Patents Assigned to Donald W. Carter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5078257
    Abstract: A lattice production line includes a plurality of work stations, each connected to adjacent work stations by more than two conveyor belts. Each work station includes a manufacturing robot, an outer turntable with workpiece storage, and an inner turntable aligned with the robot. A program is provided to operate each conveyor, turntable, and robot independently, wherein parallel processing of workpieces through the system is possible. A preproduction scheduling algorithm provides for initial efficient use of the lattice, while a runtime algorithm enables the lattice to respond efficiently to the occurrence of faults.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Donald W. Carter, Jr.
    Inventor: Donald W. Carter, Jr.