Abstract: A bucket conveyor assembly includes both a bucket endless conveyor and a cover endless conveyor, with the cover endless conveyor being located inside a horizontal section of the bucket endless conveyor. The cover endless conveyor is driven so that covers (40) mounted on its lower flight are superimposed with gaps (44) between buckets (24) mounted on the bucket conveyor at a loading zone (26). Material to be loaded into the buckets is gravity-fed between the top and bottom flights (36A and B) of both the bucket endless conveyor and the cover endless conveyor and dropped into bottom-flight buckets (24) through the bottom-flight covers (40). The covers have an unsymmetrical inverted V-shape, with the leading side (46) of the V being on a steeper angle than the trailing side (48) of the V.

Abstract: A machine for connecting rows of coil springs together into a coil spring assembly. The machine initially picks up a row of coil springs by inserting a pick up finger into the barrel of each coil and moving the springs onto a support platen. While transporting the coils, the pick up fingers change the spacing of the coils. The springs are then compressed against the support platen to a desired height through use of a reciprocable compression bar. Thereafter, rotatable transfer fingers remove the springs from under the compression bar, and move them into clamping dies. Leading rotary transfer fingers on the transfer shaft first pull the row of springs out from under the compression bar, and trailing rotary fingers then push the springs into the downstream one of upper and lower clamping dies. The rows of clamping dies clamp together the upper and lower end loops of the leading and trailing rows of coil springs.

Abstract: A mechanism for driving a robot hand mounted on a robot arm includes a pair of planetary gear assemblies coupled to motors for swinging the robot hand about a first shaft and for rotating the robot hand about a second shaft through transmission systems. During swinging motion of the robot hand about the first shaft, rotative power from the motor which causes such rotation is transmitted by the planetary gear assemblies to the second shaft also, so that rotation of the robot hand resulting from the swinging motion of the robot hand can be cancelled out.

Abstract: A pear orienting apparatus for receiving, orienting and subsequently feeding oriented pears with the stem-end lowermost to peeling and coring devices in a machine of the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,058,502 and 3,797,639 including a canted reciprocable shaker pan feeding singulated pears to at least one channeled lifter that tumbles the singulated pears over spaced divergent guide plates onto an inclined and intermittently gated delivery chute.

Abstract: A conveyor with a plurality of article supporting stations has a reciprocatable shuttle mechanism equipped with dogs which engage and advance articles one station on each advance stroke of the shuttle. All dogs are set in article engaging position at the end of each return stroke of the shuttle. A series of accumulating stations extends from the unloading toward the loading end of the conveyor, and accumulating mechanism actuatable independently of the shuttle is operable to reset the dogs of each of these stations to non-engaging position in response to the presence of articles. A control system normally operates the conveyor on a simple cycle of successive advance and return strokes of the shuttle until, with articles detected at the last two stations, the accumulating mechanism is cycled prior to a shuttle advance stroke.

Abstract: A pallet changing system for a machine tool in which two pallets are shuttled back and forth over a track to maintain one pallet in a standby position while the other pallet is in a central machining position. A single saddle capable of indexing either pallet during machining is driven on the track. Telescoping covers extend between each track end and the associated pallet and also between the pallets to keep the track and saddle covered while permitting movement of the pallets over the track and relative to each other.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating, ordering, and feeding metallic workpieces, particularly hard-to-handle workpieces which become easily entangled with one another, from a disorganized pile of workpieces. A traveling electromagnetic field is produced by a three-phase motor stator. The stator may be of the linear type, or either internal or external rotor type, cylindrical three-phase motor stators. Metallic workpieces are disposed within the traveling field, and experience stochastic motions therein. When organized, the metallic workpieces are oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the traveling magnetic field. Discharge channels may be provided to transport the oriented workpieces to a pick-up point.

Abstract: Apparatus are provided for forming a loosely felted mat of elongated wood flakes, the wood flakes being supported on an elongated caul. The flakes are deposited between a plurality of closely spaced parallel baffles so as to be aligned in mutually parallel relation. The caul is supported adjacent the lower edges of the baffles and is support for vertical movement to facilitate buildup of the mat. Apparatus movable back and forth along the length of the caul is provided to deposit wood flakes in an evenly dispursed manner. At least one picker wheel also moves along the length of the baffles, the picker wheel including fingers extending downwardly between baffles and adapted to engage the flakes to cause them to fall between the baffles.

Abstract: A rope bucket elevator has a drive with at least one drum, a transport part having a rope member, a plurality of buckets attached to said rope member, and a plurality of clamp members each connecting a respective one of the bucket members with the rope member, wherein the clamp member has a surface which faces toward a surface of the drum and is provided with a recess, in which at least a portion of an attachment for the clamp member is accommodated.

Abstract: A machine for applying flat-bottomed base cups to round-bottomed plastic bottles. The machine comprises an orbiting conveyor having means for carrying a plurality of bottles and base cups along a predetermined path during which time the base cups are applied to the bottom of the bottles. A bottle loader mechanism is provided for receiving a plurality of bottles directly from a blow-molding machine and transferring the same directly and simultaneously to the conveyor. Means are provided for delivering base cups single file to the conveyor and for removing the bottles from the conveyor after the base cups have been applied.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming an elongated loosely felted mat of thin elongated wood flakes with the flakes being aligned in mutually parallel relation and being aligned with the longitudinal direction of the elongated mat. The apparatus comprises a plurality of conveyor belts positioned in closely adjacent side-by-side relation and defining a mat supporting surface adapted to support the aligned wood flakes, the belts being supported on the surface of a cylinder. Wood flakes are deposited in loosely felted relation on the belts, and a plurality of closely spaced parallel planar baffles surround the cylinder, the baffles comprising plates positioned between the belts and functioning to cause alignment of the flakes as they are deposited on the belts. The mat is compressed against the supporting surface by a plurality of belts positioned in adjacent side-by-side relation, the belts being positionable between the baffles and engageable against the mat.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a loosely felted mat of thin elongated wood flakes with said flakes being aligned in mutually parallel relation. The apparatus includes a mat supporting surface, a hopper for holding a quantity of wood flakes, and a funnel assembly for receiving wood flakes from the hopper and for causing the flakes to be aligned in substantially parallel side-by-side relation as they are deposited on the supporting surface. The funnel assembly includes a plurality of funnels positioned in adjacent side-by-side relation, the funnels each including inclined walls having lower edges defining an elongated narrow opening adjacent the supporting surface and upper edges defining an opening wider than said narrow opening and for receiving wood flakes from the hopper. The narrow openings of the funnels are parallel and distribute the flakes uniformly across the supporting surface.

Abstract: A transfer mechanism (20) for moving elastomeric ribbon between a first or lead-in mechanism, and a second or assembly mechanism of a ply fabrication apparatus (21) includes a shuttle means (35) for selectively engaging the ribbon, first movement means (36) for translating the shuttle (40) upwardly and downwardly with respect to the first and second mechanisms, and second movement means (38) for translation of the shuttle between the first and second mechanisms. The shuttle means includes a movable shuttle (40). The first movement means (36) includes a first support (41) rigidly attached to the apparatus (21), and a second support (45) for mounting the shuttle (40) and having an overall length less than the length of the shuttle.

Abstract: The conveyor comprises an assembly of links each of which links comprises two longitudinally extending bars articulated to two opposed trunnions of a cross-member the other two opposed trunnions of which act as an articulation to the bars of an adjacent link. Each trunnion is capped by a carrying or steering roller which rolls along a track carried by a guide rail. The roller includes a rolling bearing having cylindrical rolling elements and in particular needles.

Abstract: A pair of conically tapered rollers orients and positions a plurality of initially randomly oriented negative glow lamps. A component holder receives said oriented and positioned lamps sequentially one at a time and releasably holds said lamps in a fixed position relative thereto as the lamps are moved laterally away from the rollers.

Abstract: A conveyor assembly follows a pathway defined by a supporting framework, wherein the pathway may include serpentine portions. The framework supports a transport mechanism for movement along the pathway, and a belt assembly is carried by the transport mechanism. The belt assembly includes a continuous belt having flexible convolutions permitting the belt to follow serpentine portions of the pathway and also permitting the belt to locally laterally tilt for side discharge without requiring the transport mechanism to similarly tilt. A pivotal member between the transport mechanism and belt assembly permits the belt to tilt laterally, such as on a hinge point laterally offset from the center of the conveyor pathway. An actuator causes a selected portion of the belt to tilt on the hinge point.

Abstract: A conveyor chain has longitudinally elongated coupling links having transverse throughgoing bores and longitudinally elongated entrainment links each formed with a transversely throughgoing window having a relatively wide central section and a pair of opposite relatively narrow end sections centered on respective parallel and transverse axes. Respective coupling pins have central regions of a cross-sectional size that can fit axially through the central section but not through the end section of the respective entrainment link and ends formed with axially limited regions of reduced cross-sectional size interfittable with the ends of the windows. These limited regions have end faces axially flanking the respective entrainment link. Thus the pins pivotally connect the links together into an annular succession with the entrainment and coupling links normally alternating with each other.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a mat of comminuted material for the production of pressed board comprises a conveyor belt forming a transport path and a receiving surface for the mat and a plurality of spreading machines spaced apart along the band for depositing respective layers of comminuted material on the surface to form the mat. Each of the spreading machines has a feeder for feeding the comminuted material to a roller grate for depositing the comminuted material in a respective layer with longitudinal orientation of the comminuted material in the direction of movement of the belt. At least one of the machines is provided with a transverse orienter between the roller grate and the belt for imparting a transverse orientation to the comminuted material deposited on the belt. The orienter is shiftable between a position wherein it is interposed between the roller grate of the belt and a position in which it is offset from the interposed position.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying conically shaped articles from a first conveyor to a second conveyor. The first conveyor comprises a plurality of circulating chains which are spaced from one another by a distance less than the largest diameter of the conical article such that the article will be suspended between the chains as it is conveyed. The second conveyor consists of a belt which supports article receiving stands. Arranged between the conveyors is an article transfer device which consists of two relatively movable pieces which guide the article vertically from the first to the second conveyor. Article transfer is controlled by a plurality of gates as well as by article, transfer device, and receiving member sensors.

Abstract: A work piece transfer mechanism is disclosed for placing work pieces on a moving conveyance along an axis which is substantially normal to the direction of movement of the conveyance. The mechanism has a plurality of work piece holders which follow a hypocycloidal path and which always face radially outwardly. The mechanism is translated laterally alongside the path of the conveyance to match the conveyance velocity at the instant of work piece placement. Only one holder is extended at a time, so that the mechanism translation drive can be timed to the function of the extended holder.