Vehicle for facilitating assembly verification test

• US 6,202,824 B1
• Filed: 06/15/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, James N., Goss, Virginia J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Application Number:
  US09/333,432
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 198/346.1, 198/369.1, 198/574, 198/346.2
• US Class Current: 198/346.2
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/1442 using carts carrying work holders

Abstract

An assembly verification test uses a sliding cart to transport work-in-process units from an assembly facility to a test area. The cart has a generally square frame with multiple vertical and horizontal frame members. The front end of the cart has wheels that engage the floor. The rearward end of the cart has wheels that are vertically offset from the front wheels and ride along a chassis of the test station that is located above the floor. The upper end of the cart has guide rails for slidably receiving work unit trays from assembly and offloading the trays to the test area. The wheels allow the cart to move laterally from side to side along the length of the test area so that the cart may be easily repositioned in front of any of the test slots.

Claims

1. A method of transferring product, comprising the steps of:

providing a product output device having a longitudinal axis;

providing a test area spaced apart from the product output device and having a plurality of longitudinal, parallel test stations with guide rails mounted to a laterally-oriented chassis, the chassis being substantially perpendicular to the guide rails of the test stations;

locating a transfer vehicle between the product output device and the test area and mounted to the chassis, the transfer vehicle having a frame with a set of guide rails mounted on an upper end, the guide rails of the transfer vehicle being substantially level with the product output device and substantially parallel to the guide rails of the test stations;

receiving and supporting a product with rollers on the transfer vehicle from the product output device;

preventing the product from accidentally falling off the cart with a set of movable mechanical stops on the transfer vehicle;

engaging the chassis with a first set of wheels on the transfer vehicle;

moving the transfer vehicle laterally relative to the product output device and the test area while engaging the floor with a second set of wheels mounted to a lower end of the transfer vehicle, the second set of wheels being vertically offset from the first set of wheels;

repositioning the transfer vehicle with the product in front of one of the test stations of the test area; and

offloading the product into said one of the test stations for testing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving one product at a time with the transfer vehicle from a single delivery point of the product output device, and delivering the product to one of six test stations of the test area.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving products from the test stations that have been tested with a power conveyor located opposite the transfer vehicle adjacent to the test area.