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Automatic work exchanging apparatus

  • US 4,566,837 A
  • Filed: 10/12/1984
  • Issued: 01/28/1986
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1981
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An automatic work exchanging apparatus for transferring palletized workpieces between a transport truck, automatically conveying a palletized workpiece from a remote location to a position in front of a selectable one of a plurality of machine tools, and said machine tool, comprising:

  • a transfer truck laterally displacable along a set of rails in front of the machine tool, said transfer truck being positioned between and adjacent to said machine tool and said transport truck in response to an external command;

    a generally rectangular platform vertically movable along supports positioned at the four corners and at the center of each of the longer sides of said platform, said rectangle being so oriented as to have the longer sides parallel with the direction of displacement of the transfer truck;

    a pair of pistons, vertically disposed between said transfer truck and said platform, cooperatively operable to cause said vertical motion of said platform so as to maintain said platform in a substantially horizontal orientation; and

    at least one pallet displacing device, positioned on and affixed to said platform;

    wherein each said pallet displacing device further comprises;

    a slidable member;

    guide rails disposed on the platform for guiding said slidable member;

    guide rollers supporting the slidable member enabling said slidable member to be moved in a direction perpendicular to the extent of the rails on which the transfer truck travels;

    two pinions, one supported at each end of the slidable member, each of said pinions being capable of engaging a rack on a pallet carrying said workpiece;

    switch means for detecting the position of the slidable member; and

    a driving device for operating the slidable member, said driving device having a second rack provided on a lower face of the slidable member and a third pinion driven by a motor mounted on the platform, said third pinion being engaged with the second rack, said one of the two pinions supported on said slidable member closer the transport truck being driven by a motor on the slidable member through sprockets and a first chain, and the other of the two pinions, supported on said slidable member closer to the machine tool, being driven by a second chain provided between a further sprocket coaxial with the former pinion and another sprocket so that said pinions are rotated in a same direction with an identical speed.

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