Comau, Inc.

Gianni Magni

Gianpiero Gromme

Mauro Maestri

Giuseppe Guindani

A system for loading and unloading piece-carrying containers (C) in an industrial plant, comprising:

Station for loading and unloading piece-carrying containers

A plurality of different types of components is fed to a production line or cell by means of a conveyor for recirculating a plurality of pallets on which said components are carried. The conveyor comprises a horizontal carousel for recirculating the pallets along an endless path. The conveyor is able to cause the pallets to circulate in any of the two circulation directions, and the direction of circulation of the pallets is changed according to the type of component required by the production line or cell in each step of operation, in such a way as to carry a component of the type required to the production line or cell in the shortest possible time. The conveyor comprises a single chain-tensioning device designed to tension the chain properly whenever the direction of movement of the chain is reversed.

Accumulation pallet conveyor, for recirculating a plurality of pallets in an endless horizontal carousel, and method for controlling this conveyor

In an accumulation pallet conveyor () with an upper horizontal conveying run (A) and a lower horizontal return run (B) the pallets are carried by respective pallet-carrying members (P) drawn by an endless chain (). Each pallet-carrying member (P) has at least one sprocket wheel () that engages without turning the chain () along the horizontal runs of the conveyor for drawing the respective pallet-carrying member (P) together with the chain. In the case where a pallet-carrying member is stopped in position along a horizontal run of the conveyor () the aforesaid sprocket wheel carried by the pallet-carrying member (P) starts to turn, enabling movement of the chain with respect to the pallet-carrying member (P). In the curved stretches of the chain, at each end of the conveyor, the movement of the pallet-carrying member (P) is caused by an engagement finger (F) that engages the chain and couples therewith only in said curved stretches of the chain. The engagement finger (F) is biassed against the chain by spring means () in such a way that in the case where the pallet-carrying member (P) is stopped in position along the curved stretch of the chain, the chain can continue to move, causing a movement with multiple consecutive jumps of the engagement finger (F).

Accumulation pallet conveyor

In a framing system for framing motor-vehicle bodies or sub-assemblies thereof, the body to be framed is located and clamped in position during the assembling operations by side locating and clamping structures (). Each of these structures comprises a rigid supporting structure () including a base platform () and a frame () which carries locating and clamping devices (D). The base platform () is dimensioned in the direction parallel to a body conveyor line with a standard length proportionated to the length of the longest body type on which the system is to operate. Pillars () for supporting the frame () are mounted on the platform () at positions which are selected between different possible positions, displaced relative to each other longitudinally and/or transversely. Thus, the side locating and clamping structures () can be configured easily for different types of body and the system is able to operate on body types having also very relevant differences in length and/or width.

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Grugliasco, Italy

Gianni Magni