AUTOMATIC PRODUCTION MACHINERY

• US 3,854,889 A
• Filed: 08/29/1969
• Issued: 12/17/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1954
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Francis S.
• Application Number:
  US04/858,560
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 29/33.12,563,33P 214/1CM,1BB 198/19,38
• US Class Current: 29/33.00P
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 11/10 Arrangements for cooling or lubricating tools or work incorporated in tools, see the relevant subclass for the tool , e.g. B23B27/10, B23B51/06, B23C5/28, B23D77/006; for circular saw blades B23D59/02, for cooling grinding surfaces B24B55/02
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 41/00 Combinations or associations of metal-working machines not directed to a particular result according to classes B21, B23, or B24 B23Q37/00, B23Q39/00 take precedence; features relating to operations performed, if the different metal-working operations are of the same kind, see the subclass for the kind of operation, e.g. punching B21D, welding B23K, grinding B24B; features relating to technically specified combinations of different metal-working operations B23P23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/14 using punched cards or tapes G05B19/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36395 Load local computer program from host, data transfer ram to rom, BTR
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36511 Select by a detector
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36513 Select out of a plurality of programs, patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37572 Camera, tv, vision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40283 Reservoir with additional material on vehicle with manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40284 Toolrack on vehicle with manipulator, toolchanger
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45051 Transfer line
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45213 Integrated manufacturing system ims, transfer line, machining center
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5124 with means to feed work intermittently from one tool station to another
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5196 Multiple station with conveyor

Abstract

An automatic production system is provided having a plurality of program controlled machine tools and a conveying system for conveying different units of work to selected of said tools for performing pre-programmed operations on said work. The conveyance for the work comprises a plurality of work holding pallets or carriers which are selectively controlled in their movement to permit work to be transferred to selected machines while bypassing other machines. Each machine tool or selected of said tools may be varied in their operation to perform a variety of different operations on the same type or work or different kinds of work in accordance with command control signals generated by a program control device or computer provided, in one form of the invention, on the work carrier associated with the particular work transferred to the tool. In addition to providing a novel system for the automatic control of both conveying and production machinery serviced thereby, the invention also is directed to subsystems and cooperating components of the conveyance and the machines serviced thereby.

Claims

1. An automatic production system including a plurality of machines and a plurality of workholding carriers, means for transferring said carriers to selected of said tools and predeterminately positioning the carriers at the machines for performing predetermined operations on the work held by the carriers, at least certain of said tools being operative to perform cutting operations on work held by said carriers, means at the cutting machines for directing liquid against the work during the cutting operation, drainage means including an exhaust port associated with the carriers for collecting and directing flow of said liquid to said exhaust port, and receiving means at the machines for receiving liquid from the carrier exhaust port.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including further receiving means associated with each carrier for collecting waste products of cutting work held by the carrier and preventing accumulation of said waste at the machines.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 further comprising automatic means for cleaning said waste from the carrier while away from a machine.

4. An automatic production system comprising a plurality of machine tools defining respective work stations of a production line for performing different operations on work-in-process, each of said machine tools including control means to control operation of said machine tool, an automatic conveying system including guide means for guiding a workpiece carrier along the production line to a predetermined one of said work stations, at least one workpiece carrier located on said guide means and including means to secure a workpiece thereon, variable program control means for storing machining programs and mounted on said carrier, and means at each work station operative upon arrival of said carrier at said predetermined work station for transmitting at least one of the machining programs stored in the program control means on the carrier to said control means to control the machining operations carried out on the workpiece on the carrier by the machine tool at that work station.

5. A work-holding carrier for transport along a path past a plurality of data-controlled machining units operative to perform different operations on work-in-process comprising:

a. means for securing a workpiece thereon, b. reversible drive means connected to said carrier to move said carrier in either direction along said path, c. sensing means at each machining unit effective to sense the presence of said carrier at a selected machining unit to which a particular workpiece carried thereby is to be delivered, and to transmit signals, and d. control means operatively connected to said drive means and responisve to a signal from said sensing means to control movement and positioning of said carrier along said path at any selected one of said machining units.

6. A work-holding carrier for transport along guide means deining a path past a plurality of data-controlled machining units, each capable of performing machining operations according to a dictated program comprising a. means for securing a workpiece on said carrier, b. means on said carrier adapted to cooperate with said guide means during travel of said carrier along said path, and c. control means mounted on said carrier to control the movement of said carrier along said path to those selected machining units required to perform machining operations on the particular workpiece being carrier by said carrier, d. said control means comprising programming means including a plurality of machining programs for controlling each of said selected machining units and an output for connection to each said selected machining unit to dictate at least one selected machining program to a selected one of said machining units to control the machining operations carried out by said selected machining unit on the workpiece on said carrier.

7. A work-holding carrier for transport along guide means defining a path to a plurality of data-controlled machining units, each capable of performing machining operations according to a dictated program comprising a. means on said carrier for positioning and securing workpieces on said carrier, b. means on said carrier cooperating with said guide means during travel of said carrier along said path, and c. programming means mounted on said carrier and including a plurality of machining programs for controlling selected of said machining units and an output for connection to each of said selected machining units to dictate at least one machining program to said selected machining unit to control the machining operations carried out by said selected machining unit on the workpiece on said carrier.

8. In a production system a plurality of data-controlled machining units arranged along a path and operative to perform different operations on work-in-process, means to convey variable program control means along said path to and from any of said machining units, variable program control means on said conveying means for storing machining programs to control the machining operation of at least one of said machining units, and output means connected to each of said machining units and operative upon arrival of said control means at one of said machining units for transmitting a selected machining program stored in the program control means from said program control means to said one machining unit to control the machining operations of that one machining unit.

9. In a production system a plurality of data-controlled machining units arranged along a path and operative to perform different operations on work-in-process, means to convey workpiece holders and variable program control means along said path to and from any of the machine units, variable program control means on said conveying means for storing machining programs to control the machining operations of at least one of said machining units, and output means connected to each of said machining units and operative upon arrival of said control means at any selected one of said machining units for transmitting a selected machining program stored in the program control means from said program control means to said one machining unit to control the machining operations of that one machining unit.

10. A production system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said variable program control means includes means for controlling the movement of said control means by said conveyor means along said path for delivering said control means to selected of said machining units.

11. In a machine tool production line with plural machine tools spaced along a work advancing conveyor;

workholders fixed to said conveyor, data storage means connected to said workholders for controlling and programing the movement functions of the machines, means operatively connected to each of said machine tools responsive to the data in said data storage means for controlling the machine functions, and means operatively connected to said conveyor for indexing said workholders and data storage means from machine tool to machine tool along said conveyor.

12. A machine tool transfer line, comprising:

conveyor means, a plurality of work carrying means on said conveyor. drive means operatively connected to said conveyor for indexing said work carrying means from station to station along said conveyor, a plurality of machine tools spaced along said conveyor at said stations, control means in each machine responsive to data for controlling the machine functions, a central source of data connectable through data transmitting means to said control means and representing the desired functions of each machine along the conveyor, means at each of said stations for sensing the position of the work carrying means along said conveyor, and means connectable between said central source of data and said control means and responsive to said work carrying sensing means for transmitting the data from said central source to each of said control means.

13. A machine tool transfer line, comprising:

conveyor means, a plurality of work carrying means on said conveyor drive means operatively connected to said conveyor for indexing said work carrying means from station to station along said conveyor, a plurality of machine tools spaced along said conveyor at said stations, control means in each machine responsive to data for controlling the machine functions, a central source of data connectable through data transmitting means to said control means, said central source of data containing a program for each machine, each program containing data corresponding to the functions of each machine, means at each of saId stations for sensing the position of at least one of said work carrying means as it indexes from station to station along the conveyor, and means connectable between said central source of data and said control means and responsive to said work carrying means sensing means for transmitting the program data to each of said control means, said transmitting means being constructed to transmit data from the data source to the control means associated with the machine adjacent the sensed work carrying means, so that complete program data is transmitted to the control means sequentially as the sensed work carrying means is indexed along the conveyor from station to station.

14. A machine tool transfer line, comprising:

conveyor means, a plurality of work carrying means on said conveyor, drive means operatively connected to said conveyor for indexing said work carrying means from station to station along said conveyor, a plurality of machine tools spaced along said conveyor at said stations, control means in each machine responsive to data for controlling the machine functions, a central source of data connectable through data transmitting means to said control means and representing the desired functions of each machine along the conveyor, means at each of said stations for sensing the position of the work carrying means along said conveyor, and means connectable between said central source of data and said control means and responsive to said work carrying sensing means for transmitting the data from said central source to each of said control means.

15. In a machine tool production line a plurality of machine tools spaced along a work advancing conveyor;

workholders on said conveyor and adapted to be advanced from one machine tool to another by said conveyor, data storage means connectable through data transmitting means to said machine tools for controlling and programing the movement functions of the machines, means connecting said data storage means with said conveyor for advancing said data storage means from machine tool to machine tool, and means at each of said machine tools and connectable with said data storage means for transmitting the data in said data storage means to said machine tool and controlling the machine function of said machine tool.

16. In a machine tool production line as defined in claim 15, and further including automatic means for bringing said transmitting means into operative relationship with said data storage means when the data storage means are indexed adjacent the transmitting means by the conveyor, said transmitting means being adapted to automatically transmit the data in said data storage means, and each machine tool including control means responsive to said data for controlling the movements of the associated machine tool in accordance with the program data on said data storage means.

17. An automatic production apparatus comprising a. a plurality of power operated machines located at stations along a path;

b. conveyor means for simultaneously transporting a plurality of individual work carrier means along said path to said stations;

c. a plurality of individual work carrier means located on said conveyor for transferring work to selected of said machines;

d. command control means arranged for operative connection to said machines for selectively operating said machines to variably control each machine to perform programed operations on work held by each carrier means when said carrier means is situated at a station and prepositioned with repsect to a respective machine;

e. said command control means including a record member on each of said carrier means, each record member containing a plurality of command control recordings, each recording defining a control message and selected of said messages being operative for variably controlling selected of said machines to each perform a series of selected operations on the work held by the carrier means in accordance with said selected messages;

f. at least one photoelectric reading means at each machine for reading selected recordings on said record member and each operative to generate an output signal when the carrier means is predeterminately located with respect to an associated machine for controlling said associated machine to perform preprogramed operations on work held by the carrier in accordance with the recordings read thereby;

g. means at each station for predeterminately positioning each of said work carrier means with respect to those machines of said plurality of machines to be controlled by the command control means;

h. means at each station for operatively connecting the output of each of said photoelectric reading means with an associated machine when reading a selected recording on said record member to predeterminately control the machine; and

i. means at each station operative upon the completion of operations by any machine on work held by the carrier means for initiating movement of the carrier means along said path to the next machine to be controlled in its operation on work held by the carrier.

18. An automatic production apparatus comprising a. a plurality of power operated machines located at stations along a path;

b. conveyor means for simultaneously transporting a plurality of individual work carrier means along said path to said stations;

c. a plurality of individual work carrier means located on said conveyor for transferring work to selected of said machines;

d. command control means arranged for operative connection to said machines for selectively operating said machines to variably control each machine to perform programed operations on work held by each carrier means when said carrier means is situated at a station and prepositioned with respect to a respective machine;

e. said command control means including a record member on each of said carrier means, each record member containing a plurality of command control recordings, each recording defining a control message and selected of said messages being operative for variably controlling selected of said machines to each perform a series of selected operations on the work held by the carrier means in accordance with said selected messages;

f. means at each station for predeterminately positioning each of said work carrier means with respect to those machines of said plurality of machines to be controlled by the command control means;

g. coupling means on each of said carriers and machines, said coupling means comprising electro-mechanical means and a servo device operative to actuate a device aligned therewith upon predeterminately positioning the carrier at a machine, said coupling means further comprising a modulatable variable radiation generating means supported on each of said carriers and receiving means associated with each machine for detecting variations in radiation of said generating means; and

h. means at each station operative upon the completion of operations by any machine on work held by the carrier means for initiating movement of the carrier means along said path to the next machine to be controlled in its operation on work held by the carrier.

19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 wherein said radiation generating means is an intensity variable light source and control means for modulating said light source, and said receiving means comprising photoelectric transducer means operative to receive light from said light source and produce an electrical output signal which varies with variations in the intensity of said light source for controlling the associated machine.

20. An automatic production apparatus comprising a. a plurality of power operated machines located at stations along a path;

b. conveyor means for simultaneously transporting a plurality of individual work carrier means along said path to said stations;

c. a plurality of individual work carrier means located on said conveyor for transferring work to selectEd of said machines;

d. command control means arranged for operative connection to said machines for selectively operating said machines to variably control each machine to perform programed operations on work held by each carrier means when said carrier means is situated at a station and prepositioned with respect to a respective machine;

e. said command control means including a record member on each of said carrier means, each record member containing a plurality of command control recordings, each recording defining a control message and selected of said messages being operative for variably controlling selected of said machines to each perform a series of selected operations on the work held by the carrier means in accordance with said selected messages;

f. a plurality of reading means for reading selected recordings on said record member including at least one reading means at each machine and each operative to generate a selected message when the carrier means is predeterminately located with respect to a selected machine;

g. means at each station for predeterminately positioning each of said work carrier means with respect to those machines of said plurality of machines to be controlled by the command control means;

h. fluid coupling means disposed on each of said carriers and machines and respective fluid conduits extending from fluid devices on said machines and carriers connected to said coupling means;

i. means at each station for operatively connecting the output of each of said reading means with an associated machine when reading a selected recording on said record member to predeterminately control the machine; and

j. means at each station operative upon the completion of operations by any machine on work held by the carrier means for initiating movement of the carrier means along said path to the next machine to be controlled in its operation on work held by the carrier.

21. An automatic production apparatus comprising a. a plurality of power operated machines located at stations along a path;

b. conveyor means for simultaneously transporting a plurality of individual work carrier means along said path to said stations;

c. a plurality of individual work carrier means located on said conveyor for transferring work to selected of said machines;

d. command control means arranged for operative connection to said machines for selectively operating said machines to variably control each machine to perform programed operations on work held by each carrier means when said carrier means is situated at a station and prepositioned with respect to a respective machine;

e. said command control means including a record member on each of said carrier means, each record member containing a plurality of command control recordings, each recording defining a control message and selected of said messages being operative for variably controlling selected of said machines to each perform a series of selected operations on the work held by the carrier means in accordance with said selected messages;

f. a plurality of reading means for reading selected recordings on said record member including at least one reading means at each machine and each operative to generate a selected message when the carrier means is predeterminately located with respect to a selected machine;

g. said recordings comprising record elements having a plurality of holes in coded array and said reading means comprising fluid amplifier reading means to fluidically sense said holes, said command control means being operative to receive the fluid signals generated by sensing said recordings and effect control of said carrier and machine;

h. means at each station for predeterminately positioning each of said work carrier means with respect to those machines of said plurality of machines to be controlled by the command control means;

i. means at each station for operatively connecting the output of each of said reading means With an associated machine when reading a selected recording on said record member to predeterminately control the machine; and

j. means at each station operative upon the completion of operations by any machine on work held by the carrier means for initiating movement of the carrier means along said path to the next machine to be controlled in its operation on work held by the carrier.

22. A work supporting device for supporting a workpiece adjacent a machine which performs operations on the workpiece comprising:

a workholder, means on the workholder for fixing a workpiece thereto, and numerical program data means on the workholder for controlling the operations of the machine on the workpiece.

23. A work supporting device for carrying a workpiece between a plurality of machine tool stations where operations are performed on the workpiece comprising:

a workholder, means on the workholder for locating and fixing a workpiece thereon, and a plurality of programs on said workholder;

each adapted to control and program the operations to be performed at one of the machine tool stations.

24. A work supporting device for carrying a workpiece from one machine station to another, comprising:

a workholder, means on the workholder for fixing a workpiece thereto, a plurality of programs on said workholder, each adapted to command the operations to be performed at one of the machine stations; and

locating means on said workholder adapted to engage a portion of the machine station for locating the workpiece with respect to the machine station.

25. An automated machine tool station, comprising:

a machine tool for performing operations on a workpiece, a workholder adapted to support the workpiece and located adjacent the machine tool, means on the workholder for locating and fixing a workpiece thereto, numerical data program means on the workholder for controlling and programing the operations and function of the machine tool while performing operations on the workpiece, and control means on said machine tool connectable to said program means and responsive to said numerical data program means for controlling a plurality of machine functions.

26. An automated production line wherein workpieces of a different character are transferred from one machine station to another, comprising:

a conveyor for advancing the workpieces;

a plurality of machine tools spaced along said conveyor;

a plurality of workholders on said conveyor adapted to be advanced thereby from one machine tool to another, means on each of said workholders for locating and fixing a workpiece thereon, a plurality of programs on said workholders, each program being adapted to command the functions of one of the machine tools, locating means on each of the workholders adapted to engage corresponding locating means adjacent each of the machine tools to align the workpieces with respect to the machine tools; and

control means on each of the machine tools responsive to said programs for controlling a plurality of the functions thereof.

27. An automated production line in which workpieces of the same and different character are transferred from one machine station to another comprising:

conveyor means extending along a predetermined path, a plurality of machine tools spaced along said conveyor means, a plurality of workholders on said conveyor means adapted to be advanced thereby from one machine tool to another, means on each of said workholders for locating and fixing a workpiece thereon, numerical program data means for controlling selected machine tools, said numerical program data means being arranged to be indexed with said workholders by said conveyor means from one machine tool to another, and means for connecting said machine tools to said numerical program data means for transferring data.