Abstract: In a method of and an apparatus for assembling units, incomplete units are moved forward along an assembly line, in progression, to successive stations for the addition of components to the unit until the unit is complete. Each unit, with machined parts, is disassembled at a disassembling station, provided with components including a specific part, and provisionally assembled as a whole at an assembling station. After the provisionally assembled units have been inspected as to a positional relationship of the components relative to one another, they are incorporated into a row of incomplete units so that one provisionally assembled unit is located after every incomplete unit and are disassembled at the disassembling station and, thereafter, reassembled again. During the second assemblage, the specific part is replaced with another specific part according to a result of the inspection so as to provide a predetermined positional relationship among the components, thereby completing the unit.

Abstract: An engine valve feed apparatus which feeds engine valves to a valve handling apparatus at a valve pick-up station where the valve handling apparatus picks up and fits the engine valves to an engine cylinder head one after another. The apparatus comprises a valve hanger plate formed with a number of valve holes for tightly receiving a number of engine valves to hang the engine valves upside down. A hanger plate transfer unit transfers a number of the valve hanger plates to the valve pick-up station cone after another. An engine valve thrust-up unit is disposed at the valve pick-up station for thrusting up the valves from the valve hanger plate at the valve pick-up station so as to allow the valve handling apparatus to hold a stem of each of the engine valves. The engine valve thrust-up unit has a holding member movable up and down and formed with a number of positioning holes for receiving the stem ends of the engine valves hung from the valve hanger plate to thereby hold the valves upright when moved up.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fitting, by a manipulator, a cylinder head to an engine block in proper registry relative to each other through engageable locating pins and recesses prior to assembling rigidly with a plurality of coupling bolts into one whole integral body in an automatic assembling line. The engine block is formed with bolt engaging bores and is placed on the main assembly line. Coupling bolts are inserted through bolt receiving bores formed in the cylinder head with the bolts protruding. The cylinder head is brought from an auxiliary assembly line and set on the engine block while inserting the protruding coupling bolts into the bolt engaging bores and thereby the cylinder head is securely, albeit temporarily, held on the engine block pending tightening of the coupling bolts even if the locating pins and recesses are not perfectly aligned.

Abstract: An assembling apparatus for incorporating a component into a work by utilizing an assembling manipulator comprising hand for clamping the component having a circular system and a disc portion at one end of the stem wherein the assembling apparatus is provided with containers for storing the components, said hand including picking up clamp member for clamping the component to pick up from the container, and centering clamp member for clamping the component picked up by the picking up clamping member to center and incorporate the component into the work. By utilizing the apparatus, the automatic positioning, centering and incorporating of the component to the work can be facilitated.

Abstract: An article picking up mechanism for picking up articles placed in a container one by one for assembling the articles on works. The mechanism includes a tiltable table for receiving the container and tilting it to thereby shift the articles to one side of the container leaving a space in the other side. A manipulator robot is provided to shift one of the articles toward the space and grip the article to take out of the container.