Method and Apparatus for Honing a Workpiece
First Claim
1. A method of using a honing machine to hone the axial bores of gears comprising the steps of:
- using a robot to load the gears into a loadbox at a loadbox station with the bores of the gears in axial alignment;
providing a number of pallets for transporting gears downstream along a pallet path through the honing machine, the pallet path including a pallet loading station, at least one machining station, and an unloading station;
moving the loadbox with the gears to a position over an empty pallet at the pallet load station and dropping the gears into the empty pallet;
transferring the pallet from the pallet load station to a first machining station;
performing a first honing operation on the bores of the gears at the first machining station;
transferring the pallet to at least a second machining station for a second honing operation on the bores of the gears;
transferring the pallet to an unload station and removing the gears from the pallet to create an empty pallet;
gripping the empty pallet with an overhead gripper on a movable overhead gantry and returning the empty pallet to the pallet load station using the movable gantry;
loading the returned empty pallet at the pallet load station with gears from the loadbox; and
advancing the pallet with the gears from the loadbox to the first machining station.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A honing machine using a robot to load gears into a loadbox at a loadbox station. The loadbox moves downstream to a position over an empty pallet in a pallet load station where the gears are released into the empty pallet. A series of downstream machining stations performing a series of honing operations on the bores of the gears in a series of pallets. A removal mechanism removing the honed gears simultaneously from the pallet at a pallet unload station. An overhead gripper on a movable gantry grips the empty pallet at the unload station and returns the pallet to the pallet load station where the pallet is reloaded with additional gears from the loadbox. The honing machine can continuously hone gears using only one pallet at each machining station and one pallet at the pallet loading station.
1 Citation
20 Claims
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1. A method of using a honing machine to hone the axial bores of gears comprising the steps of:
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using a robot to load the gears into a loadbox at a loadbox station with the bores of the gears in axial alignment; providing a number of pallets for transporting gears downstream along a pallet path through the honing machine, the pallet path including a pallet loading station, at least one machining station, and an unloading station; moving the loadbox with the gears to a position over an empty pallet at the pallet load station and dropping the gears into the empty pallet; transferring the pallet from the pallet load station to a first machining station; performing a first honing operation on the bores of the gears at the first machining station; transferring the pallet to at least a second machining station for a second honing operation on the bores of the gears; transferring the pallet to an unload station and removing the gears from the pallet to create an empty pallet; gripping the empty pallet with an overhead gripper on a movable overhead gantry and returning the empty pallet to the pallet load station using the movable gantry; loading the returned empty pallet at the pallet load station with gears from the loadbox; and advancing the pallet with the gears from the loadbox to the first machining station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A honing machine for honing the axial bores of gears comprising:
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a robot to load the gears into a loadbox at a loadbox station with the bores of the gears in axial alignment; a pallet load station downstream from the loadbox station; a loadbox mover for moving the loadbox from the loadbox station to a position over the pallet load station; a release mechanism releasing the gears in the loadbox to an empty pallet in the pallet load station; a first machining station downstream from the pallet load station performing a first honing operation on the bores of the gears; a second machining station downstream from the first machining station performing a second honing operation on the bores of the gears; a pallet unload station downstream from the second machining station; a pallet path through the honing machine from the pallet load station to pallet unloading station, said pallet path including the first and second machining stations; a pallet drive mechanism engaging and advancing a plurality of pallets along the pallet path; a removal mechanism removing the gears from the pallet at the pallet unload station; and an overhead gripper on a movable gantry gripping the pallet at the unload station and returning the pallet to the pallet load station, whereby the pallet can be reloaded with additional gears and the additional gears can be honed, and whereby the apparatus can continuously hone gears using only one pallet at each machining station and one pallet at the pallet loading station. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A honing machine comprising:
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a plurality of honing stations; a plurality of pallets transporting workpieces between said honing stations; a load station and an unload station, both said load station and said unload station separate and spaced from said honing stations; a gantry, said gantry including a pallet gripper operative to engage said pallet wherein said gantry moves said pallets from said unload station to said load station; and wherein the number of said pallets in said honing machine is always less than the number of said honing stations. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification