United States Patent [19] [in Patent Number: 4,896,086
Miyahara et al. [45] Date of Patent: Jan. 23,1990
[54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
POSITIONING WORKPIECE TO PALLET IN
WORKING LINE
[75] Inventors: Masakazu Miyahara, Hiroshima;
Kazuo Oda, Higasnihkoshima;
Tomoyuki Nozaki, Hiroshima, all of
Japan
[73] Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation,
Hiroshima, Japan
[21] Appl. No.: 225,789
[22] Filed: Jul. 29,1988
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Jul. 31, 1987 [JP] Japan 62-193518
[51] Int. CIS .'. G05B 19/18
[52] U.S. CI 318/568.1; 318/567;
364/474.34; 364/513; 414/591; 414/676; 269/20; 269/56; 269/309; 29/563; 198/465.1;
198/345
[58] Field of Search 318/565-574,
318/603, 640; 901/7, 15, 41; 364/513,481, 489, 579, 474, 191, 474.34; 414/221, 222, 280, 282, 661,676,677,749; 198/345, 339.1, 346.1, 346.2, 465.1, 465.2, 493; 29/563; 269/309, 20, 56
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,143,868 3/1979 Bergman 269/20
4,149,620 4/1979 Rosensweig 198/345
4,239,445 12/1980 Ozawa 269/56 X
4,298,307 11/1981 Bergman 269/20 X
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
59-120685 8/1984 Japan .
Primary Examiner—William M. Snoop, Jr.
Assistant Examiner—Paul Ip
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fleit, Jacobson, Cohn, Price,
Holm an & Stern
[57] ABSTRACT
A method and an apparatus for positioning a workpiece to a pallet on a working line. The line transports plural kinds of workpieces. Plural positioning pins are provided at various locations on each pallet to enable all the plural kinds of the workpieces to be carried by the pallets. Each positioning pin has a set position and a reset position. All positioning pins are first reset to the reset position. Thereafter, a selected positioning pin is set to the set position to accommodate a particular kind of workpiece. The positioning of the workpiece is accomplished by fitting a positioning hole defined by the selected workpiece onto the selected positioning pin.
11 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
