Transport trolley

Abstract

A transport trolley (1) for transporting heavy components, in particular at least partially pre-assembled engines and / or transmissions, comprising a trolley frame (2) which can be moved on rollers (5, 6) and on which at least one guide device (13, 14) and at least one positioning device (9, 10) for movable docking of the transport trolley (1) to a guide rail (20, 21) of a moving assembly line are arranged, characterized in that the trolley frame (2) carries a support plate (3) with at least one positioning bolt (4) for a heavy component, and at least one first guide roller (11, 12) with a substantially vertically arranged axis of rotation and at least one second guide roller (15, 16) with a substantially horizontally arranged axis of rotation are arranged on the trolley frame (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method and devices for carrying out the method for transporting and assembling heavy components, in particular at least partially pre-assembled engines and / or transmissions, on assembly lines which are in essentially constant continuous movement.

[0002] Motor transport trolleys are known from the prior art. These can be positioned in conjunction with a generally continuously moving assembly line for, for example, engines, gearboxes and other heavy components and corresponding picking devices for assembly. An engine or gearbox positioned on an assembly carrier, together with the picking device on which the individual parts required for assembly of the engine or gearbox are kept ready, can be transported through individual assembly stations with the help of the assembly line. In a transfer station on the assembly line, a fully assembled engine or gearbox must be removed from the assembly line in order to carry out further assembly steps on the engine or gearbox, e.g. to bring the engine and gearbox together.Due to the heavy weight of these components, handling them at the transfer station is typically difficult. State-of-the-art solutions are available to address these difficulties.

[0003] EP 2 113 453 B1 shows and describes a motor transport carriage with a base plate extending between frame elements of the transport carriage. Arranged on the base plate are mounting bolts for a motor, on which a motor mounted on an assembly line can be received. The mounted motor is positioned on the motor mounting bolt of the motor transport carriage in a delivery station of an assembly line. The motor mounting bolts are attached to a rotating plate, which is rotatably mounted on the base plate of the motor transport carriage via a swivel joint. The motor mounting bolts, together with the rotating plate, are rotatable relative to the base plate in order to move the motor mounting bolts between two positions.

[0004] DE 10 2012 108 753 A1 shows and describes a device for centering an engine block mounted on a movable engine transport carriage, with a transmission block positioned on a second transport carriage. A guide arrangement is intended to precisely position the transport carriages, which are movable on the floor, relative to one another for assembly.

[0005] DE 10 2011 001 058 A1 discloses the subject matter of the preamble of claim 1.

[0006] DE 102 43 477 B4 discloses a device for assembling internal combustion engines of the reciprocating piston type, comprising at least one receiving device for the internal combustion engine to be assembled and a picking device for assembly components of the internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine projects laterally beyond an assembly line of the device for accessibility by assembly personnel and is fastened to a receiving carriage which is provided with a horizontal pallet arranged on the assembly line and designed as a weight counterbalance for the internal combustion engine, on which a support frame which holds the internal combustion engine and is connected to the receiving device rests.

[0007] The disadvantage of the devices known from the state of the art is that they have to be moved and positioned completely independently of the assembly line.

[0008] The object of the invention is to create a method and a device for assembling heavy components, with which additional and significant simplifications in the assembly process can be created.

[0009] This problem is solved by the features of the independent patent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0010] The transport carriage, which is moved towards the guide rail on the assembly line and placed on the ramp with its rollers, can be positioned in relation to the guide rail by means of at least one guide device and can be docked to the guide rail via at least one positioning device.

[0011] The transport carriage can preferably be positioned horizontally to the guide rail via a first guide device and the position of the transport carriage in relation to the guide rail or in relation to the assembly line can be secured by means of a second guide device.

[0012] The transport carriage can be designed to be movable on the guide rail by means of rail rollers running on it.

[0013] A transport carriage for carrying out the method outlined above preferably has a support plate with at least one positioning pin for a corresponding component, wherein the support plate is part of the carriage frame of the transport carriage, which is movable on rollers. At least one guide and at least one positioning device for movable docking of the transport carriage to a guide rail of a moving assembly line can be provided on the carriage frame.

[0014] The carriage frame has at least one first guide roller with a substantially vertically arranged axis of rotation and at least one second guide roller arranged at 90° to the first guide roller and with a substantially horizontally arranged axis of rotation. At least one of the two guide rollers is arranged so as to be displaceable relative to the carriage frame. Preferably, the second horizontal axis of rotation of the guide roller arranged on the carriage frame is arranged on the carriage frame so as to be vertically displaceable under pressure. The guide roller arranged so as to be displaceable under pressure can cooperate with a locking device which secures the transport carriage docked in the guide rail in its movable position. The transport carriage movable on rollers can be positioned raised on a ramp assigned to the guide rail and can be docked to the guide rail so as to be movable in this raised position.

[0015] The method and device for carrying out the method are primarily suitable for use in the assembly of heavy components, such as engines and / or transmissions for motor vehicles.

[0016] Further advantages, features, and details of the inventive solution for a method and a device for carrying out the method during the transport and assembly of heavy components will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment based on a schematic representation in the drawing. The described features and combinations of features, as shown below in the figures of the drawing, and the features and combinations of features described with reference to the drawing in the following description are applicable not only in the respective specified combination, but also in other combinations or even on their own, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

[0017] It shows: Fig. 1 a transport trolley according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows a detail of one of the rollers of a transport carriage according to the invention together with a ramp for positioning the transport carriage on a guide rail assigned to the assembly line and Fig. 3 a perspective section of a frame part of a transport carriage according to the invention with two rollers and with the guiding and positioning device of the transport carriage on a guide rail assigned to an assembly line.

[0018] In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the transport carriage 1 for carrying out the method according to the invention is shown in perspective. With regard to the components essential to the invention, the transport carriage 1 consists of a carriage frame 2, which has at least one positioning pin 4 on a support plate 3 for positioning a component (not shown), e.g. a partially assembled engine or a partially assembled gearbox, e.g. for a motor vehicle. The transport carriage 1 is designed to be moved with rollers 5 and 6 arranged on the carriage frame. One of the two pairs of rollers 5 and 6 is arranged on the carriage frame 2 for easy control of the transport carriage 1 (with a vertically arranged axis of rotation), while the second pair of rollers is arranged so that it can only be rotated but not pivoted. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the pair of rollers 6 is arranged on the carriage frame 2 so that it can pivot through 360°.To move the transport trolley 1, brackets 7 and 8 are preferably arranged on the side on which the pivotable rollers 6 are arranged.

[0019] Preferably, on the side of the carriage frame 2 on which the non-pivotable rollers 5 are arranged, positioning devices 9 and 10 with guide rollers 11 and 12 are arranged. The guide rollers 11 and 12 are arranged on the carriage frame 2 with their axes of rotation vertical with respect to the carriage frame 2. Also provided on the carriage frame 2 are guide devices 13 and 14, which are equipped with guide rollers 15 and 16 arranged essentially horizontally with respect to the carriage frame 2 or parallel to its support plate 3. The guide rollers 15 and 16 are arranged in their guide devices 13 and 14 so that their height can be displaced or adjusted relative to the carriage frame 2. The adjustability or displaceability of the guide rollers 15 and 16 in their guide devices 13 and 14 is preferably pressure-loaded. For example, the guide rollers 15 and 16 can be arranged in their guide devices 13 and 14, respectively.14 are held in a position that can be positioned in their initial position by means of compression springs.

[0020] Rail rollers 17 and 18 are arranged on the carriage frame 2, respectively, with an axis running vertically or essentially parallel to the support plate 3 of the transport carriage 1. With the aid of these rail rollers 17 and 18, the transport carriage 1 can be moved along a guide rail (see description below).

[0021] Fig. 2 shows a section of one of the two rollers 5 arranged on the carriage frame 2. Furthermore, Fig. 2 a ramp 19, on which the transport carriage 1 - preferably only with one of the two pairs of rollers 5 or 6, preferably with the non-rotatable pair of rollers 5 - can be pushed onto a guide rail 20 on the assembly line (not shown) for the movable positioning of the transport carriage 1 on the guide rail 20.

[0022] The transport carriage 1 is positioned on the guide rail 20 with its positioning devices 9 and 10, respectively, and with their guide rollers 11 and 12, respectively. When driving up the ramp 19 with the pair of rollers 5, the transport carriage 1 is offset in height relative to the guide rail 20. The vertically displaceable guide rollers 15 and 16 are pushed upwards (upwards: towards the support plate 3) against the pressure of springs in their guide devices 13 and 14, respectively. This causes the guide rollers 15 and 16 to be pushed over the track 21 of the guide rail 20, positioning the transport carriage 1 in this position. Via the rail rollers 17 and 18, the transport carriage 1 thus positioned can be moved as desired over the track 21 along the guide rail 20 assigned to the assembly line.

[0023] At least one of the guide devices 13 or 14 with the displaceably arranged guide rollers 15 or 16 cooperates with a locking device 22 to secure the transport carriage 1 positioned on the guide rail 20.

[0024] This locking device can simply be a type of ratchet lock which fixes the guide device 14 or the guide roller 16 in the secured position adjacent to the track 21 of the guide rail 22.

[0025] When the transport carriage 1 is moved to its final position in a secured position relative to the guide rail 20 or the track 21 along the guide rail 20, the rollers 5 are moved out of contact with the ramp 19 and thus lose contact with the ground. The transport carriage 1 is thus supported solely on the rail rollers 17 or 18 on the track 21 of the guide rail 20 and can be moved freely along the guide rail 20. List of reference symbols 1 transport trolley 2 carriage frames 3 carrying plate 4 positioning bolts 5, 6 rollers 7, 8 brackets 9, 10 Positioning device 11, 12 Leadership role 13, 14 Guide device 15, 16 Leadership role 17, 18 Rail roller 19 Ramp 20 guide rail 21 Career 22 Locking device

Claims

[1] Transport trolley (1) for transporting heavy components, in particular at least partially pre-assembled engines and / or gearboxes, with a trolley frame (2) movable on rollers (5, 6), on which at least one guide (13, 14) and at least one positioning device (9, 10) for movable docking of the transport trolley (1) to a guide rail (20, 21) of a moving assembly line are arranged, characterized by that the carriage frame (2) carries a support plate (3) with at least one positioning bolt (4) for a component of high weight and at least one first guide roller (11, 12) with a substantially vertically arranged axis of rotation and at least one second guide roller (15, 16) with a substantially horizontally arranged axis of rotation at 90° to the first guide roller (11, 12) are arranged on the carriage frame (2). [2] Transport trolley according to claim 1, characterized bythat at least one of the guide rollers (11, 12; 15, 16) is arranged displaceably relative to the carriage frame (2). [3] Transport trolley according to claim 2, characterized by that the second guide roller (15, 16) arranged in the horizontal axis of rotation on the carriage frame is arranged on the carriage frame (2) in a pressure-loaded manner so as to be vertically displaceable. [4] Transport trolley according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the guide roller (15, 16) arranged to be displaceable under pressure cooperates with a locking device (22) for securing the transport carriage (1) positioned on the guide rail (20, 21). [5] Transport trolley according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the transport carriage (1) which can be moved on rollers (5, 6) can be positioned raised on a ramp (19) assigned to the guide rail (20, 21) and can be docked to the guide rail (20, 21) in this position. [6] Method for transporting and assembling heavy components, in particular at least partially pre-assembled engines and / or gearboxes, on assembly lines in essentially continuous motion, characterized by that the component(s) are positioned on a transport carriage (1) according to one of the preceding claims, which can be moved on rollers (5, 6), which can be lifted on a ramp with its rollers (5, 6) and can be moved on a guide rail (20, 21) assigned to an assembly line. [7] Method according to claim 6, characterized by that the transport carriage (1), which can be moved up to the guide rail (20, 21) and placed on the ramp (19) with its rollers (5, 6), can be positioned in relation to the guide rail (20, 21) by means of at least one guide device (13, 14) and can be docked to the guide rail (20, 21) via at least one positioning device (9, 10). [8] Method according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized by that the transport carriage (1) can be moved on rail rollers (17, 18) running on the guide rail (20, 21).

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