Draftex Industries Limited

Hegenscheidt-mfd Corporation

Dieter Goedderz

Markus Reuvers

Alfred Heimann

Roland Heffe

Josef Janssen

A machine for hard-rolling a workpiece such as a crankshaft includes a drive apparatus (7) for rotating the crankshaft (8, 113), suspension apparatuses (9 to 17), hard-rolling devices (18 to 26, 111) movably supported by the suspension apparatuses, and a crankshaft transport apparatus (100). Each hard rolling device is a scissors jaw including two scissors arms (46, 47, 114, 115), with respective hardening roller heads (66 to 69, 118) and respective opposite counter-support heads (74, 119) mounted on the upper ends of the scissors arms facing the crankshaft. Each suspension apparatus (9 to 17) is slidably adjustable along the rotation axis (27) of the drive apparatus (7). A drive arrangement (49, 122) is connected to the lower ends of the scissors arms directed away from the crankshaft, for closing and opening the scissors arms to a maximum opening width (59, 130) that is larger than twice the maximum structural radius (60, 131) of the crankshaft. A respective angled bellcrank lever (78) is pivotally supported on each suspension apparatus, with one shank thereof pivotally connected to one scissors arm and the other shank thereof connected to a piston cylinder unit (84), which in turn is connected to the suspension apparatus (9 to 17). Guide members (88, 89) are provided for guiding the upper ends of the scissors arms.

Roll-hardening machine for crankshafts

A robot arrangement for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange comprises a robot hand supported at the end of a robot arm. The sealing strip is received by the robot hand at one position and driven through the hand to emerge at another position. Its emerging end is engaged by a spigot mounted on a pivotted finger. As the strip movement continues, this finger pivots and constrains the strip to follow a curved path around a guide roller. The robot arm then moves the robot hand towards the flange so that the now curved strip engages the flange 6. Thereafter the finger is moved by a motor out of engagement with the strip. The robot arm then drives the robot hand along the flange, thus laying the strip onto the flange.

Apparatus and method for fitting a flexible strip around a vehicle door

A robot hand is disclosed for fitting a length of channel-shaped sealing strip to a flange running around the door opening of a motor vehicle body. The sealing strip, with the sides of its channel initially splayed apart, is held coiled in a cassette. A take-up roller is initially driven by a motor to pull a length of the strip out of the cassette until its end engages the flange, rollers confining the strip to move in a curved path. A cradle carrying these rollers is then transversely moved clear of the path by piston-cylinder assemblies. The robot hand is then caused to travel around the door opening, the motor now rotating two parallel-axis rollers spaced either side of the flange. The latter press the sides of the channel of the sealing strip into gripping engagement with the flange and also drive the robot hand around the door opening.

Apparatus for fitting a flexible strip

A robot hand receives a length of sealing strip and fits it onto a mounting flange surrounding a vehicle door opening. The hand is carried by the arm of a robot. As the robot moves the hand around the periphery of the door opening, the hand grips the sealing strip and drives it through the hand and around a roller so as to lay it on the flange. An appropriate length of the sealing strip is supplied to the hand by means of a cassette within which the sealing strip is coiled. The hand carries a pick-up plate which grips the cassette by means of locking members. An end of the sealing strip extends out of the cassette on a nose forming part of the inverted lid of the cassette. The cassette is then drawn towards the robot hand, forcing the nose into the entrance of the hand and thus placing the end of the sealing strip between a first pair of drive rollers which are thereafter rotated so as to drive the sealing strip out of the cassette and through the hand.

Strip handling apparatus and method

A robot arrangement for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange comprises a robot hand supported at the end of a robot arm. The sealing strip is received by the robot hand at one position and driven through the hand to emerge at another position. Its emerging end is engaged by a spigot mounted on a pivotted finger. As the strip movement continues, this finger pivots and constrains the strip to follow a curved path around a guide roller. The robot arm then moves the robot hand towards the flange so that the now curved strip engages the flange 6. Thereafter the finger is accelerated by a motor out of engagement with the strip. The robot arm then drives the robot hand along the flange, thus laying the strip onto the flange.

Apparatus and method for fitting a flexible strip

The robot arrangement for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange comprises a robot hand supported at the end of a robot arm. The sealing strip is received by the robot hand at one point and driven through the hand to emerge at another point. Its emerging end is engaged by a right-angled guide finger. As the strip movement continues, this finger pivots and constrains the strip to follow a curved path around a guide roller. The robot arm then moves the robot hand towards the flange so that the curved strip engages the flange. Thereafter, the finger is accelerated by a motor out of engagement with the strip. The robot arm then drives the robot hand along the flange, thus laying the strip on to the flange.

Method for fitting a flexible strip

A robot-held tool for applying a sealing strip to a flange comprises rollers which are contra-rotated by a motor within a housing and which engage opposite sides of the sealing strip to press it onto the flange, downward pressure onto the sealing strip being maintained by a non-driven roller. The housing is carried by a frame which is in turn connected to the robot via a coupling. The frame is freely angularly movable relative to a shaft which supports the housing. When the rollers are energized, they pull the tool along the flange. When a curve in the flange is reached, the housing and its supporting shaft automatically swivel relative to the remainder of the frame and to the robot. The robot then thereafter re-positions the frame back into the previous position which it had relative to the housing. In this way, the majority of the guiding of the tool along the flange is carried out by the tool itself and programming and adjustment of the robot are simplified. A hand-operated version is also disclosed.

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Erkelenz, Germany

Dieter Goedderz