Abstract: A manufacturing system is provided for automatic assembly, testing and/or packaging of a variety of products. The system is based on utilization of one or more robotic modules, each having a programmable servo-driven linear actuator of a rod type, combined with slides, and standardized extrusions that form guide rails and a frame to support the actuators. The standardized extrusions include a plurality of faces, with a groove formed in at least one of the faces. Each slide fits in one of the grooves and is attached to the actuator rod, which moves the slide along the guide rails. The guide rails provide structural support to the slides in every direction that a load is attached to the slides, and include grooves to direct the motion of the slides. Two or more such robotic modules, each being positioned in a Cartesian coordinate relationship to one another, complete a system. Each module houses a dedicated controller that operates its respective actuator.

Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which a lower seal can be fastened easily, securely to a slider that travels relatively along a track rail. The slider is provided on a bottom surface thereof with a lug terminating in a hook that juts widthwise and extends lengthwise of the slider. The lower seal is made therein with a first hole allowing the lug to fit in there, and a second hole made connected to the first hole in longitudinal direction of the lower seal and made on at least any one lengthwise edge thereof with a tooth that will come into hooked engagement with the hook on the lug. The lug jutting out of the slider to fasten the lower seal is made at a flat bottom area near the track rail, which is over a space left open underneath the end cap.

Abstract: A device (1) to feed work pieces in steps, for example within a press (2), using two gripping rails (3) that can be moved back and forth in the feed direction, that includes at least one feed traverse (8) that moves perpendicular to itself with which to uniformly feed and return the gripping rails (3). Coupled to this traverse is at least one tilt arm (9) that is driven by a servomotor (11) whose tilt motion is converted to the perpendicular motion of the feed traverse (8) and thus into the feed and return motion of the gripping rails (3). There can also be two tilt arms (9) arranged in a mirror-image fashion.

Abstract: A pusher 13 has a leaf spring 12, a driving section 22, a direction changing section 23, and guides 24. The driving section 22 nips the leaf spring to longitudinally advance and retract it. Advancement of a fore end of the leaf spring 12 in a pushing direction causes the object facing the leaf spring to be pushed from a first position to a second position. A direction changing section 23 bends the tail end of the leaf spring relative to the fore end so as to change the direction of advancement and retraction. Guides 24 guide the fore and tail ends with respect to the direction changing section.

Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which a lower seal can be fastened easily, securely to a slider that travels relatively along a track rail. The slider is provided on a bottom surface thereof with a lug terminating in a hook that juts widthwise and extends lengthwise of the slider. The lower seal is made therein with a first hole allowing the lug to fit in there, and a second hole made connected to the first hole in longitudinal direction of the lower seal and made on at least any one lengthwise edge thereof with a tooth that will come into hooked engagement with the hook on the lug. The lug jutting out of the slider to fasten the lower seal is made at a flat bottom area near the track rail, which is over a space left open underneath the end cap.

Abstract: A device (1) to feed work pieces in steps, for example within a press (2), using two gripping rails (3) that can be moved back and forth in the feed direction, that includes at least one feed traverse (8) that moves perpendicular to itself with which to uniformly feed and return the gripping rails (3). Coupled to this traverse is at least one tilt arm (9) that is driven by a servomotor (11) whose tilt motion is converted to the perpendicular motion of the feed traverse (8) and thus into the feed and return motion of the gripping rails (3). There can also be two tilt arms (9) arranged in a mirror-image fashion.

Abstract: Diagnostic strips of the kind which are exposed to biological fluids such as blood or urine to detect or monitor medical conditions are cut sequentially from elongated cards by a reciprocating shear blade. The cards may be ones which exhibit defective areas that should not be included in the finished strips. Blade motion seats each newly cut strip on a movable strip carrier which abuts the blade during the cutting operation. The carrier then travels a nondefective strip to a pickup location where it is precisely positioned and picked off of the carrier for emplacement in a housing. A strip with a defective area is carried further to a discharge location where it is released into a waste receptacle. This enables more economical manufacture of diagnostic strips by efficiently making use of nondefective areas of cards that have defective areas.

Abstract: A unit for transferring groups of cigarettes has a conveyor having pockets for housing the groups and for feeding the groups in a first direction; a guide for guiding each group into a respective pocket along a path in a second direction crosswise to the first direction; and a safety device having a guide member adjacent to the conveyor and movable between a work position defining part of the path, and an emergency position remote from the path; the unit also having a spring for setting the guide member to the emergency position when a group of cigarettes transmits to the guide member a force over and above a given threshold value.

Abstract: A continuous treatment apparatus is provided that resists thermal shock and treatment gases and correctly transfers treated objects. An urging mechanism 9 that urges a treated object w is adapted to transfer a treated object w by reciprocating rack member 91 using a pinion 92 in separating compartments 6 between treatment chambers 1, 2, 3, and 4. This arrangement eliminates the need to install rack members 91 and pinion 92 in a severe atomsphere.

Abstract: This invention concerns a device for transporting a strand of carrier material which is connected, at least on one side, to individual chambers made of filter paper material, spaced apart, following one after another, closed on all sides, containing a quantity of substance and composed of a strip of carrier material, with at least two independently driven belts, one segment of which runs at least partly parallel to the strand of carrier material and having cams spaced apart on the side facing the strand of carrier material, whereby they grasp the strand of carrier material between the chambers and/or in the area where one chamber is connected to the strand of carrier material, working along with a support, and transport it with the movement of the belts.

Abstract: A stack support loading and/or offloading system includes a carriage mobile in translation between a retracted position in which the carriage is moved away from the machine and an advanced position in which the carriage is close to the machine, the direction of movement of the carriage being substantially horizontal. An arm pushes or pulls a support, having at its free end a shape suitable for the support to be moved, and mounted on the carriage and articulated about a substantially vertical shaft between a deployed position in which the free end of the arm is on the trajectory of a support and a retracted position folded toward the carriage. A spring return system spring-loads the arm toward its deployed position. Applications include a loading and offloading station, for example for a machine for printing compact discs.

Abstract: A transport system, particularly for forming machines for cold forming or warm forming, has a holding rail with gripper devices which are each separately controlled by way of servomotors. The transmissions provided for the force transmission between the servomotor and the clamping jaws of the gripper device can be self-locking, but transmit independently thereof the rotating movement of the respective servomotor continuously to the clamping jaws which therefore swivel. For a better control or automatic control of the gripper devices, these transmissions can be provided with sensors for detecting the force and/or the position.

Abstract: This invention concerns a device for transporting a strand (12) of carrier material which is connected, at least on one side, to individual chambers (6) made of filter paper material, spaced apart, following one after another, closed on all sides, containing a quantity of substance and composed of a strip of carrier material, with at least two independently driven belts (2, 3), one segment of which runs at least partly parallel to the strand (12) of carrier material and having cams (4, 5) spaced apart on the side facing the strand (12) of carrier material, whereby they grasp the strand (12) of carrier material between the chambers (6) and/or in the area where one chamber (6) is connected to the strand (12) of carrier material, working along with a support, and transport it with the movement of the belts.

Abstract: An assembly system and method thereof for manufacturing an outdoor unit of a dual-unit type air conditioner employs an assembly system in which the outdoor unit is assembled, a refrigerant charging section in which the assembled outdoor unit is charged with a refrigerant, a testing section in which the outdoor unit charged with the refrigerant is tested, and a packaging section in which the outdoor unit after passing the test in the testing section is packaged and forwarded. The outdoor unit is carried on a mobile cart through the assembly section, the refrigerant charging section, and the testing section.

Abstract: A sorting device is provided with output stations for containers along a sorting path, which containers accept the sorted unit load. A conveying path extends next to the container row, on which conveying path the empty containers are supplied and the full containers are transported off. A transfer device can be moved via the conveying path and is provided with a telescopic boom for the automatic container change between the output stations and the conveying path.

Abstract: An electronic-component mounting system, including a printed-circuit-board supporting device which positions and supports a printed circuit board, a movable table which is movable, relative to the printed-circuit-board supporting device, in at least one of an X direction and a Y direction which are perpendicular to each other and cooperate with each other to define an X-Y plane parallel to a board-support plane on which the printed circuit board is supported by the supporting device, an electronic-component supplying device which is mounted on the movable table and which includes a component-supply portion from which electronic components are supplied one by one, and an electronic-component mounting device which is mounted on the movable table together with the electronic-component supplying device and which receives the electronic components one by one from the component-supply portion of the supplying device and mounts at least one of the electronic components on the printed circuit board positioned and sup