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US 4,976,025 AGranted
Test assembly for machine tool having hydraulic pallet assemblies
OwnerBillie A. Aldridge, Jr., Roger J. Stoneinventors
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OwnerBillie A. Aldridge, Jr., Roger J. Stoneinventors
Estimating the term…
A machine tool has an array work stations which includes a plurality of machining stations. A plurality of hydraulic pallet assemblies are provided to hold workpieces to be machined. The hydraulic pallet assemblies are movable along a main track which extends through the work stations. Each of the hydraulic pallet assemblies includes hydraulic actuators which operate clamps to grip a workpiece. A test station is disposed to one side of a path of movement of the hydraulic pallet assemblies between the various work stations. A motor at the test station is operable to move a pallet assembly from the main track to a secondary track located at the test station. A connector assembly at the test station connects hydraulic fluid pressure with the hydraulic pallet assembly to operate the clamp assemblies under the same hydraulic pressure that they are actuated at a work station.
An apparatus for sequentially machining a plurality of workpieces, said apparatus comprising an array of work stations, said array of work stations including a plurality of machining stations, a plurality of hydraulic pallet means for holding workpieces to be machined at said machining stations, each of said hydraulic pallet means including clamp means for gripping a workpiece and hydraulic actuator means for effecting operation of said clamp means between an engaged condition in which said clamp means is effective to grip a workpiece and a disengaged condition in which said clamp means is ineffective to grip a workpiece, at least one of said work stations including means for connecting hydraulic fluid pressure with said hydraulic actuator means to effect operation of said clamp means between the engaged and disengaged conditions, main guide means extending between said work stations for guiding movement of said hydraulic pallet means along a path extending between said work stations, a testing station disposed to one side of the path of movement of said hydraulic pallet means between said work stations, and hydraulic pallet testing means at said test station for testing said hydraulic pallet means, said hydraulic pallet testing means including secondary guide means for guiding movement of said hydraulic pallet means from the path of movement of said hydraulic pallet means between said work stations to said testing station and for guiding movement of said hydraulic pallet means from said testing station back to the path of movement of said hydraulic pallet means between said work stations, and means at said testing station for connecting hydraulic fluid pressure with said hydraulic pallet means to test operation of said hydraulic actuator means under the influence of hydraulic fluid pressure.
An apparatus for use in association with a machine tool having a plurality of hydraulic pallets which are movable along a main guide means which extends between a plurality of work stations, said apparatus comprising a base, secondary guide means disposed on said base for guiding movement of a hydraulic pallet from the main guide means onto said base and for guiding movement of a hydraulic pallet from said secondary guide means back onto the main guide means, pallet moving means connected with said base and operable to move a hydraulic pallet from the main guide means onto said secondary guide means and to move a hydraulic pallet from said secondary guide means back onto the main guide means, and connector means for connecting hydraulic fluid pressure with a hydraulic pallet disposed on said secondary guide means to test hydraulic equipment which forms part of the hydraulic pallet.
A method comprising the steps of sequentially moving each pallet of a plurality of pallets to a work station, connecting a source of hydraulic fluid pressure with each pallet in turn at the work station, operating a clamp assembly under the influence of hydraulic fluid pressure to grip a workpiece on each pallet in turn, disconnecting the source of hydraulic fluid pressure from each pallet in turn at the work station after performing said step of operating a clamp assembly to grip a workpiece, moving each pallet in turn from the work station along a path extending to a plurality of machining stations, performing machining operations at the machining stations on workpieces held by clamp assemblies on the pallets, moving a pallet with a workpiece thereon from the path of movement of the pallets to a testing station disposed to one side of the path of movement of the pallets from the work station to the plurality of machining stations, connecting a source of hydraulic fluid pressure with the pallet at the testing station, operating a clamp assembly on the pallet at the testing station under the influence of hydraulic fluid pressure, and, thereafter, moving the pallet from the testing station back into the path of movement of the pallets from the work station to the plurality of machining stations.
An apparatus for use in association with a machine tool having a plurality of pallets with hydraulically actuated clamps to grip workpieces during movement of the pallets along a main track which extends between a plurality of work stations, said apparatus comprising a movable base, releasable connector means for use in connecting said base with the machine tool, a secondary track disposed on said base for guiding movement of a pallet from the main track onto said base and for guiding movement of a pallet form said base back onto the main track when said base is connected with the machine tool by said releasable connector means, motor means connected with said base, second connector means connected with said motor means for engaging a pallet disposed on the main track and for transmitting force between said motor means and an engaged pallet to move the engaged pallet off of the main track onto said secondary track and to move the engaged pallet off of said secondary track onto the main track, means for supporting said base for movement between a first location in which said secondary track is adjacent to the main track and a second location in which said secondary track is spaced from the main track to enable a pallet to be moved onto said secondary track when said base is at the first location and to enable work to be performed on a pallet disposed on said secondary track when said base is at the second location, and means for connecting hydraulic fluid pressure with a pallet on said secondary track to hydraulically actuate clamps on the pallet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.