Patent Application
20100172725
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for receiving and presenting parts to an operating station in an industrial plant where components are being manufactured, processed or assembled.
The trend toward a fork truck free environment in a manufacturing plant has resulted in the use of containers presented on dollies. Many of the shipping containers are only partially filled in order to comply with reach-and-part-pick ergonomics.
In a manufacturing plant conventional methods and apparatus for transporting large parts do not permit effective presentation of the parts to the production operator in the space available without the operator having to walk from his station to retrieve the parts. Effective presentation of the parts would display multiple styles of large parts, such as doors of body sides, to the production operator while in the operation station.
To overcome this shortcoming, an off-line area is set up to sequence the parts to the operator. But this adds considerable cost to the process. Preferably the parts would be placed closely, i.e., the part density would be high and would allow direct parts placement without sequencing.
A need exists in the industry for a parts delivery system that would present material to production operators in a containerless manner with little or no interruption to the work cycle or process and in as small a space as possible. Preferably the system would reduce handling costs, require minimal support space, and deliver the parts to the operator without a fork truck.
A transfer device for receiving and presenting parts includes a rotatable stand including first and second angularly spaced arms secured to the stand and able to rotate between a first location where parts are installed on the first arms and a second location where the parts are removed from the first arms, and actuators for raising and lowering the arms.
The invention contemplates a method for operating a transfer device including providing a rotatable stand including first and second angularly spaced arms able to rotate about an axis between first and second locations, moving a cart carrying a batch of parts to the first location such that the first arms engage and lift the batch from the cart, raising the first arms and the batch of parts from the cart, and rotating the batch of parts to the second location. When empty of parts and raised to a rotation position, the second arms are rotated to the first location concurrently with rotating the batch of parts to the second location, thus making the second arms available to receive the next delivery of parts.
The transfer device presents parts to the production operator without a shipping/storage container, allows transfer devices to be positioned close together due to the empty arms of the one device being lifted above those of the adjacent device, and unloads the parts directly from the container or delivery cart without the use of a fork lift.
The transfer device provides improved ergonomics for the production operator, requires no loss of throughput during parts replenishment, provides improved ergonomics for the material delivery operator, and enables a higher part density in delivery containers or carts, thereby resulting in lower container investment and associated handling and freight costs.
The scope of applicability of the preferred embodiment will become apparent from the following detailed description, claims and drawings. It should be understood, that the description and specific examples, although indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only. Various changes and modifications to the described embodiments and examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in
The inner end of arms 24 is attached to a lift cylinder 32 containing a piston 34, which may be actuated electrically or by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, to raise and lower arms 24. Similarly, inner end of arms 26 is attached to a lift cylinder 36 containing a piston 38, which is actuated by pneumatic pressure in the cylinder to raise and lower arms 26.
As
The mount plate 44 is secured to the floor. The slewing bearing 46 rests on plate 44 and supports the stand 22 for rotation about axis 28. An air motor 47 may be used to turn the stand about axis 28, or the stand may be turned manually by applying a turning force to the arms 24, 26.
Each lift cylinder 32, 36 is sized in bore and stroke to facilitate the required lift height and weight of the parts it carries.
Each turnstile arm assembly 52 includes a cross member 56, secured to a mount plate 50, which is secured to a trolley 48. Each cross member carries a pair of arms 24, 26.
The stand is formed with vertical rails 60, in each of which a trolley 48 is guided and moves when actuated by a respective cylinder 32, 36 to raise and lower the arms 24, 26. Each cross member carries a pair of arms 24, 26.
In operation, the cart 10 is moved to the transfer device 20 such that the free end of arms 24, 26 passes through an opening 40 in the part 16, and the length of the arms supports each part by engaging a surface 42 on the part. As arms 24 are raised, the parts 16 are lifted from the load bed 12, allowing the cart 10 to be removed from the transfer device 20, loaded with a new batch of parts 16 and returned to the device 20. The transfer device 20 remains in the position shown in
When the production operator has removed each part 16 from the arms 26 that are located at the workstation 30, the stand 22 is rotated about axis 28, thereby moving arms 26 from the workstation to the diametrically opposite location, where they await being used to unload a batch of parts 16 from cart 10. This rotation moves the arms 24 on which the parts 16 are carried to workstation 30 from the diametrically opposite location, where the batch of parts 16 were unloaded from a cart 10. Then the production operator removes parts 16 from arms 24 until those arms are empty, whereupon the stand rotates another batch of parts on arms 26 to workstation 30.
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the preferred embodiment has been described. However, it should be noted that the alternate embodiments can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.
