Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J9/00—Program-controlled manipulators
  • B25J9/0096—Program-controlled manipulators co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
  • B23Q1/00—Members which are comprised in the general build-up of a form of machine, particularly relatively large fixed members
  • B23Q1/25—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports
  • B23Q1/44—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms
  • B23Q1/50—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms with rotating pairs only, the rotating pairs being the first two elements of the mechanism
  • B23Q1/54—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms with rotating pairs only, the rotating pairs being the first two elements of the mechanism two rotating pairs only
  • B23Q1/5406—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms with rotating pairs only, the rotating pairs being the first two elements of the mechanism two rotating pairs only a single rotating pair followed perpendicularly by a single rotating pair
  • B23Q1/5412—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports using particular mechanisms with rotating pairs only, the rotating pairs being the first two elements of the mechanism two rotating pairs only a single rotating pair followed perpendicularly by a single rotating pair followed perpendicularly by a single rotating pair
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
  • B23Q1/00—Members which are comprised in the general build-up of a form of machine, particularly relatively large fixed members
  • B23Q1/25—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports
  • B23Q1/64—Movable or adjustable work or tool supports characterised by the purpose of the movement
  • B23Q1/66—Worktables interchangeably movable into operating positions

Definitions

• This invention relates to a work positioner which is primarily though not necessarily exclusively intended for use with an industrial robot.
• the invention is particularly intended to enable a manner of working in which a robot performs programmed operations on an item of work while a fresh item is prepared or loaded or unloaded from the work support at a location out of reach of the robot.
• the invention is particularly though not exclusively useful for use in conjunction with a robot which performs a welding operation.
• a presently preferred formof work positioner comprises a frame mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, at least two work-tables each of which is rotatable about an axis normal to a workface of the respective table, a respective motor for rotating each work-table, a support which permits pivoting of the respective work-table about a horizontal axis, respective drive means for controlling the pivoting of each table, and actuating means for
• OMPI co trollably pivoting the frame about its axis whereby the frame is movable to bring one table into a position formerly occupied by another of. the work-tables.
• Figure 1 illustrates a workpositioner shown in conjunction with an industrial robot
• Figure 2 is a plan view from above of the work positioner shown in Figure 1.
• FIG. 1 of the drawings is shown a work positioner 1 inconjunction with an industrial robot 2.
• This industrial robot is mounted in a fixed position, though it can rotate about a vertical axis.
• a first brachium 3 and a second brachium 4 it can move a fore arm 5 which at its distal end has a wrist 6 which can carry a tool, for example a welding head.
• the robot 2 can perform operations in a region shown by the shaded area 7.
• Robots of this general character are disclosed, for example, in British Patent Specification No. 2061872A.
• OMPI aforementioned specification are quite versatile and useful but, as shown by Figure 1, they necessarily have a restricted region of operation. It is, of course, possible to use a robot adjacent a production line but if essentially only one task is to be performed by the robot the use of a conveyor for traversing work- pieces past the robot is inconvenient and wasteful.
• Certain operations particularly welding, require rotation of the workpiece while the work is performed on it and may require pivoting of the workpiece about a horizontal axis because, for example, the welding tool cannot always reach the rear face of the workpiece.
• One embodiment of the invention which so far as it concerns construction of a work positioner is illustrated to the left-hand side of Figure 1, is intended to facilitate the simultaneous loading of a workpiece on to a work-table while another (usually similar) item of work is receiving treatment from a tool carried by a single robot.
• the main purpose of the work positioner shown in the left-hand part of Figure 1 is to provide two rotatable and tiltable work-tables each of which can be rapidly moved to occupy the position of the other. A more comples embodiment having more work-tables . may be feasible.
• the work positioner 1 is mounted on a base plate 8 which for convenience also carries the robot 2 and which rests o a floor 9.
• the work positioner 1 comprises a central column 10 which at its upper end carries a slew bearing 11 providing a vertical pivot axis for a frame 12.
• the frame 12 carries, one at each end, two rotatable work-tables 13 and 14. These are similar and in the following only one will be described in detail.
• the work-table 13 is mounted on a support 15 which carries a motor, preferably a stepping motor 16 which is connected by means of appropriate drive- shafts and gearing to the table 13 to effect rotation thereof about an axis normal to and preferably centrally of the upper surface of the work-table 13.
• a motor preferably a stepping motor 16 which is connected by means of appropriate drive- shafts and gearing to the table 13 to effect rotation thereof about an axis normal to and preferably centrally of the upper surface of the work-table 13.
• the tables may be provided with slots through which the work fixtures can be bolted in the normal manner but it is also intended that the fixtures can be permanently • secured to their tables with the latter mounted on their drive shafts by easily removable couplings so that the complete table and fixture can be changed for another different unit.
• This arrangement saves weight and allows an increase in the actual job weight which can be handled by the tables. It is also of use independently of the other features of the positioner.
• the support 15 is, together with the table 13 that it carries, tiltable about a horizontal axis provided by a pivot 18 in a bracket 17 carried at the respective end of the frame 12.
• the support 15 is connected by means of a hinge coupling 24 and a precision screw jack 23 to a • further motor 19 mounted on the frame 12 which by rotation of the worm in the jack effects tilting of the support and thereby tilting of the table 13 about the horizontal pivot axis.
• the table 14 is rotated by the motor 16a_ and tilted by means of the motor 13a.
• an actuator 20 for effecting pivoting of the frame 12 comprising a rack and pinion operated by a pair of pneumatic cylinders 21 and 22.
• the cylinder 21 causes pivoting of the frame for 180 about its vertical pivot axis to bring the table 13 into the position formerly occupied by the table 14 and converse operation of the cylinder 22 will pivot the frame in the reverse direction to restore the original positions of the work-tables.
• the robot may perform operations on the table 14 while the table 13 is loaded and vice versa.
• a screen 25 may be provided above the actuator 20 to protect the operator from arc flash and splatter.
• Figure 2 illustrates the work positioner from above and particularly shows the disposition of the cylinders 21 and 22. It also shows the jacks 23 associated with the support 15 and frame 12, with respect to one work-table 14, a similar arrangement of parts (not shown) being provided for the other table.
• Pneumatic pressure may be made available at the centre of each table by means of a coaxial line which extends axially of the work-table and is connected to a source by a flexible coupling.
• the operation of the work positioner can be programmed in association with the welding operation of the robot so that an appropriate face of the workpiece located on the work-table being used, is positioned in the most suitable plane for the weld to be applied.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Robotics (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)
• Machine Tool Units (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10524378

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (16)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1981
  • 1981-09-08 GB GB08127146A patent/GB2105234A/en not_active Withdrawn
• 1982
  • 1982-09-08 WO PCT/GB1982/000266 patent/WO1983000828A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1982-09-08 JP JP57502684A patent/JPS58501420A/ja active Pending
  • 1982-09-08 EP EP19820902684 patent/EP0087449A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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