Abstract: A multigripper turret (26) for a part handling device (10) in which a circumferential array of gripper mechanisms (28) are each mounted for independent shifting movement in a convergent direction by an associated positioning mechanism (29) between an extended position centered on the axis of rotation of a rotary member (22) of the part handling device (10), and a radially outward retracted position. This enables a plurality of parts (20) to be handled by each motion of the part handling device (10).

Abstract: A screwdriver includes a power driven spindle (50) having an end face (52), an enclosure defining a closed cavity (70, 24, 14), a sleeve (60) having a central bore (70) communicating with said cavity and having a forward opening (70c) to receive the head (94) and part of the thread of a threaded fastener (90), and a vacuum (86, 88) for lowering the pressure in the cavity and continuously drawing air from the forward end of the sleeve past the head while holding the head while the fastener is held in a forward end portion (60a) of the sleeve and without driving the spindle. The spindle drives the fastener forwardly and into a workpiece (96) and an air path (70d, 70c, 70b, 70a) sucks contaminants rearwardly and from the workplace.

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 the 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 coating fingers and seats, are disposed at the respective ends 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: 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 a spaced rails of another conveyor pathway. Rail alignment and load transmitting means, in the configuration of coacting fingers and seats, are disposed at the respective ends 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: Turnover apparatus for the controlled turning of a flat-sided article, such as a vehicle wheel-tire unit, from a horizontal outside-up position to a horizontal outside-down position includes a chain conveyor for conveying the article in a horizontal position. A turnover device employs two pairs of elongate arms mounted for rotation about respective, spaced, parallel axes from and to a normal rest position wherein the pairs of arms project horizontally in opposite directions from their axes below and parallel to the conveying chains. One pair of arms is coupled to a reversible drive to be rotated upwardly from its rest position through an angle greater than 90.degree. to tilt an article on the conveying chains upwardly to and past the vertical by an amount such that the article, if not restrained, would fall forwardly.

Abstract: A bottle cap orienter has two rotating pin sorters, one positioned above and the other below a path over which randomly oriented bottle caps must travel. A stationary cam adjacent each sorter causes a plurality of pins at selected locations to project into the area of the path through which the bottle caps must travel. Thus, the projecting pins enter the cavity of the caps from above and below so that the caps are captured to rotate with the pin sorters. At one point in the rotation, the pins are withdrawn so that the caps are released to travel under their own inertia over a tangential path. The caps released by one of the pin sorters are inverted, so that all caps are ultimately oriented the same.

Abstract: An abrasive disc comprising a bonded abrasive body having a substantially flat mounting surface, a plurality of anchors each including a cup-shaped metallic washer having a flat top surface portion substantially flush with the flat mounting face and an annular outwardly inclined skirt portion embedded within the abrasive body, each washer including a first plurality of apertures in the skirt portion whereby integral portions of the bonded abrasive body extending therethrough lock the washer in position within the bonded abrasive, and a second plurality of apertures in the flat top surface portion filled with abrasives for decreasing the metallic surface area of the washer.

Abstract: A machining center for machining a variety of different workpieces. Tool heads with a wide variety of tools are transferred from a storage area and oriented and presented one at a time by a turret to a machine tool in which they are received, accurately located, securely clamped and driven to machine a workpiece. A transfer device moves tool heads from a tool head circulating mechanism to the turret.

Abstract: The invention provides an automatic machine for closing flip-top caps of a type which is used on toothpaste tubes, for example. The machine has a pair of superimposed turntables separated by a star wheel, the turntables and star wheel turning as a unit about a common axis. The star wheel has a plurality of pockets distributed around the periphery thereof to receive the flip-top caps after they are molded and while the covers are still in the open position in which they were molded. Each of the turntables has an actuator positioned over a corresponding pocket on the star wheel. Cams surround the turntables to raise and lower the actuators at selected locations. As they raise and lower, the covers are flipped over to close the caps.

Abstract: To assure proper seating of the beads of a tubeless tire upon its wheel, after the tire has been mounted upon its wheel and inflated, the inflated tire is compressed by concave, tread-engaging members pressed against diametrically opposed, circumferential portions of the tire tread to induce a flexing sliding motion of the beads relative to the wheel and at the same time increases the internal air pressure to enable the beads to shift as required into proper seating engagement with the wheel and return the internal air pressure to design pressure when the compressive force is released.

Abstract: A system for electronically storing revisions or modifications to documents which are already electronically stored in unrevised or unmodified form. The system compares, at the pixel-by-pixel level, a modified document bit map with a stored document bit map and determines from the differences between the two bit maps, at the pixel-by-pixel level, which differences are significant and which are insignificant. A revised document bit map is then formed from the portions of the stored-document bit map exhibiting no significant bit map differences and the significant differences bit map. The result is a revised document bit map in which no unnecessary changes have been introduced into the initial stored-document bit map. The system also includes steps for defining, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, a significant region bit map from the significant difference bit map and for forming the revised document bit map using the significant region bit map.

Abstract: A part feeder (29) for moving individual parts (34) held on rolls (21) of tape (37) to a pickup point, as for handling by a robot arm (25) inserting parts (34) into PC boards (26) at a work station, the part feeder (29) including a cassette (30) having a housing portion (30a) to hold the roll (21) and side walls (85) having guide members (48,33,104) affixed to position the parts (34) for capture by a parts advancing mechanism (52) to be transferred into a part dressing assembly (43) where the parts (34) have their leads (35,36) straightened and cut to a desired length preparatory to presentation for pickup. (FIG. 7).

Abstract: A parts manipulator formed by a head and a robot (10) for attachment to a robot arm and rotatable therewith, the head including a rotatable mount (26) attached to the robot arm (19) and a plurality of gripper mechanisms (21) secured about the mount (26). Each gripper mechanism includes a set of finger portions (51), each selectively and independently of each other shiftable between first and second orientations on the mount to extend either parallel to and downwardly from, or outwardly from the mount (26), allowing flexibly programmed handling of a part.

Abstract: A horizontally disposed vehicle wheel having a tubeless tire resting upon the wheel in a forwardly offset inclined position is located beneath a work head which is then lowered to an operating position at a fixed distance above the wheel. A radially extensible arm is mounted for rotary oscillation below the head about an axis coaxial with that of the located wheel and carries at its outer end a set of rollers which, upon rotation of the arm in one direction will engage the lowermost bead of the tire where located above the upper rim of the wheel and progressively face the engaged bead radially outwardly beyond the rim and downwardly below the rim to mount the lower bead only on the wheel.The apparatus self adjusts itself to wheels of different diameters and axial widths.

Abstract: The mounting plate for a proximity switch for sensing the position of a piston within a fluid operated, expansible chamber cylinder. The mounting plate comprises a flat portion with two notches formed therein adjacent opposite sides thereof and an arcuate flange adjoining the flat portion having means forming an aperture therein. The proximity switch is mounted onto the tie rod of the expansible chamber cylinder, with the mounting plate interposed therebetween with the arcuate flange thereof positioned to be concentric with and spaced apart from the surface of the expansible chamber cylinder. A threaded fastening device is inserted through the aperture and turned until the proximity switch is correctly positioned.

Abstract: A clutch and lock mechanism adapted for use with a double shuttle table utilizing two individual drive shafts wherein a first shaft ring assembly is fixedly coupled to a first shaft and a second shaft ring assembly is coupled to the second shaft. The first and second shafts and shaft ring assemblies are spaced from one another along the common axis of rotation of the first and second shafts and an engaging mechanism is positioned between the two shaft ring assemblies and movable therebetween. When the engaging mechanism, at least a portion of which is rotationally locked to the second shaft, is moved to a first position, it is rotationally locked to the first shaft and rotation of the first shaft thereby results in the rotation of the second shaft. When the engaging mechanism is moved to a second position, opposed to the first position, it is disengaged from the first shaft and prevents the rotation of the second shaft.

Abstract: A turnover device for turning over articles as they are conveyed along a production path. The turnover device comprises a frame, two spaced apart and parallel axis, first and second carrier arms mounted respectively on the axes for rotational movement, first and second meshing gears mounted on the axes respectively, and a drive motor and lever. The first and second meshing gears have pitch diameters such that, as the two carrier arms counter-rotate from a start position to a finish position, the first carrier arm will rotate through an arc of approximtely 108.degree. and the second carrier arm will rotate through an arc of approximately 72.degree.. The arms are then rotated to their start position. An article placed on a first carrier arm will drop off onto the second carrier arm and be carried back down to a horizontal orientation which is flipped end to end with respect to its starting orientation.

Abstract: Apparatus for assuring that an uninflated mini tire mounted on a wheel is coaxially centered relative to the wheel prior to the arrival of the mini tire-wheel unit at the inflation station of a tire-wheel assembly line is disclosed which the mini-tire wheel unit is being conveyed in a horizontal position from the mounter to the inflator it is subjected to a hammer blow against the tire tread and subsequently apparatus mounted along opposite sides of the conveyor vertically press against an adjacent portion of one side wall of the tire. These actions jar the tire beads loose from a partially wedged engagement within the drop well of the wheel which tends to occur during the mounting of the mini tire on the wheel and to seat one bead of the tire upon the associated bead seat of the wheel.

Abstract: A multiple spindle machine includes a plurality of spindles mounted in a spindle assembly which sequentially indexes workpieces through a plurality of spindle stations by rotating the spindle assembly around its axis. The control and drive system for the multiple spindle machine includes a first variable speed motor for driving the spindles and a second variable speed motor for driving a camshaft. The camshaft drives the indexing mechanism and a main cam which reciprocates a tool slide and a first set of tools mounted on the tool slide relative to the spindle assembly. A second set of tools is mounted around the spindle assembly and independent NC motors drive the second set of tools. A microprocessor independently controls the speed of the first and second variable speed motors and the NC motors to provide flexible control of the multiple spindle machine.

Abstract: A part feeder capable of moving individual parts to a receiver from a storage tube having an internal track therein generally conforming to at least a portion of the vertical cross-section of parts stored within the tube to permit the parts to freely slide along the track within the tube. The part feeder comprises a base; a horizontally movable support member slidably mounted on the base; a tiltable arm member pivotally mounted on the support member; and a receiver on the tiltable arm member. An air cylinder is provided for releasably securing one end of the tube on the arm member against the receiver. Another actuator is provided for tilting the arm member so that the end of the tube adjacent the receiver is sufficiently lower than the remainder of the tube to permit one part to slide out of the tube onto the receiver. The tube is then returned to a horizontal position.