Vertical air compliant hemming head

A roller-type hemming apparatus, comprising:

• a support member having a slide bore and an interior chamber;
• a closure plate having a guide bore therethrough, said closure plate having a pair of opposed faces, said closure plate being mounted along a first of said opposed faces in sealing relation to said support member allowing said interior chamber to be pressurized;
• a slide member including a piston and an axially elongated plunger extending therefrom and terminating in a connectible end, said piston mounted in said interior chamber for axial slidable movement relative to said bore, and said plunger extending through said guide bore for axial slidable movement relative thereto, said plunger and said guide bore being fitted to form a close interface, said piston separating said interior chamber into forward and rearward chamber portions with each said chamber portion being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a pressure source for selectively adjusting the pressurize in each of said chamber portions and the force applied against opposite sides of said piston wherein to move said piston and said connectible end of said plunger relative to said closure plate;
• means for sealing said interface between said plunger and said guide bore;
• a roller hemming assembly, said roller hemming assembly including at least one hem roller for engaging a workpiece;
• and
• means for connecting said roller hemming assembly to said plunger;
• wherein adjusting the pressure in said respective chamber portions causes said plunger to force said hem roller into engagement with said workpiece.

A hemming apparatus for use with a robot in performing a hemming operation on a pair of metal panels, the hemming apparatus comprising:

• a support housing having a rearward base for mounting said housing to said robot, a forward closure plate having a central guide bore, and a pressurizable interior chamber;
• a slide member including a piston disposed in said chamber and a plunger extending from said piston and through said guide bore to a connectible end which is spaced from said closure plate;
• a nose removably secured to said closure plate;
• a bearing shaft having forward and rearward end portions;
• means for connecting said rearward end of said bearing shaft to said connectible end of said plunger;
• a spindle cartridge, said spindle cartridge including a spindle shaft having opposite ends and mounted for rotation relative to said spindle cartridge, a hem roller attached to each end of said spindle shaft ends for rotation therewith, and each of said hem rollers dimensioned for performing a different task as part of said hemming operation;
• means for connecting said spindle cartridge to said forward end portion of said bearing shaft;
• and
• said piston dividing said chamber into rearward and forward portions, said rearward and forward portions being connectible to a source of fluid pressure, whereby adjusting the pressure forces said piston to move either forwardly or rearwardly, causing said bearing shaft to drive said hem roller into engagement with a workpiece.