APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING UNTREATED MATERIALS

Abstract: The device for conveyin conveying untreated materials comprises a unit conveyer (25), and a collective conveyor (33). The unit conveyer is comprises a carriage (19) which operated so as to move along a treatment line (1) composed of a number of treatment vessels aranged in a row. Carrier members (16) are provided so that they are moved vertically by the carriage (19) so as to lift and lower untreated materials (15) from and into the interior of a treatment vessel. The collective conveyer comprises of an elevator frame (26) provided along the treatment line within the zone of movement of the carriage (19) and lifting gears (27) adapted to move the elevator frame in the vertical direction. A support member (28) is provided on the elevator frame which move in the direction of the treatment line and is adapted to support the untreated materials.

Description: The present invention relates to an apparatus for conveying untreated materials, wherein the untreated materials are conveyed from one treating section to another, for example in an electroplating system, a painting system or the like including a row of treating sections into which the untreated materials are conveyed in turn to be treated in a given manner. Apparatus of the above-mentioned type has been used, for example, to convey materials or workpieces to be electroplated in turn in electroplating workshops. As is well known, the electroplating treatment includes many treating steps performed in sequence. Accordingly, the materials to be electroplated are conveyed by a conveying apparatus from each treating section to another in turn. Such conveying apparatus of the elevator type is known. In the elevator type conveying apparatus, the materials are hung on carrier bars bridged over opposite edges of treating tubs and lowered into the treating tubs. A pair of elevator frames are provided on opposite sides of the treating tubs along the treatment line. The elevator frames are movable vertically, and when moved upwardly, the elevator frames are adapted to lift both ends of each carrier bar, thereby carrying the materials out of the treating tubs. A part of each elevator frame supporting the carrier bars is movable transversely (or along the treatment line) and moved transversely with the materials carried out of the treating tubs so that the materials are conveyed to areas over the subsequent treating tubs, thereby lowering the materials into the treating tubs. According to the above-described elevator type apparatus, when the elevator frames are operated at one operation cycle of upward, transverse, and downward movements, all the materials placed in the zone of movement of the elevator frames are collectively conveyed. Therefore, the elevator type conveying apparatus has a high conveyance efficiency and is suitable for mass production of a few kinds of workpieces. The elevator type conveying apparatus, however, has the following disadvantages. First, since a feed pitch of each elevator frame is constant at any position, the treating tub for treatment requiring a long period of time is necessarily rendered large-sized in proportion to the treating period, resulting in a large-scaled treatment line. For example, when the electrolytic degreasing, acid pickling, and electroplating require 10 seconds, 20 seconds, and 10 minutes (600 seconds), respectively, the length of the acid pickling tub in the direction that the materials are conveyed takes the value of 1 meter, and that of the electroplating tub the value of 30 meters when that of the electrolytic degreasing tub takes the value of 50 centimeters. Secondly, it is rather difficult to omit or skip over a part of the treating steps depending on the materials to be treated. Even if some of the treating steps can be omitted or skipped over, the production period of time cannot be shortened since the materials are conveyed at a given pitch. On the other hand, a carrier type conveying apparatus, which is quite different from the foregoing elevator type, has been commercially produced. Travelling rails are provided over the treatment line, and a carrier is movable along the rails to any position. The carrier is moved from one treating tub to an area over a next treating tub with the materials hung on the carrier, thereby lowering them into the treating tub. According to the carrier type conveying apparatus, the materials may be conveyed to and placed in any treating tub for any period of time. As a result, a plurality of kinds of materials having different treating steps may be conveyed. Furthermore, the length of the treatment line may be shortened. However, since a unit of materials need to be always conveyed, the conveyance efficiency is reduced, resulting in reduction of the productivity thereof. As described above, the conventional elevator type conveying apparatus causes the treatment line to become large-scaled, while it is superior in the conveyance efficiency., Furthermore, it has a disadvantage of lacking adaptability in combination of the treating steps. Although the carrier type conveying apparatus is superior in the shortening of the treatment line and the adaptability in combination of the treating steps, it is inferior in the conveyance efficiency. It is known from GB-598060 to provide a carrier type conveyor subjecting articles to a series of operations such, for example, as washing, by successive immersion within a line of receptacles. This prior specification discloses apparatus for conveying untreated materials, wherein a collective conveyor means is movably provided along a treatment line including a plurality of treating sections arranged in a row, said collective conveyor means being moved so that the untreated materials located at a plurality of treating sections are collectively lifted and lowered from and into said plurality of treating sections to be conveyed to a plurality of subsequent treating sections. A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for conveying untreated materials, which has an eminent conveyance efficiency and which is capable of shortening the treatment line, and wherein the combination of the treating steps may be changed with ease. In order to achieve the primary object, the apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that said collective conveyor means has a zone of movement thereof overlapped with a zone of movement of said unit conveyor means over a plurality of treating sections along said treatment line. According to the above-described conveying apparatus, the unit or collective conveyor means may be selected in the area in which the movement zones of the unit and collective conveyor means are overlapped, in accordance with treating steps to be required. For example, when one or more of the predetermined treating steps are to be omitted or skipped over, the materials are conveyed by the unit conveyor means with the treating sections corresponding to the treating steps to be skipped over passed. When the treating steps are not to be skipped over, the materials are efficiently conveyed by the collective conveyor means. Three embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partial side view of the treatment line employed in a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the treatment line shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a hook arm; Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged side view of the collective conveyor means; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a feed pitch changing means; Fig. 6 is a side view of the feed pitch changing means; Fig. 7 shows relationship between the treating steps and the conveyance system in the first embodiment; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified form of the collective conveyor means as a second embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 9 is a partial perspective view of a further modified form of the collective conveyor means as a third embodiment. In the following description of the embodiments, the apparatus for conveying untreated materials in accordance with the present invention is applied to a conveyor for conveying materials to be electroplated in an electroplating workshop. A first embodiment will now be described with reference to Figs. 1-7 of the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a part of a treatment line 1 employed in the embodiment. Reference numerals 2-14 indicate treating tubs as treating sections. These treating tubs are employed for, in turn, the electrolytic degreasing, water washing, water washing, water washing, acid pickling, water washing, water washing, soft etching, water spray washing, water spray washing, acid pickling, water washing, and water washing, respectively. Practically, further electroplating and water washing tubs (neither shown) follow the water washing tub 14. The treating tubs 2-14 constitute the treatment line 1 together with these tubs. Workpieces 15 to be electroplated, as untreated materials, are hung on carrier bars 16 bridged over opposite edges of a treating tub, as shown in Fig. 2. Both ends of each carrier bar 16 are received by grooves (not shown) of carrier bar insulators 17 extending along opposite sides of all the treating tubs so that the workpieces 15 are placed in the treating tub. Reference numeral 18 indicates a pair of rails extending along the treatment line 1 thereover. A carriage 19 is provided with wheels 20 rolling on the rails 18 and self-moving means (not shown) so that the carriage 19 is moved along the rails 18. A carrier elevator 21 is hung on the carriage 19 through chains 22. When drive means (not shown) disposed in the carriage 19 is operated, the carrier elevator 21 is moved between an upper limit position shown by solid line in Fig. 2 and a lower limit position shown by alternate long and two short dashes line in Fig. 2. The carrier elevator 21 may be vertically guided by a pair of guide rails provided on opposite sides of the carriage 19. Three pairs of hook arms 23, for example, are mounted on opposite sides of the carrier elevator 21. Carrier hooks 24 are provided on both inner sides of the lower end of each hook arm 23, as shown in Fig. 3. Lowering pitch changing means (not shown) is provided in the carrier elevator 21 so that a pitch among the hook arms 23 and hence, among the workpieces 15 may be changed. The carriage 19, carrier elevator 21, and their related mechanism constitute a unit conveyor means 25 in the present invention. In the condition that the carrier elevator 21 is at the lower limit position, the carriage 19 is moved to a position of a predetermined treating tub and subsequently, the carrier elevator 21 is moved up to the upper limit position, whereby both ends of each carrier bar 16 is hooked by the carrier hooks 24 to thereby lift a unit of workpieces 15, for example, three workpieces, out of the treating tub. Further in the above-mentioned condition, the carriage 19 is moved to be located over a next treating tub for execution of a next treating step. The carrier elevator 21 is then moved down to the lower limit position such that both ends of each carrier bar 16 is received by the grooves of the carrier bar insulators 17 to thereby position the workpieces 15 in the treating tub. A zone of movement of the unit conveyor means 25, that is, an area along which the rails 18 are extended covers a whole area of the treatment line 1. Referring to Fig. 1, elevator frames 26 are provided at both sides of predetermined treating tubs so as to be positioned outside the carrier bar insulators 17. The elevator frames 26 are moved by lifting gear means 27 provided outside the insulators 17 so as to be moved between a lower limit position shown by solid line and an upper limit position shown by alternate long and two short dashes line in Fig. 1. A plurality of slide blocks 28 are provided so as to be movable along the elevator frames 26. As shown in Fig. 4, each slide block 28 has, for example, three bar supports 29 formed on the upper face thereof and a rack 28a formed on the lower face thereof. Drive sprockets 30 are mounted on the elevator frames 26 so as to correspond to the slide blocks 28 and to be in mesh engagement with the racks 28a. The drive sprockets 30 are rotated by a predetermined angle to move the slide blocks 28 along the elevator frames 26. Each drive sprocket 30 is provided with two coaxial follower sprockets 31 (one of them is shown in Fig. 4). A chain 32 is provided between the follower sprockets 31. When drive force from a feed gear (not shown) is transmitted to one of the follower sprockets 31, the drive force is further transmitted to the other follower sprockets 31 through the chain 32, thereby rotating the follower sprockets 31 all together. The elevator frames 26, slide blocks 28, drive sprockets 30, follower sprockets 31, chain 32, feed gear, and their related mechanism constitute a collective conveyor means 33 in the present invention. In the collective conveyor means 33, when the elevator frames 26 are moved upwardly from the lower limit position, both ends of all the carrier bars 16 located in the elevator frame moving area are hooked by the bar supports 29 of the slide blocks 28, thereby lifting the carrier bars 16 and hence the workpieces 15 all together. Subsequently, when the elevator frames 26 reach the upper limit position, the chain 32 is driven to thereby feed the slide blocks 28 and hence the workpieces 15 to the next treating step sides. The elevator frames 26 are then moved to the lower limit position again, and the carrier bars 16 are received by the carrier bar insulators 17 to thereby position the workpieces 15 in the treating tubs. The zone of movement of the collective conveyor means 33, that is, the arrangement area along which the elevator frames 26 are moved covers an area from the treating tub 6 for a first acid pickling treatment to the treating tub 14 for water washing treatment immediately before the electroplating and an area from the water washing tub (not shown) after the electroplating to an unload position. Fig. 7 shows the movement zones of the unit and collective conveyor means 25 and 33 by way of arrows, respectively. The movement zones of the unit and collective conveyor means 25 and 33 are adapted to be overlapped in the section from the first acid pickling tub 6 to the water washing tub 14 and the section from the water washing tub after the electroplating treatment to the unload position. As is shown in Fig. 4, the drive sprockets 30 mounted on the elevator frames 26 have three kinds of diameters. The drive sprocket with a smallest diameter is employed at the part of each elevator frame 26 corresponding to the section from the acid pickling tub 6 to the soft etching tub 9, in which section the materials 15 are fed by a distance approximately equal to one another. The drive sprockets 30 with an intermediate diameter are employed at the part of each elevator frame 26 corresponding to the section from the soft etching tub 9 to a first water spray washing tub 10 and the section from a second water spray washing tub 11 to the acid pickling tub 12. The drive sprocket with a largest diameter is employed at the part of each elevator frame 26 corresponding to the section from the water spray washing tub 10 to another water spray washing tub 12. Such an arrangement of the drive sprockets 30 allows the feed pitches of the materials 15 to agree with one another in accordance with the length of each treating tub. Each slide block 28 is provided with an arrangement pitch changing means 34 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and not shown in Fig. 1 nor 4. Of the bar supports 29 mounted on each slide block 28, each central one is secured to each slide block 28. The other two supports 29 positioned on both sides of the upper surface of each slide block 28 are movable along each slide block 28 and usually urged by springs (not shown) so as to depart from the central bar support. Reference numeral 35 indicates two flexible wires. One end of one of the flexible wires 35 extends through the left and central bar supports and is fixed to the right bar support, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6. One end of the other flexible wire 35 extends through the right and central bar supports and is fixed to the left bar support, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6. The other ends of the wires 35 are guided by guide pooleys 36 into the slide blocks 28, wherein the flexible wires 35 are taken up by a take-up drum 37. The take-up drum 37 is rotatably driven by an electric motor (not shown) so as to take up the flexible wires 35. Thus, when the flexible wires 35 are taken up by the take-up drum 37, the bar supports 29 positioned at both sides of each slide block 28 are moved so as to approach the central bar support 29. When the take-up drum 37 is reverse rotated, the outer bar supports 29 are moved so as to depart from the central bar support. The arrangement pitch changing means 34 is employed for increasing the arrangement pitch of the untreated materials 15 conveyed to the water spray washing tubs 10 and 11. Operation of the apparatus of the first embodiment will now be described. 1. Execution of all the treating steps: A column (A) of Fig. 7 shows the conveying system and the treating steps of the untreated materials 15. Each parenthesized numeral in a column of the treating steps in Fig. 7 indicates a treating period of time required for each treating step. Furthermore, in Fig. 7, each treatment to be executed is indicated by a small circle. Each section in which the untreated materials 15 are conveyed by the unit conveyor means 25 is indicated by broken line, and each section in which the untreated materials 15 are conveyed by the collective conveyor means 33 is indicated by solid line. The unit conveyor means 25 is loaded with the untreated materials 15 to be electroplated, and the materials 15 are first conveyed to the electrolytic degreasing tub 2. The untreated materials 15 in every one treating step are sequentially conveyed by the unit conveyor means 25 to the acid pickling tub 6. Subsequently, the untreated materials 15 in every one treating step are sequentially conveyed from the acid pickling tub 6 to the water washing tub 14 before the electroplating step by the collective conveyor means 33. The materials 15 are loaded again on the unit conveyor means 25 and passes the electroplating tub. Subsequently, the materials 15 are conveyed by the collective conveyor means 33 from the water washing tub after the electroplating step to the unload position. 2. The case where the electrolytic degreasing treatment is not executed: Some materials 15 to be electroplated are not suitable for the electrolytic degreasing. A column (B) of Fig. 7 shows the conveyance system for such materials 15. The materials 15 loaded on the unit conveyor means 25 passes the electrolytic degreasing tub 2 and water washing tubs 3-5 and are conveyed to the acid pickling tub 6. Subsequently, the materials 15 are conveyed to the unload position by the collective conveyor means 33 in the same manner as above described in paragraph 1. 3. The case where the first acid pickling and soft etching treatmens are not executed: A column (C) of Fig. 7 shows the conveyance system of this case. The materials 15 to be electroplated which are loaded on the unit conveyor means 25 are conveyed to the electrolytic degreasing tub 2 and water washing tubs 3-5 in turn. Subsequently, the unit conveyor means 25 loaded with the materials 15 passes the tubs 6-11 from the first acid pickling step to the second water spray washing step. Then, the collective conveyor means 33 conveys the materials 15 from the acid pickling tub 12 to the water washing tubs 13 and 14. The materials 15 are then conveyed to the electroplating tub by the unit conveyor means 25 and then conveyed to the water washing tub and the unload position by the collective conveyor means 33. According to the apparatus of the first embodiment, parts of the movement zones of the unit and collective conveyor means 25 and 33 are overlapped on the treatment line 1, as is obvious from the description of operation of the apparatus. Consequently, the materials 15 may be conveyed reasonably both where all the treating steps are executed in turn and where some of the treating steps are skipped over or omitted. Furthermore, since the combination of the treating steps has adaptability, different kinds of materials 15 requiring different combinations of treating steps may be conveyed along the treatment line 1. Accordingly, the apparatus of the first embodiment is suitable for production of a small quantity of many kinds of products. Moreover, since the materials 15 are conveyed on the collective conveyor means 33 in the electroplating treatment which requires much time, the electroplating tub need not be rendered large-scaled in accordance with the electroplating period of time, thereby shortening the treatment line 1. Although the section where parts of the movement zones of the unit and collective conveyor means 25 and 33 are overlapped extends over a plurality of treating tubs, the overlapped parts may extend over only one treating tub depending on the construction of the treatment line 1. Further, although the unit conveyor means 25 conveys the materials 15 with three carrier bars 16 as a unit, the number of carrier bars 16 is not limited to three. One or more carrier bars 16 may be employed. Additionally, although the drive sprockets 30 having diameters different from one another are employed in the above-described embodiment so that the collective conveyor means 33 has different feed pitches in some positions, the collective conveyor means 33 may be constructed as is shown in Fig. 8 as a second embodiment which will hereinafter be described. Referring now to Fig. 8 illustrating a modified form of the collective conveyor means 33, support plates 38 are secured to the underside of each elevator frame 26 so as to correspond to the respective slide blocks 28. Drive levers 39 are rotatably mounted on the support plates 38, respectively. The upper end of each drive lever 39 is coupled to each pin 28b projected on each slide block 28 through each elongated slit 39a. The lower end of each drive lever 39 is coupled to a drive shaft 40 provided along the elevator frames 26 through each elongated slit 39b. Supporting points on which the drive levers 39 are supported on the support plate 38 have vertically different positions from one another depending on the feed pitches required. The drive shaft 40 is reciprocally moved in the horizontal direction, for example, by cylinder means (not shown), thereby moving each slide block 28 by a distance depending on the position of the supporting point of each drive lever 39. The above-described construction permits the collective conveyor means 33 to have different feed pitches, as in the first embodiment. Fig. 9 shows a third embodiment of the invention. In the case where the feed pitches of the collective conveyor means 33 need not be different from one another at positions, a large number of bar supports 42 are secured to the chain 41 extending over each elevator frame 26, and the chain 41 is moved by a predetermined momentum. Alternatively, when the feed pitch of the collective conveyor means 33 thus takes a predetermined value, the bar supports 42 may be integrated with the respective elevator frames 26. In such a construction, when the elevator frames 26 are to be lifted, they are moved by one feed pitch. Subsequently, the elevator frames 26 are moved to the initial positions after they are lowered with the carrier bars 16 received by the carrier bar insulators 17. This modified construction permits the elevator frames 26 to be directly driven independently and to be moved together with the lifting gear means 27. Since each slide block 28 is provided with arrangement pitch changing means 34 in the foregoing embodiment, a suitable arrangement pitch of the materials 15 in accordance with treatment types may be ensured. However, even if the arrangement pitch changing means are not provided, the intended object may be achieved. Each arrangement pitch changing means 34 may not have a construction that the bar support 29 urged by the spring is pulled by the flexible wires 35. A hydraulic drive system, cam drive system, or screw shaft system may be employed for the arrangment pitch changing means 34. Furthermore, the arrangement pitch changing means 34 may not be provided on the slide blocks 28. They may be mounted on the outer side of each elevator frame 26. Furthermore, the travelling rails may not be disposed over the treating tubs. They may be disposed at either side of the treating tubs or beneath them. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by the above-described embodiments. The apparatus in accordance with this invention may be applied to the conveying of workpieces in alumite treatment or electrostatic coating. As described above, the apparatus of the first to third embodiments are characterized in that the movement zones of the unit and collective conveyor means 25 and 33 are overlapped in part. Consequently, the conveyance efficiency may be improved and the treating steps may be combined with one another with ease. Furthermore, the treatment line 1 may be shortened.

Claims: 1. An apparatus for conveying untreated materials, wherein a unit conveyor means (25) and a collective conveyor means (33) are movably provided along a treatment line (1) including a plurality of treating sections (2-14) arranged in a row, said unit conveyor means (25) being moved from one of the treating sections to another so that a unit of untreated materials (15) is lifted and lowered from and into the treating section, said collective conveyor means (33) being moved so that the untreated materials (15) located at a plurality of treating sections are collectively lifted and lowered from and into said plurality of treating sections to be conveyed to a plurality of subsequent treating sections, wherein said collective conveyor means (33) has a zone of movement thereof overlapped with a zone of movement of said unit conveyor means (25) over a plurality of treating sections along said treatment line (1). 2. An apparatus for conveying untreated materials, according to claim 1, wherein a feed pitch at which the untreated materials (15) are conveyed by said collective conveyor means (33) along the treatment line (1) is varied in accordance with treatment contents performed in the treating sections. 3. An apparatus for conveying untreated materials, according to Claim 1, wherein said collective conveyor means (33) is provided with arrangement pitch changing means (34) for changing an arrangement pitch of the untreated materials (15). 4. An apparatus for conveying untreated materials, according to Claim 1, wherein said unit conveyor means (25) comprises a carriage (19) operated to move along the treatment line (1) and carrier members (16) provided on said carriage (19) so as to be vertically moved so that the untreated materials (15) are lifted and lowered. 5. An apparatus for conveying untreated materials, according to Claim 1, wherein said collective conveyor means (33) comprises frames (26) provided along the treatment line (1) over a plurality of treating sections, lifting gear means (27) for vertically lifting said frames (26), and support members (28) provided on said frames (26) so as to be moved along the treatment line (1), each said support member (28) supporting the untreated materials (15).

Inventors: NAMBU, MASAKATSU, YAMADA, SHIZUHIRO
Applicants: YAMADA MEKKI KOGYOSHO, LTD.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65G49
IPC codes: B65G49