Patent ID: 6408504
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: B23K,B23P,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for assembling a vehicle body frame for a motorcycle by welding a front frame subassembly having a head pipe at a front end thereof and a rear frame subassembly to each other, comprising a pair of front positioning means capable of positioning left and right rear portions of the front frame subassembly, a front clamp means capable of clamping the head pipe at the front end of the front frame subassembly, a pair of rear positioning means capable of positioning left and right rear portions of the rear frame subassembly, a pair of rear clamp means capable of clamping left and right front portions of the rear frame subassembly, a pair of front positioning drive means for moving said front positioning means at least in a direction of a Y-axis established in a widthwise direction of said vehicle body frame, respectively, a front clamp drive means which is capable of moving said front clamp means in directions of Z- and X-axes established in vertical and longitudinal directions of said vehicle body frame and is capable of tilting said front clamp means about an axis extending along the Y-axis, a pair of rear positioning drive means capable of moving said rear positioning means in the directions of X-, Y- and Z-axes, respectively, a pair of rear clamp drive means capable of moving said rear clamp means in the directions of X-, Y- and Z-axes, respectively, and a control unit for controlling the operations of said drive means, so that said front positioning means, said front clamp means, said rear positioning means and said rear clamp means are brought into positions previously determined depending on the type of the vehicle body frame for the motorcycle, which is to be assembled.