Support assembly for workpiece transfer system

Abstract

A support assembly for use in a die transfer system for transferring workpieces between successive die stations is movable vertically on a carriage assembly during use of the system. The assembly movably supports an elongate transfer bar having workpiece engaging devices mounted thereon. The assembly comprises a support body adapted for slidably mounting a horizontal support member having a forward end on which the transfer bar is mounted. The support body is constructed substantially of aluminum alloy panels and adhesive which rigidly connects the panels. A drive system is provided for moving the support member relative to the support body. Preferably, the support body has a vertical section and a horizontal section extending rearwardly from the bottom end of the vertical section.

1 . In a die transfer system for transferring workpieces between successive die stations in a stamping press, said system including a transfer bar having workpiece engaging devices mounted thereon, a support member for moving said transfer bar in a lateral direction towards and away from said die stations and connectible to said transfer bar, and a support assembly for reciprocating said support member in said lateral direction towards and away from said die stations, said support assembly including a support body on which said support member is slidably mounted for movement in said lateral direction and a lateral drive system for moving said support member relative to said support body in the lateral direction, said die transfer system further comprising a carriage assembly for reciprocating said support assembly in a vertical direction, said carriage assembly including a movable carriage body on which said support body is mounted for vertical movement and a vertical drive system for moving said support body relative to said carriage body in the vertical direction, the improvement wherein said support body is constructed substantially of aluminum alloy panels and adhesive rigidly connects together said aluminum alloy panels to form the support body.  
   
   
       2 . A die transfer system according to  claim 1  wherein said support body has a vertical body section and a horizontal body section extending rearwardly from a bottom end portion of said vertical body section and said vertical body section is constructed of vertically extending front and rear panels, vertically extending side panels, and a series of horizontally extending, spaced-apart connecting panels, the latter extending between and connecting said front and rear panels, substantially all of said panels being constructed of aluminum alloy.  
   
   
       3 . A die transfer system according to  claim 2  wherein said connecting panels include a top panel, a bottom panel, and at least three spaced-apart intermediate connecting panels located between said top panel and said bottom panel and having edge flanges formed thereon for bonding said connecting panels to the front, rear and side panels.  
   
   
       4 . A die transfer system according to  claim 2  wherein said aluminum alloy comprises aluminum alloy 6061.  
   
   
       5 . A die transfer system according to  claim 2  wherein said adhesive comprises Dev-thane 5.  
   
   
       6 . A die transfer system according to  claim 2  wherein said side panels form two vertical flange sections that extend rearwardly from said rear panel and two vertical guide rails are mounted respectively along rear edges of said flange sections.  
   
   
       7 . A die transfer system according to  claim 6  wherein said support body includes two aluminum alloy, support brackets projecting inwardly towards one another and each connected along one edge to a respective one of said flange sections, a horizontal support plate extending rearwardly from a central section of said rear panel and supported by said support brackets, and a ball nut mounted in said support plate, said ball nut being part of said vertical drive system.  
   
   
       8 . A support assembly for use in a die transfer system for transferring workpieces between successive die stations, said support assembly during use of said die transfer system being movable vertically on a carriage assembly and movably supporting a transfer bar having workpiece engaging devices mounted thereon, said support assembly comprising a support body adapted for slidably mounting a horizontally extending support member having a forward end on which said transfer bar is mounted during use of said die transfer system, said support body being constructed substantially of aluminum alloy panels and adhesive which rigidly connects together said panels, and a drive system for moving said support member relative to said support body.  
   
   
       9 . A support assembly according to  claim 8  wherein said support body has a vertical body section and a horizontal body section extending rearwardly from a bottom end portion of said vertical body section and said vertical body section is constructed of vertically extending front and rear panels, vertically extending side panels, and a series of horizontally extending, spaced-apart connecting panels, the latter extending between and connecting said front and rear panels, substantially all of said panels being constructed of aluminum alloy.  
   
   
       10 . A support assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said connecting panels include a top panel, a bottom panel, and at least four spaced-apart intermediate connecting panels distributed between said top panel and said bottom panel.  
   
   
       11 . A support assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said aluminum alloy comprises aluminum alloy 6061-T6.  
   
   
       12 . A support assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said adhesive comprises Dev-thane 5.  
   
   
       13 . A support assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said connecting panels include a bottom panel member forming a bottom end of said support body, including a bottom of the horizontal body section, and wherein said support assembly includes ball slides for slidably connecting the support member to said bottom panel member so that support member is located at least substantially below the support assembly.  
   
   
       14 . A support assembly according to  claim 13  wherein said drive system includes a servo motor mounted on said vertical body section, a drive pulley operatively connected to said servo motor, and a drive belt extending around said drive pulley and connectible to said support member, said drive belt extending through an aperture formed in said bottom panel member.  
   
   
       15 . A support assembly according to  claim 14  wherein at least a major portion of said servo motor is mounted within said vertical body section and said servo motor is located in a lower half of said vertical body section.  
   
   
       16 . A support assembly for use in a die transfer system for transferring workpieces between successive die stations in a stamping press, said support assembly during use of said die transfer system being movable on a support apparatus of the die transfer system and movably supporting a transfer bar having workpiece engaging devices thereon, said support assembly comprising a support body adapted for slidably mounting a support device having an end on which said transfer bar can be mounted, said support body having a vertically extending body section with an upper end and a bottom end, a front side adapted to face towards one side of said stamping press during use thereof, a vertical rear side, and a vertical guide rail arrangement for facilitating vertical movement of said support body relative to said support apparatus, said body section including a first front panel forming said front side, a second panel extending vertically and spaced from said front panel, two side panels extending between and connecting said first and second panels and located on opposite sides of said body section, and a series of spaced apart, connecting panels extending between and rigidly joining said first and second panels, said connecting panels including a horizontally extending, bottom panel with at least one aperture formed therein, said support assembly further including a belt drive system for moving said support device relative to said support body, said belt drive system including a drive motor mounted to and supported by said body section, a drive pulley operatively connected for rotation by said drive motor and located within said body section, and a drive belt extending around said drive pulley and adapted for connection to said support device, said drive belt in use extending through one of said at least one aperture in the bottom panel for connection to said support device.  
   
   
       17 . A support assembly according to  claim 16  wherein said connecting panels extend substantially horizontally during use of the support assembly and include a top panel and at least three intermediate panels distributed between said bottom and top panels.  
   
   
       18 . A support assembly according to  claim 16  wherein said support body includes a horizontally projecting body section extending from a bottom end section of said vertically extending body section and having a rearwardly facing side substantially covered by a vertical panel section.  
   
   
       19 . A support assembly according to  claim 17  including a vertical, central partition wall located between said two side panels and providing support for said drive motor, said partition wall being fixedly connected to at least two of said connecting panels.  
   
   
       20 . A support assembly according to  claim 16  wherein said front panel has a plurality of access openings formed therein and has a plurality of access plates for covering said openings during use of said support assembly, at least some of said access plates being removable.  
   
   
       21 . A support assembly according to  claim 16  wherein said body section including at least most of said panels are made of aluminum alloy 6061 and each of said panels is fixedly connected to one or more adjacent panels by a suitable, strong adhesive.  
   
   
       22 . A support assembly according to  claim 21  including a vertical channel having a width extending most of the width of said support body, one side of said channel being formed by said second panel, a horizontal support plate mounted in said channel approximately midway between said bottom and upper ends of the vertically extending body section and having a central aperture, and a ball nut for a vertical drive unit mounted in said central aperture in said support plate.  
   
   
       23 . A support assembly according to  claim 22  including two aluminum alloy support brackets extending inwardly towards each other and each connected to a respective one of two vertical edge flanges formed on said second panel, said support brackets being connected to said horizontal support plate along a rear edge thereof and supporting same.  
   
   
       24 . A light weight support assembly for use in a die transfer system for transferring workpieces, said support assembly during use of the die transfer system being movable by a power drive unit, said support assembly comprising a support body adapted for movably mounting a support member and including outer panels forming exterior sides of the support member and connected to one another along adjacent edges thereof and interior connecting panels extending between and connecting at least two of said outer panels, said outer panels and connecting panels being made substantially of aluminum alloy and being rigidly connected together by a suitable adhesive, said support assembly further including at least a drive component of said power drive unit mounted on said support body.  
   
   
       25 . A support assembly according to  claim 24  wherein said aluminum alloy is aluminum alloy 6061.  
   
   
       26 . A support assembly according to  claim 24  wherein said adhesive comprises Dev-thane 5.  
   
   
       27 . A support assembly according to  claim 24  wherein said outer panels include top and bottom panels and two opposing side panels and said connecting panels include at least three, spaced-apart intermediate panels distributed between said top and bottom panels and substantially parallel thereto.  
   
   
       28 . A support assembly according to  claim 24  including vertical, spaced-apart rails mounted on the exterior of said support body in order to facilitate and guide vertical movement of the support assembly caused by said power drive unit during use of said die transfer system.  
   
   
       29 . A support assembly according to  claim 24  wherein said support assembly includes a rigid support member slidably mounted on a bottom end of said support body and adapted for horizontal movement during use of the transfer system and a horizontal drive system for moving said support member horizontally relative to said support body, said horizontal drive system including a drive motor mounted on or in said support body.  
   
   
       30 . A support assembly according to  claim 29  wherein said drive motor is an electric servo-motor having at least a major portion thereof located within said support body, within a lower half section of said support body, and between two of said connecting panels.  
   
   
       31 . A support assembly according to  claim 25  where said aluminum alloy is aluminum alloy 6061-T6.