Abstract: The present invention comprises a load port for providing access to an article that is stored in a container having a container door removably coupled to a container shell. The load port preferably loads/unloads a container directly from a container transport system. In one embodiment, the load port includes a plate having an opening, a container support plate, a drive assembly for moving the support plate vertically and a shroud to partially enclose the opening. The shroud, which may be affixed to the mounting plate, has an open top and bottom. The shroud contains a mechanism for retaining the container shell at a controllable height. During operation, a container is raised from the transport system into the shroud until the container shell is retained by the mechanism. After the container shell is uncoupled from the container door, the container support plate is lowered until the article is accessible through the opening. The container shell remains located at the controllable height.

Abstract: A method and a commissioning system are provided for commissioning articles (A1) which are suitable for a central belt in a central belt commissioning system and articles (A2) which are not suitable for a central belt, preferably manually from an article warehouse or shelf (5), wherein articles which are suitable for a central belt (1) are commissioned and automatically fall directly onto the driven central belt (1) in a targeted manner, and at the end of the central belt they fall into a stationary container or immediately into a container (10) arranged on the driven central belt. The articles (A2) which are not suitable for a central belt are commissioned manually in containers (10) in a commissioning path to the right and/or left of the central belt (1) of the central belt commissioning device and are directly fed to a dispatching station or preferably to the central belt commissioning device for commissioning with articles (A1) which are suitable for a central belt.

Abstract: The invention relates to a loading platform (2,3) for displacing goods, comprising a support frame for goods (8) and at least one double roller device (7,9) arranged in longitudinal direction, wherein the double roller device comprises a number of first roller elements (9) situated at regular mutual distances and having a rolling surface (15), and a number of second roller elements (7) situated above the first roller elements and having a rolling surface (15), and wherein the rolling surface of the first roller elements lies against the rolling surface of the second roller elements, characterised in that the roller elements engage movably on the frame in vertical direction.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for handling a tubular above a wellbore. In one aspect, the present invention provides a pipe handling apparatus operable with a pipe pick-up and lay-down machine. The pipe handling apparatus includes at least one arm having a first end and a second end and at least one stop member coupled to the second end of the arm. Preferably, the first end is pivotally coupled to the pipe pick-up and lay-down machine. The pipe handling apparatus may be actuated to limit movement of the tubular as it is moved toward the wellbore.

Abstract: An automatic release hook comprises at least some of a body, a hook, and a counter-weighted locking arm. During operation of an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of this invention, the automatic release hook does not need to be manually manipulated to release a suspended, attached, or coupled item. When a load is suspended or hung from the hook, the counter-weighted locking arm maintains the release hook in a locked or secured position because of the weight of the load. When the load is placed on a surface and the weight of the load is no longer carried by the automatic release hook, the counter-weighted locking arm pivots and releases the release hook, which, in turn, releases the load.

Abstract: A group of objects arranged in fixed relative positions on a floor is moved while conserving the positions of the objects relative to each other by: providing a rigid framework surrounding the group of objects and having supporting means for supporting each object as well as air cushion units; establishing supportive contact between each object and corresponding supporting means; lifting the framework as one rigid unit by activating the air cushion units; and displacing the framework.

Abstract: The disk feeder removes disks from the bottom of a stack of disks by pushing them one at a time with a ram traveling back and forth under a tower holding the stack of disks. The tower has a gap at the base for allowing one disk at a time to be pushed out by the ram. The tower may be tilted to provide for a stack of disks, which rest partly on a wall of the tower to reduce the weight of the stack on the bottom disk. The workstation fed by the disk feeder can be a disk destroyer, a printer, a writer or any other disk processing device. Combinations of disk feeders and workstations can produce batches of copies of disks with labels printed on them. The disk feeder provides a low cost reliable way to feed disks to work stations.

Abstract: A tool comprising a handle, a shaft, and a pair of spaced-apart projections for use in removing the propeller from a watercraft. The projections are generally arranged at a distal end of the shaft so as to extend therefrom in a generally perpendicular direction. The projections may be placed over the rim of a propeller hub, rim of an exhaust port, or the lower portion of the trailing edge of the propeller blade generally close to the hub. The tool is then rotated to pinch the object placed therein between the two projections. The user can then utilize the handle and the shaft to have a lever arm with which they can use the pinch point as a grip on the propeller and manually prevent the propeller from rotating while attempting to rotate a nut holding the propeller to the watercraft with their other hand.

Abstract: Cable supported hook apparatus provides a U-shaped upward facing opening for transporting a truss. A cam pivotably mounted opposite the opening has a serrated edge opposite a handle. A slot in the opening permits a spring to urge the cam from a released orientation to an engaged orientation with the serrated edge extending through the slot. In the released orientation, a knob retractable spring driven pin extension can extend through a hole in the cam and secure it in place. In use, the handle is first used to rotate the cam to the released and secured orientation. After engagement with the truss, the extension is retracted by the knob which permits the cam to engage the truss. After transportation a release cable rotates the cam to the released and secured orientation to free the truss.

Abstract: A tool support apparatus for supporting tools from a vehicle hitch receiver includes a tongue bar mountable to a vehicle hitch receiver of a vehicle and extending outwardly from a rear of the vehicle. An outrigger bar is coupled to the tongue bar and is positioned substantially perpendicular to the tongue bar. A pair of stabilizer jacks is rotatably coupled to opposing ends of said outrigger bar. Each of said stabilizer jacks is configured to engage the ground surface to stabilize the outrigger bar and the tongue bar when weight is applied to the tongue bar. A mounting plate is mounted on the tongue bar to receive the tools. The mounting plate has a plurality of mounting apertures extending therethrough.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a durable, lightweight lifting member and assembly for use in handling elongated members. One embodiment comprises a cage or net made of a flexible material, the cage or net being adapted to receive one end of an elongated member. Another embodiment is characterized by a flexible lifting member constructed of a pliable, non-metallic material and comprising a body portion, an end portion, and a lifting strap.

Abstract: A large bale loading, hauling and stacking apparatus that mounts on a production truck chassis. Loading is accomplished with a centrally located bale clamping mechanism that picks up a bale, rotates it approximately 180 degrees and deposits it on a manipulator that can selectively reorient the bale for selective placement on a load rack. A stack of bales is thus formed on the load rack and later deposited in the field.

Abstract: The invention relates to an interlacing device which can be used automatically to interlace long products on a transport pallet in an economical and optimum manner, which can be adapted to tubes of any length and which operates concurrently with the palletizing machine. The inventive interlacing device (10) is characterized in that it comprises at least one interlacing gantry (11) which extends parallel to the palletized products along at least part of the length thereof and which comprises at least one wire guide (20), the wire guide being fed by at least one interlacing (12?) link reel (12). The aforementioned interlacing device (10) also comprises drive means (14) which are connected to the interlacing gantry (11) in order to move same alternatively between at least two end positions such as to move the guide wire (20) alternatively from one side of the transport pallet (7) to the other in at least one interlacing plane (P) which is essentially perpendicular to the palletized products (2).

Abstract: A telescoping bridge crane system arranged to be mounted over a floor of a structure, e.g., a vehicle trailer, and including a pair of enclosed mounting tracks for slidably supporting a runway frame. Trucks are located within the tracks. Each truck includes a hanger. The runway frame also includes two enclosed tracks which are directly supported by the hangers and located beside and parallel to the mounting tracks. A bridge section is mounted between the enclosed tracks of the runway frame by another pair of trucks. The a bridge section supports an extremely low headroom hoist assembly including an actuator, a cable, plural rotatable sheaves and a hook.

Abstract: A method for unloading a drilling rig substructure at a drilling site entails transporting the substructure to the drilling site using a truck and a dolly. The substructure is lowered onto the dolly rollers. The dolly is secured and the truck moves towards the dolly pushing the substructure along the rollers. The gooseneck is disconnected from the substructure and connected to the dolly. A first wireline is connected from a first winch to the substructure and a second wireline is connected from the second winch to the substructure through the sheave block. The second winch pulls the substructure along the rollers and is disconnected once the substructure contacts the site. The dolly is unsecured and the truck moves in an opposite direction from the rig, thereby allowing the substructure to move along rollers onto the site. A method for loading a drilling rig substructure onto a truck and a dolly is also described herein.

Abstract: An improved tweezers, particularly adapted for grasping small parts, has a first arm and a second flexible arm joined together at first ends to form a pair of tweezer jaws at second ends. A flexing of the flexible arm is accommodated as by incorporation of an arcuate portion of the first arm such that, when the arm is flexed by the application of a force, the jaw end of the flexible arm is displaced from jaw end of the first arm to open the tweezer jaws. When the force is removed, the flexible jaw returns to a rest position to apply a gripping force to an object between the jaws.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a container transport and loading system. The system generally comprises a load port for presenting articles to a tool and a container transport system. In one embodiment, the load port includes a vertically movable FOUP advance plate assembly that is adapted to load and unload a FOUP from a conveyor that passes by the load port and move the FOUP horizontally. In another embodiment, the load port includes a vertically movable support structure that is adapted to load and unload a container from a shuttle that passes by the load port. The various embodiments of the load port and container transport system are improvements over conventional container transport systems. The present invention also includes a shuttle for simultaneously transporting multiple containers that a load port may load or unload a container from.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transfer plant, especially for loading and unloading ISO containers from container ships at seaports, comprising a vertical support which is propped up on the land side and on which a horizontal extension arm is braced. Said horizontal extension arm, along which a horizontal conveying device can be displaced, protrudes across the ship that is to be unloaded on the sea side. The horizontal conveying device cooperates with hoisting and lowering devices which pick up and put down the containers. The aim of the invention is to create a redesigned transfer plant and a method for loading and unloading containers, preferably ISO containers, from container ships in seaports, which allow the transfer rate to be significantly increased and consequently the lay times of the container ships at the pier to be substantially reduced. Said aim is achieved by disposing at least two horizontal conveying devices (9, 10) on the horizontal extension arm (1.4, 1.5, 1.

Abstract: A trailer of the type being connectable to a towing vehicle so as to tow a small vehicle comprises a structure supported by wheels. The structure has a connector portion, adapted to be connected to the towing vehicle. A pivoting mechanism connects a support frame to the connector portion in such a way that the support frame is pivotable about a first axis between a towing position in which the support frame supports the small vehicle for towing and a loading/unloading position in which the support frame is inclined with a loading/unloading end being adjacent to the ground. Springs are positioned between the support frame and the connector portion to bias the support frame to the loading/unloading position. A locking mechanism locks the support frame to the connector portion in the towing position of the support frame.

Abstract: The invention relates to a funnel plate and method of use thereof which facilitates transfer of components from a first tray to a second tray assisting in the packaging, shipping, or assembly of electronic components. The invention provides a plate which includes at least one aperture having internal surfaces which are beveled. The sloped internal surfaces of the apertures precisely aligns electrical component transfer reducing the need for complex post-alignment testing. The funnel plates and processes of the present invention are easily integrated into modern in-line transfer machines.