Abstract: In a system for fully automatically assembling a plurality of parts into a workpiece, each part is conveyed to the respective work stations in a holder which is associated with the workpiece at the work station where the part is removed from the holder and assembled.

Abstract: A method of assembling a plurality of individual parts to manufacture a workpiece, which comprises the steps of placing each single individual part in a holder in a preparation stage, the holder holding each single individual part in a predetermined position, conveying an assembly support along a conveying path to sequentially arranged work stations whereat the parts are assembled on the assembly support, conveying the holders from the preparation stage to the work stations along the conveying path for alignment of the holders with the assembly support, removing the parts from the holders at the work stations and placing them on the assembly support for assembly thereon, returning the holders empty to the preparation stage after the single individual parts held therein have been removed, and again placing individual parts in the returned holder in the preparation stage in a predetermined position.

Abstract: A conveyor arrangement for conveying a workpiece carrier in a conveying direction, the carrier having two opposite sides, and a guide for laterally guiding the carrier in this direction, the guide comprising a drive associated with one of the carrier sides for advancing the carrier in the conveying direction, the drive including a succession of entrainment elements engaging the one carrier side, and a guide track having two sides spaced apart in a direction transverse to the conveying direction and extending in the conveying direction, one of the guide track sides being opposite the drive in the transverse direction and the drive being biased towards the one guide track side, and guide elements mounted on the carrier and guided without play along the one guide track side.

Abstract: A conveyor arrangement for conveying a workpiece carrier in a conveying direction, the carrier having two opposite sides, and a guide for laterally guiding the carrier in this direction, the guide comprising a drive associated with one of the carrier sides for advancing the carrier in the conveying direction, the drive including a succession of entrainment elements engaging the one carrier side, and a guide track having two sides spaced apart in a direction transverse to the conveying direction and extending in the conveying direction, one of the guide track sides being opposite the drive in the transverse direction and the drive being biased towards the one guide track side, and guide elements mounted on the carrier and guided without play along the one guide track side.

Abstract: In a system for coding a pallet on which a plurality of parts are assembled to form a workpiece in an assembly line, a drive for moving the pallet in a conveying path along the assembly line to successive work stations where the parts are processed or assembled, a plurality of signal carriers on the pallet for generating a signal indicating a defect in the workpiece on the pallet in a respective work station, signal read-out and encoding devices arranged along the conveying path for receiving the generated signals and emitting corresponding control signals, the drive being responsive to the emitted control signals whereby the defective workpiece may be excluded from work in work stations subsequent thereto, the signal carriers being arranged on the pallet in an array in adjacent rows extending in the conveying direction and spaced from each other in this direction, and respective signal carriers in rows spaced from each other in this direction and extending perpendicularly to the adjacent rows for enabling th