Apparatus for processing palletized small parts utilizing a robot and a vertical pallet magazine

• US 5,664,322 A
• Filed: 03/22/1996
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Norman D. Best
• Original Assignee: Norman D. Best
• Inventors: Best, Norman D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant, David P.
• Application Number:
  US08/620,220
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 29/701, 29/784, 29/785, 29/792, 29/799, 29/809, 414/788.9, 414/795.7, 414/798, 221/156, 221/221, 221/268, 221/270, 221/281, 221/283, 221/289, 221/294, 221/297
• US Class Current: 29/784
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/004 the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/006 the conveying means comprising a rotating table
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 39/027 consecutive working of toolheads
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 39/028 with a plurality of workholder per toolhead in operating position with only one workholder in operating position B23Q1/66
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/047 the gripper supporting the workpiece during machining
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/1494 using grippers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49769 Using optical instrument [excludes mere human eyeballing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5127 Blank turret
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/519 Turret
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53004 with means to regulate operation by use of templet, tape, card or other replaceable information supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53096 including means to provide a controlled environment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53365 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5337 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/534 Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53435 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53478 with magazine supply

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing and assembling a plurality of small parts weighing under five pounds using a robot employing a rotatable pallet for holding an array of small parts. Said rotatable pallet being held in place on the robot wrist head, which moves the pallet through a plurality of stationary work-stations located within the operating envelope of the robot, and rotates the pallet at each work-station to index the pallet and to present it to the work-station for an operation on a specific part or parts. Said robot participates in the work-station tasks by moving the rotatable pallet in the X, Y, and Z directions as needed. Movable data pins are used to indicate conditions of individual parts in nests, and of the pallet taken as a whole.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a. a robot with a head movable in the X, Y and Z directions, and having an end effector gripper for gripping a rotatable pallet and holding the pallet above the robot head;

b. a vertical magazine for retaining a stack of rotatable pallets, said vertical magazine elevated on a support bracket so that said robot head can be moved under said magazine;

c. said magazine further comprising an open-ended cylindrical body, said stack of rotatable pallets being disposed within the cylindrical body, and a plurality of movable pins circumferentially disposed around an open end of the cylindrical body adjacent to a bottom opening of said cylindrical body and projecting inwardly to prevent a bottom pallet in said stack of rotatable pallets from passing down through the open end of said cylindrical body;

d. said magazine further comprising a plurality of vertical guide blocks disposed along the interior of said cylindrical body for maintaining each of said pallets in a vertically aligned orientation in said magazine,

e. a vertical space between two adjacent ones of said guide blocks for guiding a horizontal feature protruding from a vertical edge of each of said rotatable pallets for rotational alignment of said rotatable pallets in said vertical magazine; and

f. said magazine located within an operating envelope of said robot head.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein a portion of at least one of said guide blocks protrudes into a horizontal recess in a vertical edge of each of said rotatable pallets for rotational alignment of said rotatable pallets in said vertical magazine.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a. a robot with a head movable in the X, Y and Z directions, and having an end effector gripper for gripping a rotatable pallet and holding the pallet above the robot head;

b. a vertical magazine for retaining a stack of rotatable pallets, said vertical magazine elevated on a support bracket so that said robot head can be moved under said magazine;

c. said magazine further comprising an open-ended body, said stack of rotatable pallets being disposed within the open-ended body, and a plurality of pins circumferentially disposed around an open end of the body adjacent to a bottom opening of the body and projecting inwardly to prevent a bottom rotatable pallet in said stack of rotatable pallets from passing down through the open end of the body;

d. said magazine further comprising a plurality of vertical guide blocks disposed along the interior of said body for maintaining each of said rotatable pallets in a vertically aligned orientation in said magazine;

e. a portion of at least one of said guide blocks protruding into a horizontal recess in a vertical edge of each of said rotatable pallets for rotational alignment of said rotatable pallets in said vertical magazine; and

f said magazine located within an operating envelope of said robot head.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 further comprising a vertical space between two adjacent ones of said guide blocks for guiding a horizontal feature protruding from a vertical edge of each of said rotatable pallets for rotational alignment of said rotatable pallets in said vertical magazine.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a. a robot with a head movable in the X, Y and Z directions, and having an end effector gripper for gripping a rotatable pallet and holding the pallet above the robot head;

b. a vertical magazine for retaining at least one rotatable pallet, said vertical magazine elevated on a support bracket so that said robot head can be moved under said magazine;

c. said magazine further comprising an open-ended body, said at least one rotatable pallet being disposed within the open-ended body, and a plurality of pins circumferentially disposed around an open end of the body adjacent to a bottom opening of the body and projecting inwardly to prevent said at least one rotatable pallet from passing down through the open end of the body;

d. said magazine further comprising a plurality of vertical guide blocks disposed along the interior of said body for maintaining said at least one rotatable pallet in a vertically aligned orientation in said magazine; and

e. said magazine located within an operating envelope of said robot head.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a vertical space between two adjacent ones of said guide blocks for guiding a horizontal feature protruding from a vertical edge of said at least one rotatable pallet for rotational alignment of said at least one rotatable pallet in said vertical magazine.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein a portion of at least one of said guide blocks protrudes into a horizontal recess in a vertical edge of said at least one rotatable pallet for rotational alignment of said at least one rotatable pallet in said vertical magazine.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a vertical groove in at least one of said guide blocks.