Armature pallet
First Claim
1. A pallet for transporting an armature of a dynamoelectric machine along an armature manufacturing line, said armature having a shaft, said shaft having first and second shaft ends, said pallet comprising:
- a base; and
at least one pair of spaced apart supports on said base;
wherein;
said at least one pair of spaced apart supports has at least two sets of seats for receiving said first and second shaft ends, each of said sets including first and second seats;
said first seat of each of said at least two sets of seats is on one member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports, and said second seat of each of said at least two sets of seats is on another member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports;
said first and second seats of a first of said sets of seats are in a first seat configuration for accepting said armature when said armature is in a first armature configuration; and
said first and second seats of another of said sets of seats are in another seat configuration for accepting said armature when said armature is in another armature configuration different from said first armature configuration;
whereby;
when said pallet transports an armature along said armature manufacturing line and said armature is altered, at a station of said manufacturing line, from one of said first and another armature configurations to another of said first and another armature configurations, said armature is placed in one of said first and another sets of seats according to said another of said first and another armature configurations.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pallet and system for transporting armatures along an armature manufacturing line, where the armatures may change in configuration at different stations of the manufacturing line, accommodates the various configurations without requiring a change of pallets at a station at which a configuration change occurs. The pallet has multiple sets of seats, each set corresponding to one of the configurations that the armature may assume during processing. Whenever the configuration of the armature changes from a first configuration to a second configuration, the armature, having been removed from a set of seats that accommodates the first configuration, is replaced in a set of seats accommodating the second configuration. One way of accomplishing the transfer is, after lifting the armature from the first set of seats, allowing the pallet to advance by the distance separating the first and second sets of seats. The armature can then be lowered directly into the second set of seats without the need for lateral movement.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A pallet for transporting an armature of a dynamoelectric machine along an armature manufacturing line, said armature having a shaft, said shaft having first and second shaft ends, said pallet comprising:
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a base; and at least one pair of spaced apart supports on said base;
wherein;said at least one pair of spaced apart supports has at least two sets of seats for receiving said first and second shaft ends, each of said sets including first and second seats; said first seat of each of said at least two sets of seats is on one member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports, and said second seat of each of said at least two sets of seats is on another member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports; said first and second seats of a first of said sets of seats are in a first seat configuration for accepting said armature when said armature is in a first armature configuration; and said first and second seats of another of said sets of seats are in another seat configuration for accepting said armature when said armature is in another armature configuration different from said first armature configuration;
whereby;when said pallet transports an armature along said armature manufacturing line and said armature is altered, at a station of said manufacturing line, from one of said first and another armature configurations to another of said first and another armature configurations, said armature is placed in one of said first and another sets of seats according to said another of said first and another armature configurations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for transporting an armature of a dynamoelectric machine along an armature manufacturing line, said armature having a shaft, said shaft having first and second shaft ends, said armature being altered in shape at stations of said manufacturing line, said system comprising:
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a pallet for holding said armature; a conveyor for transporting said pallet, holding said armature, past said stations of said manufacturing line, defining a path of pallet movement; and a respective brake for stopping a pallet at each station of said manufacturing line;
wherein;said pallet comprises; a base, and at least one pair of spaced apart supports on said base; said at least one pair of spaced apart supports has at least two sets of seats for receiving said first and second shaft ends, each of said sets including first and second seats, a first set of seats being separated from another of said sets of seats by a separation distance; said first seat of each of said at least two sets of seats is on one member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports, and said second seat of each of said at least two sets of seats is on another member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports; said first and second seats of said first of said sets of seats are in a first seat configuration for accepting said armature when said armature is in a first armature configuration; and said first and second seats of said another of said sets of seats are in another seat configuration for accepting said armature when said armature is in another armature configuration different from said first armature configuration;
whereby;when said pallet transports an armature along said armature manufacturing line and said armature is altered, at a station of said manufacturing line, from one of said first and another armature configurations to another of said first and another armature configurations, said armature is placed in one of said at least two sets of seats according to said another of said first and another armature configurations. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for transporting an armature of a dynamoelectric machine along an armature manufacturing line, said armature having a shaft, said shaft having first and second shaft ends, said armature being altered in shape at at least one station of said manufacturing line, said method comprising:
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holding said armature on a pallet; transporting said pallet, holding said armature, past said stations of said manufacturing line; and stopping said pallet at stations of said manufacturing line;
wherein, when said pallet comprises a base, and at least one pair of spaced apart supports on said base;said holding comprises; providing said pallet with at least two sets of seats for receiving said first and second shaft ends, each of said sets including first and second seats, a first set of seats being separated from another of said sets of seats by a separation distance, providing said first seat of each of said at least two sets of seats on one member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports, and said second seat of each of said at least two sets of seats on another member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports, providing said first and second seats of a first of said sets of seats in a first seat configuration for accepting said armature when said armature is in a first armature configuration, and providing said first and second seats of said another of said sets of seats in another seat configuration for accepting said armature when said armature is in another armature configuration different from said first armature configuration; and said method further comprises; removing said armature from one of said first and second sets of seats for processing when said pallet is stopped at one of said at least one station; processing said armature at said one of said at least one station; and returning said armature after processing at said one of said at least one station (a) to said first set of seats when, after said processing step, said armature is in said first armature configuration, and (b) to said another set of seats when, after said processing step, said armature is in said another armature configuration. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for transporting an armature of a dynamoelectric machine along an armature manufacturing line, said armature having a shaft, said shaft having first and second shaft ends, said armature being altered in shape at at least one station of said manufacturing line, said method comprising:
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holding said armature on a pallet; transporting said pallet, holding said armature, past said stations of said manufacturing line; and stopping said pallet at stations of said manufacturing line;
wherein, when said pallet comprises a base, and at least one pair of spaced apart supports on said base;said holding comprises; providing said pallet with at least two sets of seats for receiving said first and second shaft ends, each of said sets including first and second seats, providing said first seat of each of said at least two sets of seats on one member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports, and said second seat of each of said at least two sets of seats on another member of said at least one pair of spaced apart supports, one of said sets of seats being for accepting said armature when said armature is in a first armature configuration, and another of said sets of seats being for accepting said armature when said armature is in another armature configuration different from said first armature configuration; and said method further comprises; removing said armature from one of said first and second sets of seats for processing when said pallet is stopped at one of said at least one station; processing said armature at said one of said at least one station to assume said another armature configuration; during said processing, moving said seats relative to said one of said at least one station so that one of said sets of seats corresponding to said another armature configuration is in position to receive said armature, and returning said armature after processing at said one of said at least one station to said one of said sets of seats corresponding to said another armature configuration. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification