JPH0229562B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a work pallet storage device in an unmanned processing system.

An object of the present invention is to be able to store several types of pallets of different sizes, and to make it possible to take in and out any desired pallet using one stacker crane.

As a storage device for work pallets in an unmanned workpiece machining system, a pallet storage rack and a stacker crane for loading and unloading work pallets stored in the rack are used. By using a stacker crane, a large amount of work pallets can be stored three-dimensionally, resulting in a significant reduction in floor space.
Work pallets can now be loaded and unloaded with high efficiency.

However, conventional stacker cranes could only handle one type of pallet, so if the types (sizes) of pallets were different, a separate storage shelf and stacker crane had to be provided for each type of pallet. In particular, the stacker crane requires a control device to move up and down and left and right and position it at a position corresponding to each pallet storage position on the storage shelf, and also to control the forward and backward movement of the forks that move pallets into and out of the storage shelf. Since the stacking crane must be controlled, providing a stacker crane for each type of pallet increases the cost and increases the equipment cost.

The present invention provides a pallet storage device that solves the above problems, and embodiments thereof will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In Figure 1, 1 is a large pallet storage shelf;
A large pallet stand for storing a large number of large pallets 3 is structured three-dimensionally. A small pallet storage shelf 4 is arranged side by side with the large pallet storage shelf 1 at a required interval, and a small pallet stand 5 for storing small pallets 6 is structured three-dimensionally.

At one end of each of the large pallet storage shelf 1 and the small pallet storage shelf 4, transfer devices 7 and 8 are installed to transfer pallets to a self-propelled carrier 10 guided by a carrier guide cable 9. .

The large pallet storage shelf 1 and the small pallet storage shelf 4
In between, a stacker crane 11 is provided which is movable horizontally and vertically along each storage shelf 1,4. As shown in FIG. 5, this stacker crane 11 has a structure in which a vertical running rail 13 is erected on a running platform 43 running on a horizontal rail 12, and the upper end of the vertical running rail 13 is guided by a ceiling rail 44. ing. Reference numeral 14 denotes a movable platform that moves up and down while being guided by the vertical traveling rails 13. 40 is a motor for running the traveling platform 43, 41 is a motor for lifting and lowering the movable table 14, and 43 is a wire for lifting and lowering.

On the movable table 14 are a pair of wide forks 15 that move forward and backward while supporting the large pallet 3, and a pair of narrow forks 16 that move forward and backward while supporting the small pallet 6 on the inside of the wide forks 15. is located. In order to position the wide fork 15 at each pallet storage position of the large pallet storage shelf 1 and the narrow fork 16 at each pallet storage position of the small pallet storage shelf 4, a traveling base 43 and a movable base 1 are used.
4 is provided.

The configurations of the wide fork 15 and the narrow fork 16 and their advancing and retracting mechanisms will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

Since the configurations of the wide fork 15 and the narrow fork 16 are the same, the wide fork 15 side will be representatively explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
The fork consists of three stages: a fixed fork 17 fixed on the movable base 14, an intermediate fork 18 that moves on the fixed fork 17, and a support fork 19 that moves on the intermediate fork 18.
0,21.

The fixed fork 18 is provided with a fixed rack 22 in its longitudinal direction, and the support fork 19 is provided with a movable rack 23 opposite the fixed rack 22 in its longitudinal direction. The intermediate fork 18 also has a pinion 24 that meshes with the fixed rack 22 and a pinion 26 that meshes with the movable rack 23.
Furthermore, an intermediate pinion 25 that meshes with both pinions 24 and 26 is rotatably attached.

Furthermore, the movable base 14 corresponding to both end positions of the fixed fork 17 has a drive sprocket 2 at one end position.
7, a driven sprocket 28 is rotatably provided at the other end position, a chain 29 fixed to one end 30a of the intermediate fork 18 is spanned over the drive sprocket 27, and the chain 29 is spanned from the drive sprocket 27 to the driven sprocket 28 so that the chain 29 is connected to the one end 30a. The drive sprocket 27 is intersected at the spanning portion and fixed to the other end 30b of the intermediate fork 18. Therefore, now the third
The state shown in the figure is a state in which the fork is extended forward, but when the drive sprocket 27 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. Moving. With this leftward movement of the intermediate fork 18, the pinion 24 that engages with the fixed rack 22 rotates counterclockwise, and the pinion 26 that engages with the movable rack 23 via the intermediate pinion 25 is rotated counterclockwise.
4 and moves the support fork 19 to the left, and the intermediate fork 18 and the support fork 19 are all superimposed on the fixed fork 17 and are retracted and shortened. 34' is an interlocking shaft that interlocks the driven sprockets 28 of the pair of left and right fixed forks 17.

In FIG. 2, 27a on the narrow fork 16 side is a driving sprocket, 28a is a driven sprocket,
29a is a chain, and 34a is an interlocking shaft.

As shown in FIG. 2, the switching mechanism for advancing and retracting the wide fork 15 and the narrow fork 16 configured as described above includes a drive sprocket 27 on the wide fork 15 side and a drive sprocket 2 on the narrow fork 16 side.
7a is freely rotatably supported on one drive shaft 33. A pulley 34 is fixed to the end of the drive shaft 33, and rotational power is transmitted between this pulley 34 and a pulley 32 of the fork advancement/retraction motor 31 via a belt 35. A spline 35 is formed between the drive sprockets 27, 27a of the drive shaft 33, into which a clutch member 36 is spline-fitted, and the drive sprocket 2 is connected to the drive sprocket 2 by means of an operating rod 38 connected to the piston rod of the cylinder 37.
7 or 27a to transmit the rotational power of the fork movement motor 31.

A stopper member 39 is fixed to the operating rod 38. A stopper 39a for regulating the forward and backward movement of the narrow fork 16 is formed at one end of this stopper member 39, and a stopper 39b for regulating the forward and backward movement of the wide fork 15 is formed at the other end, and the clutch member 36 is connected to the wide fork. When engaging the drive sprocket 27 on the 15 side to operate the wide fork 15, the stopper 39a restricts the forward and backward movement of the narrow fork 16, and the clutch member 36 engages with the drive sprocket 27a on the narrow fork 6 side. When the narrow fork 16 is operated, the stopper 39b is interlocked with the clutch member 36 to restrict the forward and backward movement of the wide fork 15.

As described above, the present invention provides an advance/retreat drive device for selectively advancing and retracting a wide fork and a narrow fork, and this advance/retreat drive device is connected to a first drive sprocket connected to the wide fork and a a second drive sprocket connected to the fork; a clutch member that can be selectively engaged and disengaged from the first and second drive sprockets; and a motor for rotating the fork that rotates the clutch member.
and a shift device for shifting the clutch member to selectively engage and disengage the first and second drive sprockets, and in conjunction with the shift operation by the shift device, when the wide fork is driven forward or backward. The configuration includes a stopper that regulates the forward and backward movement of the narrow fork, and when driving the narrow fork, a stopper that restricts the forward and backward movement of the wide fork. It is now possible to selectively drive the fork forward and backward, and the stopper that is linked to the switching of the clutch can regulate the forward and backward movement of the fork on the side that is separated from the fork advancement/retraction motor, so there is no need for a special drive source. This has the effect of reliably preventing the forks on the unused side from moving forward or backward.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the fork advancement/retraction drive mechanism on the movable platform of the stacker crane, Fig. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of the fork, and Fig. 4 3 is a sectional view taken along the line in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is an overall view of the stacker crane in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2. 1...Large pallet storage shelf, 3...Large pallet,
4...Small pallet storage shelf, 6...Small pallet, 1
1...Statuka crane, 12...Horizontal rail,
13...Vertical traveling rail, 14...Movable platform, 15
...Wide fork, 16...Narrow fork, 17
... Fixed fork, 18 ... Intermediate fork, 19
...Support fork, 22...Fixing rack, 23...
...Movable rack, 24... Pinion, 25... Intermediate pinion, 26... Pinion, 27... Drive sprocket, 28... Driven sprocket, 29...
Chain, 31...Fork advance/retreat motor, 33
... Drive shaft, 35 ... Spline, 36 ... Clutch member, 37 ... Cylinder, 40 ... Travel motor, 41 ... Lifting motor, 43 ... Travel platform,
45...Positioning control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A stacker crane equipped with a large pallet storage shelf and a small pallet storage shelf that separately store at least two types of pallets of different sizes, and a movable platform that can move horizontally and vertically along each of the storage shelves. A pallet storage device comprising: a pair of wide forks that can move forward and backward while supporting large pallets; and a pair of wide forks that can move forward and backward while supporting small pallets on the movable platform of the stacker crane; a pair of narrow forks connected to the wide fork, and a forward and backward drive device for selectively advancing and retracting the wide fork and the narrow fork is provided on the movable base, and the forward and backward drive device is connected to a pair of narrow forks that are a first drive sprocket, a second drive sprocket connected to the narrow fork;
a clutch member that is selectively engageable and disengageable from the first and second drive sprockets; a fork advance/retreat motor that rotationally drives the clutch member; and a clutch member that selectively engages and disengages the first and second drive sprockets. and a shift device for shifting as much as possible, and in conjunction with the shift operation by this shift device, when the wide fork is driven forward or backward, the narrow fork is restricted from moving forward or backward, and when the narrow fork is driven forward or backward, the wide fork is restricted from forward or backward movement. A pallet storage device equipped with a stopper.