Abstract: This invention relates to improvements in reciprocating floor conveyors. A problem with some reciprocating floor conveyors is that they are not capable of being mounted in relatively narrow spaces. This invention divides the hydraulic drive assembly into two small size assemblies, each of which is capable of being mounted into a relatively narrow space. In each assembly, piston rod portions (42, 45, 44, 48) of two linear hydraulic motors (16, 20, 18, 22) are connected at their opposite ends to two spaced apart transverse frame members (50, 52, 54, 56). A cylinder (84) is driven back and forth along each piston rod (42, 46, 44, 48). Two transverse drive beams (24, 28, 26, 30) are provided. Each drive beam (24, 28, 26, 30) is directly connected to an associated one of the cylinders (84). The transverse drive beams (24, 28) of the first assembly are connected to the first and third set of floor slat members (40).

Abstract: A well pipe handling machine for removing a series of stands of pipe from the upper end of a well pipe string and storing the stands in a rack offset to a side of the well axis and/or returning the stands sequentially from the rack for reconnection to the string. The machine includes a support which carries units for holding a pipe in vertical condition and is movable between a position in which the pipe is in alignment with the well axis and a location near the storage rack, and which preferably takes the form of a vertically extending column structure movable horizontally by two synchronized drive mechanisms at the top and bottom of the column structure. The pipe holding units are desirably shiftable upwardly and downwardly relative to the support and also generally horizontally toward and away from the support for placement of the pipe stands in the rack and removal therefrom.

Abstract: An industrial robot having a gimbal-ring type suspension incorporating two axes renders therewith a translatorily movable arm swingable. According to the invention, the translatory movement is achieved in that the gimbal-ring type suspension, which can be swung with the aid of two motors, carries a part in the form of a box-like structure in which a platform provided with a rack can be slidably moved on guides, the platform being driven to translatory motion by a pinion. The platform carries a fourth, a fifth and a sixth motor, of which the fourth motor is able to rotate the arm about its longitudinal axis while the fifth and sixth motor drive their respective drive shafts for swinging the tool holder and rotating the same.

Abstract: Apparatus for wrapping shrinkable plastic labels about bottles as they are moved in a single file. As the bottles exit the wrapping machine, they are resting on a moving belt conveyor which is driven in the direction of a heat shrinking tunnel. In order to have the bottles, with the labels applied, pass through a circulating hot air, infrared tunnel in properly spaced intervals to assure proper shrinkage of the tubular labels, a spacing device in the form of a bottle side-engaging set of brushes is used. The brushes have their bristles extending horizontally across the path of movement of the bottles on the conveyor. The bottles are actually pushed at the speed of the labeling machine through the gap between the brushes and therefore the bottles are released by the brushes at equally spaced time intervals and thus become equally spaced on the moving conveyor belt that carries them to the heat shrink tunnel.

Abstract: The invention concerns a manipulator (1) which is able to automatically receive the tool holder (7), to clamp it and to set it down again, in order thus to make possible a rapid changing of different tools. For this purpose, the last drive element (6) of the manipulator (1) as well as the tool holder (7) are provided with coupling parts (8,9) and with cooperating screw systems (16,17). The manipulator-side screw system (17) is mounted via an operating element (11) for rotation at a second operating element (10) which forms a rotation barrier (13) with the tool holder (7) as the coupling parts (8,9) come together. The screwing process is actuated by rotation of the last drive member (6). The two operating elements (10,11) are furthermore non-rotationally connected through a fixing mechanism (20). This rotation lock is abolished as soon as the rotation barrier (13) between the operating part (10) and the tool holder (7) becomes effective.

Abstract: In the packaging industry finished packing containers are frequently transported by means of chain conveyors between different machines or handling points. A reorientation of the packing containers, e.g. from a horizontal to a vertical position, may then be required. To achieve this, an arrangement may be included as an integrated part on a conveyor, making use of the chain and drive elements of the conveyor. The chain is then led with the help of pulleys on a path which is such that several parts of the chain, while successively changing position, travel close to the packing container conveyed so that the latter during its advance through the arrangement is reorientated from a horizontal to vertical position.

Abstract: A folding belt system having the head and tail pulleys twice the width of the support idler rolls and having a transition length of about 7 to 15 times the width of the belt between the fold or hinge lines, where transition width support rolls are located. The folding conveyor belt is composed of a central belt section which has specially constructed flexible areas at each edge extending longitudinally the length of the belt to which are attached cover flaps. The cover flaps completely enclose the load while it is conveyed. This reduces spillage, dust, and contamination while providing highly enhanced conveying capacity. The flaps may be of the same or different construction than the center section of the belt.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for arranging capped capsules in a single direction, whereby many capped empty capsules are put one by one into receiving holes which are moving mechanically and while capped empty capsules are being moved, those which were put in with their cap facing upwardly are left to move as they are but those which were put in with their cap facing downwardly are turned upside down so that capped empty capsules facing in the same direction can be supplied to a filling machine.

Abstract: An arrangement for converting a multi-track stream of bottles to a single-track stream of bottles. An intermediate conveyer is disposed between a feeding mechanism, which is provided with guide rails, and a withdrawal mechanism, which is provided with guide rails. The upper sides of the conveyer belts of the intermediate conveyer form a conversion region in which the conveyer belts are disposed flushly adjacent one another in the shape of an inclined plane which is inclined transverse to the direction in which bottles are conveyed from the upper side of the feeding mechanism to the upper side of the withdrawal mechanism. The conversion region is formed by the upper sides of the conveyer belts of the intermediate conveyer and of the withdrawal mechanism. The track width of the conversion region corresponds to the track width of the heating mechanism, with the conversion region being disposed downstream of the feeding mechanism and essentially coinciding in level and track with the latter.

Abstract: A stack conveyor and handler in the form of a crane for stacking rod-like material in a warehouse or storage system or the like, in which the load-bearing beam is vertically movable on guides of the crane and has load pickup devices in the form of prongs or the like. Prongs identical to these prongs and located opposite them are firmly connected to the beam, and clamping mandrels for gripping the material are movable substantially vertically between opposed prongs. The load-bearing beam is supported such that it is rotatable, about an axis that is horizontal as well as parallel to the corridors between stacks, between at least two operating positions, in which the prongs extend in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for handling bobbins and transferring them from one location to another. The apparatus includes upper and lower housings connected by an articulated joint. The upper housing is supported by a fluid-operated, overhead hoist which is controlled by a manually-operated control mounted on the upper housing. The lower housing has an outwardly-extending, compact, fluid-operated gripper which extends into a central passage of the bobbin and has movable jaws engaging the inner surface. The articulated joint enables the lower housing to pivot relative to the upper one and move the gripper between horizontal and vertical positions. The articulated joint has a manually-operated locking pin locking the lower housing in either position, with a manual release handle located near the hoist control on the upper housing to enable both to be manipulated by one hand. The apparatus also includes a fluid interlock system which prevents accidental release of the bobbin from the gripper.

Abstract: A silo has a guide arranged along the silo container, and the guide has a stop at the upper portion of the silo. A coupling element can slide along the guide, which can be coupled with a tippable loading frame of a transport vehicle by a cable. This arrangement simplifies the loading and unloading of the silo onto or off of the transport vehicle.

Abstract: A process and device are provided for supplying an operation station with a uccession of articles guided along a given path from a feeding station, whereby an acceleration is imparted to each article by a pushing lug for example, and then the article is braked by a retainer lug for example.

Abstract: A moving table type work system includes a work table (3) arranged to provide the movements of two degrees of freedom for a work piece (a) to carry out a predetermined work for the work piece (a). Further included are a feeding table (1) which is reciprocated between the work table (3) and a work piece feeding device (2) to transfer the work piece (a) from the work piece feeding device (2) to the work table (3) and a discharging table (4) which is also reciprocated between the work table (3) and a work piece receiving device (5) to transfer the work piece (a) from the work table (3) to the work piece receiving device (5).

Abstract: A three-axis wrist mechanism has three independent rotational axes with two points of mutual intersection which are offset from each other. The offset provides a generous bend radius for the wrist. First and second housing structures contain the first and second axes while the third axis is disposed within a tool support member. The first housing structure is adapted to be mounted to an outer tubular member of the arm of a robot to rotate independently of the rest of the mechanism. Gear trains of the mechanism provide the independent rotation of the second housing structure and the tool support member to permit selective positioning of a tool-mounting surface of the tool support member within a work envelope.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically restacking palletized tiers of adjacent rows of loosely cubed laden produce boxes in a continuous fashion by recubing the boxes while automatically retrieving and stacking the successive pallets during the continuing recubing process.

Abstract: A drilling apparatus of the type having a drilling mast and a transfer arm mounted at a first axis adjacent the mast to move between a lower position near ground level and an upper position aligned with the mast is provided with a reaction point anchor fixed with respect to the drilling mast and spaced from the first axis. A fixed length link is pivotably mounted to the transfer arm at a second axis, spaced from the first axis, and a first single stage cylinder is pivotably mounted at one end to the distal end of the link and at the other end to the transfer arm. A second single stage hydraulic cylinder is pivotably mounted at one end to the distal end of the link and at the other end to the reaction point.

Abstract: A coin discriminator for discriminating good coins from bad coins among a plurality of different types of coins and sorting the coins by denomination has a cradle for selecting the coins in accordance with their diameter, and a swing lever which is urged in a direction toward the space between the two ends of the cradle. The swing lever biases a small coin so as to cause it to pass the space between the two ends of the cradle. A large coin urges the swing lever and is removed from the cradle.

Abstract: An overhead case positioner for inverting upended cases, including a detector for sensing the presence of an upended case moving along a conveyor, a first stop for retarding movement of the upended case, a second stop for retarding movement of the succeeding case, a third stop spaced downstream of the first for engaging the upended case after it has been released by the first stop and an inverter mechanism for pivoting an upended case in abutment with the third stop forwardly over the third stop.

Abstract: A pallet is releasably attached to a car which is stopped automatically at a work station in a coarse alignment with a robotic system at the work station. A movable plate, which tends to be distorted from a given shape, is releasably secured to the car and lifted from the car at the work station, aligned in the desired fine alignment during the lifting and then clamped in place relative to a reference plane in the fine alignment relative to the robotic system to remove the distortion. The plate is later dropped by gravity onto the car in a given alignment therewith for transfer to the next work station which repeats the fine alignment and distortion removal action.