Work transport system including pallet transport apparatus

• US 5,577,597 A
• Filed: 02/06/1995
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Akitoshi, Kakida, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US08/384,637
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 198/465.1, 198/465.3, 198/468.6, 198/744, 198/346.2, 414/392, 414/393, 414/416, 414/528, 414/609, 29/430, 29/469, 29/711, 29/771, 29/783, 29/784, 29/791, 29/793, 29/799, 29/824
• US Class Current: 198/465.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/18 Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines conveyors and haulage in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/02 Flow-sheets for conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops

Abstract

A work transport system including pallet handling device for moving works from a loading dock area to a production line of a plant. The pallet handling device includes a pallet delivery route and a pallet collection route. The system includes the pallet handling device, a work loading device, a conveyor, and a work unloading device.

Claims

1. A pallet handling device, providing a pallet delivery route and a pallet return route comprising:

a first lifting device located at a pallet receiving end of the pallet handling device, said first lifting device selectively moving upwardly and downwardly between a low position, a mid-position and a high position, pallets being transferred into the pallet delivery route and out of the pallet return route at said mid-position, said first lifting device receiving a pallet loaded with pieces of work at said mid-position along said pallet delivery route;

an intermediate transport device, which has an upper level transport route and a lower level transport route, positioned adjacent said first lifting device and receiving a pallet loaded with pieces of work, transferred onto said intermediate transport device from said first lifting device when said first lifting device is positioned at its high position, at said upper level transport route along said pallet delivery route, said intermediate transport device being capable of temporarily storing a pallet loaded with pieces of work at said upper transfer level;

a second lifting device positioned adjacent to said intermediate transport device, said second lifting device selectively moving upwardly and downwardly between lower and higher positions, said second lifting device receiving the pallet loaded with pieces of work at said higher position along said pallet delivery route from said intermediate transport device; and

means for removing pieces of work from said pallet while on said second lifting device at said higher position, said second lifting device lowering the pallet after being emptied of said pieces of work along said pallet return route to said lower position, said intermediate transport device transporting the emptied pallet along the pallet return route to said first lifting device when the first lifting device is at said low position.

2. A work transport system for handling automotive components in a production plant, comprising:

a pallet handling device for transporting pallets loaded with one or more pieces of automotive work from a loading dock area to a stock area, and for returning empty pallets unloaded at said stock area back to said loading dock area;

a plurality of supporting arms provided with conveying rollers for supporting the underside of the pallet in the stock area when received from an intermediate transport device of said pallet handling device, and a lifting device located at said stock area for lowering the empty pallet once all the works have been removed from the pallet, said support arms coupled with a mechanism for withdrawing the support arms from the path of movement of said lifting device;

a work loading device for lifting the automotive works from a pallet transported to said stock area by said pallet handling device;

a conveyor positioned adjacent said work loading device, said conveyor receiving pieces of said automotive work transported from the pallet located at said stock area by said work loading device; and

a work unloading device positioned adjacent to a production line in the plant, said work unloading device positioned adjacent a portion of said conveyor, and receiving said work from said conveyor for transporting said work to the production line.

3. The work transport system according to claim 2, wherein said supporting arms are pivotally connected to support structure to allow the arms to be moved out of the path of movement of said lifting device, said mechanism including hydraulic actuators connected to said pivoting arms and the support structure for moving said support arms.

4. A work transport system for handling automotive components in a production plant, comprising:

a pallet handling device for transporting pallets loaded with one or more pieces of automotive work from a loading dock area to a stock area, and for returning empty pallets unloaded at said stock area back to said loading dock area;

a work loading device for lifting the automotive works from a pallet transported to said stock area by said pallet handling device;

a conveyor positioned adjacent said work loading device, said conveyor receiving pieces of said automotive work transported from the pallet located at said stock area by said work loading device; and

a work unloading device positioned adjacent to a production line in the plant, said work unloading device positioned adjacent a portion of said conveyor, and receiving said work from said conveyor for transporting said work to the production line, said work unloading device includes a car travelling on a set of rails extending from said conveyor to said production line, said car provided with pivoting arms having clamps and a lifting device to raise and lower the pivoting arms with clamps, said work unloading device further including locks provided for the travelling car at a receiving point and dropoff point to insure correct positioning of said car at the end of said rails, and including a vertical guide located at a work station of said production line so that when said car is immobilized by said lock at said dropoff point said car will be flush with said vertical guide, and said pivoting arms with clamps can then be lowered to work loading position of said work station.