Automatic storing equipment

• US 4,639,187 A
• Filed: 07/16/1984
• Issued: 01/27/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Company
• Original Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Company
• Inventors: Maruyama, Asao, Miyagawa, Kohzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, David A.
• Application Number:
  US06/630,951
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 414/277, 414/280, 414/281, 414/282, 414/283, 414/286, 414/787, 414/661-663, 414/659, 324/158 F, 191/1 R, 191/2-4, 108/51.1, 198/465.1
• US Class Current: 414/787
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0407 using stacker cranes constructional features of stacker cranes B66F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/133 the circuit being confined in a horizontal plane

Abstract

An automatic storing equipment which is provided with a carrousel having a number of shelves and capable of automatically storing or taking out articles, such as electronic instruments, onto or from the predetermined shelf and which comprises pallets for carrying thereon the article, carrousel for storing therein the pallets with articles thereon, and a loading/unloading machine for storing or taking out the article onto or from the carrousel enables continuous power-feeding from the storing action to taking out action for the articles by means of characteristic construction. Hence, in a case that an electronic instrument mounted a microcomputer is the object to be stored, the object stored onto the shelves can be continuously energized to execute the programs loaded prior to the storing, thereby enabling perfect automatization of storing and taking out work for the continuous ageing test.

Claims

1. An automatic storing equipment which is capable of automatically storing articles onto each shelf at a carrousel and of automatically taking out the same from each shelf, characterized by providing

pallets for putting thereon said articles and having a power-feeding part to said put on article and two power-receiving parts connected with said power-feeding part,

a loading/unloading machine for storing said pallets onto each shelf and taking out the same therefrom, and

a carrousel means formed in multitiered and multirow construction and capable of stopping the predetermined row at the position where said loading/unloading machine is installed, each of said shelves having a power-feeding part engageable with one power-receiving part at said pallet,

said loading/unloading machine being provided with:

a turntable means which is capable of lifting and lowering;

a shifting means provided on said turntable means and movable horizontally for storing and/or taking out said articles and having a pallet chucking mechanism, and a power-feeding mechanism engageable with another power-receiving part on said pallet, for supplying power to said another power-receiving part of said pallet for energizing said article from the time it is placed on said loading/unloading machine before storing, to the time when said article is removed from said loading/unloading machine after storing.

2. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pallet has a fixing member for said article put on said pallet.

3. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said power-feeding mechanism provided on said shifting mechanism comprises an arm pivoted swingably up and downward to one end side of the shifting stroke thereof, a power-feeding part mounted to the utmost end of said arm, and a driving means for said arm.

4. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 3, wherein said arm of said power-feeding mechanism is divided into two parts at a lengthwise intermediate position, and the portion at the utmost end side is connected rotatably to the portion at the pivot end side.

5. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 3, wherein said shifting means is provided with two limit switches which respectively define the upper limit and lower limit positions of said arm or said power-feeding mechanism.

6. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 3, wherein said power-feeding part of said power-feeding mechanism has plugs projecting downwardly and the another power-receiving part of said pallet being open upwardly so as to engage with said plugs.

7. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said chucking mechanism of said shifting mechanism has;

a chuck comprising a fixed member formed at one end side of a shifting stroke thereof and a movable member engageable with or disengageable from said fixed member; and

a drive means for said movable member;

said pallet having an enaging portion engageable with said movable member.

8. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 7, wherein said movable member of said chuck is mounted to one end of link elements of a parallel link mechanism provided at the fixed member side with a fulcrum of rotation, and is movable vertically in parallel.

9. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 7, wherein said chucking mechanism has limit switches for defining the movement limit positions of said movable member of said chuck.

10. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 7, wherein the engaging portion on said pallet is an elongate slot in which said movable member of said chuck is fitted.

11. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said turntable means on said loading/unloading machine has limit switches for defining shifting limit positions for said shifting mechanism.

12. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said loading/unloading machine has a counterweight balanced in weight with said turntable which is capable of lifting and lowering the position in height of said counterweight being varied according to the position of said turntable.

13. Storage apparatus for both automatically storing articles onto each shelf of a plurality of shelves of a carrousel of said apparatus, and for automatically removing the articles from the shelves, comprising:

pallets for putting thereon said articles and having a power-feeding part to said put-on article and two power-receiving parts connected with said power-feeding part;

a loading/unloading machine for storing said pallets onto each shelf and taking out the same therefrom;

a carrousel means formed in multitiered and multirow construction and capable of stopping a predetermined row at the position where said loading/unloading machine is installed, each of said shelves having a power-feeding part engageable with one power-receiving part at said pallet; and

said loading/unloading machine including;

a turntable means which is capable of lifting and lowering said pallets;

a shifting means provided on said turntable means and movable horizontally for storing and/or taking out said articles and having a pallet chucking mechanism, and a power-feeding mechanism is engageable with another power-receiving part on said pallet, said power-feeding mechanism including an arm pivoted swingably up and downward to one end side of a shifting stroke thereof, a power-feeding part mounted to an utmost end of said arm, and a driving means for said arm.

14. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 13, wherein said arm of said power-feeding mechanism is divided into two parts at a lengthwise intermediate position, and the portion at the utmost end side is connected rotatably to the portion at the pivot end side.

15. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 13, wherein said shifting means is provided with two limit switches which respectively define the upper limit and lower limit swing positions of said arm on said power-feeding mechanism.

16. An automatic storing equipment as set forth in claim 13, wherein said power-feeding part of said power-feeding mechanism has plugs projecting downwardly and the another power-receiving part of said pallet being open upwardly so as to engage with said plugs.