Patent ID: 7100271
Filing Date: 2006-09-05
Classification: B23K,B62D,F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A vehicle framing system for framing a vehicle body from a plurality of separate body components, at least one of the vehicle body components having a reference surface, comprising: an assembly station having spaced-apart frame members; a vehicle carrier which supports the vehicle body components in a preassembled condition at said assembly station; at least two docking stations secured to each frame member at predetermined positions; a tool arm associated with each docking station; a robot associated with each tool arm for moving said tool arm between an assembly position in which each said tool arm abuts against its associated docking station at a predetermined position, and a vehicle loading position in which each tool arm is disengaged from its associated docking station; a tool arm clamp mounted to each docking station which clamps said tool arm to its associated docking station at said predetermined position when said tool arm is in said assembly position, said tool arm clamp forming the sole means for removably securing each said tool arm to its associated docking station; and a framing clamp having a reference block secured to each tool arm and movable between a clamped and an unclamped position, wherein said clamped position of each framing clamp maintains its reference block in contact with the at least one reference surface on the vehicle body component to thereby maintain said vehicle body components at a predetermined position relative to each other.