Transport system with suspended load and lifting and lowering devices on board

Abstract: Transport system with suspended load and lifting and lowering devices on board; characterised as it consists of: an elevated guide rail (1) which is totally horizontal, a motorised carriage (2) which moves longitudinally along a guide rail (1), a system to suspend the load (7) from the carriage (1) and a system to adjust the height of the load (7) at different stretches of the run; the system is controlled by a programmable robot.

Description: PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION This transport system with suspended load and lifting and lowering devices on board, consists of a mounted motorised carriage which can move on an elevated horizontal guide rail, an upper suspended frame of the carriage, a lower support to grip the load, and elevation systems which, apart from connecting the lower support with the upper frame, enable it to be placed at the required height together with the load, at different stretches of the run. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The transport systems with suspended load, used particularly in assembly lines, consist of a guide rail on which a motorised carriage is mounted from which a chassis suspends at a set height and used to support the load to be transported. In these assembly lines, there are different working zones and it is required that the load is placed at a certain height in each of these zones to enable the operators to work correctly. This is achieved by moving the carriage on elevated guide rails which run in horizontal stretches at different heights, and sloping interlink stretches. To move the carriage on the sloping stretches of the guide rail causes serious traction problems with the possibility of the drive wheels slipping, making it difficult to go along these stretches, especially when heavy loads are being transported. If the dimensions of the load vary, the guide rails have to be modified so that the load passes through different working zones at set heights. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The transport system of this invention includes mounting the motorised carriage on an elevated guide rail, which is different as it is horizontal throughout the run, without any sloping stretches. The motorised carriage moves on the horizontal guide rail and carries a system to support the load and systems to adjust the height in the various working zones. The system is controlled by a programmable robot which sets the position ofthe carriage at all times and enables the height of the load to be adjusted in the various working zones, depending on the dimensions of the load and the type of work being performed by the operators in each of these zones. The advantages of this system are: the elimination of sloping stretches in the elevated guide rail, thereby eliminating traction problems, the possibility of adjusting the load height without the need to change or modify the elevated guide rail and the possibility of resetting the course of the load at different stretches of the run, by means of the robot. DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMS Figure 1 shows a front view of a vehicle assembly line with the transport system of the invention. Figure 2 shows details, in a larger scale, of the upper section of the transport system given in the previous figure. Figure 3 shows an side view of the transport system, showing the load in the lower position and in an elevated position. Figure 4 shows details, in a larger scale, of the upper section of the transport system given in the previous figure. PREFERENTIAL MANUFACTURE OF THE INVENTION DE 43 26 563 A refers to a transport system with suspended load including all the features of the preamble of claim 1. In the article VEHICLE ASSEMBLY APPARATUS RESEARCH DISCLOSURE, NO 333, 1 JANUARY 1992, PAGES 56-58 1-02, XP000281161 a system to suspend a load is disclosed comprising an upper frame and a lower support connected by scissoring mechanisms and having associated a load elevation system consisting of a rotating drum mounted on said frame and a motor which rotates the drum to wind or unwind a cable which hold a load. The invention is defined by claim 1. This transport system consists of a longitudinal guide rail (1) placed on a horizontal plane, on which a motorised carriage (2) is mounted with the possibility of moving and from which an upper frame (4) suspends by means of shafts (3). The frame (4) has a side arm (41) provided with wheels (42) which act with a small clearance on a stabilising guide rail (5) parallel to the upper guide rail (1). This stabilising guide rail (5) is only installed in zones where the load has to be handled. A device is fixed to the frame (4) to elevate the lower support (6) used to hold the load (7) which is to be transported, which in this example is represented by the chassis of a vehicle. The elevation system of the support (6) consists of a drum (8) which turns in both directions by a servomotor (81). Depending on the turn direction of the motor (81) steel cables (9) are wound or unwound round the drum (8). These cables hold the lower support (6) thereby lifting or lowering the support (6) and therefore the load (7) which is placed on the support. The lower support (6) is connected to the upper frame (4) by scissoring mechanisms, also called pantographic mechanisms, (10a), (10b) and (10c) which allow the lower support (6) to vertically move with respect to the frame (4). The scissoring mechanisms (10a) and (10b) are placed in opposite positions and work on parallel planes, while the scissoring mechanism (10c) works on a plane perpendicular to the two previous ones. This lay-out of the scissoring mechanisms(10a), (10b) and (10c) stops the lower support (6) from swinging with respect to the upper frame (4). The motor (2a) used to longitudinally move the carriage (2) and the motor (81) used to operate the drum (8) will be furnished with encoders, allowing the position to be controlled at all times, by means of a programmable robot (11). This robot can also programme changes in height of the support (6) and therefore the load to be transported (7) at the different points of work defined along the assembly line.

Claims: Transport system with suspended load and lifting and lowering devices on board comprising an elevated guide rail (1) which is totally horizontal, a motorised carriage (2) which moves longitudinally along said guide rail (1), a system to suspend a load (7) from said motorised carriage (2) and a system to adjust the height of the load (7) at different stretches of the run, the system being controlled in position by a programmable robot which can also programme changes in the height of a lower support (6) used to hold the load (7) and connected to an upper frame (4) of the transport system characterised in that the upper frame (4) has a side arm (41) provided with wheels (42) which acts with a small clearance on a stabilising guide rail (5). Transport system according to claim 1 characterised in that said stabilising guide rail (5) is only installed in zones where the load has to be handled. Transport system according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that said stabilising guide rail (5) is parallel to the upper guide rail (1). Transport system according to the claim 2 characterised in that the upper frame (4) and the lower support (6) are connected by scissoring mechanisms (10a, 10b, 10c) which enable the lower support (6) to be lifted and lowered with respect to the upper frame (4) and in that said scissoring mechanism (10c and 10a) are placed on perpendicular planes to stop the support (6) from swinging with respect to the frame (4). Transport system according to the claim 4, characterised in that mounted on said upper frame (4) is a load elevation system consisting of a rotating drum (8) and a motor (81) that rotates the drum (8) in both directions and winds or unwinds cables ( 9), which hold the lower support (6).

Inventors: LOPEZ ALBA ADELARDO, LOPEZ ALBA, ADELARDO
Applicants: LOPEZ ALBA ADELARDO, LOPEZ ALBA, ADELARDO
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B62D65
IPC codes: B62D65