AUTOMATIC FEEDING/DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR WORKPIECE HOUSING CONTAINER

摘要

PURPOSE:To enable the storage of containers at a returning position and the lowering of these containers to a taking in/out place by means of the same lifting device and simplify structure by forming a second lifting device with hooks which can be engaged/disengaged with the bottom part of a container and which make specific movement. CONSTITUTION:Hooks 10e which can be engaged/disengaged with the bottom part of a container W are liftable up and down between the lifting end position on the upper part of a returning place 5 and the lowering end position on the lower part of a taking in/out place 2 and between the lifting end position and an intermediate position a little lower part of the returning place 5, forming a second lifting device 10 which lowers containers W which are mounted on the returning place 5 to the taking in/out place 2. By the action of these hooks 10e, emptied containers W of a first container group are stored in a stacked condition in stages on the upper part of the returning place 5. Then, as the whole containers W of the first container group are collected on the returning place 5, the hooks 10e are lowered to the lowering end position to return the first container group to the taking in/out place 2. On the other hand, the container on the topmost stage of a second container group is lifted and positioned on a take-out place to start the taking out of workpieces from the second container group.