Abstract: A robot arm has a tool connected thereto through a coupling apparatus including an inner assembly attached to the robot arm and an outer assembly attached to the tool. When the inner assembly has its outer surface mating with an inner surface of the outer assembly, a piston in the inner assembly is pneumatically moved to lock the inner and outer assemblies to each other. The piston movement causes radial movement of balls, which are mounted in a retainer of the inner assembly, away from the piston so that the balls will be retained beneath a cam locking ring of the outer assembly whereby the inner and outer assemblies remain locked when the pneumatic pressure is removed. The outer surface of the outer assembly has a mounting plate for attachment to the tool to be connected to the robot arm.

Abstract: A horizontal hydraulic bar stock shear is disclosed having three spaced bolsters which are clamped toward each other by four tie rods. A piston and cylinder actuator is located on one side of a central bolster and a die set assembly is mounted on the other side of the center bolster. A pair of mounting yokes are provided adjacent to the associated bolsters and the die set elements are clamped at their ends against such yokes. The end-clamped elements include a pair of side plates which laterally locate the dies. A manually removable cover assembly closes the upper side of the dies and the dies are supported on spaced rails which provide openings through which debris can fall out of the die assembly.

Abstract: A high-speed bar feeding system for automatically feeding long non-cylindrical (concrete) reinforcing bars wherein the bars are removed from a bundle, placed in a single row on an inclined feed ramp having a multiplicity of support rolls and overhead retaining means adjacent the upper surfaces of the bars, the bars are transferred several at a time from the ramp to a conveyor adjacent the ramp having driven cylindrical rolls and a series of spaced fanning magnets located between the conveyor rolls which position the bars with a predetermined spacing, and the bars are advanced to magnetic drive rolls having several V-grooves to receive the bars and guide them through a cut-off machine to a retractable length gauge. Unique escapement means are employed to lift the bars comprising a series of arms which swing from an inclined retracted position below the conveyor rolls to an inclined raised position wherein the several bars move laterally off the feed ramp by gravity to a position above the conveyor rolls.