ES354741A1 - Workpiece handling or loading mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A workpiece transfer mechanism suitable e.g. for transferring a gear cluster to a position between centres in a gear shaving machine, comprises a loading arm 4 with workpiece gripping jaws 7, 8 the arm being reciprocable by means of a fluid pressure operated piston and cylinder device 6, 2 to present workpieces 51 to a turret 40 which is indexable to carry the workpiece to a position 43 in which it may be received by the centres and machined. Finished workpieces are carried round by the turret on successive indexing movements and presented to the jaws of the loading arm which, on retraction, carries the finished workpiece back to a conveyer on surface 1. The loading arm 4 is an extension of the piston 6 and the latter is provided with a groove 70, 22, 23 which co-operates on forward or reverse movement, with a detent 21 to turn the arm 4 together with the jaws 7, 8 and workpiece 51 through 90 degrees thus turning the workpiece from the vertical position to a horizontal position or vice versa as it is transferred to or from the turret 40. Limit switches (Figs. 1, 3, not shown) control the extent of movement of the arm 4. Jaws 7, 8 open automatically against spring pressure at the ends of the retraction and forward strokes respectively by the action of pins 14, 15 and 52, 53 abutting fixed surfaces. Indexing of the turret is effected by an hydraulic indexing mechanism 41 which transmits indexing drive movement to a turret end plate 82 through springs 61. This if the workgear does not come into mesh properly with the gear shaving cutter the index mechanism completes its indexing movement but the turret fails to complete its indexing movement the lost motion being taken up by the springs 61. Suitably arranged switches 62, 63 detect this condition and control a partial reverse movement of the index mechanism together with a jogging action of the gear shaver before indexing is again attempted in the forward direction to achieve correct meshing. The turret comprises a hub sleeve 81 with end plates 48, 49 in which are formed two sets of workpiece seatings 50, 80 in order to bring a different set of seatings 50 or 80 into use the turret can be slid on shaft 73 against the pressure of spring 84, turned through the requisite angle, e.g. 30 degrees and re-engaged in new angular relation with the drive pins 83 by which drive is transmitted from the turret end plate 82.