Automatic server for machine for running pairs of gears together

Claim 2

For a machine for running together a pair of bevel or hypoid gears for lapping, testing or the like, an automatic server comprising: first conveyor means for receiving and forwarding workpieces to be installed at a work station of said machine; second conveyor means for accepting and tending gears in pairs as they have been removed from the work station; transfer means for moving the workpieces through the work station between the first and second conveyor means and for installing and removing a pair of workpieces in and from respective workholders at said work station; sensing means for sensing, subsequent to operation of said installing means, at least one of the following conditions: a. improper seating and gripping of one of said workpieces by the workholders, or b. improper axial position of one of said two workpieces when said workpieces are in tight meshing engagement at said work station, or c. improper vibration occurring when said two workpieces are in rolling engagement.

Claim 3

The automatic server of claim 1 further comprising program control means automatically, repeatingly interspersing operation of said first conveyor means, said transfer means and said second conveyor means to serially install each gear pair forwarded by the first conveyor means at the work station then remove that gear pair and deposit that gear pair with the second conveyor means.

Claim 4

The automatic server of claim 1 wherein said transfer means includes two, transversely spaced heads, each structured to grasp and let loose a gear pair, said two heads being so spaced relative to the first and second conveyor means that at one disposition of the transfer means, one head is located to accept a gear pair from the first conveyor means and the other head is disposed adjacent the work station for removing a gear pair from the work station, and so that, at another disposition of the transfer means transversely spaced from the first disposition, said other head is disposed to deposit a gear pair removed from the work station upon the second conveyor means, and said one head is located adjacent the work station for installing a gear pair which has been brought from the first conveyor means by said one head.

Claim 5

The automatic server of claim 2 wherein said sensing means is operatively connected to said program control means for initiating operation of the transfer device to remove a gear pair from the work station and simultaneously replace that gear pair with a succeeding gear pair from the first conveyor means and deposit the removed gear pair upon the second conveyor means.

Claim 6

The automatic server of claim 4 wherein the second conveyor includes: an outgoing magazine for accepting gear pairs which have been worked upon at the work station; a reject chute for accepting gear pairs which have been removed from the work station due to sensation of at least one of said conditions (a) through (c); turntable means normally disposed to accept gear pairs from the transfer device and feed them toward the outgoing magazine unless the gear pair deposited upon the turntable by the transfer device is removed from the work station due to the sensation of at least one of the conditions (a) through (c), in which case the turntable is operable to become temporarily disposed to feed that gear pair to the reject chute; and said turntable being operatively connected to said program control means for automatic control of the disposition thereof.

Claim 7

The automatic server of claim 5 further including display register means for serially, visually indicating the reason(s) for rejection of each gear pair forwarded to the reject chute.

Claim 8

The automatic server of claim 6 wherein said display register means includes shift means operable upon at least one of deposit of another gear pair in the reject chute and removal of a gear pair from the reject chute to displace, add and delete visual indications of reasons for rejection of the gear pairs remaining in the reject chute.

Claim 9

The automatic server of claim 5 wherein the second conveyor further includes an unload nest haviNg means for accepting a gear pair from the turntable.

Claim 10

The automatic server of claim 8 wherein the transfer means includes adjustable pusher arms for moving a gear pair from said turntable into said unload nest.

Claim 11

The automatic server of claim 9 wherein said unload next has movable means cooperating with said adjustable pusher arms for disposing the gear pair for acceptance by the outgoing magazine.

Claim 12

The automatic server of claim 10 wherein the outgoing magazine includes walking beam means intermittently operable to advance gear pairs accepted thereby one step therein; said walking beam means having a portion disposed to walk pairs of gears from the unload nest into the outgoing magazine.

Claim 13

The automatic server of claim 11 wherein the relative disposition of the gears of each gear pair installed at the work station differs from the relative disposition of the gears of each gear pair in the outgoing magazine and said unload nest movable means and said pusher arm adjustable means cooperate to adjust the relative dispositions of each gear pair to that relative disposition in the outgoing magazine.

Claim 14

The automatic server of claim 2 wherein the second conveyor includes: an outgoing magazine for accepting gear pairs which have been worked upon at the work station; and an unload next interposed between the transfer device and the outgoing magazine for accepting gear pairs from the former and for cooperating with adjustable pusher arms operable as a part of said transfer device to dispose said gear pairs for acceptance by said outgoing magazine; and said outgoing magazine includes walking beam means intermittently operable to advance gear pairs accepted thereby by one step therein; said walking beam means having a portion disposed to walk pairs of gears from the unload nest into the outgoing magazine.

Claim 15

The automatic server of claim 13 wherein the relative disposition of the gears of each gear pair installed at the work station differs from the relative disposition of the gears of each gear pair in the outgoing magazine and said unload nest includes movable means cooperating with said pusher arms for adjusting the relative dispositions of each gear pair received thereby for transferral to the outgoing magazine.

Claim 16

The automatic server of claim 2 wherein the first conveyor includes: an incoming magazine; a load nest interposed between the incoming magazine and the transfer device for accepting gear pairs from the former and disposing them for acceptance by the latter; the incoming magazine including walking beam means intermittently operable to advance gear pairs accepted thereby by one step therein; said walking beam means having a portion disposed to walk pairs of gears from the incoming magazine into the load nest.

Claim 17

The automatic server of claim 15 wherein the relative disposition of the gears of each gear pair installed at the work station differs from the relative disposition of the gears of each gear pair in the incoming magazine and said load nest includes means for adjusting the relative dispositions of each gear pair received thereby while transferring that gear pair from the incoming magazine to the transfer device.

Claim 18

The automatic loader of claim 1 wherein the transfer device is configured to grasp a pinion disposed with its longitudinal axis vertical and a bevel or hypoid gear with its longitudinal axis horizontal.

Claim 19

The automatic server of claim 1 wherein said first conveyor means includes means for sensing relative angular positioning of each gear with respect to its teeth so that when pairs of gears are installed at the work station and brought together they will dependably mesh rather than clash.

Claim 20

The automatic server of claim 2 further comprising cover means movable to and from a position enclosing the workholders at said work station and responsive to said program control means, said cover means moving to said enclosed position only when the workpieces are installed in said workholders.

Claim 21

The automatic server of claim 19 wherein said cover means comprises a plurality of telescoping members each of which moves inside the next respective one thereof.

Claim 22

The automatic server of claim 20 wherein said telescoping members have overlapping edge means which interconnect when said cover means is moved to said work station enclosing station.

Claim 23

For a machine for running gear pairs together in mesh at a work station for lapping or testing, each gear pair consisting of a bevel or hypoid gear and a corresponding pinion, the bevel or hypoid gear of the pair being mounted for rotation on a horizontal spindle and the corresponding pinion being mounted for rotation on a vertical spindle, and the spindle mounting the bevel or hypoid gear being axially movable to assist in mounting and demounting gears thereon and to bring gears mounted thereon into and out of mesh with corresponding pinions mounted on the other spindle, an automatic server comprising: a transfer device mounted for movement with respect to the machine for installing gear pairs at the work station and for removing gear pairs from the work station; the transfer device having two, spaced heads, each structured to grasp and let loose a gear pair, said two heads being so spaced that, at one disposition of the transfer device, one head is disposed to accept a gear pair to be installed at the work station and the other head is disposed adjacent the work station for removing a gear pair from the work station, and so that, at another disposition of the transfer device spaced from the first disposition, said other head is disposed to deposit a gear pair removed from the work station and said one head is located adjacent the work station for installing the gear pair accepted when the transfer device was last in the first disposition thereof.

Claim 24

For a machine for running gear pairs together in mesh at a work station for lapping or testing, each gear pair consisting of a bevel or hypoid gear and a corresponding pinion, the bevel or hypoid gear of the pair being mounted for rotation on a horizontal spindle and the corresponding pinion being mounted for rotation on a vertical spindle, and the spindle mounting the bevel or hypoid gear being axially movable to assist in mounting and demounting gears thereon and to bring gears mounted thereon into and out of mesh with corresponding pinions mounted on the other spindle, an automatic server comprising: a transfer device mounted for movement with respect to the machine for installing gear pairs at the work station and for removing gear pairs from the work station; the transfer device having two, spaced heads, each structured to grasp and let loose a gear pair, said two heads being so spaced that, at one disposition of the transfer device, one head is disposed to accept a gear pair to be installed at the work station and the other head is disposed adjacent the work station for removing a gear pair from the work station, and so that, at another disposition of the transfer device spaced from the first disposition, said other head is disposed to deposit a gear pair removed from the work station and said one head is located adjacent the work station for installing the gear pair accepted when the transfer device was last in the first disposition thereof.

Claim 25

The automatic loader of claim 22 wherein each head of the transfer device is configured to grasp a pinion disposed with its longitudinal axis vertical and a bevel or hypoid gear with its longitudinal axis horizontal.

Claim 26

The automatic server of claim 23 wherein when each head is disposed adjacent the work station, with the transfer device in one of said dispositions thereof, the head is aligned with the spindle for the bevel or hypoid gear so that spindle may be simply advanced and retracted axially to respectively mount and demount a bevel or hypoid gear respectively being brought by and removed by the head.

Claim 27

For a machine for running gear pairs together in mesh at a work station for lapping or testing, each gear pair consisting of a bevel or hypoid gear and a corresponding pinion, the bevel or hypoid gear of the pair being mounted for rotation on a horizontal spindle and the corresponding pinion being mounted for rotation on a vertical spindle, and the spindle mounting the bevel or hypoid gear being axially movable to assist in mounting and demounting gears thereon and to bring gears mounted thereon into and out of mesh with corresponding pinions mounted on the other spindle, an automatic server comprising: a transfer device mounted for movement with respect to the machine for installing gear pairs at the work station and for removing gear pairs from the work station; the transfer device having at least one head structured to grasp and let loose a gear pair, said at least one head being configured so that when it is disposed adjacent the work station it is aligned with the spindle for the bevel or hypoid gear so that spindle may be simply advanced and retracted axially to respectively mount and demount a bevel or hypoid gear respectively being brought by and removed by the head.

Claim 28

For a machine for running gear pairs together in mesh at a work station for lapping or testing, each gear pair consisting of a bevel or hypoid gear and a corresponding pinion, the bevel or hypoid gear of the pair being mounted for rotation on a horizontal spindle and the corresponding pinion being mounted for rotation on a vertical spindle, and the spindle mounting the bevel or hypoid gear being axially movable to assist in mounting and demounting gears thereon and to bring gears mounted thereon into and out of mesh with corresponding pinions mounted on the other spindle, an automatic server comprising: a transfer device mounted for movement with respect to the machine for installing gear pairs at the work station and for removing gear pairs from the work station; the transfer device having at least one head structured to grasp and let loose a gear pair, said at least one head being configured so that when it is disposed adjacent the work station it is aligned with the spindle for the bevel or hypoid gear so that spindle may be simply advanced and retracted axially to respectively mount and demount a bevel or hypoid gear respectively being brought by and removed by the head.