Abstract: A driven tool assembly that uses the cutting tool coolant to also lubricate and cool the driven tool. The driven tool housing has at least one coolant intake port, at least one coolant discharge port, and a shank for mounting the driven tool assembly to a machine tool. An input shaft and an output shaft are rotatably mounted in the driven tool housing, and a transmission transmits power from the input shaft to the output shaft. A seal is disposed between the housing and the input shaft. Typically, at least one passageway fluidly communicates the coolant intake port with the input shaft, the output shaft, the transmission, the bearings, and the coolant outlet port.

Abstract: A heat sealer having a heated platen, a cylinder for reciprocating the platen, a die positioned to be engaged by the platen and a shuttle supporting the die to move the die from a platen-engaging position to a non-engaging position, and a control for controlling the temperature of the platen and the force applied to the platen against the die by the cylinder. The invention also includes a temperature sensor for sensing the surface temperature of the platen and a load sensor for sensing the force applied by the platen to the die. In one embodiment, the temperature sensor is an infrared temperature sensor that reads the surface temperature of the platen and the load sensor is a load cell positioned beneath the die and supporting the die so that the load sensors can measure the direct force applied by the platen against the die. Also, in one embodiment, the infrared sensor is positioned beneath the die so that it can read the platen temperature when the die is displaced to the non-engaging position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a product collator for unscrambling scrambled products received at an input point, such as a hopper, and for delivering the unscrambled products to an output point, such as a transfer conveyor. The collator includes an endless conveyor belt made up of a plurality of laterally extending flights. The conveyor belt includes a first, generally upwardly and forwardly extending path and a second, generally rearwardly extending path positioned below the upwardly and forwardly extending path.

Abstract: The present invention provides a product collator for unscrambling scrambled products received at an input point, such as a hopper, and for delivering the unscrambled products to an output point, such as a transfer conveyor. The collator includes an endless conveyor belt made up of a plurality of laterally extending flights. The conveyor belt includes a first, generally upwardly and forwardly extending path and a second, generally rearwardly extending path positioned below the upwardly and forwardly extending path.

Abstract: A product filler head system having an input conveyor with a first drive motor for delivering product items, an index pusher for receiving the product items from the input conveyor, accumulating the product items into groups of a selected size and releasing the groups onto a staging area, the index pusher including a second drive motor, an index lug chain for receiving selected numbers of the groups of product items from the index pusher and displacing the selected number of groups of product along the staging area, the index lug chain including a third drive motor, a ram for displacing the groups of product items from the staging area into a receptacle, the ram including a fourth drive motor, and a selectively programmable computer control for individually actuating the first, second, third and fourth motors such that speeds of the conveyor, index pusher and lug chain are synchronized with respect to each other and with sequencing of the ram, so that changes in the size of the groups of product items and cha

Abstract: A product aligning system specially adapted for receiving and aligning product items in bulk quantity, includes a hopper for receiving masses of product items in bulk and including a hopper conveyor extending across the bottom of the hopper, a hopper nose conveyor for receiving product items conveyed by the hopper conveyor and extending outwardly from the hopper, and a scale conveyor for receiving items from the hopper nose conveyor. The hopper nose conveyor and scale conveyor each include powered rakes positioned above the item supporting surfaces of those conveyors such that substantially only a single layer of items passes therebeneath. The hopper nose and scale conveyors each include load sensing apparatus which detects an accumulation of product items on those conveyors and signals a computer control which slows the speeds of the hopper and hopper nose conveyors sufficiently to allow the accumulation of products to reduce.

Abstract: An article accumulator is designed for use with a robotic hand. The accumulator comprises an open frame having an endless open conveyor for receiving and transporting individual aligned rows of generally flattened articles such as frozen burger patties. A receiving section of the accumulator initially receives the flattened articles in rectilinear rows. The rows of articles are then passed to a pick section of the accumulator. Operably associated with the pick section are a repositioning system and a lifting system. The repositioning system comprises an actuator, a set of plate members with vertically extending fingers, and a stop fence. The plate members are positioned below the open conveyor so that upon programmed activation, the plate members move upwardly a sufficient distance that their fingers encompass a number of articles. The fingers ensure that the articles are properly positioned. The lifting system is also positioned below the endless open conveyor holding the articles.

Abstract: A robotic hand on a robot is capable of picking-up several generally flattened articles in a stack form in a gentle non-damaging manner. The robotic hand has a manifold for directing controlled pressure air and a set of gripper finger assemblies extending therefrom. Each finger assembly has a rigid finger support member and an inflatable bladder extending along its length. The bladders are in communication with the chamber of the manifold and an external source of positive and negative pressure air. The robotic hand is capable of positioning itself over an article to be picked-up with the set of gripper finger assemblies encompassing the article. Pressurized air is directed through the manifold and into the bladders of the finger assemblies. The bladders expand sufficiently to grasp sides of the article.

Abstract: A filling head for loading food articles such as franks into individual packaging trays is adapted for quick connect to a power system and a loader parent machine. The filling head comprises an open frame, at least two spring loaded flapper doors hingeably attached to the frame, and a pusher bar unloading system capable of operable connection to the power system of the parent machine to intermittently discharge food articles from the filling head to the individual packaging trays positioned below the flapper doors. The pusher bar unloading system includes a drive rod which can be connected to the periphery of a flywheel by quick connect means to run in an smooth continuous reciprocating motion to deliver an up and down motion to a horizontal shaft slideably mounted on the frame and an associated set of pusher bars and elongated pusher members.

Abstract: An article processing machine is provided and comprises a conveyor device for moving articles and a stacking device for stacking the articles in pairs during movement through the machine and wherein the stacking device comprises a pivoted ramp assembly adapted to be pivoted to scoop thereon articles from the moving device and a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the ramp assembly to engage and scoop thereon in a serial manner alternate articles from the moving device and elevate same thereabove and a structure carried by the moving device for sliding each elevated article from the ramp assembly onto an associated alternate article carried by the moving device to define a stacked pair of articles.

Abstract: Randomly oriented articles of roughly equal size are arranged in a predetermined pattern employing an apparatus which comprises a device for receiving the articles and disposing same in at least one substantially rectilinear row and in a single layer thereof, an accumulator for receiving the articles from the row with the accumulator having a moving apparatus for moving the articles therethrough and a cooperating gate system for controlling the articles moving through the accumulator, and a collection device for collecting the articles from the accumulator wherein the gate system alone or cooperating with the moving apparatus provides improved control of any desired number of articles through the accumulator.

Abstract: An improved sheet forming machine and method of making same are provided wherein such machine employs a first set of clamp assemblies and associated moving devices for serially moving the sheet or sheet material along fixed parallel rails through a succession of working stations and a second set of clamp assemblies which cooperate with the first set of clamp assemblies in a non-interfering manner and grasp and hold opposite side edge portions of the sheet material the full extent of the stations along the rails, and the second set of clamp assemblies are adapted to provide precise grasping and holding of such opposite side edge portions of the sheet material along such full extent to enable modification of the sheet material at each successive station with optimum precision. The machine also has improved apparatus for adjusting and holding the distance between the parallel rails.

Abstract: An apparatus for packaging articles of roughly equal size in package means therefor and method of making such apparatus are provided wherein such apparatus comprises a first conveyor device for the articles with the first conveyor device having a plurality of receptacles each for receiving and supporting an individual one of the articles, a second conveyor device for moving a plurality of packages for the articles, and a transfer device for transferring a predetermined number of the articles from the first conveyor device into associated packages therefor wherein the first and second conveyor devices have portions thereof in parallel facing relation and the apparatus further comprises a drive for operating the conveyor devices in a continuous non-indexing manner to thereby continuously package the predetermined number of articles in an associated package.

Abstract: Randomly oriented articles of roughly equal size are arranged in a predetermined pattern employing an apparatus which comprises a device for receiving the articles and disposing same in at least one substantially rectilinear row and in a single layer thereof, an accumulator for receiving the articles from the row with the accumulator having a moving apparatus for moving the articles therethrough and a cooperating gate system for controlling the articles moving through the accumulator, and a collection device for collecting the articles from the accumulator wherein the gate system alone or cooperating with the moving apparatus provides improved control of any desired number of articles through the accumulator.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for the production of silk screened textile goods. Workpieces are positioned on pedestals of a conveyor at a printing station and a silk screen design is then printed thereon. Cyclical operation of the conveyor incrementally advances the printed workpieces to a "drying" station where the printed designs is converted to solid form. The ink employed is plastisol based and is converted or "dried" to solid form primarily through polymerization. The "drying" station employs a heater element which selectively emits infra-red radiation spectrally limited to a wavelength range of three to four microns, a wavelength range at which the liquid plastisol exhibits a peak of radiation absorption. Operation of the conveyor is responsive to the rate at which an operator silk screens the workpieces with means being provided to retract the heater element from its operative position if this rate falls below a predetermined pace in order to avoid over exposure of the workpiece to the infra-red radiation.

Abstract: An improved sheet forming machine and method of making same are provided wherein such machine employs a first set of clamp assemblies and associated moving devices for serially moving the sheet or sheet material along fixed parallel rails through a succession of working stations and a second set of clamp assemblies which cooperate with the first set of clamp assemblies in a non-interfering manner and grasp and hold opposite side edge portions of the sheet material the full extent of the stations along the rails, and the second set of clamp assemblies are adapted to provide precise grasping and holding of such opposite side edge portions of the sheet material along such full extent to enable modification of the sheet material at each successive station with optimum precision. The machine also has improved apparatus for adjusting and holding the distance between the parallel rails.

Abstract: A heat transfer apparatus includes a dome type enclosure member with a heating element internally mounted within a dome formed within the member. The diaphragm cooperatively forms a variable volume chamber with the enclosure member and is movable toward the heating element under the impetus of atmospheric air as air is evacuated from chamber.

Abstract: A filling head for loading food articles such as franks into individual packaging trays is adapted for quick connect to a power system and a loader parent machine. The filling head comprises an open frame, at least two spring loaded flapper doors hingeably attached to the frame, and a pusher bar unloading system capable of operable connection to the power system of the parent machine to intermittently discharge food articles from the filling head to the individual packaging trays positioned below the flapper doors. The pusher bar unloading system includes a drive rod which can be connected to the periphery of a flywheel by quick connect means to run in an smooth continuous reciprocating motion to deliver an up and down motion to a horizontal shaft slideably mounted on the frame and an associated set of pusher bars and elongated pusher members.