Abstract: An apparatus for the automatic feeding of a carrier to a laminating station. The apparatus has a gripper device which is fastened to two guide rods and which is movable t o anf fro horizontally. Each of the guide rods is guided in a linear guide and is mounted in supports which are connected to one another by means of an angular cross-strut. A pneumatic cylinder is articulated centrally to the angular cross-strut by a lengthened piston rod. The gripper device grips the carrier at a predetermined distance (X.sub.min) from the front edge, to transport it in the direction of a laminating station. A sensor for detecting the front edge of the carrier which is transported into the gripper device is located on a holding bracket fastened to a displaceable holding block. The upper and lower gripper strips each have a perforation in the center of their bevelled strip part.

Abstract: A screen printing apparatus is provided for transferring sheet materials from a supply area to a printing table. The apparatus has a pair of grippers which are guided jointly over the printing table in a timed manner in order to grip a blank sheet at a feeding table and pull it over the printing table. The two grippers are separately guided above the printing table in such a way that their movements take place in opposite directions to one another and that one of the gripper fails passes over the other one in the area of the center of the printing table. This design has the advantage that during the transport by a first gripper of a sheet to be printed on the printing table, a second gripper rail already returns to its starting position. Therefore, when the printed sheet is removed from the printing table, a new sheet can be placed thereupon immediately. Idle times for the conveying of the sheets to be printed are eliminated with the use of only two grippers.

Abstract: A gripper arm includes jaw members (24,26) between which articles are engaged and from which engaged articles are released in precise placement upon a transport means. Jaw (26) is actuated by solenoid actuating means (28) acting through linkage means (30) to perform the engagement and release operations. The activation of the solenoid actuating means (28) is controlled to be dependent upon the operating speed of a machine in conjunction with which the gripper arm is used. The solenoid actuating means (28) is assisted by biasing means (122) which is preloaded to facilitate the application of a desired holding force on articles engaged between the jaw members (24,26). The jaw member (24) has a piece (162) of high coefficient of friction material embedded in a surface oriented to contact articles engaged between the jaws (24, 26).

Abstract: An improved paper gripper bar is described. The upper and lower portions are made from extruded aluminum and hinge together for their entire length for greater stiffness. Two or three spring clips provide a bias for closing the bar. The paper is held between the bottom ends of the spring clips and the upper bar when the bar is in the closed position. Finally, the clips are assembled into grooves in the upper and lower portions so that no additional parts are required to maintain the gripper bar parts in their proper positions.

Abstract: A sheet handling machine or stacker, designed to stack sheets in such manner as to avoid tumbling or other movement resulting in possible scratching or other surface marring. Our invention is especially applicable to sheets having a relatively soft surface such as plastic-coated sheet metal, highly polished stainless steel or the like, synthetic plastic such as "vinyl," paper-covered stainless steel, etc. Our invention contemplates a machine comprising a receiver having a lateral opening designed to receive a portion of a sheet. In operation, the receiver is moved through a predetermined trajectory. In its first position the receiver seats a portion of a sheet as from a conveyor, aligns it with a stack of similar sheets and then discharges it from a position above a stack of such sheets, allowing it to drop by gravity onto the stack through a free air cushion between sheet and stack, whereby the sheet is prevented from tumbling or otherwise falling haphazardly.

Abstract: A mechanism, for drawing an elongated sewn product from a sewing machine, has at least one gripper disposed downstream of the sewing machine for gripping a leading end of the sewn product. The gripper is reciprocable on a horizontal rail between a retracted or upstream position and an advanced or downward position. In the advanced position, the gripper is pivotally movable downwardly from the horizontal rail through a predetermined angle.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for transferring a sheet of deformable material such as cloth on a first conveyer to a second conveyer at a right angle to the first conveyor. The apparatus includes a full-length clamp having an elongated support surface for grasping and supporting the sheet along a side edge adjacent to the second conveyor and aligned with the direction of movement of first conveyor. The clamp is supported on a carriage which is movable in the direction of movement of the second conveyer and means are provided to move the carriage between a clamping location where the clamp grasps the sheet and a release location spaced from the first conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for transferring semiautomatically cattlehides from one hide transport conveyor to a second faster moving transport conveyor.

Abstract: A process and apparatus forms and removes piles of sheets transported along a horizontal transport path to a lower-lying transverse removal path in which a pair of removal conveyors engage the end faces of the pile. The removal conveyors are spaced to substantially correspond to the length of the pile, for engaging the edges of the pile during removal transverse to the transport path. A gripper is mounted to move along the higher-lying feed transport path and to engage the leading edge of the pile. The gripper moves along the transport path until the trailing edge of the pile falls onto the removal path, whereupon the pile becomes shortened in the transport direction, i.e., between the removal conveyors in the direction transverse to the removal path, due to curvature of the pile.

Abstract: A gripper device for transporting and registering sheets of any type under the printing heads of silk screening and the like printing machines, which comprises a box-like supporting body having hingedly connected thereto, against the bias of preloaded spring members, a plate-like element forming a flat jaw, and juxtaposed thereto, a plurality of flat surface gripper elements which are set in mutual alignment and for oscillation about a parallel axis to said juxtaposed jaw and adapted to be brought close against said juxtaposed jaw by means of at least one slide element which is driven reciprocatingly by a drive shaft from the silk screen printer, said slide element being provided with an actuating means cooperating with means associated with said flat jaw and with said plurality of juxtaposed gripper elements and adapted to produce, as said slide is being reciprocated, a rotation of said plurality of gripper elements about their own axes toward said opposed flat jaw and to allow said flat jaw to be disengaged

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding cards from a storage magazine to an automatic embossing system including an input hopper and card picking mechanism for engaging a card after it is stripped from a supply stack in the input hopper. The card is positioned by a transfer mechanism to receive embossed data from rotating embossing wheels. An output hopper receives good cards and rejected cards are deposited into a reject box.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for individually transporting large sheets of stock which may have curled ends from a planar support surface such as a printing bed to another location, such as a delivery station. The present invention includes lifting members for positioning a leading end of each sheet at a predetermined elevation prior to engagement by a purality of grippers having upper and lower jaws which grip the end of the sheet to transport it. In the preferred embodiment, the lifting member comprises a plurality of pins mounted in the support surface which are driven upward to raise the leading end of the sheet.

Abstract: The phase relationship of gripper jaw operation to gripper arm travel is adjustable in a collator to obtain proper sheet release during gripper arm travel. At least two trip elements actuate the jaw operating mechanism at adjusted phase locations of the gripper arm while a stop engageable with the operating mechanism limits jaw opening movement.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding platelike workpieces to a machine tool comprises a feed deck adapted to carry a workpiece, a carriage, which carries tongs for gripping the workpiece and is movable in longitudinal and transverse directions to move the workpiece in said directions, a carriage track, which extends in said transverse direction and is mounted on said feed deck to be movable in said longitudinal direction and extends in said transverse direction and is adapted to guide said carriage in said transverse directions, workpiece-supporting elements, which are vertically adjustably mounted on said feed deck and adapted to support a workpiece and arranged in a plurality of rows extending in said transverse direction, a plurality of actuating shafts, each of which is operatively connected to the workpiece-supporting elements of one of said rows and rotatable to vertically adjust the workpiece-supporting elements of said row and is non-rotatably connected to a crank arm, which is operable by a bar, which is rigid with

Abstract: An apparatus for handling flexible material positioned with two distal portions thereof accessible to the apparatus has a frame, first and second arms each having first and second ends, with the first ends having pivotal mountings on the frame and the second ends having gripping fingers adapted for gripping and subsequently releasing one of the distal portions of flexible material. The arms can be rotated about the pivotal mountings from first positions in which the fingers can grip their respective distal portions of flexible material to second positions in which gripped material is extended to substantially its full length. The material is received in a rack upon release by the fingers when the arms are in their second position. The apparatus operates according to an automatic control.

Abstract: A feed mechanism for an elongate flexible article includes a pair of parallel grippers reciprocable between a first position and a second position for advancing the article along a longitudinal path. The grippers are closed at the first position to grip the article on a pair of spaced leading end portions thereof, and are opened at the second position to release the article. A removal lever, which has a first and a second leg, is disposed adjacent to the second position and is pivotable, in response to the arrival of the grippers at the second position, to cause the first leg to project through a space between the pair of grippers to kick down the article from the grippers while the latter are opened.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for lifting, gripping and transporting printing plates in a processing apparatus of the type in which the printing plates are fixed by suction on a processing table during processing at individual stations of the apparatus. The device comprises a lifting device, positioned below the processing table, for lifting a printing plate positioned on the table, movable in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus, and a gripping member positioned above the processing table for gripping a printing plate lifted off of the processing table by the lifting device.

Abstract: An arrangement for forming successive layers of sheets of paper and the like from a stream of individual sheets supplied in succession to a collecting station by a supply conveyor, and for transferring the formed layers to a continuously advancing discharge conveyor, includes an abutment capable of interrupting the advancement of the supplied sheets to form a layer from a predetermined number of sheets, and a clamping device which grips the layer of sheets and transfers the same to the discharge conveyor. The arrangement includes a drive including a transmission, particularly a kinematic linkage transmission, causing the abutment and clamping device to perform a preselected succession of movements, and a prime mover which is kinematically separated from the main drive of the machine in which the arrangement is used and thus from the drive of the supply and discharge conveyors.

Abstract: An expandable modular housing is adjustably positioned with its open entrance side adjacent the output end of a conveyor feeding one or more lanes of parts. Affixed to the undersurface of the top of the housing are a pair of normally open jaws aligned with each lane. Each pair of jaws is movable along guide rails, in the direction of conveyor movement, between a first position where the jaws are opened and situated to receive a part from the conveyor, the presence of which is sensed to close the jaws and cause movement of the jaws through a second position, wherein the jaws are caused to open to release the part, to a third position, spaced from the second position, along the same direction. Below the path of movement of each pair of jaws is a position adjustable stacking table having interchangeable surfaces of different shapes onto which each part is placed in succession. The second position of the jaws is adjustable with respect to the first position to accommodate different length parts.

Abstract: There is provided for use with a conveyor, an unloading apparatus for automatically removing a stack of sheets from a succession of shelves or bins, as in a collator, and conveying it to a desired location. The unloading apparatus includes a gripper which is adapted to advance to grip the sheets as presented on a shelf and then retract to insert the stack of sheets onto a conveyor, e.g. a tape conveyor. The gripper includes a four-bar linkage whereby the upper one of its jaws is elevated from a position beneath the plane of travel of the stack of sheets into gripping relation with the stack by a spring biased over-center action. The gripper with the stack is moved linearly onto the conveyor which takes over from the gripper to continue the movement of the stack of sheets. At the delivery end of the gripper stroke, the four-bar linkage is actuated in an opposite direction, the stack released, and the upper jaw retracted out of the path of the stack.

Abstract: An apparatus and process is provided for charging, pressing and removing laminated sheets from a heat press. An unpressed laminate is placed on a conveyor tray which is inserted into the heat press from one end as a suction carrier is inserted from the other. The suction carrier removes a pressed laminate as the conveyor tray positions one end of the laminate on the top of the suction carrier. A belt mechanism on the top of the suction carrier, together with the conveyor tray, assists in positioning the entire laminate on a lower hot plate of the heat press at substantially the same time. The suction carrier and conveyor tray are simultaneously removed from the heat press so that the pressing action can occur.

Abstract: A cantilevered takeoff apparatus is provided by the present invention which is particularly adapted to automatically remove printed stock from the bed of a screen printing press and transfer the stock to a wicket dryer, having a plurality of rows of wickets movable along the upper and lower surfaces of the dryer frame, where the stock is released face up on a row of wickets for drying. The cantilevered takeoff apparatus herein enables the wicket dryer to be positioned directly beneath the printed work to receive the work as it is transferred thereto, without obstructing the path of the rows of wickets during operation.

Abstract: A workpiece transport device which includes at least one gripper tong arrangement driven in comformity with a work rhythm of a machine tool which is required to be charged and/or discharged. The gripper tong arrangement grips a marginal area of the workpiece, transports the workpiece, and deposits the workpiece at another machine tool or workpiece depository. An extensible and retractable support slide is provided for supporting the workpiece in a transport phase by being displaced beneath the workpiece in parallel to the gripper tong arrangement.

Abstract: A slip plate located at the discharge end of an endless band transport device is provided with apertures on both sides at the end remote from the transport device and a stop located at that edge between the apertures. Alternately operating clamping devices movable at right angles to the direction of movement of the textile pieces of the slip plate convey the textile pieces by clamping at the apertures to stacking tables to the right and left of the slip plate.

Abstract: A gripper assembly for a printing machine, a gripper member having a gripper tip formed with a free edge and a clamping face thereat, the clamping face being cooperably with a gripper support for gripping a sheet therebetween, the clamping face being trapezoidal and having the longer of the two parallel sides thereof disposed in vicinity of the free edge of the gripper tip.

Abstract: A feed and takeoff assembly particularly adapted for use in connection with a printing press to automatically transfer generally flat stock from a first position to a print position and to a delivery position, having a frame, a transfer carriage mounted for movement along the frame, a single elongated feed gripper mounted near one end of the transfer carriage and disposed transversely to the path of travel of the carriage along the frame, and a low profile delivery gripper mounted near the opposite end of the transfer carriage for movement therewith along the frame. The single elongated feed gripper is capable of repeated precisely registered movement along the frame through a spring-biased cam-operated guide means. The delivery gripper acts to remove an entire sheet of printed stock at a desired time by a cam-operated opening and closing of pivotally mounted upper and lower jaws.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking printed products or the like continuously arriving from a conveyor and moving along a conveying path of travel, especially printed products arriving in an imbricated product formation, wherein there are provided a plurality of clamping elements elastically pre-biased towards one another. The clamping elements are displaceably guided through the operable zone of a driven spreader mechanism and due to the action thereof temporarily brought out of their mutual clamping position. The path of movement of the clamping elements at the region of the spreader mechanism penetrates or passes through the path of travel for the incoming or arriving printed products defined by the conveyor.

Abstract: A feed and takeoff assembly particularly adapted for use in connection with a printing press to automatically transfer generally flat stock from a first position to a print position and to a delivery position, having a frame, a transfer carriage mounted for movement along the frame, a single elongated feed gripper mounted near one end of the transfer carriage and disposed transversely to the path of travel of the carriage along the frame, and a delivery gripper mounted near the opposite end of the transfer carriage for movement therewith along the frame. The single elongated feed gripper is maintained in constant registered position during movement along the frame by a spring-biased cam-operated guide means. The delivery gripper acts to remove an entire sheet of printed stock at a desired time by a cam-operated opening and closing of upper and lower jaws mounted on a common pivot print.

Abstract: A carriage is moved on an ell shaped frame by a pneumatic actuator and a curved gripping device at the end of an ell shaped extension mounted on the carriage is operated by a second pneumatic actuator to pick up pieces of web material. The pneumatic actuator for the carriage is controlled by a sequence valve so as to not be movable until the gripper has gripped the web of material. A third pneumatic actuator thereafter moves the carriage at a relatively fast initial movement until the web of material has cleared the sewing machine. The carriage movement is slowed and this carriage moves the web of material to a predetermined location where it is released by the gripper to fall in a stack.