US 4,310,958 AGranted

Production-line automatic machine

AssigneeRegie Nationale des Usines Renault

InventorsDaniel Balaud, Gaston Keledjian, Jean R. Passemard

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Abstract

A production-line robot comprising an operative arm provided at its outer, pivoted end with a support mechanism is coupled via the latter to one of a plurality of tools associated with the robot, the tools being supported in their inoperative position by lock plates or bolts operable by the tool holder of the robot arm. The lock plates may comprise a tool receiving support provided with centering members with which a tool bearing plate is adapted to co-operate in the inoperative tool position, the bearing plate and the end support of the robot comprising mutual centering mechanisms, at least one of them being provided with controlled coupling and uncoupling members so that the robot can pick up and become coupled with one tool automatically and, after using this tool, deposit same upon the corresponding receiving support for subsequently picking up and becoming coupled with another tool waiting on its relevant receiving support.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A production-line robot assembly comprising a robot and an end tool-coupling support intended to be coupled with interchangeable tool assemblies, the end tool-coupling support being responsive to various robot movements during depositing and removal of tool assemblies by the robot, each tool assembly comprising a tool and a bearing plate fast with the tool, said robot assembly comprising a receiving support for each tool assembly, and resilient mounting means for resiliently supporting said receiving support so that the receiving support is axially and laterally movable in response to robot movements during depositing and removal of tool assemblies, said receiving support and said bearing plate of each tool assembly comprising reciprocal centering means for centering the tool assembly on the receiving support in a resting condition of the tool assembly, said end tool-coupling support for tool assemblies and each bearing plate comprising means for causing the mutual centering thereof in a picking-up condition of the tool assembly, said resilient mounting means facilitating approach and centering action between said end tool-coupling support and said bearing plate, and at least one of said end tool-coupling support and bearing plate comprising controlled members adapted to cause their mutual coupling and uncoupling.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.