Abstract: A transport apparatus including a rotary transport mechanism (5), which rotationally transports multiple equidistantly installed article holding members (gripper pairs (4)) in one direction along an annular trackway having a pair of parallel portions, and a reciprocating drive mechanism (6), which causes the entire rotary transport mechanism (5) to reciprocate a predetermined distance along the parallel portions. The article holding members are moved at a velocity of travel that is a combination of velocity of the reciprocating motion and velocity of the rotary transport. The velocity of the rotary transport and the velocity of the reciprocating motion are controlled by a control unit (9). The article holding members travel along the parallel portions on both sides (Lanes A and B) in an intermittent manner, each time covering a distance that is an integral multiple of the installation spacing p of the article holding members.

Abstract: The invention provides a multifunctional panoramic head, including a horizontal rotating device, a vertical rotating device, a transverse arm and a vertical arm, the vertical rotating device includes a rotary disc, a vertical indexing disc and a locating component, the rotary disc and the vertical indexing disc are set on the upper part of the vertical arm, the locating component is set within the vertical arm, and the locating component includes a locating component body, a plurality of locating pins which are assembled together with the locating component body and a locating switch handle which can control the locating pins to stretch out and draw back. The invention also provides a panoramic image capture system. The invention can achieve precise angular positioning of a camera and lens, enhancing the stability of the head, reducing image blurring and hence improving success rate of panoramic image creation and stitching efficiency.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus for an assembly line having a number of assembly stations is provided. The conveyor apparatus has a guide realized to define a path of travel for an assembly station, an engaging unit for engaging an assembly station to the guide, and a driving unit for driving the engaging unit along the guide such that the assembly station is moved through successive stages of the assembly line. The assembly line is used for assembling a generator for a wind turbine.

Abstract: An improved assembly, test, packaging and/or processing system and a control system, each of which may be expanded or reduced in size, capability and/or capacity on a modular basis to suit or adapt to a number of different applications. The product assembly, test, packaging and/or processing system comprises a number of modules which are assembled and arranged as required. Pallets move between stations on the modules along track portions which cooperate with track portions on adjacent modules so other modules can be added without affecting the movement of the pallets. When those modules are added or removed, or when stations are added or removed, corresponding controllers in the control system are also added or removed.

Abstract: A conveyor installation for conveying and accumulating hanging items comprises a drive chain which is mounted to a guide rail, and retaining members which are mounted on rollers below the drive chain. The retaining members—together with the items to be transported which are suspended therefrom—are conveyed by the drive chain in a direction of conveyance and, if required, stopped and accumulated by means of a stopping device, with the drive connection being released between the drive chain and the retaining members by displacing the drive chain upwards due to a particular design of coupling members arranged on the lower side of the drive chain.

Abstract: The transport of work carriers on an assembly line is performed by the use of novel linear motors in which the primary part has both solenoids and permanent magnets and in which the secondary part has no permanent magnets of its own. By the provision of a magnetically soft plate, a work carrier has uniformly spaced clearances with respect to the secondary part and can be moved by the suitably arranged primary part. On an assembly line, it can be provided that the primary parts supplement the unction of an existing transporting bet. It may also be provided that a transporting belt is completely replaced by such primary parts.

Abstract: A workpiece support system has a driven, circulating traction device, a stationary base frame, and at least one workpiece support that has a load carrier and a traction carriage. The traction carriage has a clamping device with upper and lower clamping elements between which the traction means is arranged and with which the traction carriage is clamped by a clamping action onto the traction device. The traction carriage has a spring element that exerts a spring force on at least one of the upper and lower clamping elements for effecting the clamping action. The workpiece support has an actuating element arranged in a leading area in a travel direction of the workpiece support. The actuating element reduces a camping force of the clamping action when the workpiece support bumps into a leading workpiece support in the travel direction. The traction device is guided about two pulleys.

Abstract: A contour trimmer apparatus for potted plants includes a crank and connecting rod mechanism for moving a pair of transversely opposed pot engagement heads between open and closed positions. A gap between the pot engagement heads in their closed position may be adjusted via a lead screw arrangement which adjusts an operating position of the crank of the crank and connecting rod assembly.

Abstract: A press that comprises at least one press stage with a lower and upper press plates that can be moved relative to each other for opening and closing the press stage is provided having a conveyor belt circulating around the lower press plate for feeding a work piece to be processed into and out of the press stage. The lower press plate is provided with a tensioning device for tensioning and relaxing the conveyor belt, as well as a belt-run correction device. The belt-run correction device comprises a displacement device for shifting the conveyor belt perpendicular to a running direction and this displacement device is synchronized with the tensioning device such that the conveyor belt is displaced for performing a correction movement in its relaxed state and when the conveyor belt is stopped.

Abstract: The transport of work carriers on an assembly line is performed by the use of novel linear motors in which the primary part has both solenoids and permanent magnets and in which the secondary part has no permanent magnets of its own. By the provision of a magnetically soft plate, a work carrier has uniformly spaced clearances with respect to the secondary part and can be moved by the suitably arranged primary part. On an assembly line, it can be provided that the primary parts supplement the unction of an existing transporting bet. It may also be provided that a transporting belt is completely replaced by such primary parts.

Abstract: A conveying operation method and device that can continue an operation on a workpiece to prevent reduction in production efficiency in conveying a workpiece and performing an operation on the workpiece even if conveyance of the workpiece is stopped during the operation on the workpiece. The workpiece is conveyed by a workpiece conveying device, a movable stand is moved in synchronization with the workpiece conveying device in operation areas along a conveying path, and an operation is performed on the workpiece by an operation device provided on the movable stand. When movement of the workpiece conveying device is stopped, the movable stand stops in synchronization with the workpiece conveying device to continue the operation on the workpiece and complete one cycle operation. When non-normal operation is performed on the workpiece, the workpiece is retracted to a position different from the conveying path while being supported by the movable stand.

Abstract: The system (50) includes at least one tread (52) secured to a tread drive means (54) for moving the tread (52) in a direction of a tread work-axis of motion (58) adjacent an object (78) to be moved. A head (57) is secured to the tread (52), and the head (57) includes a device (66) for grabbing the object (78). The head (57) selectively moves in at least a direction opposed to the tread work-axis of motion (58) and at a rate of speed at least the same as the rate of speed the drive means (54) moves the tread (52) in the tread work-axis of motion (58) direction to thereby achieve a net-zero motion relative to the object (58) to facilitate picking and placing the object (58). A plurality of treads (52) with such heads (57) may be secured in an endless loop (56).

Abstract: An accumulation device (4) serves for accumulation of a stream of flat objects (2) conveyed in a conveying direction (3) in an accumulation region (22) of the stream. For this purpose it includes a base (12) of constant length, which is pressable by means of a pressing mechanism (5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16) against the stream, wherein the pressing mechanism (5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16) is laid out to first press a first end (10) of the base (12) against the stream and then to press the rest of the base (12) against the stream with a tilting movement and thus, by means of the tilting to form an accumulation region (22) being enlarged in the direction opposing the conveying direction (3).

Abstract: A transport device having a preferably flat transport element and at least one basic carrier which is mounted on the basic carrier by rollers. At least one article carrier can be mounted. The transport element is driven stops along the transport element allow halting of at least some of the basic carrier.

Abstract: An anti-backlash mechanism is provided for use in an assembly line including a conveyor transporting a plurality of pucks. The anti-backlash mechanism comprises a supporting structure adapted for being mounted adjacent the conveyor. A finger is mounted on the supporting structure and is biased in contact with the pucks to successively fall into and move out of notches defined in the pucks. The finger while being in engagement with the notches acts to block the propagation of movement from one of the plurality of pucks to other colliding pucks located upstream therefrom.

Abstract: A braking device for a pallet intended to run in a conveying track. The braking device includes a matrix and a braking element. The matrix includes the support service and exterior surface and a recess having various screws and openings. The braking element includes at least two protrusions which are disposed within the grooves of the matrix and project outwardly from the openings of the matrix at various stages of braking.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of a method for operating a vertical accumulating conveyor system is disclosed. The method includes loading of a workpiece onto a pallet assembly of a conveyor system. The workpiece may be either loaded manually or automatically using a robotic loader or other similar apparatus. The pallet assembly carrying the workpiece is moved by the conveyor system to a workstation where the pallet is stopped to allow a manufacturing operation to be performed on the workpiece. Rather than removing the workpiece from the conveyor system in order the perform the manufacturing operation, the operation is performed with the workpiece loaded on the conveyor system. Upon completion of the manufacturing operation, the pallet assembly is released from the workstation and allowed to be transported by the conveyor system to the next workstation.

Abstract: A transporting apparatus permits to intermittent indexing with freely and independently setting stop position of work tables and stopping period adapting to each individual work station. The transporting apparatus sequentially transports a work table across a plurality of work stations. The transporting apparatus has a linear transporting path linearly connecting a plurality of work stations and guiding linear motion of the work table, a cylindrical cam engaging with a contactor provided on the work table for driving the work table for linear motion, and the cylindrical cam having a stopping zone formed corresponding to each position of the work station and having no axial displacement relating to cam rotation angle and a transporting zone formed corresponding to a position between the work station and having an axial displacement relative to cam rotation angle.

Abstract: A jig switching apparatus includes a locator jig slidably arranged on a transport carriage and having at a front end a locate pin with clamp function. The locator jig has two switching positions selectively switched in accordance with the type of a vehicle body to be positioned. A lock mechanism with an operating screw is disposed on the transport carriage. Through the operating screw operated by a nut runner, the lock mechanism mechanically positions and locks the locator jig in one of the switching positions with respect to a reference member disposed on the transport carriage.

Abstract: A reduction to the traveling motion of bottles along a delivery conveyor in an intermittent motion decorating machine is provided by one of a pair of workpiece feed cams rotatably supported in a side-by-side relation to rotate about spaced horizontal axes lying in a common horizontal plane. The workpiece feed cams have feed cam tracks for receiving cam followers of each of plurality of vertical bottle carriers. One of the feed cam tracks reduces the speed of the bottle carriers from a relatively high entry speed corresponding to the through put speed in the decorating machine to the speed of the deliver conveyor for more densely populating the delivery conveyor with workpieces. Carrier transfer members at each of opposite ends of the workpiece feed cams transfer the bottle carriers from one to the other of the workpiece feed cams. A drive rotates the workpiece feed cams, carrier return cams and carrier transfer members.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of a cam for an accumulating conveyor system has a primary cam and a secondary cam that operably rotate about a common axis at substantially the same speed. The primary and secondary cam each have an outer circumferential surface that defines a receiving portion and a cam surface. The receiving portion of the cam is engageable with a cam follower of a shoe for moving the shoe between an upper and lower horizontal run of the conveyor. In another aspect of the present invention, the conveyor system has two sets of primary and secondary cams. One set of primary/secondary cams is positioned at a beginning of the conveyor system, while the other set is positioned at the end of the conveyor system. The primary cams are positioned at opposite corners of the conveyor system. Each cam is configured differently than the other three cams.

Abstract: A reduction to the traveling motion of bottles along a delivery conveyor in an intermittent motion decorating machine is provided by one of a pair of workpiece feed cams rotatably supported in a side-by-side relation to rotate about spaced horizontal axes lying in a common horizontal plane. The workpiece feed cams have feed cam tracks for receiving cam followers of each of plurality of vertical bottle carriers. One of the feed cam tracks reduces the speed of the bottle carriers from a relatively high entry speed corresponding to the through put speed in the decorating machine to the speed of the deliver conveyor for more densely populating the delivery conveyor with workpieces. Carrier transfer members at each of opposite ends of the workpiece feed cams transfer the bottle carriers from one to the other of the workpiece feed cams. A drive rotates the workpiece feed cams, carrier return cams and carrier transfer members.

Abstract: An interlocking transfer system includes a workstation having four or more sides, each of which is positioned at 90° angles from the next adjacent side. A cam lift assembly is provided on each of the sides and a means for moving the pallets horizontally. The cam lift assembly is actuated by a reciprocating cylinder which operates to lift and lower the pallets. While pallets are lifted, they are also advanced horizontally using either an external reciprocating cylinder, a motor or by hand. The interlocking transfer system of the present invention provides high efficiency and low transfer rate. It also eliminates the need for lift and locate devices, transfer space due to traffic control, and end-to-end cross transfers. The interlocking transfer system of the present invention also provides for interchangeable fixtures.

Abstract: A method for handling specific sample solutions for calibration and quality control by an automatic analytical apparatus in which a sample rack to hold calibrator bottles for required analysis items is set on a rack supply unit by an operator. Identification information of all calibrator bottles on the rack is read out, and data on corresponding calibrator samples are also stored. The operator enters analysis items to be measured, and a measuring channel to be used for calibration. Comparison is made between the planned number of requested calibrations and the number of permissible services to determine whether or not calibrator solution is sufficient. If it is determined to be insufficient, the required number of bottles are displayed according to the difference between the number of permissible services and the number of requests, thereby allowing the operator to add the required number of calibrator bottles.

Abstract: An interlocking transfer system includes a workstation having four or more sides, each of which is positioned at 90° angles from the next adjacent side. A cam lift assembly is provided on each of the sides and a means for moving the pallets horizontally. The cam lift assembly is actuated by a reciprocating cylinder which operates to lift and lower the pallets. While pallets are lifted, they are also advanced horizontally using either an external reciprocating cylinder, a motor or by hand. The interlocking transfer system of the present invention provides high efficiency and low transfer rate. It also eliminates the need for lift and locate devices, transfer space due to traffic control, and end-to-end cross transfers. The interlocking transfer system of the present invention also provides for interchangeable fixtures.

Abstract: A stabilizer assembly for use with a conveyer system includes a stabilizer member that pivots from a first position to a second position towards a vertically-curved track section as a conveyor carrier moves into the vertically-curved section. A method for stabilizing a conveyor carrier includes installing a stabilizer member adjacent to the vertically-curved section of the conveyor track, and pivoting the stabilizer member from a first vertical position towards a second position as the conveyor carrier moves into the vertically-curved section of the conveyor track. A conveyor system includes a conveyor track having a vertically-curved section, a conveyor carrier placed on the conveyor track for traveling along the conveyor track, and a stabilizer assembly that includes a stabilizer member pivotable from a first position to a second position towards the vertically-curved section as a conveyor carrier moves into the vertically-curved section.

Abstract: An endless roller chain conveyor of the over/under type supporting carriers or pallets which independently travel along the horizontal runs of the conveyor upon demand, while the roller chain is allowed to continuously run at a constant speed. The chains are multi-strand roller chains. The carriers or pallets may be stopped and held along the horizontal runs of the conveyor (both top and bottom) using mechanically driven stop assemblies located at required load, unload, holdback, or workstation positions assigned to the particular application. The carriers or pallets are driven on the roller chains by way of guide sprockets, alignment bars, and support rollers. The guide sprockets are attached to an adjustable clutch assembly of the type which allows for adjustment of the rolling resistance to accommodate the particular load requirements of the specific application for a particular machine.

Abstract: A conveying device in which articles supplied intermittently in a plurality of rows are discharged continuously in a single row, comprising a rotational conveying mechanism and a reciprocating driving mechanism. The rotational conveying mechanism rotationally conveys numerous empty-bag holding members disposed at equal intervals in one direction along a ring-form track (or race-track path) which has a pair of parallel sections, and the reciprocating driving mechanism causes the rotational conveying mechanism as a whole to perform a reciprocating movement through a specified distance along the parallel sections of the ring-form track. On a supply side of the parallel sections, the empty-bag holding members are moved intermittently by a distance that is equal to an integral multiple of an attachment spacing of the empty-bag holding members; while on a discharge side of the parallel sections, the empty-bag holding members are moved continuously at a constant speed.

Abstract: An overhead conveyor includes a rotator system for rotating a work piece as it travels along a conveying track. A carrier movable along the track is propelled by an endless conveyor chain disposed within said track. The carrier is detachably connected to the chain and includes an uncoupling assembly for detaching the carrier from the chain. A support post extends upwardly from an upper surface of the carrier and an upper portion of the support post is attached to an upper arm of a C-shaped load arm. The C-shaped load arm is provided with a lower arm having a rotatable platter attached thereto. A camming pin is fixedly attached to said platter and a camming assembly is affixed to an underside of the track wherein the track is provided with flanges to receive said camming pin. Upon engagement of the camming pin with the flanges of the track, the platter is rotated a preselected amount.

Abstract: A multi-head robotic system capable of delivering numerous robotic devices to a task site is disclosed. A number of robotic devices perform tasks simultaneously, thus tasks can be completed quickly. Each individual robot does not need to move at an extremely fast speed. The sequence in which the robotic devices arrive at or leave a task site is unlimited. The robotic delivery system is capable of “leapfrogging” robotic devices, or placing them randomly, at locations where they are most needed.