公开(公告)号：US06651799B1

公开(公告)日：2003-11-25

申请号：US09897746

申请日：2001-07-02

申请人： Robert R. Rice ,  Lawrence David Weber ,  Douglas M. Alward

发明人： Robert R. Rice ,  Lawrence David Weber ,  Douglas M. Alward

IPC分类号： B65G4700

CPC分类号： B23Q1/0054 ,  B23Q7/1426 ,  B65G37/02

摘要： A modular chassis for use in a manufacturing process line wherein manufacturing process steps are performed by manufacturing devices on workpieces carried by pallets. The chassis top plate is machined attaching one or more different types of manufacturing devices to the chassis, such as a robot or automatic parts feeder. A non-synchronous incoming pallet conveyor is aligned horizontally to receive a set of incoming pallets. A pallet transfer and index module is attached and aligned to accept the set of incoming pallets from the incoming pallet conveyor. The transfer and index module includes an indexing mechanism to accurately position each of the retrieved incoming pallets in one of a plurality of workstations so that at the end of the transfer cycle the process steps can be performed on each of the workpieces. An outgoing pallet conveyor is also aligned horizontally on the top plate to receive the set of pallets from the pallet transfer and index device and move the set of pallets to an outgoing side of the chassis at the end of the process cycle. A pallet return conveyor is aligned on the top plate parallel to the incoming and outgoing pallet conveyors proximate an operator side of the chassis. The chassis further includes at least one power and control sub-system for providing operational power to, and control of, one or more of the manufacturing devices that are attachable to the chassis, and a process control panel viewable from the operator side of the chassis.

摘要翻译： 一种用于制造工艺线的模块化底盘，其中制造工艺步骤通过在托盘承载的工件上制造装置来执行。 将底盘顶板加工成将一个或多个不同类型的制造装置附接到底盘，例如机器人或自动零件进给器。 水平地对准非同步进入托盘输送机，以接收一组进入的托盘。 托盘传送和索引模块被连接并对准以接收来自托盘输送机的一组进入的托盘。 传送和索引模块包括一个分度机构，用于将每个检索的进入的托盘精确地定位在多个工作站之一中，使得在传送周期结束时，可以对每个工件执行处理步骤。 输出的托盘输送机也在顶板上水平对准，以从托盘传送和索引装置接收一组托盘，并且在加工周期结束时将托盘组移到底盘的出口侧。 托盘返回输送机在顶板上对齐，平行于靠近底盘操作者侧的进出托盘输送机。 底盘还包括至少一个功率和控制子系统，用于向可附接到底盘的一个或多个制造装置提供操作功率和控制，以及从底盘的操作者侧可以看到的过程控制面板 。