Abstract: A bobbin tube magazine assembly, includes:a bobbin tube feeding device;a bobbin tube conveyor connected to the bobbin tube feeding device, the bobbin tube conveyor being controlled by the bobbin tube feeding device for discharging bobbin tubes from the bobbin tube conveyor to the bobbin tube feeding device and the bobbin tube conveyor being independently actuatable for circulating bobbin tubes;the bobbin tube conveyor including:at least one endless pulling device, slip-on arbors protruding from the pulling device, each of the arbors having an end distant from the pulling device for receiving bobbin tubes, the arbors passing through a location during circulation in which the arbors point below the horizontal, as seen in direction toward the ends of the arbors, sliding guides disposed adjacent the ends of the arbors at the location for preventing bobbin tubes from slipping off the arbors, a freely accessible bobbin tube filling location, and a bobbin tube discharge location;and a discharge device disposed at th

Abstract: A rotational and retractable container holding device and conveyor therefor in which a conveyor member is supported in cantilever fashion by support members extending along the conveying path. A plurality of container holding devices extends in a generally horizontal orientation from one side of the conveyor member and include an inner housing slidably mounted on a supporting spindle, an outer housing rotatably mounted with respect to the inner housing and slidably mounted with respect to the spindle, and a container gripping member at the outer end of the outer housing for gripping a container by its neck. The container holding device and its conveyor are particularly suited for receiving newly formed containers and for conveying the containers through a series of bottle forming operations including coating, decorating and so forth.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a self-adjusting apparatus for use in cleaning the surface of endless belt conveyor belt apparatuses and the like. The apparatus is characterized by a blade tip which is positioned to contact the surface of the conveyor belt at a location where the conveyor belt is in contact with a head pulley, snub pulley, idler roller, or the like. The blade tip is attached to a rotatable and translatable support structure. The support structure comprises a plurality of tortion units which permit the blade tip to move in response to deformations of the surface of the conveyor belt during the operation of the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A scraper-chain conveyor is constituted by a plurality of channel sections joined together end-to-end in such a manner as to permit limited articulation therebetween in the horizontal and vertical directions. Each channel section has a pair of side walls connected together by a floor plate. The floor plate of each channel section comprises an upper plate and a lower plate. The lower plates of the channel sections overlap one another, with vertical play, at the interfaces between adjacent channel sections. The upper plates of the channel sections abut one another at said interfaces.

Abstract: For the conveying of work pieces from one treatment step to the next and for release after the treatment, gripping devices are arranged at gripper rails that can be lifted and lowered wherein the lowest and the highest position of the gripper rails can be adjusted via a pulley that can be placed against cam parts carried along by the slide of the press, via a step-up gear and a lever system. The change of the gripping devices is to be carried out together with the tool change. For this purpose, the gripper rails are led into the lowest position, which position can be adjusted via a regulating means independently from the position of the slide.

Abstract: An apparatus for displacing profiled steel rods, especially concrete reinforcing rods, off a roll conveyor. The apparatus includes a plurality of bars interspersed with the rolls of the conveyor. At their undersides, the bars are associated with respective bearing bolts which are adapted to be received by horizontally aligned sockets so that in the rest position the upper surfaces of the bars are located below the level of the top of the conveyor. Piston and cylinder combinations are provided at each side of the conveyor to selectively raise one bearing bolt out of its socket while retaining the other bearing bolt seated in its socket, thereby to move the bars up above the conveyor and to create an inclined plane by which a rod traveling along the conveyor and engaged by the bars can be displaced and cast off the conveyor to one side or the other depending on the sense of inclination of the bars.

Abstract: In the case of the fabrication of semiconductor devices, lead frames are successively transferred to the bonding position where semiconductor chips are bonded to a lead frame. To this end, a lead frame transfer device has been used. According to the present invention, there are provided means for adjusting the distance between a pair of guide rails which define the lead frame transfer passage and means for varying the transfer stroke or pitch of a device for transferring a lead frame along the guide rails. The means for adjusting the distance between the pair of guide rails comprises gage holes and gages or lead screws and nut so that one of the pair of guide rails is moved toward or away from the other guide rail depending upon the width of a lead frame to be transferred. The means for varying the transfer stroke or pitch of a device for transferring a lead frame comprises cams and sensors, and varies them through rotating a screw shaft combined with a nut by a motor.

Abstract: A cable drive conveyor system in which a cable drive carried by idler sheaves communicates with conveyor carrier rollers. An endless cable is driven and is carried by the idler sheaves. At least one cable connector connects the two ends of the endless cable. A start pad covers the cable connector and has predetermined characteristics distinct with respect to the endless cable. A vertical urger which urges the idler sheaves towards the support rollers is mounted on adjustable pressure angle supports to cause the endless cable to generally maintain a constant pressure against the carrier rollers excepting when the start pad which covers the cable connector is carried by the idler sheaves.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for accepting a population of articles of the type having one axis generally longer than the other and one end different from the other with random orientation of the ends and providing a high-speed output stream of articles with all the ends thereof commonly oriented. The apparatus comprise a rotatable wheel adapted to accept the articles with randomly oriented ends in the periphery thereof and advance said articles to an output station having means for constraining the articles during advance thereof in the wheel and means for biasing said articles to turn end for end within the wheel only as the result of an article being in an undesired endwise orientation.

Abstract: For supplying tobacco from a redryer to a packer, the invention provides apparatus comprising four consecutive conveyors, the first conveyor operating continuously in one direction to feed tobacco from the redryer to the second conveyor, the second conveyor being reversible to act selectively as a holding conveyor and a supply tobacco to the third conveyor, the third conveyor being a weighing conveyor operated at a slower speed to weight and at a faster speed to deliver the weight quantities onto the fourth conveyor which carries the successive weighed quantities of tobacco to the packer. The conveyors are so controlled that the weighed quantities, when on the fourth conveyor, are spaced apart by intervals and the packer is operated through a packing cycle during each such interval.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing bulk material from a dump comprises a horizontal scooping tube, which is mounted for rotation about its axis and provided with a plurality of buckets, which are distributed around the periphery and over the length of the scooping tube and protrude into the interior of the scooping tube through entrance openings formed in the wall of the scooping tube, and a conveyor, which extends within the scooping tube and serves to receive bulk material which has been dropped through the entrance openings by the buckets. In order to provide good conditions for the removal of material and to provide a simplified structure, the buckets are secured to annular collars, which are disposed at the entrance openings in the tube wall and radially outwardly protrude from the tube wall, and the buckets protrude at least with their backs through the collars into the interior of the scooping tube.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a device for transferring a ball, skein or package from a winding mandrel to a freely projecting carrier arm mounted on a conveyor belt. This purpose is served by a wedge member, onto which the wound ball is moved by a gripping device and which subsequently moves with the ball towards the carrier arm. The wedge member and carrier arm both have a cross sectional profile which enables the wedge member to be displaced lengthwise of the carrier arm so as to pass over and beyond it and so the ball is pushed onto and remains on the carrier arm. In this way, the ball is exactly positioned and an arrow label may be inserted into the center hole of the ball with the aid of the carrier arm. Once the label has been inserted the labelled ball is withdrawn from the carrier arm.

Abstract: A loader/unloader assembly for use with a vertical tiltable platform stores conveyor having a horizontal load position, a vertical stowed position and an intermediate inclined unload position. The load platform contains guide pins cooperating with a race track-shaped guide groove for selectably positioning the load platform in the three positions. When the load platform is in the unload position, a spring biased camming plate prevents displacement of one of the guide pins except upon application of a predetermined downward force to the load platform which serves to move the camming plate to an inhibit position and activate a switch to disconnect power from the conveyor system and stop conveyor movement. The force necessary to trigger the inhibit action may be selectably adjusted on the loader/unloader assembly.

Abstract: A device for rotating a moving, overlapping stack of flattened boxes on a conveyor belt comprising a motor, a driven pulley driven by the motor, a freely rotating pulley, and an endless belt rotating around both of the pullies, wherein the device is positioned slightly above the conveyor belt at an obtuse angle to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt. The stack of flattened boxes are positioned on the endless belt wherein the rotation of the endless belt causes the flattened boxes to rotate on the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A conveyor and work station operable to support and convey elongated bakery products such as hot dog rolls and rotate them from one position upon the conveyor to another position thereon to deliver them more suitably to be received in packages, the rotation being effected by a disc-like pad or plurality of similar pads which are supported for rectilinear movement and, when engaging the products, the pads move longitudinally in the same direction and speed as the conveyor and the rotation of the pads is 90.degree. about the axis of the pads during such longitudinal movement relative to the conveyor.

Abstract: A conveyor-chain-drive gear-box and a chain-tensioning assembly comprising main gearing in the gear-box which includes a shaft carrying one of the gears, and auxiliary gearing outside the gear-box adapted to be driven by an auxiliary motor and having a gear wheel. An apertured side wall affords means through which the gear wheel and shaft may be removably connected together. An idler gear outside the gear-box is movable from a position in which it is out of engagement with the auxiliary gearing to an operative position in which it can transmit drive from the auxiliary motor to the auxiliary gearing. A housing is provided which is removably mounted on the side wall and within which are housed the auxiliary gearing and the idler gear.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting paper stacks has two spaced-apart transporting units each having a supplying conveyor which can accept stacks from a maker or feeder, an intermediate conveyor which can accept stacks from the supplying conveyor, and a receiving conveyor which can accept stacks from the intermediate conveyor for delivery to a packing machine. A third receiving conveyor is disposed between the receiving conveyors of the two transporting units and serves to deliver stacks to a third packing machine. The intermediate conveyors can be linked to each other for simultaneous movement transversely of the transporting units so that one of the intermediate conveyors registers with the third receiving conveyor while the other intermediate conveyor receives one or more stacks from the supplying conveyor of the corresponding transporting unit.

Abstract: A conveyor belt, which is adapted in endless condition to follow through part of its length a path comprising a number of superposed, helically extending turns, comprises link means which are articulated with one another and are relatively adjustable and comprise a bottom part and spacing members arranged at the longitudinal edges of said bottom part and constituting the two sides of the belt, said spacing members being adapted with their upper edge portions to bear against the lower edge portions of the overlying turn of the conveyor belt in order to permit this to carry the underlying belt turn, at least part of the spacing members being adapted with their upper edge portions to engage shoulders at the lower edge portions of the spacing members of the overlying turn of the conveyor belt so as to prevent lateral displacement of the belt turns.

Abstract: A device for feeding cylindrical components such as diodes, resistors or capacitors includes a buffer container for receiving components from a storage container, a horizontal exit track at the bottom of the buffer container, a delivery container for receiving components from the exit track, and a zig-zag delivery track. The storage container and buffer container have serpentine chambers and vibrator assemblies are employed to move components through the containers. The flow of components is halted by stopping the vibrators, thereby controlling the component flow rate and preventing jamming.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling biscuits, (or like laminar articles), comprises a plurality of article delivery channels, a reduced number of article receiving channels, and article transfer troughs disposed between the delivery and receiving channels, the transfer troughs being operable to select batches of articles from the delivery channels and to transport the batches to the receiving channels, whereby the overall number of streams of articles is reduced. The article transfer troughs are pivotally movable about substantially vertical axes, whereby one end of a transfer trough may be aligned with the outlet of one of three delivery channels, while the other end of the trough remains in general alignment with the inlet of a receiving channel.