Conveyors: power-driven – With means to facilitate working – treating – or inspecting... – Means to transfer a load back and forth between the mainline...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-18
2001-02-27
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
With means to facilitate working, treating, or inspecting...
Means to transfer a load back and forth between the mainline...
C198S468200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193049
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional driving system for a transfer feeder of a transfer press for feeding works into successive processing stations that are individually surrounded by a plurality of uprights.
2. Description of the Related Art:
In an automatic press system, a transfer press has conventionally been equipped with a servo-assisted three-dimensional driving system for a transfer feeder that is driven by servomotors. To feed works into processing stations of the transfer press, the three-dimensional driving system comprises a pair of transfer bars arranged parallel to the feed direction of the works, a feed mechanism provided at one end of the transfer bars, and clamp and lift mechanisms provided closer the other end of the transfer bars. As the transfer bars are caused to move in the feed direction by the feed mechanism and to move in lifting and clamping directions by the clamp and lift mechanisms, the transfer bars grip and release each work between themselves to thereby carry the works into and out of dies of successive stages of a press process automatically.
If it is desired to successively feed a series of works from one die location to the next along a line of processing stations for sequential processing, for example, the clamp and lift mechanisms are provided between successive uprights or between the successive die locations of the transfer press, and individual sections of the feed, clamp and lift mechanisms are driven in three-dimensional directions in a controlled manner, so that each work is automatically processed by the transfer press through a sequence of steps.
A related art example of a servo-assisted three-dimensional driving system for a transfer feeder is disclosed in JP-B-2-1 1934U. Since servomotors are directly connected to individual mechanisms including a feed mechanism, clamp mechanisms and lift mechanisms in this servo-assisted three-dimensional driving system, it is possible to move transfer bars at high speeds in a three-dimensional space and thereby achieve an improvement in productivity.
Another example of the related art is a three-dimensional driving system for a mechanical transfer feeder that is driven by motive power supplied from a drive system of a press. This mechanical three-dimensional driving system takes the motive power from the drive system of the press through transmission mechanisms, which include a bevel gear mechanism, pinions and cam shafts. Therefore, when installing a servo-assisted three-dimensional driving system instead of the existing mechanical three-dimensional driving system, an extra installation space that has not been required will become necessary, and mounting sites for individual servomotors will pose a serious problem. Especially when a press process involves many stages and feed lengths of transfer bars are short, the distances between successive uprights become small and, therefore, great limitations will be imposed on the availability of mounting sites for the servomotors.
It is necessary to install individual servomotors so that they would not interfere with the main structure and dies of the transfer press. Furthermore, although large-sized servomotors having a large capacity are required, it is practically impossible to install the large-sized servomotors for reasons stated above. Therefore, it has conventionally been necessary to install a number of small-sized servomotors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the light of the aforementioned problems of the related art, it is an object of the invention to provide a three-dimensional driving system for a transfer feeder which makes it possible to achieve a reduction in installation space required for clamp and lift mechanisms.
In one aspect of the invention, a three-dimensional driving system for a transfer feeder of a transfer press for feeding a work into a processing station which is surrounded by a plurality of uprights comprises a feed mechanism linked to a pair of transfer bars arranged parallel to a work feed direction for gripping the work and transferring it to the aforementioned processing station, a lift mechanism which is provided on a bed surrounded by the uprights and causes the transfer bars to ascend and descend, a clamp mechanism which is linked to the lift mechanism and causes the transfer bars to grip and release the work, a clamp and lift box accommodating the lift mechanism and the clamp mechanism, a feed mechanism driver linked to the feed mechanism to drive it, a lift mechanism driver linked to the lift mechanism to drive it, and a clamp mechanism driver linked to the clamp mechanism to drive it, wherein the lift mechanism driver and the clamp mechanism driver have their own drive shafts and servomotors connected to the lift mechanism and the clamp mechanism, respectively, and are disposed separately from each other in opposite terminal portions of the clamp and lift box.
This construction of the three-dimensional driving system for the transfer feeder makes it possible to provide the individual drivers, including the servomotors and the drive shafts, separately from one another and, more particularly, they can be installed in the clamp mechanism and the lift mechanism disposed in the opposite terminal portions of the clamp and lift box. Since the servomotors and the drive shafts of both the clamp and lift mechanisms are so configured as to operate in synchronism with each other, loads applied to the individual servomotors are reduced and necessary motive power can be obtained by using servomotors having a lower capacity. Further, as a result of a reduction in physical size, it becomes possible to accommodate the servomotors and other elements of the driving system in limited spaces.
In another aspect of the invention, the bed surrounded by the uprights has an opening and the clamp mechanism driver and the lift mechanism driver are accommodated in the opening.
This construction allows space for installing the servomotors and the drive shafts inside the opening formed in the bed, in addition to achieving the effects of the aforementioned construction according to the first aspect of the invention. As a consequence, it is possible to create large spaces inside the main structure of the transfer press and in the vicinity of dies and achieve an improvement in maintainability and a reduction in acoustic noise.
In a still another aspect of the invention, the drive shafts of the lift mechanism driver and the clamp mechanism driver are fitted in through holes formed in the bed, the servomotors of the lift mechanism driver and the clamp mechanism driver are installed in accommodating spaces formed in a lower portion of the bed, and the drive shafts are linked to their corresponding servomotors.
Since the drive shafts fitted in the through holes in the bed can be linked to the respective servomotors installed in the accommodating spaces formed in the lower portion of the bed in this construction, it is possible to efficiently use installation spaces for the lift and clamp mechanisms and thereby achieve further space savings. Furthermore, the lift and clamp mechanisms can be combined into a single unit. This makes it possible to reduce overall costs and factory areas required for installing an automatic press system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4964497 (1990-10-01), Bundo et al.
patent: 5937994 (1999-08-01), Antoine de Banbuat
Komatsu Ltd.
Noland Kenneth W.
Varndell & Varndell PLLC
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