Apparatus for assembling roller type universal joint and roller assembly unit

An apparatus for assembling a roller type universal joint in which a roller is mounted onto each of a plurality of projections provided on an outer periphery of a spider fitted to one end of a shaft having an axis with an axial line and an axial direction and then an outer member is mounted in place around the spider, said apparatus comprising:

• an assembling station for setting the shaft in place;
• plural roller assembling units mounted at the assembling station disposed at each of plural locations around the spider corresponding to a location aligned with one of X axes, each of said X axes being constituted by a radially extending line with which each projection of the spider is to be aligned;
• and a roller setting jig and an outer member assembling jig mounted at the assembling station and alternately movable to an assembling position located on an axial line which is the same as that of the shaft, said roller setting jig including roller jig body movable back and forth along the axial direction of the shaft, means for moving said roller jig body, and a setting member mounted on the jig body having holding portions so disposed at a plurality of locations around said jig and along the X-axis direction as to hold the rollers detachably, said outer member assembling jig including an outer member jig body movable back and forth along the axial direction of the shaft, means for moving said outer member assembly jig, and a chuck member mounted on said outer member jig body for clamping the outer member;
• each said roller assembling unit comprising a unit body movable back and forth along the X-axis direction, means for moving said unit body, and a holder means mounted on the unit body for receiving a roller from the roller setting member held by each of the holding portions thereof when the jig body of the roller setting jig is advanced toward the shaft, then centering the roller in such a way as to be aligned with the X-axis and holding it in that centered position.