High Density Welding Subassembly Machine
First Claim
1. A method of welding motor vehicle components at a weld station comprising:
- providing a pallet having a plurality of successive substations for receipt of component subassemblies;
reciprocally moving the pallet back and forth between a load/unload station and the weld station;
while the pallet is at the load/unload station, moving the component subassembly at each substation to the next successive substation and adding a further component to each moved component subassembly; and
while the pallet is at the weld station, welding each component subassembly at each substation of the pallet.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for welding motor vehicle body component subassemblies at a weld station. First and second pallets are arranged for reciprocal movement between a load/unload station and the weld station and the pallets are alternately moved from a load/unload station to the weld station while the other pallet is moved from the weld station to a load/unload station. Each pallet has a plurality of substations for receipt of component subassemblies and, while each pallet is at the load/unload station, the component subassembly at each substation is moved to the next successive substation and a further component is added to the moved component.
96 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of welding motor vehicle components at a weld station comprising:
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providing a pallet having a plurality of successive substations for receipt of component subassemblies; reciprocally moving the pallet back and forth between a load/unload station and the weld station; while the pallet is at the load/unload station, moving the component subassembly at each substation to the next successive substation and adding a further component to each moved component subassembly; and while the pallet is at the weld station, welding each component subassembly at each substation of the pallet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 14)
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7. A method of welding motor vehicle components at a weld station comprising:
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providing first and second pallets reciprocally movable between a load/unload station and the weld station and each having a plurality of successive substations for receipt of component subassemblies; alternately moving each pallet from its load/unload station to the weld station while moving the other pallet from the weld station to its load/unload station; and while each pallet is at its load/unload station, moving the subassembly of components at each substation to the next successive substation and adding a further component to each moved subassembly. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method of welding motor vehicle components at a weld station comprising:
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providing inventories of motor vehicle components A, B and C; providing a pallet mounted for reciprocal movement between a load/unload station and the weld station and having a plurality of successive pallet substations thereon; loading components A and B from inventory onto a first substation of the pallet; moving the pallet to the weld station; welding the components A/B together at the weld station to form a welded subassembly AB; returning the pallet to the load/unload station; moving the welded subassembly AB from the first substation to a second substation on the pallet; loading a component C from inventory onto the second substation; loading components A and B from inventory onto the first substation; returning the pallet to the weld station; and welding the components A/B/C, positioned at the second substation, together at the weld station to form a welded subassembly ABC while welding the components A/B, positioned at the first substation, together at the weld station to form a welded subassembly AB. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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15. A method of welding motor vehicle components at a weld station comprising:
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providing first and second pallets reciprocally movable between a load/unload station and the weld station and each having a plurality of substations for receipt of component subassemblies; alternately moving each pallet from its load/unload station to the weld station while moving the other pallet from the weld station to its load/unload station; while each pallet is at the weld station, welding the component subassemblies at the pallet substation; and while each pallet is at its load/unload station, removing at least one welded component subassembly from the pallet while loading new components onto the pallet substations from component inventory. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for welding motor vehicle components comprising:
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a weld station; a load/unload station; a pallet mounted for reciprocal movement between the load/unload station and the weld station and having a plurality of successive pallet substations thereon for receipt of component subassemblies; and a transfer system proximate the load/unload station operative with the pallet positioned at the load/unload station to move the component subassembly at each substation to the next successive substation and add a further component to each moved subassembly so that the component subassembly at a particular pallet substation includes one more component than the subassembly at the immediately preceding substation and one less component than the component subassembly at the immediately succeeding substation. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification