US3141558A

US3141558A - Transfer fixture

Info

Publication number: US3141558A
Application number: US200521A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nicholas F Gubitose
Original assignee: Western Electric Co Inc
Current assignee: AT&T Corp
Priority date: 1962-06-06
Filing date: 1962-06-06
Publication date: 1964-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 1981-07-21

Description

July 21, 1964 i N. F. GUBITOSE 3,141,558

TRANSFER FIXTURE Filed June 6, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT'UF? N. 1 E'LJ 17*055 RWEL July 21, 1964 N. F. GUBITOSE TRANSFER FIXTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1962 July 21, 1964 N. F. GUBITOSE TRANSFER FIXTURE s Sheds-Sheet s Filed June 6, 1962 United States Patent 3,141,558 TRz-hNSiFER FlXTURE Nicholas F. Guhitose, Emmaus, Pan, assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Yorlr Filed June 6, 1962, Ser. N 21111521 5 illaims. (61. 214-1) This invention relates to transfer fixtures and particularly to a transfer fixture for transferring articles, such as contacts utilized in sealed contact switches to an article assembly apparatus.

In the manufacture of scaled contact switches, it is mandatory that a pair of small, fragile contacts assemled therein be loaded and properly oriented in the assembly apparatus. The orientation must be such that the opposing end portions of the contact pair are in parallel relationship and at a prescribed distance from each other so that they can be moved into precise overlapping relationship without injury for an ultimate sealed coating operation.

Accordingly, the object of this invention is a transfer fixture for quickly and accurately loading a pair of articles in an assembly apparatus.

in accordance with the general features of the invention, a fixture is provided for transferring a pair of articles from a first location to a second location and includes movable means having a pair of magnetic holders connected thereto for holding the articles. Adjustable means are cooperatively associated with the magnetic holders for spacing the articles a predetermined distance from each other. At the second location, means are provided for removing the articles from the magnetic holders, the articles being maintained at said predetermined distance established at the first location.

In a preferred embodiment, a pair of contacts of a switch assembly are transferred from the fixture at the first location to a switch assembly apparatus at the second location. The fixture is provided with a body having an upper and lower magnetic holder for receiving the contacts in parallel relationship, the opposing ends of the contacts being properly spaced by adjusting means connected to the magnetic holders. The body is pivotally moved adjacent to the apparatus such that upper and lower chuck holders connected thereto, each having a pair of jaws, are in proper orientation to receive the contacts from the fixture. Linkage means on the fixture are operated to engage cam elements which, in turn, cause the jaws to close and grasp the contacts while maintaining the contacts in their parallel relationship and prescribed distance from each other.

Other objects will be apparent and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the transfer fixture;

FIG. '2 is a side view of the transfer fixture and article receiving chuck holders, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of the article receiving chuck holders.

With reference to the drawing, the invention is incorporated in a transfer fixture having a body 11 pivotally connected to a fixed member 11 by a fastening bolt unit 12, thereby permitting the body to be moved between work loading and unloading positions, as described in more detail hereinafter. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, body 111 is provided with an upper holder 13 and a lower holder 13. It should be noted that since the upper and lower holders have substantially similar components and functions, reference numerals thereto will be the same except that the numbers referring to the lower holder components will be primed.

magnets 13-18.

ice

Each holder resembles an inverted E and includes a pair of arms 15-15, preferably U-shaped and defining slots 16-16. The narrow walls 17-17 of the arms 15-15 consist of magnets 18-13, the magnets serving to hold the contacts W-W' during their transfer to jaws 31-31, as seen in FIG. 3. Holders 15-15 are adjustably movable by screws 23-23 so that they may be disposed in any desired location with respect to each other. In the instant embodiment, holder 15 is adjusted slightly off center with respect to holder 15 thereby resulting in magnets 18-13 being in parallel relationship upon a geometric projection of the holders. However, if desired, the holders can be in axial alignment so that the opposing end portions of a pair of articles received therein are disposed along a common central axis.

Also, it should be noted, that while the preferred arms herein are U-shaped to facilitate the reception of articles, such as arcuately shaped contacts W-W used in sealed contact switches, they can be of any configuration. Further, the slot, if one is desired, can be contoured similarly to that of the article received therein.

The contacts W- are loaded in their respective holders 13-13 at a first location such that one end portion 2:11-20 thereof engages its respective adjustable screw 21-21 therein, screw 21 extending upwardly through the bottom arm 22 of holder 13 towards arm slots 16, and screw 21 extending downwardly through the top arm 22 of holder 13 towards arm slots 16'. Screws 21-21 are adjustably set to space the contacts at a desired length from each other so that they are properly oriented when received in the jaws 31-31 (FIGS. 2 and 3) of an apparatus 26 wherein they are assembled with other components to form the sealed contact switches.

Body 111 is pivotally moved, either manually or by any conventional drive means (not shown), towards a second location until a set screw 27 thereon contacts an extending member 28 of apparatus 26. At this location the other end portions 313-311 of contacts W-W, that is, the free ends extending through their respective magnetic holder slots 16-16, are positioned between the pairs of jaws 31-31 of chuck holders 29-29. The jaws are held in an open position by wedge shaped cams 35-35 extending from levers, generally referred to at 3Z32', which are pivotally connected to pins 33-33 attached to supporting elements 34-34 of the chuck holders. The cams 35-35 are inserted between the pairs of jaws 31-31 by any suitable drive means, such as air cylinder units 36-36, which engage levers 32-32 thereby causing the jaws to open and be ready to receive the contacts W-W. Springs 37-37, connected to each pair of jaws 31-31, are placed under tension at this time.

After the contacts W-W are located within their respective jaws 31-31, a rotating crank 41) having a shaft 44 extending through body support 11 is operated causing linkage 42 connected to the shaft 44 to vertically move an upper plunger 43 and a lower plunger 43 in opposite directions, as seen in FIG. 2. Each plunger strikes its respective pivotal lever 32-32 which, in turn, permits cams 35-35 to be removed from the chuck jaws thereby causing springs 37-37 to compress and close jaws 31-31. As a result, contacts W-W maintain their orientation with respect to each other as when they were located in the magnetic holders 13-13 at the first location. Crank 40 automatically returns to its normal inoperative position by a spring 45 connected thereto.

The fixture is then pivotally returned to the load position ready to receive a new pair of contacts W-W. During this returned movement, the contacts are removed without injury from their magnetic holders since the force of closed jaws 31-31 is greater than the strength of Subsequently, the one end portion 2-2t of contacts W-W, which are now freely exposed in the chuck holder, are moved into precise overlapping position with respect to each other by suitable means (not shown) driving the chuck holders, whereupon an encapsulation operation is performed to seal the contacts. Afterwards, air cylinder units 3636' are operated thereby causing cams 3535 to pass between and to open jaws 313l, thus releasing the formed sealed contact switch. The jaws are now ready to receive a new pair of contacts WW' which were inserted within the holders 13ll3' at the first location during the switch assembly operation.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for transferring a pair of elongated articles from a first location to a second location,

a body movable from the first location to the second location,

a pair of magnetic holders connected to the body for holding the articles in a predetermined relationship with respect to each other,

adjustable means cooperatively associated with the magnetic holders for spacing the articles a prescribed distance from each other,

a pair of chuck holders located at the second location,

cam means cooperatively associated with the chuck holders for moving the chuck holders to an open position,

means for moving the body from the first location to the second location such that a portion of each article extends through its respective open chuck holder, and

linkage means operable for actuating the cam means to cause the chuck holders to close and grasp said portion of each article while maintaining the articles in said predetermined relationship and prescribed distance from each other.

2. In an apparatus for transferring a pair of elongated articles from a first location to a second location,

a body,

a pair of magnetic holders connected to the body for holding the articles in parallel relationship,

adjusting means cooperatively associated with the mag netic holders for spacing the articles a prescribed distance from each other,

a pair of chuck holders located at the second location,

a lever cooperatively associated with each chuck holder,

a cam extending from each lever and insertable between its respective pair of chuck holders to hold the chuck holders in an open position,

means for moving the body from the first location to the second location such that a portion of each article is located within its respective open chuck holder, and

linkage means operable for engaging the levers causing the cams to be removed from the chuck holders thereby resulting in the chuck holders closing and grasping said portion of each article while maintaining the articles in said parallel relationship and prescribed distance from each other.

3. In an apparatus for transferring a pair of contacts of a switch assembly from a first location to a second location,

spacing opposite ends of the contacts a prescribed distance from each other,

an upper and lower chuck holder located at the second location, each having a pair of jaws thereon,

resilient means connected to each pair of jaws for hoiding the jaws in a closed position,

a lever cooperatively associated with each chuck holder,

a cam extending from each lever and insertable between its respective pair of jaws for holding the jaws in an open position,

means for moving the body from the first location to the second location such that a portion of each contact is located within its respective open jaws, and

linkage means operable for engaging the levers causing the cams to be removed from the jaws thereby resulting in the jaws closing and grasping said portion of each contact while maintaining the contacts in said parallel relationship and prescribed distance from each other.

4. In an apparatus for transferring a pair of contacts of a switch assembly from a first location to a second location,

a body,

an upper and lower magnetic holder for receiving the contacts in parallel relationship at the first location,

adjusting means in opposing relationship connected to each magnetic holder for contacting opposing end portions of the contacts to space the contacts a prescribed distance from each other, the other ends of the contacts extending freely through its respective holder,

resilient means connected to each pair of jaws for holding the jaws in a closed position,

a lever cooperatively associated with each chuck holder,

means for moving the body from the first location to the second location such that the free ends of the contacts are located within their respective open jaws, and

linkage means operable for engaging the levers causing the cams to be removed from the jaws thereby resulting in the jaws closing and grasping said free end portions while maintaining the contacts in said parallel relationship and prescribed distance from each other, the contacts being stripped from the magnetic holders as the body is returned to the first location.

5. In an apparatus for transferring a pair or contacts of a switch assembly from a first location to a second location,

a body,

an upper and lower magnetic holder each contoured similarly to the configuration of the contacts and for receiving them in parallel relationship,

adjusting means in opposing relationship connected to each magnetic holder for contacting opposing end portions of the contacts to space the contacts a prescribed distance from each other, the other ends of the contacts extending freely through their respective holder,

a lever cooperatively associated with each chuck holder,

means for pivotally moving the body from the first location to the second location such that the free ends of the contacts are located within their respective open jaws,

linkage means connected to the body,

a p plungers tofthe ea ns and References Cited in the tile of this patent means or operatingt e in age or causingt epungers to move in opposite directions to strike the levers UNITED STATES PATENTS and disengage the cams from their respective jaws 731,665 Clayton June 23, 1903 thereby resulting in the jaws closing and grasping 5 1 730,926 Fi h O 8, 1929 said free end portions While maintaining the con- 5 051 Pefler Sept. 25 1934 tacts in said parallel relationship and prescribed dis- 425127 Schafer Aug 1947 tance from each other, the contacts being stripped 3O25978 Hm 1962 from the magnetic holders as the body is returned to the first location. 10

Claims

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING A PAIR OF ELONGATED ARTICLES FROM A FIRST LOCATION TO A SECOND LOCATION, A BODY MOVABLE FROM THE FIRST LOCATION TO THE SECOND LOCATION, A PAIR OF MAGNETIC HOLDERS CONNECTED TO THE BODY FOR HOLDING THE ARTICLES IN A PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, ADJUSTABLE MEANS COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAGNETIC HOLDERS FOR SPACING THE ARTICLES A PRESCRIBED DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER, A PAIR OF CHUCK HOLDERS LOCATED AT THE SECOND LOCATION, CAM MEANS COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHUCK HOLDERS FOR MOVING THE CHUCK HOLDERS TO AN OPEN POSITION, MEANS FOR MOVING THE BODY FROM THE FIRST LOCATION TO THE SECOND LOCATION SUCH THAT A PORTION OF EACH ARTICLE EXTENDS THROUGH ITS RESPECTIVE OPEN CHUCK HOLDER, AND LINKAGE MEANS OPERABLE FOR ACTUATING THE CAM MEANS TO CAUSE THE CHUCK HOLDERS TO CLOSE AND GRASP SAID PORTION OF EACH ARTICLE WHILE MAINTAINING THE ARTICLES IN SAID PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP AND PRESCRIBED DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER.