Conveyors – chutes – skids – guides – and ways – Rollerways – Submerging and rising
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-25
2001-08-28
Valenza, Joseph E. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors, chutes, skids, guides, and ways
Rollerways
Submerging and rising
C193S0350SS
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279716
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to an apparatus for movably supporting an article above a surface on which the article is to be rested, such as a die-supporting surface of a bolster of a press machine or a die carrier. The apparatus is placed with its upper surface positioned below the die-supporting surface, to raise an article above the die-supporting surface so that the article can be easily moved. When the article is relocated, the article supporting apparatus lowers the article on a new location.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for movably supporting an article is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Examined Patent Publication (KOKOKU) No. SHO 59-31410 published on Aug. 2, 1984, Japanese Examined Patent Publication (KOKOKU) No. SHO 59-47614 published on Nov. 20, 1984 and Japanese Unexamined UM Publication No. SHO 63-189422 published on Dec. 6, 1988. These publications disclose an article supporting apparatus which includes a bar to be disposed horizontally, and rollers or balls mounted in the bar. The rollers or balls are mounted in such a manner portions thereof protrude above the upper surface of the bar. The bar is raised by a plurality of hydraulic cylinder devices. Another example shown in these publications includes a bar having a plurality of vertical bores arranged in a row. A piston with a ball held on top of the piston is inserted in each of the bores, to provide a cylinder device. The pistons are raised to raise the balls on top of them. Both apparatuses are adapted to support a die on the rollers or balls. A plurality of such bars with the cylinder devices are mounted in a plurality of parallel T-shaped or U-shaped grooves formed in the upper surface of a bolster. By actuating the cylinder devices, the rollers or balls come into contact with the bottom surface of the die disposed on the upper surface of the bolster and raise the die above the upper surface of the bolster. Because rollers or balls support the die, it can be moved with ease.
Prior art apparatuses such as those described in the above-referenced Japanese publications use a bar of which the length corresponds to the depth or width of a bolster and which includes a plurality of rollers or balls or a bar with a plurality of cylinder devices. Therefore, when one or more parts of the apparatus break down, the entire bar including such broken parts must be removed for repair or replacement. Usually, a new bar is replaced in order to reduce the time necessary for repairing the apparatus so that the decrease of the operation efficiency of the press machine may be kept small. However, for ready replacement of a new bar, one or more bars having different lengths have to be stocked, so that the number of bars to be stocked is large. Furthermore, it is usual that the length of bars differs from one press machine to another, and, therefore, it is necessary to manufacture bars for a particular press machine only after a new order is given. Accordingly, it undesirably takes a long time for the ordered apparatus to be shipped.
The described type of article supporting apparatus is used to mount and remove a heavy press die onto and from a bolster, and, therefore, hydraulic cylinder devices are usually used to bear heavy weight. Because of the heavy weight of dies, pneumatic cylinder devices have been hardly used.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for movably supporting an article which can be easily manufactured in a short time, for differing lengths required, and which can be pneumatically operated to support relatively heavy articles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for movably supporting an article according to the present invention includes a plurality of raising units and a mount on which the raising units can be mounted in a row with outer surfaces of adjacent ones of the raising units contacting each other.
Each of the raising units includes a vertically movable lifting member including a piston and a freely rotatable ball disposed on top of the piston, and a casing having a cylinder bore opening in the upper surface of the casing. The lifting member is disposed in the cylinder bore in a vertically movable manner so that at least a portion of the ball can protrude above the upper surface of the casing when the lifting member is in its elevated position. The casing includes a pressure chamber formed beneath the piston. An air path extends from one side surface of the casing to the opposing side surface through the pressure chamber. A plurality of such raising units are mounted on the mount in such a manner that the air path of one raising unit can communicate with the air paths of adjacent raising units. Compressed air is supplied to the pressure chamber at one end of the row of a plurality of raising units on the mount through the air path. The supplied compressed air is then supplied from the pressure chamber of the end raising unit to the pressure chambers of the remaining raising units in the row through the respective air paths.
The supporting apparatus with the above-described arrangement is disposed with its upper surface positioned slightly below a substantially horizontally extending article-resting surface on which an article to be movable supported by the apparatus is rested. For example, the supporting apparatus may be disposed in a horizontally extending groove formed in the article resting surface, with the balls of the respective raising units facing upward. Usually, at least two such supporting apparatuses are used and disposed in parallel with each other, but they may not be in parallel.
The mount may be a planar surface of any suitable flat surface at a level lower than the article resting surface, or it may be the bottoms of the respective grooves. Alternatively, the mount may be a separate member fixed to a suitable flat surface at a level lower than the article resting surface, or may be a member fixed to the bottoms of the respective grooves.
Compressed air is supplied to the pressure chamber of the first raising unit at one end of each row of the raising units, with the air path opening at the exposed side surface of the last raising unit at the other end of the row closed, so that the compressed air is supplied to the pressure chambers of the remaining raising units, which causes the lifting members to move to their elevated positions. As the lifting members move upward, the respective balls on top of the pistons abut against the bottom surface of an article disposed on the article resting surface to thereby lift the article. Alternatively, an article may be put on the balls of the respective lifting members in their elevated positions. Thus, the bottom surface of the article is raised from the article resting surface and can be moved in any desired direction in a plane along the article resting surface with a small force.
By discharging the compressed air from the pressure chamber of the first raising unit, the compressed air in the pressure chambers of the other raising units is also discharged, so that the article lifting force is removed. A vacuum apparatus is connected to evacuate the pressure chamber of the first raising unit, the pressure chambers of all the other pressure chambers are also evacuated, whereby the lifting members are lowered, and the article supported on the balls is placed on the article resting surface.
Thus, with the article supporting apparatus of the present invention, it is easy to carry articles to a desired location. Also, it is easy to change the position of an article.
Since the raising units of the article supporting apparatus according to the present invention are disposed adjacent to each other, and, therefore, the article supporting balls can be positioned close to each other. Accordingly, many balls can contribute to the supporting of the article, and, therefore, the apparatus can support a heavy-weighted article even when it is operated pneumatically.
An article supporting apparatus of any desired length can be prepared by connecting a corresponding number of the raising units.
Failure of the article
Iguchi Kaoru
Iwasaki Yukinobu
Kayatani Fuminori
Kono Hidenori
Duane Morris & Heckscher LLP
SR Engineering Company Limited
Valenza Joseph E.
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