Abstract: A storage system for containers including a plurality of cells for reception of containers and means of transferring containers within and outside of the cells. The transfer means include shuttles for translation between the cells and ensilage trolleys which are carried by the shuttles to face a cell and which are motorized to enter and exit from the cell and transfer containers between the cell and the shuttle. The ensilage trolleys are fitted with at least one transport unit made up of a base frame with motorized wheels for running on rails for the entrance and exit movement and with loading platform arranged above the base frame and designed to support a container. Between the platform and the base frame there are fluid hoisting sets distributed longitudinally to the trolley for controlled hoisting of the platform and which also realize elastic attenuation parts.

Abstract: A system on land for transfer of containers between ship and land includes cranes for container loading or unloading and stations for transfer of containers operationally associated with the cranes. The transfer stations include an upper platform for reception and support of a container from and to a crane and a lower platform for loading or unloading of containers within and outside of the station. Between the upper platform and the lower platform there are centering and elevator devices which perform the transfer of a container between the two superimposed platforms without intervention of the crane.

Abstract: A multilevel warehouse system is formed with shelves that define aligned rows of cells for receiving containers, with corridors in which shuttles run for transferring containers along the corridors and inserting/extracting containers into/from cells facing the corridor. In the rows there are cells that comprise an elevator for moving the containers between the levels. The elevator comprising a movable frame that runs vertically along columns and that supports stroke paths that are an extension of stroke paths in the shuttles for the running of storing carriages carried by the shuttles. Means is provided for aligning the stroke paths of the movable frame with the stroke paths of a storing carriage taken to face the cell that comprises the elevator.

Abstract: A storage system for containers including a plurality of cells for reception of containers and means of transferring containers within and outside of the cells. The transfer means include shuttles for translation between the cells and ensilage trolleys which are carried by the shuttles to face a cell and which are motorized to enter and exit from the cell and transfer containers between the cell and the shuttle. The ensilage trolleys are fitted with at least one transport unit made up of a base frame with motorized wheels for running on rails for the entrance and exit movement and with loading platform arranged above the base frame and designed to support a container. Between the platform and the base frame there are fluid hoisting sets distributed longitudinally to the trolley for controlled hoisting of the platform and which also realize elastic attenuation parts.

Abstract: A system on land for transfer of containers between ship and land includes cranes for container loading or unloading and stations for transfer of containers operationally associated with the cranes. The transfer stations include an upper platform for reception and support of a container from and to a crane and a lower platform for loading or unloading of containers within and outside of the station. Between the upper platform and the lower platform there are centering and elevator means which perform the transfer of a container between the two superimposed platforms without intervention of the crane.

Abstract: Multistory warehouse system in which are aligned rows of cells for accommodating containers. The rows are facing onto corridors parallel thereto and in which shuttles run for moving containers along the corridors and for insertion and extraction of containers into or from cells facing the corridor. In the rows there are cells that include an elevator for movement of the containers between the stories. Advantageously one story the warehouse has a row of cells that opens on an external face of the warehouse to constitute entry and exit of the containers towards transit stations the receive the containers from cranes loading or unloading a container ship or land transportation means by road-haulage or rail.

Abstract: A plant for assembly of bodies with work stations and conveyance devices for conveying bodies between work stations. The conveyance devices include reference members assembled transitorily on the conveyance devices to support the body on the conveyance devices during transfer between work stations. Grasping devices are assembled in the work stations for grasping the reference members and positioning them accurately while temporarily disengaging them from the conveyance devices to accurately position the body supported on the reference members in the station space. The reference members include a grasping device to grasp the body and holding it steadily against them when operated by actuators assembled in the work station.

Abstract: A plant for assembly of bodies (15) with work stations (16) and means (12) for conveying bodies between work stations comprises reference members (17) assembled transitorily on the conveyance means to support the body on the conveyance means during transfer between work stations and grasping devices (27) assembled in the work stations for grasping the reference members (17) and positioning them accurately while temporarily disengaging them from the conveyance means to accurately position the body supported on the reference members in the station space. The reference members (17) comprise means (39,40) for grasping the body and holding it steadily against them when operated by actuators (44) assembled in the station.

Abstract: A welding electrode dressing device in particular in automated welding stations comprises an electrode treatment head (11, 111) equipped with upsetting members (15, 115) which reshape the tip of an electrode inserted in it without removing material. Advantageously the treatment head (11, 111) comprises two treatment seats (19, 119) arranged on opposite sides thereof to each receive the end (12) of a pair of welding gun electrodes.

Abstract: An integrated container depot (10) comprises a first transit sector (11) with a cellular structure (13) having cells superimposed and adjacent to one another to form columns and rows of cells designed to receive containers; a second storage sector (12) consisting of a storage yard structure with areas for stacking containers; first devices (14, 18) for transferring containers to and from a container arrival and departure area (19) and cells of the cellular structure (13); second devices (15, 16, 17) for transferring containers to and from cells of the cellular structure (13) and areas of the storage yard structure, (12). Upon arrival of containers they are rapidly inserted into the cellular structure, from where they are extracted in a desired order for efficient stacking in the storage yard structure.

Abstract: A conveyor system (10) with a suspended rail (11) on which run trolleys (12) having an upper drive wheel (13) and lower bucking rollers (15,16). The wheel and the rollers are rigidly fixed relative to one another. Each trolley (12) has a geometry such as to cause a rotation moment around the upper wheel (13) when the trolley traverses sloped sections of rail to increase the force of contact or traction of the driving wheel (13) on the rail. The rail (11) has a cross section of variable thickness along its length so that the distance between the wheel and the rollers is uniform on the curves between straight horizontal and sloping sections.

Abstract: An assembly (10) for supporting suspended elements (14), such as the tracks of a monorail system for the suspended movement of powered trolleys. The assembly includes a supporting hanger (11) connected at one end to a supporting beam (12) and having at the other end a plate (13) that is received between the flanges of a piece of track. The tracks are pulled tight against the plates of the hangers by a pair of elastic members (17, 18) that are secured to the hanger by a nut and bolt arrangement (24) and are leveraged against the inside of grooves (16, 23) in the flanges of the tracks to secure them elastically to the hangers.

Abstract: A storage rack having shelving consisting of a plurality of risers connected by horizontal stringers to individualize an ordered plurality of compartments open at the front and arranged in rows and columns for receiving load units deposited and taken therefrom by extractable forks on a handling device moving along the shelving and positioning itself opposite the individual compartments. In each compartment there are placed at intervals on the side walls pluralities of brackets facing each other in pairs, the brackets being rotatable on pivots by an operating device, e.g. included in the handling device or in the structure of the shelving, between a raised or rest position and a lowered or support position for the load units inserted in the compartments. In this manner it is possible to adjust the distance between the supports for the load units to the height of the latter, thus optimizing space utilization of the rack.

Abstract: A device for working on sheet metal structures, for example the bodies of motor vehicles, to which the structures are fed in succession through a work station. The device has a pair of opposed movable units on either side of the feed path carrying, positioning, clamping and/or welding tools disposed in sets. Each set comprises at least two tools each of which is movable individually between a retracted non-operative position and an operative position so that at any one time, one tool of each set is capable of doing work on a body disposed between the pair of opposed units.

Abstract: A plant for welding automotive vehicle bodies that are conveyed in succession in an assembly line to a single processing station having equipment for positioning, holding and welding different types of automotive bodies, a pair of opposed stationary frames pivotally supporting elongate members, which in turn rotatably support tool supporting units, each of which carries a plurality of tool assemblies. The elongate members pivot normal to the assembly line path to place the tool supporting units in and out of operating position; and the tool assemblies are revolvable about the rotatable tool supporting units to select one of the tool assemblies for a particular vehicle body type.

Abstract: In a system for the automated storage of refrigerated containers, of the type in which the containers are handled automatically within a cellular store, each cell and each container are provided with respective automatic quick plug-in means for connecting the container to at least one energy source. Preferably, for connection to a source of electrical energy, said automatic quick plug-in means can consist of a stationary contact provided on the rear wall of the container and a mobile contact provided on a support means on the cell; between said fixed and mobile contacts there also being provided means arranged to align the mobile contact with the fixed contact on positioning the container in the respective cell.

Abstract: An automatic system for the production of metal sheet bodies, preferably car metal bodies, which is composed of a plurality of forming-welding assemblies contained in stores so that they can be preselected and carried each in correspondence with an assembly station where the body components are fed, handled and assembled by means of welding through the intervention of a pair of such assemblies respectively positioned on opposite sides of the body.

Abstract: An automatic assembly and welding system is provided for carrying out the building of various shaped sheet metal members, particularly motor vehicle bodies. The system comprises a single welding station, horizontal conveyor means for conveying vehicle frames to the welding station, and a pair of endless vertical conveyor mechanisms located on opposite sides of the welding station. The vertical conveyor mechanisms are capable of selectively bringing to a vertically oriented position adjacent the welding station and removing from the welding station various different automotive frames or body members to enable a continuous circulation of the body members along a path established by the vertical conveyor mechanism operating to repeatedly deliver new body members to the welding station.

Abstract: A conveyor installation for the displacement of components along an assembly line, which includes a series of consecutive work stations, comprises a pair of horizontal translator bars which extend laterally along the assembly line and are reciprocally movable, and a series of spaced support units carried by the bars and movable relative thereto, and thus relative to the work stations of the assembly line, between a lowered position and a raised position. Actuator means are provided to control the simultaneous displacement of the supports between a lowered position and a raised position to permit respectively the setting down of the components at the stations and the transfer of these components, on completion of the operations, to the consecutive stations in the assembly line, by means of the translator bars.

Abstract: In a calcining furnace usable particularly for regenerating sands used in casting boxes and cores, a bed of refractory particles is fluidized by means of a combustible gas which is fed into the bed together with air, so as to enable the combustible gas to burn. The base wall on which the bed of refractory particles is supported has a plurality of holes for the air supply. Each hole for the air supply has associated therewith a nozzle for supplying the combustible gas, disposed coaxially with the respective hole and having at least one discharge aperture for the combustible gas disposed adjacent the plane of the base plate.