Pallet transfer system

A workpiece handling system for transferring palletized workpieces between three or more stations, the system comprising pallet-accepting slideways means, translator means for moving a pallet over the slideways means radially toward and away from a center point through a range of positions, rotator means for moving the slideways means angularly about the center point through a range of positions, and at least three stations within the ranges of movement of the slideways means and adapted to accept pallets from the slideways means, the translator means including ram means mounting said slideways means and being reciprocable upon said rotator means, and latch means reciprocable on the ram means for moving a pallet over the ram-mounted slideways means, at least one of said stations including a pallet receiving device and safety latch means for preventing unintended movement of a pallet off the pallet receiving device during machining operations.

A workpiece handling system for transferring palletized workpieces between various pallet receiving stations, the system comprising the combination of a slideways means mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane, latch means reciprocably carried over the slideways means, ball screw means for effecting reciprocable motion of said latch means, and alignment means for aligning the rotatable slideways means with one of a plurality of pallet receiving stations for effecting a smooth transfer of the pallet between the slideways means and the pallet receiving station, said pallet receiving stations including the work tables of a plurality of machine tools.

A method of handling a workpiece-mounting pallet located at a machine tool work station comprising the steps of withdrawing a chip shield at the machine tool, translatably advancing a ram toward the machine tool and pallet, using a shot pin means to precisely angularly align the ram with the work station, translatably advancing a latch over the ram, causing the latch to engage the pallet, retracting the latch and engaged pallet over the ram so as to locate the pallet on the ram, withdrawing the ram from the machine tool, and angularly indexing the ram and carried pallet to align the ram with another work station to which the pallet is to be delivered.

In combination, a workpiece handling system and a plurality of machine tools, wherein there is provided a plurality of pallet receiving stations, at least one of which is the work station of each of the machine tools, the workpiece handling system comprising slideways means mounted for rotation through substantially 360.degree. in a horizontal plane, latch means reciprocably carried over the slideways means for engaging a pallet and drawing the pallet over the slideways means, and alignment means for selectively aligning the rotatable slideways means with each of said pallet receiving stations for effecting a smooth transfer of the pallet between the slideways means and the pallet receiving station with which the slideways means is then aligned.

A workpiece handling system for transferring workpieces among several machine tools such as a vertical turret lathe and a horizontal boring machine, and a storage station, the system comprising the combination of a stand having a slideways base rotatable over the stand through substantially 360.degree. of rotation, a slideways ram carried for reciprocation on the slideways base and adapted to receive workpiece carrying pallets, and a latch means carried for reciprocation on the slideways ram for engaging a pallet and drawing the pallet over the ram.

A workpiece handling system for transferring workpieces between a plurality of work stations, the system comprising the combination of a stand having a rotatable slideways base, a slideways ram carried for reciprocation on the slideways base and adapted to receive workpiece-carrying pallets, latch means carried for reciprocation on the ram for engaging a pallet and drawing the pallet over the ram, male alignment means having at least one beveled surface and carried on one of the ram and workpiece stations, and complimentary female alignment means having surfaces matable with the alignment means and carried on the other of the workpiece stations and ram for receivably engaging the male alignment means.

A workpiece handling system for transferring workpieces between a number of stations, the system comprising the combination of a stand having a slideways base rotatable relative to the stand through substantially 360.degree., a slideways ram carried for reciprocation on the slideways base and adapted to receive workpiece carrying pallets, latch means carried for reciprocation on the ram for engaging the pallet and drawing the pallet over the ram, and safety latch means on the workpiece stations for preventing the unintended loss of a pallet from the workpiece receiving stations.