Oscillating Or Reciprocating Elevator Patents (Class 414/746.1)
  • Patent number: 10081990
    Abstract: A kicker assembly for a tubular handling system has a moving member of a linear actuator that moves between a first position on a fixed member of the linear actuator and a second position on the fixed member. The moving member of the linear actuator is connected to a kicker shoe by one or more connecting members to move the kicker shoe from a retracted to an extended position to move a tubular out of the tubular handling system. The axis of the fixed member of the linear actuator runs substantially perpendicular to the motion of the kicker shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: FORUM US, INC.
    Inventors: Joshua Brandon Meuth, Timothy Sherbeck
  • Patent number: 9815107
    Abstract: An illustrative example tube handling machine includes a lifter configured to receive a plurality of tubes when at least a portion of the lifter is at a first position. The lifter is configured to lift the plurality of tubes to a second, higher vertical position. A plurality of cells are respectively configured for at least temporarily holding the plurality of tubes. A first one of the cells is situated to receive the plurality of tubes from the lifter at the second vertical position. The cells are situated relative to each other such that the plurality of tubes can be sequentially transferred among the cells from the first one of the cells to a last one of the cells that releases the plurality of tubes to a delivery location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: ARMO TOOL LTD.
    Inventors: Carl Hofsteede, Edward Hofsteede, Chris Lishman, James McLachlan, Ryan Peacock
  • Patent number: 8992152
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tubular handling system (1) comprising:—a tower (10) comprising a tubular lift device for lowering and/or raising a tubular in an essentially vertical orientation,—a support (20) for supporting the tubular-laying tower—a tubulars supply system, preferably provided on the support, for supplying tubulars to an essentially horizontal supply position in the vicinity of the tower,—a tubular handling apparatus (2) for transporting a tubular between the essentially horizontal supply position and the tubular lift device in the tower, wherein the tubular handling apparatus comprises: a gripper (4a, 4b) adapted for gripping the tubular, a base (6), and a boom (5) to which the one or more grippers are attached, which boom is pivotable with respect to the base in a boom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Itrec B.V.
    Inventors: Ronny Lambertus Waltherus Nouwens, Terence Willem August Vehmeijer, Joop Roodenburg
  • Patent number: 8915694
    Abstract: Disclosed examples relate to loading devices for loading bars for machining in machine tools. A disclosed example loading device is adapted to move a bar from a starting position to an end position and to feed the bar from the end position to the machine tool, comprising a rest portion for supplying the loading device with at least one bar lying on the rest portion in the starting position, and a movable transport for transporting the bar from the starting position to the end position. The transport is adapted to transport the bar downward in a downward movement due to its gravity along a downwardly inclined guiding portion, the bar being supported by a first support portion of the transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Gildemeister Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franco Rigolone, Renato Rota
  • Patent number: 8899907
    Abstract: An ejection mechanism, which in one embodiment selectively ejects pipe joints to either side of a pipe arm and method for manufacturing the same. A pipe arm contains a plurality of pipe receptacles for receiving pipe joints. Pipe ejection arms are operatively connected to an ejection control mechanism. In one embodiment, at least one torsional member and/or at least one hydraulic actuator allow an operator to selectively eject pipe joints to either lateral side of the pipe arm as needed during drilling and production operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Superior Energy Services-North America Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark J. Flusche
  • Patent number: 8257010
    Abstract: Disclosed is a bar feeder, which is capable of reliably loading a bar onto a guide rail with a simplified structure. The bar feeder 1 comprises a stock rack 8, a guide rail 4 for guiding a bar to a bar machining apparatus, and a bar supply mechanism 32 for taking bars W one by one out of the stock rack 8 and supplying the taken-out bar W onto the guide rail 4. The bar supply mechanism 32 includes a lifting member 40 adapted to lift a downstreammost one of the bar W on the stack rack 8, a bar receiving member 42 adapted to receive thereon the lifted bar W and supply the bar W onto the guide rail 4, and a stopper member 36 adapted to holds a second-downstreammost one of the bar W to be subsequently supplied. The lifting member 40 and the bar receiving member 42 are adapted to be driven by a common moving device 44, in such a manner that the lifting member 40 is linearly moved in an upward-downward direction in conjunction with a swing movement of the bar receiving member 42.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Ikura Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hirosawa, Takazo Ito, Kenji Sato
  • Patent number: 8137049
    Abstract: A rebar separator having a crossbar situated atop one or, preferably, two vibrational insulators which are preferably inflatable cushions. Preferably, there are two or more such crossbars on one or two inflatable cushions. At least one vibrational motor is in contact with at least one crossbar. And preferably each crossbar slopes from a first end to a second end. A source of fluid is in communication with each inflatable cushion. Preferably, the vibrational insulators are placed on top of first and second longitudinal channels of a horizontal rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Inventors: Ken Shinaut, Steven S. Anglesey
  • Patent number: 7819621
    Abstract: In order to separate rod-shaped bodies from a bundle of bodies, the surface of an uppermost body in the bundle is determined in a separation apparatus by a sensor, which body is then seized laterally of the sensor by a first gripper and is vertically lifted, whereupon a further gripper engages under said body, laterally of the first gripper unit. The further gripper is then moved to the other end region of the body, with the body being lifted out of the bundle. Next, said body is moved to a deposition location by both grippers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Wafios Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gustav Veit, Peter Hammerer
  • Publication number: 20100266379
    Abstract: A rebar separator having a crossbar situated atop one or, preferably, two vibrational insulators which are preferably inflatable cushions. Preferably, there are two or more such crossbars on one or two inflatable cushions. At least one vibrational motor is in contact with at least one crossbar. And preferably each crossbar slopes from a first end to a second end. A source of fluid is in communication with each inflatable cushion. Preferably, the vibrational insulators are placed on top of first and second longitudinal channels of a horizontal rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Ken Shinaut, Steven S. Anglesey
  • Patent number: 7744336
    Abstract: A rebar separator having a crossbar situated atop one or, preferably, two vibrational insulators which are preferably inflatable cushions. Preferably, there are two or more such crossbars on one or two inflatable cushions. At least one vibrational motor is in contact with at least one crossbar. And preferably each crossbar slopes from a first end to a second end. A source of fluid is in communication with each inflatable cushion. Preferably, the vibrational insulators are placed on top of first and second longitudinal channels of a horizontal rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Inventors: Ken Shinaut, Steven S. Anglesey
  • Patent number: 7635249
    Abstract: A self-contained, freestanding, modular, portable pipe pick-up and laydown apparatus. The apparatus includes a movable carriage and carriage rail supported on base frame. The base frame includes means for moving the carriage along the length of base frame. The apparatus also includes a pipe trough supported on first and second telescoping pipe trough lifting assemblies pivotally mounted on the carriage. The pipe trough is semicircular in configuration which serves to cradle and manipulate a joint of pipe. Jacks are used to lift and tilt upward the telescoping pipe trough lifting assembles to raise the pipe trough and any supported pipe. The pipe trough may be leveled and otherwise manipulated by extension and retraction of the trough lifting assemblies. A hydraulic lift and detachable hinges are used to pivot the pipe trough on its edges as desired. The invention also provides a movable pipe jack and reversible pipe guides to facilitate the loading and unloading of pipe to and from the pipe trough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Inventor: Perry J. Guidroz
  • Publication number: 20070177967
    Abstract: A combination pipe kicker/indexer for attachment to a pipe launcher is provided. The pipe kicker includes an articulated arm that is operated by a rotating shaft. The arm has a kicker head that rises up from a frame and moves towards a pipe located in the trough of the pipe launcher. Continued rotation of the shaft causes the kicker head to push the pipe out of the trough. Reversing the shaft rotation retracts the kicker arm into its frame. The indexer includes a plate having two eccentric cam openings and a cam rotatably mounted therein. Rotation of the cams causes either end of the indexer plate to rise up from the frame and urge a section of pipe towards the pipe launcher trough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventor: Gerald Lesko
  • Patent number: 6763926
    Abstract: A method for feeding automatically metal profiles in bar form entails gripping a group of the metal profiles from a magazine for collecting the profiles and transferring the group of metal profiles or their end to a raised position. The raised metal profiles are arranged on a movable transfer device provided with means for separating the metal profiles, at which the initial portion of a preset number of metal profiles to be fed to the machine at each work cycle is conveyed transversely and counted. The metal profiles are transferred, in the counted number, at receiving elements of the machine, while the excess metal profiles are unloaded inside the collection magazine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Schnell S.p.A.
    Inventor: Aronne Miglioranza
  • Patent number: 6637581
    Abstract: This invention provides log singulators which allow for the vertical singulation of piles of logs fed from typical in-feed log decks, so that these logs may be fed individually to typical out-feed conveyors. Devices provided by this invention may be high-speed singulators occupying minimal floor space area. Singulators provided by this invention comprise arcuately oscillating lifting devices (“primary lifting devices”), preferably rotating synchronously in opposite directions. Preferably, these singulators elevate logs against vertically successive barriers. These barriers are shaped so that only one of either a largest log or a smallest log, which it is expected that the singulator should handle, can rest on the primary lifting devices and be carried upward at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Inventor: George H. Goater
  • Patent number: 6554559
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device wherein the bars (13) are arranged in bulk in the container (5). The mobile frame (17) of the grasping mechanism (14) moves forward such that the jaw (24) can seize a bar by its middle part and remove it in position (13a) while the trolleys (37) move away from the rail (36) so that the rollers slide on the rods (43), gradually lift the whole bar and bring it to rest on the receptacle (16). The shaft (49) is then driven in rotation so that the racks (47) and the support plate segments (46), which form the receptacle (16), move upwards and the bar (13) drops in the supply channel (8) where it is hooked to the bar clamp of the bar-pusher which drives it axially into the turning center control members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Codafi SARL
    Inventors: Per Borg, Francisco Rivera
  • Patent number: 6485251
    Abstract: A lift system particularly designed for transport of pipes from a first to a second elevated location includes first and second storage locations with a lifter component positioned therebetween. The lifter is positioned such that pipes at a first location can be easily picked off a first location by the lifter for transport to the second location. Fingers on the drive chains of the lifter offer a two-point spaced contact to each pipe whether picked off the location or placed thereon by the user. Upon each pipe reaching the upper end of the lifter the fingers return to the lower end which causes a deposit of the pipe onto a second elevated location, e.g., a storage location, truck bed or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Inventor: Paul Fisher
  • Patent number: 6409460
    Abstract: A rack unloader apparatus (10) is used for unloading bars (150) having a plurality of pepperoni sticks (160) from a drying rack (140). The apparatus (10) includes a rail (23) operatively connected to a support frame (20). A motor (62) is operatively connected to a sliding mechanism (30) mounted on the rail (23) for moving the sliding mechanism between first and second positions. A pickup arm (40) has the sliding mechanism (30) operatively connected thereto proximate its first end (40a). A pickup arm assembly (103) is operatively connected to the second end (40b) of the pickup arm (40). A lifting mechanism (51) is carried by the sliding mechanism (30). The lifting mechanism (41) is operatively connected to the pickup arm (40) to move the second end of the pickup arm vertically, wherein the pickup assembly (103) is indexed to the rack (140) and lifts the pickup arm assembly (103) and removes the bar (150) from the rack (140).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Hormel Foods, LLC
    Inventor: Lyndon R. Leining
  • Patent number: 6357995
    Abstract: A device (20) is adapted to move an elongated object (21), such as rebar, from a first location (22) to a second location (23). The device includes an object-supporting surface (24), such as a conveyor; a plurality of stops (25) extending in a direction away from the surface; at least one hold-down (26) spaced from the surface and the stop. The first (22) location is arranged between the surface, stop and hold-down. A mechanism (28) is adapted to pick up an object positioned at the first location and to move the object along an orbital path (46) to a second location (23). Before arriving at the second location, the object may be counted and/or separated from other objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Columbus McKinnon Corporation
    Inventor: Peter K. O'Hagan