JPH0415687Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a width changing mechanism for a chute provided on a workpiece traveling path, which is used, for example, in a production line for vehicle wheel rims.

[Conventional technology] Vehicle wheel rims are made by rolling a flat plate material and butt welding the ends to form the rim shape, then leak testing the welded part to check for defects, and then proceeding to the fitting welding process with the disc. However, these are assembled into a series of rim production lines and automated. Immediately after the leak test device, a chute is provided for transporting products that pass the leak test to the next regular process and transport products that fail the leak test to a rejection line.

Multiple types of wheel rims from different car models are passed through the wheel manufacturing line, and when the type of wheel changes, the width and diameter of the wheel changes, so the width of the chute that forms part of the wheel rim running path changes accordingly. must be changed.

For this purpose, in the past, chute was provided with a pair of guide plates that stood parallel to each other on both sides in the width direction of the running path of the workpiece, that is, the wheel rim, and the guide plates were configured to be able to approach and separate from each other in the width direction of the running path. The solution was to adjust the spacing between the guide plates to match the width of the wheel rim that flows along the line, and then tighten the bolts to secure them in place.

[Problem that the invention aims to solve] However, in conventional chute, when changing the width, the bolts fixing the guide plates are loosened or removed each time, and the distance between the guide plates is adjusted by changing the line flowing through the chute. This was done by measuring and adjusting the width of the wheel rim and then tightening bolts to fix the guide plate, which was extremely complicated and required time and effort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a chute width changing mechanism that allows changing the chute width with a simple one-touch operation.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The chute width changing mechanism of the present invention in accordance with the above object is a chute having a pair of guide plates juxtaposed on both sides in the width direction of a workpiece travel path. are configured to be able to approach and separate from each other relative to each other in the width direction, and rotate a stopper having a plurality of grooves at different positions in the width direction on one guide plate side, the groove width of which increases as it approaches the opening end. The stopper receiver is connected to the other guide plate and engages with the groove to restrain movement of the stopper in the width direction.

[Function] In the chute width changing mechanism described above, when the width of the workpiece is changed, the chute width changing mechanism pivots the stopper to remove it from the stopper receiver, approximately adjusts the width between the guide plates, and changes the stopper to the stopper. This is done simply by driving in the receiving direction and engaging the stopper with another groove corresponding to the width of the workpiece in the stopper receiver to constrain the relative position in the width direction. This operation is an extremely simple operation of pivoting the stopper, pivoting it back in the opposite direction, and roughly adjusting the guide plate interval, and greatly facilitates the work of changing the chute width.

By applying this chute width changing mechanism to a wheel rim manufacturing line, various complicated operations conventionally required when changing the type of rim are simplified.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the chute width changing mechanism according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show the case where the present invention is applied to a wheel rim production line. In the figure, a leak test device 3 is installed at the final stage of the tact conveyor 1 to test leaks from the butt welds of the wheel rims 2 using a helium leak test. A chute 4 is provided for transporting passed products to be rolled and slid to the next regular process, and a chute 5 is provided for carrying out rejected products to discharge products that have failed the leak test from the regular line. Of these, the chute 5 for carrying out rejected products has a structure that allows it to rotate around a fulcrum 6, and when it is determined from the signal from the leak test device 3 that rejected products are being sent. One end descends to the official chute 4 and takes position A in the figure, and after holding the defective product in the bent part 7 in the chute 5, it is rotated by the cylinder 8 and bounced to position B in the figure. It is designed to go up and be carried out to a fixed chute 9 for carrying out. A chute 4 for sending accepted products to a regular line is supported by stands 10 and 11, and is inclined so as to gradually descend in the workpiece transport direction. At the rear end of chute 4,
Another chute 12 is arranged, and the chute 1
After receiving the wheel rim 2 from the chute 4, the wheel rim 2 rotates around the fulcrum 13 from the position C in the figure to the position D in the figure, and sends the wheel rim 2 to the next rim sideways falling process 14. There is. The rotation of the chute 12 is driven by a cylinder 15.

The chute 4 and the chute 5 each have a pair of guide plates 4A, 4B and 5A, 5B that are juxtaposed on both sides in the width direction of the work travel path. That is, the chute 4 is divided into guide plates 4A and 4B, and the chute 5 is divided into guide plates 5A and 5B. The guide plate 5A is supported by a guide 17 via a linear bush 16 so as to be movable in the width direction of the workpiece traveling path with respect to the pair of guide plates 5B. Like the guide plates 5A and 5B, the guide plate 4A is supported movably in the width direction of the workpiece travel path with respect to the pair of guide plates 4B. Further, the guide plate 4A has a stopper 19 having a plurality of grooves 18 at width positions corresponding to the type of the workpiece 2.
It is rotatably supported around the center. A stopper receiver 21 that can engage with the groove 18 of the stopper 19 is indirectly connected to the other guide plate 4B. When the groove 18 of the stopper 19 and the stopper receiver 21 are engaged, one of the guide plates 4
A is restricted from moving relative to the other guide plate 4B in the width direction of the workpiece travel path. As in the case of guide plates 4A and 4B, guide plate 5
A stopper 23 having a groove 22 is pivotally connected to the other guide plate 5B.
A stopper receiver 24 that can be engaged with the groove 22 of No. 3 is connected. The number of grooves in the stopper is equal to the number of types of wheel rims 2 that are passed through the wheel rim manufacturing line. The mutual groove positions are set so that the width plus the necessary clearance is obtained. Further, the width of the groove increases as it approaches the opening end of the groove, so that the groove 18 and the stopper receiver 21 can easily engage with each other when the stopper 19 rotates.

Next, the operation of the chute width changing mechanism configured as described above will be explained.

The wheel rim 2, which is intermittently conveyed by the tact conveyor 1, is checked for integrity of the butt weld by a leak test device 3, and then sent to the next process. If the product passes the leak test, the wheel rim 2 rolls and slides on the chute 4 and is sent to the next process. If the product fails the leak test, the chute 5 rotates and the wheel rim 2 is moved to the next step. Pick it up, send it to the chute 9 for carrying out, and carry it out of the line.

When changing the type of wheel rim 2 flowing through the wheel manufacturing line, the width of the chute 4, 5 must be changed in accordance with the width of the wheel rim 2. For this purpose, the chute 4, 5 is divided into guide plates 4A, 4B and 5A, 5B that constitute the walls on both sides, and the guide plate 4A is connected to the guide plate 4B, and the guide plate 5A is connected to the guide plate 5B. On the other hand, the position can be adjusted in the width direction of the workpiece travel path. This adjustment is made by pivoting the stoppers 19 and 23.
The grooves 18, 22 of 9, 23 are connected to the stopper receivers 21, 2.
4, shift the position of the guide plates 4A, 5A from the opposing guide plates 4B, 5B in the width direction, and insert the grooves 18, 22 corresponding to the width of the newly flowing wheel rim 2 into the stopper receivers 21,
This is done by re-engaging 24. Due to this new engagement, the distance between the guide plates 4A and 4B and the distance between the guide plates 5A and 5B are automatically determined to the required distance, and movement in the width direction is restrained at that distance. .

[Effect of the invention] Therefore, the above-mentioned adjustment of the chute width is achieved by rotating the stoppers 19, 23 and the guide plates 4A, 4.
It suffices to move only in the approximate width direction between B, 5A, and 5B.
Therefore, when using the chute width changing mechanism of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the effect that the chute width changing adjustment work can be facilitated. Furthermore, since the width of the stopper groove increases as it approaches the opening end of the groove, the groove and the stopper receiver can smoothly engage with each other when the stopper is rotated.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a front view of a chute width changing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1. 2...Work (for example, wheel rim), 3...
...Leak test device, 4, 5...Shoot, 4
A, 4B, 5A, 5B...Guide plate, 1
8, 22... Groove, 19, 23... Stopper, 2
1,24...Shoot received.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a chute that has a pair of guide plates that are parallel to each other on both sides in the width direction of the workpiece travel path,
The pair of guide plates are configured to be able to approach and separate from each other relatively in the width direction, and one guide plate has a plurality of grooves at different positions in the width direction and whose groove width increases as it approaches the opening end. What is claimed is: 1. A chute width changing mechanism characterized in that a stopper is rotatably connected to the other guide plate, and a stopper receiver is connected to the other guide plate to engage with the groove and restrain the movement of the stopper in the width direction.