U.S. patent application number 10/591410 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-26 for method and device for transferring springs into an assembler.
This patent application is currently assigned to REMEX AG. Invention is credited to Kaspar Haltiner.
Application Number | 20070169832 10/591410 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34916947 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070169832 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Haltiner; Kaspar |
July 26, 2007 |
Method and device for transferring springs into an assembler
Abstract
During a method for transferring springs into holding means of
an assembler, the springs are arranged one behind the other in a
row and are delivered in a direction of conveyance by means of a
spring conveyor and are transferred in groups into the holding
means of the assembler. The spring conveyor conveys the springs
into the assembler. They are then displaced perpendicular to the
direction of conveyance by means of a sliding bar integrated in the
assembler.
Inventors: |
Haltiner; Kaspar;
(Eggersriet, CH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE WEBB LAW FIRM, P.C.
700 KOPPERS BUILDING
436 SEVENTH AVENUE
PITTSBURGH
PA
15219
US
|
Assignee: |
REMEX AG
MORGENTALSTRASSE 4A
STEINACH
CH
CH-9323
|
Family ID: |
34916947 |
Appl. No.: |
10/591410 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
March 2, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CH05/00120 |
371 Date: |
February 20, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
140/107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21F 33/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
140/107 |
International
Class: |
B21F 33/00 20060101
B21F033/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 4, 2004 |
CH |
358/04 |
Claims
1-16. (canceled)
17. A method for transferring springs into holding means of an
assembler, comprising: delivering the springs in a conveying
direction, by means of a spring conveyor arranged, one behind
another in a row in groups into a holding means of the assembler;
displacing the springs perpendicularly with respect to the
conveying direction by means of a sliding bar; and causing the
spring conveyor to transport the springs into the assembler.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the springs are
transported into the assembler on one end side of the
assembler.
19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sliding bar is
displaced along a horizontal path which is predefined by at least
one slotted guide track, for transferring the springs.
20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sliding bar is
removed completely out of the region of the spring conveyor after
each transfer.
21. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the sliding bar is
moved into a service position by being displaced along a curved
path of the at least one slotted guide track.
22. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sliding bar is
pivoted downward toward the spring conveyor in order to reach a
service position.
23. A device for transferring springs, which are arranged one
behind another in a row along a conveying direction, into holding
means of an assembler, the device having a sliding bar for
transferring the springs in groups from a spring conveyor into the
holding means of the assembler perpendicularly with respect to the
conveying direction, wherein the spring conveyor protrudes into the
assembler.
24. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the sliding bar is
an integral constituent part of the assembler.
25. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said device has at
least one slotted guide track, the sliding bar being arranged
displaceably along this at least one slotted guide track, and said
sliding bar displaceable along a horizontal path of this at least
one slotted guide track for transferring the springs.
26. The device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the at least one
slotted guide track has a length which is dimensioned such that the
sliding bar can be removed completely out of the region of the
spring conveyor after each transfer of springs.
27. The device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the at least one
slotted guide track has a curved path, and the sliding bar is
moveable into a service position by displacement along this curved
path.
28. The device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the sliding bar is
pivotable downward toward the spring conveyor in order to reach the
service position.
29. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the sliding bar has
sliding guides for accommodating in each case one spring, each
sliding guide having a recess which corresponds to a part of an
outer contour shape of the spring which is to be accommodated.
30. The device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the recess is
configured in the shape of a partial circle.
31. A transfer device for transferring springs, which are arranged
one behind another in a row along a conveying direction, into
holding means of an assembler, the transfer device having a sliding
bar for transferring the springs in groups into the holding means
of the assembler perpendicularly with respect to the conveying
direction, wherein the transfer device has at least one slotted
guide track in which the sliding bar is arranged displaceably along
this at least one slotted guide track, and said sliding bar is
displaceable along a horizontal path of this at least one slotted
guide track for transferring the springs.
32. The device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the at least one
slotted guide track has a curved path, and the sliding bar is
moveable into a service position by displacement along this curved
path.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a method and a device for
transferring springs into holding means of an assembler, according
to the preamble of patent claims 1 and 7.
PRIOR ART
[0002] In the manufacture of spring cores for mattresses, paddings
or seat cushions, springs are wound in a spring winding machine,
transferred via a spring winding station to a spring conveyor and
fed by the latter via a transfer device to an assembly device.
which is also called an assembler. In this assembly device, coil
wires are guided through the individual spring rows and the
individual springs are thus connected to one another to form spring
cores.
[0003] DE-A-24 13 033 discloses an assembler of this type. U.S.
Pat. No. 3,774, 652 describes a transfer device which has rotary
tables, in order to rotate the springs into desired positions
before they are transferred into the assembler.
[0004] DE-A-1 552 150 discloses a transfer device which has
individual gripping arms for transferring individual springs, the
gripping arms being guided in a slotted guide track.
[0005] If springs are missing, a spring is oriented incorrectly or
other faults occur, this fault has to be corrected by hand in the
region of the assembler. However, the transfer device impedes free
access to the assembler and therefore has to be removed first of
all in a relatively laborious manner. This leads to a relatively
long interruption of production whenever a fault occurs.
[0006] Furthermore, DE-A-195 42 844 discloses a transfer device
having a sliding bar which is connected to a rotational pin via a
lever. Here, a rotation of the rotational pin is converted into a
horizontal displacement of the bar. Individual slides which bear
against inner sides of a respective run of a belt conveyor under
spring loading are arranged on the bar. The springs which are
delivered clamped between these belt conveyors can be pushed out of
the region of the belt conveyors into assembly tongs by means of
these slides. When a fault occurs in this system, the assembler is
removed by being pushed away from the transfer device which is
connected to the conveyor. As a result, the operating personnel can
move into a gap between the belt conveyor and the assembler and fix
the fault. This is relatively time-consuming and complicated.
[0007] Furthermore, the transfer device or parts thereof usually
also have to be exchanged if the type and shape of the springs are
changed. This exchange is often time-consuming and complicated in
the known transfer devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a
method and a device for transferring springs into holding means of
an assembler, which method and device make access to the transfer
station possible in a simple manner.
[0009] This object is achieved by a method and a device having the
features of patent claims 1 and 7, respectively.
[0010] In the method according to the invention for transferring
springs, the latter are delivered in a conveying direction by means
of a spring conveyor arranged one behind another in a row and are
transferred in groups and perpendicularly with respect to the
conveying direction into the holding means of the assembler. Here,
they are delivered directly from the spring conveyor into the
assembler with avoidance of a dedicated transfer device. For this
purpose, the spring conveyor protrudes into the assembler. A
sliding bar which is used for transferring the springs from the
spring conveyor to the assembler can be removed from the transfer
region in a simple manner; in particular, it can be lowered. Faults
during transfer can thus be fixed in a simple manner.
[0011] Furthermore, it is advantageous that the size of the system
is minimized.
[0012] Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a
method and a device, the sliding bar of which can be moved
relatively simply and can be exchanged in a simple manner.
[0013] This object is achieved by a method and a device having the
features of patent claims 3 and 9, respectively.
[0014] In this method and this device, the springs are displaced by
means of the sliding bar, by the sliding bar being displaced along
a horizontal path which is predefined by at least one slotted guide
track, for transferring the springs. This variant or embodiment can
also be used in a dedicated transfer device, for example in a
system which has a spring conveyor, an assembler and the transfer
device, the spring conveyor running between the assembler and the
transfer device.
[0015] Further advantageous variants of the method and advantageous
embodiments emerge from the dependent patent claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] In the following text, the subject matter of the invention
will be explained by using a preferred exemplary embodiment which
is shown in the appended drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic side view of an assembler having
a transfer unit according to the invention which is integrated into
the assembler;
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a view from above of the assembler according to
FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic side view of the transfer unit
according to FIG. 1, and
[0020] FIG. 4 shows a view from above of the transfer unit
according to FIG. 3.
WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION
[0021] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an assembler or an assembly machine, into
which a transfer unit 1 having a sliding bar 16 is integrated
according to the invention, with the result that a dedicated
transfer device is not necessary.
[0022] For this purpose, side plates 10 which protrude partially
beyond the frame 2 are fastened to one longitudinal side of the
frame 2. A first end face or end side of the frame 2 is penetrated
by a spring conveyor which protrudes into the assembler at least as
far as a transfer station and therefore transports the springs into
the assembler with avoidance of a dedicated transfer device. In the
example which is described here, this spring conveyor is formed by
two conveyor belts 4, 5 which run parallel to one another and above
one another and circulate endlessly.
[0023] Otherwise, the assembler corresponds substantially to the
assemblers which are known in the prior art. For example, it has
upper and lower tongs carriers 6, 7 having a plurality of tongs 70
which accommodate springs which are arranged behind one another in
rows. Other holding means can also be used instead of the upper and
lower tongs. Furthermore, the assembler has a wire coil feeding
device 3 which is preferably arranged on one end side of the frame
2. By means of this feeding device 3, a coil wire can be wound
through the spring rows which are held in the tongs 70 and, as a
result, can connect the springs to form a spring coil.
[0024] For this purpose, the springs are delivered one after
another, that is to say in rows, to the transfer station of the
assembler by means of the spring conveyor. During transport, the
springs are clamped individually between the lower and the upper
conveyor belts 4, 5 in a prestressed manner. In the transfer
station, the springs are transferred in groups into the holding
means, the transfer taking place parallel to the plane of the
conveyor belts and perpendicularly with respect to the conveying
direction. For this purpose, the springs are pushed into the
holding means 70 by means of a sliding bar 16 which is mounted
displaceably between the two side plates 10. Here, the drive takes
place on each side via a first gearwheel 11' which is driven by
motor and is connected to in each case one second gearwheel 11 via
a drive chain 12. A driver 15 which slides along a guide rod 14
which runs parallel to the displacement direction is fastened to
the drive chain 12. Here, the driver 15 penetrates a horizontally
running slot 14' in the side plate 10.
[0025] Firstly, the sliding bar 16 is fastened pivotably on the
driver 15, the sliding bar 16 being connected fixedly to a
connecting rod 18 which is in turn arranged pivotably on the driver
15 via a rotational bearing 15'. Secondly, the driver 15 is
connected via the same rotational bearing 15' to a lever 19, as can
be seen in FIG. 3. The lever 19 is connected fixedly in terms of
rotation to the connecting rod 18.
[0026] A running roller or guide roller 19' which rolls along a
slotted guide track 13 is arranged at the free end of the lever 19.
This slotted guide track 13 is made in the side plate 10 and
extends at least approximately horizontally and therefore in the
perpendicular direction with respect to the conveying direction in
a front region which faces the transfer station. In the rear
region, it is configured to curve downward.
[0027] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the sliding bar 16 can therefore
assume different positions. In order to transfer the springs F, it
can be moved along the horizontal path of the slotted guide track
13 or along the horizontal guide rod 14 in the horizontal direction
transversely with respect to the conveying direction, with the
result that the springs F are displaced from the transfer station
to the holding means. In FIG. 3, A denotes the position of the
sliding bar 16 before transfer of the springs F, B denotes the
outermost possible position of the sliding bar which can be reached
during the transfer of the springs F, and C denotes a position
which is a service position.
[0028] The position B is shown in a somewhat exaggerated manner for
better clarity of the drawing. It is not necessary that the sliding
bar 16 is displaced so far forward. However, it is usually removed
again completely from the region of the two conveyor belts 4, 5
after each transfer, as is shown in position A.
[0029] In the service position according to designation C, the
sliding bar 16 is inclined downward toward the transfer station. As
a result, it releases the transfer station, that is to say the two
conveyor belts 4, 5, with the results that the latter are then
easily accessible, without it being necessary for any parts of the
transfer station to be removed.
[0030] The transfer station T can be seen in FIG. 4. Said transfer
station T is defined by that section of the two conveyor belts 4, 5
which lies in the region of the sliding bar 16, that is to say it
is that section of the spring conveyor, from which the springs are
transferred into the holding means 70. The conveying direction of
the spring conveyor is shown in FIG. 4 with a single arrow, and the
displacement direction of the sliding bar 16 is shown with a double
arrow.
[0031] Furthermore, sliding guides 17 can be seen in FIG. 4, which
sliding guides 17 are arranged in the front region of the sliding
bar 16. These sliding guides 17 are adapted to the external shape
of the respective springs F. Here, they are therefore configured in
the shape of a semicircle. However, they can also be in the shape
of a partial circle, an ellipse or a corner. The sliding guides 17
are usually vertical c-shaped elements which are fastened to the
sliding bar 16. The elements are preferably not prestressed or of
resilient configuration. However, they preferably have, at least in
their upper and lower regions, the abovementioned recess which is
adapted to the spring shape. In addition, the upper and lower
surfaces of the elements are preferably manufactured from a
material having good sliding properties, for example Teflon.
[0032] The spacings between the elements are usually adapted
accordingly to the spacings between the delivered springs. However,
it is also possible to configure the sliding guides 17 as integral
constituent parts of the sliding bar 16.
[0033] Irrespectively of the type of the arrangement of the sliding
guides 17 on the sliding bar 16, they can be exchanged in a simple
way, by the sliding bar 16 itself being released from the
rotational bearing 15' and being removed from the assembler. The
down times of the machine during changing of the springs or the
sliding guides 17 can therefore be minimized.
[0034] The method according to the invention and the device
according to the invention therefore make access possible in a
simple manner to the assembler or to the location, at which the
springs are transferred into the holding means. Furthermore, the
transfer itself can be controlled in a simple manner. In addition,
the system can be refitted in a very short time if the spring types
are changed. As the conveyor protrudes into the assembler, the
entire system can additionally be of extremely compact design.
List of Designations
[0035] F Spring
[0036] T Transfer station
[0037] 1 Transfer unit
[0038] 10 Side plate
[0039] 11 First gearwheel
[0040] 11' Second gearwheel
[0041] 12 Drive chain
[0042] 13 Slotted guide track
[0043] 14 Guide rod
[0044] 14' Slot
[0045] 15 Driver
[0046] 15' Rotational bearing
[0047] 16 Sliding bar
[0048] 17 Sliding guide
[0049] 18 Connecting rod
[0050] 19 Lever
[0051] 19' Guide roller
[0052] 2 Frame of the assembler
[0053] 3 Wire coil feeding device
[0054] 4 Upper conveyor belt
[0055] 5 Lower conveyor belt
[0056] 6 Upper tongs carrier
[0057] 7 Lower tongs carrier
[0058] 70 Tongs
* * * * *