Magnetic workpiece conveyor for robotic welding cell
AssigneeDoben Limited
InventorsLarry Koscielski, Raamprakash Soundaran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A conveyor for ferrous workpieces includes a frame. A static bed is affixed to the frame. The static bed has a workpiece support portion constructed from a non-magnetic material. The workpiece support portion defines a workpiece flow path. A drive assembly is arranged beneath the workpiece support portion. The drive includes multiple discrete magnets configured to move in a direction of the workpiece flow path. At least one guide rail extends upward with respect to the workpiece support portion on a side opposite the drive assembly. The guide rail is configured to orient a workpiece to a desired position with respect to the workpiece flow path.
Claims20
A conveyor for ferrous workpieces comprising:
- a frame;
- a static bed affixed to the frame, the static bed having a workpiece support portion constructed from a non-magnetic material, the workpiece support portion defining a workpiece flow path;
- a drive assembly arranged beneath the workpiece support portion, the drive assembly includes a continuous belt- or linkage-style conveying member supporting multiple discrete magnets configured to move in a direction of the workpiece flow path;
- and
- at least one guide rail extending upward with respect to the workpiece support portion on a side opposite the drive assembly, the guide rail configured to orient a workpiece to a desired position with respect to the workpiece flow path.
A method of conveying workpieces comprising the steps of:
- loading a first workpiece onto a static bed providing a workpiece flow path;
- loading a second workpiece onto the static bed after the loading the first workpiece;
- magnetically dragging the second workpiece along the workpiece flow path until the second workpiece contacts the first workpiece;
- breaking a magnetic coupling with the second piece with a cumulative static friction created by the first and second workpieces;
- magnetically dragging the first workpiece along the workpiece flow path after breaking the magnetic coupling;
- and
- orienting the first and second workpieces with a guide rail during the magnetically dragging steps.
A method of conveying workpieces comprising the steps of:
- loading a workpiece onto a static bed providing a workpiece flow path;
- magnetically dragging the workpiece along the workpiece flow path based upon a robot unload sequence;
- and
- orienting the workpiece with a guide rail during the magnetically dragging step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.