Bearing assembly machine
AssigneeAndroid Corporation
InventorWilliam E. Rise
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing assembly machine for assembling a double row of needles separated by a spacer ring into a pinion. The assembly elements of the machine are urged by pneumatic cylinders in the direction of assembly. Each assembly element is cam controlled via a crank having one arm operatively connected between the corresponding pheumatic cylinder and the assembly element and the other arm biased against and riding on the perimeter of a cam disc. Each cam disc has a falling segment which allows the advance and a rising segment which overrides the bias of the pneumatic cylinder to cause the assembly element to retract. The pinion and spacer ring are conveyed by a shuttle from respective loading stations to the assembly station where assembly operations take place, and the shuttle is controlled in an analogous manner to the assembly elements.
Claims26
In a bearing assembly machine for assembling bearing elements into a retainer wherein bearing elements are arranged in a desired array and assembled to the retainer, the machine comprising first holding means for holding a retainer, second holding means for holding the array of bearing elements, and means for advancing one of the two holding means toward the other to assemble the array to the retainer and for retracting the holding means from each other upon completion of the assembly of the array to the retainer, an improved arrangement for advancing and retracting the one holding means comprising means providing a bias force, a coupling mechanism for coupling the bias force to the one holding means such that the bias force causes the one holding means to be urged in the direction of advance toward the other holding means, and control means comprising scheduling means defining a schedule of desired advance and desired retraction for said one holding means, said control means being operatively coupled with the coupling mechanism and acting via the coupling mechanism in opposition to the bias force for controlledly limiting the advance of said one holding means by the bias force in accordance with the desired schedule of advance to bring the array and the retainer into assembly and for counteracting the bias force to retract said one holding means after assembly of the array to the retainer has been completed, said scheduling means being constructed and arranged so as to be incapable of exerting any advancement force via said coupling means on said one holding means, said scheduling means comprising cam means, said cam means comprising a rising cam segment defining the desired schedule of retraction and a falling cam segment defining the desired schedule of advance, said scheduling means also comprising cam follower means which is urged into engagement with said cam means by the bias force such that said cam follower means is caused to follow said rising and falling cam segments, said control means and said coupling means being constructed and arranged such that if during advance an assembly force is encountered which is greater than that which can be developed by the bias force, said follower ceases to follow said falling cam segment.
In a bearing assembly machine for assembling bearing elements into a retainer wherein bearing elements are arranged in a desired array and assembled to the retainer, the machine comprising first holding means for holding a retainer, second holding means for holding the array of bearing elements, and means for advancing one of the two holding means toward the other to assemble the array to the retainer and for retracting the holding means from each other upon completion of the assembly of the array to the retainer, an improved arrangement for advancing and retracting the one holding means comprising means providing a bias force, a coupling mechanism for coupling the bias force to the one holding means such that the bias force causes the one holding means to be urged in the direction of advance toward the other holding means, and control means operatively coupled with the coupling mechanism and acting via the coupling mechanism in opposition to the bias force for controlledly limiting the advance of said one holding means by the bias force in accordance with a desired schedule of advance to bring the array and the retainer into assembly and for counteracting the bias force to retract said one holding means after assembly of the array to the retainer has been completed, wherein the means providing a bias force comprises a pneumatic cylinder.
In a bearing assembly machine for assembling bearing elements into a retainer wherein bearing elements are arranged in a desired array and assembled to the retainer, the machine comprising first holding means for holding a retainer, second holding means for holding the array of bearing elements, and means for advancing one of the two holding means toward the other to assemble the array to the retainer and for retracting the holding means from each other upon completion of the assembly of the array to the retainer, an improved arrangement for advancing and retracting the one holding means comprising means providing a bias force, a coupling mechanism for coupling the bias force to the one holding means such that the bias force causes the one holding means to be urged in the direction of advance toward the other holding means, and control means operatively coupled with the coupling mechanism and acting via the coupling mechanism in opposition to the bias force for controlledly limiting the advance of said one holding means by the bias force in accordance with a desired schedule of advance to bring the array and the retainer into assembly and for counteracting the bias force to retract said one holding means after assembly of the array to the retainer has been completed, and including a third holding unit for holding another array of bearing elements, means providing a second bias force, a second coupling mechanism for coupling the second bias force to the third holding means such that the second bias force causes the third holding mean to be urged in a direction of advance toward said other two holding means and opposite the direction of advance of the one holding means, and control means operatively coupled with the second coupling mechanism and acting via the second coupling mechanism in opposition to the second bias force for controllably limiting the advance of said third holding means by the second bias force in accordance with a desired schedule of advance to bring the second array into assembly with the retainer and for counteracting the second bias force to retract the third holding means after assembly of the second array to the retainer has been completed, wherein the relative advances of the other holding means and the third holding means are so arranged that the advance of the third holding means is effective to retract the other holding means a limited amount in completing the assembly of the second array of bearing elements to the retainer.
In a bearing assembly machine for assembling bearing elements into retainers wherein bearing elements are arranged in desired arrays and assembled to the retainers, the combination of a shuttle moveable between a loading station and an assembly station for conveying a retainer from the loading station to the assembly station and holding the retainer at the assembly station, assembly elements at the assembly station disposed on opposite sides of the shuttle comprising means for organizing bearing elements in predetermined arrays on opposite sides of the shuttle and for inserting the arrays into the retainer by advancing the two arrays in timed relationship, pneumatic cylinders disposed on opposite sides of the shuttle operatively associated with the assembly elements, a rotary camshaft containing cams disposed spaced from and parallel to the travel of the shuttle, said pneumatic cylinders urging the assembly elements in the direction of advance and cranks pivotally mounted on the machine on opposite sides of the shuttle operatively connected with the cams and the pneumatic cylinders whereby the cams acting through the cranks control the advance of the assembly elements while the assembly forces are provided by the pneumatic cylinders.
In a bearing assembly machine for assembling bearing elements into a retainer wherein bearing elements are arranged in a desired array and assembled to the retainer, the machine comprising first holding means for holding a retainer, second holding means for holding the array of bearing elements, and translating means for advancing one of the two holding means toward the other to assemble the array to the retainer and for retracting the holding means from each other upon completion of the assembly of the array to the retainer, said translating means including twist means for imparting desired twisting rotation to the assembled array via said second holding means, but wherein during retraction the translating means may impart an undesired twisting rotation to the assembled bearing elements via said second holding means, the improvement which comprises first means on said twist means and second means independent of said twist means, said first and second means coacting to be interactive with the translating means, including said twist means, during retraction for counteracting such undesired twisting rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.