Abstract: A tubular transfer system comprising a boom structure having a first frame telescopically coupled to a second frame. A first actuator is configured to extend and retract the first frame relative to the second frame. A clamp mechanism is coupled to the first frame and configured to grip and lift a tubular. A second actuator is configured to raise and lower the clamp mechanism relative to the first frame.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotating an inner stamped part with respect to an outer stamped part is provided. The inner stamped part is nested within an aperture formed within the outer stamped part. The apparatus includes a plurality of grippers that include at least a first gripper positioned at a first edge of the inner stamped part and a second gripper positioned at a second edge of the inner stamped part opposite to the first edge. The plurality of grippers is configured to grip the inner stamped part at the first edge and the second edge, respectively. The plurality of grippers is further configured to rotate the gripped inner stamped part about an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation intersects the first gripper and the second gripper. The plurality of grippers is also configured to open to release the inner stamped part.

Abstract: An apparatus for de-stacking sheet metal blanks uses electro-magnetic pulses to separate sheet metal blanks from a stack of blanks. A fixture supports an electromagnetic attraction device that includes one or more multi-turn electrical coils and one or more insulated metal screens. The coil is electrically connected to a bank of capacitors. The metal screen is disposed in an electrical insulation material and is retained by the fixture between the coil and the top blank of the stack of blanks. Suction cups perform the primary lifting function and are connected to a vacuum source. The suction cups may be supported by the same fixture or another associated fixture that cooperates with the coil and insulated screen.

Abstract: A postal sorting machine comprises an unstacker in a mailpiece feed inlet, a sorting conveyor, and sorting outlets, each of which is provided with a receptacle designed for storing the mailpieces in a stack and on an edge. Each sorting outlet is provided with a wheel having a helical blade. The wheel projects through an opening in the bottom of the receptacle and is mounted on a transmission shaft. The transmission shaft is disposed under the receptacle to impart a rotary movement to the helical blade so that the helical blade pushes the base of a current mailpiece in the receptacle against the stack of mailpieces that is being formed. The wheel is also mounted on the transmission shaft by being clipped by moving in translation across the axis of rotation of the transmission shaft.

Abstract: Described is a device for lifting an object from a deck of a vessel subject to movements in a heave direction. The device comprises a support surface for the object provided at a first height in the heave direction relative to the deck. A lifting crane is configured to take up the object from the support surface at a lifting point thereof at a lifting speed. An actuator system is configured to lower the support surface relative to the deck at the instant in time at which the object is lifted from the surface to a second height in the heave direction at a lowering speed. A method using the device is also described.

Abstract: A lower stabilizing arm for stabilizing tubulars for stabbing to the threaded connections of a drill string on drilling rigs. The lower stabilizing arm comprises a bracket and an upper arm having an upper end and a lower end. An upper pair of axially opposed rotary actuators connects the upper end of the upper arm to the bracket. A lower arm is provided having an upper end and a lower end. A central rotary actuator is connected between the lower end of the upper arm and the upper end of the lower arm. A roller bracket is provided having a pair of v-shaped rollers mounted on the roller bracket. A lower pair of axially opposed rotary actuators connects the second end of the lower arm to the roller bracket.

Abstract: A sheet stacker including a sheet conveyor arrangement and a stacking bay, wherein sheets delivered by the sheet conveyor arrangement are formed into stacks; the stacking bay including a stacker platform. The stacker platform is provided with a vertical lifting and lowering movement with respect to a stationary supporting structure and is controlled to move downwards while a stack of sheets is formed thereon. The stacker platform supports a stack conveyor configured and controlled to perform at least an evacuation motion, to remove a completed stack from the stacking bay. The evacuation motion of the stack conveyor is oriented such that a completed stack is moved from the stacking bay onto an evacuation conveyor arranged under the sheet conveyor arrangement.

Abstract: An adjustable carrier system which aids in the lifting, lower, and transport of heavy objects by a vehicle such as an ATV. The adjustable carrier system generally includes a lower support which is adapted to be connected to a vehicle. A vertical support extends upwardly in a vertical orientation from the lower support. A winch includes a cable which extends through a lower pulley, upwardly alongside the vertical support, through an upper pulley, and downwardly alongside the vertical support to connect at its distal end to a sleeve. The sleeve is movably connected to the vertical support such that the cable may raise or lower the sleeve along the vertical support through use of a winch. A carrier for such as a basket or platform for holding an object is connected to the sleeve such that the carrier is also raised or lowered along the vertical support by the cable.

Abstract: Bale handling apparatus and associated methods are described. According to one aspect, a bale handling apparatus includes a primary chassis frame, wheels coupled with the primary chassis frame, a grapple system supported by the primary chassis frame, wherein the grapple system includes a plurality of grapples which move between open and closed positions, a hoist assembly supported by the primary chassis frame, wherein the hoist assembly comprises a load bed, and a lift device configured to move the load bed between a first position and a second position, wherein the grapples are configured to move from the open position to the closed position to engage a bale of a vertically arranged stack which is adjacent to the load bed positioned in the second position, and wherein the lift device moves the load bed from the second position to the first position with the grapples engaged with the bale.

Abstract: A system for transporting people and/or freight includes a shuttle having, at an upper side thereof, a lock to detachably secure a hoisting cable for use in hoisting the shuttle and, on a lower side thereof with a first catch member. A shuttle landing station has a second catch member, the two catch members being at least partly complementary to each other and able to be coupled to each other. Activable stabilizers on the shuttle maintain the position of the shuttle on the landing station after the coupling of the catch members. The first catch member on the lower side of the shuttle is a cavity which tapers off to the top. The second catch member on the landing station is a convex cone detachably secured to the landing station by at least one detachable attachment element, wherein the convex cone tapers toward the first catch member when the first catch member and the second catch member are coupled. to each other.

Abstract: A transportation system for stacking/carrying of containers including a panel, which has a stacking unit positioned on the panel and including a first body in which the containers are stacked; a transport element for transferring the container onto the panel by means of a first displacing member and including a base on which the container is placed; a second displacing member for transferring the container positioned on the base into the first body; a gripping arm that holds the transferred container; a third displacing member that moves the gripping arm; and a locking arm which has a flexible member that holds the container; a transport unit positioned on the panel; a displacing mechanism; a transport arm which is associated with the movable plate and which lifts the containers; and a support shaft having a fixing arm.

Abstract: Wellbore drilling system comprising: a drilling tower, a drill floor having a well center through which a drill string passes along a firing line, a drilling tubulars storage rack adapted to store multiple drilling tubulars in vertical orientation, a tubular racking device having at least a lower first tubular racker assembly and at least a second tubular racker assembly operable at a greater height than the first tubular racker assembly, each tubular racker assembly comprises a base, a motion arm connected to said base, and a tubular gripper member connected or connectable to the motion arm and adapted to grip a tubular, wherein—with the tubular gripping member connected to the motion arm of the racker assemblies—the tubular racking device is adapted to grip and retain a drilling tubular by the tubular racker assemblies, and wherein the tubular racking device is adapted to place a tubular in and remove a tubular from the drilling tubulars storage rack, and wherein the tubular racking device has a reach

Abstract: An ATV rack for a pickup truck includes a pair of triangular braces, each secured to the upper edge of a truck bed sidewall, near the cab rear wall. Mounted on the braces is a storage grate formed of a fixed, horizontal front section, positioned above the cab roof, and a pivotal rear section. A free edge of the rear section can be lowered to load ATVs onto the grate and then raised to a horizontal position to transport the ATVs. The rear section may also be secured in a vertical, upright position to form an observation deck, or can be collapsed onto the front section to allow the cargo bed to be used for storage.

Abstract: A system for placing and removing pipe from a finger rack of a drilling rig, the system comprising a pipe handling apparatus (140) and a finger rack (139) having at least one finger board (102) having at least two fingers (103 to 106) defining a slot (107 to 109) and a multiplicity of latches (114) arranged therebetween defining a space for a pipe, each latch (114) of the multiplicity of latches selectively movable between an open position and a closed position, the system further comprising at least one camera (101) having said at least one latch (114) of said multiplicity of latches in a field of view, capturing an image of said latch and sending said image to a master control computer (12?), said master computer control computer (12?) programmed with a set of instructions to analyze said image for details indicative of the latch (114) being in an open position or closed position, concluding the latch (114) to be in an open position or closed position and allowing or disallowing a pipe handling apparatus to

Abstract: A method for loading a pallet with different individual packs of a picked order includes a first method step in which the individual packs to be palletized are delivered in a conveyor cart, a second method step in which the individual packs are separated, positioned and prepared for palletizing in such a way that a palletizing station has access to all of the individual packs and a third method step in which the individual packs are picked in a sequence predetermined by the palletizing station and stacked on the pallet. A device for performing the method includes one or more palletizing stations with a storage device for the individual packs and with a continuous conveying loop acting as a conveying path for the conveyor cart.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a display panel turnover device. The display panel turnover device includes: a holder comprising two inverted-V shaped supports arranged oppositely and a rotating shaft pivotally assembled on top ends of the two inverted-V shaped supports, wherein each inverted-V shaped support comprises a front leg and a rear leg; an adjustment lever having a first operating position and a second operating position, located between two front legs and two rear legs and substantially parallel to the rotating shaft; a frame configured to retain a periphery of a display panel therein, wherein a top of the frame is secured to the rotating shaft, and a bottom of the frame is secured to the adjustment lever; and a front door and a rear door respectively arranged at a front side and a rear side of the frame and capable of being opened and closed.

Abstract: A raising/lowering conveyance apparatus has at least two sets of container holders operable to be raised/lowered in conjunction with each other, and to be freely movable closer to or away from containers in the back-and-forth horizontal direction. A sensor operable to detect the upper end height of the transferred containers which have been transferred and raised is attached to a position near the lower end of each container holder, to determine abnormality in posture of the transferred containers through a comparison operation between the value of the upper end height of the transferred containers detected by the sensor and the normal value of the upper end height of the transferred containers calculated on the basis of the height of the container being handled.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device (1) for handling individual intermediate layers (5). The method involves removing from each of at least two separate stacks of intermediate layers (7) an individual intermediate layer (5) arranged topmost on the particular stack of intermediate layers (7). The removed individual intermediate layers (5) are moved into a detection range of a sensor system (13) of its own and the particular own sensor system (13) identifying, preferably by means of optical detection, an outer edge (6) of the particular intermediate layer (5). Subsequently, the removed individual intermediate layers (5) move toward a particular target location (Z1, Z2), the particular, preferably optical detection thereby being taken into account, such that the intermediate layers (5) reach their particular target location (Z1, Z2) in a predetermined position.

Abstract: Presently disclosed embodiments are directed to a system and method for loading mail trays in a sorter without human intervention. Specifically, the disclosed embodiments utilize an automated mail tray having a bottom plate that is selectively moveable between an elevated position and a lowered position. The automated mail tray may be positioned on a shelf under a corresponding output pocket of a mail stacker, and the bottom plate may be elevated to receive mail product transferred from the output pocket to the automated mail tray. After receiving the mail product on the elevated bottom plate, the bottom plate of the mail tray may be lowered so that the mail product is transferred from the output pocket to a position fully situated in the automated mail tray. The mail tray filled with mail product may then be removed from the shelf and replaced with an empty automated mail tray.

Abstract: A system stacking and retrieving a crab pot onboard a vessel includes a crane having an end and operable to position the end at a plurality of locations on or near a vessel's deck, and an end effector at the end of the crane, operable to hold a crab pot. The crane is used to grab a crab pot stored on the deck and position the pot on a pot launcher, or to grab a pot on the pot launcher and position the pot on the vessel's deck to secure the pot onboard. The system also includes a connector operable to couple a crab pot with another crab pot, and a controller operable to direct the movement of the crane to position the end of the crane at a plurality of locations on or near a vessel's deck. With the system's controller the crane may be automatically controlled and directed without requiring a deckhand to manually direct the crane to the correct position on the vessel's deck. And, with the connector each crab pot may be secured to an adjacent crab pot during storage of the pots without the need of a deckhand.