Abstract: A robotic end effector adapted to be mounted at the end of an arm of a program-controlled robot is capable of providing compliance within a vertical plane as well as alignment along a horizontal axis. A method and system utilizing the end effector to pick up flat or curved glass panels from glass racks and place the glass panels into irregularly-shaped wooden crates. Due to the compliance and horizontal alignment provided by the end effector, the system allows essentially perfect piece-to-piece vertical edge-of-glass alignment and side-edge to side-edge alignment during the packaging process so as to eliminate glass etching/scratching and breakage. The end effector includes a base frame on which compliance devices and side-shift alignment devices in the form of linear bearing systems support a number of material handling devices in the form of suction devices. The handling devices are typically material holding/gripping devices.

Abstract: A gripper is provided for mounting to a distal end of a robotic arm for gripping a workpiece having a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending contoured faces and at least two extending cylindrical bores, each cylindrical bore having an inner surface, the gripper including a base, a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending stabilizing members each affixed to the base, each of the stabilizing members having an engagement surface adapted to abutting engage a respective contoured face of the workpiece, at least one pair of opposing clamping arms, each clamping arms being pivotal from a first position wherein the clamping arm is disposed adjacent a respective cylindrical bore to a second position wherein the clamping arm abuttingly engages the inner surface of a cylindrical bores, a pair of biasing cylinders means connected to one of said pair of clamping arms for moving said one clamping arm from said first position to said second position, a pair of spaced apart compliant devices affixed to the base f

Abstract: Method of bonding cylinder liners to cylinder bore walls, comprising: (a) inserting a cylindrical work hardenable liner into a complementary sized cylindrical bore wall of the block, with a uniform annular radial spacing therebetween of about 0.005 inch; and (b) forcing a nondeformable mandrel throughout the interior length of the cylindrical liner to uniformly circumferentially expand the radially outer surface of the liner into full annular surface-to-surface heat exchange relationship with the interior surface of the bore wall, the mandrel having a cross-sectional radius greater than the interior radius of the liner by a dimension which is at least 0.001 inch in excess of such radial spacing. Preferably, the cylindrical liner is comprised of steel having a ductility of at least 30%, a hardness of at least 35 HRB, and a wall thickness in the range of 0.050-0.250.