Abstract: A processor comprises a plurality of parallel channels having an upstream end and a downstream end, Each channel comprises a video data bus for continuously transferring video data from the upstream end to the downstream end, a plurality of modules serially connected along the video data bus and a host computer connected to the downstream end of the plurality of channels for receiving the video data. Each module comprises a crossbar switch, a pixel processing element connected to the crossbar switch, a delay resource connected across the crossbar switch and a microprocessor operably integrated within each module for controlling the operation thereof. The microprocessors of each module are serially connected together for transmitting and undertaking commands. The host computer is also connected to the microprocessor of each module for issuing commands for controlling the operation of the processor.

Abstract: A conveyor and method for preventing stick-slip friction conditions from exciting the conveyor into surging and for preventing surging vibration from adversely affecting operation of the conveyor. The conveyor has a pair of endless, flexible roller chains that are laterally spaced apart and carried on sprockets keyed to a drive shaft that is in communication with a drive at one end of the frame and sprockets keyed to a take-up shaft at the opposite end of the frame. Preferably, the take-up shaft is split into two shaft sections rotatively secured adjacent their ends by a pair of bearings on a mounting block to permit each conveyor chain to move on its idle sprocket independently of the other chain. The conveyor components are selected to provide a combination of chain stiffness and conveyor mass moment of inertia at maximum payload that produces a conveyor having a high enough natural frequency to prevent stick-slip friction conditions from exciting the conveyor chains into surging.

Abstract: A pallet conveyor has spaced pinion drives which engage racks mounted on the pallets to move the pallets along the conveyor.

Abstract: An article storage carousel is disclosed featuring automatic conveyor loading and unloading. A conveyor is provided for transporting articles along a fixed path between an upstream location and a downstream location. A vertical carriage accumulates a plurality of articles for subsequent transfer to a temporary storage location. A storage carousel receives the plurality of articles for temporary storage and subsequent retrieval and discharge to the conveyor. If required, an alignment and guide housing can be provided between the vertical carriage and storage carousel to compensate for any slight vertical misalignment between the vertical carriage and storage carousel.

Abstract: A display device for elongated objects is presented, the device being suitable for use in conjunction with a flat plate baggage claim apparatus. The device includes a rigid plate adapted to be attached to the upper surface of a flat plate of the claim apparatus, a base plate fixed to the rigid plate, and a channel member fixed to the base plate and upstanding therefrom, the channel member and the base plate defining a compartment open on one side and an upper end thereof, and adapted to receive, retain, and display elongated objects, such as skis.

Abstract: A zero-pressure accumulating conveyor including a bed defined by rotatable rollers mounted in parallel sidewalls and powered by an endless drive chain. Pneumatic actuators lift the drive chain into engagement with the rollers to empower same. Sensor rollers divide the bed into distinct zones. Sensor rollers are retained in operative position relative to the conveyor bed by unique sensor brackets. A primary sensor roller bracket includes a bore with a piston movable there within; the cooperating secondary sensor roller bracket is spring biased in a first direction. Valves, and pneumatic circuitry controlled by such valves, extend along the length of the conveyor. Such valves are operated by the primary sensor roller brackets to regulate the flow of air pressure into the bores of the brackets and into the actuators. The actuators, when the pressure therein is bled-off, allow the chain in a particular zone to drop out of contact with the rotatable rollers.

Abstract: A counterbalance actuator is disclosed for reducing the energy required in weight lifting operations. The counterbalance actuator includes a piston and a flexible bellows attached to the piston. A bellows extension is attached to the top of the bellows with a gas impervious seal. The bellows extension permits the counterbalance actuator to achieve an extended stroke while allowing the counterbalance actuator to be collapsed to a reduced size.

Abstract: The invention comprises a flexible parts feeding system which can feed a large number of different types of parts to a manipulator. The system comprises a vibrating platform, a conveyor belt, a series of guides to assist in positioning and orienting parts, a vision based system for determining the orientation of a part in the staging area, and computer programming for instructing the manipulator to grasp the part if it is properly oriented in the staging area. The vibratory amplitude and speed, the speed of the conveyor belts, the positioning of the guides and the part signature of the vision system are all programmable responsive to the part which is to be fed.

Abstract: Material handling car and track assembly, the assembly comprising a car having wheels mounted thereon, and a track having two parallel rails, the wheels being adapted to roll on the rails to facilitate movement of the car along the track, a metal slider extending from an underside of the car and lengthwise of the car, and opposed linear motors mounted beween the tracks and spaced from each other to define a gap between the motors, the slider being daapted to pass through the gap, the motors being operative to act on the slider to impart thrust to the car, the motors being oriented such as to substantially eliminate magnetic atraction between the mtors and the car. The invention further contemplates opposied magents mountede beween the tracks and spaced from each other to define a gap between the magnets, the slider being dapted to pass through the gap between the magnets, the magnets being operative to act on the slider to impart braking to the car, whereby to decelerate the car.

Abstract: Direction control assembly for a material handling car having travel wheels mounted thereon and adapted to operate on parallel rails, the control assembly comprising a ramp assembly adapted to receive and respond to a signal from a computer to direct a next approaching car onto one of a main track and a side track, a sensor upstream of the ramp assembly operative to detect the approach of the car and initiate the signal from the computer to the ramp assembly, a first guide wheel mounted on a first arm extending outwardly from the car on a first side of the car, a second guide wheel mounted on a second arm extending outwardly from the car on a second side of the car, each of the guide wheels being connected to a divert arm pivotally mounted on the car and having mounted thereon a divert wheel, the ramp assembly being adapted in response to the signal to assume a position in which part of the ramp assembly is engageable by one of the guide wheels, causing one of the divert arms to pivot and one of the divert wh

Abstract: A cylinder head flow test apparatus and method for testing cylinder heads for blockages in water passages wherein blockages in the water passages contained in the cylinder head can be detected by blowing low pressure air at a high velocity into the water passages and measuring the resulting back pressure produced by restrictions within the water passages. The disclosed method and apparatus include means for selectively testing the water passages in a cylinder head and for comparing the back pressure readings obtained from the test to back pressure readings previously obtained from a cylinder head whose water passages are known to have no blockages. An apparatus and method also disclosed for simultaneously testing all water passages in a cylinder head for blockages.

Abstract: A material handling car and track assembly, the assembly comprising a track having a pair of opposed U-shaped rails, and a car having a chassis with four wheel assemblies mounted on the chassis, each of the wheel assemblies comprising a first generally vertical travel wheel movable along a bottom plate portion of the rail, a second generally horizontal travel wheel engagable with a side wall portion of the rail, and a wear block engagable with a top plate portion of the rail.

Abstract: A plurality of work stations are provided each with a plurality of containers, each containing sliver rope, disposed in first and second arrays in proximity to a spinning machine to alternately provide sliver rope to respective spinning positions so that yarn or thread may be spun by each spinning machine. A container support platform supports each array of sliver rope containers in proximity to their respective spinning machine; as well as a container transport assembly which extends the length of the support platform. A number of container moving fingers are pivotally carried in spaced relationship along the length of an elongated, substantially "U" shaped transport beam and for coaction with cams also carried by the transport beam and disposed for coaction with a stationary beam also carried by the container support.

Abstract: A material handling car and track assembly is presented. The assembly comprises a car having a chassis portion, travel wheels mounted on the chassis portion, and a track having two parallel rails, the travel wheels being adapted to roll on the rails to facilitate movement of the car along the track. Frame portions depend from an underside of the chassis portion, the frame portions comprising first and second frame walls spaced from each other. First and second spindles are mounted between the rails, and contact wheels mounted on the spindles, the contact wheels being in a plane normal to the spindles. Bands are on the peripheries of the contact wheels for engaging the frame walls, the contact wheels being operative to modify the speed of the car in accordance with the selected rotational speed of the contact wheels.

Abstract: A method, machine tool and boring bar for machining bores in a series of concentric journals for a camshaft in a cylinder head or block of an engine. The boring bar has an elongate and cylindrical body with a single cutting insert at one end for machining all of the journals one at a time and a plurality of circumferentially spaced and longitudinally extending bearing pads on the body which, when the insert is machining one journal, are received in the previously machined journals to radially constrain and support the boring bar. The other end of the bar is received in a chuck or drive spindle of the machine tool which rotates and advances the boring bar through the journals to machine them. Each workpiece is located and clamped in the machine tool with its series of journals to be machined substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of the insert of the boring bar.

Abstract: A device with a pivoting work arm for carrying and positioning a tool which is moved by a modified Watts linkage powered by a linear actuator having a true straight line motion. The modified Watts linkage has relatively short links resulting in the center of the middle link following an arcuate path. The center of the middle link is drivingly connected to the linear actuator by a pivoting link or a cam. To provide shock absorption for the work arm as it reaches its fully extended position, the modified Watts linkage is coupled to a follower arm yieldably biased by a spring.

Abstract: A conveyor system enabling dumping of workpieces is disclosed. The conveyor system is comprised of a mechanism for transporting workpieces along the conveyor system. The transporting mechanism has a first receiving end and a second removal or holding end. An endless belt mechanism is coupled with the transport mechanism in a spaced relationship. A driver is coupled with the endless belt in a spaced relationship with the transport mechanism to drive workpieces along the transport mechanism. A mechanism is coupled with the transport mechanism and belt mechanism to enable movement of the removing or holding end of the conveyor system with respect to the receiving end such that the conveyor may be used to feed more than one installation.

Abstract: A method and multiple station flexible boring machine for transferring and locating a pallet carrying a workpiece to be machined. The machine has at least two machining stations and a part loading and unloading station adjacent a transfer table carried by a base for carrying, generally locating and transferring a pallet and a workpiece to each station. The pallet has a curvic coupling locator ring with a plurality of circumferentially spaced and generally radially extending teeth for complementary mating engagement with a locator ring on an independent base of each station to accurately radially, axially and circumferentially locate the pallet on the station base. At the load station, the locator ring on the pallet is received in complementary mating engagement with the locator ring on the load base accurately locating the pallet with respect to the base and a workpiece is loaded, accurately located with respect to the load base and clamped to the pallet.

Abstract: Diversion-type switches and cross-type switches are provided for inclusion in suspended rail conveyor arrangements to form a rail conveyor system. Each of said switches includes at least one shiftable rail section movable between a first position of cooperation with spaced rails of one conveyor pathway and a second position of cooperation with spaced rails of another conveyor pathway. Rail alignment and load transmitting elements, in the configuration of coacting fingers and seats, are disposed at the respective end of the shiftable rail section and fixed rail section and coact therewith so that load forces acting on the shiftable rail section act to align the shiftable rail section with the spaced rails of the respective conveyor pathways and so that load forces applied to the shiftable rail section are transmitted directly to the fixed rail section.

Abstract: An automated vehicle-mounted refuse collection system having a loader with a boom assembly having inner and outer pairs of arms attached to the vehicle at spaced-apart locations. A lift assembly is pivotally connected to the upper end of the boom so outward movements of the boom arm will cause the upper and lower ends of the lift to reach or extend away from the vehicle toward a refuse container. Gripping arms are mounted on a carriage reciprocal along the lift assembly. A hydraulic system maintains the gripping arm level during extension and retraction of the boom arms.