Tommy, Seger
Bengt
Tommy, Seger
Bengt
| 1. | Method of handling of objects (1 ) which are to be subjected to several different handlings or machining operations, in particular irregularly shaped objects which have to oriented and aligned into a special position prior to each such handling or machining operation, characterized in that the objects (1 ), after the manufacture thereof and prior to any intended machinings therof, are collected, moved, handled and stored lying in cavitie (10) in a mouldable and flexible material like a synthetic resin film (4) which can be wound onto a bobbin (12, 14) like a roll of film, and whereby the objects (1 ) are kept well protected and compactly collected, and in front of all in an accurately predetermined orientation on the film (4) of the film bobbin. |
| 2. | Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that a handling film (4) is prepared from a raw film, which film by a deep drawing process or by a pressing process is formed with a series of cavities (10) having a shape and a size which carefully coincides with the shape and the size of the actual objects (1), and in that each separate object (1), preferably in close connection to the preparation of the handling film (4), is put down in a film cavity (10), whereupon the film with the objects (1) is wound onto a primar bobbin (12), which is later on used as a supply means for objects in one or more maching units (13). |
| 3. | Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the handling film (4) with the objects (1) is unwound from the primary bobbin (12) and is moved past one or more machining stations (13), at which the object is picked out of the film cavity (10), is machined and is put back into a cavity, whereupon the film (4) with the objects (1) which are machined in one or more stages is wound onto a secondary bobbin (14), which, as a unit, is moved to the next machining station for a supplemental machining of the objects (1). |
| 4. | Method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that one and the same object is subjected to several machinings (13, 13', 13") successively following each other before the object is put back into the cavity (10) of the film (4). |
| 5. | Method according to claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the machining is made, alternatingly or concurrently, of objects picked up from two or more films which are conveyed parallelly to each other. |
| 6. | Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the films conveyed parallelly to each other contain objects of different shape or objects which are to be subjected to different type of machining. |
| 7. | Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cavities (10) of the film (4) with the objects put down therein, after the ultimate machining of the objects, are covered with a protection foil (15) which protectively and hermetically encloses the objects (1 ). |
| 8. | Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the film (4) containing the objects (1 ) and provided with the protection foil (15) is supplied in continuous film lengths at transportation, at storing and at sale, whereby a piece of film containing a suitable number of objects for the actual purpose is cut off from the roll of film. |
| 9. | Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the film (4) containing the objects (1 ) enclosed by the protection foil (15) is cut to provide a so called blister package containing one or more objects (1). |
| 10. | Apparatus for executing the method according to any of the preceding claims, for handling of objects (1 ) which are to be subjected to one or more different handlings or machinings, in particular irregularly shaped objects which have to be oriented and aligned in a special position before each such handling or machining operation is started, characterized in that the apparatus comprises a tool (69) for forming cavities (10) in a film of a flexible, shapable material, which cavities are given a shape and a size which is the same as the shape and the size of the actual objects to be handled, means for winding up a film having objects (1) contained therein on a bobbin (12, 14) which can be used as a transportation bobbin, a storing bobbin and a sales bobbin, means for feeding one or more films (4) past one or more machining stations (13, 13', 13") in connection to machining of objects, for taking out one object at the time from the cavities (10) of the film or films (4) and, after said objects has been machined, for putting said objects back into their respective cavities, and means for hermetically sealing the cavities (10) of the film, having the objects placed therein, by means of a sealing foil (15) after the ultimate machining operation of the objects, and for providing so called blister packages of the film with the objects (1) and the sealing foil (15), which blister packages contain one or more objects (1). |
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for handling of objects which are to be subjected to multiple handling or machining, in particular irregularly shaped objects which have to be oriented and aligned in a special position in connection to each such handling or machining operation thereof.
By handling or machining is meant any type of handling of the objects in question, like grinding of one or more sides or edges of the objects, profile cutting, drilling, puncning, hobbing, cleaning, marking and many other processes.
In many manufacturing processes there is a need that an object is subjected to several machining operations. I some cases only on one side or one edgeof the object is multiple machined, by operations executed in several different machines, whereby it may be necessary that the object is let down on a type of tray or a similar means in connection to transporting same between the different tooling machines. In many other cases the object is machined on one or more sides and in several different tooling machines, whereby the object has to be aligned into a special position before each machining operation, and whereby the object is let down on a tray or a similar means after each machining operation, from where it is picked up for the succeeding maching operations, whereby the object must once again be lined up into a special position.
As examples of objects which may need such multiple machining can be mentioned lathe bits or lathe cutters, like hard metal cutting bits, which are ofter formed triangular or square, and which generally have varying and often complicated shapes both at the corners and along the edges, or on the even upper and bottom surfaces thereof, and which may need to be worked by as much as up to about 10-15 machining operation before said bits are ready and can be packed in a package which is specially shaped for the purpose. The objects, like the hard metal cutting bits may be sensitive to thrusts, so that they have be be handled with great care between each machining operation. Such sensitivity further complicates the handling of the object. In previously known methods of handling objects of the said type in connection to multiple machining of objects, said objects used to be picked
up and oriented into correct position by hand, or there has been used some type of automated orientation and collection apparatus between each machining stage, for instance some type of robot. This, however, makes the machining process slow and expensive; the process often involves a rather extensive work for moving a number of collected objects between the machining stations; the objects often lie loosely on a tray or a similar means, whereby fragile objects may be damaged if hitting each other, what may easily happen for instance in case of using vibratory feeders; and it may often be necessary to stop the machining process awaiting ready machined objects to be moved away and non-machined objects to be supplied to the machining station.
The basis of the invention therefore has been the problem of suggesting a method and an apparatus which, among other thing, give the following advantages: - a quick total machining process,
- a quick transportation to and from the different machining stations, both of machined and non-machined objects,
- the possibility of running a nearly continuous process,
- the objects are handled with great care in that said objects are well protected both before, during and after the machining operation,
- the possibility of executing two or more machining operations in a common handling step,
- the possibility of using the collection means for the objects as an final package for the objects, - the possibility of executing some machining operation with the objects lying in or on the collection means for the objects,
- the possibility of altematingly machining two different sets of objects, etc.
The invention is mainly characterized in that the objects, in connection to the machining thereof, are collected, conveyed, handled and stored lying in cavities of some type of shapable and flexible material like a plastic film which can be wound up on bobbin, like a roll of film, and in which the objects lie well protected but still closely packed and, in front of all, in an accurately predetermined orientated position in the roll. The method is preferably executed in a continuous process in that a roll of a plain "raw film" is passed through a formation station in which
cavities are formed by a deep drawing process, or by a process using a punch and a die, which cavites get a size and a shape which at least almost exactly correspond to the shape and the size of the actual objects, whereafter the objects are put down in an exact orientation in the cavities thus formed, and the film with the objects placed in the cavities thereof is wound up on a bobbin; and in that the roll comprising a large number of objects, in connection to machining operations, is placed in a machining line in which the objects are picked up, one by one, are machined and are put back, still in its exact orientation, and are moved on to the next machining operation. In some cases the object may well be machined in two or more different ways in several successive machining stations without the need of being put down in its cavity in the "handling film".
After a complete working the objects can be hermetically enclosed in their cavities of the handling film in that the film, at the upper surface thereof, is provided with a covering foil. It is even possible to use the handling film with the covering foil and with the objects enclosed therein as a transport package. By cutting the film between each separate object, or between a group of objects, the handling film can be used as a protective package and even as, for instance, a sales package for the product in question.
Now the invention is to be described more in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which figure 1 diagrammatically shows the method of providing a handling film having cavities, and the method of putting objects in said film cavities. Figure 2 is a top plan view of a little portion of a handling film. Figure 3 diagrammaticallγ illustrates the use of a handling film in connection to handling of objects. Figure 4 is a side view of an alternative handling method and an final hermetical enclosing of objects in the cavities of the handling film, and figure 5 is a top plan view of several sets of handling films having objects enclosed therein. In figure 1 is indicated that a number of objects 1 , after having been subjected to primary manufacture in a manufacturing unit 2, are collected on a tray or pallet 3 for being subsequently machined. The manufacturing unit 2 can be of any type, for instance an autoclave for sintering and hardening of hard metal cutting bits, which primary manufactured bits are to be ground along several sides and edges, and are to be cleaned, marked etc. in several proceeding operations. The invention is especially useful for handling of
objects having irregular shape, like plain parallel objects having an irregular triangular, square, rombic etc. shape, for which the machining is made so that each one of the several corners are ground in different ways, and the side edges are ground separately, and the upper surface and the bottom surface are for instance adapted to be ground to a predetermined lathe relief angle. To this end it is important that the objects are accurately oriented for each separate machining operation, and it highly facilitates the handling if the objects are presented in a relatively accurate orientation already before the said very accurate orientation. This is made in that a raw film 4, for instance a synthetic resin film, which can be deep drawn or which can be mould pressed, and which is wound onto a raw film bobbin 5, is passed through a formation station comprising a formation cylinder 6 having cavities 7, which as to size and shape correspond to the size and shape of each of the objects 1 , and whereby the raw film 4, by a deep drawing process or by a press process using a rotary die cylinder 8 having dies 9 corresponding to the cavities 7, which in this case provide moulds, is formed with a series of pits or cavities 10 into which objects 1 are thereafter put down in their predetermined orientation. For making it possible to feed the film an exact distance the film can be perforated 11 , like a "movie film", as shown in figure 2. The profile shaped film 4 having the objects 1 put down in the cavities thereof is wound onto a receiver bobbin 12 which can accomodate a large number of objects which all have exactly the same orientation, and in which a large number of objects lie well protected and compactly wound up, and in which the objects can easily be picked up and directed into an exact position for a succeeding machining.
The machining is made as shown in figure 3. The receiver bobbin 12, from figure 1 , which is now a primary bobbin, is mounted in the machining station, the film 4 with the objects 1 is moved past a machining unit 13 and is connected to a secondary bobbin 14 of the same type as the primary bobbin 12. After having been moved an eactly predetermined distance the film is stopped, and one object at the time is picked up from its cavity 10 of the film 4, is seized by the machining unit 13, is eventually aligned into a very accurately predetermined orientation, is machined and is put back into its cavity, whereupon the film is stepped forward, so that the next object enters the machining position.
Ready machined objects are collected in the cavities of the film and are wound onto the secondary bobbin 14, which can thereafter be moved to the next machining station, in which the object is to be subjected to a supplementary machining. Since the objects 1 always have exactly the same, and a predetermined, orientation on the film 4 they can well be successively machined in several machining units 13, 13', 13", as indicated in figure 4, before the objects are later collected on the secondary bobbin 14. This process highly facilitates and speeds up the machining process. In figure 4 is also shown how the film 4 comprising the objects 1 which are put down in the film cavities, in direct connection to the final machining operation can be hermetically enclosed by a protection foil 15 from a bobbin 16, which foil is glued or heat connected on top of the handling film 4 thereby providing a type of so called "blister package", in which the objects lie hermetically enclosed and well protected.
The film can be sales marketed in continuous lengths or in the form of a complete bobbin. It is also possible to cross cut the film between each cavity 10 enclosing one object 1 , or between a given number of cavities with objects, whereby the objects are supplied in separate pieces or in units. In figure 5 is shown that a machining unit 13 or a series of machining units 13, 13' and 13" can be loaded with a series of primary bobbins 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d, so that the machine can be run practically continously for maching of a very large number of objects and without any such breakdowns which were previously necessary for moving off ready machined objects and for supplying newly manufactured but not yet machined objects. New bobbins 12 with handling films comprising objects also can be supplied by time at the same time as bobbins 14 comprising ready machined objects are being removed. Figure 5 also illustrates that it is possible to machine two or more objects at the same time, parallelly to each other or alternatingly, each picked up from its separate handling film 12a and 12b respectively. In this way it is also possible to handle two types of objects parallelly with each other or alternatingly, for instance triangular objects from a first handling film 12a and square objects from a second handling film 12b. . It should be note that the film 4 must not necessarily be peforated for making it possible to step the film forward an exactly predetermined
distance. Such a stepping forward can alternatively be made by making use of the cavities as step indication means, whereby e.g. a photo cell observes the position of an incoming cavity and thereby activates a stopping of the film transportation.
It is also possible, within the scope of the invention, to facilitate the mounting of objects in machine tools by making use of the handling film. Today e.g. tools like lathe cutting bits are screw connected to the machine tool by hand. In case such lathe cutting bits are supplied on strips of films, as described above, it is possible to automize the mounting of said bits in the machine tool in that a suction arm, an industrial robot, or a similar means picks up an object directly from the strip of film and mounts said bit quickly and exactly in the machine tool.
REFERENCE NUMERALS
1 object 9 punch
2 manufacturing unit 10 film cavity
3 tray 11 perforation
4 raw film 12 receiving (primary) bobbin
5 raw film bobbin 13 machining unit
6 formation cylinder 14 secondary bobbin
7 formation cavity (mould) 15 protection foil
8 die cylinder 16 bobbin
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