JPH0651266B2 - Pallet changer for machine tools - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a pallet changing device for a machine tool having a pallet magazine which is used together with a machine tool and which accommodates a pallet for supporting a work in a replaceable manner, and particularly to a plurality of pallets. A plurality of pallet cartridges (hereinafter, simply referred to as cartridges) for storing are movably accommodated and arranged along the upward and downward endless circular tracks, and can be drawn out from the endless circular tracks as needed. It is about a pallet magazine.

[Conventional technology and problems]

Generally, a pallet magazine is a device that stores a plurality of pallets and indexes necessary pallets at pallet exchange positions. In the conventional pallet magazine, the pallets are arranged one by one in a circular or elliptical loop shape, or a plurality of pallet mounting bases are arranged in the vertical direction, and the individual pallets are stored and arranged on the mounting bases. Things etc.

The former type requires a larger installation area according to the number of pallets, while the latter type requires a pallet lifting device, which makes the entire device bulky. Further, both of them have a problem that it takes too much time to index the pallets. The former pallet magazine is described, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-157441, and the latter is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-201854.

Some of the other known techniques described above do not have a pallet setup station. In this case, the pallet used for pallet exchange cannot be indexed during the setup work, and the machine tool was included during that period. The operation of the system is hindered. Further, even if a setup station is provided, it is impossible to set up a plurality of pallets at one time, which results in a long setup time and eventually a reduction in system operating efficiency. The above is the conventional technique relating to the magazine used for pallet exchange, but for further reference, as a technique of a tool exchange device for machine tools, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-35738 by the present applicant.
However, even if this technology is diverted to a pallet magazine, considering the workability at the pallet setup station, vertical technology is disclosed. It is inconvenient for the pallet in the state and the workability is poor.

Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, the present invention stores a large number of pallets in a limited installation area, and shortens the time for indexing each of these storage pallets or the time for performing the pallet setup work. It is intended to provide the pallet magazine device as described above. At the same time, by using a pallet changer together, a new pallet changing device for machine tools is provided.

[Combined with means for solving problems]

In view of the above-mentioned object of the present invention, in a pallet magazine that stores and supplies a work support pallet used for automatic attachment and detachment of a work to and from a machine tool, a magazine base, a pallet cartridge that stores a plurality of work support pallets, and An endless rail type pallet magazine that is provided on the magazine base so that it can travel around and goes up and down, and supports and circulates a plurality of the pallet cartridges, and the pallet magazine on the magazine base. While circulating and running, a desired pallet cartridge is attached to the work from the plurality of pallet cartridges.
A pallet magazine indexing device that can be indexed to a unloading setup station or a pallet transfer station that transfers pallets, and the desired pallet cartridge indexed to the pallet setup position is extracted and inserted into the pallet magazine. A first cartridge removing / inserting device that enables setup and a desired pallet cartridge indexed to the pallet transfer position can be transferred to a machine tool by performing an extracting operation and an inserting operation with respect to a pallet magazine. The present invention provides a pallet changing device for a machine tool, which is configured to include a second cartridge removing / inserting device.

The present invention also provides a magazine base, a pallet cartridge that accommodates a plurality of work supporting pallets, a plurality of the pallet cartridges that are provided on the magazine base so as to be capable of traveling in an orbit, and that travel upward and downward. An endless rail type pallet magazine that supports and circulates in an array, and the pallet magazine is circulated and run on the magazine base, and a desired pallet cartridge is mounted or removed from a plurality of pallet cartridges, or a fixed station. And a pallet magazine indexing device capable of indexing to a pallet transfer station for pallet transfer at the transfer position of the pallet, and an operation of extracting and inserting the desired pallet cartridge indexed to the pallet setup station into the pallet magazine. By Dan And a second cartridge enabling / disabling device, and a second cartridge enabling / disabling device to transfer the desired pallet cartridge indexed to the pallet transfer station to a machine tool by extracting / inserting the desired pallet cartridge into / from a pallet magazine. And a machine tool for exchanging and exchanging the work supporting pallet with the pallet magazine device and machining the mounted work, and a pallet magazine device. A pallet changer for a machine tool, the pallet changer being provided between the machine tool and the machine tool to grip and transfer the work support pallet.

〔Example〕

1 is a schematic top view of a pallet changing device for a machine tool including a pallet magazine, a machine tool, and a pallet changer according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a top view including the cartridge at the pallet transfer station, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. Figures and 6 show the line of view VI-VI in Figure 1.
It is sectional drawing by.

Referring to FIG. 1, a pallet magazine device 40 having a T-shaped floor projection shape is disposed in front of the machine tool 20, and a central side surface portion of the pallet magazine device 40 and in front of the machine tool 20. Pallet transfer station 46
Front pedestal 55 equipped with a setup station 48
Is provided. Between the transfer station 46 and the machine tool 20, a pallet exchanging robot that is movable in the Z direction, that is, a pallet changer 76 is provided, and between the pallet transfer station 46 and the table 30 of the machine tool 20. Replace the pallet with. Further, a machine controller (MTC) 68 for controlling each operation of the machine tool 20, the pallet changer 76, and the pallet magazine device 40 is arranged on the side of the machine tool 20, and each machine device and the cable are arranged. Tied with.

The overall layout relationship has been described above, but the configuration of each mechanical device will be described below. First, the machine tool 20 has a head 22.
And a column 24, and the bed 22 is equipped with a work table 30 for fixedly mounting a pallet 32 on which a workpiece (work) is mounted. The work table 30 is slidable in the left and right X directions with respect to the bed 22. Further, a spindle head 26 is fixed to the front side of the machine tool 20 in the column 24, and a spindle 28 facing the front-back Z direction of the machine tool 20 is arranged on the spindle head 26. The column 24 has a structure capable of sliding in the Z direction with respect to the bed 22.

Next, the structure and operation of the pallet magazine device 40 will be described, but FIGS. 2 and 3 will be referred to together with FIG. A pair of front and rear sprockets 60 are coaxially fixed to an output shaft 64 of a servo motor 62 which is arranged in a box-shaped magazine base composed of a base 56 and a frame 58. There is. Parallel to the output shaft 64,
A shaft 63 is supported by the base at the same height and at a suitable distance from the output shaft 64, and a pair of shafts 63 are arranged on the same plane as the pair of sprockets 60, respectively. The other sprockets 61 are fixed to the front and rear. Chains 54 are suspended in parallel with each other on these two sets of sprockets 60 and 61.
Is driven to rotate by a drive side sprocket 60 connected to the servo motor 62.

In this way, a plurality of box-shaped holding bodies 84 (in this embodiment, 14) are provided between the pair of chains 54 forming the endless rail-shaped elliptical loops having the upward and downward circulation paths via brackets 88 described later. Individually, they are arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other with the longitudinal direction thereof being the X direction. The pallet magazine comprises the box-shaped holder 84 and the chain 54. Into this box-shaped holder 84, cartridges 50 each carrying a plurality of pallets 52 (three in this embodiment) are inserted and held. In this way, the cartridges 50 placed side by side in the shape of an oval loop are swung by the chain and sprocket mechanism. The above-mentioned servo motor 62 has a built-in rotary encoder known in the art, and each pallet 52 is responsive to a command from the MTC 68.
To the pallet transfer station 46 and the setup station 48 at the respective indexing positions 42 or 44 of the upper going portion.
It is possible to index to. The rotation direction of the servo motor 62 is determined so that the indexing time is the shortest. After this indexing, in order to smoothly perform the work of extracting or inserting the cartridge 50 in the direction perpendicular to the rotational movement surface of the pallet magazine in the shape of an oval loop, the cartridge 50 is lifted by a sag prevention guide 66 supported by the base. The chain 54 of the outgoing circulation path is supported so as not to drip.

Further, below the base, a pallet 52 mounted on each cartridge 50 mounted in the oval loop shape.
Of these, an oil pan 68 for receiving chips and lubricating oil falling from the pallet 52 of the inverted circulation path is provided, and is gently inclined toward the center line thereof. A chip conveyor 70 is extended along the chip conveyor 70 to collect chips and lubricating oil.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the pallet changer 76 for exchanging the pallet returns the pallet 32 on the machine tool 20 to the fixed position 46 'of the pallet transfer station 46 or works the pallet 52 at the fixed position 46'. Machine 20
Is configured to be movable in the Z direction along the guide 80 so that it can be placed on the work table 30 of the shaft 8
It is configured to be able to turn around 2. The pallet changer 76 has a gripping portion 78 for gripping the pallet.

Next, the pallet and cartridge holding structure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The cartridge 50 includes a pair of vertical plates 96, a central plate 94 stretched and fixed to the center and an upper part thereof, an upper plate 92, and a pair of rollers 114 described later.
The upper plate 92 has one pull stud receiving hole 98 on the center line for one pallet 52 and a square corner position around the receiving hole 98. Four positioning holes (piece holes) 100 are provided. Further, one second pull stud receiving hole 99 is provided on the central line of the central plate 94 so as to correspond to each receiving hole 98.

On the other hand, the pallet 52 is the same as the pallet changer 76 described above.
(FIG. 1) Pallet body having a gripping V-groove 102 with which the gripping portion 78 engages, pull studs 104 screwed to the body, and further four studs screwed to the body. The positioning projection (piece) 106 of FIG. The pull studs 104 and the four pieces 106 have an arrangement relationship corresponding to the pull stud receiving holes 98 and the four piece holes 100, and three pallets 52 can be mounted on each cartridge 50. Is. At this time, the tip of the pull stud 104 is inserted into the second pull stud receiving hole 99.

With the above structure, the box-shaped holding body 84 for holding and carrying each of the cartridges 50 having three pallets 52 mounted thereon is fixedly mounted on the chain 54 via the bracket 88. The box-shaped holder 84 is formed by the V-shaped groove 102 of the pallet 52.
A clamp device (clamper) 86 for holding the cartridge 50 is provided. Therefore, in order for the box-shaped holder 84 to hold the cartridge 50 on which the pallet 52 is mounted, it is necessary to insert it in the X direction shown in FIG. Since the cartridge 50 and each pallet 52 thus inserted are held by the clamper 86 via the V groove 102, the cartridge 50 and the pallet 52 do not drop even if they are turned upside down in the downward circulation path.

In this way, each of the cartridges 50 held and conveyed by the pallet magazine having the box-shaped holder 84 is attached to the MT described above.
The pallet transfer station 46 (Fig. 1) and the setup station 4 are controlled by the pallet magazine indexing device composed of the C 68 (Fig. 1) and the servo motor 62 (Fig. 2).
8 (FIG. 1), after indexing at the indexing positions 42, 44 corresponding to 8 (FIG. 1), the structure for pulling out to the pallet transfer station 46 and the setup station 48 and its operation will be briefly described with reference to FIG. To do. This drawing shows the structure at the indexing position 42 corresponding to the pallet transfer station 46, but by changing the ball screw shaft 120 described later to a rodless cylinder 142 (Fig. 6), the indexing position 44 corresponding to the setup station 48 is shown. Can be applied as is. Below the center plate 94 of the cartridge 50, one roller 114 is rotatably fixed at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The pair of rollers 114 roll by contacting the rolling surfaces 110 and 112 formed on the frame 58 (FIG. 1 or 2). The contact between the roller 114 and the rolling surfaces 110 and 112 causes the cartridge 50 to move to the X position.
Supported in the direction. One rolling surface 112 is cut at each of the indexing positions 42, 44, and a bracket 118 screwed on the ball screw shaft 120 (or engaged with a rodless cylinder) is arranged at this cutout portion. The bracket 118 is configured to be able to sandwich the roller 114 rolling on the rolling surface 112.

With the above structure, the cartridge 50 indexed at each indexing position 42 or 44 can be pulled out to each pallet transfer station 46 or setup station 48 along the guide 112 via the bracket 118 and the roller 114. .

Further, regarding the construction and operation of the pallet indexing device for drawing out the desired pallet 52 of the cartridge 50 at the indexing position 42 to the pallet transfer station 46, the fifth operation will be described.
A detailed description will be given with reference to the drawings. Ball screw shaft 12
At 0, both ends are held by the frame 58 of the base via bearings 138 and 140, and further, the guide rod 128 is provided with a ball screw shaft 12.
It is provided in parallel with 0 and both ends thereof are held by the frame 58. The bracket 118 is a ball screw shaft 120.
The guide rod 128 penetrates through the bush 129, and the bracket 118 is configured to slide smoothly. Inside the frame 58 on the right side of this figure, a servo motor 130 with a built-in rotary encoder
Is fixed, the output shaft 132 of the motor 130 projects to the outside of the frame 58, and the gear 134 is fixed to the tip thereof. Further, the right end of the ball screw shaft 120 in the figure also protrudes to the outside of the frame 58 like the output shaft 132, and another gear 136 is fixed to this tip, and the gear 136 and the gear 134 mesh with each other. Is configured to. With the above configuration, the servomotor 130 is driven by the command of the above-mentioned MTC 68 (FIG. 1), and the desired pallet 52 in the cartridge 50 is transferred to the pallet transfer station 46.
The bracket 118 is moved to a predetermined position through the two gears 134 and 136 and the ball screw shaft 120 so as to come to a fixed position 46 '(Fig. 1) of Fig. 1. As described above, the rollers 114 are rotatably attached to both ends of the central plate 94 of the cartridge 50 through the pins 115, and the rollers 114 located on the right side of the drawing engage with the brackets 118 so that The cartridge 50 moves in the direction of the guide rod 128. At this time, the bottom of the cartridge 50 is a guide.
It slides on the sliding surface 124 of 122. The left end of the guide 122 is provided with a notch inclined portion 126 so that the bottom portion of the cartridge 50 can be smoothly guided on the sliding surface 124.

It should be noted that this figure shows the case where the leftmost pallet 52 of the three pallets 52 of the cartridge 50 is located at a fixed position 46 ′ of the pallet transfer station 46.
Servo motor 130 so that the middle pallet 52 or the rightmost pallet 52 is located at the fixed position 46 '.
It is also possible to drive. Further, it is possible to insert the cartridge 50 from the thus extracted position into the original cartridge indexing position 42 of the pallet magazine.

The above is the description of the second cartridge inserting / removing device for extracting or inserting the cartridge 50 at the pallet magazine indexing position 42 of the pallet magazine to the fixed position 46 'on the pallet transfer station 46. Refer to FIG. 6 for the structure and operation of the first cartridge inserting / removing device when the cartridge 50 at the pallet magazine indexing position 44 corresponding to the setting up station 48 is extracted or inserted into the setting up station 48. While explaining. Pins on both ends of the center plate 94 of the cartridge 50
A pair of rollers 114 are rotatably mounted through 115, and the cartridge 50 at the pallet magazine indexing position 44 (FIG. 1) of the pallet magazine is the roller.
Bracket 11 via roller 114
8'engaged. On the other hand, in correspondence with the ball screw shaft 120 (FIG. 5) of the second cartridge removing / inserting device, a known rodless cylinder 142 is arranged in the X direction parallel to the shaft 120.
Are arranged, and both ends of the rodless cylinder 142 are fixed to the frame 58 of the base. The bracket
118 'is engaged with this rodless cylinder 142,
It is configured to be slidable in the X direction. The cartridge 50 at the pallet magazine indexing position 44 is the MTC 68 described above.
The rodless cylinder 142 is driven according to the command (Fig. 1) and is drawn out to the setup station 48 (Fig. 1) via the bracket 118 'and the roller 114. At this time, as in the case of the second cartridge inserting / removing device described above,
The cartridge 550 slides on the sliding surface 124 'of the guide 122' through its bottom. Again, the left end of this guide 122 'smoothly slides the bottom surface of the cartridge 50 into the sliding surface 12
A notch ramp 126 'is provided for guiding on the 4'. The pallet 52 at the setup station 48
For the work of attaching and detaching the work to and from the cartridge 50, the work efficiency is good if three pallets 52 on the cartridge 50 are pulled out together, and the extraction process can be done only once. Completely remove 50 from the pallet magazine to the specified position. After the work of setting up the pallet 52 on the extracted cartridge 50 is completed, the cartridge 50 drives the rodless cylinder 142 again according to the command of the MTC 68 and is inserted into the index position 44 of the original pallet magazine.

With the pallet magazine device having the above-described configuration and operation, pallet replacement and setup work are executed by designating a program installed in the MTC 68 in advance.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is apparent from the above description, according to the pallet magazine device of the present invention, the vertical space is skillfully used, and many pallets can be stored within a limited installation area.
The indexing time required for setup and transfer of a desired pallet among these storage pallets is shortened, and the pallet exchange time with the machine tool is shortened, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the system. In addition, once the cartridges are taken out to the setup station, multiple pallets can be set up in a batch, so work efficiency is good, especially when the setup time is longer than the machining time of the workpiece, waiting for the machine tool Time is reduced or eliminated, improving operating efficiency. Furthermore, since the posture of the pallet changes from upward to downward in the pallet magazine device, most of the chips are dropped, and the chip cleaning work during setup is reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a schematic top view of a pallet changing device for a machine tool including a pallet magazine, a machine tool, and a pallet changer according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a top view including the cartridge at the pallet transfer station, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. Figures and 6 show the line of view VI-VI in Figure 1.
Sectional view by. 20 ... Machine tool, 30 ... Work table, 32 ... Pallet, 40 ... Pallet magazine device, 42 ... Pallet magazine indexing position corresponding to pallet transfer station, 44 ... Pallet magazine allocation corresponding to setup station Delivery position, 46 ... Pallet transfer station 48 ... Setup station, 50 ... Pallet cartridge, 52 ... Pallet, 54 ... Chain, 56 ... Base, 58 ... Frame, 60, 61 ... Sprocket, 62 ... … Servo motor, 66 …… Drip prevention guide, 68 …… Oil pan, 70 …… Chip conveyor, 76 …… Pallet changer, 84 …… Box holder, 86 …… Clamping device, 110,112 …… Rolling Surface, 114 ... Roller, 118, 118 '... Bracket, 120 ... Ball screw shaft, 122, 122' ... Id, 128 ...... guide rods, 130 ...... servo motor, 142 ...... rodless cylinder.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A pallet magazine for storing and supplying a work support pallet used for automatic work attachment / detachment to / from a machine tool, a magazine base, a pallet cartridge for storing a plurality of work support pallets, and a circular traveling on the magazine base. An endless rail-shaped pallet magazine that circulates by supporting a plurality of the pallet cartridges arranged in an upward and downward upward and downward circulation path that is possible and circulating the pallet magazine with respect to the magazine base. A pallet magazine indexing device capable of indexing a desired pallet cartridge from the plurality of pallet cartridges to a work mounting station, a setup station for removal or a pallet transfer station for transferring pallets,
A first cartridge removing / inserting device that makes it possible to perform setup by extracting and inserting the desired pallet cartridge indexed to the pallet setup station into a pallet magazine, and the desired index indexed to the pallet transfer station. Pallet exchange for a machine tool, comprising a second cartridge removing / inserting device that enables the transfer of the pallet cartridge of the second pallet cartridge to the pallet magazine so that the pallet cartridge can be transferred to the machine tool. apparatus. 2. The second cartridge inserting / removing device,
The pallet changing device for machine tools according to claim 1, wherein any one of the pallets in the desired pallet cartridge is formed at a fixed position in the pallet transfer station by a feed screw mechanism. 3. The work supporting pallet, which has pull studs and positioning protrusions at the bottom, is aligned and held with pull stud receiving holes and positioning holes formed at a plurality of predetermined positions of the pallet cartridge. At the same time, the gripping V groove formed in each of the workpiece supporting pallets is configured to be engageable with a clamp device formed in a convex shape in the pallet cartridge.
Item 7. A pallet changing device for machine tools according to item. 4. The magazine base comprises an oil pan having a gently sloping surface at the bottom located below the downward circulation path in the endless rail type pallet magazine. The pallet changing device for a machine tool according to any one of items 1 to 3. 5. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the magazine base comprises a chip conveyor below the endless rail type pallet magazine. Pallet changer. 6. The magazine base is formed into a structure having a T-shaped floor projection shape including a front base including the setup station and the pallet transfer station, the work table of a machine tool and the work table. 6. The pallet transfer station is arranged close to each other so that pallet exchange can be quickly performed between the pallet transfer station and the work table. 7. Machine tool pallet changer. 7. A magazine base, a pallet cartridge for accommodating a plurality of work supporting pallets, and a plurality of the pallet cartridges provided on the magazine base so as to be able to travel in an orbit and go up and down. An endless rail type pallet magazine that supports and circulates in an array, and the pallet magazine is circulated and run on the magazine base, and a desired pallet cartridge is mounted or removed from a plurality of pallet cartridges, or a fixed station. And a pallet magazine indexing device capable of indexing to a pallet transfer station for pallet transfer at the transfer position of the pallet, and an operation of extracting and inserting the desired pallet cartridge indexed to the pallet setup station into the pallet magazine. By setup A first cartridge removing / inserting device for enabling the second cartridge, and a second cartridge removing / inserting device for enabling the desired pallet cartridge indexed to the pallet transfer station to be transferred to a machine tool by performing an extracting operation and an inserting operation with respect to a pallet magazine. A pallet magazine device configured to include a cartridge inserting / removing device, a machine tool for exchanging and exchanging the work supporting pallet with the pallet magazine device, and machining the mounted work, and the pallet magazine device. A pallet changer for a machine tool, comprising: a pallet changer that is provided between the machine tool and holds and transfers the work supporting pallet.