Process and arrangement for removing excess material from castings

• US 5,146,714 A
• Filed: 10/25/1989
• Issued: 09/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Werner Luber
• Original Assignee: Werner Luber
• Inventors: Luber, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Rose, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US07/434,677
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 51/281 R, 51/34 C, 51/34 D, 51/35, 51/47, 51/165.71, 51/165.75, 51/165.92, 901/16, 901/22, 901/41
• US Class Current: 451/5
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 31/00 Cutting-off surplus material, e.g. gates; Cleaning and working on castings B22D17/2076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/044 the saw blade being adjustable according to angle of cut B23D45/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 59/008 comprising computers
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0019 End effectors other than grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/046 Revolute coordinate type
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1015 using additional, e.g. microadjustment of the end effector

Abstract

A cut-off arrangement comprises a multiple-arm industrial robot (100) with a support arm in the form of an articulated lever (7). One end of the lever is mounted in a stanchion (8) so as to pivot about a horizontal and a vertical axis. The workpiece holder (18), on which the cutting-off disk (13) moves linearly on sliding means (22, 23), is hingedly supported at the other end of the lever. The adjusting devices of the robot (100) are hydraulic cylinders (11; 16; 17; 19) or hydraulic servomotors (20, 21) which can be centrally controlled and immobilized.

Claims

1. An apparatus for removing excess material from a casting, comprising:

a rotating abrasive cut-off disk;

a tool holder carrying said abrasive cut-off disk and provided with means enabling linear advance of said cut-off disk relative to said casting on said tool holder to remove excess material from said casting;

a multiple-arm industrial orbit carrying said tool holder at a free end of said multiple-arm industrial robot, said multiple-arm industrial robot having a multiplicity of mutually displaceable angularly adjustable parts enabling positioning of said tool holder at a predetermined location adjacent said casting; and

centrally control and lockable hydraulic actuators between said parts whereby all of said mutually displaceable angularly adjustable parts can be rigidly locked relative to one another under central control upon positioning of said tool holder at said predetermined location for subsequent linear displacement of said cut-of disk relative to si casting on said tool holder to remove said excess material, said multiple-arm industrial robot having a stand pivotable about a vertical axis relative to a stationary support and forming one pair of said mutually displaceable angularly adjustable parts, an articulated leer supported on said stand and pivotable about a horizontal axis and forming with said stand at least one other pair of said mutually displaceable angularly adjustable parts, said tool holder forming with said leer another pair of said mutually displaceable angularly adjustable parts.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said articulated lever comprises a stand side portion pivotally connected to aid stand and a free portion pivotally connected to said stand side portions at least one hydraulic cylinder being provided between said portions, at leas tone hydraulic cylinder being provided between said stand side portion and said free portion and articulated to both said stand side portion and said free portion.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said tool holder is rotatbly supported at an end of said free portion so as to be pivotable about three mutually perpendicular axes, a first of said mutually perpendicular axes extending horizontally through said end of said free portion.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 further comprising at least one hydraulic cylinder connected to said tool holder and said free portion for rotating said holder about said first axis.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein hydraulic servomotors are provided to rotate said tool holder bout respective others of said mutually perpendicular taxes.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 further comprising a hydraulic motor connected to said disk or driving same.