Abstract: A conveyor arrangement for assembly parts comprises a rectilinear vibratory conveyor track comprising two conveyor track parts constituting guide members for the assembly parts, a device for feeding the assembly parts to the conveyor track, a base plate separate from the feeding device and supporting the rectilinear conveyor track, vibrating drive mounting the conveyor track on the base plate, and the guide members being adjustably displaceable in relation to the base plate.

Abstract: A conveyor arrangement for conveying a workpiece carrier in a conveying direction, the carrier having two opposite sides, and a guide for laterally guiding the carrier in this direction, the guide comprising a drive associated with one of the carrier sides for advancing the carrier in the conveying direction, the drive including a succession of entrainment elements engaging the one carrier side, and a guide track having two sides spaced apart in a direction transverse to the conveying direction and extending in the conveying direction, one of the guide track sides being opposite the drive in the transverse direction and the drive being biased towards the one guide track side, and guide elements mounted on the carrier and guided without play along the one guide track side.

Abstract: In a system for coding a pallet on which a plurality of parts are assembled to form a workpiece in an assembly line, a drive for moving the pallet in a conveying path along the assembly line to successive work stations where the parts are processed or assembled, a plurality of signal carriers on the pallet for generating a signal indicating a defect in the workpiece on the pallet in a respective work station, signal read-out and encoding devices arranged along the conveying path for receiving the generated signals and emitting corresponding control signals, the drive being responsive to the emitted control signals whereby the defective workpiece may be excluded from work in work stations subsequent thereto, the signal carriers being arranged on the pallet in an array in adjacent rows extending in the conveying direction and spaced from each other in this direction, and respective signal carriers in rows spaced from each other in this direction and extending perpendicularly to the adjacent rows for enabling th

Abstract: An apparatus for singling entangled assembly parts comprises a storage drum for receiving the assembly parts at random, two loosening devices for moving clusters of the entangled parts relative to a wall of the storage container, the loosening devices having entrainment elements for loosening and lifting a portion of the cluster, and an outlet for singled assembly parts.

Abstract: A conveyor arrangement useful in an assembly machine for conveying an element in a conveying direction, the element having a guide member arranged thereon and defining a lateral side face, and the conveyor arrangement comprising a track for laterally guiding the element and rollers for advancing the element in the conveying direction associated therewith, the guide track being constituted by the rollers associated with the lateral side face of the element and a lateral guide track for the guide member, the guide track being spaced transversely to the conveying direction from the rollers and extending oppositely thereto in relation to the lateral side face of the element, and the guide member being arranged for guidance along the guide track without play.

Abstract: A wire coiler comprising an elongated coil support, gripping device holding the coil support for rotation therewith, a drive connected to the gripping device for rotating the gripping device, the drive having an axis extending parallel to the direction of elongation of the coil support, a control for the drive, a device for guiding and feeding the wire to the coil support, and an adjustment drive connected and responsive to the rotating drive control, the adjustment drive cooperating with the wire guiding and feeding device for adjustably positioning the same in directions parallel to the direction of elongation of the coil support and relative thereto.

Abstract: An assembly line with a succession of work stations for assembling, or working on, workpieces and parts, which comprises a conveyor for conveying pallets carrying the workpieces and parts along an elongated path to the succession of work stations, each pallet having a length extending in the direction of said path, the elongated conveyor path having two parallel path portions having respective center lines, the work stations having sides between the parallel path portions and extending in said direction and the conveyor being comprised of a conveyor section in each work station, each conveyor section having a length extending in the direction of the path, the two parallel conveyor path portions being spaced apart a distance corresponding substantially to the pallet and conveyor section lengths, and each work station being equipped with its own conveyor drive and manipulating devices for assembling, or working on, the workpieces and parts.

Abstract: An assembly line defining a linear conveying path for successive workpiece carriers comprises a clamping device for stopping and securely holding a respective carrier in a respective processing area along the path, the clamping device including a rack affixed to the carrier and a detent depressable into engagement with the rack for accurately locating the carrier in the processing area and retaining it therein.

Abstract: An assembly line comprises a succession of replaceable in-line modules each having a conveyor section and the conveyor sections of successive modules being arranged in series to constitute a conveying path. The conveyor section of each module has a succession of areas each of which accommodates a workpiece carrier and at least one of which is a processing area for working on a respective workpiece held on the carrier. Each conveyor section includes slideways for vertically and laterally guiding the successive workpiece carriers along the conveying path and a series of drive rollers spaced along, and separate from the slideways for individually driving each carrier independently through the conveyor section. The slideways of the adjoining modules form a continuous planar conveying path along the entire assembly line for securely holding the successive workpiece carriers.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a screw into a workpiece, which comprises a support stand, a rotating drive mounted on the support stand, a replaceable flywheel mass, a coupling between the rotating drive and the flywheel mass for transmitting a rotary motion from the drive to the flywheel mass, a holder for a screwdriver keyed to the flywheel mass for rotation therewith whereby the screw may be driven into the workpiece in a screw driving direction, an adjustment drive for adjustably positioning the holder in relation to the rotating drive in said direction, a device for blocking a recoil of the holder in a direction opposite to the screw driving direction, the recoil blocking device being arranged between the support stand and the holder, and a control for selectively operating the recoil blocking device at least during the recoil of the holder.

Abstract: Individual assembly parts are separated from a coherent mass of the parts resting on a support by randomly sub-dividing the mass into clusters by continuously and successively lifting randomly selected clusters off the support and dropping the lifted clusters thereon until the mass is resolved into clusters and the clusters are further resolved. The continuous and successive lifting and dropping of the clusters causes continuously changing portions of the mass and clusters to rest on the support and the support is continuously and successively relieved of the weight of the randomly selected lifted clusters of assembly parts. The resolved clusters are singled into individual assembly parts and the individual parts are removed from the support to a conveyor where they are oriented.

Abstract: A control and monitoring arrangement for drives of moving parts of a machine for the manufacture of structural parts in two or more steps is equipped with controls for the drives. The drives may be pressure fluid operated and they are electrically and/or electronically controlled through switching and control modules. The switching module actuates the drive and the control module cooperated therewith for controlling the actuated drive. A releasable coupling detachably connects the control module to the switching module for ready replacement of the control modules in each control. A monitoring module is connected to, and cooperates with, the control module.

Abstract: An assembly line comprises a succession of work stations and a conveyor transporting workpieces from, to and between the stations. A mechanism is associated with each work station for handling a respective workpiece and includes a plurality of rectilinear guide tracks extending at an angle to each other, a gripping element movable along the guide tracks and a drive associated with the guide tracks for moving the workpiece between a first working position within the range of the conveyor and a second working position spaced therefrom. A first one of the guide tracks extends parallel to the elongated guide for the conveyor and two additional guide tracks extend, respectively, in a plane parallel to the plane defined by the elongated conveyor guide and transversely thereto, and the other additional guide track extends in a plane perpendicular thereto. A control operates the drives in a programmed sequence.

Abstract: A pneumatic conveyor system adapted for the conveyance of assembly parts comprises a tubular conveyor conduit, a pneumatically operable drive in the conveyance path defined by the conduit, a control for operating the drive and an inlet metering device associated with the conveyor conduit upstream of the drive. The metering device includes a blocking mechanism responsive to the control for cyclically blocking and unblocking the conveyance path.

Abstract: An apparatus for singling assembly parts from a coherent mass comprises a rotary drum storing the mass and including a slotted peripheral wall with openings of a width permitting single parts to pass therethrough by gravity and a length permitting a plurality of the parts to pass whereby clusters of the parts resolved by the rotation of the drum from the coherent mass pass through the openings by gravity. A whirlpool chamber is arranged downstream of the rotary drum and has an inlet receiving the clusters from the drum openings through a passageway. Nozzles are arranged at the inlet for directing a tangential jet of gas into the chamber and creating a gaseous whirlpool in the chamber for moving and separating the clusters into individual assembly parts, and restricted outlet pipes communicate with the whirlpool chamber remote from the inlet and are arranged to receive individual assembly parts moved by the gas jet so that the individual parts are oriented along the axis of the outlet pipe.

Abstract: Entangled parts are singled by placing them in a holding container, discharging them through an outlet to a path of travel communicating therewith and arranged to deliver the parts along the path of travel to a flat receptacle capable of supporting a plurality of separated parts simultaneously. The dimensions of the discharge outlet and the path of travel are at least in one direction a multiple of the second largest dimension of the parts to permit simultaneous passage of a plurality of separate parts side-by-side.