Abstract: A work machine comprising a work head configured to hold an electrical component having multiple lead terminals; a moving device configured to move the work head in the up-down direction; an imaging device configured to image the electrical component held with work head while being illuminated from the side; and a control device configured to control the operation of the work head and the moving device; wherein the control device calculates the inclination of an electrical component held by the work head based on imaging data of lead terminals of the electrical component imaged by the imaging device while the work head is moved in the up-down direction by the moving device, so that the mounting work of the electrical component is performed by taking the calculated inclination into account.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for forming a metal container including one or more devices that are electronically coordinated to perform operations of local and/or extensive deformation over metal containers and one or more interface devices (12) wherein the motion among the devices is accomplished in an indirect way through elements adapted to coordinate and synchronize these same devices.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for transferring a cylindrical coil suspended on a first stem projecting horizontally from a first base to a remotely positioned and axially aligned second stem projecting horizontally from a second base. The system comprises a track extending between the first and second stems, a carriage movable along the track, and a conveyor on the carriage, with a receiving end and a delivery end. The carriage is movable along the track to a first location at which the receiving end of the conveyor underlies the coil suspended from the first stem. The conveyor is vertically adjustable from a lowered position spaced beneath the coil to an elevated position at which the coil is lifted from the first stem and supported on the receiving end of said conveyor, with the conveyor then being operable to shift the coil to a position supported on the conveyor delivery end.

Abstract: In a transfer system, transport beams are displaced in three types of motions, i.e. toward each other, along a longitudinal extension thereof for advancement, and up and down. Two of these types of motions are triggered by a double-function motor. Such a double-function motor includes a shaft, which simultaneously rotates and displaces back and forth in linear fashion along the longitudinal extension thereof.

Abstract: A sorting machine comprising propulsion devices installed on ground and at least a train of interconnected carriages provided with supporting wheels including electrical alternators to supply electrical power onboard. The alternators are housed within the wheels which comprise a fixed inner ring bearing stator windings made integral with a fork supporting the wheel and a rotative outer ring hosting permanent magnets and spinning around a shaft in front of the windings. The generator wheels, when driven by the sorting machine motion, supply small contributions of electrical power which are added up into the electrical distribution bus, a cable that is common to all the interconnected carriages of the sorting machine. Small contributions add up to several kw of power amount available and the carriage servos are able to take advantage of the available power to activate the belt units in order to load parcels and sort to destinations.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for transferring a cylindrical coil suspended on a first stem projecting horizontally from a first base to a remotely positioned and axially aligned second stem projecting horizontally from a second base. The system comprises a track extending between the first and second stems, a carriage movable along the track, and a conveyor on the carriage, with a receiving end and a delivery end. The carriage is movable along the track to a first location at which the receiving end of the conveyor underlies the coil suspended from the first stem. The conveyor is vertically adjustable from a lowered position spaced beneath the coil to an elevated position at which the coil is lifted from the first stem and supported on the receiving end of said conveyor, with the conveyor then being operable to shift the coil to a position supported on the conveyor delivery end.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot includes a housing mounted on a track and controllable to move along the track and to stop at each selected location, two side covers pivotally mounted on the left and right sides of the housing and movable by a respective driving motor to close/open the left or right side of the housing, and a mechanism controllable to move a material carrier horizontally leftwards or rightwards to the outside of the housing after opening of the left-sided or right-sided side cover.

Abstract: A sorting system for sorting bulk goods is disclosed. A plurality of sorter elements are guided in a contactless manner along a horizontal track of a stationary guideway. The sorter elements being driven in a contactless manner in the direction of transport. One bulk good is transported on each sorter element, either on one at a time or resting on several sorter elements, from a loading point to an unloading point, where it is loaded and/or unloaded transversally to the direction of transport. The sorter elements carry the load in a suspended manner.

Abstract: A component mounting apparatus and a component mounting method which improve accuracy and a rate of placement of components onto a circuit-formed member. A component sucked by a suction nozzle is recognized at a component recognizing position, a deviation of the component from a normal suction status is determined on the basis of component recognition information obtained from this recognition of the component, and a velocity of conveyance of the component for a period of time following the recognition of the component and preceding placement of the component is controlled on basis of a magnitude of the deviation. By this control, the accuracy and rate of placement of components onto the circuit-formed member can be improved.

Abstract: A conveying device (1) with change of direction for conveying stock, preferably on pallets (2), along a first conveying line (3) and along a second conveying line (4) oriented in a different direction, and with a transferring system for transferring the pallets from the first to the second conveying line. The transferring system is provided in the form of a driven linear conveying track (5) for receiving the pallet(s) (2) from the first conveying line (3), for linearly advancing it/them on the linear conveying track and for transferring the pallet(s) to the second conveying line (4). The linear conveying track can swivel around an essentially vertical axis (7) between the first and the second conveying line via a driven swivel device (6). The vertical axis is located outside of the conveying track center (m) of the linear conveying track (5).

Abstract: A multi-direction transfer conveyor for off-loading a stack of paper from a first work station or conveyor, rotating the stack 90 degrees left or right and aligning the stack with a second conveyor, for example. Guide components which may be ball casters are provided on a bottom surface of the transfer conveyor cart to move within U-shaped channels that together form an L-shaped or U-shaped track. Drive wheels actuate the transfer conveyor to move along and/or relative to the shaped track. By suitable motor control and/or suitably placed or actuated stops and guide structures, travel of the guide components down the shaped track is controlled to cause the cart to rotate and align with the respective conveyors.

Abstract: An assembly verification test uses a sliding cart to transport work-in-process units from an assembly facility to a test area. The cart has a generally square frame with multiple vertical and horizontal frame members. The front end of the cart has wheels that engage the floor. The rearward end of the cart has wheels that are vertically offset from the front wheels and ride along a chassis of the test station that is located above the floor. The upper end of the cart has guide rails for slidably receiving work unit trays from assembly and offloading the trays to the test area. The wheels allow the cart to move laterally from side to side along the length of the test area so that the cart may be easily repositioned in front of any of the test slots.

Abstract: An electronic component transferring apparatus for transferring electronic components, including at least one movable member, a movable-member moving device which moves the movable member, a rotary head which is supported by the movable member such that the rotary head is rotatable about an axis line thereof, a plurality of component holders which are supported by the rotary head such that the component holders are provided along a circle whose center is positioned on the axis line of the rotary head, a drive source which is supported by the movable member and which provides a motion, and a motion transmitting device which is selectively operable in a component-holder selecting state in which the motion transmitting device transmits the motion of the drive source to the rotary head, to rotate the rotary head about the axis line thereof and thereby position one of the component holders at an operating position in which the one component holder holds one of the electronic components, and in a component-holder r

Abstract: Device for transferring reels grouped in stacks from a fixed supporting surface to a magazine for feeding a user machine; the magazine is arranged at a higher level than the fixed supporting surface, and the device is a lifting device provided with a lifting platform movable in a vertical direction between a loading position, which has an adjustable level and is adjacent to the fixed supporting surface, and an unloading position, wherein the platform forms an input portion of the magazine.

Abstract: A loading/unloading apparatus used in conjunction with stations from which or to which objects are loaded or unloaded. The loading/unloading apparatus includes a pickup/receiving member which is used in the transfer of objects to and from the stations. The pickup/receiving member includes one or more driven roller elements which are arranged close to an end of the pickup receiving member and which are utilized in the transfer of the object either to or from the station. The loading/unloading apparatus also includes moving devices for moving the pickup/receiving member in a translational direction along a longitudinal axis of the pickup member either towards or away from the station. The loading/unloading apparatus is particularly adapted for use with passive loading/unloading stations which are not provided with electrical power.

Abstract: A letter sorting system includes a row of juxtaposed stack compartments; a material intake device arranged along and spaced from the compartments; a carriage arranged for travel along the compartments; and a transfer bridge mounted on the carriage to be displaced thereby along the compartments. The transfer bridge includes an exterior frame pivotally attached to the carriage for pivotal motions into first and second positions; an interior frame pivotally attached to the exterior frame for pivotal motions into first and second positions; and a slide having a first part attached to the interior frame and a second part attached to the exterior frame. Dependent upon simultaneous positions of the exterior and interior frames, the transfer bridge may assume first, second and third operating positions.

Abstract: A material handling apparatus for selectively bulk filling or blend filling and concurrently discharging particulate material, such as reticulated tobacco and the like, into an open topped silo, bin, or hopper. The material handling apparatus includes a first shuttle car located over the open top of the silo for movement back and forth over the silo, a first belt conveyor on the first shuttle car in alignment with the direction of movement of the first shuttle car, a second shuttle car located over the top of the silo and above the first shuttle car for movement back and forth over the silo along a path parallel to the movement of the first shuttle car, and a second belt conveyor on the second shuttle in alignment with the direction of movement of the second shuttle car.

Abstract: Conveyor installation or sorting machine for throwing off objects into one of a number of delivery stations, comprising trolleys (2) moving along a trajectory. Each trolley consists of a forward travelling frame part (8) and a vertically displaceable frame part (9), the latter part comprising an endless belt (7) running over pulleys (6), one of the pulleys being driven by power accumulated into the vertically displaceable frame part (9) in a portion (39') of the trajectory preceding the delivery stations, for throwing off the object in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the trolley.

Abstract: This invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle for automatically conveying parts, half-finished products and products in a factory or a warehouse. The automatic guided vehicle is provided with a horizontally turnable loading table above a travelling truck, and constructed so that a pair of right and left driving wheels of the travelling truck are rotated reversely to each other so that the travelling truck whirls to steer and a rotating force of a motor for rotating one driving wheel is transmitted to the loading table to thereby turn the loading table reversely relative to the whirling direction of the travelling truck by an equal amount of whirling of the travelling truck, whereby even when the travelling truck whirls, the loading table does not change its orientation with respect to a floor or stations.

Abstract: A mechanism for automatically loading and unloading printed circuit boards from a electrical component insertion machine comprising an elevator for vertically moving and positioning conveyors adjacent a board storage, one of the conveyors being adapted to extract a board from the storage and convey the board to the insertion machine and the other conveyor being adapted to receive the assembled board from the insertion machine and insert the assembled board back into the storage. A conveyor is mounted on the table of the insertion machine and a bridge conveyor transfers the board from the table conveyor to the vertically movable conveyors to transport the boards onto and off from the insertion machine table.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus wherein the conveyed loads, which need not absolutely possess a square or rectangular cross-sectional area or configuration, are received by or delivered from a transport vehicle, without the load itself having to experience a tilting movement, when it departs, for instance, from a stationary chain conveyor and is taken-over by the chain conveyor of a displacement carriage. The gap between the stationary chain conveyor and the chain conveyor mounted upon the transport vehicle is bridged by the laterally movable displacement carriage. The related chain drive serves for moving the conveyor chains of the chain conveyor and the displacement carriage. An alternately effective brake-locking device controls both movements. With blocked conveyor chains the displacement carriage, depending upon the direction of rotation of the drive motor of the chain drive, moves laterally in one or the other direction until reaching a related lateral stop or impact member.

Abstract: Transfer table for storage and lateral transport of elongated structural members, such as I-beams, having 1/4 inch or greater flanges. The table includes a plurality of longitudinally extending stationary supports defining a lateral carriage for the I-beam flanges. Individual roller carriages are reciprocally supported within at least two adjacent supports, each roller carriage having a plurality of longitudinally extending trains of idler rollers, staggered upon transverse axes atop the carriage. Each roller carriage includes an expansible mid-section, so as to lift the idler rollers and the I-beams supported thereon above the level of the longitudinally extending stationary supports. A conveyor drive attached to each roller carriage then propels the roller carriage and I-beams supported thereon across the transfer table to an axial conveyance.

Abstract: A loading and unloading device to be installed between two consecutive machines, in which a known unloading device, adjustable in height, interlinked with the outlet of the first working machine and a second known loading device interlinked with the inlet of the second working machine are linked by a moveable trolley arranged between the said two machines with the said trolley carrying a horizontal rotating platform supporting a pair of parallel conveyor belts which can be connected to the unloading device of the first machine and to the loading device of the second machine or else to a loading, and respectively unloading means provided between the two machines.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for receiving a length or section of a tire tread or the like and transferring it to a storage truck. The apparatus has a cylindrical member which receives the section from an extruder or other source, inverts the section and deposits it on a first endless conveyor. A second conveyor is looped about the downstream roller of the first endless belt and receives the section from the first belt. A vertically movable carriage has an endless belt which carries the section from the second belt to a storage truck. A slide member movable in the same direction as the endless belts is provided for transferring a section from the carriage to a storage surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for receiving a length or section of a tire tread or the like and transferring it to a storage truck. The apparatus has a cylindrical member which receives the section from an extruder or other source, inverts the section and deposits it on a first endless conveyor. A second conveyor is looped about the downstream roller of the first endless belt and receives the section from the first belt. A vertically movable carriage has an endless belt which carries the section from the second belt to a storage truck. A slide member movable in the same direction as the endless belts is provided for transferring a section from the carriage to a storage surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to an arrangement for engaging the relative elevation of two intersecting trackways for conveying and transferring freight goods in two conveying directions. One of the conveyors has rollers for engaging the flat bottoms of the freight bins and the other has flat tracks for receiving the wheels which project a short distance below the bottoms of the bins. The flat tracks are disposed at an elevation which is high enough to use the flat bottoms of the bins to clear the rollers in the intersecting conveyor. The portion of the tracks which intersects the roller conveyor is movable downwardly on eccentric cams a sufficient distance to drop the bins on the rollers to accomplish the transfer. Raising the flat track portion on the cams accomplishes transfer in the opposite direction.