JPH02298453A - Pallet changer in work transfer line - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable to perform a change of plural pieces of pallets in a short time at type change of works to be machined by setting up a pallet charging transfer means and a pallet delivering transfer means adjacently in a pallet delivery means. CONSTITUTION:A pallet on a conveyor line is positioned on a turnable of a pallet delivery means 6. Next, this turntable is turned by a table means of the pallet delivery means, having it aligned in a pallet delivering means. In this state, the pallet on the turntable is transferred to the pallet delivering means 22 through which the pallet is transferred. Then, the turntable is turned round so as to be aligned in a pallet charging transfer means 21. In succession, new pallets arranged in advance by a pallet charging means are transferred onto the turntable by the pallet charging transfer means. Then, the turntable is rotated and aligned in a route of the line, this the pallet is transferred onto the line.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention circulates a plurality of pallets along a loop-shaped path, and sequentially performs multi-step machining on workpieces mounted on the pallets. The present invention relates to a pallet changing device suitable for use in workpiece processing lines.

(Prior art) The above-mentioned workpiece processing line usually circulates one or more types of fixed pallets corresponding to the shape of the workpiece to be processed, and the workpieces are mounted on these pallets and placed on the line. After processing, the workpiece is removed from the pallet and the pallet is reused, so no special pallet exchange device is provided.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, when changing the type of workpiece processed on a workpiece processing line, there is a case where some or all of the pallets flowing on the line are replaced with other types. In such cases, since the conventional workpiece processing line described above is not equipped with a pallet changing device, it is necessary to carry out multiple balents out of the line and place a replacement pallet on the line, either manually or using a hoist crane. It was being transported to.

However, pallets are usually heavy because they need to have sufficient strength to ensure the machining accuracy of the workpieces.As a result, in the conventional line mentioned above, it takes a long time to replace the pallets, and therefore the workpieces are There is a problem in that the line is not in operation for a long time when changing types, and this is particularly serious when the workpiece is large and therefore requires a large pallet.

The present invention provides a device that advantageously solves the above problems.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The pallet exchange device of the present invention circulates a plurality of pallets along a loop-shaped path, and sequentially performs multiple machining processes on the workpieces mounted on the pallets. The workpiece processing line includes a turntable that forms part of the path and is capable of transporting the pallet, and a table rotation means that rotates the turntable,
a pallet loading/unloading means for loading and unloading the pallet into and out of the workpiece processing line; and a pallet loading/unloading means disposed such that one end is adjacent to the pallet loading/unloading means;
comprising a pallet transport means capable of transporting a plurality of pallets side by side, a pallet loading and transporting means for sequentially delivering the pallets 1 to the turntable, and a pallet loading/unloading means arranged such that one end thereof is adjacent to the pallet loading/unloading means; The invention is characterized in that it has a pallet transfer means capable of transferring a plurality of said pallets side by side, and a valent payout transfer means for receiving said pallets from said turntable. A pallet transport vehicle that has a plurality of shelves on which pallets can be placed and that collectively transports a plurality of pallets placed on the shelves, the pallet input and transfer means, the pallet discharge and transfer means, and the like. a pallet stand arranged adjacent to each end and capable of transporting the pallet, and the pallet stand being set at the height of each shelf of the pallet transport vehicle, the pallet loading height of the pallet loading/transfer means or the pallet; It has a pallet platform elevating means that raises and lowers in accordance with the pallet unloading height of the unloading transport means, and transfers the pallet between the pallet transport vehicle, the pallet loading transport means, and the pallet unloading transport means. Two pallet transfer means may be provided.

(Function) In such a device, when exchanging pallets, first the turntable of the pallet loading/unloading means temporarily stops one or more of the pallets flowing on the line on the table, and then the pallet loading/unloading means The table rotating means rotates the turntable so that it is aligned with the pallet dispensing means, the turntable then delivers the pallet thereon to the pallet dispensing means, and the pallet dispensing means transfers the pallet I. will be disbursed.

6. Thereafter, the table rotation means rotates the turntable to align with the pallet input and transfer means, and then the pallet input and transfer means places one or more of the pallets arranged in advance thereon onto the turntable. After handing over, the table turning means turns the turntable so that it is aligned with the line path, and then the turntable transfers the pallet thereon onto the line.

Therefore, by performing the above-described procedure once or multiple times, the apparatus of the present invention can exchange a predetermined number of pallets.

Moreover, since the above-mentioned procedure can be performed automatically and in an extremely short time, the apparatus of the present invention allows multiple pallets to be replaced in a short time or on the line when changing the type of workpiece to be processed. This can be done in accordance with the workpiece machining tact of the workpiece, and as a result, the downtime of the line due to changes in the type of workpiece can be virtually or completely eliminated.

Furthermore, in this invention, which is provided with a pallet transport vehicle and three pallet transfer means, the plurality of replacement pallets transported by the pallet transport vehicle from the storage location are placed on each stage of the shelves of the trolley. The pallets are sequentially carried into the pallet input and transfer means by a pallet table raised and lowered by the pallet table lifting means between the height and the pallet carry-in height of the pallet input and transfer means, and are juxtaposed in a predetermined order, and are also placed side by side on the pallet discharge and transfer means. Multiple pallets that are no longer needed are
The pallet is placed in each column sequentially by the pallet platform that is raised and lowered by the pallet platform lifting means between the height of the pallet unloading and the height of each shelf of the pallet 1-transportation vehicle, and then the pallet is placed in the storage area all at once by the pallet transportation vehicle. transported to.

Therefore, according to the above invention, it is possible to easily input and unload pallets to and from the line when exchanging pallets in a shorter time.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a workpiece machining line to which an embodiment of the pallet changing device of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the workpiece machining line viewed from the direction of the arrow ■. The line handles multiple types of work,
It is used for five-step machining, and is a pallet loading station a.

It has five workpiece processing stations b-f and a pallet unloading station g, and these stations a
” To the right in the figure, there are a straight 1 to line-type pallet feed type transfer machine 2 that sequentially transports pallets 1 on which workpieces are attached and performs machining.
A horizontal conveyor line 3 extending along the transfer machine 2 at approximately waist height of the worker and having a workpiece loading/unloading station h for loading and unloading the workpieces on the pallet 1; A conveyance device 4 with a rick, which moves the pallet 1 discharged leftward from the line 3 to the pallet loading station a in the side and upward direction, and a pallet no. 11 output stage g
In FIG. 1, there is a cleaning device M5 that receives the pallet 1 discharged downward and cleans the pallet and the workpieces attached thereto, and from the cleaning device 5, the pallet 1 discharged downward is further removed from the cleaning device M5. It is equipped with a turntable device 6 as a pallet loading/unloading means, which receives the pallet on a turntable 30, rotates it horizontally by 90 degrees, and returns it to the conveyor line 3, and rotates the pallet 1 clockwise in FIG. Configure the line.

The transfer machine 2 here is for processing the front and back surfaces, side surfaces, and the inner circumferential surface of the central hole of the workpiece, and is arranged at the processing stations b, c, and e, and is roughly connected to each other. 1 pallet each with the same configuration
A locating/clamping device M7 having the function of positioning and fixing the pallet 1 and oscillating the pallet 1 and a locating/clamping device M7 having a function of oscillating the pallet 1 and a locating/clamping device M7 having the function of positioning and fixing the pallet 1 and oscillating the pallet 1, which are arranged in the processing stations d and f and having substantially the same configuration as each other, respectively. , and three locate/clamp devices 8 with a rotating function, and the locate/clamp devices 8 at the processing stations b to e.
Each of the four tool gearing heads is arranged on a rectangular turret that is arranged toward the clamping device 7 or 8 and has approximately the same configuration as each other and rotates around a horizontal axis extending in the direction in which the transfer machine 2 extends. The turret type NC machine tool 9 and the location 1 at the processing station f
- Equipped with one ordinary machining center 10 which is arranged toward the clamping device 8 and has a large number of replaceable tools, and furthermore, the movement of the pallet 1 between the above-mentioned stays 9578 to g is carried out at a high position. A guide path 11 that has a large number of guide rollers above, below, and on both sides of the pallet path.
The pallet 1 is tacted from the carrying-in station a to the carrying-out station g using the guiding path 11 and a rack-binion driven transfer bar 12 extending along the guide path 11 so as to sequentially pass through the processing stations b-f. It is equipped with a transfer device 13 for conveying, and a turntable device 14 with a lifter that horizontally turns the pallet 1 that has arrived at the unloading station g by 90 degrees, lowers it, and discharges it to the cleaning device 5.

In addition, the workpiece processing line here includes a pallet loading ramp 21 as a pallet loading transfer means, which is arranged such that one end thereof is adjacent to the turntable device 6 and aligned with the conveyor line 3. , which is also arranged so that one end thereof is adjacent to the turntable device, the bent end thereof is aligned with the cleaning device 5, and the entire pallet is located in line with the ramp 21 for loading the valet. A pallet discharging ramp 22 as a discharging transfer means and those ramps 2],
barres 1 disposed adjacent to the other ends of 22;
- Equipped with a crown glue lid device 23 as a transfer means and a pallet cart 24 that can be moved manually by an operator between a position adjacent to the glue lid device 23 and a pallet storage location (not shown). Become.

Here, the turntable device 6 is shown in FIG. 3(a).

As shown in (G)) and (C), the base 31 includes a turntable 30 located above the base 31, and
As shown enlarged in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), a reducer 32 and a motor 34 that provides drive input to the reducer via a chain 33 are installed inside the reducer. 3
The second output shaft 32a is coupled to the lower frame 30a of the turntable 30, as shown in FIG.

Also, on the base 31 is a guide disk 31a having a hole in the center.
is fixed with the output shaft 32a and the central axis in common,
As shown in FIGS. 6(a), (b), and 7, this guide disk 31a supports on its upper surface a ball-type support 35 provided downward around the lower frame 30a. A roller 36, which is rotatably provided around a vertical axis at the periphery of the lower frame 30a, is supported on the outer peripheral surface.

Therefore, the base 31 can guide the rotation of the lower frame 30a with the guide disk 31a, and can also rotate the lower frame 30a with the motor 34.

A tilting mechanism 37 is provided on the lower frame 30, sandwiching the oil pan 30b, and this tilting mechanism 37 pivotally supports one end of the roller conveyor 38 via a shaft 39. The eccentric cam 41 sliding in contact with the vicinity of the other end is rotated by the air cylinder 40 via a crank (not shown), thereby moving the roller conveyor 38 into the horizontal state as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). It can be tilted between a tilted state with a tilt angle of about 1.5° as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the roller conveyor 38 can freely rotate with a single wooden drive roller 44 having a built-in motor between two frames 43 that are connected to each other by a connecting member 42. Four driven rollers 45 are arranged, their support shafts are supported by both frames 43, and the drive roller 44 and each driven roller 45 are connected by two chains 46.
At the same time, an adjustment bolt 46 is provided to adjust the tension of the chain by moving a driven roller 45 at the end, and a motor inside the driving roller 44 rotates the driving roller and four driven rollers 45. As a result, the pallet 1 can be moved to the left in FIG. 3(a) and stopped there.

As shown in FIG. 3, a guide plate 47 is provided on both frames 43 to guide the pallet 1 from the side by slidingly contacting the side surface of the pallet 1. As shown in FIG. 9, the pallet 1 is placed on the end facing the pallet 1 by coming into contact with the front end surface (the left end surface in FIGS. 1(a) and (b)) of the pallet 1 when the roller conveyor 38 is tilted. Two stoppers 48 are provided to hang on the conveyor 38, and two oil pans are provided on the lower surface of the pan 30b and on the base 31, respectively, so that the rotation limit position of the turntable 30 can be moved from one to the other. A stopper 49 is provided which specifies the position shown in FIG. 3(a) and a position rotated 90° counterclockwise from that position by contact with the stopper 49.

In addition, here, the pallet loading ramp 21 is shown in FIG. 10 (
As shown in a) and (b), the frame 50 has an inclination angle of approximately 1.5° and becomes lower toward the front (to the left in the figure).
An oil pan 51 is provided above the frame along the frame, and the oil pan has a large number of oil pans each rotatable about an axis extending in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the frame 50. Rollers 52 are provided at intervals sufficiently shorter than the length of the pallet 1, and these rollers 52 guide the bottom surface of the pallet 1, allowing the pallet 1 to move under its own weight. Via frames 53 and 54 extending in the transverse and extending directions, respectively,
A guide plate 55 is provided which guides the pallet 1 from the side by slidingly contacting the side surface of the pallet 1, and furthermore, a guide plate 55 is provided on the plate 51 at the front end of the frame 50 and at the rear by the length of one pallet 1 from the front end of the frame 50. An escapement device 57 is provided having a locking mechanism 56 located at the position.

As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the locking mechanism 56 fixes a crank 59 to an intermediate portion of a camshaft 58 whose both ends are rotatably supported by a frame 54. A piston rod 60a of an air cylinder 60 whose rear end is pivotally supported by the frame 53 is connected to the piston rod 60a, and a cam 61, which is formed by cutting out a part of a disc flatly, is fixed to both ends of the camshaft 58. A locking lever 6 whose rear end (right end in FIG. 12) is pivotally supported on the frame 54 is mounted on these cams.
2 are placed respectively.

According to this locking mechanism 56, by advancing the piston rod 60a as shown in FIG. 12 based on the operation of the air cylinder 60, the cam 60 is moved to the position shown by the solid line in the figure.
1, the locking lever 62 can be placed on the arc-shaped outer peripheral surface of the cam 61, and the lever 62 can be placed in a horizontal locking position. The pallet 1 can be hung by bringing the elastic bodies 63 provided therein into contact with both ends of the front end surface of the pallet 1.

When the screw rod 60a is moved backward, the cam 61 is rotated to the position shown by the imaginary line in the figure, and the locking lever 62 is placed on the notch of the cam 61, and the lever 62 is moved by its own weight. A tilted open position is possible, whereby the upper elastic body 63 can be removed from the front end face of the pallet 1 and the pallet 1 can be released.

In addition, in this latching mechanism 56, the latching lever 6 in the latching position
Even if the pallet 1 comes into contact with the elastic body 63 of No. 2 with a large force due to strong movement or being pressed by many other pallets 1 on the ramp, most of the contact force will be due to the lever 62. Since the camshaft 58 receives the force exerted by the medical support shaft and also acts downward from the lever 62 due to the moment 1-, no force is applied to the piston rod 60a to push it back. The barre 1-1 can be hooked.

117= Accordingly, the escapement device 57 can reliably advance the pallets 1 one by one by selectively latching the two latching mechanisms 56 using switching valves (not shown).

On the other hand, the pallet discharging ramp 22 has the same configuration as the pallet loading ramp 21, and also has an escapement device 57 at its front end (right end in FIG. 1). It has a bent portion 22a that changes the transfer direction by 90°.

Further, in this case, the lifter device 23 arranges two pairs of frames, each of which is formed by axially connecting the center portions of the two frames and crossing each other, and places the lower end of one of the frame pairs on a fixed base. At the same time, the lower end of the other frame is movable forward and backward relative to the lower end of the one frame on its fixed base by, for example, a ball screw type moving mechanism, so that the frames of both pairs of frames can be crossed. The two ends of one frame of each pair of frames are pivoted to the lower surface of the lifting platform, and the upper end of the other frame is attached to the lower surface of the lifting platform. , and includes an elevating mechanism that allows the elevating platform to be raised and lowered to an arbitrary height while maintaining a horizontal state on the fixed base by supporting the upper end of the one frame so as to be movable forward and backward along the upper end of the one frame. A roller conveyor 38 similar to the turntable device 6 is provided on the lifting platform, and the lid device 23 adjacent to the pallet discharging ramp 22 is further connected to the lifting platform and the roller conveyor 3.
8, a tilting mechanism 37 is also provided.

In addition, the pallet truck 24 is shown in FIG. 14 and in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, a large number of freely rotatable rollers 65 are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other in a rectangular parallelepiped frame 64, and guide members 66 are arranged laterally on both sides of these rollers. A pallet shelf 68 is formed by providing three tiers of valet mounting tables 67 in two rows, and the pallet shelf 68 is moved to the floor by pushing down a friction plate 70b using four wheels 69 and depressing a pedal 70a. It is fixed on a normal luggage carrier 72 which has a locking mechanism 70 that fixes it in a fixed place on a surface and a handle 71 for pushing by hand.

Each valet mounting table 67 is provided with a stopper 73 fixed to the frame 64 on the side facing the handle 71, and a stopper 74 that is detachable from the frame 64 is provided on the opposite side. While the pallet truck 24 is moving, these stoppers 73 and 74 prevent the pallet from falling off the pallet mounting table 67.

In such a workpiece processing line, nine pallets 1 each having a clamping jig according to the type of workpiece are constantly circulated, and over a certain period of time, one pallet 1
is being transported towards pallet loading station a by a transport device 4 with a lifter, and two pallets 1 are placed at each processing station b-f for processing the workpieces attached to them. One pallet] has been cleaned together with the workpieces attached to it in the cleaning device 5, and the remaining two pallets 1 are on the upper conveyor line 3, and one pallet is being cleaned at the workpiece loading/unloading station h. Of the workpieces of the type corresponding to the clamping jig on pallet 1, the processed one is removed and the unprocessed one is attached, and the other workpiece is removed from the turntable device 6.
Transport from there to station h or from there to transport device 4 with a lifter is performed.

After that, when the conveyance by the lifter-equipped conveyance device 4, the processing at each processing station b-f, and the cleaning by the cleaning device 5 are completed, the pallets 1 at the stations a to f are finished.
The pallets are transferred all at once to stations b-g by the reciprocating movement of the transfer bar 12 of the transfer device 13, and the pallets are delivered to the pallet unloading station g.
The turntable device 14 with a lifter allows the direction to be adjusted to 90 degrees.
°The pallet 1 that was in the cleaning device 5 is transferred to the turntable device 6, and then the type of workpiece is changed. If not, the direction is changed by 90° by the rotation of the turntable 30 906 by the operation of the motor 34 of the turntable device and the operation of the roller conveyor 38 maintained horizontally on the turntable. The pallet 1 on which the workpieces are attached is transferred onto the conveyor line 3 from the con-21 to the upper conveyor line 3, and is transferred to the conveyor device 4 with a lifter. During the pallet transfer by the transfer group N13, each machine tool 9 and machining center 10 may be used by rotating the turret or operating the tool changer, if necessary, depending on the type of workpiece to be machined next. Change the tool located at the position.

Thus, according to the workpiece machining line, machining of a plurality of types of workpieces can be completed one by one every transport takt time of the transfer device 13, which is set according to the machining time.

On the other hand, when changing the type of work to be processed for multiple types, or even for a single type for multiple pallets, the pallet loading platform of the pallet cart 24 is A plurality of pallets 1 corresponding to the types of workpieces after the change are placed on each pallet 67, and the pallet cart 24 is manually moved from there to a position adjacent to the lid device 23 on the pallet loading ramp 21 side. At , the plurality of pallets 1 are conveyed all at once, and the pallets 1 are manually pushed out one by one and delivered onto the roller conveyor 38 of the lifter device 23.

Here, the lifter device 23 uses the lifting mechanism to move the rollers between the height of each stage of the pallet mounting table 67 of the pallet truck and the height of the pallet loading ramp 21, which is a predetermined height. Conveyor 38 rises 19
When the roller conveyor 38 is located at the height of the pallet mounting table 67, the pallet 1 is completely placed on the roller conveyor 3 based on detection by a limit switch (not shown).
After the roller conveyor 38 is operated until the pallet 1 is transferred to the top of the pallet truck 24, it is temporarily stopped, and when the roller conveyor 38 is located at the pallet loading height, the roller conveyor is operated again to move the pallet 1 onto the pallet trolley 24.
receive one sheet at a time from the pallet loading ramp 21.
Hand over to the top.

The pallet loading ramp 21 moves the delivered pallets 1 one after another on the rollers 52 by their own weight toward the front of the ramp as shown by arrow E in FIG. Before the type change, the pallet 1 is allowed to move to the front end of the ramp 21 by activating the locking mechanism 56 located at the front end of the frame 50.

When all the pallets 1 necessary for changing the workpiece type are placed side by side on the pallet loading ramp 21 through the above operations, preparation for pallet exchange is completed, and after that, a predetermined process such as completion of machining of a predetermined number of workpieces is completed. At this point, the pallet 1 is replaced as follows.

That is, first, the turntable device 6 rotates the turntable 30 at 90° with respect to the position shown in FIG. 1(a).
In the rotated position, an unnecessary pallet 1 with a processed workpiece attached thereto is received from the cleaning device 5 onto its turntable, and then the turntable 30 is not rotated, and therefore the pallet unloading ramp 22 By operating the roller conveyor 38 on the turntable 30, the barrel l-1 on the turntable 30 is delivered onto the pallet discharging ramp 22 while remaining aligned with the bent portion 22a of the turntable 30.

Next, after the turntable device 6 turns the turntable 30 90' to the position shown in FIG. are alternately engaged to deliver only one replacement pallet 1 on the pallet input ramp 21 onto the turntable 3o, and a roller conveyor 38 on the turntable 30 stops the pallet 1 thereon. In order to smoothly move the pallet 1 when receiving the pallet 1 from the ramp 21, the turntable device 6 operates the tilting mechanism 37 to move the roller conveyor 38 approximately parallel to the ramp 21. Tilt it.

Thereafter, the turntable device 6 returns the roller conveyor 38 to the horizontal state again using the tilting mechanism 37, and then operates the roller conveyor 38 to deliver the replacement pallet 1 on the turntable 30 onto the conveyor line 3.

According to the above procedure, one of the used pallets 1 is discharged from the loop-shaped line, and instead, one replacement pallet 1 is thrown onto the loop-shaped line. By repeating the above procedure, all of the replacement pallets 1 that had been placed side by side on the pallet loading ramp 21 are loaded onto the loop-shaped line, and all of the unnecessary pallets 1 are transferred to the pallet unloading ramp 21. It is delivered onto the ramp 22.

Incidentally, the pallet loading ramp 21 and the barre I to discharging ramp 22 can arrange nine pallets in parallel for each h, and therefore, all the pallets flowing on the line can be exchanged here. .

Since these unnecessary pallets 1 still have workpieces attached to them, they are moved forward as shown by arrow E in FIG. There, after the processed workpieces are removed, they are each placed on the pallet mounting table 67 of the empty pallet truck 24 by the lifter device 23 in the reverse procedure to the above, and then transported to the storage location by the truck 24 all at once. transported.

In addition, the ramp 26 adjacent to the pallet discharging ramp 22
= The lid device 23 has a tilting mechanism 3 similar to the turntable device 6.
7, from the ramp 22 to the roller conveyor 3
When receiving the pallet 1 onto the roller conveyor 8, the roller conveyor 38 is tilted approximately parallel to the ramp 22 by its tilting mechanism, so that the pallet 1 can be moved smoothly.

As described above, according to this workpiece processing line, by carrying a plurality of replacement pallets 1 onto the pallet loading ramp 21 in advance, the replacement pallets can be loaded according to the processing tact of the line. Palette 1 that does not require 1
Since the pallets 1 can be automatically fed one by one onto the loop-shaped line by replacing the pallets 1 with the pallets 1, the pallets 1 can be replaced when changing the type of work without stopping the operation of the line.

Further, according to this workpiece processing line, a plurality of replacement pallets can be transported at once using the pallet truck 24, and the transfer of the pallets 1 can be facilitated using the crown lid device 23. Therefore, the time required for replacing pallets can be further reduced.

In addition, according to the workpiece processing line, the order of the barrels 1 to 1 arranged side by side on the pallet input ramp 21 can be easily changed, or the order in which they are arranged side by side can be easily confirmed. According to the order of the types of workpieces to be processed, which are preset on the transfer machine 2,
Barrens 1 to 1 having appropriate types of clamping jigs can be sequentially introduced easily and reliably.

Although the above has been explained based on the illustrated example, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned example. For example, the pallet transport vehicle may be of a self-transporting type or a radio-guided type, and the pallet loading/unloading means may be configured to transport a plurality of pallets. The pallet loading and unloading means may be of a horizontal type having drive rollers.

(Effects of the Invention) Thus, according to the pallet changing device of the present invention, when changing the type of workpiece to be processed, multiple pallets can be changed in a short time or in accordance with the workpiece processing tact of the line. In turn, it is possible to eliminate little or no line downtime due to changes in the type of workpiece.

Further, according to the present invention, which is provided with a pallet transport vehicle and a pallet transport means, replacement pallets can be transported all at once, and pallets can be easily transferred. Loading and unloading of pallets can be done more easily and in a shorter time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a workpiece machining line to which an embodiment of the pallet changing device of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a front view of the workpiece machining line seen from the direction of the arrow ■, FIG. 3(a), (b) and (C) are plane V, front and side views showing the turntable device of the work processing line, and FIGS. 4(a) and (b) are enlarged views of the inside of the base of the turntable device. A-A sectional view and B-B sectional view shown in FIG. 7 is a front view and a bottom view showing the lower frame of the turntable, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line ■-■ in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a front view showing the roller conveyor and tilting mechanism of the turntable device. , Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the slots 1 to 1 provided in the tilting mechanism, and Fig. 10 (a) and (1)) are plane views showing the pallet loading ramp of the work processing line. The figure and front view, and FIG.
The figure is a view taken in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 11, Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 4 in Fig. 12, Fig. 14 is a side view showing the pallet truck of the work processing line, and Fig. 15 is the right side view. The half part is a rear view of the pallet truck, and the left half is a front view of the pallet truck. 1... Pallet 2... Transfer machine = 30 = 3... Conveyor line 4... Conveyance device with lifter 5... Cleaning device 6... Turntable device 7.8... Locate clamp Device 9...Work i [10...Machining center 11.
...Guidance path 12...Transfer bar 1
3...Transfer device 14...Turntable device with lifter 21...Ramp for loading pallets 22...Ramp for discharging pallets 23...Lifter device 24...Pallet cart section Ritsumu section O centre! -One drop

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a work processing line that circulates a plurality of pallets along a loop-shaped path and sequentially performs a plurality of machining steps on the workpieces mounted on the pallets, pallet loading/unloading means (6) comprising a turntable capable of transporting the pallet and a table rotation means for rotating the turntable, and for loading and unloading the pallet into and out of the workpiece processing line; , a pallet loading/unloading means (21) having a pallet transporting unit arranged such that one end thereof is adjacent to the pallet loading/unloading unit and capable of transporting a plurality of the pallets side by side, and sequentially delivering the pallets onto the turntable; and a pallet dispensing and transferring means (22), which is arranged such that one end thereof is adjacent to the pallet dispensing and dispensing means and is capable of transferring a plurality of the pallets side by side, and receives the pallets from the turntable. ,
A pallet changing device for a workpiece processing line, which is characterized by being equipped with. 2. A pallet transport vehicle (24) that has a plurality of shelves on which the pallets can be placed and that collectively transports a plurality of pallets placed on the shelves; the pallet input and transfer means; a pallet stand which is arranged adjacent to the other end of the pallet unloading transfer means and capable of transferring the pallet; a pallet platform elevating means for raising and lowering in accordance with a carry-in height or a pallet unloading height of the pallet unloading transfer means; 2. The pallet changing device for a workpiece processing line according to claim 1, further comprising two pallet transfer means (23) for transferring said pallets.