Advancing material of indeterminate length – By intermittent material-mover – Comprising reciprocating or oscillating material-mover
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-21
2001-04-10
Mansen, Michael R. (Department: 3653)
Advancing material of indeterminate length
By intermittent material-mover
Comprising reciprocating or oscillating material-mover
C226S149000, C226S167000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213369
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a material feeding apparatus, and particularly to an apparatus which intermittently feeds a material such as a sheet material, a wire material and the like to a working machine such as a press machine and the like at every fixed amounts.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an apparatus which feeds a material such as a sheet material, a wire material and the like to a working machine such as a press machine and the like, for example, Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication 60-27549 has been conventionally known. The apparatus is provided with a first gripper apparatus structured such as to perform a material clamping (gripping) operation and a material unclamping (releasing) operation between a first stationary gripper and a first movable gripper, and a second gripper apparatus disposed on a sliding block capable of oscillating along a transfer path of the material and structured such as to perform material clamping and unclamping operations between a second stationary gripper and a second movable gripper, and performs the material clamping and unclamping operation and the sliding block sliding operation by means of the first and second gripper apparatuses at a predetermined timing with using a cam apparatus, a swinging arm and the like.
In this case, since the apparatus is structured such as to control both of the first gripper and the second gripper by the single swinging arm which is swung by the single cam so as to perform the material clamping and unclamping operation by the first gripper apparatus and the second gripper apparatus, there has been a problem that it is hard to suitably set a timing of the operation of the first gripper apparatus and the second gripper apparatus. Particularly, it is impossible to design such that both of the first and second gripper apparatuses temporarily clamp the material at a starting time and a finishing time of each one of the material intermittent feedings, whereby the material is prevented from becoming a free state, so that it is hard to improve a feeding accuracy and make the feeding high-speed.
Then, in order to solve the problem, the applicant of the present application proposed Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 63-82271. This apparatus respectively drives the first and second gripper apparatuses and the sliding block by independent cams so as to prevent a free state in which the material is not fully clamped from being generated during all the period of the material feeding operation, thereby making a high-speed and high-accuracy material feeding possible.
However, even the apparatus proposed by the applicant can not always satisfy a requirement with respect to the feeding accuracy and the feeding speed which have been required for this kind of feeding apparatus in recent days.
That is, in recent years, electronic information devices such as a portable telephone, a personal computer and the like are significantly spread, however, while these devices become compact and inexpensive, in a production field, in order to correspond to making parts compact and high-density, a feeding (a positioning of the material) at significantly higher accuracy than the conventional one is going to be desired. Further, in order to satisfy the requirement for improving a productivity, reducing a cost, mass production and the like, it is desired to provide an apparatus which can be operated at higher speed.
For example, in a press working industry, a requirement with respect to a high-speed operation has been increased year by year, and there is provided a press machine which can operate at two or three times higher speed than that of the conventional apparatus proposed by the applicant. However, in a current status, a feeding apparatus for supplying a material to the press machines does not always correspond to the operation speed of the press machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a feeding apparatus which can transfer and supply a material at higher speed and higher accuracy.
In order to achieve the object mentioned above and solve the problem, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a material feeding apparatus comprising:
a first gripper apparatus which performs material clamping and unclamping operations by a first stationary gripper and a first movable gripper;
a second gripper apparatus which performs material clamping and unclamping operations by a second stationary gripper and a second movable gripper;
a sliding block which supports the first gripper apparatus and can oscillate in a material transfer direction;
a cam apparatus having a first cam which is fixed to an input shaft continuously rotated in one direction and has a predetermined cam surface shape for converting a rotating motion of the input shaft into a linear motion of the sliding block, a second cam which is fixed to the input shaft and moves the first movable gripper between a clamping position at which the first movable gripper is moved near the first: stationary gripper and an unclamping position at which the first movable gripper is moved apart from the first stationary gripper and a third cam which is fixed to the input shaft and moves the second movable gripper between a clamping position at which the second movable gripper is moved near the second stationary gripper and an unclamping position at which the second movable gripper is moved apart from the second stationary gripper;
a first gripper sliding apparatus having a swinging arm which swings in correspondence to a rotation of the first cam, and connecting means which operatively connects the swinging arm to the sliding block so as to convert a swing motion of the swinging arm into a linear motion of the sliding block;
a first gripper operating apparatus which operatively connects the second cam to the first movable gripper;
a second gripper operating apparatus which operatively connects the third cam to the second movable gripper; and
first urging means which always urges so that the sliding block, the connecting means and the swinging arm are closely connected to each other along a transfer path of a force from the first cam to the sliding block.
Further, in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a material feeding apparatus in the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the first gripper sliding apparatus is provided with a turret which swingably supports the swinging arm, and a cam follower which is rotatably placed in the turret and rotates a cam surface of the first cam,
the connecting means includes a sliding barrel which is placed in the swinging arm in such a manner as to change a distance from a center of rotation of the swinging arm, and a connecting member which is rotatably and slidably brought into contact with the sliding barrel so as to connect the swinging arm to the sliding block via the sliding barrel,
the first gripper operating apparatus is provided with a first movable gripper supporting rod which is placed in the sliding block in such a manner as to move between the clamping position and the unclamping position, and a first lift arm which swings together with the rotation of the second cam so as to move the first movable gripper supporting rod forward and rearward,
the first movable gripper supporting rod is provided with second urging means which urges the rod toward an engaging surface of the first lift arm, and a rolling element which is brought into rolling contact with the engaging surface of the first lift arm in such a manner as to move together with the sliding block, in one end portion thereof,
the second gripper operating apparatus is provided with a second movable gripper supporting rod which is placed in an apparatus housing in such a manner as to move between the clamping position and the unclamping position, and a second lift arm which swings together with a rotation of the third cam so as to move the second movable gripper supporting rod forward and rearward,
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Mansen Michael R.
Sankyo Seisakusho Co.
LandOfFree
Material feeding apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Material feeding apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Material feeding apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2548845