JP3591985B2 - Bolt supply device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bolt supply device used in an automatic assembly line of an automobile engine or the like. More specifically, a plurality of bolts that are aligned and conveyed by a parts feeder or the like are aligned in a predetermined arrangement, and a work for bolting a workpiece is bolted. The present invention relates to a bolt supply device that automatically supplies a bolt to a bolt insertion hole formed at a predetermined location.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a six-cylinder engine (V6 engine) of an automobile, as shown in FIG. 13, a pair of three-cylinder cylinder heads 2 and 2 ′ having the same structure are installed in one engine block 1 in parallel, and Are fixed with eight bolts. Each of the pair of cylinder heads 2, 2 ′ has bolt insertion holes 3 formed at eight locations in the vertical and horizontal directions. After bolts are supplied to the respective bolt insertion holes 3, each cylinder head 2, 2 ′ is mounted on the engine block. 1 and bolted.
[0003]
As a device for automatically supplying bolts to the cylinder head as described above, a distribution supply system using an industrial robot and a supply chute system using a servomotor are known. The former bolt supply device uses a robot arm to cut out bolts one by one from a bolt carrier or the like and supplies the bolts directly to the cylinder head, or after aligning the bolts cut out by the robot arm on a dummy plate or the like, The aligned bolts are supplied to the cylinder head using a chute or the like. The latter bolt supply device, for example, uses a servomotor to individually cut out the bolts that have been lined up and conveyed in a straight line using a straight-ahead feeder, aligns the cut out bolts at equal pitches, drops the chute under its own weight, To the bolt insertion hole of the cylinder head located at
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The distribution type bolt supply device using the industrial robot described above has a problem that the industrial robot itself is expensive and the equipment cost of the whole device is high, and also a supply of a total of 16 bolts to a pair of cylinder heads of a V6 engine. If the number of bolts automatically supplied in one cycle time is large, if one bolt is supplied by the robot arm one by one, the one cycle time until all bolts are supplied to the work will be longer and the time will be shortened. There was also a problem that conversion was difficult.
[0005]
In the supply chute type bolt supply device using the above servomotor, if the bolt insertion holes of the work are arranged in a line at an equal pitch, the pitch of the bolts conveyed from the linear feeder is made constant. By adopting a simple mechanism to perform the above, it can be implemented advantageously in terms of equipment. However, in the case where the arrangement of the bolt insertion holes of the work such as the cylinder heads 2 and 2 ′ in FIG. 13 is not one line, or in the case where the arrangement pitch of the vertically and horizontally adjacent bolt insertion holes is not constant, ( For example, a complicated mechanism such as a pitch changing means and a bolt alignment changing means corresponding to the pitch Px ≠ Py in FIG. 13 and the vertical and horizontal arrangement of the bolt insertion holes must be installed, and therefore, the entire bolt supply device is complicated. There is a problem that the cost increases as a result.
[0006]
An object of the present invention is to make it possible to automatically and collectively supply bolts to bolt insertion holes formed in a predetermined arrangement on a work, to greatly reduce cycle time, and to reduce structural problems of a bolt supply device itself. An object is to simplify and reduce costs.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention is effective for automatically and collectively supplying bolts to respective bolt insertion holes formed in integral multiples of four on a work such as a cylinder head of a V6 engine. Is to achieve.
[0008]
That is, the present invention provides a linear feeder that aligns and conveys a plurality of bolts having a head and a shaft in a line with each head substantially vertically upward,
An indexer that is arranged at the end of the linear feeder so as to be intermittently rotatable around a vertical center line, cuts out the bolts from the linear feeder one by one at the periphery, and holds an integral multiple of 4 bolts at equal pitch Unit and
When the four bolts at the vertex positions of the squares of the integral multiple of four bolts held by the indexing unit are moved to the fixed position by the intermittent rotation of the indexing unit, these four bolts are pushed up above the indexing unit. A push rod,
A holding rod that is arranged to be able to move laterally above the indexing unit, fits with the head of the four bolts pushed up by the push rod by its own weight from directly above, and moves up with the bolt pushed up by the push rod; A chuck unit having a chuck jaw for holding four bolts pushed up by a push rod and raised to a fixed position;
A drive system for moving the chuck unit laterally from a fixed position above the indexing unit to a fixed position above the work to which the bolt is supplied, and moving the chuck unit up and down above the work.
[0009]
In the bolt supply device according to the invention, the four bolts pushed up from the indexing unit by the push rod are held by the chuck unit in units of four, and then the chuck unit holding the four bolts is placed directly above the work. Then, the chuck jaws of the chuck unit are opened, and the bolts are supplied to the bolt insertion holes of the work at once by adding the weight of each holding rod.
[0010]
Here, the installation position of the chuck jaws and the holding rod in one chuck unit is based on the four bolts pushed up by the push rod from the indexing unit when the chuck unit is located directly above the indexing unit. At the upper four positions, a holding rod is installed so as to be able to move up and down coaxially with the center line of the bolt that is chucked and held by each chuck claw.
[0011]
In the bolt supply apparatus according to the above invention, when automatically supplying bolts to the bolt insertion holes formed in the workpiece N times as many as 4 times, N chuck units are used, and the N chuck units are used. When four bolts are sequentially cut out from the indexing unit in the chuck unit of N, and N chuck units hold four bolts at a time, the N units simultaneously move sideways, and a work of 4 × N is added to the work. Automatically supply bolts all at once.
[0012]
Further, according to the present invention, when the axis of the bolt pushed up by the push rod from the indexing unit and the axis of the bolt held by the chuck jaws of the chuck unit are eccentric, the bolt held by the chuck jaws of the chuck unit The holding rod is moved up and down coaxially with the axis of the bolt, and the head is held between the indexing unit and pushed up by the push rod and the lower end of the holding rod fitted to the head from directly above the head. Forming eccentricity correcting means to absorb the amount of eccentricity, eccentricity correction while raising the bolt and the holding rod to the chuck unit with the push rod with the lower end of the holding rod eccentric to the bolt head and inserted. It is characterized in that the axis of the bolt is made to coincide with the axis of the holding rod by means.
[0013]
That is, the four bolts pushed up by the push rod from the indexing unit are of a regular pitch arrangement at the apex position of the square, and the regular pitch arrangement and the arrangement of the bolt insertion holes of an integral multiple of 4 of the work. Does not always match. The pitch between the holes in the two orthogonal directions (X, Y) of the arrangement of the bolt insertion holes of the work is generally different between the X direction and the Y direction. If the arrangement pitch of the bolt insertion holes and the arrangement pitch of the bolts pushed up from the indexing unit are slightly shifted, the axis of the bolt pushed up by the push rod from the indexing unit and the bolt held by the chuck jaws of the chuck unit Axis is eccentric. Therefore, eccentricity correcting means for absorbing the eccentricity is formed between the head of the bolt pushed up from the indexing unit and the lower end of the presser rod fitted to the head, so that the bolt is pushed up to the chuck unit. Then, the eccentricity correcting means changes the axial position of the bolts to automatically correct the arrangement pitch of the four bolts.
[0014]
Further, in the present invention, when the bolt held by each of the chuck units is supplied to the bolt insertion hole of the work by its own weight, the presence or absence of the bolt supply is detected by detecting whether or not the holding rod that descends with the bolt by its own weight is dropped. A sensor for outputting a judgment signal is attached to each chuck unit. By doing so, it is easy to confirm whether or not the bolt is attached to the work by checking the position of the holding rod, and the reliability of automatic bolt supply is ensured.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an apparatus for automatically supplying bolts 5 to eight bolt insertion holes 3 of each of a pair of cylinder heads 2 and 2 'having the same structure in FIG. This will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0016]
The bolt supply device shown in the plan view of FIG. 1 includes a pair of bolt transfer systems 10, 10 corresponding to a pair of cylinder heads 2, 2 '. The pair of bolt transfer systems 10, 10 have the same structure, and one of the bolt transfer systems 10 will be mainly described below.
[0017]
The bolt transfer system 10 has a structure as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and the indexing unit 13 cuts out eight bolts 5 sent from the parts feeder 11 to the straight-ahead feeder 12 and conveyed in a line. Are arranged at equal pitches, four of these eight are pushed up by the push rod 17 and transferred to the pair of chuck units 20, 20, and the eight bolts 5 are moved by the pair of chuck units 20, 20 to the cylinder head. 2 are supplied collectively to the corresponding bolt insertion holes 3. Each of the pair of chuck units 20 and 20 vertically and horizontally moves the bolt 5 in units of four bolts, and each of the chuck jaws 21 holds four bolts 5, and the chuck jaws 21. And a holding rod 22 that rides on the bolt 5 held by the holding member. The pair of chuck units 20, 20 are simultaneously moved up and down and horizontally by the drive system 40 simultaneously to perform a bolt receiving operation from the indexing unit 13 and a bolt supplying operation to the cylinder head 2.
[0018]
Here, assuming that a horizontal movement direction of the pair of chuck units 20, 20 is an X direction, a horizontal direction orthogonal to the X direction is a Y direction, and a vertical direction is a Z direction, a driving system 40 for driving the chuck units 20, 20 is provided. Includes, for example, first, second, and third cylinders 41, 42, and 43 of three drive sources. Each chuck unit 20, 20 is supported in series in the X direction on a shift slide 44 that is horizontal in the X direction, and each chuck unit 20, 20 is attached to the shift slide 44 by a first cylinder 41 installed on the shift slide 44. It is supported so as to be relatively movable in the X direction. The shift slide 44 is supported by a shift rail 45 horizontal in the X direction so as to be relatively movable in the X direction. The shift slide 44 and the pair of chuck units 20 and 20 supported by the shift slide 44 are reciprocated in the X direction with respect to the shift rail 45 by the second cylinder 42 installed on the shift rail 45. One common second cylinder 42 is installed for each shift rail 45, 45 of the pair of bolt transfer systems 10, 10. The third cylinder 43 is mounted on the fixed frame 46 in the Z direction, and simultaneously moves the respective shift rails 45 of the pair of bolt transfer systems 10, 10 up and down.
[0019]
That is, the pair of chuck units 20 and 20 are alternately sent to the fixed position B directly above the indexing unit 13 by the first cylinder 41, and receive the four bolts 5 from the indexing unit 13 at the fixed position B. . Further, the pair of chuck units 20 and 20 are fixed in the X direction between the fixed position B by the second cylinder 42 and the fixed position C just above the cylinder head 2 loaded near the side of the fixed position B. Reciprocates with a stroke. Further, when the pair of chuck units 20 and 20 move horizontally to the fixed position C directly above the cylinder head 2, the third cylinder 43 is operated and the whole is lowered, and the eight cylinder units held by the chuck units 20 and 20 are moved. The bolts 5 are collectively supplied to the bolt insertion holes 3 of the cylinder head 2 installed at the fixed position D. This bolt supply is performed simultaneously by both the pair of bolt transfer systems 10 and 10, and a total of 16 bolts 5 are collectively supplied to the pair of cylinder heads 2 and 2 '.
[0020]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bolt 5 supplied from the parts feeder 11 to the linear feeder 12 has a large-diameter head 5a, a small-diameter shaft portion 5b and a screw portion 5c, and a neck portion 5b. A washer 6 having a larger diameter than the head 5a is slidably fitted between the head 5a and the screw portion 5c. The bolts 5 are suspended and supported substantially vertically by the straight feeder 12 with the head 5a and the washer 6 facing upward, and a plurality of the bolts 5 are aligned and conveyed as they are. An indexing unit 13 is horizontally installed at a fixed position A at the tip of the linear feeder 12, and a push rod 17 is disposed directly below the indexing unit 13 so as to be vertically movable.
[0021]
The indexing unit 13 cuts out the bolts 5 one by one from the rectilinear feeder 12 and holds a total of eight bolts 5 on the peripheral edge thereof at a uniform pitch. And an index rotor 15 intermittently rotating along the inner circumference of the guide cylinder 14, and a rotation drive source (not shown) for intermittently rotating the index rotor 15 at a constant angle of 45 °. Notches 16 are formed at eight positions at 45 ° intervals on the outer periphery of the indexing rotor 15, and each time the indexing rotor 15 rotates intermittently by 45 °, one bolt 5 is inserted into the notch 16 from the tip of the linear feeder 12. Sent in. The lower part of the bolt 5 is inserted into the notch 16 from the neck 5 b, and the head 5 a and the washer 6 are exposed on the notch 16.
[0022]
With the rotation of the indexing rotor 15, the bolt 5 moves along with the notch 16 along the inner circumference of the guide cylinder 14, and when the indexing rotor 15 rotates intermittently by 45 ° × 7 = 315 °, all eight notches are formed. The bolts 5 are inserted into the bolts 16 one by one, and a total of eight bolts 5 are indexed at the same pitch. At the stage when the eight bolts have been indexed, the rotation of the indexing rotor 15 is stopped, and the indexed eight bolts 5 are divided into two, four by two, from the indexing unit 13 to the push rod 17. Is pushed up.
[0023]
The four push rods 17 are arranged in a square arrangement and project vertically upward in a set of four, and a set of four push rods 17 is provided at the side of the indexing unit 13 in the Z direction. Driven. The four push rods 17 are provided at predetermined positions where four of the eight bolts 5 held at the indexing unit 13 at the apexes of the squares are simultaneously moved by the 45 ° intermittent rotation of the indexing rotor 15. Bolt extraction location Q ₁ ~ Q ₄ Is placed directly below.
[0024]
That is, FIG. 6 shows an example of the dimensional relationship between the arrangement of the eight bolts 5 indexed at equal pitches by the indexing unit 13 and the bolt insertion holes 3 of the cylinder head 2. Of the eight bolts 5 indexed at the same pitch, four bolts located at the apexes of every other square are arranged at the same pitch P. In this case, the four push rods 17 are connected to the four bolt take-out points Q of the index rotor 15. ₁ ~ Q ₄ Are placed at the same height and at the same pitch P directly below the Here, assuming that the arrangement pitch, which is the center distance in the X direction, of the eight bolt insertion holes 3 of the cylinder head 2 is Px, and the arrangement pitch, which is the center distance in the Y direction, is Py, P is Px and Py. In this case, the following three dimensional relationships (1), (2), and (3) are possible between P, Px, and Py.
[0025]
P = Px = Py ... 1
P ≠ Px, P = Py (2)
P = Px, P ≠ Py ... (3)
In the case of the dimensional relationship of the formula (1), the chuck claws 21 and the holding rods 22 of the chuck units 20 and 20 are installed at an equal pitch P with respect to the indexing unit 13, and four bolts 5 are provided from the indexing unit 13. These are supplied to the chuck units 20 and 20 at the same pitch P, respectively, and supplied to the bolt insertion holes 3 of the cylinder head 2 at the same pitch P.
[0026]
In the case of the formulas (2) and (3), the arrangement pitch of the four bolt holding positions and the arrangement pitch of the four holding rods 22 by the chuck claws 21 of the chuck units 20 and 20 are adjusted to the cylinder head 2. The pitch is set to be unequal between Px and Py. Hereinafter, for example, in the case of the formula (2), an example of the structure and operation of the chuck units 20, 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0027]
The pair of chuck units 20 have the same structure, and one of them will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11. The chuck unit 20 includes a frame-shaped unit main body 23 supported by the shift slide 44 and a unit main body 23. And a pressing rod 22 penetrating the unit body 23 in the Z direction. In addition, the chuck unit 20 includes a bolt attachment confirmation sensor 24 that detects the height positions of the four holding rods 22 in the unit body 23.
[0028]
FIGS. 7 and 8 show a specific example of the chuck pawl 21. This is a pair of substantially cross-shaped horizontal revolving pawls 27, 28 and an opening / closing cylinder 29 for simultaneously rotating the pair of revolving pawls 27, 28 in opposite directions. Is provided. The center of one of the turning claws 27 is supported by the inner shaft 30, and the center of the other turning claw 28 is eccentric to the inner shaft 30 and is supported by the outer shaft 31 surrounding the inner shaft 30. Rotate around the inner shaft 30 and the outer shaft 31 as fulcrums. Inside the four tips of the substantially cross-shaped turning claws 27, 28, V-shaped chuck surfaces m, n for holding the bolts 5 one by one and vertically holding them in place are formed.
[0029]
When the pair of revolving pawls 27 and 28 are closed by the opening / closing cylinder 29, four bolts 5 are simultaneously held by the four chuck surfaces m and n. At this time, the four bolts 5 are arranged in a rectangular array in the X and Y directions, and their arrangement pitches are set to Px and Py. When the pair of revolving claws 27 and 28 are opened by the opening / closing cylinder 29, the head 5a of the bolt 5 penetrates between the four chuck surfaces m and n as shown in FIGS. A gap g that does not pass through the washer 6 is formed, and the bolt 5 protruded from directly below from the indexing unit 13 is inserted into the gap g.
[0030]
In each of the gaps g between the four chuck surfaces m and n of the pair of opened revolving claws 27 and 28, a holding rod 22 whose axis is aligned with the center line of each gap g is arranged. The four holding rods 22 are loosely fitted to the unit body 23 so as to be freely movable in the Z direction. For example, as shown in FIG. Freely moves up and down between a lower limit position where the lower end of the unit comes into contact with the unit main body 23 (a chain line position in FIG. 11) and an upper limit position where the weight 32 projects above the unit main body 23 by a predetermined height (a solid line position in FIG. 11). I do. 9 to 11 show two pressing rods 22 adjacent in the X direction. The arrangement pitch of the center lines of the two holding rods 22 is Px.
[0031]
When one of the pair of chuck units 20 is moved to the fixed position B just above the indexing unit 13, the four holding rods 22 of the chuck unit 20 are moved to the bolt extraction positions Q of the indexing unit 13. ₁ ~ Q ₄ Is located directly above. At this time, the chuck claws 21 are opened, and each holding rod 22 is at the lower limit position with respect to the unit body 23, and the lower end 22 ′ of each holding rod 22 is lowered from the opened chuck claw 21, and the indexing unit 13 Bolt extraction location Q ₁ ~ Q ₄ Is located just above the bolts 5 of the above. Here, bolt extraction location Q ₁ ~ Q ₄ The two arrangement pitches P adjacent to each other in the X direction among the four bolts 5 and the arrangement pitch Px of the pressing rod 22 directly above the four bolts 5 are different from P ≠ Px as in the above equation (2). The upper and lower corresponding bolts 5 and the center lines of the holding rods 22 are stepwise eccentric. This amount of eccentricity corresponds to (Px-P) / 2 when P <Px, as shown in FIG. 10, and the normal amount of eccentricity is about several mm.
[0032]
The supply of the four bolts 5 from the indexing unit 13 to one chuck unit 20 is performed in the following manner. The indexing unit 13 indexes the eight bolts 5 at an equal pitch, and the bolt take-out location Q ₁ ~ Q ₄ The four bolts 5 are pushed up by the push rod 17 and the lower end portions 22 ′ of the holding rods 22 corresponding to the heads 5 a of the bolts 5 are fitted in a slightly pushed up state. The holding rod 22 is pushed up toward the unit body 23. When the neck 5b of the pushed-up bolt 5 reaches the position of the gap g between the chuck surfaces m and n of the opened chuck claw 21, the chuck claw 21 is closed and the four bolts 5 are simultaneously chucked, and the push rod 17 is pushed. Is lowered.
[0033]
When the four bolts 5 are pushed up from above and below while being sandwiched between the push rod 17 and the holding rod 22 as in the above operation, the bolts 5 are accurately guided or supported by the holding rod 22 in the Z direction. It is pushed up and there is no fear of falling off during ascent, and the operation is stable. Therefore, even when the bolt 5 is long, the bolt 5 does not incline during the ascent. Further, by making the gap g between the chuck surfaces m and n of the opened chuck claw 21 smaller than the outer diameter of the washer 6 of the bolt 5, when the bolt 5 is pushed up into the gap g, the gap g of the chuck surfaces m and n is reduced. Since the lower end abuts against the washer 6 and the washer 6 is reliably pushed down to the position of the screw portion 5c, the chuck of the bolt 5 is securely performed without being obstructed by the washer 6.
[0034]
Further, in the above operation, the arrangement pitches P and Px of both the two bolts 5 and the holding rod 22 which are adjacent to each other in the X direction are different, and these two upper and lower bolts are located at eccentric positions. If the head 5a is pushed up vertically, there is a possibility that an operation error in which the head 5a hits the chuck nail 21 and the chuck nail 21 is not chucked, or a trouble that the chuck nail 21 or the like is damaged may occur. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of trouble due to such eccentricity, in the present invention, the eccentricity correcting means 35 is formed between the head 5a of the bolt 5 and the lower end 22 'of the holding rod 22.
[0035]
As shown in the lower half of FIG. 10, for example, the eccentricity correcting means 35 includes a wrench square hole 36 formed in the center of the upper surface of the head 5a of the bolt 5 and the lower surface of the lower end 22 ′ of the holding rod 22. Is formed by a conical projection 37 formed in the shape of a circle. When the bolt 5 is pushed up by the push rod 17, the tapered surface of the projection 37 of the holding rod 22 comes into contact with the upper end edge of the square hole 36 of the head 5 a, and at this time, the center line of the square hole 36 and the center of the projection 37 The shape of the projection 37 of the square hole 36 is set so that the line is eccentric by the amount of eccentricity (Px-P) / 2.
[0036]
The eccentric bolt 5 and the holding rod 22 come into contact with each other, and the two are integrally pushed up in the Z direction by the push rod 17. As the bolt 5 rises from the indexing unit 13, the square hole 36 of the head 5 a , The center of the head 5a moves outward in the X direction, and finally, as shown in the upper half of FIG. 11, the center of the head 5a coincides with the center of the protrusion 37, The center line of the bolt 5 pushed up to the upper limit and the center line of the pressing rod 22 thereon coincide with each other, and the arrangement pitch of the two bolts 5 adjacent in the X direction is automatically corrected to Px. Immediately thereafter, the chuck claws 21 are closed, and the four bolts 5 are held by the chuck unit 20.
[0037]
When one of the pair of chuck units 20, 20 receives four bolts 5 from the indexing unit 13, the indexing unit 13 intermittently rotates by 45 °, and the pair of chuck units 20, 20 move in the X direction and remain. Moves to the fixed position B just above the indexing unit 13 and receives four bolts 5 from the indexing unit 13. Thereafter, the pair of chuck units 20 and 20 move horizontally to the fixed position C directly above the cylinder head 2 and descend, and as shown by the chain line in FIG. When entering or approaching the corresponding bolt insertion hole 3 of the cylinder head 2, the chuck pawl 21 opens. Thus, the bolt 5 is supplied to the bolt insertion hole 3 by its own weight and the own weight of the holding rod 22 by its own weight.
[0038]
As described above, a total of eight bolts 5 are lowered while being held by the pair of chuck units 20, 20, and each of them is collectively inserted into the eight bolt insertion holes 3 of the cylinder head 2 using the holding rod 22. By dropping under its own weight, a large number of bolts can be supplied at one time, and the cycle time of the bolt supply can be shortened. Further, since the bolt 5 is forcibly inserted into the bolt insertion hole 3 by the weight of the holding rod 22, a mistake in bolt supply is reduced, and the reliability of the bolt supply operation is increased.
[0039]
Further, the holding rod 22 of the bolt 5 normally supplied to the bolt insertion hole 3 of the cylinder head 2 is lowered together with the bolt 5 to be at the lower limit position with respect to the unit body 23, and the weight 32 of the holding rod 22 is shown in FIG. It falls to the position shown by the chain line of No. 11. Therefore, the upper limit position or the lower limit position of the weight 32 is detected by the sensor 24 installed in the unit body 23. For example, the sensor 24 shown in FIG. 11 includes a light projector 25 and a light receiver 26, and an optical axis 27 connecting the light projector 25 and the light receiver 26 is set to a predetermined height crossing the weight 32.
[0040]
That is, when the weight 32 is lowered to the lower limit position, the weight 32 is disengaged from the optical axis 27 and the light of the light projector 25 is received by the light receiver 26, and the normal supply of the bolt 5 is confirmed. When a supply failure occurs in which the bolt 5 is caught in the bolt insertion hole 3 and is not properly inserted, the holding rod 22 does not normally descend together with the supply failure bolt 5, and the weight 32 keeps blocking the optical axis 27. As a result, the light receiver 26 does not receive light, and a supply failure of the bolt 5 is confirmed. The operation of confirming the quality of the bolt supply using the holding rod 22 and the sensor 24 is more reliable than the operation of directly detecting the position of the bolt 5, and the sensors for the confirmation are used. There is also a design advantage that the installation place can be selected in a wide range.
[0041]
In the above embodiment, the pair of bolt transfer systems 10 and 10 having the same configuration shown in FIG. Sixteen bolts 5 are supplied simultaneously. Loading and unloading at a fixed position D of a pair of cylinder heads 2 and 2 ′ receiving automatic bolt supply by this bolt supply device is performed, for example, as shown in FIG.
[0042]
The pair of cylinder heads 2 and 2 ′ are divided into a left cylinder head 2 and a right cylinder head 2 ′ of a V6 engine, and each of them is placed on an individual pallet 4. On each pallet 4, the right cylinder head 2 is mounted on the upper right half, and the left cylinder head 2 'is mounted on the left half. A large number of these pallets 4 are alternately transported in a line on a horizontal transport path 7 with the left cylinder head 2 mounted pallets 4 and the right cylinder head mounted pallets 4 alternately. The leading end of the transport path 7 corresponds to the above-described fixed position D. When the pallet 4 carrying the right cylinder head 2 is loaded at the leading end position, the pallet 4 is stopped. Then, the subsequent pallet at the forefront of the pallet 4 on which the left cylinder head 2 ′ is placed is advanced by being slid laterally as shown by the arrow in FIG. And stop it next to the pallet 4.
[0043]
When the bolts are supplied to the pair of cylinder heads 2 and 2 ′ on the two pallets 4 and 4 arranged side by side at the leading end of the transport path 7, the bolts are unloaded and the next right cylinder is placed at the leading end of the transport path 7. The above operation is repeated by moving the pallet 4 on which the head 2 is placed.
[0044]
The work to be supplied with bolts in the present invention is not limited to the cylinder head of an automobile engine, but can be applied to any work having a bolt insertion hole of an integral multiple of 4 in a vertical and horizontal arrangement.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
According to the bolt supply device according to claim 1, a plurality of chuck units holding four bolts each of which is an integer multiple of 4 that has been indexed at equal pitches by the indexing unit and holding four bolts each. Is moved to supply bolts of an integral multiple of 4 to the bolt insertion holes of the corresponding work at once, so that the cycle time of one bolt supply is shortened as the number of bolts supplied one time increases. You. In addition, the bolt held by the chuck unit is supplied by being dropped by its own weight into the bolt insertion hole of the work using the own weight of the holding rod, so that the bolt supplying operation can be performed with a certainty by the holding rod. A highly reliable bolt supply device can be provided. Further, as the indexing unit and the chuck unit for transferring the bolts in units of four or the like, a mechanism having a mechanism that operates simply and surely can be applied, and the equipment cost of the bolt supply device can be reduced.
[0046]
According to the bolt supply device of the present invention, even if the arrangement pitch of the bolts indexed by the indexing unit and the arrangement pitch of the bolt insertion holes of the work are unequal pitches, the push rod is moved from the indexing unit. While pushing up a set of four bolts to the chuck unit, the bolts are automatically corrected to an irregular pitch by the eccentricity correcting means formed between the bolt head and the holding rod. Automatic bolt supply to the insertion hole is also possible, and a highly versatile bolt supply device can be provided. In addition, the eccentricity correcting means described above is advantageous in terms of equipment because it can be constituted by a simple shape such as an existing hole in the bolt head and a tapered projection at the lower end of the holding rod.
[0047]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the bolt is dropped by its own weight into the bolt insertion hole of the work, the holding rod is lowered together with the bolt. Presence / absence and quality can be reliably confirmed, and the reliability of the bolt supply device can be further improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bolt supply device showing one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a bolt transfer mode by the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of an indexing unit in the apparatus in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a side view of a main part including a partial cross section of the indexing unit of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a relationship between an arrangement pitch of bolts in the indexing unit of FIG. 4 and an arrangement pitch of bolt insertion holes of a work (cylinder head).
FIG. 7 is a bottom view including a partial cross section of a chuck pawl of the chuck unit in the apparatus in FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the chuck claw of FIG. 7;
9 is a side view of a main part showing a relationship between an indexing unit and a chuck unit in the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of the bolt and the holding rod at each vertical position for explaining the trajectory correction of the bolt ascending from the indexing unit to the chuck unit in FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a side view of a main part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 when bolts are mounted on the chuck unit.
FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a transport mode of a pair of works (cylinder heads) supplied with bolts by the apparatus in FIG.
FIG. 13 is a plan view of a pair of works (cylinder heads) that receive a bolt supply.
[Explanation of symbols]
2, 2 'work (cylinder head)
3 Bolt insertion hole
5 bolts
5a head
12 Straight feeder
13 Indexing unit
17 Push rod
20 Chuck unit
21 Chuck claw
22 Holding rod
24 sensors
35 Eccentricity correction means
40 drive system

Claims (3)

A plurality of bolts having a head and a shaft, a linear feeder that aligns and conveys the plurality of bolts in a line with each head being substantially vertical,
An indexer that is arranged at the end of the linear feeder so as to be intermittently rotatable around a vertical center line, cuts out the bolts from the linear feeder one by one at the periphery, and holds an integral multiple of 4 bolts at equal pitch Unit and
When the four bolts at the vertex positions of the squares of the integral multiple of four bolts held by the indexing unit are moved to the fixed position by the intermittent rotation of the indexing unit, these four bolts are pushed up above the indexing unit. A push rod,
A holding rod that is arranged to be able to move laterally above the indexing unit, fits with the head of the four bolts pushed up by the push rod by its own weight from directly above, and moves up with the bolt pushed up by the push rod; A chuck unit having a chuck jaw for holding four bolts pushed up by a push rod and raised to a fixed position;
A drive system for laterally moving the chuck unit from the upper fixed position of the indexing unit to the upper fixed position of the work to which the bolt is supplied, and moving the chuck unit up and down above the work;
A set of four bolts pushed up from the indexing unit by the push rod is held by the chuck unit, and then the chuck unit holding the four bolts is moved right above the work and lowered, and the chuck jaws of the chuck unit are lowered. Wherein the bolts are opened and the bolts are supplied collectively to the bolt insertion holes of the work under the own weight of the respective holding rods. When the axis of the bolt pushed up by the push rod from the indexing unit and the axis of the bolt held by the chuck claws of the chuck unit are eccentric, the shaft is held coaxially with the axis of the bolt held by the chuck claws of the chuck unit. The eccentricity which moves the rod up and down and absorbs the eccentricity between the head of the bolt held by the indexing unit and pushed up by the push rod and the lower end of the presser rod fitted to this head from directly above While the correction means is formed and the lower end of the holding rod is eccentrically fitted to the bolt head and the bolt and the holding rod are raised to the chuck unit by the push rod, the axis of the bolt is adjusted by the eccentricity correcting means. 2. The bolt supply device according to claim 1, wherein the bolt is aligned with the axis of the holding rod. When supplying the bolt held by the chuck unit to the bolt insertion hole of the work by its own weight, a sensor that detects whether or not the holding rod that descends by its own weight together with the bolt and outputs a bolt supply presence / absence determination signal is provided. The bolt supply device according to claim 1, wherein the bolt supply device is attached to the chuck unit.

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