US 4,602,499 AGranted

Flexible industrial system with quick change part holding means

AssigneeScans Associates, Inc.

InventorsCharles J. Norton, Andrew F. Schrom

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Abstract

The present invention relates to industrial systems, and more particularly to a flexible industrial system with quick change part holding means which can be used to perform many different operations on a wide variety of parts. The embodiment disclosed shows such a flexible industrial system adapted to test many different types of parts using a single piece of test equipment by virtue of having a series of identical pallets for each type of part to be tested which can be quickly on-loaded and offloaded from a means of providing movement between a plurality of stations, such as a rotary index table. By providing that each in a series of part holding means has means to connect the part holding means to the means of providing movement between stations, means to perform desired operations on parts on the part holding means, and means to quickly connect to said means to perform desired operations, a tremendously flexible test system is provided.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A flexible industrial system having a plurality of stations for performing operation on parts, including, in combination:

(a) a means to operate said system;
(b) a means of providing movement between said stations, said means to provide movement connected to said means to operate;
(c) part holding means easily connectible to said means for providing movement;
(d) means to perform desired operations on said parts mounted on said part holding means and including means to clamp and/or seal a part on said part holding means, wherein said means to clamp and seal include
(1) a first clamp and seal means fixedly mounted to said palate and connected to said means to connect;
(2) a second clamp and seal means fixedly mounted to said palate and connected to said means to connect;
(3) a clamp means fixedly mounted to said palate and connected to said means to connect;
and
(4) seal means mounted to said palate and connected to said means to connect,
(e) means to connect to said means to perform said desired operations, said means to connect connected to said means to operate;
(f) storage means for said part holding means when not in use;
(g) means to transfer said part holding means between said storage means and said means for providing movement between said stations, said means to transfer connected to said means to operate,
(h) leak test means connected to said means to operate, and to the interior of said part through said means to connect;
and
(i) means mounted to said part holding means to supply air to the parts to be tested, said means to supply connected to said means to connect.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.