Assembly facilitation apparatus and method
OwnerBernd P. DAESCHNERinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly apparatus includes a frame and a contact structure connected to and supported by the frame. The contact structure is configured to receive and secure a workpiece having a plurality of working locations. The contact structure and the workpiece are capable of movement relative to the frame such that each working location of the workpiece has an assembly position proximate to an assembly substation and another position that is distal from the assembly substation, and such that the working location at its assembly position is substantially equidistant from assembly substation relative to the other working locations in their respective assembly positions.
Claims20
An assembly apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a contact structure operatively connected to and supported by the frame, the contact structure being configured to receive and secure a workpiece having a plurality of working locations;
- and
- wherein the contact structure and the workpiece are capable of movement relative to the frame such that each working location of the plurality of working locations of the workpiece has an assembly position proximate to an assembly substation and another position that is distal from the assembly substation, and the working location at its assembly position is substantially equidistant from the assembly substation relative to the other working locations in their respective assembly positions, whereby a component can be moved from the assembly substation to the working location in the assembly position along either a path of substantially equal distance or during a substantially same amount of travel time.
A method of assembling a gearbox, comprising:
- placing a carrier plate having a plurality of working locations on a contact structure, the contact structure being operatively connected to a frame;
- positioning the contact structure relative to the frame until a first working location of the plurality of working locations is proximate an assembly substation in an assembly position;
- transferring a component from the assembly substation to the first working location that is in the assembly position;
- securing the component to the first working location of the carrier plate;
- and
- rotating the contact structure further until the first working location is not in the assembly position.
An assembly apparatus for assembling bearing races on a carrier plate of a wind turbine gearbox, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- and
- a contact structure operatively connected to and supported by the frame, the contact structure being configured to receive and secure a carrier plate having a plurality of working locations for receiving bearing races from an assembly substation;
- wherein the contact structure and the carrier plate are configured to move relative to the frame such that each working location of the plurality of working locations of the carrier plate has an assembly position proximate to the assembly substation and another position that is distal from the assembly substation, and the working location of the carrier plate at its assembly position is substantially equidistant from the assembly substation relative to the other working locations in their respective assembly positions, and wherein the bearing races can be moved from the assembly substation to the working location of the carrier plate in the assembly position along either a path of substantially equal distance or during a substantially same amount of travel time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.