Means Engaging Conveyor Or Load On A Conveyor To Align Load For Working Patents (Class 198/345.1)
  • Patent number: 12157198
    Abstract: An assembling equipment is for attaching a component to a workpiece. The assembling equipment includes a platform, a conveying mechanism, a first attaching mechanism, a film removing mechanism, and a second attaching mechanism. The conveying mechanism transports a positioning assembly carrying a workpiece to a first station. The first attaching mechanism attaches a first component with a protective film to the workpiece at the first station. The conveying mechanism transports the positioning assembly to a second station, and the film removing mechanism at the second station removes the protective film from the workpiece. The conveying mechanism transports the positioning assembly to a third station. The second attaching mechanism at the third station attaches a second component to the first component on the workpiece to be connected together. The assembling equipment reduces manual labor intensity and labor costs and improves efficiency of production and the product quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Fulian Yuzhan Precision Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bo Long, Shui-Yun Huang, Zhi Wang, Ge Zhao
  • Patent number: 11685607
    Abstract: A method of operating a conveyor system includes providing a fixed, non-powered first rail supporting first and second trolleys of a first carrier, at least one of which is self-driving. The first and second trolley are conveyed in line along the first rail with a load bar therebetween. The first carrier defines a length measured along the first rail and a width measured transverse. The first carrier is conveyed to a branch point where a second rail branches from the first rail. The second trolley is conveyed along the second the rail to turn the first carrier so that it is conveyed with the load bar traversing between the first and second rails. The width is substantially less than the length such that the turning of the first carrier reduces an occupancy of the first carrier along the first rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SST SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Chad Martin Andreae, Bradley M. Andreae, Stephen C. Mann, Anthony C. Scoville
  • Patent number: 11345550
    Abstract: A configurable belt conveyor for manufacturing comprising first belt and an adaptable border adjacent to the belt. The adaptable border having a first configuration in which a first width of the belt is available for supporting a pallet on the conveyor belt, and a second configuration in which a portion of the belt is covered by the adaptable border, such that the second width of the belt is sized for supporting a printed circuit board (PCB). In one embodiment, the configurable belt conveyor may be configured to form a dual stream conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Bright Machines, Inc.
    Inventor: Arkady Nayman
  • Patent number: 11289869
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a press-fit apparatus suitable for press-fitting multiple connectors to a circuit board is provided. A machine press head that is movable by a power supplier of the press-fit apparatus is provided. A universal press block is fixed to the machine press head to allow the universal press block to be movable with the machine press head. A locating block is fixed to the bottom plate of the universal press block, by inserting a locating fastener of the locating block into a locating hole. A press block is fixed to the locating block at a predetermined position suitable for press-fitting one of the connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Qiuyi Yu, Na Fan, Zhao Lin, Xingquan Dong, WeiFeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 11266026
    Abstract: A component mounting method is provided for mounting a light emitting component on a board by picking up the light emitting component from a pocket formed in a carrier tape by a mount head. The method includes recognizing a reference part formed in the board, recognizing a light emitting part of the light emitting component by imaging the light emitting component from above in a state where the light emitting component is held within the pocket by a holder from below, picking up the light emitting component by the mount head in the state where the light emitting component is held within the pocket by the holder from below, and mounting the picked up light emitting component on the board based on a recognition result of the reference part and a recognition result of the light emitting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryota Inoue, Naoki Azuma
  • Patent number: 11235826
    Abstract: An automatically operating unloading system for unloading an at least partially assembled vehicle from an assembly-line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier is provided. The vehicle carrier includes four hanger arms for supporting the vehicle from underneath, and ends of the hanger arms are pivotally articulated about a perpendicular axis in a lockable manner. The automatically operating unloading system includes at least one rail at a side of a flat conveying system and a front hanger arm manipulator and a rear hanger arm manipulator movably arrangeable on the at least one rail. Each of the front and rear hanger arm manipulators are equipped with at least one controllable actuator. The automatically operating unloading system further includes a controllable drive unit for moving the manipulators along the rails and an electronic control unit configured to control the actuators of the front and rear hanger arm manipulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kadir Oner, Cagatay Kocak, Serdal Kavak, Yavuz Sara, Erkan Burgucu, Alkan Özaydin, Ibrahim Balkan, Oemer Sahanci
  • Patent number: 11067971
    Abstract: The production line configuration change system includes: an error information storage unit that stores information of an error which occurs in equipment on a production line; a work information storage unit that stores work contents required for manufacturing a product; an equipment information storage unit that stores constraint information of a tool mountable on the equipment; a production line configuration information storage unit that, in order of manufacturing processes of the product, stores a work content, work assignment equipment, a tool mounted on the equipment, and a process tact time in each of the manufacturing processes; and a production line configuration calculation unit that is activated immediately after the error occurs, prepares a change plan of assigning a work assigned to the equipment in which the error occurs to the equipment before or after the process or another equipment of the identical process and calculates a provisional production line configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Katsumata, Takafumi Chida
  • Patent number: 10894313
    Abstract: A syncing apparatus for synchronizing a process dolly to a conveyor includes a mounting frame and a sync arm. The mounting frame is configured to be mounted to a frame of the process dolly. The sync arm is coupled to the mounting frame and includes a wheel and a biasing member coupled to the wheel and configured to bias the wheel to an extended position. The wheel is configured to contact a contact feature of the conveyor to synchronize the process dolly to a movement of the conveyor when biased to the extended position. Compression of the biasing member moves the wheel to a retracted position wherein the wheel is configured to traverse the contact feature of the conveyor and the process dolly is unsynchronized from the movement of the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Michael P. Meyer
  • Patent number: 10775224
    Abstract: A device and method for the non-formatted weighing of a group of products. The products rest either on a positioning surface or on a supporting surface and, due to the relative movement of the two surfaces with respect to one another, are transferred from one surface to the other surface. By the acquisition of the weight of at least one of the two surfaces, the weight of each individual product can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Wipotec GmbH
    Inventor: Theo Düppre
  • Patent number: 10748805
    Abstract: A substrate is arranged above a base body such that the substrate comes into contact with an upper end of a support member. Subsequently, vacuum suction is performed on an internal space of the support member through an auxiliary vacuum suction path so that the upper end of the support member is displaced to a height position equal to the height positions of upper ends of multiple protruding portions. Then, vacuum suction is performed, through a vacuum suction path, on a space of which the top and the bottom are defined by the base body and the substrate so that the substrate is brought into contact with the upper ends of the multiple protruding portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinya Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 10695931
    Abstract: Apparatus for moving logs (2) within cutting-off machines. The apparatus includes a platform (1) with one or more longitudinal channels (10) inside which the logs to be cut are disposed, and a pusher device (3) acting in correspondence of the platform (1) and intended for acting on the back of the logs (2) to push them, along respective guide channels (10), toward a cutting device (4) disposed downstream. The apparatus includes a clamping device (5) disposed intermediate between the pusher device (3) and the cutting device (4) and intended for engaging the logs (2) which are pushed along the channels (10) of platform (1) by the pusher device (3) and driving them along up to the cutting device (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Inventor: Fabio Perini
  • Patent number: 10640305
    Abstract: Several blister packs are first transferred from a stamping station to an intermediate place element, where the blister packs are placed next to each other in a row in several intermediate place positions. Then the several blister packs in the several intermediate place positions are picked simultaneously from above, moved, and placed from above in several final place positions on a conveyor means. The blister packs in the final place positions are arranged next to each other in a row parallel to the row of blister packs in the intermediate place positions. After the blister packs have been placed in the final place positions, they have the same side facing up as in the intermediate place positions but now with a rotation of 180° around their centers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: UHLMANN PAC-SYSTEME GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Bernd Haehnel, Sebastian Binder
  • Patent number: 10609850
    Abstract: Board conveyance device 24 is provided with a pair of conveyor belts 64 for conveying a board; and a lifter 70, 74, 78 that raises a board loaded on the pair of conveyor belts, and, in a state with board S raised by the lifter, a different board, board S?, is conveyed by the pair of conveyor belts. Also, a board work system includes such a board conveyance device and a board work device that performs work on the board raised by the lifter of the board conveyance device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Kido
  • Patent number: 10561050
    Abstract: A component mounting system comprising a feeder stocking area in which feeders to be exchanged with feeders for which exchanging is necessary from among multiple feeders which are set in the feeder setting area of each of the component mounting machines are caused to wait; and an exchanging robot which removes the feeders for which exchanging is necessary from the feeder setting area of each of the component mounting machines, removes the feeders to be exchanged with the feeders for which exchanging is necessary from among the multiple feeders which wait in the feeder stocking area, and sets the feeders in the feeder setting area of the component mounting machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Iisaka, Hidetoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 10532437
    Abstract: Provided is a production line that includes a conveying section (2) for conveying a plurality of pallets (8 and 8) along a loop-shaped circulation route, a workpiece setting section (3) for setting workpieces on the pallets (8 and 8), a setting-position measuring section (4) for measuring setting position of the workpiece on the pallets (8 and 8), a production process performing section (5) for performing one or multiple production processes at each of a plurality of locations on the circulation route for the workpieces on the pallets (8 and 8), and a workpiece extracting section (6) for extracting workpieces for which the production processes have been performed from the pallets (8 and 8). At least two of the production processes in the production process performing section (5) are performed while taking into account the setting positions of the workpieces on the pallets (8) measured by the setting-position measuring section (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventor: Kei Misaki
  • Patent number: 10471534
    Abstract: A component loading-welding system for welding a component panel to a vehicle body panel includes a rotation portion body having first and second opposing sides. The first opposing side is coupled to a robot arm. A picking device is installed in the rotation portion body and is configured to hold and release the component panel. A vehicle body pressurizing tip is installed in the rotation portion body. A pressurizing portion body is rotatably installed at the second opposing side of the rotation portion body. A pin clamp is installed in the pressurizing portion body and is configured to clamp the component panel. A component pressurizing tip is installed in the pressurizing portion body and is configured to apply pressure to the component panel. A multi point projection welding method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Hyun Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 10456862
    Abstract: A compact system that accurately process a workpiece includes a first processing device including a laser head that moves with respect to a plate-shaped workpiece in a first processing region to process the workpiece, a fork device that supports the workpiece in the first processing region, a transfer device that holds and transfers the workpiece supported by the fork device, and a second processing device including a processing tool that moves in a direction intersecting a transfer direction of the workpiece in a second processing region and processes the workpiece, the second processing region being located in a portion of a transfer path of the workpiece transferred by the transfer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
    Inventor: Masayuki Nagae
  • Patent number: 10455749
    Abstract: A parts supply device includes a robot attachment member to be attached to a distal end portion of a robot arm, a parts holding tool supported by the robot attachment member, a stick mounting unit supported by the robot attachment member and on which a stick containing parts is mounted, a parts discharging mechanism which discharges, one by one, the parts contained in the stick mounted on the stick mounting unit, a guide member that guides the parts discharged by the parts discharging mechanism to a holding position by a holding member of the parts holding tool, and a relative movement device that moves the guide member in a state where one of the parts is held by the holding member to allow the one of the parts held by the holding member to be mounted on a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshio Motowaki
  • Patent number: 10373856
    Abstract: A transfer head array includes a body and a plurality of transfer heads. The body includes a base portion and at least one wall portion. The wall portion is located on and stationary to the base portion. The wall portion has a top surface. The transfer heads are located on the top surface of the wall portion. The wall portion is continuous at least between two of the transfer heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: MIKRO MESA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Li-Yi Chen
  • Patent number: 10285315
    Abstract: A board work system provided with multiple mounters and arranged in a line, wherein each mounter includes supply device, the supply device being configured from at least one tape feeder that supplies electronic components, and tape feeder holding table on which at least one of the tape feeders is detachably loaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Iisaka, Takayuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10272962
    Abstract: An apparatus (14) and a method, for interchanging clamping frames (6-9) at an assembly station (2) for vehicle body parts, includes a storage device (15) for the clamping frames (6-9). The storage device (15) is provided with a plurality of controlled, rotatable frame magazines (16-19) and a frame conveyor (25) and an additional parallel frame transporter (31) which allow the clamping frames (6-9) to be conveyed in parallel between the frame magazines (16-19) and a workplace (10) in the assembly station (2). The clamping frames (6-9) are securely accommodated on the frame magazines (16-19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: KUKA SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Per-Olaf Brockhoff, Marius Jakob
  • Patent number: 10099328
    Abstract: An air bearing slide (20) arranged on a rotational table (11) includes a movable table (40) that has a workpiece placement surface (42a) and that floats due to pressure of compression air to be movable horizontally in any direction. A workpiece auto-centering apparatus includes: a plurality of stopper apparatuses (30) that include an abutment portion (31a) against which a workpiece W can abut to center the workpiece W, and a pressing apparatus that presses the workpiece (W) such that the workpiece (W) abuts against the abutment portion (31a) of the stopper apparatuses (30). Thus, the workpiece auto-centering apparatus and auto-centering method have a simple configuration and can perform a workpiece centering operation in short cycle time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventor: Makoto Nakano
  • Patent number: 9829648
    Abstract: An optical fiber curing oven is used in the termination process of optical fiber cable assemblies to bond an optical fiber to a ferrule. The optical fiber curing oven includes an oven housing and a processor housing. A mounting plate is mounted inside the oven housing and is used to hold a fiber-mounting block. The mounting plate is connected to a fulcrum which allows the mounting plate to be tilted. Angling the mounting plate is useful in some curing applications. The fiber-mounting block attaches to the mounting plate and is used to secure optical fibers during the curing process. A heating element is embedded into the mounting plate and is used to heat the mounting block and cure epoxy that has been applied to an optical fiber. A control unit is included within the processor housing and is used to regulate the curing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Inventor: Anthony Nicholson
  • Patent number: 9670002
    Abstract: A conveyor device includes: a first conveyor unit including a first supporting-and-conveying unit configured to convey the object; a turning unit configured to turn the first conveyor unit to change a traveling direction of the object; and a second conveyor unit including a pair of second supporting-and-conveying units provided adjacently to the first conveyor unit and configured to convey the object. The pair of the second supporting-and-conveying units and a driving-force transmitting unit configured to transmit driving force to the pair of the second supporting-and-conveying units are provided outside turning areas of the first conveyor unit in plan view. The first conveyor unit and the second conveyor unit are disposed so that a conveying area of the object in the second conveyor unit and the turning areas of the first conveyor unit overlap each other in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
    Inventor: Susumu Kato
  • Patent number: 9493201
    Abstract: A vehicle body positioning and locking devices for use in assembling a vehicle body positioned on a movable vehicle support positioned at a vehicle build station. The locking device includes a remote vehicle locking device for selectively securing and locking a vehicle body to a support pallet. The support pallet is accurately and precisely positioned at a build station through alignment and inserting engagement of locating pads in at least one four-way and at least one two way receiver mounted to a build station foundation. A compliant body clamp design is included to provide a desired clamping force between the pallet and a vehicle body across a range of motion of the body clamp to accommodate vehicle build variances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Comau, Inc.
    Inventors: Velibor Kilibarda, Michael R. Dugas
  • Patent number: 9281775
    Abstract: The invention relates to a clamping device (1), for example swing tensioners (1), bracing elements, machine vises or block cylinders, with a movable clamping element (2) for clamping a workpiece with a defined clamping force, and with an electric motor (10) for mechanically driving the clamping element (2), also with a control unit that controls the electric motor (10). The invention provides that the control unit detects an electrical operating parameter of the electric motor (10) as a measure of the clamping force. The contact of the clamping element with the workpiece is detected in this manner. Subsequently, the electric motor (10) is then driven further by a defined number of revolutions, the number of revolutions after contact with the workpiece defining the clamping force. The invention further comprises a corresponding control method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Ludwig Ehrhardt GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Kroell, Stefan Woerner, Nikolaus Heidt
  • Patent number: 9234935
    Abstract: An automation testing system for testing a motherboard includes a frame, a first jig plate, a second jig plate, a platform, a first driving mechanism, a second driving mechanism and a console computer. The frame includes a track, a debug docking board is detachably disposed on the first jig plate for docking with the motherboard, the platform is slidably installed on the track and disposed between the first jig plate and the second jig plate, and the platform is for holding the motherboard. The console computer controls the first driving mechanism to drive the platform to move in a first direction along the track, and controls the second driving mechanism to drive the second jig plate to move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventors: Pei-Chih Wang, Xingxing Wang, Fei Wang, Haiyang Li, Zhaohong Han, Haibin Xin
  • Patent number: 9010524
    Abstract: A device for stopping and/or aligning transport goods on a conveying device, in particular a roller conveyor, device has a main part and a stopping device that can be moved out of the main part into a conveying path of the conveying device in order to stop and/or align the transport goods that are transported along the conveying path. The stopping device comprises at least two separate stops that can be moved between a working position, which projects into the conveying plane, and a rest position, which is retracted with respect to the conveying plane, by means of a common actuator device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Thyssenkrupp System Engineering GmbH
    Inventor: Hardy Dörr
  • Publication number: 20150047948
    Abstract: A facility for repairing flaws in pieces of wood (3) has a device (13) for recognizing and surveying the flaws, has a conveyor device (1), which receives the pieces of wood (3) to be repaired in a manner correct for processing, and has tools, which are displaceable in multiple axes in relation to the pieces of wood (3) on the conveyor device (1), for repairing the flaws. To ensure advantageous design conditions, the conveyor device (1) forms a collar, which revolves about at least one vertical axis, made of receptacle segments (2) which hold the pieces of wood (3) in a vertical processing location, and the receptacle segments (2) are provided with the tools, which are displaceable in multiple axes, for repairing the flaws.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: GRUBER AUTOMATIONS GMBH
    Inventor: Josef GRUBER
  • Patent number: 8956476
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for treating packaging means, particularly in the form of bottles and similar containers, comprising a conveying element that can be used to move the packaging means past at least one treatment module provided on at least one operating position, which module can be coupled to and decoupled from the treatment position, and mechanical coupling and/or centering means determining the position of the at least one treatment module after docking. The invention is characterized in that, in order to detect possible deviations of the treatment module coupled to the treatment machine from the target position, and/or to realign the coupled treatment module into the target position, at least one optical centering and adjusting means is provided, some of the functional elements of which are provided on the treatment module, and some are provided on the treatment machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Holger Stenner
  • Patent number: 8919528
    Abstract: A method system and device, to align a substrate on a surface, the device including a first intake and a second intake where the first intake is configured to accept a first fluid and the second intake is configured to accept a second fluid. The first fluid is channeled into the device to vertically move the device a distance, and the second fluid calibrated and channeled into the nozzle, the nozzle having a focusing outlet, and where the fluids are configured to exert a force to facilitate the alignment of the substrate on the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuval Dim, Nir Passi, Yaron Dekel
  • Patent number: 8899402
    Abstract: A positioning jig has a circular part with a diameter that is identical with a diameter of a semiconductor wafer and knock-pins for connecting a periphery of base plate around an opening in a base plate of a conveying tool for a semiconductor wafer. These knock-pins are respectively provided in four blades protruded from predetermined positions of the circular portion at least three directions. When adjusting the projection positions of supporting plates, the knock-pins are fitted into the opening of the base plate of the conveying tool for the semiconductor wafer. The supporting plates moves so that the knock-pins come into contact with an outer edge of the circular part of the prepared positioning jig. The adjusted supporting plates are then fixed on the base plate. The semiconductor wafer is mounted on the adjusted and fixed supporting plates so that the semiconductor wafer is positioned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Senju Metal Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Mutsuji
  • Patent number: 8893873
    Abstract: A material handling feed table having a driven conveyor mechanism to move a work piece. A reciprocating shuttle mechanism clamps and moves the work piece. A mechanism is provided to coordinate and operate movement of the driven conveyor mechanism in conjunction with the movement of the reciprocating shuttle mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: HE&M Inc.
    Inventor: Doug Harris
  • Patent number: 8875865
    Abstract: A linear dispensing system is provided that includes a plurality of channels, a pair of parallel rails, a plurality of carriers and a plurality of linear motor modules. The channels are configured to hold inventory products at an orientation. The pair of parallel rails is disposed at a bottom portion of the channels. The carriers are slidably disposed on the rails and have a conveyor unit configured to pick the inventory product from the channels while substantially maintaining the same geometric orientation as in the channel. The linear motor modules are disposed between the parallel rails and aligned end to end. The linear motor modules are coupled with the carriers and configured to pass the carriers to an adjacent linear motor module. Each carrier delivers a plurality of selected products of varying shapes to a universal escapement structure where the products are labeled, imaged, verified and dispensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Tension International, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Terzini
  • Publication number: 20140311856
    Abstract: An operation apparatus of this invention includes a main pallet and a sub pallet detachable from the main pallet, and can convey a work and a part. The operation apparatus includes a lifting mechanism disconnecting, from the main pallet, the work placed on the main pallet and lift/lower the work; a moving mechanism detaching, from the main pallet, the sub pallet attached to the main pallet and lift/lower the sub pallet; a rotation mechanism holding the work lifted to a work operation region by the lifting mechanism; and an operation unit extracting the part from the sub pallet lifted to a part preparation region by the moving mechanism and assembling the part to the work.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: HIRATA CORPORATION
    Inventors: BUNGO MATSUMOTO, YUICHI ICHIHARA, HIROYUKI KURATANI
  • Publication number: 20140262683
    Abstract: A method of forming an oral product includes gripping a rod of oral product material with a gripping device, indexing the rod forward to have a leading end of the rod abut a stop at a first location, cutting a leading portion of the rod to create an oral product, moving the stop to a second location to allow the oral product to fall, moving the stop back to the first location, and repeating the process. A machine for forming an oral product can include a cutting device adapted to cut through a rod of plastic material, a stop spaced from the cutting device, the stop being adapted to be moved from a first location to a second location, a gripping device adapted to hold and index a rod towards the stop, and a load cell positioned to receive oral products cut from a rod by the cutting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Carl Gregory Miller, Charles Lester Dendy, Jeremy J. Straight, Gregory James Griscik
  • Publication number: 20140251754
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for handling containers. The apparatus comprises a moveable carrier, a plurality of treatment stations arranged on the moveable carrier for treating the containers, each treatment station having at least one element that is moveable in relation to the carrier, and a stationary guide curve. The elements are temporarily coupled to the guide curve. A movement between a treatment station of the plurality of treatment stations and the guide curve translates to a movement of the at least one element. A coupling device comprises at least one guide roller which at least temporarily contacts the guide curve. At least one of the guide roller or the guide curve includes an imidized polymer material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas Hoellriegl, Florian Geltinger, Thomas Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20140238819
    Abstract: A simultaneously collapsing and conveying assembly adapted to collapse constructed collapsible crates along their collapsing lines is provided herein. The collapsing assembly includes a rotating means to rotate the constructed crates by approximately 90° such as to move the open face of the crate from upward facing to forward facing and simultaneously conveying and collapsing means to convey the crates and for applying pressure on the crates' two opposing side panels, as the crates are conveyed, such as to collapse said constructed crates along their collapsing lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Inventor: Mordechai Kleiner
  • Patent number: 8790064
    Abstract: A device is proposed for the positional orientation of plate-shaped parts (12), comprising continuous conveying equipment (13) for conveying plate-shaped parts (12), an optical measuring device (15) assigned to the continuous conveying equipment (13) for determining the actual position of at least one specific plate-shaped part (12) and for comparing this actual position to a stored set position and for determining the deviation of the actual position from the set position, and a control unit (20) coupled to the optical measuring device (15) for controlling a positioning unit (19) such that at least one specific plate-shaped part (12) the deviation of which from the set position was determined can be picked up by the positioning unit (19) in a pick-up region and deposited in a defined delivery region in the correct position corresponding to the set position for transfer on the continuous conveying equipment (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Schuler Automation GmbH & Co. KG.
    Inventors: Reiner Dörner, Joachim Pottiez
  • Patent number: 8757357
    Abstract: The present invention provides an aligning apparatus for glass substrate to properly align the glass substrate during transfer along a conveyor. The aligning apparatus includes a plurality of rollers, at least a pair of directional beams, at least a pair of positioning devices, a piston, and a detecting device. The detecting device is used to detect whether there is an offset of the glass substrate during the transportation, and the piston will be triggered once an offset is found and determined. The piston will move the positioning device such that a portion of the positioning device which extends to the roller will push the offset glass substrate so as to bring the glass substrate back to the correct position. The present invention also discloses a method to conduct the alignment of the glass substrate. By the disclosure of the present invention, the glass substrate transferred on the rollers can be automatically adjusted and aligned once an offset is found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Zhenhua Guo, Chunhao Wu, Kunhsien Lin, Yongqiang Wang, Weibing Yang, Yunshao Jiang
  • Patent number: 8733240
    Abstract: A destemmer system may be shown. The destemmer system may have a cleated conveyor belt with a first end and a second end. An orientator system may be above the first end of the cleated conveyor belt. The orientator may have means for placing at least one stemmed object onto the cleated conveyor belt. A vision system may be between the first end and the second end of the cleated conveyor belt. A positioning system may be between the vision system and the second end of the cleated conveyor belt. A destemmer may be at the second end of the cleated conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Joseph A. Randazzo
  • Publication number: 20140138208
    Abstract: The present invention provides a transmission device and transmission method for glass substrate. The transmission device includes a transmission channel, a calibration mechanism and a decompression mechanism; wherein the transmission channel for loading and transmitting the glass substrate, the calibration mechanism being for calibrating position of the glass substrate, and the decompression mechanism collaborating with calibrating mechanism for applying a force to the glass substrate reduce the friction between the transmission channel and the glass substrate when the calibration mechanism calibrating the position of the glass substrate. As such, the abrasion or damage problem to the glass substrate can be prevented so as to improve the yield rate of the glass substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Inventors: Zhenhua Guo, Chunhao Wu, Kunhsien Lin, Zenghong Chen, Minghu Qi, Yunshao Jiang
  • Patent number: 8708131
    Abstract: A stopper cylinder is equipped with a body having a drive unit, a piston mechanism being displaceable along an axial direction in the interior of a tube connected to the body, and a stopper lever connected to the piston mechanism for stopping conveyance of a workpiece. Displacement of the piston mechanism is restricted by an electromagnetic lock mechanism, which is disposed on the body and is excited by supply of electric power. After approaching the workpiece, by releasing a locked state of the electromagnetic lock mechanism, the piston mechanism is displaced to a position facing the workpiece by an elastic force of a spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Shoichi Makado, Masaki Miyahara
  • Patent number: 8684162
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for weighing containers (2) supplied along a conveying line (L). The device comprises: first weighing means (MP1) arranged on a first side (L1) of a stretch (T) of the conveying line (L) of containers (2) in a proximal position thereto; second weighing means (MP2) arranged at a side of the stretch (T) of the conveying line (L) of containers (2) in a distal position thereto; a supporting member (8) activatable between a first position (P1) in which it is arranged at the stretch (T) of the conveying line (L) for receiving the containers (2), a second position (P2) in which it engages with the first weighing means (MP1), and a third position (P3) in which it engages with the second weighing means (MP2); and first guide means (9) activatable between a guide configuration (C1), in which they are arranged at the stretch (T) in order to guide the containers (2) along the conveying line (L), and a disengaged position (C2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: IMA Life S.r.l.
    Inventor: Luigi Cavina
  • Patent number: 8657097
    Abstract: A squaring-up device for a package converting line, located between a blank folding section and a folded-blank assembly section. The device has a frame, at least one jogger, having a deployed active position for correcting a geometry of a folded blank, and a drive for transporting the jogger. The squaring-up device includes an effector for moving the jogger from the active position to a retracted inactive position, and vice versa, and control the effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Rapidex S.M.
    Inventor: Philippe Vallee
  • Publication number: 20140008177
    Abstract: A tubular food product launching system and method for interacting with a product loading head is disclosed. The system includes a pick belt, positioned alongside product carrying intermediate belts. The pick belt supplies additional product to a product inspector or vision equipped robot cell to replace defective or missing product observed on the intermediate belt(s) with replacement product from the pick belt. The overall system speed, and pick belt speed, can be adjusted to accommodate varying product post-launcher fill-rates in accord with the nature of the product and the abilities and speed of the robot cell and/or product inspector, so as to reliably assure 100% final fill-rate as product is fed to the loading head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: F.R. DRAKE COMPANY
    Inventors: George REED, Joseph POSGE, Keith HOPKINS
  • Publication number: 20130333615
    Abstract: Provided is a loading device that is provided in a tire testing machine including a testing station (30) provided with a spindle (31) attached with a tire (50) to be tested and feeds the tire (50) from a predetermined standby position to a testing position where the center of the spindle matches the center of the tire (50) in the testing station (30). The loading device includes: conveyors (1, 2) that convey the tire (50) from the standby position toward the testing position in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tire; and positioning devices (6B, 20) that position the tire to be tested to a position, in which a front end of the tire in the feeding direction matches a point separated from the spindle by a predetermined distance, as the standby position. Setting of the standby position based on the position of the front end of the tire (50) in the feeding direction shortens the feeding distance and the feeding time and hence shortens the testing cycle time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Takehiko Wakazono, Glen Thompson
  • Publication number: 20130292226
    Abstract: A pretreated-cardboard stripper that obtains a cardboard item and strips or blanks the cardboard item using laser cutting, die cutting or other techniques. The cardboard item may be a single item or multiple sections that are jointed together. After stripping or blanking, the stripper operates to sort the sections and joints from the waste by a vacuum sorter. The vacuum sorter includes a vacuum chamber with openings along its surface or certain areas of the surface and a peeler. After stripping, the pre-treated cardboard is transferred by the peeler along the surface of the vacuum chamber. The waste of the cardboard (areas between the sections and joints) may be coupled to the vacuum chamber surface while the pre-treated cardboard is being transferred by the peeler along the surface of the vacuum chamber, which has the advantage of operating to disconnect and thus sort the waste from the sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: HIGHCON SYSTEMS LTD
    Inventors: David Ben-David, Yaki Stern
  • Patent number: 8534446
    Abstract: The invention relates to a conveying device for the transport of components or component groups from and to one or more workstations, the conveying device comprising a conveying track and a component carrier truck moved on the conveying track, and there being provided in the region of the workstations, on the conveying track, positioning devices which cooperate with positioning devices on the component carrier truck in such a way that a desired position of the component carrier truck in the workstation is assumed in all three space directions (X, Y, Z) directly as a result of the travel-in movement of the component carrier truck into the workstation, characterized in that, during the entire travel-in movement of the component carrier truck into the workstation, each positioning device on the component carrier truck comes into contact with only its positioning device, determining the desired position, on the conveying track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: EBZ Systec GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Stadler, Alexander Schmeh
  • Patent number: 8522953
    Abstract: A conveyer device conveys a component assembly including a female screw component having a through hole defining a female screw, an assembling component to be assembled to the female screw component from above, and a bolt to be screwed to the female screw of the female screw component from above the assembling component to fix the assembling component. The conveyer device also includes a holding member for holding the female screw component and a screwing restriction mechanism for restricting the bolt, held by the assembling component while unscrewed from the female screw, from being screwed to the female screw. Thus, when the component assembly, to which the bolt is temporarily assembled without being engaged with the female screw, is conveyed while being held by the holding member via the female screw component, the bolt is prevented from being unintentionally screwed into the female screw as the result of vibration etc. caused by the conveyance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hirata Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Iwamoto