Supply device for rod-shaped component

Abstract

The present invention reduces a load on a drive means and improves structural integrity in a stopping / passing unit for stopping or delivering a rod-shaped component and a supply device for feeding a rod-shaped component to a target location, and is configured such that: a stopping / passing unit 5 connected to a component supply pipe 9 is provided; an opening / closing driving means 14 for operating the unit 5 is provided; a first advancing / retreating driving means 19 is attached to a base member 17 fixed to a stationary member 18; the opening / closing driving means 14 is fixed to an output member 20 of the first advancing / retreating driving means 19; a second advancing / retreating driving means 22 is coupled to the opening / closing driving means 14; a columnar assembly 300 standing upright from the base member 17 is formed by integration of the first advancing / retreating driving means 19, the opening / closing driving means 14, and the second advancing / retreating driving means 22; a holding socket 24 for receiving a rod-shaped component 1 is coupled to an output member 23 of the second advancing / retreating driving means 22; and a holding hole 31 for receiving the rod-shaped component 1 is formed in a support member 29 fixed to the base member 17.

Description

Shaft component supply device

[0001] This invention relates to a shaft component supply device, which includes a stop-and-pass unit for temporarily stopping the shaft components fed at high speed and then sending them out at a low speed after the stop, and a driving means for holding the shaft components sent out from this stop-and-pass unit and transporting them to the target location.

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-151366 describes an invention related to a stop-and-pass unit for conveying components. Its main configuration is shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B of the present application. FIGS. 8A and 8B are reproductions of FIG. 1 described in the above publication in the drawings of the present application. The central member here is a support base member 31 extending in the vertical direction. An air cylinder 32 for advancing and retracting the stop-and-pass unit 36 and the supply rod 1 is fixed to the support base member 31, and the entire support base member 31 is configured to move up and down. An insertion air cylinder 23 is fixed to the support base member 31, and its piston rod 25 is connected to the stationary support member 22.

[0003] By supplying operating air to either the ascending chamber 26 or the descending chamber 27 of the insertion air cylinder 23, all members other than the piston 24 and the piston rod 25 are configured to move up and down simultaneously.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-151366

[0005] In the technology described in the above patent document, due to its function, all members such as the support base member 31, the stop-and-pass unit 36, the air cylinder 32, and the insertion air cylinder 23, whose mass becomes large, are moved up and down by the insertion air cylinder 23 and the piston 24. Therefore, the load acting on the piston 24 and the piston rod 25 becomes extremely large, which may hinder smooth up-and-down movement or may not extend the durability of the insertion air cylinder 23. In particular, considering its function, the support base member 31 is considered optimal to be a thick steel plate with large longitudinal and lateral dimensions. However, moving such a large member up and down together with other functional members is required to be avoided in order to reduce the burden on the up-and-down driving means.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and aims to reduce the load on the drive means and improve the structural integrity of a shaft-shaped part supply device, which consists of a stop-pass unit that temporarily stops shaft-shaped parts fed at high speed and then sends them out at a low speed after the temporary stop, and a drive means that holds the shaft-shaped parts sent out from the stop-pass unit and transports them to the target location.

[0007] The present invention provides a stop-and-pass unit that temporarily stops a shaft-shaped part, which has been fed at high speed by conveying air blown into a parts supply pipe, and then sends it out at a low speed after the temporary stop. The stop-and-pass unit has an opening / closing member incorporated into the case body in a manner that allows it to move back and forth, and an opening / closing drive means for moving the opening / closing member back and forth to stop and pass the shaft-shaped part is integrated into the case body. A first moving / closing drive means is attached to a base member fixed to a stationary member, the opening / closing drive means is fixed to the output member of the first moving / closing drive means, a second moving / closing drive means is coupled to the opening / closing drive means, and by integrating the first moving / closing drive means, the opening / closing drive means and the second moving / closing drive means, a columnar assembly in an upright manner is formed from the base member, a holding socket for receiving and holding the shaft-shaped part sent out from the stop-and-pass unit is coupled to the output member of the second moving / closing drive means, and a holding hole for receiving the shaft-shaped part is formed in a columnar support member fixed to the base member. The device is characterized in that the output operation of the second forward / backward drive means and the output operation of the first forward / backward drive means insert the shaft-shaped component held in the holding socket into the holding hole.

[0008] A first forward / backward drive means is fixed to a base member fixed to a stationary member, and an opening / closing drive means for a stop-pass unit that temporarily stops the shaft-shaped component and then sends it out at a low speed is fixed to the output member of the first forward / backward drive means, and a columnar assembly in an upright manner is formed by the integration of the first forward / backward drive means, the opening / closing drive means and the second forward / backward drive means, and a holding socket that receives and holds the shaft-shaped component sent out from the stop-pass unit is connected to the output member of the second forward / backward drive means, and a holding hole for receiving the shaft-shaped component is formed in a columnar support member fixed to the base member.

[0009] Therefore, since the base member, which has a large mass and larger dimensions such as length, width, and thickness, is fixed to the stationary member and remains stationary, the load acting on the first reciprocating drive means is limited to the stop-pass unit, the second reciprocating drive means, the holding socket, and the parts supply pipe. This is effective for the smooth operation, miniaturization, and low output of the first reciprocating drive means.

[0010] On the base member, the first forward / backward drive means, the opening / closing drive means for the stop / pass unit, and the second forward / backward drive means exist as a continuous, integrated, upright columnar assembly, while simultaneously, a columnar support member with a holding hole is also in an upright position. The columnar assembly and the upright support member are positioned opposite each other on the base member. Therefore, the columnar assembly and support member can be neatly arranged on the base member, which is effective for miniaturizing and simplifying the device structure.

[0011] The component having the part passage position of the stop-pass unit, i.e., the case body of the stop-pass unit, is positioned between the columnar assembly and the upright support member. With this arrangement, the first forward / backward drive means, the opening / closing drive means for the stop-pass unit, and the second forward / backward drive means are positioned upright on one side of the base member, the case body of the stop-pass unit is positioned next to that, and the support member is positioned on the other side of the base member, which is further adjacent. As described above, this arrangement allows each drive means, the case body, the support member, etc., to be neatly integrated into the base member, which is the fundamental component, and is effective for miniaturizing the device. In particular, since the columnar assembly and the support member are positioned on both ends of the base member, and the case body of the stop-pass unit is positioned between them, it is possible to avoid an operating configuration in which the case body protrudes outside the supply device, and a compact supply device can be obtained.

[0012] The present invention is an invention of a supply device as described above, but as will be clear from the embodiments described below, it can also exist as a method invention that specifies the operation of the stopping passage unit and the transport timing of the shaft-shaped parts.

[0013] This is a side view showing the entire supply device. This is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the support member. This is a cross-sectional view showing the cutting mechanism for shaft-shaped parts. This is a plan view of the cutting mechanism. This is a perspective view showing the opening and closing member of the stop passage unit. This is a cross-sectional view showing the operating state of the holding socket. This is a cross-sectional view of (7)-(7) in Figure 1. This is a reproduction of Figure 1 from Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-151366. This is a reproduction of Figure 1 from Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-151366.

[0014] Next, an embodiment for implementing the shaft-shaped component supply device of the present invention will be described.

[0015] Figures 1 to 7 show embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] First, the overall aspects of the present invention will be described.

[0017] In Figure 1, reference numeral 100 indicates a dispensing structure that feeds out shaft-shaped parts, and has the function of dispensing shaft-shaped parts one by one from a parts feeder using transport air. Reference numeral 200 indicates a supply device that receives the shaft-shaped parts dispensed from the dispensing structure 100 and supplies them to the target location.

[0018] In Figure 1, one supply device 200 is shown by a solid line, and a second supply device 200 is shown surrounding it with a dashed-dot line, with shaft-shaped components supplied from the delivery structure 100 to both supply devices 200. Since both supply devices 200 have the same structure, only one supply device 200 is described in the embodiments described below.

[0019] Next, I will explain shaft-shaped components.

[0020] While there are various types of shaft-shaped components, such as solid round bars, pipe members, and bolts, here we will focus on bolts with heads. We will explain this in accordance with Figure 6, which clearly shows a bolt. Bolt 1 consists of a shaft portion 2 with a male thread formed on it, a hexagonal head portion 3, and a flange 4 positioned between the head portion 3 and the shaft portion 2. The shaft-shaped component is made of iron, which is a magnetic material.

[0021] Next, the supply device 200 will be described.

[0022] The supply device 200 in the present invention stops the head 2 of the bolt 1 at a predetermined location, and the stopped head 2 is held by a robotic device or a screw tightening device and transported to another predetermined location.

[0023] Next, I will explain the stopping and passing unit.

[0024] The stopping and passing unit 5 temporarily stops the bolt 1, which has been fed at high speed, and then sends it out at a low speed after this temporary stop. If the bolt 1 collides with the holding socket (described later) at high speed, there is a risk of damage such as dents or cracks occurring on the receiving surface of the holding socket. Therefore, the bolt is temporarily stopped before reaching the holding socket at a low speed.

[0025] A sliding space 7 is formed within the elongated rectangular case body 6, into which a rectangular opening / closing member 8 is slidably inserted. A parts supply pipe 9 extending from the delivery structure 100 is connected to the case body 6 by a plug-in structure, and the parts supply pipe 9 opens into the sliding space 7. In other words, the parts supply pipe 9 in the area of ​​the supply device 200 acts as the inlet pipe for the stop-through unit 5. On the other hand, a short outlet pipe 10 is connected to the case body 6 by a plug-in structure, and the outlet pipe 10 also opens into the sliding space 7. The parts supply pipe 9 and the outlet pipe 10 are arranged coaxially. The outlet pipe 10 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel.

[0026] The parts supply pipe 9 is made of a synthetic resin material such as urethane resin, and can be bent as needed to ensure the piping is positioned as required. Also, when the shaft length of a bolt with a head is about 30 mm, the length of the parts supply pipe can range from 5 m to 10 m.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the opening / closing member 8 is a rectangular parallelepiped, with the bottom surface of the solid portion serving as a stop surface 12, and a through hole 13 formed next to it. To enable the opening / closing member 8 to perform opening and closing operations, an air cylinder 14, which is an opening / closing drive means, is fixed to the case body 6 via a cylindrical distance piece 15. The piston rod 16 of the air cylinder 14 passes through the distance piece 15 and is connected to the opening / closing member 8. Hereafter, the opening / closing drive means is also denoted by reference numeral 14.

[0028] Although an air cylinder 14 was used as an example of an opening and closing drive means, it is also possible to use a forward / backward output type electric motor instead. This forward / backward output type electric motor can be configured as a linear actuator operated by an electric motor such as a servo motor. Alternatively, it is also possible to convert the rotation of the electric motor into forward / backward motion using a rack and pinion mechanism.

[0029] Figure 1 shows a state where the stopping surface 12 is closing the opening of the parts supply pipe 9, and the head 2 of the bolt 1, which has been fed in at high speed, is hitting it and stopping. The bolt 1 is stopped in the shown position due to the dynamic pressure of the transport air, which will be described later. Now, when the air cylinder 14, which is the opening and closing drive means, moves to the right, the through hole 13 aligns with the parts supply pipe 9 and the outlet pipe 10, and the stopped bolt 1 is sent out at a low speed through the through hole 13.

[0030] After this low-speed delivery, the stop surface 12 moves due to the operation of the air cylinder 14, closing the openings of the parts supply pipe 9 and the outlet pipe 10, and preparing for the arrival of the next bolt 1.

[0031] Next, I will explain the base component.

[0032] The base member 17 performs the fundamental function of the supply device 200 and is provided with appropriate strength and rigidity. For this purpose, the base member 17 is made of a thick rectangular plate made of stainless steel or the like. Furthermore, the base member 17 is firmly fixed to the stationary member 18 so that it does not easily shift position even if some external force is applied. Although not shown in the figure, the stationary member 18 is the machine frame or base plate of the supply device 200. The base member 17 is positioned horizontally, and the mounting position of the stop-pass unit 5 is selected so that the direction of movement of the opening / closing member 8 is also horizontal.

[0033] The parts supply pipe 9 extending from the delivery structure 100 passes through the base member 17 and reaches the case body 6 of the stop passage unit 5. For this purpose, the base member 17 is provided with a through hole 11 with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the parts supply pipe 9, so that when the parts supply pipe 9 moves back and forth relative to the base member 17, the outer surface of the parts supply pipe 9 does not rub strongly against the inner surface of the through hole 11.

[0034] Next, the first forward / backward driving means will be described.

[0035] The first forward / backward drive means 19 supports the stop-pass unit 5 and moves the stop-pass unit 5 forward and backward in the direction of the central axis of the holding hole 31. As is clear from Figure 7, it is installed off-center to the right end of the base member 17. The first forward / backward drive means 19 can also be an air cylinder or a forward / backward output type electric motor. This forward / backward output type electric motor includes a linear actuator operated by an electric motor such as a servo motor. Alternatively, the rotation of the electric motor can be converted into forward / backward motion using a rack and pinion mechanism.

[0036] Here, an air cylinder 19 is used as the first reciprocating drive means. The output member of the first reciprocating drive means is the piston rod 20 of the air cylinder 19, and the air cylinder 14, which is the aforementioned opening and closing drive means, is coupled to the end of the piston rod 20. The direction of reciprocation of the piston rod 20 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane direction of the base member 17 and the direction of reciprocation of the air cylinder 14. Hereafter, the first reciprocating drive means is also denoted by reference numeral 19.

[0037] Next, the second reciprocating drive mechanism will be described.

[0038] The second reciprocating drive means 22 is coupled to the air cylinder 14, which is an opening and closing drive means, and moves the holding socket 24, described later, forward and backward. The second reciprocating drive means 22 can be an air cylinder or a reciprocating output type electric motor. As this reciprocating output type electric motor, a linear actuator operated by an electric motor such as a servo motor can also be used. Alternatively, the rotation of the electric motor can be converted into reciprocating motion using a rack and pinion mechanism.

[0039] Here, an air cylinder 22 is used as the second reciprocating drive means. The output member of the second reciprocating drive means is the piston rod 23 of the air cylinder 22, and a retaining socket 24 is connected to the end of the piston rod 23. The direction of reciprocation of the piston rod 23 is parallel to the horizontal direction of the base member 17 and the direction of reciprocation of the air cylinder 14. Hereafter, the second reciprocating drive means is also denoted by reference numeral 22.

[0040] Incidentally, although the second forward and backward driving means 22 is coupled to the opening and closing driving means 14, this coupling may directly connect the air cylinder 22 to the air cylinder 14, or as shown in the figure, a coupling member 25 such as a distance piece may be interposed between both air cylinders 14 and 22. When the coupling member 25 is interposed, it is adopted when expanding the operating space of the holding socket 24 to prevent interference of members adjacent to the forward and backward movement of the holding socket 24.

[0041] Next, the structure of the holding socket will be described.

[0042] The holding socket 24 is coupled to the piston rod 23 which is the output member of the second forward and backward driving means 22, receives and holds the bolt 1 sent from the stop and passage unit 5 at a low speed, and then moves it to a predetermined position by the advancement of the air cylinder 22.

[0043] On the lower surface of the main body 26 of the holding socket 24, a receiving recess 27 for receiving the head 2 of the bolt 1 is formed, and a permanent magnet 28 is embedded in the main body 26 to prevent the bolt 1 that has entered the receiving recess 27 from falling.

[0044] Next, the support member will be described.

[0045] The support member 29 is composed of a columnar member fixed to the base member 17, and a holding hole 31 for receiving the shaft portion 2 of the bolt 1 is formed at its end. The axial direction of the holding hole 31 is parallel to the forward and backward direction of the air cylinder 19. A permanent magnet 32 is embedded near the bottom of the holding hole 31, and its magnetic attraction force is set stronger than the attraction force of the permanent magnet 28 on the holding socket 24 side.

[0046] In order to prevent the shaft portion 2 of the bolt 1 inserted into the holding hole 31 from rotating within the holding hole 31, as shown in FIG. 2, a pressing member 33 is pressed against the shaft portion 2 to prevent the rotation of the shaft portion 2. The pressing member 33 is constituted by the piston rod of the air cylinder 30.

[0047] Next, the arrangement relationship of each component will be described.

[0048] The air cylinder 19 fixed to the base member 17, the air cylinder 14 coupled to the piston rod 20 thereof, and further the air cylinder 22 coupled to the air cylinder 14 are in a column-like form arranged substantially in a straight line when viewed in the vertical direction. Thus, a columnar assembly 300 is constituted by such an array set. The arrangement direction of the columnar assembly 300 is a direction perpendicular to the base member 17 and is orthogonal to the advancing and retreating direction of the opening / closing member 8 of the stop passage unit 5. And the central axis of the holding hole 31 of the support member 29 is parallel to the arrangement direction of the columnar assembly 300. The component supply pipe 9 passing through the base member 17 is arranged coaxially with the outlet pipe 10 as described above, and the central axes of the component supply pipe 9 and the outlet pipe 10 are parallel to the arrangement direction of the columnar assembly 300 and the central axis of the holding hole 31 of the support member 29. Further, the advancing and retreating direction of the air cylinder 22 and the advancing and retreating direction of the air cylinder 14 are orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the columnar assembly 300.

[0049] Next, the delivery structure will be described.

[0050] The delivery structure 100 has a function of sending out the bolts 1 stored in the parts feeder 34 one by one with conveying air. The bolts 1 sent out from the parts feeder 34 are sent to the cutting unit 36 via the inclined conveying rail 35. The support of the bolts 1 in the conveying rail 35 and the cutting unit 36 is in a suspended state where the shaft portion 2 is positioned in the space between two parallel guide rails 37 and the flange 4 of the bolt 1 is placed on the upper surface 38 of the guide rail 37. Therefore, the flange 4 is adapted to slide on the upper surface 38 of the guide rail 37. The parts feeder 34 is a generally adopted type that operates by welding a spiral passage plate inside a circular bowl and imparting vibrations in the vertical direction and the circumferential direction to the bowl.

[0051] The cutting unit 36 will be described according to FIG. 3. Two unit-side guide rails 41 are also provided on the unit main body 39, and the shaft portion 2 passes between them. The flange 4 is adapted to slide on the upper surface 42 of the unit-side guide rail 41.

[0052] A discharge hole 43 is formed at the end of the unit-side guide rail 41. A cutting unit 44 is attached to this discharge hole 43 to discharge bolts 1 one by one. The piston rod 46 of the air cylinder 45 fixed to the unit body 39 is inserted into the end of the unit-side guide rail 41 to prevent the movement of the shaft portion 2. When the piston rod 46 retracts, the first bolt 1 is pushed by the bolt 1 from behind and moves into the discharge hole 43. Immediately after this movement, the piston rod 46 is inserted, preventing the movement of the second bolt 1. Reference numeral 47 denotes a guide tube attached to the unit body 39 in a manner continuous with the discharge hole 43.

[0053] A large-diameter hole 49 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped holding member 48, into which the head 3 and flange 4 of the bolt 1 are inserted. A small-diameter hole 51 is formed continuously with the large-diameter hole 49, into which the shaft portion 2 is inserted. A stepped portion 52 is formed at the boundary between the large-diameter hole 49 and the small-diameter hole 51, where the flange 4 is placed. The holding member 48 is connected to the piston rod 56 of the air cylinder 55, and depending on the extension position of the air cylinder 55, the discharge hole 43, guide tube 47, large-diameter hole 49, and small-diameter hole 51 are arranged on the same axis. An air hole 53 is opened at the bottom of the small-diameter hole 51 into which conveying air is blown.

[0054] A parts supply pipe 9 that supplies bolts 1 to one supply device 200 and another parts supply pipe 9 that supplies bolts 1 to another supply device 200 (shown by a dashed line) are fixed to a support plate 54 which is fixed to a stationary member 18, and each parts supply pipe 9 has an opening at the inlet.

[0055] As the air cylinder 55 extends, the holding member 48 enters between the air supply pipe 57, which is positioned coaxially with the parts supply pipe 9 (see Figures 1 and 3). A nozzle hole 58 is provided at the upper end of the air supply pipe 57.

[0056] The air cylinder 55 supplies the bolt 1 to the first parts supply pipe 9, and the air cylinder 59 is fixed to the stationary member 18 to supply the bolt 1 to the second parts supply pipe 9. The piston rod 60 of the air cylinder 59 is coupled to the air cylinder 55. The holding member 48 performs a first motion with the first air cylinder 55 and a second motion with the second air cylinder 59, so that the bolt 1 is supplied to both parts supply pipes 9 by a two-stage motion.

[0057] The supply and discharge of working air to each air cylinder is performed by operating the air switching valve 62 in response to a signal from the control device 61. Reference numeral 63 denotes a start switch that activates the entire device. The control device 61 is composed of a simple computer device and sequence circuits.

[0058] Next, we will explain the feeding mechanism that holds the bolt and supplies it to the target location.

[0059] The feeding mechanism 400 feeds the bolt 1, which is held in the holding hole 31 of the support member 29, to the target location. Various types of feeding mechanisms 400 can be used, such as one in which a simple supply rod holds the bolt 1 and feeds it to the target location, or one in which a robotic device equipped with a screw tightening structure holds the bolt 1 and feeds it to the target location. Here, the latter type of robotic device is used.

[0060] A screw tightening unit 65 is attached to a standard 6-axis robot device 64. The screw tightening unit 65 consists of a socket 68 connected to the output shaft 67 of an electric motor 66. The socket 68 has a hexagonal receiving hole 69 into which the head 3 of a bolt 1 fits snugly. A permanent magnet 70 is embedded in the socket 68 to prevent the bolt 1 from falling. The attractive force of this permanent magnet 70 is set to be stronger than the attractive force of the permanent magnet 32 ​​of the support member 29.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the base member 17 is in a horizontal position was explained. However, the base member 17 may be placed in a vertical upright position, and the arrangement may be changed so that the opening / closing member 8 and the air cylinder 22 move in a vertical direction.

[0062] Next, I will explain how the device works.

[0063] When the bolt 1, which has been fed from the parts feeder 34, is inserted from the cutting unit 36 ​​into the large-diameter hole 49 and small-diameter hole 51 of the waiting holding member 48, the air cylinder 55 is activated and the holding member 48 is moved between one of the parts supply pipes 9 and the air supply pipe 57. Then, transport air is sprayed from the nozzle hole 58 and the bolt 1 moves at high speed inside the parts supply pipe 9 and is caught by the stop surface 12 of the closed opening / closing member 8. The other air cylinder 59 also operates in the same way as the air cylinder 55, pushing out the air cylinder 55 as well, the holding member 48 aligns with the other parts supply pipe 9, and the bolt 1 is supplied to the second supply device 200 shown by the dashed line.

[0064] Next, when the air cylinder 14, which is the opening and closing drive mechanism, operates and the opening and closing member 8 moves to the right side in Figure 1, the through hole 13 aligns with the parts supply pipe 9 and the outlet pipe 10. As a result, the bolt 1, which was being subjected to the dynamic pressure of the conveying air, is sent out at a low speed, and its head 3 is received in the receiving recess 27 of the holding head 24. This receiving state is maintained by the attractive force of the permanent magnet 28. Near where the parts supply pipe 9 is connected to the case body 6, the flow velocity of the conveying air is also significantly reduced, so the dynamic pressure acting on the bolt 1 is also significantly reduced. Due to this reduction in dynamic pressure, the bolt 1 is sent out at a low speed.

[0065] Subsequently, the air cylinder 22 is activated, and when the bolt 1 held by the holding head 24 reaches a position coaxial with the holding hole 31, the extension of the air cylinder 22 stops at that position. Then, the retraction of the air cylinder 19 begins, and the stop passage unit 5 (air cylinder 14), air cylinder 22, holding socket 24, and parts supply pipe 9 descend together, and the shaft portion 2 of the bolt 1 is inserted into the holding hole 31. As this insertion progresses, the attractive force of the permanent magnet 32, which is stronger than the attractive force of the permanent magnet 28, becomes dominant, and the shaft portion 2 is pulled further into the holding hole 31, and the shaft portion entry stops when the flange 4 is in close contact with the upper end face 21 of the support member 29. Following this, the air cylinder 30 is activated and the shaft portion 2 is pushed against the inner surface of the holding hole 31, making it impossible for the bolt 1 to rotate.

[0066] Once the bolt insertion into the holding hole 31 is complete, the extension of the air cylinder 19, the retraction of the air cylinder 22, and the extension of the air cylinder 14 cause the stop passage unit 5, the holding socket 24, etc., to enter a standby state in preparation for the arrival of the next bolt 1.

[0067] Subsequently, the robotic device 64 is activated, and as the socket 68 rotates, the lower surface of the socket 68 is pressed against the upper surface of the hexagonal head 3, as shown in Figure 6. When the hexagonal receiving hole 69 of the rotating socket 68 in this pressurized state aligns with the hexagon of the head 3, the head 3 relatively enters the receiving hole 69 and is attracted by the permanent magnet 70.

[0068] Subsequently, the bolt 1 is screwed into a threaded hole (not shown) of the target member, which is waiting at a predetermined location, by the operation of the robot device 64.

[0069] The series of operations described above are performed by transmitting signals from stroke sensors attached to each air cylinder and signals from sensors indicating the operating position of the robot device 64 to the control device 61, so that each air cylinder operates in a predetermined sequence. In other words, the forward and backward movement and air injection of each air cylinder can be easily performed using commonly used control methods. By combining air switching valves that operate on signals from the control device or sequence circuit, and sensors that emit signals at predetermined positions of the air cylinders and transmit them to the control device, the predetermined operations can be ensured.

[0070] It is also possible to use the aforementioned forward / backward output type electric motor instead of the air cylinders described above. Furthermore, it is possible to use electromagnets or air suction instead of the permanent magnets.

[0071] The effects and benefits of the embodiments described above are as follows:

[0072] A first forward / backward drive means 19 is fixed to a base member 17 which is fixed to a stationary member 18. An opening / closing drive means 14 for a stop-pass unit 5, which temporarily stops the bolt 1 and then sends it out at a low speed after the temporary stop, is fixed to the output member 20 of the first forward / backward drive means 19. A second forward / backward drive means 22 is coupled to this opening / closing drive means 14. By integrating the first forward / backward drive means 19, the opening / closing drive means 14, and the second forward / backward drive means 22, a columnar assembly 300 is formed that stands upright from the base member 17. A holding socket 24 for receiving and holding the bolt 1 sent out from the stop-pass unit 5 is coupled to the output member 23 of the second forward / backward drive means 22. A holding hole 31 for receiving the bolt 1 is formed in a columnar support member 29 fixed to the base member 17.

[0073] Therefore, since the base member 17, which has a large mass and larger dimensions such as length, width, and thickness, is fixed to the stationary member 18 and remains stationary, the load acting on the first reciprocating drive means 19 is limited to that of the stop passing unit 5, the second reciprocating drive means 22, the holding socket 24, and the parts supply pipe 9. This is effective for the smooth operation, miniaturization, and low output of the first reciprocating drive means 19.

[0074] On the base member 17, the first forward / backward drive means 19, the opening / closing drive means 14 of the stop / pass unit 5, and the second forward / backward drive means 22 exist as a continuous, integrated, upright columnar assembly 300, while simultaneously, a columnar support member 29 with a holding hole 31 is also in an upright position. The columnar assembly 300 and the upright support member 29 are positioned opposite each other on the base member 17. Therefore, the columnar assembly 300 and the support member 29 can be neatly arranged on the base member 17, which is effective for miniaturizing and simplifying the device structure.

[0075] The component having the part passage position of the stop-pass unit 5, i.e., the case body 6 of the stop-pass unit 5, is positioned between the columnar assembly 300 and the upright support member 29. With this arrangement, the first forward / backward drive means 19, the opening / closing drive means 14 of the stop-pass unit 5, and the second forward / backward drive means 22 are positioned upright on one side of the base member 17, the case body 6 of the stop-pass unit 5 is positioned next to them, and the support member 29 is positioned on the other side of the base member 17, which is further adjacent. With this arrangement, each drive means, the case body 6, the support member 29, etc., can be neatly integrated into the base member 17, which is the foundational component, making it effective for miniaturizing the device. In particular, since the columnar assembly 300 and the support member 29 are positioned on both ends of the base member 17, and the case body 6 of the stop-pass unit 5 is positioned between them, it is possible to avoid an operating configuration in which the case body 6 protrudes outside the supply device 200, and a compact supply device 200 can be obtained.

[0076] The parts supply pipe 9, which is connected to the stop-pass unit 5, has a structure that penetrates the base member 17, passes between the columnar assembly 300 and the support member 29, and reaches the case body 6. The parts supply pipe 9 is positioned with a small gap between it and the through-hole 11 at the point where it penetrates the base member 17. Therefore, even if the parts supply pipe 9 swings abnormally for some reason, the amount of movement of the parts supply pipe 9 is restricted at the point where it penetrates the base member 17, so the amount of swing of the parts supply pipe 9 between the point where it penetrates the base member 17 and the case body 6 can be restricted to an extent that does not cause problems, which is beneficial for preventing the connection between the parts supply pipe 9 and the case body 6 from coming loose and for improving the durability of the parts supply pipe 9.

[0077] Since the parts supply pipe 9 is positioned with a small gap between it and the through hole 11 at the point where it penetrates the base member 17, when the parts supply pipe 9 moves back and forth through the through hole 11, the degree of friction between the outer surface of the parts supply pipe 9 and the inner surface of the through hole 11 is reduced, and the wear of the parts supply pipe 9, which is made of synthetic resin material, can be improved to a level that does not pose a problem.

[0078] Since the support member 29 is positioned close to the end of the base member 17, it is possible to avoid placing any obstructive objects around the bolt 1 inserted into the holding hole 31 of the support member 29. Therefore, the bolt 1 can be reliably removed by a robotic device 64 or a screw tightening device.

[0079] As described above, the present invention provides a supply device for shaft-shaped parts, comprising a stop-and-pass unit that temporarily stops shaft-shaped parts fed at high speed, or sends them out at a low speed after the stop, and a drive means that holds the shaft-shaped parts sent out from the stop-and-pass unit and transports them to the target location. The present invention reduces the load on the drive means and improves structural coherence. Therefore, it can be used in a wide range of industrial fields, such as the assembly process of automobile bodies and the sheet metal assembly process of household electrical appliances.

[0080] 1 Bolt 2 Shaft 3 Head 4 Flange 5 Stopping Pass Unit 6 Case Body 7 Sliding Space 8 Opening / Closing Member 11 Through Hole 12 Stopping Surface 13 Pass Hole 14 Opening / Closing Drive Means, Air Cylinder 16 Piston Rod 17 Base Member 18 Stationary Member 19 First Reverse Drive Means, Air Cylinder 20 Output Member, Piston Rod 22 Second Reverse Drive Means, Air Cylinder 23 Output Member, Piston Rod 24 Holding Socket 29 Support Member 31 Holding Hole 64 Robot Device 65 Screw Tightening Unit 100 Dispensing Structure 200 Supply Device 300 Columnar Assembly 400 Feeding Mechanism

Claims

1. A stop-pass unit is provided that temporarily stops the shaft-shaped part, which has been fed at high speed by conveying air blown into the parts supply pipe, and then sends it out at a low speed after the temporary stop. The stop-pass unit is incorporated into the case body in a manner that allows an opening and closing member to move back and forth, and an opening and closing drive means for moving the opening and closing member back and forth to stop and pass the shaft-shaped part is integrated into the case body. A first moving-back drive means is attached to a base member fixed to a stationary member. The opening and closing drive means is fixed to the output member of the first moving-back drive means. A second moving-back drive means is coupled to the opening and closing drive means. The integration of the first moving-back drive means, the opening and closing drive means and the second moving-back drive means forms a columnar assembly that stands upright from the base member. A holding socket for receiving and holding the shaft-shaped part sent out from the stop-pass unit is coupled to the output member of the second moving-back drive means. A holding hole for receiving the shaft-shaped part is formed in a columnar support member fixed to the base member. A supply device for shaft-shaped parts, characterized in that the output operation of the second reciprocating drive means and the output operation of the first reciprocating drive means insert the shaft-shaped part held in the holding socket into the holding hole.

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