Abstract: The position of a workpiece delivered into a welding station by a feed mechanism is detected by CCD cameras of position detectors, and a positioning error of the workpiece with respect to a reference position is determined on the basis of the detected position. After training data for welding robots is corrected on the basis of the determined positioning error, scan heads on distal ends of the welding robots are inserted into the workpiece. After the scan heads have been inserted to predetermined positions in the workpiece, only the scan heads are actuated to weld the workpiece at a plurality of locations thereof with a laser beam.

Abstract: Scanning welding heads are introduced through respective openings of a workpiece into the workpiece by respective welding robots. When a laser beam is emitted from a laser beam emitting device, the laser beam is applied to a beam splitter of one of the welding robots, which reflects about 50% of the energy of the laser beam and introduces the laser beam into a scanning welding head. The beam splitter passes the remaining 50% of the energy of the laser beam therethrough. The laser beam that has passed through the beam splitter is reflected by a totally reflecting mirror of another scanning welding head. The scanning welding heads apply the laser beam to respective regions in the workpiece to weld the workpiece.

Abstract: After a workpiece introduced into a welding station by a feed mechanism is positioned and fixed in the welding station, the workpiece is welded by laser beams guided by scan heads. Each laser beam is applied from one of the scan heads to a location on the workpiece through a beam path switching mirror of a beam path switcher to weld the location on the workpiece. Thereafter, the beam path switching mirror is retracted to guide the laser beam from another one of the scan heads to another location on the workpiece to weld the other location on the workpiece.

Abstract: A method of assembling a steering assembly having a socket connected to a steering shaft via a steering joint which socket is to be serration-fitted to an input shaft of a gearbox which is mounted on a suspension assembly. The phase of the socket is measured at the time when a steering wheel is aligned in a neutral posture while the steering assembly is maintained in the same articulated condition as when the steering assembly is assembled to a car body and while the steering wheel is serration-fitted to the steering shaft of the steering assembly. The phase of the input shaft is adjusted such that the input shaft can be serration-fitted into the socket in the phase measured in the preceding step. The adjustment is performed by rotating the input shaft within an angular range corresponding to one half pitch of the serrations of the input shaft in either direction from a neutral posture in which the steering angles to the right and to the left are equal.

Abstract: An apparatus for securely fastening a boot to a driving shaft in which a boot is fitted over each of both ends of driving shaft so as to cover an open end of a joint attached to each end of the shaft, and a band is wound around each of both ends of the boot by a band winding device so as to fasten both ends of the boot securely to the shaft body and the joint respectively, the apparatus comprising an assembly line along which the driving shaft is conveyed; a conveying jig movable along the assembly line, conveying jig having clampers for clamping a shank portion of each of the joints and the shaft body; the assembly line having a plurality of assembly stations, each of the assembly stations having at least one band winding device for winding a band around each of the predetermined end portions of the boot, and a positioning device for positioning the conveying jig at the assembly station; a loader device for setting the driving shaft on the conveying jig standing in a charging station located at a starting en

Abstract: An apparatus for fastening parts securely in place by a band having a band winding device for winding a band around each of tight-binding portions of plurality of parts fitted over an article to which the parts are to be fastened and a laser beam irradiation head applying a laser beam to the overlapped portion of both ends of the band, the apparatus comprising a plurality of working stations to which the article is conveyed successively, means for successively conveying the article through the plurality of working stations, a band winding device provided at each of the working stations, the band winding device being applicable to the corresponding predetermined tight-binding portions of the parts, a laser beam irradiation head provided for each of two groups of the band winding devices disposed in the plurality of working stations, one of which groups comprises those disposed in front along the conveying direction in which the article is conveyed and the other of which groups comprises those in the rear, each

Abstract: A unit injector for fuel combustion is integrally structured with an injection pumping mechanism and an injection valve mechanism. A housing is fixedly united with an injection pumping part and an injection valve part, the injection pumping part being formed with a stepped insertion hole, and the injection valve part being formed with an oil path extending toward a nozzle body at an end thereof concentrically. A barrel has a hole for guiding a plunger, and fuel inlet and outlet ports, the shape and outer diameter of which are finishing-processed for coinciding with the insertion hole, and the barrel is shrunken in size by cooling and inserted into the insertion hole while it is cooled, and exactly fitted into the insertion hole when the shrinked barrel is recovered to the initial size by returning to the room temperature and supported at an inner diametered part and a stepped part.

Abstract: A partial painting method suitable for partially painting a workpiece or article of a complex surface shape. A surface of the workpiece is coated with strippable paint. The coated strippable paint is dried into a strippable film on the workpiece surface. A laser beam is applied to the strippable film along a prescribed cutting line so as to cut the strippable film. A portion of the strippable film corresponding to a first area of the workpiece surface to be painted is peeled off, while the remaining portion of the strippable film is left adhering on a second area of the workpiece surface to remain unpainted, and thereby masking of the workpiece is completed. The first area is then painted with a paint to form a final paint coating.

Abstract: A sonic nozzle apparatus in a carburetor flow testing machine comprising a measuring pipe passage connecting a carburetor to be tested and a pressure source such as a vacuum pump or the like, the measuring pipe passage being provided at an intermediate portion with a cutout section in which a tubular nozzle chamber can be selectively introduced in sealed relation. A plurality of such tubular nozzle chambers are mounted on a turntable to be selectively introduced into the cutout and each nozzle chamber contains a respective sonic nozzle therein. The nozzle chambers are disposed circumferentially at regular intervals and the turntable is intermittently turnable on a support shaft disposed on one side of the measuring pipe passage. One of the mutually opposite surfaces of an upstream and a downstream portion of the measuring pipe passage divided by the cutout is constituted as a piston which is movable by a pressure fluid to selectively effect clamping or release of the nozzle chamber when aligned in the cutout.

Abstract: A powder coating composition is disclosed for producing a specific or special pattern finish on the surface of a substrate. The composition of the invention is obtained by kneading together a mixture containing principally a thermosetting polyester resin and a minor amount of a thermoplastic cellulose ester resin powder under such temperature conditions that the polyester resin is melted but the cellulose ester resin is not melted.