Abstract: Upper and lower work-pieces are fitted with each other to obtain a product. The work-pieces are provided with separate pairs of lands 11, 12, 13 and 14 to be fitted with each other. A land of the least rigidity is initially selected, and a fitting operation is carried out for the first land at a portion of an assembling allowance. Then, a self-guided fitting of the remaining portion of the first land is carried out. Then, a provisional fitting condition is created by disengaging the first land except at the least rigid portion. Then, the correction of the deviation in the second land is done by obtaining a relative displacement between the upper and lower work-pieces while the engagement of the first land is maintained. Then, the fitting of the second land is carried out.

Abstract: A stacked-part high-speed picking system for extracting a plurality of constitutive line segments from a two-dimensional image corresponding to stacked parts so as to recognize the parts on the basis of the constitutive line segments, thereby allowing parts to be picked up by a robot. The picking system has a first storage unit that stores a plurality of collative models. Each collative model is based upon data that specifies a configuration when a plurality of specific portions of the parts are disposed in one of a plurality of basic positions. The picking system also has a second storage unit that stores information relating to the robot so as to allow the robot to pick up specific portions of the parts. The picking system detects as one of the plurality of specific portions a portion of the two-dimensional image, which is recognized through a collation with the plurality of collative models, and determines a position of the detected specific portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding an object includes a plurality of holding pins and restricting means for restricting displacement thereof. The holding pins are retained on a guide member in a manner movable in the direction projecting therefrom and are displaced to a holding position where the geometry formed by their respective terminal ends upon contact with an object to be held conforms to the contour of said object to be held. The restricting means contacts the outer side surface of the holding pins so as to restrict their movement in the state where the holding pins are displaced to the holding position.

Abstract: A tape like material including synthetic resin for a filter element is bent into a corrugated pattern while the material is passed between pairs of forming and cutting rollers. Since pairs of cutters are provided within the rollers and since guide plates are provided around the rollers, the material is held abutting the rollers even when the material is cut by the cutters. The material is then conveyed within a reducing drum. The pitch of the corrugated portions formed on the material is reduced and the material is formed into a semicircular shape within the reducing drum. After passed the reducing drum, the material is transferred to a forming path.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying continuous corrugated elongated members having a conveying belt which conveys the corrugated members in the longitudinal direction thereof, a rotor which has open slots for receiving the corrugated members and which is rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the rotor, a driving device for intermittently rotating the rotor, a transferring device for forcing the corrugated members fed by the conveying device into the open slots, a plurality of cartridges having grooves for receiving the corrugated members, a carrier for intermittently carrying the cartridges in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a pusher for pushing the corrugated members received in the open slots of the rotor out of the open slots into the receiving grooves of the cartridges.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning and feeding elongated pieces, having a rotary drum which is provided on one side of a passage of the elongated pieces extending in the lengthwise direction thereof and which is rotatable about an axis parallel to the passage. The drum has peripheral receiving grooves spaced from one another at a constant pitch. A pushing cam is located in front of the drum to push the elongated pieces into the receiving grooves of the drum one by one. Below the drum are provided threaded shafts having spiral grooves for receiving the elongated pieces from the drum and conveying them in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotation of the drum. An aligning wall is provided on one side of the threaded shafts to align the elongated pieces during the conveyance thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus performing a filter from a material for a filter element automatically and quickly. The filter made by the present apparatus has a plurality of wavy portions which are provided in such a manner that a plurality of wavy portions forms a circle.The apparatus employs a contracting apparatus for contracting a continuously corrugated strip of material for a filter element in such a manner that a distance between adjacent ridges of the corrugated strip is reduced so that the corrugated strip becomes the wavy portion of the filter. The apparatus also employs a rounding apparatus for rounding the continuously corrugated strip in such a manner that both ends of the strip are connected to each other so that the wavy portions made from the corrugated strip form a circle. The apparatus further employs a shaping apparatus for shaping the rounded continuously corrugated strip so that the rounded strip becomes the filter.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying continuous corrugated members including a guide plate having receiving and discharging ends of the corrugated members, a pair of guide rails located at the lateral opposite sides of the guide plate, conveyance bars having rolling wheels which can roll on the guide rails and flanges for providing predetermined space between the adjacent conveyance bars, a device for feeding the corrugated members onto the receiving end of the guide plate one by one, endless chains for causing the rolling wheels to continuously rotate on the guide rails in order to roll the rolling wheels on the guide rails, and a bar receiving device provided at the discharging end of the guide plate.