Handling: hand and hoist-line implements – Grapple – Multiple grapples for multiple objects
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2002-04-16
Cherry, Johnny D. (Department: 3652)
Handling: hand and hoist-line implements
Grapple
Multiple grapples for multiple objects
C072S405120, C294S082230, C294S115000, C414S753100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06371544
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a workpiece transfer device, more particularly to a workpiece transfer device for a forging machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional forging machine
10
is shown to include a workpiece feeding mechanism
101
disposed on a machine frame
19
(see FIG.
3
), and a cutting mechanism
102
disposed in front of the feeding mechanism
101
. When an elongated blank
103
is straightened and fed to the cutting mechanism
102
by means of the feeding mechanism
101
, the cutting mechanism
102
cuts the blank
103
to form a blank section
1040
of a predetermined length. Then the blank section
1040
is sent to a forging die mechanism
106
by a transfer mechanism
105
. The forging die mechanism
106
includes fixed tubular die members
107
and punch-moved die members
108
. The die members
108
are driven by a power source (not shown) to reciprocate relative to the die members
107
. In the forging die mechanism
106
, the blank section
1040
, as shown in
FIG. 2A
, is clamped and is moved by the transfer mechanism
105
to the punch-moved die member
108
. The blank section
1040
projects from the tubular die member
107
and is forged by means of the punch-moved die member
108
to form a first semi-finished product
1041
, as best illustrated in FIG.
2
B. The first semi-finished product
1041
is then transferred to the subsequent die member
107
by the transfer mechanism
105
and is further forged by means of the die members
107
,
108
to form a second semi-finished product
1042
, as best illustrated in FIG.
2
C. The second semi-finished product
1042
is further moved by means of the transfer mechanism
105
and is further dealt with by means of the die members
107
,
108
to form a final product
1043
, as best illustrated in FIG.
2
D. To remove a workpiece, such as products
1041
,
1042
and
1043
, from the corresponding die members
107
, a workpiece ejecting mechanism
109
is disposed rearwardly of the die members
107
to push the workpiece out from the die members
107
.
Referring to
FIGS. 3 and 4
, the transfer mechanism
105
has an elongated support member
11
and an elongated swing member
12
mounted on the machine frame
19
. The end portions of the support member
11
and the swing member
12
are connected pivotally to one another by means of two connecting members
13
to form a parallelogram linkage system. When the swing member
12
is reciprocated in the directions as indicated by a double-headed arrow
18
by a power source (not shown), the support member
11
is reciprocated in the directions as indicated by the arrow
18
. The other components of the transfer mechanism
105
are connected operatively to the machine frame
19
, the support member
11
and the swing member
12
. The machine frame
19
may have a plurality of transfer mechanisms
105
(only one transfer mechanism
105
is shown in detail in the drawings) provided thereon in order to increase the processing capacity of the forging machine
10
. Each of the transfer mechanisms
105
includes an actuating mechanism
14
, a push mechanism
15
, a lever mechanism
16
, and a workpiece holding mechanism
17
. The actuating mechanism
14
has a power-driven cam member
141
and a cam-actuated rocker arm
142
. The cam-actuated rocker arm
142
has an input end
143
and an output end
144
. The input end
143
is actuated by the cam member
141
to move upwardly and downwardly the output end
144
. The push mechanism
15
has a pneumatically operated piston
151
disposed under the output end
144
. The lever mechanism
16
has a transmission rocker arm
161
connected pivotally to a stationary part
11
of the forging machine
10
The transmission rocker arm
161
has an input end
162
and an output end
163
. The input end
162
of the transmission rocker arm
161
is disposed between the output end
144
of the cam-actuated rocker arm
142
and the piston
151
. The workpiece holding mechanism
17
is fixed in front of the swing member
12
and has a vertical shaft
171
journalled in the swing member
12
. The vertical shaft
171
has an upper end portion that is connected pivotally to the output end
163
of the transmission rocker arm
161
, and a lower end portion that is connected perpendicularly to a horizontal shaft
172
. The horizontal shaft
172
has a cross pair of clamping members
173
connected pivotally to one another at a front end thereof. Each of the clamping members
173
has a pair of clamping arms
174
coupled to a lower end thereof. In operation, the cam member
141
is actuated to rotate. Before the cam member
141
cams the input end
143
of the cam-actuated rocker arm
142
, the piston
151
pushes upwardly the input end
162
and the output end
144
, thereby resulting in downward movement of the output end
163
. The vertical shaft
171
in the swing member
12
then descends to move the clamping members
173
toward one another via the horizontal shaft
172
. As such, the blank sections
1040
,
1041
,
1042
, and
1043
can be clamped by the clamping members
173
, as best illustrated in
FIGS. 2A
to
2
D. On the other hand, when the cam member
141
is rotated to actuate the cam-actuated rocker arm
142
, the vertical shaft
171
can be lifted upwardly to move the clamping members
173
away from one another in order to release the blank sections
1040
,
1041
,
1042
, and
1043
. During the clamping and releasing operations of the clamping members
173
, the swing member
12
reciprocates by action of the power source along the direction indicated by the arrow
18
in order to deliver blank sections
1040
,
1041
,
1042
, and
1043
among the forging die mechanisms
106
.
The conventional transfer mechanism
105
suffers from the following disadvantages:
1. With reference to
FIG. 3
, since the swing member
12
is relatively long and is suspended on the front side of the machine frame
19
by means of the connecting members at two ends thereof, the swing member
12
has an insufficient rigidity and is liable to flex or deform. Therefore, when a vertical force is exerted on the swing member
12
via the output end
163
of the transmission rocker arm
161
, the swing member
12
will vibrate during the reciprocating movement of the swing member
12
. The vibration of the swing member
12
results in shaking or wobbling of the blank sections
1040
,
1041
,
1042
,
1043
, thereby affecting adversely the subsequent die-punching process for the blank sections
1040
,
1041
,
1042
,
1043
.
2. With reference to
FIG. 1
, since the distance among the die members
107
or
108
is set to be small in order to minimize the stroke of the swing member
12
, the spaces among the push mechanisms
15
are limited. As such, the size of an air cylinder or spring that is disposed under the input end
162
and the output end
144
and that is adapted to reciprocate the piston
151
is limited. Therefore, the force exerted on the input end
162
by the piston
151
is limited, thereby limiting the clamping force of the clamping members
173
and reducing the manufacturing speed and yield.
3. Each pair of clamping members
173
on each of the workpiece holding mechanisms
17
moves away from one another by an opening angle to release a corresponding one of the blank sections
1040
,
1041
,
1042
, and
1043
before a corresponding one of the punch-moved die members
108
punches the corresponding one of the blank sections
1040
,
1041
,
1042
, and
1043
. However, since the opening angle of each pair of the clamping members
173
is relatively small, the clamping members
173
cannot move across the die member
108
to an adjacent die member
107
in order to clamp another blank section that is ejected out from the die member
107
by a corresponding one of the workpiece ejecting mechanisms
109
unless the die member
109
moves away from the die member
107
. As such, the time required for manipulating the transfer mechanisms
105
is
Cherry Johnny D.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
San Shing Hardware Works Co., Ltd.
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