US 5,177,862 A · Automatic assembly system

Abstract

An automatic assembly system transports workpieces to a work station whereat the workpieces are processed into an assembled product. The automatic assembly system conmprises a monorail that defines a path above the work station. A trolley travels along the monorail supporting a workpiece carrier by means of a pair of latches pivotally connected to the trolley. A lowerator mechanism is mounted to the monorail above the work station. When a trolley stops above the work station, the lowerator mechanism thereat operates to lift the workpiece carrier from the trolly latches. The trolley latches retract and the lower mechanism then lowers the carrier and workpieces to the workstation without lowering the trolley or the monorail. A safety interlock prevents uncontrolled lowering of the carrier and workpieces. Tooling trays suitable for holding different sets of workpieces index in directions parallel to the monorail path to bring to the work station the tooling tray required for the particular workpiece being lowered to and processed at the work station.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An automatic monorail system comprising:

a. monorail means for defining a path above at least one work station;
b. trolley means for traveling along the monorail means and for stopping above the work station, wherein the trolley means comprises:
i. motor means for riding on the monorail means;
ii. an elongated beam connected to the motor means;
iii. latch means pivotally connected to the beam for selectively operating between an extended position whereat the latch means supports the carrier means and a retracted position, wherein the latch means comprises
at least two generally C-shaped latches, each latch having a lower leg that underlies and supports the carrier means when the latch is in the extended position and that pivots clear of the carrier means when the latch is in the retracted position;
plate means for pivotally connecting the respective latches to the trolley beam;
and
lever means attached to each latch for being contacted by the lowerator means to pivot the latch about the plate means between the extended and retracted positions thereof;
and
iv. guide means attached to the beam for guiding the carrier means as it is lowered to the work station by the lowerator means;
c. carrier means selectively supported by the trolley means and traveling therewith along the monorail means for supporting and transporting a workpiece to the work station;
and
d. lowerator means mounted to the monorail means at the work station for selectively transferring the carrier means stopped thereat from the trolley means to the lowerator means and for lowering the carrier means and the workpiece supported thereon to the work station.

11 more elements

An automatic monorail system comprising:

a. monorail means for defining a path above at least one work station;
b. trolley means for traveling along the monorail means and for stopping above the work station, wherein the trolley means comprises:
i. motor means for riding on the monorail means;
ii. an elongated beam connected to the motor means;
iii. latch means pivotally connected to the beam for selectively operating between an extended position whereat the latch means supports the carrier means and a retracted position;
and
iv. guide means attached to the beam for guiding the carrier means as it is lowered to the work station by the lowerator means, wherein
the trolley means guide means comprises at least one pair of spaced apart first and second plates, the plates having respective opposite side edges;
c. carrier means selectively supported by the trolley means and traveling therewith along the monorail means for supporting and transporting a workpiece to the work station, wherein
the carrier means comprises first roller means for rolling between the trolley means spaced apart first and second plates to guide the carrier means in a first direction, and second roller means for rolling on the side edges of at least the first trolley means plate to guide the carrier means in a second direction;
and
d. lowerator means mounted to the monorail means at the work station for selectively transferring the carrier means stopped thereat from the trolley means to the lowerator means and for lowering the carrier means and the workpiece supported thereon to the work station.

9 more elements

An automatic monorail system comprising:

a. monorail means for defining a path above at least one work station;
b. trolley means for traveling along the monorail means and for stopping above the work station, wherein the trolley means comprises:
i. motor means for riding on the monorail means;
ii. an elongated beam connected to the motor means;
iii. latch means pivotally connected to the beam for selectively operating between an extended position whereat the latch means supports the carrier means and a retracted position;
and
iv. guide means attached to the beam for guiding the carrier means as it is lowered to the work station by the lowerator means;
c. carrier means selectively supported by the trolley means and traveling therewith along the monorail means for supporting and transporting a workpiece to the work station, wherein
the carrier means comprises cam follower means for cooperating with the trolley means guide means to enable the carrier means to float in a direction parallel to the path defined by the monorail means as the carrier means is lowered to the work station;
and
d. lowerator means mounted to the monorail means at the work station for selectively transferring the carrier means stopped thereat from the trolley means to the lowerator means and for lowering the carrier means and the workpiece supported thereon to the work station, wherein the lowerator means comprises:
i. base means mounted to the monorail means above the work station;
ii. first actuator means secured to the base means for selectively contacting the trolley means latch means to pivot the latch means between the extended and retracted positions thereof;
iii. slide means for reciprocating along the base means;
and
iv. second actuator means for selectively operating the slide means to contact the carrier means and raise it off the trolley means latch means and to lower the carrier means to the work station, wherein
the slide means comprises support roller means for contacting and supporting the carrier means and for raising the carrier means off the trolley means latch means,
so that the slide means support roller means aids the carrier means to float.

15 more elements

An automatic monorail system comprising:

a. monorail means for defining a path above at least one work station;
b. trolley means for traveling along the monorail means and for stopping above the work station, wherein the trolley means comprises:
i. motor means for riding on the monorail means;
ii. an elongated beam connected to the motor means;
iii. latch means pivotally connected to the beam for selectively operating between an extended position whereat the latch means supports the carrier means and a retracted position;
and
iv. guide means attached to the beam for guiding the carrier means as it is lowered to the work station by the lowerator means;
c. carrier means selectively supported by the trolley means and traveling therewith along the monorail means for supporting and transporting a workpiece to the work station;
and
d. lowerator means mounted to the monorail means at the work station for selectively transferring the carrier means stopped thereat from the trolley means to the lowerator means and for lowering the carrier means and the workpiece supported thereon to the work station, wherein the lowerator means comprises:
i. base means mounted to the monorail means above the work station;
ii. first actuator means secured to the base means for selectively contacting the trolley means latch means to pivot the latch means between the extended and retracted positions thereof;
iii. slide means for reciprocating along the base means;
and
iv. second actuator means for selectively operating the slide means to contact the carrier means and raise it off the trolley means latch means and to lower the carrier means to the work station, wherein the second actuator means
a first cylinder having a piston rod connected to the respective lowerator base and a closed end;
and
a second cylinder having a closed end fastened to the closed end of the first cylinder and a piston rod connected to an associated slide means, the first cylinder operating the associated slide to contact and raise the carrier means off the trolley means latch means and the second cylinder operating to lower the carrier means to the work station.

15 more elements

An automatic assembly system for processing a plurality of workpieces into an assembled product comprising:

a. tooling means defining at least one work station for clamping the workpieces therein, wherein the tooling means comprises:
i. a plurality of tooling trays, each tooling tray containing tools for clamping different predetermined workpieces for being processed into different predetermined assembled products;
and
ii. indexing means for bidirectionally indexing the tooling trays in directions parallel to and generally below the path defined by the monorail means to being a selected tooling tray to the work station to receive and clamp the predetermined workpieces thereat and to place the nonselected tooling trays at a location remote from the work station;
b. processing means stationarily secured to a factory foundation at the work station for processing the workpieces thereat into the assembled product;
c. monorail means anchored to the factory foundation for defining a path above the tooling means along which the workpieces and assembled products are transported;
d. trolley means for traveling along the monorail means along the path defined thereby;
e. carrier means supported by the trolley means for supporting the workpieces and the assembled products above the tooling means;
and
f. lowerator means mounted to the monorail means at the work station for selectively lowering the carrier means and the workpieces from the trolley means to the work station.

7 more elements

An automatic assembly system for processing a plurality of workpieces into an assembled product comprising:

a. tooling means defining at least one work station for clamping the work pieces therein;
b. processing means stationarily secured to a factory foundation at the work station for processing the workpieces thereat into the assembled product;
c. monorail means anchored to the factory foundation for defining a path above the tooling means along which the workpieces and assembled products are transported;
d. trolley means for traveling along the monorail means along the path defined thereby;
e. carrier means supported by the trolley means for supporting the workpieces and the assembled products above the tooling means;
and
f. lowerator means mounted to the monorail means at the work station for selectively lowering the carrier means and the workpieces from the trolley means to the work station, wherein the trolley means comprises:
i. housing means for riding on the monorail means;
ii. an elongated beam connected to the housing means;
iii. latch means pivotally connected to the beam for selectively operating between a first position whereat the latch means underlies and supports the carrier means and a second position whereat the latch means is remote from the carrier means to thereby enable the lowerator means to lower the carrier means;
and
iv. guide means attached to the beam for guiding the carrier means as it is lowered to the work station by the lowerator means, wherein
the trolley means guide means comprises at least one vertically oriented plate having opposed side edges that define tapered surfaces that converge downwardly;
and
the carrier means comprises a pair of rollers that roll on the respective guide edges of the guide means plate, the carrier means rollers losing contact with the side edges of the guide means plate to thereby enable the carrier means and the workpieces thereon to float as the carrier means and workpieces are lowered by the lowerator means to the work station.

12 more elements

An automatic assembly system for processing a plurality of workpieces into an assembled product comprising:

a. tooling means defining at least one work station for clamping the workpieces therein;
b. processing means stationarily secured to a factory foundation at the work station for processing the workpieces thereat into the assembled product;
c. monorail means anchored to the factory foundation for defining a path above the tooling means along which the workpieces and assembled products are transported;
d. trolley means for traveling along the monorail means along the path defined thereby;
e. carrier means supported by the trolley means for supporting the workpieces and the assembled products above the tooling means;
and
f. lowerator means mounted to the monorail means at the work station for selectively lowering the carrier means and the workpieces from the trolley means to the work station, wherein the trolley means comprises:
i. housing means for riding on the monorail means;
ii. an elongated beam connected to the housing means;
iii. latch means pivotally connected to the beam for selectively operating between a first position whereat the latch means underlies and supports the carrier means and a second position whereat the latch means is remote from the carrier means to thereby enable the lowerator means to lower the carrier means;
and
iv. guide means attached to the beam for guiding the carrier means as it is lowered to the work station by the lowerator means;
and
wherein the lowerator means comprises:
i. base means mounted to the monorail means at the work station;
ii. slide means for reciprocating along the base means;
iii. first actuator means for selectively operating the slide means to contact the carrier means and raise it off the latch means and to lower the carrier means and the workpieces supported thereon to the work station;
and
iv. second actuator means secured to the base means for selectively contacting the trolley latch means to pivot the latch means between the first and second positions thereof when the first actuator means has raised the carrier means off the latch means to thereby enable the first actuator means to lower the carrier means and the workpieces to the work station.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatic assembly system

Life of this patent

Automatic assembly system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17