Abstract: A method and apparatus for routing a plurality of plates of predetermined size through at least one precision processing station for accurately and economically performing machining functions or the like on the plates. Aligned group of plates are presented to an input end of the apparatus by fork lift trucks and after processing the group of plates, the process plates are aligned, and removed from the apparatus by fork lift trucks or the like thereby greatly reducing labor costs and providing a more accurately machined product.

Abstract: Bottles are conveyed by a pair of side gripping belts, either neck leading or base leading in a direction parallel to an axis extending through the neck and the base of the bottle. In the path of the bottle and upstream therefrom is positioned a split ramp, inclined upward relative to the direction of travel. The split ramps interfere with the forward travel of a base leading bottle and cooperates with the gripping belts to cause the neck of the bottle to raise arcuately so as to orient the bottle to a standing position, on its base. Moving belts are disposed between the split ramp. The split ramp allows passage of part of a bottle conveyed in neck leading position such that the moving belts interfere with the forward travel of the neck leading bottle and cause the neck of the bottle to change its direction of travel to an arcuate, upward direction for orienting the bottle to a standing position, on its base.

Abstract: A product turning device suitable for direct mounting in a conveyor stream includes a first driven input roller which applies an accelerating force to the product as it enters the turner and which has a knurl at one end to slightly skew the product into the turning motion, and a transfer roller with a multi-beveled knurl which moves transversely against the side of the product and contacts its bottom surface to accomplish the turn. A series of guide bumpers and a guide bracket maintain alignment of the product as the input roller skews the product, and the transfer roller turns it.

Abstract: A device for positioning tires comprises a station to which the tires are separately conveyed while laid flat on a driven conveyor and at which the tires are aligned with respect to a plane set at right angles to the conveyor by means of adjustable or displaceable stops and are thereupon exposed to a treatment, processing or measuring operation. So that the tire in question may be placed in rotation without a complementary driving system, the station has arranged thereat at least one liftable and lowerable support member eccentrically positioned with respect to the aligned tire, which may be placed in contact with the downwardly directed tire sidewall by being lifted, in order to tilt the tire to one side. The tire placed in the tilted position and secured against being moved away rests on the conveyor in the area of its lowest point and is placed in rotation by said conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for positioning or orienting a hand of tubes, or the like, includes clamp arms for clamping the hand while on a conveyor, a fluid activated ram for raising the hand, inverting it 180.degree., lowering it back onto the conveyor, and releasing the clamp arms. The device may also be tilted while in elevated position so that the clamp arms and hand avoid contact with personnel during inversion.

Abstract: A mechanism for rotating about a vertical axis generally flat-bottomed objects which are moving along the working surface of a conveyor system, the mechanism including at least three rollers which are rotatable about horizontal axes and which are oriented so as to be tangent to the circumference of a circle which is concentric with the vertical axis, a support frame for moving the rollers into an active positioning above the working surface of the conveyor system and downwardly to an inactive positioning therebelow, and a belt drive system for rotating all of the rollers in the same direction with respect to the circumference of the circle.

Abstract: The board turner apparatus and method is capable of turning a board over several times for repeated inspection of both sides of such board for more accurate grading of such board before allowing the board to be conveyed forward past a retractable stop. The retractable stop means when extended above the conveyor engages the leading edge of the board at a fixed stop position along a conveyor means and keeps the board from advancing along the conveyor means until such stop means is retracted. The board inverter means includes a plurality of curved turner arms which pivot about the axis of a common support shaft between a lowered position below the upper surface of the conveyor and a raised position above such upper conveyor surface.

Abstract: Cooking apparatus and method for preparing meats to suit individual tastes of different consumers. The meat is subjected to electric current heating to cook the meat and to radiant broiling to char its surface. The cooking current passing through the meat is regulated in response to a comparison of an input corresponding to the desired degree of cooking and an indication of the interior temperature of the meat as it is being cooked. The apparatus and method are particularly suited to handle effectively a variety of individual orders at substantially the same time.

Abstract: Printed circuit boards which are to be tin-plated pass through a liquid application station in a horizontal direction, and thereafter through an activation station for the activation of the applied liquid. Then the printed circuit boards arrive at a receiver element of substantially U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, which subsequently is pivoted about a horizontal pivot shaft, out of a horizontal take-up position into a vertical transfer position. During this pivotal movement the printed circuit board bears upon a support element or part which supports the printed circuit board. By means of grippers the printed circuit board, previously brought by the receiver element into a vertical position, is immersed in vertical position into a solder bath. After a certain residence time the printed circuit board is inserted by the gripper into a further receiver element likewise having a U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, this receiver element being located in a vertical receiving position.

Abstract: A rod-shaped material is reciprocated along a conveyance line while being supported by a plurality of rollers. The material is allowed to pass through a rolling device disposed in the middle of the conveyance line a number of times for rolling operation during reciprocation or conveyance. A pair of rotating devices are disposed on both sides of the rolling device for varying the rolling angle of the material so that a desired rolling may be effected to the material.

Abstract: A sorting method and apparatus for sorting steel products such as bars, rods, shapes and tubular products which are delivered in a random manner, according to the ordered lengths, sizes and so forth. The steel products are made to stay on a sorting apparatus temporarily. Then, pieces of products of the same class are successively selected and forwarded to a bundling bed from the sorting apparatus, while the latter receives a new piece of steel products. This operation is repeated for successive classes to sort the steel products into a plurality of classes having different ordered lengths, sizes or other sorting condition. The sorting apparatus has a vertically movable sorting roller table and a sorting truck arranged in a side-by-side relation to the sorting roller table and movable in the direction normal to the direction of movement of the steel products.

Abstract: A device for arranging in order a random supply of articles including a plurality of article orientating members movable relatively to each other. The members are spaced so that the articles, when orientated, can drop between the members. The members may comprise intercalating elongate blades, alternate blades being arranged to move in unison relative to intermediate blades and may be provided for conveying the orientated articles from between the blades to a receiving station.

Abstract: Apparatus for turning an elongated billet on a mill table about its longitudinal axis without displacing it laterally of the table comprises a U-shaped billet rotating head mounted on a car movable below the mill table transversely thereof. Means are provided for simultaneously rotating the billet-turning head and moving the car in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the billet rotating head.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for handling a succession of horizontally oriented bagged products, such as potato chips, arriving at the apparatus after a bagging operation. The apparatus includes a detection mechanism for detecting the arrival of each bag, upon which event the apparatus is activated. A series of flipper arms then move from a retracted position to contact the arrived bag and flip it upward and forward, to a substantially vertical orientation, after which the flipper arms retract and are repositioned below the bag-receiving surface, so as not to interfere with any incoming bag. A take-off belt is provided, and is synchronized with the flipper operation, so as to advance it an appropriate distance during part of the motion cycle of the flipper arms. This permits assembly of a column of vertically oriented bags, each in contact with the next. The operator can then remove the column of bags and easily transfer them to a packing carton.

Abstract: An improved fully mechanized sawmill is provided which is composed of structurally independent modules which are removably mounted on a platform composed of a plurality of side-by-side longerons supported horizontally on files of spaced-apart vertical piers and columns. The longerons provide horizontal stress support for the platform along the files of piers and columns perpendicularly to the cutting axis of the sawmill, and the modules mounted thereon provide horizontal stress support for the platform along the ranks of the piers and columns parallel to the cutting axis. In addition, improved mechanisms and techniques are provided for handling and selecting the sawlogs to be cut, for selecting and distributing the pieces cut therefrom according to shape and utility, and for stacking and handling the distributed pieces at preselected locations according to shape and utility. In particular, the stacker assembly comprises a plurality of lifting arms fixedly positioned at one end on a rotatable cross-bar.

Abstract: A method of disposing a bar of rectangular cross-section includes firstly placing the bar on a first substantially cylindrical surface which is connected to a second cylindrical surface along a common generatrix. Two tangential planes along the generatrix form a dihedral angle, preferably 145.degree.. The first surface is then tilted to cause the bar to slide toward the common generatrix until it abuts against the apex of the dihedral angle. The tilt is increased until the bar either slides or tips onto the second surface. Thereafter, the bar, which rests on the second surface on one of its wider sides, is collected. An apparatus for carrying out the method includes at least two substantially cylindrical surfaces connected along a common generatrix. Two tangential planes along the generatrix form a dihedral angle, preferably 145.degree.. The cylindrical surfaces are formed on the edges of at least two rotatable members of cruciform shape.

Abstract: A timber stacking assembly having at least one elongated lifting arm, means for moving said lifting arm from a first position to a second position, a stacking foot element associated with said lifting arm adjacent one end thereof, means for pivotally mounting said stacking foot element with respect to said lifting arm, and latching means associated with said stacking foot element for locking said stacking foot element against pivoting movement when said lifting arm is in said first position and for unlocking said stacking foot element for pivoting movement when said lifting arm is in said second position.

Abstract: A cooling bed device is provided for straight-edged rolled material, such as billets, for example, for simultaneously conveying and turning the billets over the bed. This is achieved by a dual rake arrangement for engaging and moving the billets with a stationary rake cooperating with a movable rake. The movable rake is arranged to have a circular movement in a path parallel with the stationary rake. The teeth of both rakes are arranged to have the angle of inclination from horizontal of the rising flanks and falling flanks the same for both rakes, with the rising flanks of both having a steeper incline than the falling flanks. Moreover, adjacent teeth in the stationary rake form angles of about 90.degree. with each other, and adjacent teeth in the movable rake are spaced from each to form horizontal bearing surfaces wider than the longest straight edge of a billet to be handled.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for upending a work piece is disclosed which achieves a greater driving torque during the early portion of the actuation thereof. The apparatus consists of a base member supporting a first and second horizontal pivot shafts which are mutually parallel and spaced from one another. A carriage member is pivotally mounted on the first shaft, having a first end of a lever arm mounted thereto and a second end located proximate to the second pivot shaft. A linear driving means has a housing with a first end proximate to the lever arm pivotally mounted on the second pivot shaft. The housing contains a linear driving member having a force transmitting end pivotally connected to the second end of the lever arm. The housing rotates about the second pivot shaft during the early portion of the actuation of the linear driving means. In this manner, a greater torque may be applied to the carriage by the linear driving means during the early portion of the actuation thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for orienting a flat workpiece has upper and lower hubs rotatable on a support about respective spaced-apart upper and lower rotation axes. Respective radially extending elongated upper and lower arms are mounted on the upper and lower hubs and carry respective upper and lower levers pivotal on these arms about respective upper and lower pivot axes parallel to the upper and lower arms at locations thereon spaced from the upper and lower rotation axes. Respective upper and lower workpiece-engaging needles are mounted on the upper and lower levers at substantially like spacings from the upper and lower rotation axes. Each lever is pivotal between an operative position with the respective needle engageable with the workpiece and an inoperative position unengageable with the workpiece and can be locked in the operative position by locking means.

Abstract: A longitudinal lumber conveyor has sets of transverse tooth wheels aligned on each side of the axis of the conveyor. The tooth wheels are mounted on a lifting frame which may be lifted above the conveyor transport plane to rotate pieces of lumber thereon. After the pieces of lumber have been inspected the lifting frame and tooth wheels thereon are lowered and the pieces of lumber are then conveyed to the next processing station.

Abstract: Apparatus for rotating a billet. A frame presents an upwardly facing surface to support a billet, the surface having a slope so that the rectangular billet presents a surface which slopes toward an operator for the purpose of grinding and the like. The frame supports a plurality of lift arms having L-shaped ends which are adapted to engage a corner of a billet and lift the billet to cradle it for corner grinding and then to lower the billet to present a new surface for grinding. The frame also carries a plurality of clamp arms for engaging one side of a billet and pushing it against an abutment projecting above the surface of the frame to clamp it there during the grinding operation. The frame also supports a plurality of eject arms mounted on a common shaft for discharging a billet from the frame.

Abstract: An apparatus receives case blanks in a given faced orientation within an upright stack and delivers the blanks in shingled arrangement in reverse faced orientation. Two forks are pivoted about a common pivotal axis and move independent of one another, in response to a control system, to upset the upright stack and establish the shingled arrangement and reverse faced orientation.

Abstract: An improved assembly for aligning elongate pieces of wood such as cants on a roller conveyor and for rotating them about their lengthwise axes includes a plurality of kicker arms extending radially from a rotatable shaft up between the rollers of the conveyor, so that rotation of the shaft allows the kicker arms to press a cant against a guide plate extending along one side of the conveyor surface. A plurality of pusher arms slidingly mounted on the kicker arms and extendable to engage a lower corner of the cant to rotate the same.