Article delivery apparatus

• US 4,687,403 A
• Filed: 09/19/1984
• Issued: 08/18/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motoda Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Motoda Electronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoda, Kenro
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRIZEK, JANICE LEE
• Application Number:
  US06/652,003
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 414/222, 414/225, 414/331, 414/750, 414/751, 414/752, 414/753, 414/32, 414/417, 414/37
• US Class Current: 414/788.4
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 60/00 Simultaneously or alternatively stacking and de-stacking of articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/00 Loading or unloading of vehicles B65G67/00

Abstract

An article delivery apparatus carries out article delivery in a factory and so on through trays comprising, a main body having a tray supply portion for loading a tray stack including a plurality of trays stacked one upon another and an article delivery portion for positioning the tray transferred from the tray supply portion so as to allow an article delivery operation, a transfer device provided in association with the tray supply portion and the article delivery portion for feeding the tray from the tray supply portion to the article delivery portion and returning the tray after completion of the article delivery operation to a lower portion of the tray supply portion, and a lift provided in the vicinity of the tray supply portion for feeding the tray of the tray stack to the transfer device and receiving the tray after completion of the article delivery operation returned to the lower portion of the tray supply portion.

Claims

1. An article delivery/receiving apparatus for delivering/receiving articles through the use of trays in a factory, comprising:

a main body adapted to be disposed in the vicinity of a working station, and a carrier containing a stack of trays therein; and

said main body including;

a tray loading/unloading portion having a space for encasing said carrier, and said carrier containing said stack of trays which is adapted to be loaded or unloaded;

a tray engaging neans provided in said tray loading/unloading portion and being sequentially engageable with each lowermost tray and the next lowermost tray of the stack, whereby said lowermost tray is released from said stack of trays;

first and second article delivery/receiving portions formed at an upper portion of said main body to allow for cooperation with a working robot, and each being disposed in juxtaposition to said tray loading/unloading portion;

a lift means, for stepwise vertical movement of said stack of trays to permit unstacking of said stack of trays as well as separate restacking of returned trays on top of said lift means;

first upper lateral feeding means provided in said main body for laterally shifting said lowermost tray to and from said first article delivery/receiving portion; and

a second upper lateral feeding means provided in said main body for laterally shifting the next lowermost tray to and from said second article delivery receiving portion.

2. An article delivery/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stack of trays are stacked in the vertical direction and said trays are loadable/unloadable in said tray loading/unloading portion of said main body.

3. An article delivery/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second upper lateral feeding means are each arranged to shift said lowermost tray located at an uppermost position in said tray loading/unloading portion and wherein trays are returned on top of said lift means.

4. An article delivery/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further including a discharge means for discharging trays on said lift means.

5. An article delivery/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further including stepwise movement of a stack of said trays that are returned, and said discharge means being engageable with said stack of returned trays so as to further move said return trays.

6. An article delivery/receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second upper lateral feeding means are arranged in crossing directions.

7. An article delivery/receiving apparatus for delivering/receiving articles through the use of trays in a factory, comprising:

a main body adapted to be disposed in the vicinity of a working station, and a carrier containing a stack of trays therein; and

said main body including;

a tray loading/unloading portion having a space for encasing said carrier, and said carrier containing said stack of trays which is adapted to be loaded or unloaded;

a tray engaging means provided in said tray loading/unloading portion and being sequentially engageable with each lowermost tray and the next lowermost tray of the stack, whereby said lowermost tray is released from said stack of trays;

first and second article delivery/receiving portions formed at an upper portion of said main body to allow for cooperation with a working robot;

a lift means, for stepwise vertical movement of said stack of trays, to permit unstacking of said stack of trays as well as separate restacking of returned trays on top of said lift means;

a first upper lateral feeding means provided in said main body for laterally shifting said lowermost tray to and from said first article delivery/receiving portion;

a second upper lateral feeding means provided in said main body for laterally shifting the next lowermost tray to and from said second article delivery/receiving portion, wherein said first and second upper lateral feeding means are laterally arranged; and

a transfer means between said first and second upper lateral feeding means for shifting a tray in a crossing direction disposed orthogonally to the laterally shifting directions of said first and second upper lateral feeding means.