JPS59230903A - Pallet replacing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a small-sized lengthwise placing device by disposing transfer means and an elevating table between upper work station and pay-out station and between lower stock portions for delivering a pallet in an empty pallet replacing apparatus of an assembly line. CONSTITUTION:During using a work on a pallet P on a work station 9, a work is supplied from a pallet transport path 2 to a pallet P of a stock portion 5 by a conveyer 8 of the second stock portion 5, and an elevating table 24 is lifted up. Subsequently, the pallet P is moved to the first stock portion 4 by a truck 23. An empty pallet P on the work station 9 is transferred onto a pay-out station 10 by chain conveyers 11, 12. After that, an upper pallet P on the stock portion 4 is lifted up to the work station 9 by the elevating table 24 to be provided for assembly. This operation is repeated. This arrangement can accomplish a small-sized lengthwise placing device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is mainly aimed at replacing empty pallets with new pallets when a robot takes out workpieces held on pallets and assembles them onto workpieces flowing on a main conveyor of an assembly line. The present invention relates to a pallet exchange device that enables smooth supply of workpieces by exchanging pallets.

Conventionally, this type of apparatus ε is a machine disposed between the main conveyor a of the assembly line and the pallet conveyance path on the side of the main conveyor a on which pallets are conveyed by self-propelled carts, etc., as shown in Fig. 1, for example. The pallets transported from the conveyance path to the frame C)p
A first stock part d for storing used pallets P, and a second stock part θ for storing used pallets P. Workpiece W1 transferred and stored on pallet E
is assembled by the robot g to the workpiece W2 flowing on the main conveyor a, and the empty used throat i'/run) IP is delivered to the second stock part d, and a predetermined number of barrels l- When P is accumulated, it is carried out to the pallet transport path, and a new pallet P is carried into the first stock section d, and used pallets (P) are removed from the second stock section d. It is known that the workpieces V/, can be continuously supplied during unloading, but in this one, both stock parts d and e are connected to the main conveyor a and the pallet transport path at the front and rear sides, respectively. Generally speaking, both stock parts d and e are placed horizontally in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the assembly line so that they face each other. Becomes the property of
When a plurality of these machines are arranged along an assembly line, there is an inconvenience that the length of the line has to be increased in order to secure the space for the arrangement.

At this tJh connection, the m1 stock part is connected to the main conveyor side,
If the second stock part is installed vertically on the pallet transport path side, it is possible to reduce the longitudinal dimension of the assembly line of the pallet exchange device to about half that of the conventional example. The problem is how to transport pallets from the let transport path to the first stock section and how to transfer the pallets from the first stock section to the second stock section via the work station.

The object of the present invention is to provide a compact vertically placed apparatus that solves the above problems, and is intended for replacing pallets placed between the main conveyor of an assembly line and the pallet conveyance path on the side thereof. The apparatus is provided with a first stock section for accommodating pallets carried in from the conveyance path and a second stock section for accommodating used pallets in the machine frame, and for storing the pallets in the first stock section. Transferred to the second stock section through a predetermined work station, and
In the device in which the stock is carried out from the stock section to the conveyance path, the first stock section is connected to the main conveyor side and the second
A stock section is disposed on the conveying path side, and a conveying means for freely moving a pallet in and out is provided between the second stock section and the conveying path. a working station located above the second stock section, a dispensing station located above the second stock section, and a transfer means for transporting the pallet from the working station to the dispensing station; The present invention is characterized in that a trolley equipped with an elevating platform for freely raising and lowering pallets is provided between the stock parts and each of the stations located above the stock parts so as to be reciprocally movable.

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to embodiments shown in FIG. 2 and below.

With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, (1) is the main conveyor of the assembly line, (2) is the pallet conveyance path on the side of the main conveyor (1) in which the self-propelled vehicle for pallet conveyance runs;
3) shows the machine frame of the pallet changing device of the present invention provided between the main conveyor (1) and the conveyance path (2), and the front half of the main conveyor (1) side in the machine frame (3). The first stock part (4) is configured as a first stock part (4), and the rear half on the conveyance path (2) side is a second stock part (5). The second stock part (5) has an opening (
Conveyors (8) on both sides of the lower part of the conveyor path (2) are connected to the conveyor path (2) through the conveyor (8) (
A conveyor means (8) consisting of (8) is provided, the conveyor (8) (8)
1 also serves as a pedestal, so that the second stock part (5) can also accommodate the barrels P in a stacked manner.

The machine frame (3) also has a work station (9) located above the first stock part (4) and a payout station located above the second stock part (5) on its upper surface. CIQ) and a transfer means for transferring the pallet P from the work station (9) to the unloading station (10). A pair of first and second chain conveyors (11) provided on both sides Qll.

a'a (12+), and these first chain conveyor aυ(II) and second chain conveyor (
121 (121,!:) are installed between the inner operating position and the outer relief position by the cylinders (13) provided on the left and right sides of the machine frame (3) and the left and right connecting bars α forces. It can be tilted freely,
The pallet according to its tilting into its working position! is located at the upper edge of each chain conveyor αυaυ, (121(1
The pallet P is moved from the work station (9) to the payout station (1
It was moved to [.

In addition, in the illustrated one, each chain conveyor αDQ1),
Q3(la) is driven by drive shafts (16) extending in the front and rear directions through bevel gears aη, and the left and right 1
The pair of said first chain conveyor (11) (lυ's both part moving shafts (16) (16) and the left and right pair of said second chain conveyor (121Q2+'s both part moving shafts Q6) (161) are connected to the interlocking chain. The drive shaft (16) of the first chain conveyor αυ on one side connected to the motor a9 and the drive shaft a of the second chain conveyor α4 on the toe side are connected via an electromagnetic clutch (191). A state in which the first chain conveyor (Ill(11) and the second chain conveyor (12+) are driven simultaneously, and a state in which only the first chain conveyor (Ill(11) is driven). In the latter state, the position of the barrel (P) at the work station (9) is determined as described later. (221 shows the positioning cylinder provided on the first chain conveyor α1 on one side). In the drawing, (c) shows the first stock part (4) in the machine frame (3).
and the second stock part (5), which is reciprocally provided, and the trolley (c) is connected to each stock part f41 (
51 and each of the stations (9) α■ located above it, there is provided a lifting platform 04) which can freely raise and lower the baren (P). Both stock parts (4) and (5) are moved along the guide rail 07) by forward and reverse rotation of the guide screw Oe driven by c).
The elevator platform 04 is mounted on the upper surface of the platform via a nocentagraph mechanism (c), and the machine frame (3
) is provided with a pair of elevating frames C!□□□ (C) located on both sides of the middle part of both stock parts (41 (51), and the elevating platform is placed at the guide groove end side on both sides of each of the elevating frames. The elevating frame Q is slidably engaged in the moving direction of the cart @, that is, the front-back direction, and the elevating platform (24 is given the elevating movement of each stock part f4 by the elevating frame @) (51). I did it like that.

In addition, each of the elevator frames is raised and lowered by forward and reverse rotation of each guide screw C11) installed upright on the machine frame (3), and the guide screw C31) of the elevator frame (c) on the negative side is moved up and down by a motor. In addition to driving with G, the elevator frame 0 on the other side is
The vertical guide screws C31) are interlocked via an interlocking belt (c), so that both lifting frames can be moved up and down in synchronization with each other.

Next, to explain the operation of the above-described device of the present invention,
First, as shown in Fig. 5a, while a robot or the like is taking out a workpiece from a pallet P on a work station (9) and assembling the workpiece onto an object to be assembled on the main conveyor (1), the pallet A conveyor (81) is connected from the conveyance path (2) to the second stock section (5).
(new pallets P by 81) are carried in, for example, in a three-tiered state as shown in FIG.
81, move the trolley (c) to the second stock section (
5) to the first stock section (4) and pallet P.
is carried into the first stock section (4) as shown in FIG. 5C.

Then, when the baren) P on the work station (9) is empty, the barenton is transferred to the payout station SumiQ by the first and second chain conveyor (111a21), which is a transfer means, and then the first chain conveyor αB is removed. At the same time, the lifting table (24) is raised to raise the upper barrenton of the first stock part (4) to the work station (9), and after the raising, the first chain conveyor aυ is moved to the inner side. The upper pallet P is supported by the first chain conveyor 0υ by tilting to the operating position, and then the lifting platform (2υ) is lowered to the state shown in No. 51Jd.

Note that the pallet P on the work station (9) supported by the first chain conveyor Uυ is connected to the electromagnetic clutch (1
The first chain conveyor α] is moved forward by the independent drive of the first chain conveyor α] to abut against a positioning stopper (Co., Ltd.) provided at the front of the station (9) to position it in the front-rear direction, and then The first chain conveyor (positioning cylinder 19 provided with the bar) P is pushed laterally to position it in the left and right direction, so that the workpiece can be taken out accurately by the robot.

Next, with the two-stage valet door in the first stock part (4) placed on the pedestal +61 (61), the lifting platform (goods) is moved by the trolley (c) as shown in Fig. 5e. The elevator is then returned to the second stock part (5), and the lifting platform Q/0 is further raised to receive the empty pallet P on the unloading station αω on the lifting platform (241), and the @2 chain conveyor Oz is moved to the outside relief position. The elevator platform (2(a)) is lowered in a tilted state, and the baren P is housed in the second stock part (5) as shown in FIG. 5f.

Next, the lifting platform (241t) is returned to the first stock part (4) as shown in FIG. ) to the unloading station α0), supplying a new pallet P in the first stock section (41) to the work station (9), and transporting the empty pallet P to the second stock section (41). 51 is repeated, and when empty barrels (P) are stored in three stages in the second stock section (5), they are palletized by the conveyor (8) (8) as shown in Fig. 5n. Export to road (2).

According to this, the operation returns to the initial state shown in FIG. 5g, and the above-described operation is repeated again to continuously supply a new ball (Il) to the work station (9).

The operation has been explained above assuming that the work station (9) takes out the workpiece from the barrel (P), but the empty barrel (P) is supplied to the work station (9), and the main conveyor (1) The present invention can be similarly applied to setting the above workpiece.

As described above, according to the present invention, the first stock section for accommodating new pallets is arranged on the main conveyor side, the second stock section for accommodating used pallets is arranged on the pallet conveyance path side, and the first stock section A work station is provided above the storage section, and a delivery station is provided above the second stock section, and the pallets from the pallet transport path are transferred from the second storage section to the first stock section to the working station to the delivery station. The pallet circulation path along the vertical plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the assembly line is returned to the pallet transport path in the order of the second stock section. 7, it is possible to shorten the equipment size in the longitudinal direction of the assembly line and obtain a small, high-performance device that can continuously supply pallets.
Carrying pallets from the stocking department to the first stocking department,
A common trolley with a lifting stage is used to lift pallets from the false 1st stock section to the work station and lower them from the unloading station to the 2nd stock section.
This has the effect of simplifying the structure.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional example, FIGS. 2 and 2 are side views of an example of the device of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 4 is a rear view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the work. (1)...Main conveyor (2)...Knolet conveyance path (3)...Machine frame (4)...First stock section (5)...Second stock section (8)・
... Conveyor (transportation means) (9) ... Work station (IQl... Unloading station an(lz...
・Chain conveyor (transfer means) e3)...Dolly (24)...Lifting/lowering 2 people outside the stand Figure 2-17-

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pallet exchange device disposed between a main conveyor of an assembly line and a pallet conveyance path on the side thereof, the machine frame having a first stock section for accommodating pallets carried in from the conveyance path; and a second stock section for storing finished pallets, and the pallets in the first stock section are transferred to the second stock section via a predetermined work station, and are carried out from the second stock section to the conveyance path. The first stock part is arranged on the main conveyor side and the second stock part is arranged on the conveyance path side, and the pallet can be conveyed in and out between the second stock part and the conveyance path. A means is provided on the upper surface of the machine frame, the work station located above the first stock part, the payout station located above the second stock part, and a pallet from the work station to the payout station. Further, within the machine frame, between each stock section and each station located above, a cart equipped with a platform capable of raising and lowering pallets is provided between the two stock sections. A pallet changing device characterized by being provided so that it can freely reciprocate.