Patent Description:
A hot upsetting process is a process in which a part to be machined is heated at a certain temperature by a high-frequency furnace or another heating apparatus, and then the heated workpiece is placed into a press for upsetting forming by means of a die. Fasteners may be a collection of bolts, screws, etc. When fasteners are machined by a hot upsetting process, there are at least the following difficulties: (<NUM>) the fasteners are small in size, and it is difficult for an operator to quickly clamp the fasteners; (<NUM>) the fasteners are usually machined in batches, a large number of fasteners are machined, and machining with human assistance would results in increased costs and inefficiency; and (<NUM>) the heating temperature is high, and a danger coefficient is high.

Patent document <CIT>, forming the basis for the preamble of claim <NUM>, discloses an automatic feeding device and a hot heading punching machine. The automatic feeding device provided is suitable for hot heading punching machines, including: workpiece support plate, feeding mechanism, pushing mechanism, robot mechanism, and heating mechanism; A first workpiece groove is opened on the workpiece support plate, and one side of the first workpiece groove is equipped with a feeding mechanism for conveying workpieces, while the other side is equipped with a heating mechanism for heating workpieces; The pushing mechanism is used to push the workpiece conveyed by the feeding mechanism into the first workpiece groove; Robot mechanism, used to clamp the workpiece in the first workpiece slot and feed the workpiece into the hot heading punch.

A second patent document <CIT> discloses a fully automatic hot heading bolt production equipment, which includes a feeding device, a first mechanical arm, a coil induction heater, a temperature measuring device, a second mechanical arm, a hot heading machine, and a cutting table; The feeding device sequentially comprises a feeding platform, a lifting machine, and a conveyor. The feeding platform is fixedly connected to the lifting machine, and a part rod is placed in the feeding platform; The temperature measuring device includes a support frame, and the top of the support frame is fixedly connected to a flat plate. A storage platform is fixedly connected to the flat plate, and a temperature measuring instrument is installed on the front side of the storage platform. The temperature measuring instrument is fixedly connected to the flat plate through a connecting plate.

A third patent document <CIT> discloses a molding device for hexagonal bolts, comprising a side bracket, a molding device, and a posture detection device; The molding device comprises a stamping die installed on a workbench; A mold mouth is provided on the stamping die for placing bar materials; A posture detection device is installed at the mold mouth to detect the inclination of the bar material; The attitude detection device is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the PLC controller; The signal output terminal of the PLC controller is electrically connected to the alarm.

The fourth patent document <CIT> discloses An industrial robot intelligent forging line system, control system, control method, and abnormal self diagnosis and processing method. When the components in the system cannot work normally due to their own service life or other reasons, the system can automatically detect and stop the operation of the system; When the grippers of the first and second robots are unable to pick up the workpiece properly due to loosening or other reasons, the system can automatically detect and stop the operation of the system; When the first robot and the second robot drop the workpiece during transportation due to motion and loosening of the gripper, the system can automatically detect and promptly handle the fault; When the workpiece falls from the die of the upsetting punch and press due to vibration and other reasons during the upsetting process, the system can automatically detect and promptly handle the fault.

Based on the above shortcomings, the patent publication No. <CIT> discloses a fully automatic hot upsetting bolt production apparatus, which is mainly composed of a feeding device, a first manipulator, a coil inductor, a temperature measuring device, a second manipulator, a press, and a discharging table. An automatic machining method is adopted in the production apparatus mentioned in the patent, and improves the machining efficiency. However, this apparatus has the following disadvantages: (<NUM>) the apparatus has an unreasonable layout, and occupies an excessive workshop area; (<NUM>) the same manipulator needs to carry out feeding and discharging, which limits the machining efficiency; and (<NUM>) parts to be machined need to be placed by human in a specific order before machining, such that the first manipulator can accurately grasp the parts.

Objective of the Invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings existing in the prior art and further improve machining efficiency, the present invention provides an apparatus for hot upsetting forming of a fastener.

Technical Solution: To achieve the above objective, the apparatus for hot upsetting forming of a fastener according to the present invention comprises:.

According to the invention, the heating assembly further comprises a first measurement device, a second measurement device, a third measurement device, and a fourth measurement device, wherein the first measurement device is arranged above the magazine, and is configured to measure the number and placement positions of workpieces; and the second measurement device is configured to measure the size and orientation of a workpiece, the third measurement device is configured to measure the temperature of the workpiece when a product is in the heating device, and the fourth measurement device is arranged on a side of the hot upsetting assembly, and is configured to detect whether the second manipulator properly places the workpiece into the die of the hot upsetting machine.

Preferably, the third measurement device comprises an infrared detector, a support, a first base, a second base, a third base, and a fourth base, wherein the support is fixed to the frame, the first base is rotatably connected to the support, the second base is slidably connected to the first base, the third base is slidably connected to the second base, the fourth base is slidably connected to the third base, and sliding directions of the second base, the third base and the fourth base are perpendicular to each other; and the infrared detector is fixed to the fourth base.

Preferably, the heating device comprises a heater, a heating coil, a supporting rod, and a pressing rod, wherein the heating coil is electrically connected to the heater, and wherein the heating coil is in a form of a spiral barrel, the workpiece is placed in the heating coil, the supporting rod is arranged at the bottom of the heating coil, the pressing rod is arranged on an upper portion of the heating coil, and the supporting rod and the pressing rod are movable up and down to clamp the workpiece.

Preferably, a vibrating feeding box is arranged on a side of the vibratory inline feeder, and the vibrating feeding box is capable of conveying the workpiece into the magazine by means of vibration.

Preferably, two sprayers are connected to an end of the third manipulator, the sprayers are movable upwards or downwards independently, the sprayers communicates with a bucket filled with the lubricant, and the sprayers are configured to spray the lubricant to the die, the lubricant being powdered molybdenum disulfide.

Preferably, the workbin comprises a workbin body, a guide plate, a funnel, and a Hall sensor, wherein the funnel is fixed to the hot upsetting machine, the box body is arranged below the funnel, the guide plate is obliquely arranged, with one end thereof close to the funnel and the other end close to the box body, and the Hall sensor is configured to detect whether the workpiece falls.

Preferably, a heating die sleeve is connected to an outer side of the die of the hot upsetting machine, the heating die sleeve is provided with a connector, the connector communicates with a die temperature machine, the heating die sleeve is configured to keep the die at a constant temperature, and an ejector mechanism is arranged below the die of the hot upsetting machine.

The apparatus for hot upsetting forming of a fastener according to the present invention provides at least the following technical effects.

In the drawings, <NUM>. Heating assembly; <NUM>. Frame; <NUM>. First manipulator; <NUM>. Second manipulator; <NUM>. Feeding box; <NUM>. Heating device; <NUM>. Hot upsetting assembly; <NUM>. Hot upsetting machine; <NUM>. Third manipulator; <NUM>. Fourth manipulator; <NUM>. Workbin; <NUM>. First measurement device; <NUM>. Second measurement device; <NUM>. Infrared detector; <NUM>. Support; <NUM>. First base; <NUM>. Second Base; <NUM>. Third Base; <NUM>. Fourth base; <NUM>. Heater; <NUM>. Heating coil; <NUM>. Supporting rod; <NUM>. Vibratory inline feeder; <NUM>. Sprayer; <NUM>. Hall sensor; <NUM>. Workbin body; <NUM>. Guide plate; <NUM>. Funnel; <NUM>. Ejector rod; <NUM>. Ejector block; <NUM>. Third measurement device; <NUM>. Pressing rod; <NUM>. Heating die sleeve; <NUM>. Connector; <NUM>. Fourth measurement device; <NUM>. Ejector mechanism; <NUM>.

The following describes the principle and features of the present invention with reference to <FIG>. Examples given are merely for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

An apparatus for hot upsetting forming of a fastener comprises a heating assembly <NUM>, a hot upsetting assembly <NUM>, and a workbin <NUM>.

The heating assembly <NUM> comprises a frame <NUM>, a first manipulator <NUM>, a second manipulator <NUM>, a feeding box <NUM>, a vibratory inline feeder <NUM>, a heating device <NUM>, a first measurement device <NUM>, a second measurement device <NUM>, a third measurement device <NUM>, and a fourth measurement device <NUM>.

Each of the first manipulator <NUM>, the second manipulator <NUM>, the feeding box <NUM>, the vibratory inline feeder <NUM>, the heating device <NUM>, the first measurement device <NUM>, the second measurement device <NUM>, the third measurement device <NUM>, and the fourth measurement device <NUM> is fixed to the frame <NUM>. The feeding box <NUM> is arranged on a side of the vibratory inline feeder <NUM> and on a vibration device, and the vibratory inline feeder <NUM> is provided with a magazine for bearing workpieces. When the number of workpieces in the magazine is insufficient, the vibration device is activated to transfer the workpieces in the feeding box <NUM> into the magazine. The heating device <NUM> is provided with a heating station for heating a workpiece, and the first manipulator <NUM> is configured to transfer a workpiece from the magazine to the heating station of the heating device <NUM>. The second manipulator <NUM> is configured to remove the workpiece from the heating station of the heating device <NUM>. An angle of movement of the first manipulator <NUM> is about <NUM>°, and an angle of movement of the second manipulator <NUM> is about <NUM>°. The first manipulator <NUM> and the second manipulator <NUM> cooperate to reduce a travel and improve machining efficiency.

The first measurement device <NUM> is configured to measure the number and placement positions of workpieces, such that the first manipulator <NUM> can accurately grab disordered workpieces. The second measurement device <NUM> can not only select a qualified workpiece by identifying the size and head shape of the workpiece, but also control the first manipulator <NUM> to clamp a workpiece in a correct posture by identifying the placement position of the workpiece, so as to heat the workpiece in the same posture. The third measurement device <NUM> is a temperature sensor for sensing the heating temperature for a workpiece. The fourth measurement device <NUM> is configured to determine whether the second manipulator <NUM> properly places a workpiece into a die <NUM> of a hot upsetting machine <NUM>. If the workpiece is properly placed into the die <NUM>, the apparatus stops machining to avoid a safety risk when the hot upsetting machine <NUM> operates. Functional components of the first measurement device <NUM>, the second measurement device <NUM> and the fourth measurement device <NUM> are all industrial cameras.

Specifically, in order to easily adjust a measurement angle of the third measurement device <NUM>, the third measurement device <NUM> further comprises a support <NUM>, a first base <NUM>, a second base <NUM>, a third base <NUM>, and a fourth base <NUM>. The first support <NUM> is composed of four support rods and a panel. The bottoms of the four support rods are fixedly connected to the frame <NUM>, and the panel is fixed to the tops of the four support rods. The first base <NUM> is rotatably connected to the support <NUM>, and can be fixed relative to the support <NUM> by means of a bolt. The second base <NUM> is slidably connected to the first base <NUM>, the third base <NUM> is slidably connected to the second base <NUM>, the fourth base <NUM> is slidably connected to the third base <NUM>, and sliding directions of the second base <NUM>, the third base <NUM> and the fourth base <NUM> are perpendicular to each other. The second base <NUM>, the third base <NUM> and the fourth base <NUM> are driven in the same manner, and the second base <NUM> is taken as an example below for specific description. A guide rail is arranged between the first base <NUM> and the second base <NUM>, and the second base <NUM> can slide relative to the first base <NUM> along the guide rail. An ejector rod <NUM> is screwed to the first base <NUM>, the second base <NUM> is provided with an ejector block <NUM>, and an end of the ejector rod <NUM> abuts against the ejector block <NUM>. Relative positions of the first base <NUM> and the second base <NUM> can be adjusted by rotating the ejector rod <NUM>.

Similarly, the first measurement device <NUM>, the second measurement device <NUM> and the fourth measurement device <NUM> can also adjust the positions of the industrial cameras by means of linkage mechanisms.

The heating device <NUM> comprises a heater <NUM>, a heating coil <NUM>, a supporting rod <NUM>, and a pressing rod <NUM>. The heating coil <NUM> is electrically connected to the heater <NUM>, and is configured to supply electric energy to the heating coil <NUM>. The heating coil <NUM> is in a form of a spiral barrel, and a workpiece is placed inside the heating coil <NUM> in the form of a spiral barrel. The supporting rod <NUM> is arranged at the bottom of the heating coil <NUM>, and the supporting rod <NUM> can be lifted up and down. The pressing rod <NUM> is arranged above the heating coil <NUM>, and the pressing rod <NUM> can be lifted up and down. The pressing rod <NUM> and the supporting rod <NUM> are configured to clamp the workpiece. In this embodiment, a CEIA heater used as the heater <NUM> can precisely control the heating temperature, and the addition of the temperature sensor can precisely control the heating temperature and ensure the uniformity of products.

The hot upsetting assembly <NUM> comprises the hot upsetting machine <NUM>, a third manipulator <NUM>, and a fourth manipulator <NUM>. The third manipulator <NUM> and the fourth manipulator <NUM> are fixed to the hot upsetting machine <NUM>. The second manipulator <NUM> removes the workpiece from the heating coil <NUM> and transfers the workpiece to a hot upsetting station of the hot upsetting machine <NUM>. The third manipulator <NUM> is configured to spray a lubricant into the die <NUM> of the hot upsetting machine <NUM>, and the fourth manipulator <NUM> is configured to remove the workpiece from the hot upsetting machine <NUM> and place the workpiece into the workbin <NUM>. Specifically, the die <NUM> is provided with a central hole for fixing a workpiece, an ejector mechanism <NUM> is arranged directly below the central hole, the ejector mechanism <NUM> is composed of an air cylinder and an ejector pin, and the ejector pin is connected to a telescopic end of the air cylinder. After hot upsetting is completed, the ejector pin ejects the workpiece, and then the fourth manipulator <NUM> grabs and transfers the workpiece into the workbin <NUM>. Two sprayers <NUM> are connected to an end of the third manipulator <NUM>, and the sprayers <NUM> can move upwards or downwards simultaneously or independently by means of the air cylinder. The sprayers <NUM> are configured to spray the lubricant into the die <NUM> of the hot upsetting machine <NUM>. The sprayers <NUM> communicate with a charging barrel filled with the lubricant, and the lubricant is powdered molybdenum disulfide. The fourth measurement device <NUM> is arranged on a side of the hot upsetting assembly <NUM>. A heating die sleeve <NUM> is connected to the outside of the die <NUM> of the hot upsetting machine <NUM>, the heating die sleeve <NUM> is provided with a connector <NUM>, and the connector <NUM> communicates with a die temperature controller to control the temperature of the die <NUM>.

The workbin <NUM> comprises a workbin body <NUM>, a guide plate <NUM>, a funnel <NUM>, and a Hall sensor <NUM>. The funnel <NUM> is fixed to the hot upsetting machine <NUM>, and the guide plate <NUM> is obliquely placed below the funnel <NUM>, wherein a higher end of the guide plate is arranged close to the funnel <NUM>, and a lower end of the guide plate is arranged close to the box body <NUM>. The Hall sensor <NUM> is configured to identify a falling signal of a workpiece, and the apparatus is shut down when no falling of a workpiece is identified by the Hall sensor <NUM>. Detecting no falling of a workpiece may be because the fourth manipulator <NUM> has not removed the workpiece from a machining position, and if the device continues operating, interference from the workpiece will occur.

In the present invention, the first manipulator <NUM>, the second manipulator <NUM> and the fourth manipulator <NUM> cooperate to complete the feeding, turnover and discharging of workpieces with high production efficiency.

Claim 1:
An apparatus for hot upsetting forming of a fastener, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a heating assembly (<NUM>), the heating assembly (<NUM>) comprising a frame (<NUM>), and a first manipulator (<NUM>), a second manipulator (<NUM>), a vibratory inline feeder (<NUM>) and a heating device (<NUM>) that are fixed to the frame (<NUM>), a hot upsetting assembly (<NUM>), and a workbin (<NUM>), wherein the vibratory inline feeder is provided with a magazine, the heating device (<NUM>) is provided with a heating station for heating a workpiece, and the hot upsetting assembly is provided with a hot upsetting station, the first manipulator (<NUM>) is configured to transfer the workpiece from the magazine to the heating station of the heating device (<NUM>), and the second manipulator (<NUM>) is configured to transfer the workpiece from the heating station of the heating device (<NUM>) to the hot upsetting station of the hot upsetting assembly (<NUM>); and
the hot upsetting assembly (<NUM>) comprises a hot upsetting machine (<NUM>), and a die (<NUM>) for fixing the workpiece, wherein the die (<NUM>) is connected to the hot upsetting machine (<NUM>),
characterized in that the hot upsetting assembly further comprises
a third manipulator (<NUM>) and a fourth manipulator (<NUM>) that are fixed to the hot upsetting machine (<NUM>), the third manipulator (<NUM>) being configured to spray a lubricant into the die (<NUM>), and the fourth manipulator (<NUM>) being configured to transfer the workpiece from the die (<NUM>) to the workbin (<NUM>), and in that the heating assembly (<NUM>) further comprises:
a first measurement device (<NUM>), a second measurement device (<NUM>), a third measurement device (<NUM>), and a fourth measurement device (<NUM>), wherein the first measurement device (<NUM>) is arranged above the magazine, and is configured to measure the number and placement positions of workpieces; and the second measurement device (<NUM>) is configured to measure the size and orientation of a workpiece, the third measurement device (<NUM>) is configured to measure the temperature of the workpiece when a product is in the heating device (<NUM>), and the fourth measurement device (<NUM>) is arranged on a side of the hot upsetting assembly (<NUM>), and is configured to detect whether the second manipulator (<NUM>) properly places the workpiece into the die (<NUM>) of the hot upsetting machine (<NUM>).