Feeding mechanism driven by single air cylinder instead of double air cylinders

Abstract

The utility model discloses a feeding mechanism driven by a single air cylinder instead of double air cylinders, and belongs to the technical field of automatic equipment. The technical problems of smoothness and reliability of feeding action are solved. According to the technical scheme, an air cylinder is fixed to a workbench, a telescopic rod of the air cylinder is fixedly connected to the bottom of a base plate, a feeding guide rail is fixed to the bottom of the base plate, the feeding guide rail is in sliding connection with a feeding sliding block in a matched mode, the feeding sliding block is fixed to the workbench, a feeding base is fixed to the upper portion of the base plate, and a trough is formed in the front end of the feeding base; the stock bin feeding assembly is used for stacking workpieces above the feeding base, the material groove is used for containing falling workpieces, the transmission gear is rotationally installed on the shaft base and meshed with the first rack and the second rack at the same time, the first rack is fixed above the base plate, the second rack retreats while the first rack advances, and the shoveling guide rail is fixed to the second rack. The shoveling feet are fixed on the shoveling guide rails and used for separating and supporting the workpieces, compared with a multi-cylinder structure, the single-cylinder structure overcomes the problems that multiple cylinders are heavy, high in superposition, narrow in space, prone to collision and inconvenient to discharge, and the single-cylinder design effect is smooth, efficient and reliable in action, large in space and convenient to discharge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of automated feeding equipment, and in particular to a single-cylinder-driven feeding mechanism that replaces a dual-cylinder system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in a specific example of wrench processing and feeding, we found that wrench feeding requires arranging and stacking the wrenches, and then feeding them one by one or in groups to a designated workstation so that the robot arm can clamp and process the wrench workpiece. In the process of transporting the wrenches to the designated workstation, we need to transport the wrenches and support the stacked wrenches. In general design, one cylinder can be used to drive the shoveling (the shoveling process supports the stacked wrenches), and another cylinder can be used to drive the feeding, so that the workpiece reaches a required position and is in the required posture.

[0003] Therefore, it was found that the automated equipment designed above requires two cylinders to drive the operation, and thus requires two cylinders to work together. Otherwise, if the two cylinders work independently, or if there is a time difference in the process, the two actions will not be able to connect, the feeding will fail, the settings will affect subsequent processing, and the operation will be unreliable. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems and shortcomings—specifically, how to replace dual-cylinder feeding with a single cylinder to improve the reliability and stability of automated feeding—this invention provides a single-cylinder feeding mechanism that replaces dual-cylinder feeding.

[0005] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A single-cylinder replacement for a dual-cylinder driven feeding mechanism includes a worktable, a cylinder, a feeding slider, a feeding guide rail, a base plate, a feeding seat, a first rack, a transmission gear, a second rack, a shovel guide rail, a shovel slider, shovel feet, and a hopper feeding assembly.

[0007] The cylinder is fixed to the worktable, and the cylinder's telescopic rod is fixedly connected to the bottom of the base plate. A feeding guide rail is fixed to the bottom of the base plate, and the feeding guide rail is slidably connected with the feeding slider. The feeding slider is fixed to the worktable, and the feeding seat is fixed above the base plate with a material trough at its front end. The material hopper feeding assembly is used to stack workpieces on top of the feeding seat, and the material trough is used to catch falling workpieces.

[0008] The transmission gear is rotatably mounted on the shaft seat and simultaneously meshes with the first rack and the second rack. The first rack is fixed above the seat plate. As the first rack advances, the second rack retracts.

[0009] The second rack is fixed with a scraper guide rail, and the scraper foot is fixed with the scraper guide rail. The scraper foot is used to separate the workpiece and support the workpiece.

[0010] Preferably, the hopper feeding assembly includes two sets of limiting components, which are located at the left and right ends of the workpiece respectively and limit the workpiece. The limiting components include a vertical plate, a first adjusting plate, and a second adjusting plate. The vertical plate is provided with a long waist groove. The first adjusting plate is mounted on the long waist groove by adjusting the knob to limit one side of the workpiece. The second adjusting plate is mounted on the other side of the vertical plate by adjusting the knob to limit the other side of the workpiece.

[0011] Preferably, the shovel foot includes a first fork foot, a second fork foot, a first foot seat, and a second foot seat. The first fork foot is fastened to the first foot seat, and the second fork foot is fastened to the second foot seat. The first foot seat and the second foot seat are assembled together, and the fixed distance between the first foot seat and the second foot seat is adjustable.

[0012] Preferably, a positioning mechanism is installed on one side of the hopper feeding assembly. The positioning mechanism includes a support arm, a first adjusting arm, and a second adjusting arm. One end of the support arm and the first adjusting arm are adjusted and assembled, and one end of the second adjusting arm is adjusted and assembled on the first adjusting arm. The other end of the second adjusting arm is used to abut against the middle of the workpiece. A magnet is provided on the inner side of the first adjusting arm for adsorbing the end of the workpiece.

[0013] Preferably, a guide plate is adjustablely mounted on the other side of the hopper feeding assembly, and the inner side of the guide plate is used to abut against the end of the workpiece.

[0014] Preferably, two feeding seats are provided, and they are located on both sides of the first rack respectively.

[0015] Preferably, two parallel feeding guide rails are fixed to the bottom of the base plate, and the cylinder is located between the two feeding guide rails.

[0016] In summary, the present invention provides at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0017] 1. For feeding, a multi-action process, using a single cylinder to drive the entire feeding process significantly improves the coordination of the actions, simplifies cylinder control, and reduces the cost of cylinder applications. The cylinder can be fixed to the worktable, and the telescopic rod drives the seat plate to move back and forth. A slider and feeding guide rail work together between the seat plate and the worktable to achieve reliable forward and backward sliding. The seat plate is fixed to the first rack, which drives the second rack through a transmission gear. The first rack moves forward while the second rack moves backward, and vice versa. The second rack has a shovel guide rail and a shovel foot. Therefore, when the hopper feeding assembly is full of workpieces... The workpiece can fall freely from top to bottom. Specifically, the workpiece falls from the feeding assembly of the hopper to the top of the feeding seat. Some of the workpiece falls into the trough, while others are supported on the feeding seat and not fed. The scraper foot inserts into the stacked workpiece position in the feeding assembly of the hopper to support the workpiece and prevent it from falling. The feeding seat then feeds the workpiece until it falls into the trough and is delivered to the designated position. While the workpiece is being fed, the scraper foot also begins to move backward to release the workpiece so that it can continue to fall. When the feeding seat returns to its original position, the scraper foot also begins to return to its original position and move forward. This process is repeated so that the workpiece can be fed to the designated position repeatedly and in an orderly manner.

[0018] 2. The feeding assembly of the hopper can be positioned by adjusting the first and second adjustment plates to adapt to the length and width of the workpiece. The position of the limit installation can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment plate, which is labor-saving and convenient.

[0019] 3. The material scraping feet can also be adjusted up and down by the first fork and the second fork, and the distance between the first foot and the second foot can be adjusted by the first foot seat to adapt to support and scrape materials of different workpiece sizes;

[0020] 4. The positioning mechanism can adjust the posture of the workpiece upon arrival at the transported position and use magnets to attract and position the workpiece, thereby improving the reliability of positioning.

[0021] 5. Use guide plates to further guide and adjust the posture of the workpiece to ensure reliable workpiece position and posture;

[0022] 6. Compared to the structure of multiple cylinders, which are bulky, tall when stacked, have narrow spaces, are prone to collisions, and are inconvenient for feeding materials, the single-cylinder design effectively solves the above problems. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the material being fed to a designated position according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2This is a structural diagram of this embodiment, mainly illustrating the material receiving state in the initial state;

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A structural diagram from another perspective;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the hopper feeding assembly from one perspective;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a partial second-view schematic diagram of the hopper feeding assembly;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a partial third-view schematic diagram of the hopper feeding assembly;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of Example 2;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure from another perspective of Embodiment 2;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure from another perspective in Embodiment 2.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals for major components:

[0033] 1. Workbench; 2. Cylinder; 3. Feeding slider; 4. Feeding guide rail; 5. Seat plate; 6. Feeding seat; 61. Material trough; 7. First rack; 8. Transmission gear; 81. Shaft seat; 9. Second rack; 10. Shovel guide rail; 11. Shovel slider; 12. Shovel foot; 121. First fork foot; 122. Second fork foot; 123. First foot seat; 124. Second foot seat; 13. Material hopper feeding assembly; 131. Vertical plate; 132. First adjusting plate; 133. Second adjusting plate; 134. Long waist groove; 135. Adjusting knob; 136. Clamping plate; 137. Adjusting ear; 14. Workpiece; 15. Positioning mechanism; 151. Support arm; 152. First adjusting arm; 153. Second adjusting arm; 16. Guide plate; 17. Magnet; 18. Gantry frame. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this invention from the content disclosed in this specification. This invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0035] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. The illustrations only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be changed at will, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0036] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Example 1:

[0038] This invention discloses a single-cylinder replacement for a dual-cylinder driven feeding mechanism, as described in the following embodiments. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, it includes a worktable 1, a cylinder 2, a feeding slider 3, a feeding guide rail 4, a seat plate 5, a feeding seat 6, a first rack 7, a transmission gear 8, a second rack 9, a shovel guide rail 10, a shovel slider 11, a shovel foot 12, and a hopper feeding assembly 13.

[0039] The workbench 1 is used to provide the base for installation. It can be a flat plate structure and can be placed and fixed on a horizontal surface to maintain the stable operation of the entire mechanism.

[0040] Cylinder 2 is fixed on worktable 1, Figure 3 As can be seen, the telescopic rod of cylinder 2 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the base plate 5, and the bottom of the base plate 5 is fixed with the feeding guide rail 4. The feeding guide rail 4 is slidably connected with the feeding slider 3. (See reference) Figure 1 It is understood that the feeding slider 3 is fixed to the worktable 1. This assembly enables the cylinder 2 to drive the base plate 5 to move back and forth, maintaining stable linear movement through the feeding guide rails 4 and the feeding slider 3, thus avoiding shaking. Therefore, preferably, two parallel feeding guide rails 4 are fixed to the bottom of the base plate 5, and the cylinder 2 is positioned between the two feeding guide rails 4.

[0041] refer to Figure 1 It is understood that there are two feeding seats 6, which are fixed on both sides of the base plate 5. The feeding seats 6 are fixed above the base plate 5 and have a material groove 61 at the front end. Here, the feeding to the designated position is taken as the first step, and the resetting action is taken as the second step.

[0042] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3 As understood, the hopper feeding assembly 13 is used to stack workpieces 14 above the feeding seat 6, and the trough 61 is used to catch the falling workpieces 14.

[0043] For details, please refer to Figure 1 In the middle, the hopper feeding assembly 13 includes two sets of limiting components, which are located at the left and right ends of the workpiece 14 respectively and limit the movement of the workpiece 14. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a limiting assembly, specifically comprising a vertical plate 131, a first adjusting plate 132, and a second adjusting plate 133. The vertical plate 131 is fixedly mounted relative to the worktable 1. The vertical plate 131 has a long groove 134. The first adjusting plate 132, via an adjusting knob 135, is mounted on the long groove 134 to limit one side of the workpiece 14. The second adjusting plate 133, via an adjusting knob 135, is mounted on the other side of the vertical plate 131 to limit the other side of the workpiece 14. The workpiece 14 is stacked in this position. If the workpiece 14 at the bottom of the hopper feeding assembly 13 is not supported, it will fall downwards.

[0044] The material feeding assembly 13 in the hopper can still be referenced. Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 Understanding the process, the workpiece wrench is fed using two feed assemblies 13 positioned at either end of the workpiece to limit its movement. One feed assembly 13 has a vertical plate 131 with a roughly U-shaped cross-section. A first adjusting plate 132 is vertically adjustable on one of its inner walls, achieved through a vertically oriented slot 134 and an adjusting knob 135. The second adjusting plate 133 has a slanted bend at the top for easy workpiece placement. It has two adjusting ears 137 in the middle, each with a slot 134. Adjusting bolts can pass through the side of the plate 131 and, with the help of a clamping plate 136, clamp the adjusting ears 137, thus adjusting the distance (width) between the second adjusting plate 133 and the first adjusting plate 132. This allows for the adaptation of workpieces of various widths.

[0045] This structure offers a simple and efficient adjustment method, requiring only the rotation of the adjusting bolt. In this design, the first adjusting plate 132 and the second adjusting plate 133 are securely and reliably assembled, preventing shaking and displacement, thus ensuring highly reliable workpiece positioning.

[0046] Then, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The transmission gear 8 is rotatably mounted on the bearing seat 81 and simultaneously meshes with the first rack 7 and the second rack 9. The first rack 7 is fixed above the base plate 5. Two transmission gears 8 can be provided, thus also providing support for the second rack 9. The bearing seat 81 is fixedly assembled relative to the worktable 1, and the transmission gear 8 and the bearing seat 81 rotate through bearing engagement. Therefore, this structure allows the first rack 7 to advance while the second rack 9 retracts, and vice versa. The movement of the first rack 7 is in the same direction as the drive of the cylinder 2, while the movement of the second rack 9 is in the opposite direction.

[0047] The second rack 9 has a fixed scraping guide rail 10, and the scraping foot 12 is fixed on the scraping guide rail 10. The scraping foot 12 is used to separate and support the workpiece 14. The movement of the scraping foot 12 is driven by the movement of the second rack 9. The scraping guide rail 10 cooperates with the scraping slider 11, which is fixed on the gantry frame 18. The gantry frame 18 is fixed on the worktable 1, so the movement of the scraping guide rail 10 drives the movement of the scraping foot 12.

[0048] Specifically, the shovel foot 12 includes a first fork 121, a second fork 122, a first foot base 123, and a second foot base 124. Both the first fork 121 and the second fork 122 are L-shaped with pointed lower ends, facilitating insertion into the gap between two workpieces 14 to support them. The upper ends of the first fork 121 and the second fork 122 are adjustable. The first fork 121 is securely mounted on the first foot base 123, and the second fork 122 is securely mounted on the second foot base 124. The first foot base 123 and the second foot base 124 are assembled together, and the fixed distance between the first foot base 123 and the second foot base 124 is adjustable.

[0049] The material scraper 12 can also be adjusted up and down by the first fork 121 and the second fork 122, and the distance between them can be adjusted by the first foot seat 123 and the second foot seat 124, so as to adapt to the support and scraping of different workpiece 14 sizes.

[0050] After the feeder 6 delivers the material to the designated position, the workpiece 14 needs to be adjusted and corrected. A positioning mechanism 15 is installed on one side of the hopper feeding assembly 13. The positioning mechanism 15 includes a support arm 151, a first adjusting arm 152, and a second adjusting arm 153. One end of the support arm 151 and the first adjusting arm 152 are adjusted and assembled, and one end of the second adjusting arm 153 is adjusted and assembled on the first adjusting arm 152. The other end of the second adjusting arm 153 is used to abut against the middle of the workpiece 14. A magnet 17 is provided on the inner side of the first adjusting arm 152 to attract the end of the workpiece 14. The second adjusting arm 153 can be implemented using a spring steel sheet. The positioning mechanism 15 can adjust the posture of the workpiece 14 upon arrival at the designated position and uses the magnet 17 to attract and position the workpiece 14, thereby improving the reliability of the positioning.

[0051] refer to Figure 1 It is understood that a guide plate 16 is adjustablely mounted on the other side of the hopper feeding assembly 13, and the inner side of the guide plate 16 is used to abut the end of the workpiece 14. The guide plate 16 is used to further guide and adjust the posture of the workpiece 14 to ensure that the position and posture of the workpiece 14 are reliable. For the machinery industry, the above-mentioned adjustable installation method is not limited to one type. For example, as shown in the above figure, an elongated groove 134 can be used, or existing means such as sliding splicing and fastening can be used.

[0052] In summary, the working principle is as follows:

[0053] For automated designs involving multiple steps like material feeding, using a single cylinder 2 to drive the entire feeding process significantly improves the coordination of the actions and simplifies the control of the cylinder 2. Replacing the existing multi-cylinder 2 design with a single cylinder 2 reduces the cost of cylinder 2 applications.

[0054] The cylinder 2 can be fixed on the workbench 1. The telescopic rod drives the seat plate 5 to move back and forth. The seat plate 5 and the workbench 1 are connected by a slider and a feeding guide rail 4 to achieve reliable back and forth sliding. The seat plate 5 and the first rack 7 are fixed. The first rack 7 drives the second rack 9 to move through the transmission gear 8. The first rack 7 moves forward while the second rack 9 moves backward, and the first rack 7 moves backward while the second rack 9 moves forward. There is a shovel guide rail 10 and a shovel foot 12 on the second rack 9. It can be seen that when the hopper feeding assembly 13 is full of workpieces 14, the workpieces 14 can fall freely from top to bottom. Specifically, workpiece 14 falls from the feeding assembly 13 to the feeding seat 6, with a portion falling into the trough 61. At this time, a portion of workpiece 14 remains supported on the feeding seat 6 without being fed (this portion will fall into the trough 61 during the next feeding process). The scraper foot 12 inserts into the stacked workpieces 14 in the feeding assembly 13 to support them and prevent them from falling. The feeding seat 6 then feeds the workpiece 14, delivering the workpiece 14 that has fallen into the trough 61 to the designated location. The portion of workpiece 14 outside the trough 61 is partially supported by the feeding seat 6 and mostly by the scraper foot 12. As workpiece 14 is fed, the scraper foot 12 also begins to move backward, releasing workpiece 14 so that it can continue to fall. When the feeding seat 6 returns to its original position, the scraper foot 12 also begins to return to its original position and move forward. This process repeats, allowing workpiece 14 to be fed to the designated position repeatedly and systematically.

[0055] The material feeding assembly 13 can be positioned by adjusting the first adjusting plate 132 and the second adjusting plate 133, thereby adapting to the length and width of the workpiece 14. The position of the limit installation can be adjusted by adjusting the rotation, which is labor-saving and convenient.

[0056] In this solution, one, two, or more workpieces can be fed at a time. The workpiece shown in the attached diagram is a wrench, but it is not limited to wrenches; other long workpieces are also applicable.

[0057] Example 2:

[0058] refer to Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, based on Embodiment 1, the same structural parts will not be described again, such as the hopper feeding assembly 13 and the linear sliding structural parts.

[0059] In this second embodiment, the working principle is similar to that of the first embodiment, with the main difference being the arrangement of the transmission gear 8. In the first embodiment, the transmission gear and the first and second racks are arranged such that the first rack 7 and the second rack 9 are positioned above and below the transmission gear. In the second embodiment, the first rack 7 and the second rack 9 are positioned to the left and right of the transmission gear 8, thus changing the transmission gear 8 from a horizontal to a vertical arrangement. The driving principle remains the same, achieving gear and rack meshing transmission. The first rack 7 and the second rack 9 move in opposite directions, thus adapting to the feeding operation.

[0060] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape, and principle of the present invention should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A single-cylinder-driven feeding mechanism replacing a double-cylinder mechanism, characterized in that, The components include a worktable (1), a cylinder (2), a feeding slider (3), a feeding guide rail (4), a base plate (5), a feeding seat (6), a first rack (7), a transmission gear (8), a second rack (9), a shovel guide rail (10), a shovel slider (11), a shovel foot (12), and a hopper feeding assembly (13). The cylinder (2) is fixed on the workbench (1), and the telescopic rod of the cylinder (2) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the seat plate (5). The bottom of the seat plate (5) is fixed with the feeding guide rail (4), which is slidably connected with the feeding slider (3). The feeding slider (3) is fixed to the workbench (1). The feeding seat (6) is fixed above the seat plate (5) and has a material trough (61) at its front end. The hopper feeding assembly (13) is used to stack workpieces (14) above the feeding seat (6), and the material trough (61) is used to catch the falling workpieces (14). The transmission gear (8) is rotatably mounted on the bearing seat (81) and simultaneously meshes with the first rack (7) and the second rack (9). The first rack (7) is fixed above the seat plate (5). As the first rack (7) moves forward, the second rack (9) moves backward. The second rack (9) is fixed with a scraper guide rail (10), and the scraper foot (12) is fixed on the scraper guide rail (10). The scraper foot (12) is used to separate the workpiece (14) and support the workpiece (14).

2. The single-cylinder replacement of double-cylinder driven feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding assembly (13) of the hopper includes two sets of limiting assemblies. The two sets of limiting assemblies are located at the left and right ends of the workpiece (14) and limit the workpiece (14). The limiting assemblies include a vertical plate (131), a first adjusting plate (132), and a second adjusting plate (133). The vertical plate (131) is provided with a long waist groove (134). The first adjusting plate (132) is mounted on the long waist groove (134) by adjusting knob (135) to limit one side of the workpiece (14). The second adjusting plate (133) is mounted on the other side of the vertical plate (131) by adjusting knob (135) to limit the other side of the workpiece (14).

3. The single-cylinder replacement of double-cylinder driven feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shovel foot (12) includes a first fork foot (121), a second fork foot (122), a first foot seat (123), and a second foot seat (124). The first fork foot (121) is fastened to the first foot seat (123), and the second fork foot (122) is fastened to the second foot seat (124). The first foot seat (123) and the second foot seat (124) are assembled together, and the fixed distance between the first foot seat (123) and the second foot seat (124) is adjustable.

4. The single-cylinder replacement of double-cylinder driven feeding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, A positioning mechanism (15) is installed on one side of the hopper feeding assembly (13). The positioning mechanism (15) includes a support arm (151), a first adjusting arm (152), and a second adjusting arm (153). One end of the support arm (151) and the first adjusting arm (152) are adjusted and assembled. One end of the second adjusting arm (153) is adjusted and assembled on the first adjusting arm (152). The other end of the second adjusting arm (153) is used to abut against the middle of the workpiece (14). A magnet (17) is provided on the inner side of the first adjusting arm (152) for adsorbing the end of the workpiece (14).

5. A single-cylinder replacement of a double-cylinder driven feeding mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The other side of the hopper feeding assembly (13) is adjustablely fitted with a guide plate (16), the inner side of which is used to abut against the end of the workpiece (14).

6. The single-cylinder replacement of double-cylinder driven feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two feeding seats (6) are provided, and they are located on both sides of the first rack (7).

7. A single-cylinder replacement of a double-cylinder driven feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two parallel feeding guide rails (4) are fixed to the bottom of the seat plate (5), and the cylinder (2) is located between the two feeding guide rails (4).

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