US 4,881,633 A · Modular work indexing machine and method of constructing such a machine

Abstract

A precision indexing conveyor for moving workpieces incrementally along a longitudinal pathway from work station to work station, has a pair of in-line sprockets provided at opposite ends of a frame. An endless conveyor, comprising longitudinally spaced apart workpiece carriers mounting on a series of prestretched equal length, flexible, spirally wound cable links having precisely longitudinally spaced apart, rigid pins fixed to their ends at locations such as to provide a common cable length at a time when the cables are all under a predetermined common tensile load, is trained around the sprockets. A drive drives the conveyor in increments of revolution punctuated by periods of dwell sufficient for a work operation to be performed at the work stations and the mechanism maintains a predetermined tensile load on the conveyor substantially equal to the load applied to the cables when the pins are fixed thereto. The workpiece carriers are disclosed as including platens and work support plates which are joined to the platens in a manner to provide a longitudinal float to permit shot pins to seek a precise location.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In a precision indexing conveyor system for moving workpieces incrementally along a longitudinal pathway from work station to work station:

a. a frame;
b. a pair of in-line sprockets at opposite ends of said frame;
c. an endless conveyor trained around said sprockets comprising longitudinally spaced apart workpiece carriers mounting on a series of prestretched equal length, flexible, spirally wound cable links having precisely longitudinally spaced apart, rigid pins fixed to their ends at locations such as to provide a common cable length at a time when the cables PG,18 are all under a predetermined common tensile load;
d. a drive for driving said conveyor sprockets in increments of revolution punctuated by periods of dwell sufficient for a work operation to be performed at the work stations;
e. mechanism maintaining a predetermined tensile load on said conveyor substantially equal to the load applied to the cables when the pins are fixed thereto;
f. said carriers having longitudinally central, transversely elongate, longitudinally adjacent sockets for receiving the adjacent pins on adjacent cable links;
and
g. the adjacent pins on adjacent cable links being connected by rigid roller chain links, and said carriers having transversely spaced grooves for accommodating said roller chain links.

5 more elements

In a precision indexing conveyor system for moving workpieces incrementally along a longitudinal pathway from work station to work station:

a. a frame;
b. a pair of in-line sprockets at opposite ends of said frame;
c. an endless conveyor trained around said sprockets comprising longitudinally spaced apart platens mounting on a series of equal length conveyor links;
d. a drive for driving said conveyor in increments of revolution puncutated by periods of dwell sufficient for a work operation to be performed at the work stations;
e. workpiece locator plates carried by said platens and having shot pin locator openings therein;
f. releasable means carried by said platens and locator plates for coupling the locator plates to the platens in a first position of longitudinally fixed relationship and in a second position in which limited longitudinal movement of the locator plates relative to the platens is provided;
g. a shot pin device, situated at at least one work station, having a pin movable into and out of engaged position in a locator opening;
h. means for operating said shot pin device to move the pin to said engaged position after a platen has arrived at said work station;
i. an actuator operable to operate said releasable means and release the locator plate for limited longitudinal movement;
j. means situated at said one work station engagable to operate said actuator before said pin is moved into said engaged position in said locator opening;
and
k. said conveyor links comprising a series of equal length, detachable, flexible, spirally wound cables having longitudinally spaced apart pins fixed to their ends;
said carriers having adjacent sockets for receiving the adjacent pins on adjacent cable links, and the adjacent pins on adjacent cable links being connected by rigid roller chain links.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Modular work indexing machine and method of constructing such a machine

Life of this patent

Modular work indexing machine and method of constructing such a machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13