Apparatus for assembling roller type universal joint and roller assembly

Abstract

An assembly station has plural roller assembling units mounted each aligned with one of the axes of the projections on a spider fitted to a shaft which is held in position at the station. A roller setting jig and an outer member assembling jig are alternately moveable to an assembly position at the station in line with an axis of the shaft. The roller setting jig includes a jig body vertically moveable along the axial direction of the shaft and a setting member on the jig body having holding portions for detachably holding the rollers to be assembled. The outer member assembling jig includes an outer member jig body vertically moveable along the axial direction of the shaft and a chuck member on the jig body for clamping the outer member. Each roller assembling unit includes a unit body moveable along the axis of the respective projection, and a holder for receiving a roller from the roller setting member when the roller jig body is advanced toward the shaft, then centering the roller to be aligned with the axis of the projection and holding it in that centered position whereupon the unit body advances and mounts the roller on the projection. The roller setting jig and the outer member assembly jig can be mounted on a rotary table index-rotated to alternately place them at the assembling position. A roller feeder device and an outer member setting device feed the respective component parts to the respective jigs when they are away from the assembling position.