Material or article handling – Load-transporting type vehicle and external means... – Means serves to align wheeled vehicle and load receiving or...
Patent
1999-05-05
2000-07-18
Olszewski, Robert P.
Material or article handling
Load-transporting type vehicle and external means...
Means serves to align wheeled vehicle and load receiving or...
414402, 414396, 414584, B23Q 714
Patent
active
060898127
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for loading and unloading machine tools.
Hitherto, it has been known to use immobile loading and unloading devices, e.g. gantry loading systems/robots or special loading systems which are specifically designed for one machine tool or one machining operation. This is particularly complex and expensive when the machining times for workpieces lie in a range which means that a separate loading unit for the workpieces is not loaded to its full capacity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,219 describes a device which is used in a clean room or in vacuum techniques in the production of semiconductors. In this case, a first vacuum chamber, which is accommodated in a treatment unit, is coupled to a second vacuum chamber which is accommodated in a movable case. After the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber are coupled together, a lock produces a connection between the two vacuum chambers. The case can be moved on rails inside a clean room. The aim is to operate a vacuum chamber without surrounding air being able to penetrate into the vacuum. For this purpose, it is absolutely necessary for the vacuum chambers to be sealed with respect to the ambient air.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has as an object design and provision of a device for loading and unloading machine tools in such a way that the device can be used efficiently.
This object is achieved by means of A device for loading and unloading machine tools, wherein a loading unit, which can be moved on rollers over a factory shop floor, has at least one fixing device for coupling to a machine tool, of which one part is arranged on the machine tool and another part, which interacts therewith, is arranged on the loading unit, and the loading unit has provisions for decoupling from the machine tool after loading and unloading.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a device for loading and unloading machine tools. A movable loading unit can be coupled to a machine tool by at least one fixing device, of which one part is arranged on the machine tool and another part, which interacts therewith, is arranged on the loading unit, and the loading unit can be decoupled again from the machine tool after loading or unloading.
In accordance with these and other objects of the invention, there is provided a loading unit for coupling to a machine tool wherein two fixing devices each include a fixing piece mounted on a machine tool having a receiving section and a mating piece which is mounted to a loading unit chassis and is engageable with the receiving section. The loading unit chassis has rollers for supporting the loading unit chassis. A bearing structure assembly movably mounts the rollers to the loading unit chassis such that the loading unit chassis is vertically displaceable relative to the rollers to permit engagement of the fixing devices.
According to a feature of the invention, there is further provided slots arranged on a bottom side of each of the fixing pieces and upwardly directed webs are arranged on the mating pieces for effecting engagement with the slots, and a clamping unit attached to the loading unit having an extendable clamping element engageable with a top side of one of the fixing pieces for supporting the loading unit when the rollers are moved vertically toward the loading chassis after the fixing devices are engaged.
The present invention further includes a feature wherein slots are arranged on a top side of each of the fixing pieces and upwardly directed webs are provided on the mating pieces for engagement in the slots.
Still a further feature of the present invention provides for manual movement of the loading unit.
Yet a further feature of the present invention provides for loading unit including a mechanism for automatic movement for operation as a floor conveyor vehicle.
According to the invention, the loading unit may also be used for a plurality of machine tools, since the fixing device allows the loading unit to be coupled to any desired machine tool
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Erwin Junker Maschninenfabrik GmbH
O'Connor Gerald J.
Olszewski Robert P.
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