Adjustment of work pallets for vehicle body assembly lines

• US 20080000068A1
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Utica Enterprises Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Utica Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Morgan, Phillip J. I., Savoy, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US11/477,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20080000068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/429
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/004 the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/50 Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49828 Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5337 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53539 including work conveyor

Abstract

Vehicle body assembly line apparatus includes a plurality of work pallets (14) having locators (18) with locator members (36) that are adjustable by a grab member (40) on each at a remote location below a vertical rest surface (37) mounted on each locator member. An adjusting station (16) provides either automatic adjustment of the adjustable locators (18) by one or more robots (52) or manual adjustment of the adjustable locators (18). A sensor (58) senses the location of a positioning target (56) on each locator member (36) at a known location from the vertical rest surface (37) and any locator pin (38) mounted thereon and generates a deviation signal when the positioning is not within a design tolerance. A control (60) readjusts the appropriate locator (18) as necessary to the design tolerance range.

Claims

1. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus for use in cyclically assembling formed metal parts for vehicle bodies of different models during successive cycles, comprising:

a plurality of work pallets that are sequentially movable along an assembly line to support formed metal parts being assembled to each other;

each work pallet including a carriage and a plurality of adjustable locators each of which includes a locator member for mounting a vertical rest surface with or without a locator pin extending upwardly from its vertical rest surface for providing part positioning during the assembly, each locator member having a grab member located at a remote location below the mounting location of its vertical rest surface, a linear bearing for supporting each locator member on the carriage for adjusting movement along a linear axis, and each locator including a brake having a locked condition for holding its locator member in an adjusted position and having an unlocked condition where the locator member thereof is freely movable for adjustment along the axis of its linear bearing; and

an adjusting station, at an upstream end of the assemble line to which the work pallets are successively moved to begin the assembly of formed metal parts for each cycle, where the grab members of the locator members of the locators on the work pallets are grasped and with the brakes thereof in their unlocked condition moved as necessary to provide adjustment along their linear bearings to the proper positions for the particular vehicle body model to be assembled on each work pallet during the next cycle.

2. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the adjusting station includes an adjuster for adjusting the locators.

3. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the adjuster of the adjuster station includes at least one programmable robot for providing the locator adjustment.

4. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the adjuster of the adjuster station includes a plurality of programmable robots for providing the locator adjustment.

5. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus as in claim 1 wherein each locator member has a positioning target at a known location with respect to where its vertical rest surface is mounted, the adjusting station including a sensor for sensing the adjusted position of the positioning target on the locator member to determine whether the positioning target thereof is positioned within a design tolerance range and for generating a deviation signal when the positioning target is not located within the design tolerance range.

6. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the adjusting station includes an adjuster for adjusting the locators and also includes a control for readjusting the appropriate locator in response to the deviation signal to provide positioning of the associated locator positioning target within the design tolerance range.

7. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus as in claim 1 wherein a plurality of the locators on each work pallet have linear bearings that provide at least vertical locator adjustment on the carriage.

8. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus as in claim 1 wherein a plurality of the locators on each work pallet have.linear bearings that provide vertical, longitudinal and sideways locator adjustment on the carriage.

9. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus for use in cyclically assembling formed metal parts for vehicle bodies of different models during successive cycles, comprising:

a plurality of work pallets that are sequentially movable along an assembly line to support formed metal parts being assembled to each other;

each work pallet including a carriage and a plurality of adjustable locators each of which includes a locator member for mounting a vertical rest surface with or without a locator pin extending upwardly from its vertical rest surface for providing part positioning during the assembly, each locator member having a positioning target at a known location with respect to its vertical rest surface and also having a grab member located at a remote location below the mounting location its vertical rest surface, linear bearings for supporting each locator member on the carriage for adjusting movement along vertical, longitudinal and sideways axes, and brakes having a locked condition for holding each locator member in an adjusted position and having an unlocked condition where the locator member is freely movable for adjustment along the axes of its linear bearings;

an adjusting station at an upstream end of the assemble line to which the work pallets are successively moved to begin the assembly of formed metal parts for each cycle, the adjusting station including at least one programmable robot for adjusting the locators on the work pallets with the brakes thereof in their unlocked condition, and the robot adjustment of the locators being provided by robot grasping of the grab member of the locator members of each locator to provided positioning of the locator members as necessary on their linear bearings for the particular vehicle body model to be assembled on each work pallet during the next cycle;

a sensor for sensing the adjusted position of the positioning target on each locator member to determine whether the positioning target is adjusted to within a design tolerance range and for generating a deviation signal when the positioning target is not located within the design tolerance range; and

a control for readjusting the associated locator member positioning in response to the deviation signal to provide positioning of the associated positioning target within the design tolerance range.

10. Vehicle body assembly line apparatus for use in cyclically assembling formed sheet metal parts for vehicle bodies of different models during successive cycles, comprising:

a plurality of work pallets that are sequentially movable along an assembly line to support formed sheet metal parts being assembled to each other;

each work pallet including a carriage and a plurality of adjustable locators each of which includes a locator member for mounting a vertical rest surface with or without a locator pin mounted on its locator member extending upwardly from its vertical rest surface for providing part positioning during the assembly, each locator member having a positioning target at a known location with respect to its vertical rest surface and also having a grab member at a remote location below the mounting location of the vertical rest surface, linear bearings for supporting each locator member on the carriage for adjusting movement along vertical, longitudinal and sideways axes, and brakes having a locked condition for holding each locator member in an adjusted position and having an unlocked condition where the locator member is freely movable for adjustment along the axes of its linear bearings;

an adjusting station at an upstream end of the assemble line to which the work pallets are successively moved to begin the assembly of formed metal parts for each cycle, the adjusting station including a plurality of programmable robots for adjusting the locators on the work pallets with the brakes thereof in their unlocked condition, and the robot adjustment of the locators being provided by robot grasping of the grab member of the locator member of each locator to provided positioning of the locator members as necessary on their linear bearings for the particular vehicle body model to be assembled on each work pallet during the next cycle;

a sensor for sensing the adjusted position of the positioning target on each locator member to determine whether the positioning target is adjusted to within a design tolerance range and for generating a deviation signal when the positioning target is not located within the design tolerance range; and

a control for readjusting the associated locator member positioning in response to the deviation signal to provide positioning of the associated positioning target within the design tolerance range.

11. A work pallet for use in a vehicle body assembly line to cyclically assemble formed metal parts for vehicle bodies of different models during successive cycles of movement through the assembly line, the work pallet comprising:

a carriage;

a plurality of adjustable locators each of which includes a locator member for mounting a vertical rest surface with a plurality of the rest surface having a locator pin extending upwardly therefrom to provide port positioning during assembly on the pallet, each locator member having a grab member located at a remote location below the mounting location of its vertical rest surface;

each locator including a linear bearing for supporting each locator member on the carriage for adjusting movement along a linear axis; and

each locator including a brake having a locked condition for holding its locator member in an adjusted position and having an unlocked condition where the locator member thereof is freely movable by grasping of its grab member at its remote location below its vertical rest surface for adjustment along the axis of its linear bearing.

12. A vehicle body assembly line work pallet as in claim 11 wherein each locator member includes a positioning target at a known location with respect to where its vertical rest surface is mounted to permit sensing of the locator member positioning and any necessary readjustment upon sensing an out of tolerance position after the initial adjustment.

13. A vehicle body assembly line work pallet as in claim 11 wherein a plurality of the locators each includes a linear bearing that supports the locator member thereof on the carriage for vertical adjustment.

14. A vehicle body assembly line work pallet as in claim 11 wherein a plurality of the locators each includes linear bearings that support the locator member thereof on the carriage for vertical, longitudinal and sideways adjustment.

15. A method for cyclically assembling formed metal parts for different model vehicle bodies, comprising:

cyclically moving work pallets to an upstream adjusting station of an assembly line;

unlocking locators on each work pallet to permit adjustment of locator support thereof for freely movable adjustment of the locator members and vertical rest surfaces thereof as well as locator pins on a plurality of the locator members along at least one linear axis on a carriage of the work pallet; and

grasping a grab member located on each locator member at a remote location below its vertical rest surface to adjust the position of each locator member and its vertical rest surface as necessary for the vehicle body model formed metal parts to be assembled during the next cycle.

16. A method for cyclically assembling formed metal vehicle body parts as in claim 15 wherein the location of a positioning target on each locator member is sensed after the adjustment to determine whether the positioning target, which is at a known position with respect to the vertical rest surface, is within a design tolerance range to thereby determine whether the locator member is properly located, and thereafter readjusting and sensing the location of the positioning targets as necessary until the locator members are all properly positioned.

17. A method for cyclically assembling formed metal vehicle body parts as in claim 15 wherein at least one programmable robot is operated to provide the adjustment of the locator members on the carriage.

18. A method for cyclically assembling formed metal vehicle body parts as in claim 15 wherein a plurality of programmable robots are operated to provide the adjustment of the locator members on the carriage.

19. A method for cyclically assembling formed metal vehicle body parts as in claim 15 wherein the locator members are adjusted along a vertical axis.

20. A method for cyclically assembling formed metal vehicle body parts as in claim 15 wherein the locator members are adjusted along vertical, longitudinal and sideways axes.

21. A method for cyclically assembling formed metal parts for different model vehicle bodies, comprising:

cyclically moving work pallets to an upstream adjusting station of an assembly line;

unlocking locators on each work pallet at the adjustment station to permit adjustment of locator members thereof having vertical rest surfaces for freely movable adjustment along vertical, longitudinal and sideways axes on a carriage of the work pallet;

operating at least one programmable robot at the adjusting station to grasp grab members of the locator members at remote locations below their vertical rest surfaces to adjust the vertical rest surfaces of the locator members and locator pins on a plurality of the locator members along the vertical, longitudinal and sideways axes on each work pallet as necessary for the vehicle formed metal vehicle body parts to be assembled on the work pallet during the next cycle;

sensing the location of a positioning target on each locator member to determine whether the positioning target, which is at a known position with respect to its vertical rest surface, is within a design tolerance range to thereby determine whether the locator member is properly located; and

readjusting and sensing the location of the positioning target of each locator as necessary until the locator member is properly positioned.

22. A method for cyclically assembling formed sheet metal parts for different model vehicle bodies from formed metal parts, comprising:

cyclically moving work pallets to an upstream adjusting station of an assembly line;

unlocking locators on each work pallet at the adjustment station to permit adjustment of locator members thereof having vertical rest surfaces for freely movable adjustment along vertical, longitudinal and sideways axes on a carriage of the pallet;

operating a plurality of programmable robots at the adjusting station to grasp grab members of the locator members at remote locations below their vertical rest surfaces to adjust the vertical rest surfaces of the locator members and locator pins on a plurality of the locator members along the vertical, longitudinal and sideways axes on each work pallet as necessary for the vehicle formed sheet metal vehicle body parts to be assembled on the work pallet during the next cycle;

sensing the location of a positioning target on each locator member to determine whether the positioning target, which is at a known position with respect to its vertical rest surface member, is within a design tolerance range to thereby determine whether the locator pin is properly located; and

readjusting and sensing the location of the positioning target of each locator as necessary until the locator member is properly positioned.