Patent Abstract:
The invention relates to a work piece holder with top mounted robot which optimizes floor space for a work piece positioner and a robot. In general, the work piece positioner assembly and the top mounted robot is supported on a base frame. Attached to the base frame, is a first superstructure and a second superstructure which supports a work piece positioner and the top mounted robot. Above the first superstructure and second superstructure is a frame structure fixed in the unitary assembly to the first superstructure and the second superstructure. Attached to the frame structure is a robot stand and a robot. Due to the unique shape of the work piece holder with top mounted robot, the floor space of the combined robot and work piece positioner is significantly reduced, and the overall cost of the system is reduced.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to a positioning device and a robotic system, and specifically to a work piece holder with top mounted robot. An operator places the work piece on one side of the work piece holder at a loading station while a robot mounted over the work piece holder processes another work piece in a working station. The robot then ceases work upon the piece and disengages. The fixture then rotates in a reciprocating motion to reverse the two work pieces. 
   The invention specifically improves upon the traditional positioner design currently employed by those in the prior art. Although positioner design currently employed in the art may have a Ferris-wheel configuration for moving a work piece from a loading station to a working station, it has not yet been known to mount a robot onto the same superstructure as the work piece holder. 
   Several problems with the traditional-type positioner occur when a floor robot is needed to work upon a work piece in the working position. For example, the Ferris-wheel positioner may not always provide a good location relative to the floor robot position. As a further example, the floor space or footprint that is required by a separate Ferris-wheel positioner and a separate floor robot is greater. While this invention may be applicable to a Ferris-wheel type positioner, it will work with other types of work-piece positioners as well. 
   It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a work piece holder with top mounted robot that may support a positioning device and a top mounted robot. 
   A further objective of the present invention is to provide a robot mounted on a positioning device that is more efficient by not interfering with the operation of the positioning device. In addition, an objective of the present invention is to allow for repositioning of the work piece while maintaining the robot&#39;s position relative to the work piece holder. 
   A further objective of the present invention is to provide a device which is easy to use and economical to manufacture. 
   A further objective of the present invention is to provide a work piece holder and robot which minimizes floor space and maximizes robot reach, while at the same time retaining the flexibility of robotic motion achieved with prior art devices. 
   A further objective of the present invention is the provision of the work piece holder with top mounted robot to reduce the overall cost of the system yet maintaining a robot in part relationship by eliminating a separate base frame for the robot. 
   A still further objective of the present invention is to provide a new, safe design. 
   A still further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved work piece holder with top mounted robot which allows a more efficient use of space and a small footprint while still meeting ANSI-IRA space R-14 standards. 
   A still further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved work piece holder with top mounted robot which is economical, efficient in use, and which results in a durable assembly yet allowing for better programming access of an operator and conserving floor space. 
   The means and method of accomplishing these and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The foregoing objectives may be achieved by a robot top mounted upon a work piece holder. 
   A workstation of the present invention utilizes a base, a work piece holder operatively connected to the base, a holder drive for selectively moving the work piece holder from a loading station to a working station, a support structure attached to the base, a support structure, and a frame structure for attachment of a robot stand and a robot. The support structure is capable of supporting the weight of a frame structure, at least one robot stand, and at least one robot. 
   The invention may also have a base frame, a work piece holder that is moveably mounted to the base frame and capable of supporting a work piece, and a robotic tool attached to the base frame and being moveable for performing robotic tasks upon the work piece. 
   The method of the present invention comprises taking a work piece holder being moveably mounted to a base frame, moving the work piece holder from a first holder position wherein the work piece is adjacent a loading station, to a second holder position wherein the first work piece support is adjacent the loading station and the second work piece support is adjacent to the working station, mounting a robotic tool upon the base frame, and moving the robotic tool to the working station to perform robotic tasks upon a work piece. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the work piece holder with top mounted robot. 
       FIG. 2  is a side plan view of the device of  FIG. 1  with cut-away section exposing a portion of the work piece holder. 
       FIG. 3  is a partial front perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  in  FIG. 1  and shows the loading station and the working station. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the drawings, numeral  10  generally refers to the workstation of the present invention which comprises a base or base frame  12 ; a work piece positioner assembly, rotary work piece holder, or work piece holder  14 ; a support structure  48 ; a frame structure, upper frame member, or frame structure  100 ; a stand or inverted robot stand  130 , and a robot  150 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 1 , Base  12  is the grounding surface of the invention. The footprint of the workstation  10  is the floor space the entire workstation  10  occupies. 
   The work piece holder  14  is known in the art as a Ferris-wheel style positioner. Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 4 , the work piece holder  14  has a headstock drive end section  16  and a tailstock idler end section  18  with upper and lower cross tubes or tie bars  20 ,  22  extending there between. These tie bars serve as rotating means, wherein the rotation of headstock drive end section  16  is imparted to tailstock idler end section  18 . The headstock drive end section  16  is imparted to tailstock idler end section  18 . The headstock drive end section  16  of the work piece positioner assembly  14  has an upper support arm  24 , a lower support arm  26 , a first drive arm  28  and a second drive arm  30 . The tailstock idler end section  18  of the work piece holder  14  has an upper support arm  32  corresponding to the upper support arm  24 , a lower support arm  34  corresponding to the lower support arm  26 , a first idler arm  36  corresponding to the first drive arm  28  and a second idler arm  38  corresponding to the second drive arm  30 . The upper tie bar  20  extends from the upper support arm  24  to the upper support arm  32 . The lower tie bar  22  extends from the lower support arm  26  to lower support arm  34 . 
   The first work piece (not shown) can be supported at one end by the first work piece drive support  40  and at a second end by the first work piece idler support  44 . A second work piece (not shown) can be supported by the second work piece drive support  42  at one end by the second work piece idler support  46  at the other. Any means known in the art for attaching the work piece between said supports  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 , would be within the scope of the invention. 
   The base  12  provides the point of attachment for the support structure  48 . The support structure has a first superstructure or first work piece support  50  and a second superstructure or second work piece support  52 . The first superstructure  50  and the second superstructure  52  are attached to the base  12  and provide a support for the work piece holder  14 , the frame structure  100 , the stand  130 , and the robot  150 . The first superstructure  50  is generally referred to as the headstock, and the second superstructure  52  is generally referred to as the tailstock. The terms headstock and tailstock are used throughout the application as descriptors of physical locations. 
   The workstation  10  comprises an approximate work piece positioner horizontal mass centerline  56  defined by the base  12 , the work piece holder  14 , and the support structures  50 ,  52 . The workstation has an approximate implement horizontal mass centerline  58  defined by the frame structure  98 , the stand  130 , and the robot  150 . 
   An alignment station (not shown) and wire feed (not shown) are located off of the headstock and tailstock superstructure  50 ,  52  positioned for both robot and operator access. 
   Work pieces are generally positioned between the headstock drive end section  16  and tailstock idler end section  18  of the work piece positioner assembly  14  at a loading station  60  and a working station  70 . The first work piece (not shown) has a first work piece location  62 . The second work piece (not shown) has a second work piece location  72 . 
   In the preferred embodiment, the work piece positioner assembly drive means (not shown) as well as other mechanical components such as gearboxes and reducers are located within first superstructure  50 . The work piece positioner assembly drive means rotates the work piece positioner assembly  14 . These electric motors can be found in the existing art. 
   Alternatively, the work piece positioner assembly drive means may be any means such that a work piece holder  14  with first and second work piece supports may move a work piece from a loading station  60  with the work piece in a first work piece position  62  to a working station  70  with the work piece in a second work piece position  72 . 
   A headstock end side guard  80  and a tailstock end side guard  82  prevent damage and/or injury to the flanks of the device  10 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 1 , the workstation has a first superstructure  50  and a second superstructure  52 . First superstructure  50  and second superstructure  52 , in the preferred embodiment, support the weight of a frame structure or upper frame member  100  at least one stand  130  and at least one robot  150 . Alternatively, the superstructure combination,  50 ,  52  can support a frame structure  100 , two stand  130 , and two robot  150 . Alternatively, the superstructure may support a frame structure  100 , three stand  130 , and three robot  150 . 
   As seen in  FIGS. 1–3 , the frame structure comprises a first frame bridge  114  and a second frame bridge  120 . The first frame bridge  114  has a first frame bridge headstock end  116  and a first frame bridge tailstock end  118 . The second frame bridge  120  has a second frame bridge headstock end  122  and a second frame bridge tailstock end  124 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  the frame structure  100  has extension members that raise first frame bridge  114  and second frame bridge  120  away from the superstructure  50  and the second superstructure  52 . The first frame bridge  114  has a first extension member  104  attached at the first frame bridge headstock end  116 . The first frame bridge  114  has a tailstock first extension member  110  attached at first frame bridge tailstock end  118 . The second frame bridge  120  has a second extension member  106  attached at the second frame bridge headstock end  122 . The second frame bridge  120  has a tailstock second extension member  112  at a position of second frame bridge tailstock end  124 . 
   The headstock first extension member  104  and the headstock second extension member  106  are joined to headstock frame base  102 . In addition, the tailstock first extension member  110  and the tailstock second extension member  112  are joined to tailstock frame base  108 . Headstock frame base  102  is attached to superstructure  50 . Tailstock frame base  108  is attached to second superstructure  52 . The means of attaching headstock frame base  102  and tailstock frame base  108  are means well known in the art but may comprise nuts and bolts. 
   Supported by the superstructure  50 ,  52  and the frame structure  100 , as seen in  FIGS. 1–3 , is an inverted robot stand or stand  130  and robot  150 . 
   The stand  130  has a stand base  132 , a stand top  134 , and a stand body  136  defined by the stand base  132  and stand top  134 . The stand  130  also has a robot attachment surface  138  at which point a robot  150  may be attached by means well known in the art. 
   The robot  150  has a robot arm  152 , a robot implement arm  154 , and a robot implement adapter  156 . The robot  150  is of a type known in the art. Typically, the robot  150  is operated according to a predetermined program adapted to the work piece in question. Typically, the implement arm adapter  154  contains a welding apparatus at an implement adapter point  156  which is used to perform operations on the work piece. However, these functions are well known in the art. 
   The frame structure  100 , the inverted robot stand  130 , and the robot  150  have an approximate implement horizontal mass centerline  58 . While frame structure  100  may utilize a truss, other support members such as tubes or beams could be used without detracting from the invention. At static rest, the work piece positioner horizontal mass centerline  56  is in approximate vertical alignment with the implement mass centerline  58 . Alternatively, the work piece positioner horizontal mass centerline  56  is in approximate vertical alignment with the implement mass centerline  58  when the robot  150  is in dynamic motion. 
   In operation, a work piece supported on a work piece positioner assembly  14  will be moved between a first holder position wherein the first work piece support is adjacent the working station and the second work piece drive support is adjacent to a loading station  60 . This work piece holder  14  is moveably mounted to the base frame and capable of moving in a 180° cycle to bring a work piece from the loading station  60  side to the workstation  70  side. The robot  150  mounted on the inverted robot stand  130  attached to the frame structure  100  is then able to perform tasks upon the work piece at the working station  70 . 
   A headstock end side guard  80  and a tailstock end side guard  82  prevent damage and/or injury to the flanks of the device  10 . 
   The above-described preferred embodiment achieves teachings not known in the traditional positioner design as employed by those in the prior art. The embodiments as described above allow for the positioner to have a beneficial location relative to the robot. 
   The work piece positioner and the robot share a common base and therefore the floor space or footprint needed for the above embodiments is much smaller than those positioner designs currently employed in the prior art. In this position, the invention is more efficient than other positioner designs employed in the prior art because the robot can be moved up and away from the operation of the work piece positioning device. 
   In addition, these embodiments provide for moving the work piece holder but still maintaining the relationship between the work piece holder and the robot. This may be done because the work piece holder and the robot are attached together. 
   The work piece holder with top mounted robot is more economical to manufacture than other positioner designs in the prior art. This economy results from the work piece holder and the robot sharing a similar support. 
   Finally, because of the embodiment&#39;s compact design and unique positioning of moving parts, the present invention is safer and uses space more efficiently. The embodiments employ a small footprint while still meeting ANSI-IRA R-14 standards. 
   In the drawings and specifications there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and the proportion of parts as well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1