Apparatus for substantially simultaneously processing multiple electric motor parts

• US 5,257,689 A
• Filed: 08/07/1992
• Issued: 11/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Axis Usa, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Axis Usa, Inc.
• Inventors: Lombardi, Massimo, Santandrea, Luciano
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R.
• Application Number:
  US07/927,098
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 198/346.2, 198/468.2, 29/596, 29/732, 29/736, 414/736, 414/783
• US Class Current: 198/468.2
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/048 Multiple gripper units
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/02 servo-actuated
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53143 Motor or generator

Abstract

Multiple electric motor parts are processed simultaneously by apparatus which removes the parts from a conveyor (on which the parts are side by side in a substantially horizontal plane), repositions the parts so that they are vertically above one another, processes the parts while they are thus repositioned, and then returns the parts to the conveyor in their original side by side relationship in a horizontal plane. In addition, a gripper apparatus for electric motor components that can be used to grip components of different sizes, and that can rotationally index electric motor components of different sizes, is provided. The gripper apparatus has two oppositely facing gripper arms with complementary V-shaped faces sized to accommodate a range of sizes of components. The arms are moved together in unison to center and grip the component. After the component has been gripped, an indexing pawl rotates the component. A tooth is urged against the component and stops the rotation when it enters a depression or slot in the component, indicating that the desired angular position has been reached.

Claims

1. Apparatus for substantially simultaneously processing a plurality of electric motor parts, each of said motor parts having a predetermined longitudinal axis, each of said motor parts being delivered to said apparatus by delivery means with any of several angular orientations about its longitudinal axis, and each of said motor parts having to be at least temporarily in a predetermined angular orientation about its longitudinal axis during processing by said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

first means for removing a first motor part from said delivery means and for rotating said first motor part about its longitudinal axis until said first motor part has the predetermined angular portion about its longitudinal axis;

second means for removing a second motor part from said delivery means and for rotating said second motor part about its longitudinal axis until said second motor part has the predetermined angular position about its longitudinal axis; and

third means for engaging said first and second motor parts after rotation by said first and second means and for substantially simultaneously further processing said first and second motor parts.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said third means removes said first and second motor parts from said first and second means prior to further processing said first and second motor parts.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein each of said motor parts includes means for indicating the angular orientation of said motor part about its longitudinal axis, and wherein each of said first and second means includes means for sensing said means for indicating in order to determine when said motor part has the predetermined angular position about its longitudinal axis.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein each of said motor parts is an armature having a substantially cylindrical surface which includes a plurality of slots extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said armature and spaced from one another about the circumference of said cylindrical surface, said slots being said means for indicating the angular orientation of said motor parts about its longitudinal axis.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein said means for sensing in each of said first and second means comprises a member resiliently biased into contact with said cylindrical surface so that said member can move into a slot when said motor part is rotated so that said slot is opposite said member.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein each of said first and second means includes a pawl member insertable in one of said slots for rotating the motor part about its longitudinal axis.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein each of said first and second means includes means for preventing rotation of an associated motor part after said electric motor part has been rotated said predetermined angular position about its longitudinal axis.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein said third means engages said first and second motor parts while said means for preventing rotation of said first and second means are preventing rotation of said first and second motor parts, and wherein said third means removes said first and second motor parts from said first and second means without rotating said first and second motor parts during removal from said first and second means.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein said third means comprises:

means for rotating each of said first and second motor parts about its longitudinal axis by predetermined increments starting from the predetermined angular position of said motor part.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 wherein said third means further comprises:

means for winding at least one coil of wire on each of said first and second motor parts after at least some of said increments of rotation of said first and second motor parts.

11. Apparatus for substantially simultaneously processing a plurality of electric motor parts, each of said motor parts having a predetermined longitudinal axis, each of said motor parts being delivered to said apparatus by delivery means with any of several angular orientations about its longitudinal axis, and each of said motor parts having to be at least temporarily in a predetermined angular orientation about its longitudinal axis during processing by said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

first means for removing a first motor part from said delivery means and for rotating said first motor part about its longitudinal axis until said first motor part has the predetermined angular position about its longitudinal axis;

second means coupled to said first means and for removing a second motor part from said delivery means and for rotating said second motor part about its longitudinal axis until said second motor part has the predetermined angular position about its longitudinal axis;

third means for substantially simultaneously removing said first and second motor parts from said first and second means with the angular orientation of each of said first and second motor parts about its respective longitudinal axis substantially unaltered from the respective predetermined angular position; and

fourth means for substantially simultaneously further processing said first and second motor parts, said fourth means including means for rotating each of said first and second motor parts about its respective longitudinal axis by a respective predetermined amount starting from the respective predetermined angular position in which said third means receives said first and second motor parts from said first and second means.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said fourth means includes means for winding at least one coil of wire on each of said first and second motor parts.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said fourth means includes means for successively winding a plurality of coils of wire on each of said first nd second motor parts, said coils on each of said motor parts being displaced from one another angularly about the longitudinal axis of the motor part, and said fourth means rotating each of said first and second motor parts about its longitudinal axis between winding successive coils.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein said first and second motor parts are armatures, each of said armatures having a substantially cylindrical surface substantially concentric with its longitudinal axis, said cylindrical surface having a plurality of radially inwardly extending slots spaced circumferentially from one another about the longitudinal axis, and wherein each coil is wound so that it passes through two circumferentially spaced slots on the associated armature.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said first and second motor parts are disposed in said third and fourth means so that one of said motor parts is vertically above the other.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein each of said motor parts includes means for indicating the angular orientation of said motor part about its longitudinal axis, and wherein each of said first and second means includes means for sensing said means for indicating in order to determine when said motor part has the predetermined angular position about its longitudinal axis.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein each of said motor parts is an armature having a substantially cylindrical surface substantially concentric with its longitudinal axis, said cylindrical surface being interrupted by a plurality of radially inwardly extending slots spaced circumferentially from one another about the longitudinal axis, said slots being said means for indicating the angular orientation of said armature about its longitudinal axis.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 17 wherein said means for sensing in each of said first and second means comprises a member resiliently biased into contact with said cylindrical surface so that said member can move into a slot when said armature is rotated so that said slot is opposite said member.

19. The apparatus defined in claim 17 wherein each of said first and second means includes a pawl member insertable in one of said slots for rotating the motor part about its longitudinal axis.