JPH07196151A - Wire rod separating and feeding apparatus and wire rod separating and feeding method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] A wire rod separating / feeding device that can separate wire rods having a desired wire diameter one by one and supply them to the next step even if the wire rods have different wire diameters, as well as,
To provide a wire rod separating and supplying method. A wire rod separating / supplying device and a wire rod separating / supplying method according to the present invention hold one end of a wire rod from an accommodating means that accommodates a plurality of wire rods extending in one direction. Further, the one end thus grasped is lifted from the accommodating means by the pickup means, and the other end of the picked-up wire is lifted from the accommodating means by sliding toward the other end of the wire by the slide lifting means. Thus, the wire rod is separated from the accommodating means, and the separated wire rod is supplied to the supply means to supply the separated wire rod to the next step.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wire rod separating and supplying apparatus for separating one wire rod from a wire rod accommodating portion for accommodating a plurality of wire rods and supplying it to the next step, and a wire rod separating and supplying method. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional wire rod feeder separates only one wire rod from a plurality of wire rods and feeds it to the next step. First, a plurality of wire rods are placed on an inclined surface inclined at a predetermined angle with a horizontal plane in a state of being perpendicular to the inclination direction, and the wire rod S located at the lowermost portion of the inclined surface is detachable from the first wire rod S. The downward movement of the plurality of wire rods is regulated by the engagement of the stoppers. Then, the second stopper is projected between the wire rod S engaged with the first stopper and the wire rod S'adjacent to the wire rod S, and the wire rod S'is engaged with the wire rod S ', so that the wire rod is above the wire rod S'. The downward movement of the plurality of wire rods located at is regulated.

Next, when the engagement by the first stopper is released, only the wire rod S which engages with this moves further downward along the inclined surface, and this wire rod S supplies the wire rod to the next step. It is supplied to the wire feeding device. After that, when the first stopper is projected again and the engagement by the second stopper is released, the wire rod S ′ that is released from the engagement with the second stopper and the plurality of wire rods located above the wire rod S ′ are moved downward. The wire rod S ′ moves, and the wire rod S ′ engages with the first stopper to restrict further movement. Then, the second stopper is again made to project between the wire rod S ′ engaged with the first stopper and the wire rod S ″ adjacent to the wire rod S ′, and the above-described operation is repeated. In this way, the plurality of wire rods are sequentially supplied to the next process one by one.

[0004]

However, according to such a wire rod supply device, it is necessary to project the second stopper between the wire rod engaged with the first stopper and the wire rod adjacent to this wire rod. Because there is a wire diameter (diameter of wire material)
It is necessary to prepare this wire rod supplying device according to the above (if a wire rod supplying device for supplying a wire rod having a diameter of 10 mm is used and a wire rod having a diameter of 20 mm is supplied, the second stopper is It interferes with the wire and cannot project upward.) Even if the wire rods having different wire diameters can be handled by one device, the wire rods move downward in a row on the inclined surface, so that the wire rods located at the lowermost position are sequentially supplied to the next process. It will be. Therefore, it is impossible to supply a wire rod having a desired diameter to the next step. Further, it is necessary to arrange the wire rods in advance in a line along the inclined surface and store them, which is troublesome.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a wire rod having a desired wire diameter by one device even if the wire rods have different wire diameters. An object of the present invention is to provide a wire rod separating / supplying apparatus and a wire rod separating / supplying method that can separate the sheets one by one and supply them to the next step.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a wire rod separating and supplying apparatus according to the present invention is
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the base, the accommodating means disposed on the base and accommodating the plurality of wire rods extending in one direction, and extending in the one direction A moving frame supported movably on the base along a direction intersecting the one direction, and attached to the moving frame,
A pick-up means for gripping one end of one wire out of the plurality of wire accommodated in the accommodating means, and lifting the gripped one end from the accommodating means, and a slide on the moving frame along the one direction. Attachable,
The other end of the wire rod picked up by the pickup means projects between one end of the wire rod and the accommodating means, and slides toward the other end of the wire rod along the one direction. Slide lifting means for lifting the parts from the accommodating means, supply means for receiving the wire rods separated from the accommodating means by the pickup means and the slide lifting means one by one, and supplying them to the next step, and the moving frame. Drive means for reciprocating between the accommodation means and the supply means. According to a second aspect of the wire rod separating / supplying device of the present invention, the accommodating means includes a plurality of accommodating portions for accommodating the wire rods classified by the wire diameters.

According to a third aspect of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus of the present invention, the plurality of accommodating portions are arranged along the moving direction of the moving frame. According to the fourth aspect of the wire rod separating and feeding device of the present invention, the feeding means carries out the wire rod received here along the one direction and feeds it to the next step. And According to a fifth aspect of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus of the present invention, the slide lifting means is a linear slide drive attached to a lower surface of a portion of the moving frame extending along the one direction. Means and a position which is arranged at a height lower than one end of the wire rod picked up by the pickup means and which corresponds to one end and the other end of the wire rod housed in the housing means, respectively. A projecting unit that is reciprocally moved by a slide driving unit and a supporting roller that is projectively driven by the projecting unit from a retracted position retracted from the wire rod picked up by the pickup unit to a projecting position located directly below the wire rod It is characterized by having and.
According to a sixth aspect of the wire rod separating / supplying device of the present invention, the linear slide driving means includes a rodless cylinder that is pneumatically driven. According to a seventh aspect of the wire rod separating and supplying device of the present invention, the supporting roller is rotatably attached to the drive shaft of the projecting means. In the wire rod separating / supplying device according to the present invention, according to claim 8, the projecting means projects the support roller to the projecting position after one end of the wire rod is lifted by the pickup device. The linear slide driving means holds the wire rod at the protruding position until it is slid to the lower portion of the other end portion of the wire rod.

According to a ninth aspect of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus of the present invention, the moving frame includes:
Holding means for holding the lower portion of the wire rod lifted by the slide lifting means is attached. According to a tenth aspect of the wire rod separating and supplying device of the present invention, the holding means includes a plurality of holding portions arranged along the one direction. In addition, the wire rod separating and supplying device according to the present invention,
According to claim 11, the slide lifting means is a linear slide driving means attached to a lower surface of a portion of the moving frame extending along the one direction, and the wire rod picked up by the pickup means. A protruding means that is disposed at a height position lower than one end of the wire rod and that is reciprocally moved by the linear slide driving means between positions corresponding to one end and the other end of the wire rod housed in the housing means, respectively. The present invention is characterized by further comprising: a supporting roller which is driven by the projecting means to project from a retracted position retracted from the wire rod picked up by the pickup means to a projecting position located immediately below the wire rod. Also,
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the wire rod separating / supplying device, the plurality of holding portions are provided with a wire rod lifted by the supporting roller immediately after the supporting roller passes by the linear slide driving means. It is characterized in that it is configured to hold the lower part of the part in order.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus, the projecting means projects the support roller after the one end of the wire rod is lifted by the pickup means. The retracted position when the wire rod is held at the protruding position until it is slid to the lower part of the other end of the wire rod by the linear slide driving means and moved to the lower part of the other end part of the wire rod. Characterized by being pulled back to. Further, according to the description of claim 14, the wire rod separating and supplying method according to the present invention includes a gripping step of gripping one end portion of one wire rod among a plurality of housed wire rods, and a step of holding the gripped wire rod. A pick-up step of lifting one end, and a slide-lifting step of projecting a support roller below one end of the picked-up wire rod, moving the support roller toward the other end of the wire rod, and lifting the other end of the wire rod. And a transportation step of transporting a wire rod, which is lifted at both ends and separated from a plurality of housed wire rods, to a supply position. According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the wire rod separating and supplying method, when the supporting roller is moved from one end portion to the other end portion of the wire rod in the slide lifting step, It is characterized by further comprising a holding step of sequentially holding the portions of the wire rod passed by the support roller every time the support roller moves by a predetermined distance. Further, according to the wire rod separating and supplying method of the present invention, according to claim 16, in the grasping step, the accommodating portion in which the designated linear wire rod is accommodated is selected from a plurality of accommodating portions. It is characterized in that one wire is gripped from the selected accommodating portion.

[0010]

EXAMPLE A wire rod separating and feeding apparatus according to the present invention will be described below.
The configuration of an embodiment of the wire feeding and separating method will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 of this embodiment
Is to separate the wires from the wire-accommodating portion 104 accommodating the plurality of wires S one by one, and to perform the supply / separation operation of the wires to be supplied to the wire-material next-process supply device 118 for supplying the separated wires S to the next process. In this device, one end of one wire S is lifted upward, and a certain height is maintained from below one end of the wire S holding the traveling roller 112 to below the other end. By moving while abutting, the other end is also lifted upward to separate the wire rod S upward (separation operation of the wire rod S), and the wire rod S from which the both ends are separated is supplied to the wire rod next process supply device 118. (Operation of supplying the wire rod S).

A wire rod S as an article to be separated and supplied is a wire rod S having a predetermined diameter and extending in one direction. In the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 of one embodiment, eight different wire diameters (wire rods) are used. A wire rod having a diameter S) is used, and the wire rod separating / supplying device 100 is configured to be able to separate and supply the wire rod S having a desired diameter.

Further, by flattening the upper surfaces of the plurality of wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104, the wire rod separating / supplying device 100 is constructed so that the separating operation of the wire rods S can be facilitated. .

Further, by holding the lifted wire rod S in the extending direction thereof and maintaining the levelness in the longitudinal direction thereof, the wire rod S is separately supplied so that the feeding operation can be surely performed. The device 100 is configured.

When a force acts in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the plurality of wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104,
The wire rod separating / supplying device 100 is configured such that the plurality of wire rods S accommodated in that direction move so that the wire rod S can be easily separated.

Further, the retry operation for lifting the wire rod S will be described in detail later. However, if one end of the wire rod S fails to be lifted, the wire rod S is moved again by changing the position. The wire rod separating / supplying device 100 is configured so that one end of the wire rod can be reliably lifted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 having such a function includes a base 102 and
A wire rod accommodating portion 104 disposed on the base 102 and accommodating a plurality of wire rods S extending in one direction (Y direction in the drawing) and a wire rod accommodating portion 104 extending in the Y direction, and the base 102 And a moving frame 110 movably supported along a direction intersecting the Y direction (X direction in the drawing).
Attached to the wire rod and accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104
Of the wire rod S, the one end of one wire S is gripped, and the picked-up mechanism 106 that lifts the gripped one end from the wire rod accommodating portion 104 is attached to the moving frame 110 slidably along the Y direction. Mechanism 1
By projecting between one end of the wire rod S picked up by 06 and the wire rod accommodating portion 104 and sliding toward the other end of the wire rod S along the Y direction, the other end of the picked wire rod S is moved. A slide lifting mechanism 108 for lifting from the wire rod accommodating portion 104, and a pickup mechanism 106.
Also, the wire rod accommodating portion 10 is provided by the slide lifting mechanism 108.
4, the wire rod next step supply device 118 for receiving the wire rods S that have been separated upward and supplying them to the next step, the moving frame 110, the wire rod accommodation portion 104, and the wire rod next step supply device 1.
Moving frame drive mechanism 12 for reciprocating between 18
It has 0 and.

[Description of Base 102] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the base 102 is composed of two base surface-constituting frames 102.
a base surface 102a composed of a rectangular frame (a base surface forming frame 102b having a long side) formed by connecting b and 102b at predetermined intervals and connecting at both ends thereof;
In order to support the base surface 102a as a horizontal plane, four legs 126 are connected to each of the four corners of the base surface 102a while extending downward. Below, this base surface 1
The long side direction of 02a is defined as the Y direction, and the short side direction is defined as the X direction. The long side of this frame 102b is
It is set longer than the extension length of the wire rod S.

On the lower surface of the base surface 102a, the base surface 102
In order to reinforce a, a first reinforcing member 134 is attached in a state of being extended in the X direction with a predetermined interval in the Y direction. A second reinforcing member 136 is attached to the lower surface of the base surface 102a at a substantially central position in the X direction while extending in the Y direction. Note that this second reinforcing member 136
Is located in the same plane as the upper surface of the base surface 102a (that is, the upper surface of the second reinforcing member 136 constitutes the upper surface of the base surface 102a). This base surface 10
The wire rod housing 104, the moving frame 110, and the like are attached to the 2a, as described later.

A pick-up mechanism 106 for lifting one end of the wire S is provided at both ends of the base surface 102a in the Y direction.
In order to regulate the movement of the moving frame 110 (both of which will be described later) integrally attached with the slide lifting mechanism 108 for lifting the other end of the wire S whose one end is lifted by this, in the Y direction. Moving frame guides 124, 124 are attached respectively.

The moving frame 110 is installed along the moving frame guide 124 so as to be adjacent to the wire rod accommodating portion 104 in which the wire rods are accommodated for each wire diameter (right side in FIG. 1). It moves between the wire rod next process supply device 118. In addition, at one side edge (lower side in FIG. 1) of the base surface 102a in the Y direction, while being positioned at both ends of the moving frame guides 124 mounted on this side, the moving frame is moved through the motor supporting frames 130, respectively. A moving frame drive motor 132 for moving 110 and a driven sprocket 135 are attached to the base 102. A moving frame drive chain 133 is stretched between the drive sprocket 132a attached to the moving frame drive motor 132 and the driven sprocket 135.

The wire rod accommodating portion 104 for accommodating the wire rod S separated by the pickup mechanism 106 is attached to the upper surface of the base surface 102a so that the wire rod S can be accommodated in a state of extending in the Y direction. . The configuration of the wire rod accommodation unit 104 will be described later.

[Description of Moving Frame 110] The moving frame 110 has two moving frame-constituting frames 110a and 110 having a length substantially equal to the long side of the base surface 102a.
The main frame 142 includes a rectangular frame (a rectangle having the moving frame constituting frame 102a as a long side) formed by separating a by a predetermined distance and connecting both ends thereof. On the upper surface of the main frame 142, the wire rod holding mechanism mounting frames 152a, 152b, 15 are provided with a predetermined interval in the Y-axis direction and extending in the X-axis direction.
2c are connected, and wire rod holding mechanisms 116a, 116b, 116c are attached to the upper surfaces of the wire rod holding mechanism mounting frames 152a, 152b, 152c via stays, respectively.

The main frame 142 is supported as a horizontal plane by connecting the four corners of the main frame 142 to the lower side of the four moving frame legs, each of which extends in the vertical direction. In this state, the movable frame legs extend upward by a predetermined amount, and the upper ends of the adjacent movable frame legs in the X direction are connected.

The moving frame drive motor 132 is attached to the inner side surfaces of the frame frame formed by connecting the upper ends of the moving frame legs adjacent to each other in the X direction to each other in the Y direction. As will be described later, the pickup mechanism 106 is attached to the inner side surface 145 (downward in FIG. 1) on the existing side via a stay. Further, a horizontal drive mechanism 204 that drives a traveling roller 112 described later in a state of extending in the Y direction is attached to the lower surface of the main frame 142.

A pair of moving frame leg portions adjacent to each other in the Y direction further extend downward and move frame supporting leg 14
4, 144, and moving frame traveling rollers 146, 146 are attached to the lower ends thereof, respectively.
Further, the lower ends of the leg portions 144 and 144 of the moving frame are configured to be slidably fitted along the moving frame guides 124 and 124, respectively. Then, the moving frame 110 has the moving frame traveling roller 14
6, 146 move in the X direction by traveling on the movable frame guides 124, 124 respectively attached along the both ends of the base surface 102a in the Y direction.

The moving frame 110 configured as described above
The lower part of is fixed to the moving frame drive chain 133 which is stretched between the drive sprocket 132a and the driven sprocket 135. Therefore, the movable frame drive motor 132 via the driven sprocket 135 causes the movable frame drive chain 133 to rotate normally and reversely, so that the movable frame 110 is moved to the movable frame guide 124.
Along the wire (that is, in the Y direction), the wire rod accommodating portion 104 and the wire rod next step supply device 118 installed adjacent to the base 102.
Move back and forth between. The moving frame 110 is
The main frame 142 moves in the X direction while keeping the long side along the Y direction. The moving frame drive motor 132 is connected to the control device 266, which controls the moving frame drive motor 132 to rotate in the forward and reverse directions.

[Description of Pickup Mechanism 106] The pickup mechanism 106 holds one end of one wire rod S having a desired wire diameter from a plurality of wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodation portion 104 for each wire diameter. , For lifting.

The pickup mechanism 106 is shown in FIGS.
A holding mechanism 11 for holding one end of the wire S as shown in FIG.
4 and a first elevating mechanism 154 for elevating and lowering the gripping mechanism 114.

The gripping mechanism 114 has a gripping mechanism support frame 164 and a pair of gripping claws 156a and 156a 'attached to the gripping mechanism supporting frame 164 and capable of freely contacting and separating from each other.
6a and 156a ′ are close to each other, so that the wire S
Attached to the gripping mechanism support frame 164, and a chuck drive mechanism 158 for selectively urging the chucks 156, 156 'for gripping the grips from both sides, and a pair of gripping claws 156a, 156a' for contacting and separating from each other. When urged by the drive mechanism 158 in the directions away from each other,
A pair of grip claws 156 is provided according to the diameter of the wire S to be gripped.
gripping width defining mechanism 1 for restricting the separation distance between a and 156a '
And 60.

[Explanation of Chuck 156, 156 '] Chuck 156, 156' is a pair of chucks having symmetrical shapes as shown in FIGS. 6a, 6b and 7. The chucks 156 and 156 'sandwich the one end portion of the wire rod S from both sides and hold the gripping claws 156 for gripping the same.
a, 156a 'and these gripping claws 156a, 156a'
Gripping claw support portions 156b to which the
156b 'and these gripping claw support portions 156b, 156
The gripping width defining mechanism 16 is integrally attached to each of b '.
0 (which will be described later) includes gripping width defining portions 156c and 156c 'used to define the gripping width H of the wire S by the gripping claws 156a and 156a'.

The grip claw support portions 156b and 156b 'have a cubic block shape, and the inner side surface 156b thereof.
1, 1 and 156b'1 are attached to a chuck driving mechanism 158 (described later) so that they can be brought into contact with and separated from each other in a state where they face each other (that is, the state shown in FIG. 7). This grip claw support 15
6b and 156b 'have inner surfaces 156b1 and 156b'.
Two through holes 156b3, 156b3; 156b3 ', 15 penetrating from 1 to the outer side surfaces 156b2, 156b'2
6b3 'are provided respectively. And this through hole 1
56b3, 156b3; 156b3 ', 156b3' inner edge 156b1, 156b'1 side edge is concave screw head insertion hole 156b4, 156b4; 156
It is formed as b'4 so that the head of the bolt B1 does not project when the chucks 156, 156 'are attached to the chuck drive mechanism 158 by the bolt B1 as described later.

The chuck 156 has a through hole 156b1,
156b1; 156b1 ', 156b1' are attached to the chuck drive mechanism 158 by the bolt B1. When the chuck drive mechanism 158 is driven, the grip claw support portions 156b, 156b 'come into contact with and separate from each other. (That is, it is driven so as to be in the state shown in FIG. 7 and the state shown in FIG. 8. This operation will be described later). The chuck drive mechanism 158 is configured such that the chucks 156 attached to the chuck drive mechanism 158 maintain contact with each other while maintaining their parallelism.

At the inner ends of the lower surfaces of the grip claw support portions 156b and 156b ', the grip claws 156 are extended downward.
a and 156a 'are integrally attached to each other. The gripping claws 156a, 156a 'have a thickness H1 in the Y direction, and the gripping surfaces 156a1, 156 which are inner side surfaces.
The a'1 and the outer side surfaces 156a2, 156a'2 have a wedge shape having a predetermined angle and forming a tip thereof. The gripping claws 156a and 156a 'have gripping surfaces 1
56a1 and 156a'1 are gripping claw support portions 156b and 15
6b 'are formed continuously on the inner side surfaces 156b1, 156b'1 respectively, and are integrally attached to the inner ends of the lower surfaces of the grip claw support portions 156b, 156b' with their tips located at the lowermost position. There is.

These gripping surfaces 156a1, 156a'1
Are formed as tapered surfaces that extend outwardly by a small amount as they approach downward (i.e., are sloped away from each other toward the bottom). That is, as shown in FIG. 6a, the lower end surface of the grip claw 156a is located outwardly by H2 from the upper end surface thereof. When the wire S is gripped by the gripping surfaces 156a1 and 156a′1 formed in this way, there is no possibility of gripping two wire S. That is, as shown in FIGS. 6c and 6d, when the wire rod S is gripped by these gripping surfaces 156a1 and 156a'1, the lower surface thereof has a width equal to or larger than the diameter K of the wire rod S (extra H3 in FIG. 6d). Will open
When one wire rod S is gripped, no more wire rods S can be gripped on the surface below it, so that it is possible to reliably grip only one wire rod S. In other words, it is possible to avoid gripping the two wire rods S.

The outer side surfaces 156a2, 156a'2 of the gripping claws 156a, 156a 'are gripping claw support portions 156b,
It is an inclined surface that inclines inward as it goes downward from the substantially central portion of the lower surface of 156b '. This outer surface 156a2, 1
The tip end portions 156a3, 156a'3 are formed by 56a'2 and the gripping surfaces 156a1, 156a'1. The tip portions 156a3 and 156a'3 are formed to have a radius R.

Thus, the outer side surfaces 156a2, 156a '
2 as an inclined surface and with a radius R, the tip 15
By forming 6a3 and 156a'3, it is possible to easily grasp one wire rod S from the plurality of wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104. As shown in FIG. 18, when the gripping claws 156a and 156a 'are inserted into the wire rod accommodating portion 104 in which a plurality of wire rods S are accommodated (the wire rod S extends in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in the figure), , The gripping claws 15 between the wire rods S ′ and S ′ located on both sides thereof, respectively.
6a and 156a 'are inserted, and the grip claws 156a and 156 are inserted.
The outer surfaces 156a2, 156a'2, which are inclined surfaces of a ', push the wires S, S'abutting against the outer surfaces 156a2, 156a'2 to the side and insert only the wire S between the gripping surfaces 156a1, 156a'1.

As described above, the outer surfaces 156a2, 156a'2 of the gripping claws 156a, 156a 'are used as inclined surfaces, and the radius R is provided to the tip portions 156a3, 156a'3.
By forming the gripping claw 1 between the wire rod S and the wire rod S.
56a and 156a 'are easily inserted, so that the wire S can be gripped more reliably.

The grip claw support portions 156b and 156b 'are
The gripping width defining portions 156c and 156c 'are integrally attached to the front surface, that is, the front side surface in FIG. 7 in a state of extending in the Y direction. This grip width defining portion 156
c and 156c 'are inner surfaces 156c1 and 156c'
1 and the gripping width defining surfaces 156c2, 156c 'which are outer surfaces.
2 has a wedge-like shape forming a tip thereof with a predetermined angle. The grip width defining portions 156c and 156
In c ', the inner side surfaces 156c1 and 156c'1 have inner side surfaces 156b1 and 156b1 and 156b1 of the grip claw support portions 156b and 156b'.
6b′1 and the wedge-shaped tips thereof are flush with the upper surfaces of the grip claw support portions 156b and 156b ′,
It is attached to the front surface of the grip claw support portions 156b and 156b '.

That is, the gripping width defining surfaces 156c2, 156c'2 of the gripping width defining portions 156c, 156c 'are the inner surfaces 156b1, 156 of the gripping claw support portions 156b, 156b'.
b'1 faces each other (that is, the state shown in FIG. 7)
Is a tapered surface that spreads outward as it goes downward, and is substantially perpendicular to the front surface of the grip claw support portions 156b and 156b ', and is perpendicular to the front surface.

The distance between the gripping surfaces 156a, 156a ',
That is, the gripping width H of the wire S is the gripping width defining surface 156c.
2, 156c′2, and is defined by the gripping width defining mechanism 160. The gripping width defining surface 156 will be described in detail later.
The c2 and 156c′2 are brought into contact with the gripping width defining plate 172 that constitutes the gripping width defining mechanism 160, so that the movement of the chucks 156 and 156 ′ in the mutually approaching direction is restricted.

As the diameter of the wire S increases, the weight of the same material increases. Therefore, the chuck having the above-described shape may not be able to grip the wire rod S having the weight. Therefore, when gripping the wire rod S that exceeds a certain weight, the chuck 1156 shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 is used as a modified example of the chuck 156.

Grasping claws 1156 of this chuck 1156
a, 1156a 'tip portions 1156a3, 1156a
3'is provided with wire rod locking claws 1156a4, 1156a'4 for locking the wire rod S inwardly in the thickness direction thereof. Therefore, even when a wire rod S having a large diameter and a heavy weight is gripped, the wire rod S can be gripped by being locked to the wire rod locking claws 156a4 and 1156a'4.

[Explanation of Chuck Driving Mechanism 158] The chucks 156 and 156 'constructed as described above are moved by the chuck driving mechanism 158 in the direction of coming into contact with and separating from each other, and the wire rod S is gripped and released. The chuck drive mechanism 158 has a chuck drive mechanism body 170 that defines the appearance thereof, as shown in FIG.
The air cylinder 170a, the piston rod 170b that is driven to project and retract by the air cylinder 170a, and the piston rod 170b and the pair of gripping claws 156a and 156a 'are connected to each other, and the piston rod 170b is projected. The link mechanism 170c is provided for transmitting the operation and the retracting operation to the pair of grip claws 156a and 156a ', respectively, as a separating operation and a proximity operation. Then, the chucks 156 and 156 ′ have the link mechanism 170.
The chuck mounting portion 16 is configured so as to move in a direction toward and away from each other while maintaining parallelism.
It is attached to 8, 168 'through bolts.

The air cylinder 170a is provided with first and second air supply ports 170d and 170e. When high pressure air is supplied to the first air supply port 170d, the piston rod 170b is pulled in and driven. By supplying high-pressure air to the second air supply port 170e, the piston rod 170b is driven to project.

When the piston rod 170b is pulled in and driven, the chucks 156 and 156 'are moved toward each other through the link mechanism 170c and the chuck mounting portions 168 and 168', and the piston rod 170b is driven to project. Then, the chuck 15 is moved through the link mechanism 170c and the chuck mounting portions 168 and 168 '.
6, 156 'are configured to be moved in directions away from each other.

The chuck drive mechanism 158 supplies the high pressure air supplied from the air pressure supply device 268 to the first and second air supply ports 170d of the air cylinder 170a.
First and second supply lines for supplying to 170e and switching for selectively switching the supply of high-pressure air to the first or second supply line, which is connected to the base ends of these first and second supply lines. Valve 276a. The switching valve 276a is connected to the control device 266 and is switched by this. As a result, either the first supply line or the second supply line is selected, and the chucks 156 and 156 'are driven to open and close by the high pressure air supplied through this switched supply line, and the wire S is gripped and It can be canceled.

[Explanation of Air Pressure Supply Device 268] Here,
The air pressure supply device 268 that supplies high pressure air to the first and second air supply ports of the cylinder will be described. The air pressure supply device 268 has a plurality of high pressure air supply ports for supplying high pressure air. Then, from each high pressure air supply port of the air pressure supply device 268, high pressure air is constantly supplied to the supply line connected to each. Then, as will be described later, the wire rod separating and supplying device 10
When the power of 0 is turned on, the air pressure supply device 268 is driven to supply high pressure air to each supply line (this high pressure air is always supplied to each supply line while the power supply of the wire rod separating and supplying device 100 is turned on). Supplied to the line.).

When the power supply for the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 is turned on, the switching valve 276a causes the chuck driving mechanism 158 to separate the chucks 156 and 156 'from each other by the high pressure air supplied through the supply line switched by the switching valve 276a. It is set to select one of the supply lines that can be used.

As shown in FIG. 13, the movement of the chucks 156, 156 'toward each other is such that the inner surfaces 156b1, 156b' of the grip claw support portions 156b, 156b 'are moved.
It is regulated by the fact that 1 abuts each other. Gripping claw 1
When the gripping of the wire S by 56a and 156a 'fails, the state shown in this figure is obtained. The chuck closing limit detection sensor 25 connected to the control device 266 to detect this state.
6 is attached to the contact surface. The grip claw support portions 156b and 156b 'are configured to be turned off only when the inner surfaces thereof are in contact with each other, that is, in the state shown in FIG. The chuck closing limit detection sensor 256
Is connected to a control device 266, which performs a retry operation described later when the signal from the chuck closing limit detection sensor 256 changes from off to on.

This chuck closing limit detecting sensor 256 is composed of a photo interrupter having a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and the insides of the detected portions, that is, the gripping claw supporting portions 156b, 156b ', which face each other, are in the detection range of the photo interrupter. It is configured to turn off only when the edge gets in. Then, the chucks 156 and 156a come close to each other, and the inner side surfaces 156b1 and 156b ′ of the grip claw support portions 156b and 156b ′.
A light emitting element and a light receiving element are attached to the lower end of the chuck driving mechanism 158 located above the position where 1 is in contact with each other with the chuck driving mechanism 158 sandwiched in the thickness direction. By thus configuring and mounting the chuck closing limit detection sensor 256, the grip claw support portion 156b,
Whether or not 156b 'abut each other, that is, the grip claw 15
It is possible to determine whether or not 6a and 156a 'have grasped the wire. It should be noted that this determination is performed by the control device 266 connected to the chuck closing sensor 256 based on the ON / OFF signal from the chuck closing sensor 256.

On the other hand, the movement of the chuck mounting portions 168 and 168 'in the direction away from each other is performed by the gripping width defining mechanism 160.
Is regulated by (this operation will be described later). These restricting operations are performed by switching the switching valve 276a.

As shown in FIG. 12, chucks 156, 15 are provided.
6'is a state in which the grip claws 156a and 156a 'are extended downward, and the grip claw support portions 156b and 156b' are provided.
The outer surfaces 156b2, 156b'2 of the chuck are closely attached to the inner surfaces 168a, 168a 'of the chuck mounting portions 168, 168', respectively.
It is attached to 8, 168 '.

When the chuck mounting portions 168 are moved by a predetermined amount in the direction of approaching each other (rightward in FIG. 12), the chuck mounting portions 168 'also approach each other (leftward in FIG. 12).
Will move a predetermined amount. Also, the chuck mounting part 1
When the 68 move in a direction away from each other (left in FIG. 12) by a predetermined amount, the chuck mounting portions 168 'also move in a direction away from each other (right in FIG. 12) by a predetermined amount.

As shown in FIG. 5, the chuck drive mechanism 158 has the chuck mounting portions 168, 168 'directed downward, and the chuck drive mechanism main body 170 constituting the chuck drive mechanism 158 has one surface above the gripping mechanism support frame 164.
It is attached to this via bolts. A step 164a is provided at the lower end of the gripping mechanism support frame 164 across the width thereof, and the chuck drive mechanism 158 is provided in the step 164 from below.
Since the upper surface of the step is contacted, the step 164a restricts the upward movement of the chuck S when the wire S is held, even if a force for upward movement is applied to the chuck drive mechanism 158. become.

[Explanation of gripping width defining mechanism 160] As shown in FIG. 5, the gripping width defining mechanism 160 is movable along a vertical direction orthogonal to the contacting / separating direction of the pair of gripping claws 156a, 156a '. The gripping width defining plate 172 supported by the gripping mechanism supporting frame 164, and the gripping width defining plate 172.
Of the pair of gripping claws 156a and 156a ', and a recess 176a formed at the edge on the side where the pair of gripping claws 156a and 156a' are disposed, and inner surfaces of the recess 176a facing each other.
56a, 156a 'gripping width defining surfaces 156c2, 156
First taper surfaces 176, 176 'with which c'2 abuts, respectively.
And a second elevating mechanism 174 that drives the gripping width defining plate 172 forward and backward along the vertical direction.
The pair of grip claws 156a, 156a, 15
The separation distance of 6a 'is changed.

The gripping width regulating plate 172 is a plate member extending in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 14 and shown below, and the recessed portion 17 formed below with the first tapered surfaces 176 and 176 '.
6a is formed. The recessed portions 176a are first taper surfaces 176, 1 that enter the gripping width defining plate 172 inwardly from the left and right outer sides in the width direction (X direction).
76 '. The first tapered surfaces 176, 17
The angle formed by 6'with the vertical direction is determined by the chucks 156, 15
The grip width defining surfaces 156c2, 156c'2 of the grip width defining portions 156c, 156c 'of 6'are set to be equal to the vertical angle.

The thickness of the gripping width regulating plate 172 is
The step 172a is formed on the way to the lower side and is thinner than the thickness on the upper side. An upper surface of a pressing plate 178 (described later) comes into contact with the step 172a from below, whereby the upward movement of the pressing plate 178 is restricted. That is, as will be described later, even if a force that moves the pressing plate 178 upward when gripping the wire S acts on this, the movement is restricted by the step 172a.

The gripping width regulating plate 172 and the chucks 156, 1 of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 constructed as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 15, gripping width defining portions 156c and 156c 'are inserted into the recessed portion 176a of the gripping width defining plate 172 from the back surface of the gripping width defining plate 172 on the side having the step 172a. There is. Then, in this state, the first tapered surfaces 176 and 176 'of the gripping width defining plate 172 and the gripping width defining surfaces 156c of the gripping width defining portions 156c and 156c'.
3 and 156c′3 come into contact with each other, the chuck 1
The gripping width H of 56, 156 'is defined. The operation of defining the gripping width H will be described later.

The step 172a of the gripping width regulating plate 172
The lower thickness has gripping width defining portions 156c and 156c '.
Since it is formed thicker than the thickness of the chuck 156, 156 'and the recess 1 of the gripping width regulating plate 172 as described above.
Even if it abuts against 76a, the gripping width defining portions 156c, 156
The c ′ does not protrude beyond the thickness of the gripping width defining plate 172. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, even if the pressing plate 178 is closely attached to the step 172a from below and is attached via the bolt B2 to the surface formed below the step 172a, the pressing plate 178 and the gripping width defining portion 156c, There is no interference with 156c '.

[Description of the holding plate 178] This holding plate 178
The second lifting mechanism 174 lowers the gripping width defining plate 172, so that the gripping claws 156a and 156a 'of the chucks 156 and 156' attached to the gripping width defining plate 172 are accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104. When the wire rod S is inserted into the wire rod S from above, the wire rods around the wire rod S gripped by the pair of gripping claws 156a and 156a ′ are pressed from above and the plurality of wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104 are held.
Is for flattening the upper surface of the.

The holding plate 178 is a holding width regulating plate 172.
Attached to the pair of gripping claws 156a, 156
A flat lower edge 178a extending in the horizontal direction (X direction) is provided at a position displaced upward by a predetermined amount from the tip end portions 156a3, 156a'3 of a '. The extension amount, that is, the width of the lower edge 178a has a length that covers the maximum gripping width H of the chucks 156 and 156 'defined by the concave portion of the gripping width defining plate 172, and grips as described above. It is attached to the width regulating plate 172 via a bolt B2.

The pressing plate 178 is driven up and down together with the gripping width defining plate 172 by a second lifting mechanism 174 (described later) that lifts and lowers the gripping width defining plate 172. 20b, the lower edge 178a of the holding plate 178 and the chucks 156 and 156 'are lifted as shown in FIG. 20b.
Of the gripping claws 156a, 156a '
The gripping height H'defined between 56a'3 changes. This change in the grip height H'is due to the grip width defining plate 1 described later.
The operation of restricting the gripping width H of the chucks 156 and 156 'by 72 will be described.

The upper diagrams of FIGS. 15 and 20a show the chuck 1 in which the gripping width defining plate 172 regulates the gripping width H to the maximum.
56 and 156 'are shown. That is, in the state shown in this figure, the chuck mounting portions 168, 168 ′ constituting the chuck driving mechanism 158 are driven by the chuck driving mechanism 158 so as to move in the directions away from each other. Gripping width defining portion 15 of chucks 156, 156 'attached to 168'
6c, 156c gripping width defining surfaces 156c2, 156c '
The movement of the gripping width 2 is restricted by the abutting of the tapered surfaces 176 and 176 'forming the concave portion 176a of the gripping width regulating plate 172, respectively.

The holding plate 178 operates as follows. As shown in FIG. 17, when a plurality of wire rods S are accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104 not as flat surfaces but as tapered surfaces, the grasping claws 156a for grasping the wire rods S as shown in FIG. 156a 'is lowered together with the pressing plate 178, and the grip claws 156a, 156a' are inserted between the wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104, the pressing plate 1
When the lower edge 178a of 78 abuts the plurality of wire rods S, the descent is stopped. At this time, the plurality of wire rods S that come into contact with the holding plate 178a are made to be substantially flat surfaces along this (state shown in FIGS. 18 and 19).

Since the upper surfaces of the plurality of wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104 are made flat as described above, even if the first gripping fails, the gripping operation by the retry operation described later makes The wire rod can be reliably held (that is, the gripping claws easily enter between the wire rod S and the wire rod S). Further, the pressing plate 178 can more reliably prevent the wire rod S from being taken in two pieces. Therefore, the configuration and the operation thereof will be described later.

The gripping width defining plate 172 is driven up and down by the second lifting mechanism 174 shown in FIG. FIG. 20 a shows chucks 156, 1 regulated by the gripping width regulating plate 172 being moved downward by the second elevating mechanism 174.
The amount of restriction of the maximum gripping width H of 56 'is shown. The upper part shows the gripping width H when the gripping width defining plate 172 is located at the uppermost position, and the middle part shows the chucks 156, 1 when the gripping width defining plate 172 is located lower than the upper part.
The gripping width H of 56 'is shown. The lower part shows the gripping width H of the chucks 156 and 156 'when the gripping width defining plate 172 is located lower than the middle part.

When the gripping width regulating plate 172 is moved up and down in this way, the chucks 156 and 156 'have tapered surfaces 176 and 17 respectively.
6'are moved toward each other while maintaining parallelism with each other. That is, the gripping width H is defined narrower as the gripping width defining plate 172 descends. During this prescribed operation, the chuck drive mechanism 1 is moved so that the chucks 156 and 156 'move in the directions away from each other.
Since it is driven by 58, when the gripping width H is set to be narrow and narrow, the chucks 156 and 156 'are moved toward each other against the force for separating them (the chucks 156 and 156' are separated from each other). Since the force acting in the direction to make it is high pressure air, it is possible to easily withstand this force.

Gripping width H of the chucks 156, 156 '
Is set to be slightly wider than the diameter of the wire rod S to be gripped. For example, if the diameter of the wire S to be gripped is 7 mm, the gripping width H is set wider by 1 mm. By setting the gripping width to be slightly wider than the diameter of the wire rod S, the wire rod S easily enters between the chucks 156 and 156 ', and the wire rod S is gripped more reliably.

As the gripping width regulating plate 172 moves up and down, the holding plate 178 attached thereto also moves up and down, and the gripping height H changes as shown in FIG. 20b. The wire rod S is a holding plate 178.
Lower edge 178a and the tips 156a3, 156a 'of the gripping claws 156a, 156a' of the chucks 156, 156 '.
Between the gripping height H'defined between
It is gripped by 56, 156 '. During this lifting operation, the wire rod S gripped by the grip height H'and the grip width H
If it is set such that the relationship of 0.5K <H '<1.5K is satisfied between the diameter K and the diameter K, it is possible to more reliably hold only one wire S. That is, the two wire rods S are not gripped.

When H'is set as described above, the wire rod S
Will be gripped by the chucks 156, 156 'with its upper surface in contact with the lower edge portion 178a of the pressing plate 178. In this state, the lower surface of the grasped wire S and the tip portions 156a3, 156 of the grasping claws 156a, 156a '.
The relationship of L <0.5K is established between the distance L from the a′3 and the diameter K of the wire rod S. That is, the lower surface of the grasped wire S and the tip portions 156a3, 1 of the grasping claws 156a, 156a '.
Even if the second wire S intrudes into the area between 56a′3 and 56a′3, the diameter portion (the portion having the diameter K) of the second wire S is not located in this area. Therefore, the second wire S is not gripped (since the wire S is gripped by gripping the diameter portion of the wire S from both sides). Gripping claws 156a of the chucks 156 and 156 ',
In addition to forming the gripping surfaces 156a1 and 156a'1 of the 156a 'as inclined surfaces, and further by setting the gripping height H'by the holding plate 178 as described above, only one wire S can be more reliably formed. Can be gripped.

As described above, as the pressing plate 178 is moved up and down,
As described above, it is necessary to establish the relationship of H '<1.5K between the grip height H'and the diameter K of the wire S gripped by the grip width H. However, in one embodiment, I am doing so. It should be noted that the reason why 0.5K <H 'is to hold the diameter portion of one wire S.

The recessed portion 176a of the gripping width regulating plate 172 is formed by the tapered surfaces 176 and 176 ', and the shape of the recessed portion 176a is such that the tapered surfaces 176 and 176' are two.
It has a triangular shape on the side. The concave portion 176a is configured such that the relationship of a: b = 3: 2, that is, 2a = 3b is established between the length a and the height b of the base of the triangle. The gripping width defining surfaces 156c2, 156c'2 of the gripping width defining portions 156c, 156c 'are tapered surfaces 176, 176' forming the recessed portion 176a thus set.
It is formed so as to follow.

Then, as an initial setting, when the minimum diameter of the wire rod S to be held in one embodiment is 3 mm (that is, when the wire rod S of 3 mm can be held when the holding width regulating plate is at the lowermost position). ), Chuck 15
The gripping width H of 6, 156 'is set to be slightly wider than 3 mm (to facilitate gripping the wire S), and in this state, the lower edge 178a of the holding plate 178 and the gripping claws 156a,
The grip height H'defined between the tip end portions 156a3 and 156a'3 of 156a 'is set to be slightly smaller than 4.5 millimeters.

Next, for example, when gripping a wire rod S of 7 mm, the gripping width defining plate 172 is raised by 6 mm in order to set the gripping width H of the chucks 156, 156 'to be slightly wider than 7 mm. In this state, the chucks 156 and 156 'can be moved by 2 mm each in a direction in which they are separated from each other, for a total of 4 mm, and the gripping width H is slightly wider than 7 mm, which is a value obtained by adding 4 mm to the default gripping width H. Will be set. Then, the gripping height H'is set to be slightly smaller than the value of 10.5 millimeters obtained by adding the lifting distance of 6 millimeters to the gripping height H'of the initial setting. That is, the gripping height H'is set to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the wire rod S to be gripped 7 mm × 1.5 = 10.5, and it is possible to prevent two wire rods S from being gripped.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second lifting mechanism 174 includes a DC servo motor 180 and a rotary encoder 18 for detecting the amount of rotation of the DC servo motor 180.
0a, and the upper end of the gripping width defining plate 172 is attached to the ball nut 184 that is screwed into the ball screw 182 rotated by the DC servomotor 180. Drives back and forth along the vertical direction.

The gripping width regulating plate 172 has its upper end attached to the ball nut 184, and the ball screw 182 attached to the motor rotation shaft 181 is rotated by the DC servomotor 180, and the ball nut is screwed to this. The gripping width defining plate 1 is formed by moving 184 up and down.
72 is moved up and down.

The DC servomotor 180 is provided with a spacer 188 on the upper horizontal plane of the motor mounting base 186 which has a vertical horizontal plane and a horizontal vertical plane so that the motor rotary shaft 181 can rotate in the vertical direction. Is attached through. The DC servo motor 180 is used in the control device 2
The rotation amount of the DC motor 180 can be detected by counting the pulses emitted from the rotary encoder 180a that is connected to the motor 66 and is integrally attached thereto. That is, the gripping width H of the chucks 156 and 156 'is regulated by adjusting the vertical movement amount of the gripping width regulating plate 172.

The motor mounting table 186 has a vertical horizontal surface and a horizontal vertical surface near the center in the vertical direction on the same surface as the surface of the gripping mechanism supporting frame 164 on which the chuck driving mechanism 158 is mounted. Are attached as a connected frame. The rotation of the DC servomotor 180 is transmitted to the ball screw 182 attached to the lower end of the DC servomotor 180 via the coupling 190 attached to the motor rotating shaft 181 and the rotary shaft 192 attached to the lower end thereof. The rotary shaft 192
Are supported by the lower horizontal surface of the motor mount 186, and the motor rotation shaft 18 of these DC servomotors 180 is
1, the center of rotation of the coupling 190, the rotating shaft 192, and the ball screw 182 are set to be substantially on a straight line.

A ball nut 1 is attached to the ball screw 182.
84 is screwed, and the ball nut 184 is attached to the upper portion of the side surface of the gripping width defining plate 172 to which the pressing plate 178 is attached. In this state, the first tapered surfaces 176 and 176 'forming the recessed portion 176a of the gripping width defining plate 172 have gripping width defining portions 156c and 156c' of the chucks 156 and 156 'located at the lower end of the gripping mechanism support frame 164. Gripping width defining surfaces 156c2, 1
It can come into contact with 56c'2.

Motor mount 186 and chuck drive mechanism 1
A guide rail 194 is attached to a region of the gripping mechanism support frame 164 located between the guide rail 158 and the frame 58 while extending in the vertical direction. A guide member 196 fitted to the guide rail 194 and movable up and down along the guide rail 194 is attached to an upper portion of the rear surface of the side surface of the gripping width regulating plate 172 to which the push plate 178 is attached. Therefore, as described above, the DC servo motor 180, which is the second lifting mechanism 174, is used.
The gripping width defining plate 172 is vertically moved within the range defined by the guide rail 194, and the recessed portion 176a allows the gripping width H of the chucks 156 and 156 'to be defined.

By configuring the gripping mechanism 114 as described above, the gripping width defining plate 172 having the recessed portion 176a composed of the tapered surfaces 176 and 176 'is simply moved up and down and the chucks 156 and 156' are used. The gripping width H of the wire rod S can be set easily and accurately.

The gripping mechanism 114 configured as described above
Is attached to the first raising / lowering mechanism so as to be able to move up and down via the holding mechanism supporting frame 164, and is raised and lowered by raising and lowering the holding mechanism supporting frame 164.

A base 198 which can be moved up and down by a first elevating mechanism 154, which is a rodless cylinder, is attached above the back surface of the surface of the holding mechanism supporting frame 164 on which the chuck holding mechanism 158 is attached. . This rodless cylinder is well known, and a magnet housed in the cylinder housed inside is supplied with high-pressure air into the cylinder to move in the up-and-down direction to be attracted to the base 198. To move up and down. For this reason, this rodless cylinder is provided with two air supply ports, which are connected to the base ends of a pair of supply lines that supply high pressure air to these, and supply high pressure air to either of the pair of supply lines. A switching valve 276b is provided for switching whether to perform or not. The switching valve 276 is connected to the control device 266 and is switched by this. Then, either one of the pair of supply lines is selected, and the magnet in the cylinder is moved up and down by the high-pressure air supplied through the switched supply line, so that the base 198 attracted by the magnet is moved up and down. .

When the power supply of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 is turned on, the switching valve 276b has a structure in which the magnet in the cylinder can be moved upward by the high pressure air supplied through the supply line switched by the switching valve 276b. Set to select a supply line. That is, when the power supply of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 is turned on, the magnet comes into contact with the upper end in the cylinder and stops upward. Therefore, the pickup mechanism 106 attached to the base 198 that is attracted to this magnet is also positioned above as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 5, the wire rod S is the wire rod housing portion 1.
It is accommodated in a state of being extended in the Y direction in 04. The moving frame 11 to which the pickup mechanism 106 including the gripping mechanism 114 and the first elevating mechanism 154 is attached
0 moves in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface and moves to a position where the wire rod S having a desired diameter can be picked up (this movement operation will be described later).

The wire rod S by this pickup mechanism 106
First, the gripping width defining plate 172 sets the gripping width H of the chucks 156 and 156 'to be slightly wider than the diameter of the wire S to be gripped. Although details will be described later, when the gripping mechanism 114 is lowered by the first elevating mechanism 154 as shown in FIG. 34, the chucks 156, 15 are moved.
As shown in FIG. 18, 6'is inserted between one wire S of the plurality of wires S accommodated in the wire accommodating portion 104 and the wire S ', S'located on both sides thereof. .

Outer surface 156a formed as a tapered surface
The wire rods S ′ and S ′ located on both sides of the wire rod S are urged to the side by 2, 156a′2, and the gripping surfaces 156a1 and 1
The wire S will be inserted between 56a'1. After that, by selectively switching the switching valve 276a, the chuck driving mechanism 158 is closed, that is, the chucks 156, 1
The wire rods S are gripped by moving 56 'in the direction of approaching each other.

The wire rod S whose one end is thus gripped
As shown in FIG. 35, the first lifting mechanism 154 raises the gripping mechanism 114 to lift it while maintaining the gripped state. However, the chucks 156 and 156 ′ grip only one end of the wire rod S, and the other end is not lifted as the gripping mechanism 114 rises. The lifting of the other end is performed by a slide lifting mechanism 108 described later.

[Description of Slide Lifting Mechanism 108] Next, the wire rod S whose one end is lifted by the pickup mechanism 106 described above (that is, the wire rod S in the state of FIG. 31).
Can be lifted up at the other end by the slide lifting mechanism 108.

The slide lifting mechanism 108 is capable of projecting between the wire rod accommodating portion 104 and the wire rod S lifted upward by the pickup mechanism 106.
12 and the traveling roller 112 are projected between the wire rod accommodating portion 104 and the wire rod S that is lifted up by the pickup mechanism 106, and the protruding traveling roller 11
2 for retracting (that is, returning to the state before the protrusion), a traveling roller protrusion mechanism 202.

The traveling height of the traveling roller 112 is set to be lower than the height of one end of the wire rod S lifted up by the pickup mechanism 106. That is, the horizontal drive mechanism 204 that causes the traveling roller 112 to travel is attached to a position lower than the height of one end of the wire rod S lifted up. (In one embodiment, since the horizontal drive mechanism 204 is attached to the lower surface of the main frame 142 that constitutes the moving frame 110 as described above, the lower surface of the main frame 142 is
It is set at a position lower than the height of one end of the wire rod S lifted upward. The traveling roller 112 is driven by the horizontal drive mechanism 204 between positions corresponding to one end and the other end of the wire rod S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104.

21 to 23, the traveling roller 112 is rotatably supported by a roller rotating shaft 208 which is vertically supported on the front surface of a roller supporting base 206 having a home base shape, as shown in FIGS. ing. The traveling roller 112 is formed such that the diameter becomes smaller from both ends of the traveling roller 112 toward the central position so that the substantially central position along the extending direction of the roller rotation shaft 208 has the minimum diameter. That is, a wire rod contact groove 210 for contacting the wire rod S is formed at the central position of the traveling roller 112, and the wire rod S contacts the groove.

With the traveling roller 112 positioned below, the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202, which is an actuator, is provided on the rear surface of the surface of the roller support 206 on which the traveling roller 112 is mounted, as shown in FIG. The traveling roller 112 is attached via the rod 212 and the guide rod 214 so as to be able to project in the extending direction of the roller rotation shaft 208.

The traveling roller projecting mechanism 202 is capable of supplying high pressure air into the cylinder housed therein to project the piston rod 212 or retract it to its original state. Therefore, this cylinder is provided with two air supply ports, which are connected to the base ends of a pair of supply lines that supply high pressure air to these, and supply the high pressure air to either of the pair of supply lines. A switching valve 276c for switching between the two is provided. The switching valve 276c is connected to the control device 266 and is switched by this. Then, either one of the pair of supply lines is selected, and the high pressure air supplied through the switched supply line is used.
The projecting position of the piston rod 212 shown in Fig. 25 and the retracted position of the piston rod 212 shown in Fig. 25 can be switched.

When the power supply of the wire rod separating and supplying device 100 is turned on, the switching valve 276c prevents the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202 from retracting the piston rod 212 thereof by the high pressure air supplied through the supply line switched by the switching valve 276c. It is set to select the supply line that can be used.

In this slide lifting mechanism 108, a stay 216 is mounted on a base 217 that moves between positions corresponding to one end and the other end of the wire S accommodated in the wire accommodating portion 104 by a rodless cylinder that is a horizontal drive mechanism 204. The sliding roller 112 is attached via a roller, and is set so that the protruding direction of the traveling roller 112 (that is, the protruding direction of the traveling roller protruding mechanism 202) and the moving direction of the slide lifting mechanism 108 intersect vertically.

This rodless cylinder has the same structure as that used as the first elevating mechanism 154. That is, this rodless cylinder is well known, and a magnet housed in the cylinder housed inside is supplied with high-pressure air into the cylinder to move in the vertical direction, so that the base is attracted to the magnet. 217 is moved horizontally. For this reason, this rodless cylinder is provided with two air supply ports, which are connected to the base ends of a pair of supply lines that supply high pressure air to these, and supply high pressure air to either of the pair of supply lines. A switching valve 276d is provided for switching whether or not to perform. The switching valve 276d is connected to the control device 266 and is switched by this. Then, either one of the pair of supply lines is selected, and the base 2 is attracted to the magnet by moving the magnet in the cylinder up and down by the high-pressure air supplied through the switched supply line.
Move 17 horizontally.

When the power supply of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 is turned on, the switching valve 276d moves the magnet in the cylinder to the left (in FIG. 33) by the high pressure air supplied through the supply line switched by the switching valve 276d. It is set to select the supply line that can be used. That is, when the power supply of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 is turned on, the magnet contacts the left end in the cylinder and stops to the left. Therefore, the base 21 that is attracted to this magnet
The traveling roller projecting mechanism 202 and the traveling roller 112 attached to 7 are also located on the left side as shown in FIG.

Therefore, the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202 attached to the base 217 and the traveling roller 112 mounted so as to be able to project therefrom also move horizontally.
The rodless cylinder that is the horizontal drive mechanism 204 is connected to the air pressure supply device 268 described above, whereby high pressure air is supplied to the two air supply ports via the switching valve 276d. ing.

The horizontal drive mechanism 204 is composed of the wire rod S
The base 217 is configured to be movable over the longitudinal length thereof. The horizontal drive mechanism 204, which is the rodless cylinder, is attached to the horizontal drive mechanism mounting frame 254 that constitutes the moving frame 110 in a state where the horizontal drive mechanism 204 extends in the Y direction. That is, the traveling roller 112 moves in the Y direction together with the traveling roller protruding mechanism 102 while maintaining the state of protruding in the X direction, that is, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in the drawing.

Traveling roller 11 constructed as described above
2, the wire rod S, one end of which is picked up by the pickup mechanism 106, and the wire rod accommodating portion 104 are protruded directly below the wire rod S by the traveling roller protruding mechanism 202. When the traveling roller 112 moves toward the other end of the gripped wire rod S in this state, the lower portion of the wire rod S comes into contact with the wire rod contact groove 210 of the traveling roller 112 as shown in FIG. 22b. . Then, when the traveling roller 112 is moved in the direction in which the contact is further strengthened (rightward in FIG. 36) from this contact state, the other end of the wire rod S is gradually lifted upward as shown in FIG. . Then, when the traveling roller 112 moves to the other end of the wire rod S, the wire rod S is kept substantially horizontal and the chuck 156 and the traveling roller 1 are moved.
Both ends are supported by 12.

When the slide lifting mechanism 108 moves toward the other end of the wire rod S, the wire rod holding mechanism 116 descends to hold the wire rod S from above every time it passes a predetermined position, and the wire rod S moves downward. The wire rod S is sequentially held from both sides by the holding claws 220. Next, the wire rod holding mechanism 116 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Explanation of Wire Rod Holding Mechanism 116] The wire rod holding mechanism 116 comprises a hold pawl drive mechanism 225 and a hold pawl lifting mechanism 228 for raising and lowering this.

[Description of Hold Claw Driving Mechanism 225] The hold claws 220 and 220 'constructed as described above are
The holding claw driving mechanism 225 swings the wires S in a direction in which they approach and separate from each other, and holds and releases the wire S. As shown in FIG. 26, the holding claw drive mechanism 225 has an air cylinder and a piston rod that is driven to project / pull in by the air cylinder inside the hold claw drive mechanism main body 224 that defines the appearance thereof. And this piston rod and a pair of hold claws 220, 2
20 ', and a link mechanism for transmitting the projecting motion and the retracting motion of the piston rod to the pair of holding claws 220, 220' as a separating motion and a proximity motion, respectively. And the hold claws 220, 220 'are
The link mechanism is attached to the holding claw mounting portions 222, 222 ', which are configured to move in a direction in which they are brought into contact with each other while maintaining parallelism, by means of bolts.

This air cylinder is equipped with two air supply ports, and a switching valve 276e for switching the supply of high pressure air to these is provided. And this switching valve 2
By switching 76b and selectively switching between the two air supply ports, the piston rod is driven to be pulled in or to be projected.

When the piston rod is pulled in and driven, the link mechanism and the holding claw mounting portions 222, 22 are provided.
The holding claws 220 and 220 'are swung in a direction in which they are separated from each other via the 2', and when the piston rod is driven to project, the link mechanism and the holding claw mounting portions 222 and 22 are formed.
The holding claws are configured to be swung in a direction of approaching each other via 2 '.

The hold pawl drive mechanism 225 has a pair of supply lines for supplying the high-pressure air supplied from the air pressure supply device 268 to the pair of air supply ports of the air cylinder, and the base end portions of the pair of supply lines. And a switching valve 276e for selectively switching the supply of high pressure air to a pair of supply lines. And the switching valve 276
e is connected to the control device 266 and is switched by this. As a result, either one of the pair of supply lines is selected, and the holding claws 220 and 220 'are driven to open and close by the high pressure air supplied through the switched supply line to hold the wire rod S and its holding. It can be canceled.

When the power supply of the wire rod separating / supplying apparatus 100 is turned on, the switching valve 276e causes the holding pawl driving mechanism 225 to hold the holding pawls 220 and 220 'to each other by the high pressure air supplied through the supply line switched by the switching valve 276e. It is set to select one of the supply lines that can swing in the separating direction.

With the holding claw mounting portions 222, 222 'swinging in a direction in which the holding claw mounting portions 222, 222' are close to each other, the tips formed by being bent inward come into contact with each other to hold the wire rod. Hold claws 220, 220 ′ are attached so as to form a space 232. The upper outside of the hold claws 220, 220 'is
It is formed in a recess having the same shape as the lower end of the hold claw mounting portion 222 so as to be attached to the hold claw mounting portions 222, 222 '.
The lower end of 22 'comes into contact with the holding claw 22 via the bolt.
0, 220 'are attached.

It should be noted that the V-shaped groove 234, which is a V-shaped groove, is formed at the abutting portion in a state where the tips of the holding claws 220 and 220 'bent inside are in contact with each other. The tip portion is formed as an inclined surface having a predetermined angle. Then, the tips are brought into contact with each other to form a V-shaped V-shaped groove 234, and the held wire rod S is positioned in the V-shaped groove 234. That is, the held wire rod S is located at a fixed position.

As shown in FIG. 29, a hold pawl elevating mechanism 228 which is an actuator is attached to the upper surface of the hold pawl drive mechanism main body 224 constituting the wire rod holding mechanism 116 via a spacer 226.

[Hold Claw Lifting Mechanism 228] This hold claw lifting mechanism 228 supplies high pressure air into the cylinder housed therein to cause the piston rod 230 and the guide rod 231 to project, or to return to the original state. It can be withdrawn. Therefore, this cylinder is provided with two air supply ports, which are connected to the base ends of a pair of supply lines that supply high pressure air to these, and supply the high pressure air to either of the pair of supply lines. A switching valve 276f for switching between the two is provided. The switching valve 276f is connected to the control device 266 and is switched by this. Then, either one of the pair of supply lines is selected, and the high pressure air supplied through the switched supply line is used.
The protruding position of the piston rod 230 shown in FIG. 11 and the retracted position of the piston rod 230 shown in FIG. 31 can be switched.

When the power supply of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 is turned on, the switching valve 276f prevents the hold claw lifting mechanism 228 from retracting its piston rod 230 by the high pressure air supplied through the supply line switched by the switching valve 276f. It is set to select the supply line that can be used.

As shown in FIG. 33, the wire rod holding mechanism 116 constructed as described above has a horizontal drive mechanism 204.
Is attached to the wire rod holding mechanism mounting frame 152 of the moving frame 110 via a stay at a predetermined interval in the extending direction, that is, the Y direction, and holds the wire rod S lifted by the traveling roller 112 to a certain height or more. Installed as possible. In one embodiment, the number of wire rod holding mechanisms 116 is set to three.

That is, in the moving frame 110, the first wire rod holding mechanism 116a, the second wire rod holding mechanism 116b, and the third wire rod holding mechanism 116c are provided as three wire rod holding mechanisms 116 at predetermined intervals in the Y direction. However, the wire rod S that is gradually lifted by the slide lifting mechanism 108 is attached so that it can be held by the holding claws 220 from both sides thereof. Then, in order to detect the approach of the traveling roller 112 in association with each of the hold mechanisms 116, the passage detection sensor 12 including a proximity sensor is turned on when an object approaches within a predetermined range.
2 is attached to a predetermined position of the moving frame. The passage detecting sensor 122 is connected to the control device 266, and the wire rod S is held by the wire rod holding mechanism 116, which will be described later, based on a signal from the passage detecting sensor 122. The passage detection sensor 12
Reference numeral 2 is connected to a control device 266, which holds the wire material by holding claws 220 and 220 'when the signal from the passage detection sensor 122 changes from off to on, as will be described later.

The passage detecting sensor 122 is composed of the permanent magnet 1
21 and a porcelain detection element 123, and is composed of a porcelain detection sensor.
It is configured to turn on only when the permanent magnet 121 attached to 16 enters. When the traveling roller 112 travels to a predetermined position on the moving frame 110 while lifting the wire rod, the porcelain detection element 123 precedes the traveling roller 11 before the wire rod holding mechanism 116.
It is attached to the position where 2 passes. That is, the first to third wire rod holding mechanisms 116a, 116b, 116c
To the first to third porcelain detection elements 123, respectively.
a, 123b, 123c are attached. The permanent magnet 121 detected by this is attached to the stay 216.

By constructing the passage detection sensor 122 in this manner and mounting it at a predetermined position, the traveling roller 11
2 and the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202 include the porcelain detection element 123.
It is possible to discriminate that the wire rod has been passed through and the wire rod holding mechanism 116 can be driven as described later.

In the state shown in FIGS. 33 to 36, as shown in FIG. 30, the hold pawl elevating mechanism 228 is in the retracted state, and the hold pawls 220 and 220 'are on standby in an outwardly opened state. Next, as shown in FIG. 36, the traveling roller 1
37, when the permanent magnet 121 attached to the stay 216 enters and is turned on within the detection distance of the first porcelain detection element 123a forming the first proximity sensor when the wire 12 moves toward the other end of the wire S. As shown in, the wire holding mechanism 116a is moved downward by the hold pawl lifting mechanism 228. It should be noted that the wire rod holding mechanism 116a is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the hold claws 220 and 220 'are lowered while being opened. Thereafter, the hold claw driving mechanism 225 swings the hold claws 220 and 220 ′ in a direction in which they approach each other, and the traveling roller 112 holds the wire rod lifted to a certain height or more. That is, the hold claws 220 and 220 'are in the state shown in FIG.

The traveling roller 112 moves toward the other end of the wire rod S which is further gripped, and constitutes the proximity sensor.
Porcelain detection element 123b and third porcelain detection element 123
Even after passing through c, the wire rod holding mechanisms 116b and 116c are sequentially operated as described above, and the traveling roller 112 is
The wire rod S lifted above a certain height is sequentially held. Note that the hold mechanism 116 descends from above so that the hold claws 220 and 220 ′ which are separated from each other do not interfere with the traveling roller 112.

When the traveling roller 112 moves to the other end of the wire rod S as shown in FIG. 39, the wire rod S is held by the three wire rod holding mechanisms 116a, 116b and 116c over its entire length. After that, the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202 is driven so as to retract the projecting traveling roller 112 to the original position. At this time, since the traveling roller 112 has an inclined surface (a surface whose diameter gradually increases outward from the central position of the traveling roller 112) inclined in the direction opposite to the retracting direction, the traveling roller 112 can be retracted. At this time, the wire rod S gets over this slope, and the retracting operation can be easily performed.

After that, when the holding of the one end of the wire rod S by the pickup mechanism 106 is further released, the wire rod S is supported only by the wire rod holding mechanisms 116a, 116b, 116c. Then, the wire rod S is positioned in the V-shaped groove 234 formed by the hold claws 220 and 220 'coming into contact with each other, and is supported thereby.

The wire rod S held by the wire rod holding mechanism 116 in this manner is supplied to the wire rod next step supply device 118 so as to be supplied to the next step. The wire rod subsequent process supply device 118 has an endless belt 118a that rotates in the extending direction of the held wire rod S, that is, in the Y direction, and the wire rod S that has been released from the hold is on the endless belt 118a. It falls and is supplied in the Y direction.

That is, the held wire rod S is moved to the wire rod next process supply device 118 by the moving frame 110 to which the wire rod hold mechanism 116 for holding the wire rod S is held, and the wire rod S held by the wire rod hold mechanism 116 is released at the same time. By doing so, the wire rod S is supplied. When the wires S are released at the same time, the wire S drops on the endless belt 118a that constitutes the wire next process supply device 118 while maintaining the horizontal direction. Therefore, the wire rod S does not drop from the endless belt 118a due to the impact generated when the wire rod S falls from one end.

The wire rod subsequent process supply device 118 is
The moving frame 1 is installed adjacent to the base 102.
10 is reciprocally moved between a wire rod accommodating portion 104, which will be described later, mounted on the upper surface of the base 102 and a wire rod next process supply device 118 by being guided by the moving frame guides 124 mounted on the base 102.

[Wire rod accommodating portion 104] Next, the wire rod accommodating portion 104 provided for accommodating the wire rods S classified by each diameter.
Will be explained. A wire rod accommodating portion 104 is attached to the base surface 102a so as to accommodate the wire rod S while extending in the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the wire rod accommodating portion 104 is provided on the upper surface of the base surface 102a at predetermined intervals in the Y direction with X intervals.
The wire rod support portion 105 is attached in a state of extending in the direction. The wire rod supporting portion 105 includes nine comb branch portions 140 extending upward at a predetermined interval in the Y direction, and eight recess portions formed between the comb branch portions 140 and the comb branch portions 140. 138a, 138b, 138c, 138d, 138
e, 138f, 138g, and 138h.

Comb branch portion 140 and comb branch portion 14 which are adjacent to each other
The distance from 0 is set to be wider than the maximum diameter of the wire rod S supported by the wire rod support portion 105. Also,
The upward extension amount of the comb branches 140 is also set to be wider than the maximum diameter of the supported wire S. That is, the comb branches 1 are arranged so that the plurality of wire rods S are supported in the recesses 138 formed between the comb branches 140 adjacent to each other.
40 is set.

The recessed portion 138 of the wire rod supporting portion 105 has a comb branch portion 140 adjacent to each other, and a sloped surface which is inclined downward further toward the inner side from the comb branch portion 140, respectively. The V-shaped groove 238 is formed by the inclined surface. As will be described later, the wire rod S is separately supplied,
As the wire rods S in the wire rod housing portion 104 decrease, the remaining wire rods S gather in the V-shaped groove 238. The last wire rod S is supported by this V-shaped groove 238.

In one embodiment, the number of wire rod supporting portions 105 to be attached is set to four. That is, the wire rod S is supported by the recessed portion 138 of the wire rod accommodation portion 104 at a total of four places, that is, two end portions and two places near the central portion thereof. Further, the Y-direction mounting interval is set to an interval in which the contained wire S does not bend. When the wire rod support portion 105 shown in FIG. 41 is mounted on the base surface 102a, the respective recessed portions 138a, 13 of each wire rod support portion 105 are provided.
8b, 138c, 138d, 138e, 138f, 13
8g and 138h are in a state along the Y direction.

For example, the recessed portions 138a are arranged at a total of four locations along the Y direction at predetermined intervals, and the wire rod accommodating portion is extended in the Y direction by these four recessed portions 138a. And 104a. Therefore, the wire rod S is accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104a while extending in the Y direction. Similarly, the other recesses 138b to 138h also have four recesses 138b to 138h.
The wire rod accommodating portion 104 in the state of being extended in the Y direction by 8h
b to 104h are configured. Therefore, the wire rod S is similar to the wire rod housing portion 104a in the wire rod housing portions 104b to 104b.
It is accommodated in 04h in a state of extending in the Y direction. The wire rods S classified according to wire diameters are stored in these wire rod storage portions 104a to 104h. That is, these wire rod housing portions 104
Wires S having eight kinds of wire diameters are classified and housed in each of a to 104h. The wire rod accommodating portions 104a to 104h are arranged along the moving direction of the moving frame 110, that is, the X direction.

At the lower end of the wire rod supporting portion 105, in order to attach the wire rod supporting portion 105 to the base surface 102a in a state where the wire rod supporting portion 105 is extended perpendicularly to the base surface 102a, the wire rod accommodating over the entire length thereof. The part support 236 is attached. The wire rod support portion 105 is attached on the base surface 102a via the wire rod housing portion support second portion 236.

[Explanation of Chain 248] Wire Rod Supporting Part 10
As shown in FIG. 43, brackets 246 are attached to the upper ends of the plurality of comb branches 140 that form part 5 through bolts. The bracket 246 has, on the left and right, a chain mounting portion 246a that protrudes by a predetermined amount inside the recess 138 (that is, a region that houses the wire S) when it is attached to the upper end of the comb branch 140. The chain mounting portions 246a and 246a located inside the recessed portions 138 of the adjacent brackets 246 are connected to the chain mounting portions 246a and 246a located inside the recessed portion 138 in the X direction so as to connect the chain mounting portions 246a and 246a to each other. It is attached so that it can swing along.
The chain 248 is composed of a plurality of chain constituent members 2
It is a well-known chain composed of 48a rotatably connected to each other and is deformable within a predetermined range.

As shown by the solid line in FIG. 43, the chain 248 has two or more wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104. S is supported,
Further, in the case of one wire S, the length of the chain 248 is set so as to be supported by the V-shaped groove 238 provided below the bending portion 138. That is, the chain 248
Is attached to the inside of the recess 138 via the bracket 246 in order to attach the wire rod S to the wire rod accommodation portion 104.
This is because the chain 248 is positioned inside the recessed portion 138 and the wire rod S is supported by the chain 248 in a state where two or more wires are accommodated.

When a force acting in the X direction is applied to the plurality of wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104 while the wire rod S is supported by the chain 248 as described above, the chain mounting of the chain 248 of the bracket 246 is performed. Part 246
The wire rod S supported by the chain 248 is oscillated to the left or right via a, 246a or a connecting portion of chain constituent members constituting the chain 248. As described above, by constructing the wire rod S so that it can be swung left and right by the chain 248, the following effects are produced.

The wire rod S housed in the wire rod housing portion 104 is
The pickup mechanism 106 descends and the tip portions 156a3, 156 of the grip claws 156a, 156a 'of the chuck 156 are moved.
The a'3 pushes away the other wire S and holds only one wire. Therefore, the grip claws 15 of the chuck 156 are
When the tip end portion 156a3 of the wire 6a abuts on the substantially central position in the radial direction of the wire rod S from above as shown in the upper part of FIG. 44, it is assumed that the wire rod housing portion 104 is fixed so as not to move in the left-right direction. The pick-up mechanism 106 can no longer descend.

However, by arranging the wire rod accommodating portion 104 to be movable in the X direction, when the state shown in the upper part of FIG. 38 is reached, when the pickup mechanism 106 further attempts to descend, the gripping claws of the chuck 156 are grasped. A force for moving the wire rod accommodating portion 104 to the right in the drawing acts by the tip end portion 156a3 of the wire rod 156a, and as a result, the wire rod accommodating portion 104 is moved.
Oscillates to the right, the wire S that was in contact with the tip of the grip claw 156a also moves to the right, and the wire S is positioned in the state shown in the middle of FIG. That is, when two or more wire rods S are accommodated, these wire rods S are supported inside the recess 138 by the chain 248, and a clearance is created between the chain 248 and the recess 138. That is, these wire rods S can be moved in the X direction by this clearance. Therefore, when the pickup mechanism 106 is further lowered, the wire rod S moves in the X direction as shown in the lower part of FIG. 44, and the moved wire rod S can be held by the chuck 156.

As described above, when the wire rod S is gradually separated and supplied from the wire rod accommodating portion 104 to the next step, the chain 248 gradually sags, and when only one wire rod S is accommodated, the chain 248 is lowered. Is located outside the recess 138. That is, when the wire rod S is not housed in the wire rod housing portion 104, the lower part of the chain 248 is located outside the recessed portion 138 as shown in FIG.
When the number of the wire rods S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104 becomes one as described above, the wire rods S are not supported by the chain 248 but are directly supported by the lower portion of the recessed portion 138. Below the recessed portion 138, the V-shaped groove 23 is formed by the left and right inclined surfaces that become lower toward the inside.
8 is formed, the wire S is supported by the V-shaped groove 238.

The wire rod accommodating portion 1 is provided outside the wire rod supporting portions 105 attached to both ends of the base surface 102a in the Y direction.
The front wall 240 and the rear wall 24 having substantially the same height as the comb branch portion 140 so that the wire rod S accommodated in 04a is not moved from the wire rod accommodation portion 104 in the extending direction, that is, the Y direction.
Forming 2. The front wall 240 and the rear wall 24
2 is attached across the X direction of the base surface 102.

As described above, the wire rod accommodating portion 104 has the wire rod S.
Is arranged so as to be accommodated in a state of being extended in the Y direction, and the pickup mechanism 106 moves in the X direction together with the moving frame 110 so as to grasp one end of the wire rod S accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104. . That is, since the Y direction and the X direction are defined as the directions orthogonal to each other as described above,
Wire rod accommodating portions 104a, 104b, 104c, 104d,
The wire rod S having each diameter accommodated in each of 104e, 104f, 104g, and 104h can be gripped at one end by the pickup mechanism 106 moving to the predetermined wire rod accommodation unit 104.

[Description of Stop Position Guide Plate 252] The moving frame drive mechanism 120 includes a moving frame guide 124,
The moving frame running roller 146 provided below the moving frame drive mechanism 120 runs on the moving unit 124, thereby moving the moving frame 110 in the X direction. The moving frame guides 124, 124 are provided on the base surface 102a in the Y direction.
It is attached in a state of extending in the X direction at both ends in the direction. The moving frame guides 124, 124 have a stop position guide plate 252 having a plurality of limit switches 250 for indicating the stop position of the moving frame 110.
Are attached in a state of extending in the X direction.

The stop position guide plate 252 is attached to the moving frame guide 124 along the dashed line in FIG. 2, and the moving frame 110 moves to support the main frame of the moving frame 110. The lower end of the leg 144 contacts the limit switch 250 and turns it on. The limit switches 250 are connected to the control device 266, and an ON signal is sent to them.

The stop position guide plate 252 is taken out and its construction is shown in FIG. This stop position guide plate 252
Has the same length as the moving range of the moving frame 110. Below that, a plurality of limit switches 250a for indicating the stop position of the moving frame 110,
250b, 250c, 250d, 250e, 250f,
250 g and 250 h are divided corresponding to the respective diameters and attached to the wire rod accommodating portion 104 that accommodates the wire rod S, respectively.
Further, a limit switch 250i is attached to a position where the wire rod holding mechanism 116 holds the wire rod S and the held wire rod S can be supplied to the wire rod subsequent process supply device 118.

As the moving frame 110 moves, the main frame supporting legs 1 of the moving frame 110 are moved.
The lower end of 44 abuts against a plurality of limit switches 250 and turns them on in sequence. Upon receiving this ON signal, the control device 266 stops the moving frame drive motor 132. At this stop position, when the gripping mechanism 114 attached to the moving frame 110 is lowered, the chucks 156 and 156 ′ have the comb branch portions 14 adjacent to each other of the wire rod supporting portion 105 constituting the wire rod housing portion 104.
The stop position of the moving frame 110 is controlled so as to be positioned in the middle between 0 and the comb branch portion 140. In this way, the moving frame 110 can be stopped at a predetermined position. The control operation will be described later.

In this way, the moving frame 110 has the wire rod accommodating portion 104 in which the wire rod S having a desired wire diameter is accommodated.
The wire rod S separated from the wire rod accommodating portion 104 by the pickup mechanism 106 and the slide lifting mechanism 108 attached to the moving frame 110 is held by the wire rod holding mechanism 116. After that, the moving frame 110 is the wire rod holding mechanism 1.
The wire rod S is held by 16 and is moved to the position where the limit switch 250i is turned on and stopped. At this stop position, the hold of the wire rod holding mechanism 116 is released at the same time, and the held wire rod S is supplied to the wire rod next step supply device 118.

As described above, the wire rod separating / supplying apparatus 100 is constructed so that only one wire rod having a desired wire diameter can be reliably separated from the wire rod accommodating portion 104 and supplied to the next step.

Next, referring to FIG. 46, a schematic structure of a control system for controlling the control operation of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 will be described.

[Explanation of Control System] This control system is composed of a control device 266 for executing the control procedure described later, and various sensors and actuators connected thereto. The control device 266 includes an air pressure supply device 268 for generating high pressure air and switching valves 276a to 276 for switching the air pressure supply line for supplying each actuator.
76f, a DC servo motor 180 for moving up and down the gripping width defining plate 172 that defines the gripping width H of the wire rod by the gripping claws 156a, 156a ', a moving frame drive motor 132 for driving the moving frame 110, and a pickup mechanism. An operation panel 278 for inputting at least data D1 to D3 (described later) and for switching each mode of the wire rod separating and supplying device 100, and a wire rod next process supplying device 118 for supplying the wire rod lifted by 106 to the next process. And are connected. This control system is composed of a control device 266 that executes a control procedure described later, and various sensors and actuators connected to the control device 266. The controller 266 includes a first lifting mechanism (rodless cylinder) 154, a chuck driving mechanism 158, a traveling roller projecting mechanism 202, a horizontal driving mechanism (rodless cylinder) 204, a hold pawl driving mechanism body 224, and a hold pawl lifting mechanism. An air pressure supply device 268 for generating high pressure air for driving the mechanism 228, and chucks 156, 15
A gripping width defining plate 17 for defining the gripping width H of the wire rod by 6 '
DC motor 180 for raising and lowering 2 and moving frame drive motor 1 for driving moving frame 110
32, an operation panel 278 for inputting at least data D1 to D3 (described later), and a switching valve 276 are connected.

The air pressure supply device 268 includes a first elevating mechanism (rodless cylinder) 154 as an actuator, a chuck driving mechanism 158, a traveling roller projecting mechanism 202, and a horizontal driving mechanism (rodless cylinder) 20.
4. The hold claw driving mechanism main body 224 and the hold claw lifting mechanism 228 are connected via a pair of supply lines and switching valves 276a to 276 that selectively enable either of the pair of supply lines. .

Further, as the sensors for inputting the detection information to the control device 266, the control device 266 includes a limit switch 250 for detecting the stop position of the moving frame 110 and a wire rod by the holding claws 156a, 156a '. A chuck closing limit detection sensor 270 that detects whether or not the wire is held, and a wire rod hold mechanism 1 that detects the approach of the traveling roller 112 for holding the wire rod that is lifted to a certain height or higher by the movement of the traveling roller 112.
16, the first to third passage detecting sensors 122a to 122c for detecting the approach are connected.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 47 to 54, the control procedure of the control device 266 at the time of separating and supplying the wire will be described.

[Explanation of Control Procedure in Controller 266] First, in order to automatically drive each sensor and actuator by the controller 266, the air pressure supply device 26 is used.
8, the power supply for driving the DC servo motor 180, the moving frame drive motor 132, etc. is made ready to be supplied to them (S10, S12), and the wire rod separating / supplying device 1
00 power on and supply power to them (S1
4) After that, the operation mode is switched to the automatic drive mode via the operation pan 278 so that each sensor and actuator can be automatically driven (S16). If the automatic drive is not selected here, each sensor and actuator can be manually driven through the operation panel 278. If data input for automatic driving is not performed for a certain period of time, the automatic driving process ends (S18). On the other hand, when data input for automatic driving is performed, each sensor and actuator are automatically driven according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

When the operation mode is switched to the automatic drive mode in S16, automatic start is designated through the operation panel 278 (S20), and it is determined whether or not the data D1 to D3 are already set (S22). , If these data D1 to D3 have already been input (Yes in S22), automatic activation is possible on the operation panel 278 (that is, the data D1 to D3 have already been input, and based on these data D1 to D3). The lamp for indicating the execution of the automatic drive is turned on, and FIG.
The respective sensors and actuators are automatically driven according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

Here, the data D1 to D3 input through the operation panel 278 will be described. The data D1 is data indicating which wire rod housing portion 104 holds the wire rod held by the holding mechanism 114 (that is, data indicating which wire rod housing portion 104 is selected from the wire rod housing portions 104a to 104h). The data D2 is data indicating the diameter of the wire rod accommodated in the wire rod accommodation unit 104 indicated by the data D1, and the data D3 is data indicating how many wire rods having the diameter indicated by the data D2 are separated and supplied. . These data make up one data group with the data D1 to D3 as one set, and up to eight groups can be input.

On the other hand, in S22, the data D1 to D3
If it is determined that the data has not been input (including the case where the data has not been input as a group), the data D1 to D3 are prompted to be input (S26 to S30). Hereinafter, data D1 to D
The data input when 3 is not input will be described. When each data is input in the order of data D1, data D2, and data D3, the following is done.

When inputting the data D1, first, the wire rod accommodating portion designation mode is set through the operation panel 278. As a result, when it is determined that eight data D1 have not been input yet (S34), the lamp indicating the input enabled state of the data D1 is turned on on the operation panel 278. And data D
A subroutine for inputting data 1 to D3 or canceling the input is called, and data D1 can be input. This data input operation will be described later.

On the other hand, in S34, the data D1 is already 8
If it is determined that one data has been input, the process returns to S20, and if automatic activation is designated via the operation panel 278, it is again determined whether the data D1 to D3 have already been set as one or more groups of data ( S22), if it is determined that the setting has been made, the lamp indicating that automatic activation is possible is turned on, and then each sensor and actuator are automatically driven according to the flow charts shown in FIGS. 50 to 54 based on the set data D1 to D3.

However, in S22, the data D1 to D
When it is determined that 3 is not set as one or more data groups, the data D1 to D3 are set as the data group, and the data input of the remaining data D1 to D3 is prompted. That is, when only the data D1 is set, it is necessary to set the remaining data D2 and D3 to make this one group of data. This data D2 and D3
Is entered as follows.

When inputting the data D2, the operation panel 2
A wire diameter designation mode is set via 78. As a result, it is determined that eight data D2 have not yet been input (S
36), and the lamp indicating the input enabled state of the data D2 is turned on on the operation panel 278. And the data D1 to D3
A subroutine for inputting data or canceling the input is called, and data D2 can be input. This data input operation will be described later.

On the other hand, in S36, the data D2 is already 8
If it is determined that one data has been input, the process returns to S20, and if automatic activation is designated via the operation panel 278, it is again determined whether the data D1 to D3 have already been set as one or more groups of data ( S22), if it is determined that the setting has been made, the lamp indicating that automatic activation is possible is turned on, and then each sensor and actuator are automatically driven according to the flow charts shown in FIGS. 50 to 54 based on the set data D1 to D3.

However, in S22, the data D1 to D
When it is determined that 3 is not set as one or more data groups, the data D1 to D3 are set as the data group, and the data input of the remaining data D1 to D3 is prompted. That is, when only the data D1 and the data D2 are set, it is necessary to set the remaining data D3 in order to make this a group of data. The input of this data D3 is performed as follows.

When inputting the data D3, the operation panel 2
It is set to the extraction number designation mode via 78. As a result, it is determined that eight data D3 have not yet been input (S
38), and a lamp indicating that the data D3 can be input is turned on on the operation panel 278. And the data D1 to D3
The subroutine for inputting data or canceling the input is called, and the data D3 can be input. This data input operation will be described later.

On the other hand, in S38, the data D3 is already 8
If it is determined that one of the data has been input, the process returns to S20, and when the automatic start start is specified via the operation panel 278, it is again determined whether the data D1 to D3 have already been set as one or more groups of data. (S22), if it is determined that the setting has been made, the lamp indicating that automatic activation is possible is turned on, and then the data shown in FIG.
The respective sensors and actuators are automatically driven according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

However, in S22, the data D1 to D
If it is determined that 3 is not set as one or more data groups, the data D1 to D3 are set as a data group, so that the data inputs of the remaining data D1 to D3 are prompted (however, the data D1, data D2, data When each data is input in the order of D3, one data group is formed at the time of inputting this data D3). In this way, when the data D1 to D3 are input as one data group, it is determined whether or not the next data D1 to D3 is input (S32). If it is determined that no input has been made, the process returns to S20, and if automatic start start is specified via the operation panel 278, the data D1 to D3 have already been set as one data group, so the flowcharts shown in FIGS. Based on this, each sensor and actuator is automatically started.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S32 that the next data is to be input, the process returns to S26 to prompt the input of the data D1 to D3. These data D1 to D3 are input through the operation panel, and the number of inputs is the operation panel 278.
Will be displayed each time. And this input data D1
When correcting D3 to D3, each input data is cleared via the operation panel 278 (S50), and thereafter, the process returns to S46 and the data can be input again. Then, when the data input ends (No in S48), the process returns to S26, and another data input is prompted so that the data D1 to D3 are made into one data group.

As an example, a procedure for setting each data D1 to D3 when separating 99 pieces of a plurality of wire rods having a diameter of 3 mm and accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104a will be described.

First, when the automatic start is designated through the operation panel 278 (S20), since the data D1 to D3 have not been input yet, the data D1 to D3 are ready to be input. First, in order to input the data D1, when the wire rod accommodation section designation mode is set through the operation panel 278 (S26), the data D1 is input for the first time (that is, the data D1 is 8 or less), so that the data D1 can be input. The indicating lamp is turned on. Then, "1" is input through the operation panel 278 (S46).

Here, the wire rod accommodating portions 104a to 104h.
Respectively correspond to 1 to 8, and these can be designated by numbers. Therefore, the wire rod accommodation unit 104
When the wire rod accommodated in h is separately supplied, "8" is input through the operation panel 278 (S46). And
The input data D1 is displayed on the operation panel 278.

Next, in order to input the data D2, the wire diameter designation mode is set through the operation panel 278 (S28).
And the data D2 is input for the first time (that is, the data D2 is 8
Since the number is less than or equal to 1), the lamp indicating that the data D2 can be input is turned on. The diameter of the wire accommodated in the wire accommodating portion 104a indicated by the data D1 via the operation panel 278 is "
3 "is input. The input data D2 is displayed on the operation panel 278.

Next, the data D3 is finally input so that the data D1 to D3 are combined into one data group. That is, in order to input the data D3, when the extraction number designation mode is set through the operation panel 278 (S30), the data D3 is input for the first time (that is, the data D3 is 8 or less).
The lamp indicating that input is possible is turned on. Then, the wire rod accommodating portion 104a indicated by the data D1 is input via the operation panel 278.
"99", which is the number of wire rods to be stored in (1), is input (S44). The input data D3 is displayed on the operation panel 278.

In this way, the data D1 to D3 are 1
Input as one data group. Then, these data D1 to D3 can be input up to 8 groups. The data D1 to D3 are the data D1, the data D2,
Although it has been described that the data D3 is input in this order, the data D1 is not limited to this order and the eight data D1 are input in advance.
It is also possible to continuously input the data D2 and D3 corresponding to each of them later. As described above, the data D1
= 1, data D2 = 3, and data D3 = 99 are set.

Next, the data D1 input as described above
A specific control procedure of the wire feeding / separating operation based on D3 to D3 will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

After setting the data D1 to D3 as one or more data groups as described above, when the automatic start mode is set in S20, the moving frame 110 changes the data D1.
One of the limit switches 250a to 250h corresponding to the wire rod accommodating portion 104 is turned on, and the moving frame drive motor 132 is normally rotated until the ON signal is received to move the moving frame 110 (S52).

At the same time, the DC servo motor 180 is rotated based on the value set in the data D2, and the rotation amount of the DC servo motor 180 is counted by counting the pulses emitted from the encoder attached thereto. Control to a predetermined amount. That is, by rotating the DC servo motor 180 by a predetermined amount and moving the gripping width defining plate 172 up and down, the gripping width H by the chucks 156 and 156 'is defined to be slightly wider than the diameter of the wire indicated by the data D2 ( S52).

The gripping width defining operation of the chucks 156 and 156 'is performed until the moving frame 110 moves to the position corresponding to the wire rod accommodating portion 104 indicated by the data D1. If the grip width defining operation is not completed during the period (that is, the moving frame 110
Even after the stop of), the gripping width defining operation is continuously performed.

When the moving frame 110 is stopped at the position corresponding to the wire rod accommodating portion 104 indicated by the data D1, and the grip width defining operation of the chucks 156 and 156 'is completed (Yes in S54). During this time, the chuck driving mechanism 158 continues to urge the chucks 156 and 156 'in the directions in which they are separated from each other. That is, the gripping width H is defined by the chucks 156 and 156 'contacting the gripping width defining plate 172, and the gripping claws 156a,
The wire 156 can be held by 156a '.

When the switching valve 276b is switched while the chucks 156 and 156 'maintain the gripping width H, the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the first lifting mechanism 154 is switched, and the first lifting mechanism is moved. 154 lowers the gripping mechanism 114 (S58). The chucks 156, 156 'are
The wire rod accommodating portion 10 is moved downward while maintaining the gripping width H.
4 between the wire rods accommodated in the gripping jaws 156a, 156a '.
Will be inserted. In this way, the grip claws 156a,
156a 'is inserted between the wire rods, and the lower edge 178a of the holding plate 178 contacts a plurality of wire rods, or when there is no wire rod in the wire rod accommodating portion 104, the movable range of the first elevating mechanism 154 is adjusted. When it is determined that the lowering of the gripping mechanism 114 has stopped by moving to the lowermost position (Yes in S60), the switching valve 276a is switched and the supply line of the high pressure air supplied to the chuck drive mechanism 158 is switched. Chuck drive mechanism 15
8 urges the chucks 156 and 156 'toward each other, whereby the gripping claws 156a and 156a' grip the wire (S62).

After that, the switching valve 276b is switched to the first
By switching the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the lifting mechanism 154 of the first lifting mechanism 154, the first lifting mechanism 154 operates the gripping mechanism 114 while keeping the state in which the chucks 156 and 156 'are biased toward each other. It moves to the top of the movable range (S64). When the gripping mechanism 114 reaches the uppermost position, it is determined whether or not the chucks 156, 156 'are gripping the wire rod based on a signal from the chuck closing limit detection sensor 270 (S68). That is, when the signal from the chuck closing limit detection sensor 270 changes from on to off, it is determined that the wire is not gripped (N in S68).
o) A retry operation for gripping the wire rod is performed as described later.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S68 that the wire is gripped, that is, if the signal from the chuck closing limit detection sensor 270 remains ON, the switching valve 276c is switched and the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202 is supplied. By switching the supply line of the high-pressure air, the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202 projects between the one end of the wire rod holding the traveling roller 112 and the wire rod housing portion 104 in which the wire rod was housed (S70, S72). ).

Next, by switching the switching valve 276d and switching the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the horizontal drive mechanism 204, the horizontal drive mechanism 204 causes the horizontal roller 11 to move.
2 is moved toward the other end of the wire rod gripped together with the traveling roller protruding mechanism 202 while keeping the state of being protruded by the traveling roller protruding mechanism 202. (S74). As a result, the other end of the gripped wire rod is lifted upward.

When the traveling roller 112 moves toward the other end of the wire and passes through the first porcelain detecting element 123a provided on the way of the traveling path, the first porcelain detecting element 123 is formed.
The signal changes from a to an off signal and is emitted (S
Yes at 76). As a result, the switching valve 276e is switched, and the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the first wire rod holding mechanism 116a is switched, so that the first wire rod holding mechanism 116a can hold the holding claws 220, 220.
It is lowered by the hold claw lifting mechanism 228 from above while keeping ′ open (S78). When it reaches the lowermost position (Yes in S80), the switching valve 276f is switched to switch the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the hold pawl drive mechanism 225, so that the hold pawl drive mechanism 225 causes the hold pawls 220 and 220 '. Are swung in the direction of approaching each other to hold the wire rod that is lifted to a predetermined height or more (S82).

Next, when the traveling roller 112 further travels toward the other end of the wire and passes through the second porcelain detecting element 123b provided on the way of the traveling path, the second porcelain detecting element 1
The signal 23b changes from an off signal to an on signal and is emitted (Yes in S84). As a result, the switching valve 276
By switching e and switching the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the second wire rod holding mechanism 116b,
The wire rod holding mechanism 116b of the
Hold claw lifting mechanism 228 from above with 20 'open
Comes down (S86). When it reaches the lowermost position (Yes in S88), the switching valve 276f is switched to switch the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the hold pawl drive mechanism 225, so that the hold pawl drive mechanism 225 causes the hold pawl 220, 220 '. Are swung in the direction of approaching each other to hold the wire rod that is lifted to a predetermined height or more (S82).

Further, when the traveling roller 112 travels toward the other end of the wire and passes through the third porcelain detecting element 123c provided on the way of the traveling path, the third porcelain detecting element 123 is formed.
c changes from an off signal to an on signal and is emitted (S9
2 Yes). As a result, the switching valve 276e is switched, and the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the third wire rod holding mechanism 116c is switched, so that the third wire rod holding mechanism 116c causes the holding claws 220 and 220 '.
It is lowered by the hold claw lifting mechanism 228 from above while keeping the open (S94). When it reaches the lowermost position (Yes in S96), the switching valve 276f is switched,
By switching the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the hold pawl drive mechanism 225, the hold pawl drive mechanism 22
5 swings the holding claws 220 and 220 'in a direction in which the holding claws 220 and 220' approach each other, and holds the wire rod lifted to a predetermined height or more (S98).

As described above, when the wire rods are held over their entire length by the three wire rod holding mechanisms 116 and the traveling roller 112 reaches the rightmost position of the movable range (Yes in S100), the switching valve 276c is turned on. By switching and switching the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202, the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202 retracts the traveling roller 112, and the wire material that has been gripped and the wire material housing portion 104 in which the wire material was housed. (S102, S104), the switching valve 276a is switched, and the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the chuck driving mechanism 158 is switched, whereby the chuck driving mechanism 158 causes the chucks 156 and 156 'to move to each other. The gripping claw 156 is urged in the direction of separating.
The gripping of the wire rod by a, 156a 'is released (S10).
6). In this state, the wire rod holds the wire rod holding mechanism 116.
Supported above.

After that, by switching the switching valve 276d and switching the supply line of the high pressure air supplied to the horizontal drive mechanism 204, the horizontal drive mechanism 204 causes the horizontal roller 112 to move the traveling roller 112 to its original position (that is, before traveling at S74). Position). Along with this, the moving frame drive motor 1
32 moves the frame 110 to the limit switch 250i
Is turned on, and it is driven in reverse until the ON signal is emitted. When the ON signal is received from the limit switch 250, the moving frame drive motor 132 is stopped (S
Yes at 110), switching the switching valve 276e,
By switching the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the hold pawl drive mechanism 225, the hold pawl drive mechanism 22
5 simultaneously releases the hold of the wire rods by the holding claws 220 and 220 ', that is, swings the holding claws 220 and 220' in a direction in which they are separated from each other (S112).

After that, the changeover valve 276f is changed over, and the supply line of the high-pressure air supplied to the hold pawl elevating mechanism 228 is changed over.
Holds the wire rod holding mechanism 116 by holding claws 220, 22.
0'is kept open and is raised (S114, S11
6).

The released wire rod is placed on the belt of the wire rod subsequent process supply device 118. Then, by driving the wire rod subsequent process supply device 118 for a predetermined time (S118), the belt is rotated and the wire rod is supplied in the Y direction which is the driving direction of the belt. After that, it is determined whether or not the traveling roller 112 is located at the original position (that is, the position before traveling in S74), and if the original position is not reached yet, the traveling roller is continuously moved to the original position ( S121).

As described above, the number of wire rods separated and supplied is counted, and when the count value and the data D3 are compared and it is determined that they match (Yes in S122), the next data D1 to D3 are formed. The presence / absence of a data group is determined (S124).

On the other hand, if it is determined in S122 that the number of wires separately supplied and the data D3 do not match, it means that the specified number of wires has not been separated and supplied yet.
The moving frame 110 is again moved to the wire rod accommodation unit 104 indicated by the data D1 (S128, S130),
Returning to step S58, the same wire rod separating and supplying operation as described above is performed.

Next, if it is determined in S124 that there is no next data group, the automatic drive processing ends (S13).
8, S140). On the other hand, if it is determined that there is the next data, the process returns to S52 again, and the same separate supply operation as described above is performed based on the data group composed of the next data D1 to D3.

[Explanation of Retry Operation] Next, the retry operation performed when it is determined in S68 that the wire is not gripped will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

This retry operation is performed to grip the wire rod when the wire rod is not gripped by the first gripping operation. The retry operation is repeated 4 times in total even when the wire is not gripped by the grip operation of the next retry. That is, the number of times of this retry operation is counted, and when the subroutine (flowchart shown in FIG. 54) in which this retry operation is performed is called, it is first judged whether or not the number of times of retry operation is the fifth time. (S132), if it is determined that the retry operation is the fifth time, the moving frame 110 returns to the initial stop position (position a shown in FIG. 45), and the data display unit 278 lights up a lamp indicating that there is no wire as an error display. (S1
40), the automatic drive is ended (S140). in this case,
The automatic driving may be stopped without terminating the automatic processing, stopping the automatic driving, replenishing the wire rod accommodation unit 104, and then restarting the automatic driving.

On the other hand, the number of retries is 5 in S132.
If it is determined that it is not the first time, the moving frame 110 is moved by a predetermined amount depending on the number of retries. That is, when the number of retries is the first (that is, the second gripping operation performed after the first gripping operation is performed), the moving frame 110 is moved from the first stop position (position a shown in FIG. 45). The wire rod is moved by 20 millimeters toward the next step supply device 118 (that is, the positive direction of X in FIG. 45) (position b shown in FIG. 45) (S144). If the number of retries is the second time,
From the position where the first retry operation is performed, the moving frame is moved by 20 millimeters in the direction opposite to the moving direction at the time of the first retry operation (that is, the negative direction of X in FIG. 45) (S136). That is, the first stop position (a shown in FIG. 45)
Position) becomes the same position. Since the interval between the comb branches 140 adjacent to each other is set to be larger than this moving range, even if the retry operation is performed at the position where the moving frame 110 moves, the data D
Attempts to grip the wire rod accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion 104 indicated by 1.

When the number of retries is the third, the moving frame 11 is moved from the position where the second retry operation is performed.
0 is moved by 20 mm in the same direction as the moving direction at the time of the second retry operation (that is, the negative direction of X in FIG. 45) (S
142). When the number of retries is the fourth, when the number of retries is the fourth, from the position where the third retry operation is performed, the moving frame is moved in the direction opposite to the moving direction at the time of the second and third retry operations ( 45 in the positive direction of X), that is, 20 in the same direction as the moving direction at the time of the first retry operation.
Move millimeters (S136). That is, it becomes the same position as the first stop position.

After the moving frame 110 has moved in this way according to the number of retries, the process returns to S56 described above, and the gripping operation is performed again at each stop position. in this way,
By repeating the gripping operation (retry operation), one end of the wire can be gripped more reliably.

The left and right moving range is not limited to 20 mm, and when the holding mechanism 114 is lowered to perform the holding operation at the position moved by the left and right moving amount, the holding claws 156a, 156a '. May be an amount located within the wire rod accommodation portion 104 specified by the data D1.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the gripping mechanism 114 described above grips the wire by the gripping claws 156a and 156a 'of the chucks 156 and 156', but the present invention has such a structure. However, the present invention is not limited to the above, and can be applied to a case where, for example, a spherical article such as a bearing is gripped one by one and separated from the housing portion thereof.

[0198] Further, the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus 100 of one embodiment
In the above, the pick-up mechanism 106 lifts one end of the wire rod, and the traveling roller 112 moves toward the other end while contacting the lifted wire rod from below, and the wire rod holding mechanism 116 sequentially holds the lifted wire rod. However, if the wire rod is not gripped by the gripping claws 156a, 156a 'while the travel roller 112 is traveling (for example, due to some impact), the travel roller 11
By this 2, the wire is moved in the moving direction. Therefore, even if the wire rod is not gripped by the gripping claws 156a and 156a ', the moving frame 110 on the other end side of the wire rod has the other end to prevent the wire rod from moving. The wire rod separating and supplying device 100 may be configured by providing a stopper that restricts the movement of the traveling roller 112 in the moving direction by abutting against the.
By configuring the wire rod separating / supplying device 100 in this way, it becomes possible to more reliably separate and supply the wire rods.

[0199]

As described in detail above, according to the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus and the wire rod separating and supplying method according to the present invention, even if the wire rods have different wire diameters, the desired wire diameter can be obtained by one device. It became possible to separate the wire rods that they have and feed them to the next step.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view of a wire rod separating and supplying device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a wire rod separating and supplying device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the wire rod separating and supplying device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of the wire rod separating and supplying device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5a is a right side view of the pickup mechanism taken out and described.

FIG. 5b is a rear view of the pickup mechanism taken out and described.

FIG. 6a is a rear view illustrating a chuck taken out and described.

FIG. 6b is a right side view illustrating the chuck taken out and described.

FIG. 6c is a rear view showing gripping of the wire rod by the chuck.

FIG. 6d is a rear view showing the prevention of two wire rods being taken by the chuck.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure of a chuck.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a closed state of the chuck.

FIG. 9a is a rear view of a modification of the chuck according to the embodiment.

FIG. 9b is a right side view of the modified example of the chuck according to the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a modified example of the chuck in one embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a closed state of a modified example of the chuck in one embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a rear view showing a state in which the chuck is attached to the chuck drive mechanism.

FIG. 13 is a rear view showing a state in which the chucks are driven in a direction in which they are close to each other by the chuck drive mechanism shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a grip width defining plate.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the arrangement state of the gripping width defining plate and the chuck taken out.

16 is a perspective view showing a state in which a holding plate is attached to the grip regulating plate shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a configuration below the gripping mechanism shown in FIG. 15 before the gripping mechanism is lowered; a positional relationship between a wire rod accommodating portion accommodating a wire rod gripped by the gripping mechanism and a wire rod accommodated therein; It is a rear view which shows the upper surface of the wire rod accommodated in the wire rod accommodation part.

FIG. 18 is a rear view showing the action of the grip claws and the action of the holding plate when the gripping mechanism having the positional relationship shown in FIG. 17 is lowered.

FIG. 19 is a rear view showing the positional relationship between the configuration below the gripping mechanism shown in FIG. 18 and the wire rod accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion when the gripping mechanism grips the wire rod and moves up.

FIG. 20a is a rear view showing a state where the gripping width of the chuck is defined by the gripping width defining plate.

FIG. 20b is a rear view showing a state in which the gripping width of the chuck is defined by the gripping width defining plate and the chucking height of the chuck is changed by the holding plate.

FIG. 20c is a rear view showing the relationship between the grip height and the grip width.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing the structure of a traveling roller.

FIG. 22a is a front view showing the structure of a traveling roller.

FIG. 22b is a front view showing a state where the traveling roller lifts the other end of the wire.

FIG. 23 is a right side view showing the configuration of a traveling roller.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing a state where a traveling roller protruding mechanism is attached to the traveling roller and the traveling roller is protruded by the traveling roller protruding mechanism.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a D state in which the traveling roller is retracted by the traveling roller protruding mechanism.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing the structure of a hold pawl drive mechanism with the hold pawl attached thereto.

FIG. 27 is a front view showing a state where the hold claws are swung in a direction in which they approach each other by the hold claw drive mechanism.

FIG. 28 is a front view showing a state in which the hold claws are swung in a direction in which they are separated from each other by a hold claw drive mechanism.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view showing a state in which a hold pawl elevating mechanism is attached to the hold pawl drive mechanism, and the hold pawl drive mechanism is lowered.

FIG. 30 is a diagram showing a standby state for holding the wire rod by the hold claws.

FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a state in which the wire is held down by a holding claw and is lowered.

FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a state where a wire rod is held by a hold claw.

FIG. 33 is a view showing a state before gripping the wire rod accommodated in the wire rod accommodating portion by the grip claws.

FIG. 34 is a view showing a state where the pickup mechanism is lowered by the first elevating mechanism and the grip claws are inserted into the wire rod accommodating portion.

FIG. 35 is a view showing the first state after the wire is gripped by the grip claws.
It is a figure which shows the state which raised the pick-up mechanism by the raising / lowering mechanism of FIG.

FIG. 36 is a diagram showing a state in which a traveling roller protruding from below a wire rod whose one end is grasped by a grasping claw moves in the Y direction while contacting the traveling roller;

FIG. 37 is a diagram showing a state where the wire rod lifted by the traveling roller to a certain height or more after being passed through the first passage detection sensor is held by the first wire rod holding mechanism.

FIG. 38 is a diagram showing a state in which the wire rod lifted by the traveling roller to a certain height or more after being passed by the second passage detection sensor is held by the second wire rod holding mechanism.

FIG. 39 is a view showing a state where the wire rod lifted by the traveling roller to a certain height or more after being passed by the third passage detection sensor is held by the third wire rod holding mechanism.

FIG. 40 is a diagram showing a state of the wire rod supported by the first to third wire rod holding mechanisms after the traveling roller is retracted and the grip by the grip claw is released.

FIG. 41 is a diagram showing a configuration of a wire rod support portion.

FIG. 42 is a diagram showing a configuration of a stop position guide plate and a mounting position of a limit switch.

FIG. 43 is a view showing an attached state of the chain attached along the recessed portion of the wire rod support portion.

FIG. 44 is a diagram showing a moving direction of the wire rod during a wire rod gripping operation by holding the wire rod by a chain.

FIG. 45 is a diagram showing a position of a moving frame (grasping mechanism) when performing a retry operation.

FIG. 46 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of this wire rod separating and supplying apparatus.

FIG. 47 is a flowchart showing a procedure for performing initial setting for automatically controlling this wire rod separating and supplying device.

FIG. 48 is a flowchart showing a procedure for inputting data for automatically controlling this wire rod separating and supplying device.

FIG. 49 is a flowchart showing, as a subroutine, a procedure for inputting data for automatic control of the wire rod separating and supplying apparatus and correcting the input.

FIG. 50 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for performing a separate supply operation based on input data.

FIG. 51 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for performing a separate supply operation based on input data.

FIG. 52 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for performing a separate supply operation based on input data.

FIG. 53 is a flow chart showing a control procedure for performing a separate supply operation based on input data.

FIG. 54 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the retry operation as a subroutine.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 wire rod separation and supply device 102 base 102a base surface 102b base surface configuration frame 104 wire rod housings 104a, 104b, 104c, 104d, 104e,
104f, 104g, 104h Wire rod accommodating portion 104a Wire rod supporting portion 106 Pickup mechanism 108 Slide lifting mechanism 110 Moving frame 110a Moving frame constituting frame 112 Traveling roller 114 Grasping mechanism 116 Wire rod holding mechanism 116a First wire rod holding mechanism 116b Second wire rod holding Mechanism 116c Third wire rod holding mechanism 118 Wire rod next process supply device 118 Endless belt 120 Moving frame drive mechanism 121 Permanent magnet 122 Pass sensor 123 Porcelain detection element 123a First porcelain detection element 123b Second porcelain detection element 123c Third Porcelain detection element 124 Moving frame guide 126 Leg portion 128 Housing supporting frame 130 Motor supporting frame 132 Moving frame drive motor 132a Driving sprocket 133 Transfer Moving frame drive chain 134 First reinforcing member 135 Driven sprocket 136 Second reinforcing member 138 Recessed portions 138a, 138b, 138c, 138d, 138e,
138f, 138g, 138h Recessed portion 140 Comb branch portion 142 Main frame 144 Main frame support leg 145 Inner side surface 146 Moving frame Running roller 150 Running roller guide 152 Wire rod holding mechanism mounting frame 154 First lifting mechanism 156, 156 'Chuck 156a, 156a 'gripping claws 156a1, 156a'1 gripping surface (inner side surface) 156a2, 156a'2 outer side surface 156a3, 156a'3 tip portion 156b, 156b' gripping claw support portion 156b1, 156b'1 inner side surface 156b2, 156b'2 outside Side surface 156b3, 156b'3 Through hole 156b4, 156b'4 Screw head fitting hole 156c, 156c 'Gripping width defining member 156c1, 156c'1 Inner side surface 156c2, 156c'2 Gripping width defining surface (outer surface) 156c3 156c'31156 chuck 1156a, 1156a 'gripping claw 1156a1, 1156a'1 gripping surface (inner side) 1156a2, 1156a'2 outer side surface 1156a3, 1156a'3 tip 1156a4, 1156a'4 wire rod locking claw 1156b, 1156b' gripping claw Support portion 1156b1, 1156b'1 inner side surface 1156b2, 1156b'2 outer side surface 1156b3, 1156b'3 through hole 1156c, 1156c 'gripping width regulating member 1156c1, 1156c'1 inner side surface 1156c2, 1156c'2 gripping width regulating surface (outer surface) ) 1156c3, 1156c'3 158 chuck driving mechanism 160 gripping width defining mechanism 164 gripping mechanism supporting frame 164a step 166 gripping width defining member 168 chuck mounting portion 168a, 168a ' Surface 170 Chuck drive mechanism main body 170a Air cylinder 170b Piston rod 170c Link mechanism 170d First air supply port 170e Second air supply port 172 Gripping width regulating plate 172a Step 174 Second lifting mechanism 176, 176 'First taper Surface 176a Recess 178 Presser plate 178a Lower edge 180 DC servo motor 181 Motor rotating shaft 182 Ball screw 184 Ball nut 186 Motor mount 188 Spacer 190 Coupling 192 Rotating shaft 194 Guide rail 196 Guide member 198 Second guide member 200 Second Guide rail 202 Traveling roller protruding mechanism 204 Horizontal drive mechanism (rodless cylinder) 206 Roller support base 208 Roller rotation shaft 210 Wire rod contact groove 212 Piston rod 214 Gas Drod 216 Stay 217 Base 218 Guide rail 220 Hold claw 222 Hold claw mounting part 224 Hold claw drive mechanism body 225 Hold claw drive mechanism 226 Spacer 228 Hold claw lift mechanism 230 Piston rod 231 Guide rod 232 Wire rod hold space 234 V-shaped groove 236 Wire rod accommodating part support 238 V-shaped groove 240 Front wall 242 Rear wall 246 Bracket 246a Chain mounting part 248 Chain 250 Limit switch Limit switch 250a, 250b, 250c, 2
50d, 250e, 250f, 250g, 250h (limit switch for detecting the stop position of the moving frame 110) 252 Stop position guide plate 254 Horizontal drive mechanism mounting frame 256 Chuck closing detection sensor 266 Control device (CPU) 268 Air pressure supply Device 269 Traveling roller approach detection sensor 276 Switching valve 276a Switching valve (switching valve for opening / closing the chuck drive mechanism 158) 276b Switching valve (switching valve for driving the gripping mechanism 114 up and down by the first lifting mechanism 154) 276c switching valve (switching valve for projecting and retracting the traveling roller 112 by the traveling roller projecting mechanism 202) 276d switching valve (switching valve for horizontally driving the traveling roller 112 by the horizontal driving mechanism 204) 276e switching valve ( Rudo switching valve for opening and closing the hold claw 220, 220 'by the claw mounting part driving mechanism) 276f switching valve (switching valve for vertically driving the wire holding mechanism 116 by the holding pawl lifting mechanism 228) 278 Operation panel

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A base, accommodating means disposed on the base and accommodating a plurality of wire rods extending in one direction, and extending in the one direction, the base A moving frame supported movably along a direction intersecting with the one direction, and holding one end of one wire rod from a plurality of wire rods attached to the moving frame and accommodated in the accommodating means. A pickup means for lifting the gripped one end from the accommodating means, and one end of the wire rod picked up by the pick-up means and the accommodating means slidably attached to the moving frame along the one direction A slide holder that protrudes in between and slides toward the other end of the wire along the one direction to lift the other end of the picked up wire from the accommodating means. Lifting means, feeding means for receiving the wire rods separated upward from the housing means by the pickup means and the slide lifting means one by one, and feeding them to the next step, and the moving frame with the housing means and the feeding means. And a drive means for reciprocating between them. 2. The wire rod separating / supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the housing means comprises a plurality of housing parts for housing wire rods classified according to wire diameters. 3. The wire rod separating / supplying device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of accommodating portions are arranged along a moving direction of the moving frame. 4. A wire rod separating / feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said feeding means carries out the wire rod received here along said one direction and feeds it to the next step. 5. The slide lifting means comprises a linear slide driving means attached to a lower surface of a portion of the moving frame extending along the one direction, and one end of the wire rod picked up by the pickup means. And a protruding means which is disposed at a lower height position and which is reciprocally moved by the linear slide driving means between positions corresponding to one end and the other end of the wire rod accommodated in the accommodating means, respectively. 2. The wire rod separating device according to claim 1, further comprising: a support roller that is driven to project from a retracted position retracted from the wire rod picked up by the pickup means to a projecting position located immediately below the wire rod. Supply device. 6. The wire rod separating / supplying device according to claim 5, wherein the linear slide driving means includes a rodless cylinder which is pneumatically driven. 7. The wire rod separating and supplying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the support roller is rotatably attached to a drive shaft of the projecting means. 8. The projecting means projects the support roller to the projecting position after one end of the wire is lifted by the pick-up means, and the lower part of the other end of the wire is driven by the linear slide drive means. The wire rod separating / supplying device according to claim 5, wherein the wire rod separating / supplying device is held at the protruding position until it is slid to. 9. The wire rod separating / supplying device according to claim 1, wherein a holding means for holding the lower portion of the wire rod lifted by the slide lifting means is attached to the moving frame. 10. The holding means comprises a plurality of holding portions arranged along the one direction.
The wire rod separating and supplying device described in. 11. The slide lifting means comprises a linear slide driving means attached to a lower surface of a portion of the moving frame extending along the one direction, and one end of the wire rod picked up by the pickup means. And a protruding means which is disposed at a lower height position and which is reciprocally moved by the linear slide driving means between positions corresponding to one end and the other end of the wire rod accommodated in the accommodating means, respectively. 11. The wire rod separating device according to claim 10, further comprising: a support roller that is driven to project from a retracted position retracted from the wire rod picked up by the pickup means to a projecting position located immediately below the wire rod. Supply device. 12. The plurality of holding portions are configured to sequentially hold the lower portions of the portions of the wire rod lifted by the support rollers immediately after the support rollers have passed by the linear slide drive means. 11. The method according to claim 11,
The wire rod separating and supplying device described in. 13. The projecting means projects the supporting roller to the projecting position after one end of the wire is lifted by the pickup means, and the lower part of the other end of the wire is driven by the linear slide drive means. The wire rod separating / supplying device according to claim 12, wherein the wire rod is pulled back to the retracted position when the wire rod is held at the protruding position until it is slid and moved to a lower portion of the other end of the wire rod. 14. A gripping step of gripping one end of one wire among a plurality of accommodated wire rods, a pickup step of lifting one end of the gripped wire, and a step of lowering one end of the picked up wire. A supporting roller protruding toward the other end of the wire rod and moving the supporting roller toward the other end of the wire rod to lift the other end of the wire rod; And a transport step of transporting the removed wire rod to a supply position. 15. In the slide lifting step, when the support roller is moved from one end portion to the other end portion of the wire rod, the support roller passes each time the support roller moves by a predetermined distance. 15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising a holding step of sequentially holding the portions of the wire.
The method for separating and supplying wire according to [4]. 16. The gripping step comprises selecting, from a plurality of housings, a housing containing a designated linear wire and holding one wire from the selected housing. 15. The wire rod separating and supplying method according to claim 14.