Chain Transport System

Abstract

A method and a device for transporting and driving components and tools, such as rotors and stators for manufacture, includes a component carrier with at least two chain sprockets rigidly connected to the component carrier. The chain sprockets engage four driven chains to move, rotate and swivel or rotated to a limited extent the component carrier. With the upper chain and lower chain moving at the same speed and in opposite directions of movement, the component carrier rotates on the spot, with the two chains moving at the same speed and in the same direction of movement, the component carrier moves without rotation at the chain speed in the direction of movement, and with the chains moving at different speeds and in the same or different directions of movement, a plurality of combinations of direction of rotation, direction of movement, transport speed and rotational speed can be achieved.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A device for flexibly transporting stators and rotors for processing while said stators and rotors are rotating, comprising: a component carrier having bearing sites each configured to receive a respective one stator or one rotor, said component carrier further having drive elements in the form of at least two sprockets that are permanently positioned at a distance from each other; and four driven chains that include upper chains as well as lower chains, wherein said upper chains and said lower chains have a shared drive axle and separate drives; and wherein each sprocket engages with one upper chain and with one lower chain.

14. The device according to claim 13, further comprising: guide rails and double sprockets as guide elements for the chains.

15. The device according to claim 13, further comprising: a manually or automatically actuated chain-positioning means for compensating chain length of either the upper chains and/or the lower chains.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the chain-positioning means is located where the stators and rotors are loaded onto a transport unit or where the stators and rotors are unloaded from the transport unit.

17. The device according to claim 13, further comprising several independent, modularly structured transport units through which one or more component carriers can pass, wherein transition sites on the lower chains are arranged offset to transition sites of the upper chains, and further comprising sliding rails secured as transition elements at the transition sites from one chain to another chain.

18. The device according to claim 13, wherein the chains are triple roller chains, and wherein the sprockets comprise drive sprockets and deflection sprockets that engage through a double sprocket into the outer tracks of the triple roller chains, and the sprocket on the component carrier engages into the center track of the triple roller chains, and wherein the outer roller tracks run in guide tracks and on support rails.

19. The device according to claim 13, wherein the chains are single-track chains, and wherein the sprockets are formed on the component carrier as pocket wheels.

20. The device according to claim 13, wherein the component carrier further comprises at least one positioning and/or clamping means with manual or automatic actuation.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the clamping means comprises has an energy storage means in the form of a spring.

22. The device according to claim 13, wherein the component carrier is equipped with automatic or manual tool coupling sites,

23. The device according to claim 13, wherein the component carrier is replaced by a tool on which the sprockets are secured.

24. The device according to claim 13, wherein the chains are replaced by belts or double toothed belts, and the sprockets are replaced by belt pulleys.

25. The device according to claim 13, wherein the chains are replaced by cables and the sprockets are replaced by cable pulleys.

26. The device according to claim 13, further comprising a tool selected from the group consisting of: a brush, a grinder, and a nozzle, wherein said tool is received in the bearing site of one component carrier instead of the rotor or stator.

27. A method for transporting and driving rotors and/or stators with the device of claim 1, comprising: selectively bearing, driving and positioning the component carrier via the at least two sprockets engaged with the four driven chains to shift, rotate and/or swivel the component carrier and the rotors and/or stators removably attached thereto.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising controlling direction of movement, transport speed and rotational speed of the component carrier by controlling movement of the upper chains and the lower chains, wherein the drive sprockets for the two upper chains and for the two lower chains are each situated on one axle and each have their own drive, and wherein the drives for the upper chains and the lower chains are configured to permit different directions of rotation and different rotation speeds, so that if the upper chains and the lower chains are moving at the same speed and in opposite directions of movement, the component carrier rotates in a stationary spot, and if the upper chains and the lower chains are moving at the same speed and in the same direction of movement, the component carrier is transported without rotation at the speed of the chain in the direction of movement, and, if the upper chains and the lower chains are moving at different speeds and in the same direction or in different directions of movement, then a plurality of combinations of the direction of rotation, the direction of movement, the transport speed and the rotational speed are implemented.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising: cleaning, coating or processing the stators and rotors while secured by the component carrier as the component carrier is transported through an applicable cleaning, coating or processing section.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising: gelling the stators and rotors while secured by the component carrier as the component carrier is transported through an applicable gelling section; and hardening the stators and rotors while secured by the component carrier as the component carrier is transported through an applicable hardening section.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising: cooling the stators and rotors while secured by the component carrier.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising: cleaning, coating or processing additional stators and rotors while secured by a second component carrier as the second component carrier is transported through an applicable cleaning, coating or processing section with said second component carrier spaced apart from the initial component carrier at a pre-selectable distance.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a simplified transport system consisting of transport units in the main view,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a simplified transport system in a side view,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a component carrier by way of an example, with a component placed on it, and

[0029] FIG. 4 shows the offset transition from the upper chain and the lower chain between two transport units with a triple chain.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The method according to the invention and a device according to the invention given by way of an example are described below making reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0031] Up until now, components—especially stators and rotors of electric motors that are rotated continuously during impregnation with resin and during the subsequent gelling and hardening in order to prevent the liquid resin from dripping off or being unevenly distributed—have been moved continuously or incrementally from one station to the next by a securing means that is mounted on roller bearings or sliding bearings and, in this process, they are made to rotate by an additional chain drive.

[0032] For the first time, the new method for transporting components by means of component carriers 2 while under continuous rotation allows both functions to be fulfilled without the need to use bearings for this purpose. In addition, up until now, solutions involving replaceable component carriers called for special couplers and actuators for coupling and de-coupling in order to carry out the replacement and also called for additional actuation mechanisms for the coupling. This function is also easily available with the new method in that the component carrier 2 that is rigidly connected to at least two sprockets 3 is situated between four chains, preferably triple chains 5, and in that it can enter or exit at the end of a conveying line or else this can be done by increasing the chain distance. All of the forces and torques that act upon the component carrier 2 are absorbed by the four triple chains 5 that position the component carrier 2. Thanks to two separately driven chain pairs, two upper chains 6 on one side of the sprockets 3 and two lower chains 7 on the other side, the new method allows a variable number of component carriers 2 to be accommodated, transported and driven. This only functions because it is possible to have a variable distance between the component carriers 2.

[0033] The use of triple chains 5 makes it possible to prevent the stationary drive sprockets and the deflection sprockets as well as the guide rails from colliding with the mobile sprockets of the component carrier or tool, and this is achieved in that the drive sprockets and the deflection sprockets are double sprockets 4 that engage with the outer tracks while the sprockets 3 on the component carriers 2 engage with the center track.

[0034] If a single-track upper chain 6 and lower chain 7 are being used, then either the drive sprockets and deflection sprockets that are passed by the component carrier 2 or else the sprockets 3 that are secured on the component carrier 2 have to be configured as pocket wheels in order to rule out contact between the stationary wheels and the moving wheels.

[0035] Owing to the different direction of movement and speed of the upper chains 6 and the lower chains 7, the proposed method based on the special set-up of the proposed chain transport system allows the movements presented below for the component carrier 2 or for a correspondingly used tool.

[0036] The upper chain 6 and the lower chain 7 are moving in the same direction and at the same speed. This translates into a transport of the component carrier 2 in the direction of movement of the chains at the chain speed and without rotation.

[0037] The upper chain 6 and the lower chain 7 are moving in opposite directions at the same speed. This translates into a pure rotation of the component carrier 2 without further transport of the component carrier 2.

[0038] The upper chain 6 and the lower chain 7 are moving in opposite directions at different speeds. The difference in the speed yields the transport speed of the component carrier 2. The direction of movement is dependent on the direction of movement itself plus on whether it is the upper chain 6 or the lower chain 7 that is running faster. The rotational speed results from the speed of the slower chain, as a function of the diameter of the sprocket 3 on the component carrier 2, while the direction of rotation results from the direction of movement.

[0039] The upper chain 6 and the lower chain 7 are moving in the same direction at different speeds. The difference in the speed yields the rotational speed as a function of the diameter of the sprocket 3 on the component carrier 2. The direction of movement of the component carrier 2 results from the direction of movement of the chains. The speed of the component carrier 2 results from the speed of the slower chain plus the difference in the speed between the upper chain 6 and the lower chain 7 divided by u.

[0040] The proposed method and design allow component carriers 2, tools and components to be loaded and loaded without the need for separating sites and coupling sites. The capability to transfer component carriers 2 from one transport unit 1 to the next one by simply exiting one chain system and subsequently or simultaneously entering the next chain system, permits continuous transport of the components without the need for handling equipment such as robots throughout various installation parts or transport units 1. For the first time, this allows a modular set-up of an installation with chain conveyance while the components or tools are continuously rotating.

[0041] The forces and torques that act upon the component carrier 2 without bearings can be absorbed by the permanent connection of two sprockets 3 to the component carrier 2 at the distance of the two upper chains 6 and the two lower chains 7 since these engage with the opposite upper chains 6 and lower chains 7 that are at the distance of the sphere of influence of the sprocket 3.

[0042] A slightly slanted positioning of the component carrier 2 can be permanently achieved by an offset orientation of the teeth of the two sprockets 3 on the component carrier 2 and this can also be done temporarily by slightly shifting the rear upper chain 6 and lower chain 7 relative to the front chains.

[0043] A slight inclination of the component carrier 2 can be implemented, for example, by slightly raising the rear chains and correspondingly lowering the front chains.

[0044] In order to ensure an uninterrupted drive at the transition from one transport unit 1 having a chain drive to another transport unit 1 having its own chain system, it is necessary to have the right size ratios between the deflection sprockets and the sprocket 3 that is situated on the component carrier 2, so that the chain of the next transport unit 1 is already engaged before the chain of the upstream transport unit 1 has been disengaged. A smooth transition can be effectuated by offsetting the transition between the upper chains 6 to the lower chains 7 and/or by additionally installing sliding rails 9 that keep the component carrier 2 on course.

[0045] In the case of the preferred vertical layout of the chains, only deflection elements in the form of sprockets and arched sliding rails 9 are needed at the deflection sites. In the case of a horizontal layout of the chains, it is advisable to use sprockets or guide rails at regular intervals for purposes of positioning the chains.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0046] 1 transport unit [0047] 2 component carrier [0048] 3 sprocket [0049] 4 double sprocket [0050] 5 triple chain [0051] 6 upper chain [0052] 7 lower chain [0053] 8 guide rail [0054] 9 sliding rail