Suspension conveyance system

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a suspension conveyance system used, for example, to support car bodies in factories manufacturing automobiles or to support and carry objects to be worked in various factories.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As for suspension conveyance systems of this type, there has heretofore been provided an arrangement found, for example, in Japanese Kokai (unexamined) Publication No. 6-156662. In this conventional arrangement, the main body frame of an overhead hanger carried on a given line is provided with receiving elements on the front and rear sides, respectively, for supporting a car body. Of both receiving elements, the one on the front side is fixed and the other, which forms a pair on the rear side, are respectively rotatably supported with respect to the main body frame side.

That is, a receiving-element support member is fixed on the main body frame side. This receiving-element support member has a shaft fitted therein, which shaft is rotatable and axially movable. The shaft has an eccentric position of the receiving element fixed at the upper end thereof and a rotary piece fixed at the lower end thereof In addition, the rotary piece is formed with a pair of driving holes which are symmetrically disposed, while the receiving-element support member is provided with a position holder.

Disposed at predetermined places in the line are front end pressing means, intermediate pressing means, and rear end pressing means, which are operable with respect to the main body frame side. Also disposed is an automatic switching device consisting of a releasing means and a rotating means.

With such a conventional arrangement, the overhead hanger is carried on the line and is brought to a stop with the receiving elements, now empty, on the rear side opposed to the automatic switching device. First, swing prevention of this main body frame side is effected by causing the front end pressing means, intermediate pressing means and rear end pressing means to act on the main body frame side. Then, the releasing means in the automatic switching device is lifted, and with its driving pin fitted in the driving hole, the receiving elements are lifted through the rotary piece and shaft so as to bring the positioning effected by the position holder in an open state. In this state, the receiving elements are rotated by the operation of the rotating means through the driving pin, rotary piece, shaft and the like. Thereafter, the receiving element side is lowered for the position holder to effect positioning. In this manner, the attitude of the receiving elements on the rear side is changed by the automatic switching device.

According to the conventional arrangement described above, however, since the automatic switching device is arranged to change the attitude of the corresponding rear side receiving elements by operating the pair of releasing means and rotating means, there have been such problems that the arrangements and operations become complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a suspension conveyance system capable of changing support positions of right and left supports by a common changing means.

To achieve the object described above, a suspension conveyance system according to the invention comprises a movable body movable on a given path, the movable body having a support section for an object to be carried, and supports for supporting the object from below which are disposed in a lower portion of the support section on right and left sides of the support section such that a support position can be changed, wherein the given path includes therein a changing means disposed between the right and left supports to change the support position provided by the supports.

According to the above arrangement of the invention, the movable body is moved until it is stopped with the support section, now empty, opposed to the changing means, and then the changing means is activated, thereby changing the support position provided by the support members. Thus, a plurality of kinds of objects to be carried can each be supported in a stable manner. The use of the common (single) changing means simplifies the construction and operation and ensures that the change of the support position provided by the right and left support members is effected quickly and reliably.

In a first embodiment of a suspension conveyance system according to the invention, the changing means is movable between an operating position in the given path and a retreat position outside the given path.

According to this first embodiment, the changing means performs the operation of changing the support position provided by the support members in an operating position, but when not performing such operation, it is moved to the retreat position, whereby the maintenance, inspection, repair and the like, of the changing means can be effected without stopping the movement of the movable body on the given path and without involving any trouble.

In a second embodiment of a suspension conveyance system according to the invention, there is a positioning means for positioning the support members when the movable body is stopped at a position where it is opposed to the changing means in the given path.

Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the support position provided by the supports can be changed quickly and reliably by the changing means with respect to the support section which has effected positioning (swing prevention) by the positioning means after the movable body has been stopped.

In a third embodiment of a suspension conveyance system according to the invention, there are stock sections for the support section below the given path, so that the changing means effects the switching of the support members between the support section and the stock section.

Therefore, according to the third embodiment, the common (single) changing means effects the changing of the support position provided by the right and left support members and the switching of a plurality of kinds of supports between the support section and the stock sections, thus making it possible to cope with a variety of objects to be carried.

Further, in a fourth embodiment of a suspension conveyance system according to the invention, the supports have removable attaching pins to be inserted into the support section from above and support pins capable of having an object to be carried fitted thereon from above. These attaching pins and support pins are transversely spaced from each other.

Therefore, according to the fourth embodiment, when the object to be carried is unloaded from the support section by upwardly disengaging it from the support pins, the frictional resistance in the fitting region between the support pins and the object to be carried produces a force which tends to lift the supports to extract the attaching pins from the support section so as to disengage the supports. At this time, since the attaching pins and the support pins are transversely spaced from each other, the lifting direction of the supports during disengagement of the object to be carried becomes an arcuate direction with the center thereof located at the attaching pin, thus increasing the frictional resistance in the attaching pin. As a result, the disengagement of the supports can be automatically prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

, which shows an embodiment of the invention, is a plan view of a changing means portion in a suspension conveyance system;

FIG. 2

is a side view of the changing means portion in the suspension conveyance system;

FIG. 3

is a side view of a movable body portion in the suspension conveyance system;

FIG. 4

is a rear view of the movable body portion in the suspension conveyance system;

FIG. 5

is a plan view of a support member disposed portion in the suspension conveyance system;

FIG. 6

is a side view, partly broken away, of the support member disposed portion in the suspension conveyance system;

FIG. 7

is a rear view, partly broken away, of the support member disposed portion in the suspension conveyance system;

FIG. 8

is a plan view of another support member disposed portion in the suspension conveyance system;

FIG. 9

is a rear view, partly broken away, a rear support member portion in the suspension conveyance system;

FIG. 10

is a side view, partly broken away, of the rear support member portion in the suspension conveyance system; and

FIG. 11

is a plan view of the rear support member portion in the suspension conveyance system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described below with reference to the drawings.

In

FIGS. 3 and 4

, the numeral

1

denotes a suspension carrying means comprising a trolley guide rail

2

, a driving unit rail

3

laid above the trolley guide rail

2

, a trolley device

9

(an example of a movable body) supported and guided by the trolley guide rail

2

and movable on a given path

4

, a hanger device (an example of a support section for an object to be carried)

30

disposed on the trolley device

9

, a driving unit (chain conveyor or the like)

7

supported and guided by the driving unit rail

3

and the like.

The trolley device

9

comprises a front trolley

10

, a pair of front and rear free trolleys

11

and

12

, a rear trolley

13

, a front frame

14

interconnecting the front trolley

10

and the free trolley

11

, an intermediate frame

15

interconnecting the free trolleys

11

and

12

, a rear frame

16

interconnecting the free trolley

12

and rear trolley

13

or the like. Each of the trolleys

10

-

13

is provided with a guide wheel

17

and a transverse swing preventing wheel

18

, through which the trolleys are supported and guided by the trolley guide rail

2

.

The front trolley

10

is liftably provided with a driven projection

19

removably engageable with a transmission projection

8

from the driving unit

7

, and has a forwardly extending operating lever

20

attached at its intermediate portion thereto for vertical swing movement. The rear end of the operating lever

20

is connected to the lower end of the driven projection

19

through a pin. Therefore, the operating lever

20

and the driven projection

19

are operatively connected so that when the operating lever

20

lifts, the driven projection

19

lowers.

Further, the front trolley

10

is provided with an abutting portion

21

positioned below the operating lever

20

, a hold dog

22

is positioned in the rear of the upper end of the front trolley

10

and rearwardly of the driven projection

19

. The other rear trolley

13

has a cam tail

23

rearwardly extended therefrom for lifting the operating lever

20

, the cam tail

23

having an abutted portion

24

formed in the lower portion thereof against which the abutting portion

21

is capable of abutting.

The hanger device

30

comprises a frame body

32

, resembling a flat frame, attached to the intermediate frame

15

through connecting members

31

, longitudinal shafts

34

attached to the right and left ends of the frame body

32

through bearings

33

so that they are rotatable around the longitudinal axes extending in the direction of the given path

4

, brackets

35

laterally extending from the front and rear portions of these longitudinal shafts

34

, pipe-like upper longitudinal members

36

connected between the outer ends of these brackets, pipe-like vertical members

37

connected at their upper ends to the front portions of these upper longitudinal members

36

, pipe-like lower longitudinal members

39

rearwardly extending from below these vertical members

37

through brackets or the like.

In this case, a hanger section, L-shaped as seen in a side view, is formed by the vertical members

37

, lower longitudinal members

39

and the like. And the upper longitudinal member

36

has an operated portion

40

outwardly projecting therefrom to be used for opening/closing operation and the like. In addition, brackets

41

are upwardly extended from the right and left sides of the front portion of the frame body

32

, these brackets

41

being provided at their upper portions with guide rollers

42

and transverse swing preventing rollers

43

which are supported and guided by swing preventing rails

5

laid along the given path

4

.

The right and left lower longitudinal members

39

, which are the lower portion of the hanger device

30

, are provided with front and rear supports

45

and

50

for supporting, from below, the object to be carried. In this case, the front supports

45

, which are fixed in position, each are disposed on a bracket

46

inwardly extending from the front of the lower longitudinal member

39

. Further, the rear support

50

is disposed such that the support position can be changed with respect to a support disposed section

60

installed at the rear end of the lower longitudinal member

39

(i.e., installed on the hanger device

30

side).

That is, the support disposed section

60

, as shown in

FIGS. 5-7

, comprises a flat frame-like bracket

62

removably connected to the rear end of the lower longitudinal member

39

through fasteners

61

, a base plate

63

disposed on the bracket

62

, receiving bodies

64

disposed at a plurality of predetermined places on the base plate

63

and the like. In this case, the receiving body

64

, which is in the form of a block, has pin receiving holes

65

formed in the central portion thereof and a positioning pin or pins

66

erected adjacent the outer edge thereof. In addition, part of the pin receiving hole

65

is formed directly in the base plate

63

.

The rear support

50

, as shown in

FIGS. 5-7

, and

9

-

11

, comprises a base member

51

in the form of a plate, a patch body

52

connected to the lower surface of one end of the base member

51

, an attaching pin

53

positioned over a region extending from one end of the base member

51

to the patch body

52

and insertable at its lower end into the pin receiving hole

65

in the receiving body

64

(on the support section side) from above, an upwardly extending pin bracket

54

connected to the other end of the base member

51

, a support pin

56

erected on the upper end of the pin bracket

54

through an attaching member

55

and the like.

In this case, the edge of the patch body

52

is formed with a recess

57

with which the positioning pins

66

are engageable. Further, the support pin

56

is elliptic in section and is capable of having an object to be carried fitted thereon from above. And in the rear support

50

, the attaching pin

53

and the support pin

56

are transversely spaced a predetermined distance L apart from each other.

In addition, as for the rear supports

50

, symmetrical ones are prepared as a one-kind in one-set, and according to the kinds of objects to be carried, two kinds (a plurality of kinds) are prepared. That is, as shown, for example, in

FIG. 8

, symmetrical rear supports

50

A of another kind which differ both in the planar shape of the base member

51

and in the predetermined distance L with respect to the rear support

50

are prepared as a one-kind in one-set.

As shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the given path

4

is provided with a changing means

70

positioned between the right and left rear supports

50

and

50

A for changing the support position provided by these rear supports

50

and

50

A. That is, the changing means

70

comprises a base block

71

, a robotic device

72

disposed on the base block

71

, a clamp section

74

disposed on the front end arm section

73

of the robotic device

72

and the like. In this case, the front end arm section

73

is capable of moving vertically, transversely, longitudinally, and so on. And the clamp section

74

is capable of claming the pin bracket

54

in the rear supports

50

and

50

A.

The base block

71

is mounted on floor rails

77

laid to extend in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the given path

4

through a group of drive type wheels

75

; thus, the changing means

70

is capable of moving between the operating position A in the given path

4

and the retreat position B outside the given path

4

.

Stock sections

78

for the rear supports

50

and

50

A are disposed at positions below the given path

4

and opposed to the changing means

70

. In this case, the stock sections

78

are disposed on both sides of and equally spaced from the changing means

70

, which is now moved to the operating position A. The front and rear stock sections

78

each have two rows, front and rear, (a single row or a plurality of rows), each row having many sections for stocking and are set at a height to avoid collision with the hanger device

30

. Therefore, the rear supports

50

and

50

A can be switched between the hanger device (support section)

30

and the stock sections

78

.

In the given path

4

, there is provided a positioning means

80

for positioning the hanger device (support section)

30

when the trolley device

9

is stopped at a position where it is opposed to the changing means

70

. That is, the positioning means

80

comprises a pair of right and left clamps

81

capable of clamping the vertical members

37

in the hanger device

30

, an engaging/disengaging device

82

having a pin capable of engaging/disengaging a positioning hole

67

(see

FIGS. 5 and 6

) formed in a bracket

62

in the support disposed section

60

and the like.

The operation in the embodiment described above will now be described. In addition, the car body of an automobile, which is an example of an object to be carried, consists of, for example, of a first car body W

1

, a second car body W

2

, a third car body W

3

, a fourth car body W

4

, and the like.

According to the suspension conveyance system

1

of the construction described above, normally, the traveling of the trolley device

9

, as shown in

FIG. 3

, is effected by the transmission projection

8

engaging the driven projection

19

. Since the hold dog

22

abuts against such transmission projection

8

, uncontrolled traveling thereof is prevented. Further, the car bodies W

1

-W

4

are supported at four points through the supports

45

,

50

and

50

A of the hanger

6

during normal traveling. At this time, a car body of a certain kind, for example, is supported and in the rear, as shown in solid line in

FIGS. 5 and 6

, the rear support

50

is set in the longitudinal intermediate position.

In this state, when the rear supports

50

are to be longitudinally displaced as shown in phantom lines D and E in

FIGS. 5 and 6

so as to carry a different kind of car body, first, the trolley device

9

is caused to travel until it is stopped with the hanger device

30

, now empty, opposed to the changing means

70

and positioning means

80

.

At this time, the changing means

70

is positioned in the operating position A, as shown in solid line in

FIG. 1

, whereas in the empty hanger device

30

, the portions below the frame

32

, that is, the vertical members

37

and the like are bifurcated, so that these vertical members

37

and the like pass by both sides of the changing means

70

. This allows the empty hanger device

30

to stop in opposed relationship to the changing means

70

and positioning means

80

without colliding with the changing means

70

.

After the hanger device

30

has thus been stopped, first, both vertical member

37

are clamped by both clamp devices

81

of the positioning means

80

, and then the pin of the engaging/disengaging device

82

is lifted to engage the positioning hole

67

, from below, which is formed in the support disposed section

60

. Thereby, the positioning (swing prevention) of the hanger device

30

is effected by the positioning means

80

.

In this state, the operator operates the robotic device

72

of the changing means

70

while freely moving its front end arm section

73

vertically, transversely, longitudinally, and so on. Thereby, first, the clamp section

74

provided on the front arm section

73

, as shown in solid line in

FIG. 5

, clamps the pin bracket

54

in the rear supports

50

set in the longitudinal intermediate position, and then lifts the rear supports

50

to withdraw the attaching pin

53

from the pin receiving hole

65

.

Then, after the rear supports

50

have been transversely moved until the attaching pin

53

is opposed to an intended pin receiving hole

65

from above, the rear supports

50

are lowered to insert the attaching pin

53

in the pin receiving hole

65

. During this insertion, the recess

57

formed in the edge of the patch body

52

is engaged with the positioning pin

66

from above; thus, the rear supports

50

are capable of positioning simultaneously with changing the support position. Thereby, the rear supports

50

can be set by being longitudinally displaced as shown in phantom lines D and E in

FIGS. 5 and 6

; thus, car bodies of two other kinds can be supported.

As described above, after the support position provided by the rear supports

50

has been changed by the changing means

70

, both clamping devices

81

and engaging/disengaging device

82

of the positioning means

80

are reversely operated to open the positioning (swing prevention) of the hanger device

30

, thereby completing a series of operations.

The support position provided by the right and left rear supports

50

can be changed in this manner by the changing means

70

, and similarly, as shown in

FIG. 8

, the support position provided by the right and left rear supports

50

A can be changed between the solid and phantom lines by the changing means

70

.

As described above, after the hanger device

30

has been stopped in opposed relationship to the changing means

70

and positioning means

80

, the rear supports

50

and

50

A can be switched between the hanger device

30

and the stock section

78

by operating the changing means

70

. That is, the robotic device

72

of the changing means

70

is operated to release the rear supports

50

(

50

A) set on the support disposed section

60

side, then to store them in predetermined locations in the stock section

78

, to take out the intended rear supports

50

A (

50

) stored in the stock section

78

, and set them at the intended position on the support disposed section

60

side.

As described above, the support position provided by the right and left rear supports

50

and

50

A can be changed by the common (single) changing means

70

, and similarly, the rear supports

50

and

50

A can be switched between the hanger device

30

and the stock section

78

by the common changing means

70

.

Thus, either the rear supports

50

or the rear supports

50

A are set in the intended position, thereby supporting the car body of the intended kind of automobile between them and the front supports

45

, that is, supporting the car body by the hanger device

30

, and carrying the same. At this time, the car body is fitted on the support pins

56

of the rear support

50

and

50

A from above and then abutted against the attaching members

55

, whereby the car body is supported in a position-controlled manner.

And after various operations have been completed while carrying the car body, the car body is unloaded from the hanger device

30

at a predetermined position, which unloading is effected by lifting the car body to upwardly disengage it from the support pins

56

. At this time, the rear supports

50

and

50

A are lifted as by frictional resistance in the fitting region between the support pins

56

and the car body, and the attaching pins

53

are extracted from the pin receiving holes

65

in the receiving sections

64

, thus producing a force which causes disengagement of the rear supports

50

and

50

A.

However, since the rear supports

50

and

50

A have the attaching pins

53

and support pins

56

transversely spaced the predetermined distance L apart, the lifting direction of the rear supports

50

and

50

A during car body disengagement becomes an arcuate direction with its center located at the attaching pin

53

, thus increasing the frictional resistance produced between the inner peripheral surface of the pin receiving hole

65

and the outer peripheral surface of the attaching pin

53

, so that the disengagement of the rear supports

50

and

50

A is automatically prevented.

The changing means

70

, as shown in solid line in

FIG. 1

, performs the operation, in the operating position A in the given path

4

, of changing the support position provided by the rear supports

50

and

50

A, as described above, but when it does not perform such operation, it may be moved to the retreat position B outside the given path

4

through the base block

71

, as shown in phantom line in FIG.

1

. Such movement to the retreat position B allows the maintenance, inspection, repair and the like, of the changing means

70

to be performed without any trouble and without stopping the movement (empty movement, real test movement or the like) of the trolley device

9

side on the given path

4

.

In the embodiment described above, the trolley device

9

is shown as a movable body; however, it may be a self-propelled body in the form of an electric train supported and guided by rails. Further, car bodies W

1

-W

4

are shown as an object to be carried; however, they may be workpieces to be painted.

In the embodiment described above, the front supports

45

are fixed while the support position provided by the rear supports

50

and

50

A is alterable; however, there may be used a different type in which rear supports are fixed while the support position provided by the front supports is alterable, or another type in which the support positions provided by the front and rear supports are alterable.

In the embodiment described above, the type is shown in which the robotic device

72

is used as the changing means

70

for changing the support position provided by the rear supports

50

and

50

A; however, a different type may be used.

In the embodiment described above, the changing means

70

is constructed to be movable between the operating position A in the given path

4

and the retreat position B outside the given path

4

; however, it may be of a type in which it is fixed in the operating position A in the given path

4

.

In the embodiment described above, the positioning means

80

is installed for positioning the hanger device

30

when the trolley device

9

is stopped at a position where it is opposed to the changing means

70

in the given path

4

; however, the positioning means

80

may be omitted in the case of a type which causes less swing or the like to the hanger device

30

.

In the embodiment described above, the stock sections

78

for the rear supports

50

and

50

A are disposed below the given path

4

so that the rear supports

50

and

50

A may be switched between the hanger device

30

and the stock sections

78

by the changing means

70

; however, a different type may be used in which only the changing means

70

changes the support position provided by the rear supports with respect to the hanger device

30

, with no stock sections prepared.

In the embodiment described above, the rear supports

50

and

50

A have the attaching pins

53

provided thereon which are disposed on the side of the hanger device

30

for insertion from above and the support pins

56

provided thereon which are capable of having an object to be carried fitted thereon from above. These, attaching pins and support pins are transversely spaced from each other; however the rear supports

50

and

50

A may be of various types including one in which the attaching pins

53

and the support pins

56

are coaxial.

What has been described above are preferred aspects of the present invention. It is of course not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, combinations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.