GB976337A - Improvements in or relating to transfer devices - Google Patents

Abstract

976,337. Moving workpieces. B. J. WALLIS. March 16, 1961 [March 21, 1960], No. 9615/61. Addition to 847,329. Heading B8A. Workpieces 200 are moved horizontally from station to station by two sets of grippers 96. Each set of grippers performs a cycle in the shape of a rectangle and this movement is derived from the vertical movement of ram 12 of a press. The vertical reciprocation of press ram 12 causes horizontal reciprocation of actuator bar 42, by engagement of rack 38, gears 36, and rack 40. The leftward movement of actuator bar 42 causes firstly, the inward movement a (Fig. 1) of grippers 96, and secondly, the leftward movement of carriage 16 which carries grippers 96 to cause grippers 96 to make the longitudinal movement b. Thus the first movement is given to grippers 96 by actuator bar 42 in that rack 50 thereon through the gearing shown rotates shaft 62 which (Fig. 5) carries arms 66 which, through toggle links 68, cause reciprocation of two racks 80; and these racks advance grippers 96 along path a by engagement via gears 82, 84 with rack 90 carried by shafts 92 carrying said grippers. Thus the first part of the movement of actuator bar 42 causes the advancement of grippers 96. At this stage, nut 154 on the bar engages with lock plate 102 and plunger 170 locks the actuator bar to carriage 16. At the same time it disengages lock plate 102 from stop 116 thus releasing the carriage for the latter to be pushed by nut 154 till the carriage is finally stopped by the left-hand stop 116. Grippers 96 have now performed movement b. A change of direction of press ram 12 now changes the direction of movement of acuator bar 42 which proceeds to the right. The first part of the movement of actuator bar 42 now proceeds independently of carriage 16 and via racks 50 and 90 (as before) causes the return movement of grippers 96 along path c. At this stage the left-hand nut 154 engages lefthand lock plate 102. This disengages the lock plate from its stop 116 and cause nut 154 to be looked to carriage 16, the movement of actuator bar 42 causing nut 154 to push carriage 16 to the right to give the grippers 96 their movement along path d. This completes the cycle. Both sets of grippers 96 perform this same cyclic movement so that the workpieces 200 therebetween are progressed leftwards stepby-step.