Patent GB-1126577-A (GB)
Title: Work-carrying apparatus for use in polishing or like operations
Inventor: JONES EMYRS
IPC: B24B41/06
Filed: 1965-11-25
Abstract: 1,126,577. Endless conveyers. WILMOT BREEDEN Ltd. 21 Nov., 1966 [25 Nov., 1965], No. 50078/65. Heading B8A. [Also in Division B3] Work-carrying apparatus for use in polishing operations on workpieces, such as bumper bars 10, comprises carrier means 22, 26 on which a workpiece can be pivoted at one end to a firstarm element 21 and at the opposite end to a second arm element 24, a body 18 to which the first and second arm elements are pivotally connected, the axis of the connection of the carrier means 22 to the first arm element 21 being alignable with the axis of the connection 23 of the second arm element 24 with the body and the axis of the connection of the carrier means 26 of the second arm element being simultaneously alignable with the axis of the connection 20 of the first arm element 21 to the body so that a workpiece carried by the carrier means can be pivoted about either of said pivotal axis relating to the body, and means for selectively pivoting the arm elements about the pivotal axes relative to the body. As described, the workpieces are carried past a plurality of polishing heads 11, 12, the carrier means being on linked work-carrying devices 13, 14, 15, 16 guided by rollers along an endless conveyer path. Each device has a body 18 formed with an open-ended frame 19, at one end of which arm pivots 20 form a pair of first arm elements 21 connected at their other end by the carrier means 22. Pivots 23 at the other end of the frame and body mount a pair of second arm elements 24 having extensions 25 around the first elements and connected together by the carrier means 26. A beam 27 is mounted on the carrier means for releasably carrying a workpiece 10. A respective pinion 28 is associated with each/pivot 20, 23 and is rotatable upon vertical movement of a rack 30 to rotate its associated arm elements from their normal horizontal position, the arrangement being such that either the elements 21 or the elements 29, but not both together, can be moved. The vertical movement of the racks is effected by the engagement of rollers 31 with a track 35 having portions 33 vertically movable by eccentric drive units 34. Spring units 39 act to urge the elements 21, 26 to their horizontal positions, and abutments 37 adjacent the free ends of the elements engage a rail 36 when the elements are in their horizontal position. In operation, the devices, which are connected to an endless chain 17, are moved intermittently, the portions 33 of the track being raised and lowered in synchronism. As each work-carrying device arrives at a polishing station 11, 12, its first arm elements are horizontal and its second arm elements are vertical so that one of the arcuate ends of the workpiece is presented to the polishing head. The conveyer chain 17 is then stopped and the portions 33 of the track raised to swing the second arm elements to the horizontal position so that the arcuate end of the workpiece is fed past the head. With both arm elements horizontal, the conveyer chain is restarted to carry the straight part of the workpiece past the polishing head. When the trailing end of the straight part is adjacent the polishing head, the conveyer chain is again stopped and the track portions 33 lowered to swing the first arm elements from their horizontal positions so that the trailing arcuate end of the workpiece is fed past the polishing head. The apparatus may have twelve polishing stations. In another embodiment for polishing bumper overriders, the work-carrying devices are mounted on a platen or indexing turntable, and means are provided for turning the overriders about a longitudinal axis.