Plate Controlled Jigs For Built-up Surface

Abstract

A plurality of spaced, extensible rodlike jigs carried by a support surface in upstanding fashion for supporting a built-up surface are selectively adjusted by central control means from an information storage tape carrying predetermined positional format information by feeding the tape through a transducer which feeds control signals to the central jig control means.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the employment of a plurality of spaced jigs for supporting several metal blocks or the like which are built-up in a desired position prior to welding of the blocks together with the welded assembly being provided with a desired shape and, more particularly, to a plurality of jigs whose height are individually controlled.

2. Description of the Prior Art

FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1A', 1B' and 1C' illustrate conventional jigs adapted to support a built-up surface from a series of individual plates prior to welding of the same. As shown in FIG. 1A', a number of flatheaded pins are prepared by cutting the same to a predetermined length and are provided with a suitable inclination at the upper end thereof corresponding to the desired position of the localized area of the supported plates. Thus, various length jigs having various end configuration must be arranged at predetermined positions with respect to the surface or support plate so as to properly support the built-up construction (d) thereon. In FIG. 1B', which is an enlarged portion of FIG. 1B, there is illustrated a tubular support (f) carrying a threaded rod (s) which is screwed into the top portion thereof. A number of jigs (b) including the tubular support (f) are arranged in spaced locations on a surface or plate (P) with the height of the jigs being controlled by screwing in or out the threaded rods to properly support the built-up structure thereon. In FIGS. 1C and 1C', there is illustrated another conventional arrangement involving a plurality of jigs in the form of tubular supports (p) with an extensible rod adapted to slide in and out of the upper end of the tubular support and fixed in proper position by means of a screw (1) which extends at right angles to the slide (r) through the side of the tubular support (t). The overall height of the jig (c) is controlled by varying the relative position of the rod arm with respect to the tubular support and fixing the same after the desired position is reached by the screw (1). The jigs (c) are arranged at spaced locations on the surface or plate (P) so as to support the built-up structure (d) in a similar manner to the other conventional jigs (a) and (b) in FIGS. 1A and 1A' and 1B and 1B' respectively.

In the employment of the above-identified conventional jigs, there are disadvantages to each of the proposed systems. Where jigs (a) are employed, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1A', after forming the jigs with varied fixed dimensions, by referring to a drawing or a template and the like, it is necessary to arrange the jigs at predetermined positions with respect to the surface in order to properly support the built-up structure (d). For using the jigs of the type shown in FIGS. 1B, 1B' and 1C, 1C', even though these jigs have some adjustability, prior to placing the built-up structure on the jigs, it is necessary to control or adjust the height of each of the jigs which are arranged at predetermined positions on the support surface plate (P) by referring to a drawing or template and the like. This requires much labor and time with each being arranged in proper order.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a multiple jig support arrangement which completely eliminates the disadvantages inherent with the conventional jigs described previously. The present invention is directed to a tape controlled multiple jig arrangement for supporting a built-up structure. It involves a plurality of spaced, rodlike jigs carried by a support surface in upstanding position. The jigs are adapted to support a built-up structure and are positioned at spaced points on the support surface. Means are associated with each jig for selectively adjusting the height thereof with respect to the support surface. A central control device selectively feeds control information to the individual jigs via a drive device varying the height thereof. Information storage means in the form of a perforated tape having a predetermined positional format for all of the jigs is employed and transducer means are provided for feeding information from the storage means to the drive device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A, 1A', 1B, 1B', 1C, and 1C' are explanatory, diagrammatic views of conventional jigs;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a positional system including modified jigs in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the positioning system for use with the jigs in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic, partial side view of the system shown in FIG. 2 stressing the operation of the multiple jigs in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic, partial side views of a modified arrangement for operating the jigs in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown schematically, a complete system for adjusting the position of a plurality of jigs under a controlled format in accordance with the present invention. A plurality of bar or rod-shaped jigs, indicated at 1, are positioned at spaced points along a support surface P in a three dimensional arrangement with the height of the jigs being controllable. A perforated tape 2 is provided with perforations representing control signal information for controlling the heights of the individual jigs carried by the support surface. A control device 3 includes a transducer for sensing the predetermined format or information as to height control, carried by the tape and feeds a control signal indicative thereof to the central driving device 4 which adjusts the height of the individual jig in accordance with the signals caused by the perforations carried by tape.

Referring next to FIG. 3, there is illustrated the control operation of the system in accordance with the present invention using the basic components of the invention shown in FIG. 2. Each bar or rod-shaped jig 1 carried by the support surface or plate (P) has a fixed piston 11 carried by the pressurized oil cylinder 10 within the support surface or plate at the bottom thereof. The chamber of the cylinder 10 beneath the piston 11 is connected to an oil pressure source or supply device 5 through a cross valve 4C forming a portion of the control and driving device 4 of FIG. 1. The cross valve 4C is operated by a torque motor 4A, also forming part of the driving device 4 through a ball and nut screw 4B operating as a typical mechanical coupling, the torque motor being driven from information received by tape through the transducer and controlling device 3. Under operation of the cross valve 4C, the pressurized oil from source 5 is supplied to or removed from the lower chamber of the cylinder 10 whereby the height of the rodlike jig 1 is moved to the predetermined position in accordance with the signal derived by transducer 3 from the perforated tape 2.

The controlling device 3, shown in block diagram fashion in FIG. 3, is much the same as the conventional electronic computer and carries components indicated by the various blocks wherein; reference numeral 3A indicates the tape reading device, 3B a decoder, 3C a register, 3D an output circuit, 3E a digital-analogue converter circuit, and 3F an amplifying circuit.

According to the present invention, there is no need to directly operate the jig to control the height thereof to an optional position. With the completely automated system of the present invention it is only necessary to thread the perforated tape through the reading device 3A, as indicated by the arrow. The perforated tape acts as a format with the perforations indicating the position or height for each jig, and all of the jigs are automatically controlled. Thus, the working time and the overall time for processing the individual structure supported thereby is greatly reduced. Since the jigs are not individually controlled, the human element in the system is eliminated. The position of the supported construction, such as structure 7A on the jigs, maybe moved to the inclined position shown in dotted lines at 7 after the built-up structure is initially supported on the jig and prior to movement of tape through the machine. Therefore, a complicated structure of multiple elements may be easily built-up and welding of the same together may be always done from a position above the structure, looking downward.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the alternate arrangement of the present invention in which the built-up structure is supported on a surface plate in the form of turn table 8 so that the height of the jigs may be varied by two steps, that is, by the inclination of the table 8 and by controlling the individual height of the jigs carried by the surface plate. In this case, the number of axes of control for supporting the built-up structure at optional position is reduced in the perforated tape and the controlling device is simplified.

Claims

We claim:

1. A positioning system for a built-up multiple unit structure comprising a plurality of spaced, rodlike jigs carried by a support surface in upstanding fashion and adapted to support the built-up structure at spaced positions, means associated with each jig for selectively adjusting the height thereof with respect to said support surface, central drive means for selectively actuating the adjusting means of each jig, central control means for feeding control signals to the driving means, and information storage means carrying predetermined positional format information for all of said jigs, and means associated with said central control means for deriving control signals from said information storage means.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said information storage means comprises a perforated tape carrying perforations indicative of the desired height of said individual jigs.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means comprises a pressurized fluid operated motor and said drive means comprises valve means for directing pressurized liquid to-and-from said fluid motor.

4. The positioning system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support surface comprises a table mounted for pivoting about an axis at right angles to the axis of the individual rodlike jigs, and the system further includes motor means for pivoting said turn table about said axis and means for controlling said table drive motor.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said control means comprises, a tape reading device, a decoder, a resistor, an output circuit, a digital-analogue converter circuit and an amplifying circuit.