US 5,380,138 A · Automatic article feeding system

Abstract

An article feeding apparatus which feeds articles from a feed source to a section to be subjected to feeding includes a stocker for stocking a plurality of pallets retaining a plurality of articles in units of types of articles, with the stocker being capable of moving one pallet to a predetermined position, and a take-out unit for taking the pallet moved to the predetermined position outside the stocker in order to transfer articles to the section to be subjected to feeding. In addition, a buffer receives replacement of the pallets retaining the articles from external equipment and temporarily stores the plurality of pallets, and a replacing unit replaces the pallets in the stocker with the pallets in the buffer in accordance with a decrease in number of articles in the pallet in the stocker to a predetermined value as the articles are fed to the feeding section.

Claims58

Dependent claims

An article feeding apparatus for feeding articles to a robot, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of containers upon receiving the containers from external equipment;
elevator means for vertically moving at least one container;
and
stocking means for stocking a plurality of articles of the same type,
wherein the articles are fed to the robot through said temporary storing means, elevator means and stocking means, successively, and wherein
said stocking means is provided between said elevator means and the robot, and includes an elevating frame in which a plurality of containers are stocked and which is vertically movable, and draw-out means for supplying a container at a predetermined position in said elevating frame to the robot,
said temporary storing means includes loading means for receiving containers each containing articles and capable of vertical movement and separating means for separating one container from other containers stacked on said loading means at a separating position;
and
said elevator means is provided between said temporary storing means and said stocking means, includes an elevator body movable between the separating position of said temporary storing means and the predetermined position of said stocking means and first replacing means for replacing a container in said stocking means which has finished supplying all the articles to the robot, with the container separated in said temporary storing means by said separating means.

6 more elements

An article feeding apparatus which feeds articles from a feed source to a feeding section, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of differently shaped containers in a stack upon receiving the containers from the feed source, each container retaining a plurality of articles;
separating means for separating one selected container from the other containers in the stack of containers stored in said temporary storing means by moving the stack of containers relatively to the selected container;
stocking means for stocking the plurality of containers supplied from said temporary storing means so as to feed one container to the feeding section in accordance with a predetermined feed order;
supply means for supplying the selected separated container in said temporary storing means to said stocking means;
first counter means for counting the number of articles remaining in each of the plurality of containers in said stocking means;
and
control means for causing said supply means to supply a new container when the count value of a container has reached a predetermined value as indicated by said first counter means.

4 more elements

An article feeding apparatus which feeds articles from a feed source to a feeding section, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of differently shaped containers in a stack, each container retaining a plurality of articles, upon receiving the containers from the feed source, said temporary storing means including a base on which the plurality of containers are stacked, and separating means for separating a predetermined container from the other containers in the stack of containers on said base by moving the stacked containers relatively to the predetermined container;
stocking means for storing the containers and feeding one container to the feeding section;
signal generating means for generating a signal starting a draw-in operation in which the predetermined container is moved to said stocking means from the plurality-of containers stacked on said base;
drive means for vertically moving said base so that the predetermined container specified for the draw-in operation opposes said separating means;
and
discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the container vertically moved to the position opposing said separating means by said drive means is a container specified for the draw-in operation.

3 more elements

An article feeding apparatus for feeding articles to a robot for assembling and/or machining the article, comprising:

stocking means arranged adjacent to the robot and including a vertically movable elevating frame in which a plurality of containers each containing at least one article are stocked and a draw-in portion for drawing one container from said elevating frame;
and
temporary storing means arranged adjacent to said stocking means, said temporary storing means including:
a buffer base attached to a fixed portion and stocking a plurality of containers thereon,
separating means for separating one container at a lowest position on said buffer base from the plurality of containers by moving the other containers vertically and keeping the separated container on said buffer base,
replacing means for replacing one container stocked in said stocking means with one container separated by said separating means;
and
setting means for setting a replace position of said replacing means at the same height as a separating position for said separating means.

5 more elements

An article feeding apparatus which feeds articles to a robot, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of containers in a stack, each container retaining a plurality of articles;
and
stocking means for stocking a plurality of containers supplied from said temporary storing means, the plurality of containers being vertically separated from each other so that any one container can be removed from and replaced in said stocking means without moving the other stocked containers, wherein
said temporary storing means includes a vertically movable table on which the plurality of containers are stacked, separating means for separating a designated container from the other containers in the stack of containers on said table by moving the stacked containers relatively to the designated container, and replacing means replacing an empty container in said stocking means with a full container from said temporary storing means, and wherein
said stocking means includes means for removing a designated container out of said stocking means so that the robot may access the removed container, and for replacing the removed container back into said stocking means so that a next designated container can be removed from said stocking means.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatic article feeding system

Life of this patent

Automatic article feeding system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims58