Double-hand unit

Details Double-hand unit Double-hand unit

1982-06-04

1984-11-27

Spar, Robert J.

Material or article handling

Vertically swinging load support

Grab

414730, 414741, 294 88, 294 87R, 294103R, B25J 1500

Patent

active

044848552

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hand unit for industrial robots which is capable of loading a work on a machine tool and unloading the same from the machine tool, and more particularly to a double-hand unit capable of gripping shaft works and the like.
2. Background Art
A double-hand unit is employed by a work loading and unloading robot associated with a machine tool in order to reduce the idle time of the machine tool, wherein one hand unit unloads a finished work while the other hand unit grips the next work to be machined, and then the double-hand unit is reversed to load the next work on the machine tool.
For this purpose, it is usual to constitute a double-hand unit by arranging two hand units along the axial direction of the grippers; however, in the case of an arrangement for handling shaft works, such an arrangement is impracticable due to the axially elongated shape of the shaft works, and also the hand unit is incapable of being reversed within the configuration of the machine tool.
Although there is only a limited space available in front of and under the chucking head of a machine tool, there is a substantially infinite space in the upward direction above the chucking head.


DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a double-hand unit capable of loading and unloading works quickly through the utilization of the space extending above the chucking head.
According to the present invention, there is provided a double-hand unit comprising two hand units, each including at least a pair of fingers, characterized in that the two hand units are disposed back to back, i.e. with the back of one hand adjacent the back of the other hand and their gripping openings facing in opposite directions, with the opening sides of the respective pairs of fingers directed in opposite directions and in that the driving units for operating the fingers of the respective hand units are disposed along the plane including the fingers.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred industrial robot to which the double-hand unit of the present invention can be applied favorably;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a double-hand unit for shaft works, embodied according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is the top plan view of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the respective driving mechanisms for operating the fingers of the hand units.


BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred industrial robot to which the double-hand unit of the present invention can be applied favorably. In the industrial robot as shown in FIG. 1, an arm 1 is adapted to be controlled by a servomechanism so as to perform a horizontal linear motion along the X-axis, a swiveling motion in a vertical plane along the course A between the horizontal position and the vertical position, a twisting motion in a vertical plane from the vertical position along the course B, a vertical linear motion along the Z-axis and a swiveling motion in a horizontal plane along the course C. The turning motion of the wrist part about the .alpha.-axis can be controlled between 0.degree./90.degree. and 0.degree./180.degree. positions.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a double-hand unit for shaft works embodied according to the present invention and FIG. 3 is the top plan view thereof.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, there are shown fingers 2-1 and 2-2 and gripping members 2-3 and 2-4 of a first hand unit 2 and fingers 3-1 and 3-2 and gripping members 3-3 and 3-4 of a second hand unit 3. The gripping center axes P1 and P2 of the first and second hand units, respectively, are parallel with each other and spaced by a predetermined distance. The first and second hand units 2 and 3 are disposed substantially in a back-to-back relationship with the respective backs of the fingers 2-1 and 3-1 disposed closely to each other so that the opening sides of the fingers 2-1 and 2-2 of the first hand unit 2 and the opening sides of the fing

REFERENCES:
patent: 3630563 (1971-12-01), Jacksch
patent: 4302144 (1981-11-01), Hallqvist
patent: 4343590 (1982-08-01), D'Aloisio
patent: 4345866 (1982-08-01), Greene

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