Apparatus for loading and/or unloading industrial presses

Heavy duty workpiece handling apparatus for loading and/or unloading a press or the like comprising mounting means for overhead mounting of the apparatus and having a substantially vertical axis comprising a first pivot axis, said mounting means including a non-pivotal tubular carriage and a large diameter annular turntable bearing means having inner and outer races and the inner one of said races being secured to the bottom end of said tubular carriage, said tubular carriage and bearing means being coaxial with said vertical first pivot axis, said bearing means receiving substantially the entire load handled by said apparatus, a first cantilever arm secured to the outer of said races such that said carriage and mounting means are positioned inside said first arm whereby it is pivotally mounted around said tubular carriage for angular movement in a horizontal plane about said first pivot axis, a second cantilever arm pivotally mounted on the bottom of said first arm for angular movement in horizontal plane about a second pivot axis substantially parallel to said first pivot axis and being movable below the first arm, and work-supporting means adjacent the end of said second arm and aligned with a third axis substantially parallel to said first and second pivot axes, said first and third axes being predetermined fixed distances from said second axis, said apparatus including coordinating means comprising structure supported on and movable with at least one of said arms and arranged to so coordinate movements of the arms about the first and second axes that said work-supporting means moves in a predetermined horizontal path below the level of the carriage and first arm and mounting means perpendicular to said axes, and power operated actuating means supported on at least one of said arms and coupled to said coordinating means to rotate said arms relative to each other about said second pivot axis and to pivot said first arm on said turntable bearing means whereby said work-supporting means moves along said predetermined path, said mounting means including a carrier telescopically arranged with said carriage within said carrier, carriage support means supporting said carriage on the carrier so that the longitudinal axis of the carriage is vertical and so that carriage is linearly reciprocable along said first vertical axis but is constrained against angular movement around said axis and so that substantially all load on the carriage is transmitted into the carrier, and power operated means for linearly reciprocating said carriage along said vertical longitudinal axis.

Heavy duty workpiece handling apparatus for loading and/or unloading a press or the like comprising a carrier adapted to be mounted on an overhead support surface for the apparatus, a vertically extending non-pivotal tubular carriage having a longitudinal axis and a relatively large diameter first turntable bearing means having inner and outer annular races and the inner of said races being secured to the bottom end of said tubular carriage, said tubular carriage and said turntable bearing means being coaxial and said axis being vertical and defining a first axis, carriage support means supporting said carriage on the carrier so that said longitudinal axis is vertical and so that carriage is linearly reciprocable along said vertical longitudinal axis but is constrained against angular movement around said axis and so that substantially all load on the carriage is transmitted into the carrier, power operated means for linearly reciprocating said carriage along said vertical longitudinal axis, a first horizontally extending cantilever arm secured at one end to the outer race such that said carriage and carrier are located inside said first arm whereby it is supported and pivotally mounted to said carriage for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane about said first vertical axis, a second horizontally extending cantilever arm located on a horizontal level beneath the first arm, a second cantilever arm support means supporting one end of the second arm on the other end of the first arm and beneath the first arm for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane about a second vertical axis substantially parallel to the first vertical axis and for transmitting load on the second arm into the first arm, work-supporting means, a support means supporting said work-supporting means on the other end of said second arm for pivotal movement about a third vertical axis substantially parallel to said first and second pivotal axes and for transmitting load on said work-supporting means into said second arm, said first and third pivot axes being located predetermined fixed distances from said second pivot axis, said apparatus including first coordinating means comprising a first geared connection supported within said first arm and arranged to so synchronously coordinate movements of the first and second arms about the first and second vertical pivot axes that said work-supporting means moves in a predetermined path below the level of the first arm and the carriage and the carrier, and second coordinating means comprising a second geared connection for synchronously coordinating movement of said work-supporting means relative to said first arm whereby the pivotal orientation of said work-supporting means about said third axis is predetermined throughout said path, and power operated arm actuating means supported on at least one of said arms for pivoting said arms about said first and second vertical axes, substantially all the load on said work-supporting means being transmitted by said support means into said second arm and substantially all the load on said first arm being transmitted by it into said first turntable bearing means and by said means into said vertically extending tubular carriage.

Heavy duty workpiece handling apparatus for loading and/or unloading a press or the like comprising mounting means for supporting the apparatus on a support surface, said mounting means including a vertically extending non-pivotal tubular carriage and a relatively large diameter first turntable bearing means having first and second annular races and the first of said races being secured to said tubular carriage, said tubular carriage and said turntable bearing means being coaxial and said axis being vertical and defining a first axis, a first horizontally extending cantilever arm secured at one end to the second race whereby it is supported and pivotally mounted on said mounting means for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane about said first vertical axis, a second horizontally extending cantilever arm located on a horizontal level beneath the first arm, a second cantilever arm support means supporting one end of the second arm on the other end of the first arm and beneath the first arm for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane about a second vertical axis substantially parallel to the first vertical axis and for transmitting load on the second arm into the first arm, work-supporting means, a support means supporting said work-supporting means on the other end of said second arm for pivotal movement about a third vertical axis substantially parallel to said first and second pivotal axes and for transmitting load on said work-supporting means into said second arm, said first and third pivot axes being located substantially equal distances from said second pivot axis, said apparatus including first coordinating means arranged to so coordinate movements of the first and second arms about the first and second vertical axes that said work-supporting means moves in a substantially straight and horizontal path below the level of the first arm, and second coordinating means comprising a geared connection from said first arm to said work-supporting means whereby the pivotal orientation of said work-supporting means about said third axis is predetermined throughout said path, and power operated arm actuating means for pivoting said arms about said first and second vertical axes, substantially all the load on said work-supporting means being transmitted by said support means into said second arm and substantially all load on said second arm being transmitted by said second cantilever arm support means into said first arm, and substantially all the load on said first arm being transmitted by it into said first turntable bearing means and by said first turntable bearing means into said vertically extending tubular carriage, said mounting means including a carrier, said tubular carriage being supported by and vertically reciprocable relative to said carrier in a direction along first axis, said first turntable bearing means pivotally mounting and supporting said first arm on said carriage for vertical movement with the carriage, and power operated means for vertically moving said tubular carriage along said first axis, said carriage being suspended from said carrier by means comprising a plurality of turntable bearing means.

Heavy duty workpiece handling apparatus for loading and/or unloading a press or the like comprising a carrier adapted to be mounted on an overhead support surface for the apparatus, a vertically downwardly extending non-pivotal tubular carriage having a longitudinal axis, a relatively large diameter turntable bearing means having inner and outer annular races and the inner of said races being secured to said tubular carriage at the bottom end of the carriage, said tubular carriage and said turntable bearing means being coaxial and said axis being vertical and defining a first axis, carriage support means supporting said carriage on the carrier so that longitudinal axis is vertical and so that said carriage is linearly reciprocable along said vertical longitudinal axis but is constrained against angular movement around said axis and so that substantially all load on the carriage is transmitted into the carrier, power operated means for linearly reciprocating said carriage along such vertical longitudinal axis, a first horizontally extending cantilever arm surrounding said carriage and carrier and secured at one end to the outer race whereby it is supported and pivotally mounted to said carriage for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane around the carrier and the carriage about said first vertical axis, a second horizontally extending cantilever arm located on a horizontal level beneath the first arm, a second cantilever arm support means supporting one end of the second arm on the other end of the first arm and beneath the first arm for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane about a second vertical axis substantially parallel to the first vertical axis and for transmitting load on the second arm into the first arm, work-supporting means, a support means supporting said work-supporting means on the other end of said second arm for transmitting load on said work-supporting means into said second arm, said apparatus including coordinating means arranged to so coordinate movements of the first and second arms about the first and second vertical pivot axes that said work-supporting means moves in a predetermined path below the level of the first arm and the carrier and carriage, and power operated arm actuating means coupled to said coordinating means and supported by at least one of said arms for pivoting said arms about said first and second vertical axes, substantially all the load on said work-supporting means being transmitted by said support means into said second arm and substantially all load on said second arm being transmitted by said second cantilever arm support means into said first arm, and substantially all the load on said first arm being transmitted by it into said first turntable bearing means and by said means into said vertically extending tubular carriage.

Heavy duty workpiece handling apparatus for loading and/or undloading a press or the like comprising a carrier adapted to be mounted on an overhead support surface for the apparatus, a vertically downwardly extending non-pivotal tubular carriage having a longitudinal axis, a relatively large diameter turntable bearing means having inner and outer annular races and the inner of said races being secured to said tubular carriage at the bottom end of the carriage, said tubular carriage and said turntable bearing means being coaxial and said axis being vertical and defining a first axis, carriage support means supporting said carriage on the carrier so that longitudinal axis is vertical and so that said carriage is linearly reciprocable along said vertical longitudinal axis but is constrained against angular movement around said axis and so that substantially all load on the carriage is transmitted into the carrier, power operated means for linearly reciprocating said carriage along such vertical longitudinal axis, a first horizontally extending cantilever arm secured at one end to the outer race whereby it is supported and pivotally mounted on said carriage for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane below the carrier and the carriage about said first vertical axis, a second horizontally extending cantilever arm located on a horizontal level beneath the first arm, a second cantilever arm support means supporting one end of the second arm on the other end of the first arm and beneath the first arm for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane about a second vertical axis substantially parallel to the first vertical axis and for transmitting load on the second arm into the first arm, work-supporting means, a support means supporting said work-supporting means on the other end of said second arm for transmitting load on said work-supporting means into said second arm, said apparatus including coordinating means arranged to so coordinate movements of the first and second arms about the first and second vertical pivot axes that said work-supporting means moves in a predetermined path below the level of the first arm and the carrier and carriage, and power operated arm actuating means for pivoting said arms about said first and second vertical axes, substantially all the load on said work-supporting means being transmitted by said support means into said second arm and substantially all load on said second arm being transmitted by said second cantilever arm support means into said first arm, and substantially all the load on said first arm being transmitted by it into said first turntable means and by said means into said vertically extending tubular carriage, said carriage being telescopically mounted inside said carrier, said carriage and carrier having facing flat side faces, and sets of rollers between the carriage and carrier and engaging said flat faces and serving to guide telescopic movement of the carriage along said first vertical axis, and a plurality of balancer cylinders located above said turntable bearing means connected to said carriage and to said carrier and suspending the carriage on the carrier and taking the weight of the carriage and its load and transferring it into the carrier, said sets of rollers and balancer cylinders comprising said carriage support means.