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AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsSusumu Wakou, Satoshi Kadowaki
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An exchanging apparatus for exchanging welding jig units of an automatic welding apparatus on an assembly line. The automatic welding apparatus includes a combining station where a work to be assembled is combined and welded by detachable welding jig units, and a set carrier for moving the work along a conveying railway to and from the combining station. The exchanging apparatus comprises an exchanging railway which crosses the conveying railway through a switch mechanism and at least two exchanging carriers, each having thereon a gripping means for gripping a welding jig unit. Each of the above carriers is mounted on a plurality of wheels, each of which is turnable about a fixed vertical shaft on the respective carrier. The switch mechanism comprises turnable rail portions at the crossing points of the two railways, a rail fixing device for fixing the portions at their switched positions, and a carrier fixing device for positioning and fixing any one of the carriers while the rail portions are turned thereunder.
An exchanging apparatus for a welding jig unit in combination with an automatic welding apparatus which includes a combining station for combining a work conveyed to this station by a set carrier, at least one automatic welding apparatus for welding the work at the combining station, the automatic welding apparatus having a welding jig unit which is detachable therefrom for exchanging, and a conveying railway for the set carrier, the exchanging apparatus comprising an exchanging railway which crosses the conveying railway through a switch means, and at least two exchanging carriers on the exchanging railway, each having thereon a gripping means for gripping a welding jig unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.