travels along a guide line laid on the floor, an article delivery station is provided along the guide line, and the above-mentioned trolley can enter the station. A pair of article receiving members are provided facing each other, and a cone for positioning the cart is provided on the floor between the receiving members, and the cart includes a conical disk that can be raised and lowered to fit into and take out the cone on the floor, and a conveyor. A lifting platform is provided for placing articles, and a cart that enters and stops between the article receiving members is positioned in all directions by the cone on the floor and the conical plate of the cart, and the lifting platform on the cart is moved up and down. An article conveyance/delivery device characterized in that the article is transferred between the elevating platform and the article receiving member by means of the elevating table and the article receiving member.