Abstract: This gripper is applicable more particularly to textile machines and includes a gripping clamp and an apparatus for opening and closing the clamp. The clamp proper includes a fixed central member provided laterally and on either side with a resilient portion, two arms crossing each other for constituting a pair of gripping jaws, each arm being provided with a key preferably in the outer extension of the resilient portion. The opening and closing apparatus includes a pair of vertically movable fingers, by reason of one per arm, which are adapted in their lower position to depress the keys in order to cause the distortion of the resilient portions and thus modify the degree of crossing of the jaw forming portions.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding cards from a storage magazine to an automatic embossing system including an input hopper and card picking mechanism for engaging a card after it is stripped from a supply stack in the input hopper. The card is positioned by a transfer mechanism to receive embossed data from rotating embossing wheels. An output hopper receives good cards and rejected cards are deposited into a reject box.

Abstract: The leaders of successive topmost sheets of a stack of sheets are lifted by a set of aligned suction cups which move each leader into a horizontal plane including the nip of two advancing rolls. The suction cups insert the leading edge of each leader into the nip and continue to adhere to the leader while the latter is advanced by the rolls so that the leader pulls the suction cups against the opposition of a weak spring tending to move the suction cups and their mobile support to a starting position. The drive for the advancing rolls is thereupon arrested for an interval of time which suffices to ensure the collapse of suction in the cups by arresting the suction pump and by simultaneously opening a valve which connects the interior of each cup with the atmosphere.

Abstract: The phase relationship of gripper jaw operation to gripper arm travel is adjustable in a collator to obtain proper sheet release during gripper arm travel. At least two trip elements actuate the jaw operating mechanism at adjusted phase locations of the gripper arm while a stop engageable with the operating mechanism limits jaw opening movement.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding platelike workpieces to a machine tool comprises a feed deck adapted to carry a workpiece, a carriage, which carries tongs for gripping the workpiece and is movable in longitudinal and transverse directions to move the workpiece in said directions, a carriage track, which extends in said transverse direction and is mounted on said feed deck to be movable in said longitudinal direction and extends in said transverse direction and is adapted to guide said carriage in said transverse directions, workpiece-supporting elements, which are vertically adjustably mounted on said feed deck and adapted to support a workpiece and arranged in a plurality of rows extending in said transverse direction, a plurality of actuating shafts, each of which is operatively connected to the workpiece-supporting elements of one of said rows and rotatable to vertically adjust the workpiece-supporting elements of said row and is non-rotatably connected to a crank arm, which is operable by a bar, which is rigid with

Abstract: The spacing between jaws on a gripper lever is gauged by a sensing rod movably mounted on the lever to actuate a limit switch supported in a switch housing clamped to the oscillatory shaft to which the gripper lever is attached. The limit switch is adjusted to detect deviations from the thickness of a single sheet of material clamped between the jaws during transfer from a magazine to a collating conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneously pinching a plurality of elongated bags disposed in parallel, side by side relation with one another and transferring the bags. The apparatus includes a gripper mechanism arranged to pinch each bag at two longitudinally spaced locations thereon and devices for moving the gripper mechanism while the bags are pinchingly thereby. Sensing devices are provided to detect the state of pinched engagement of the bags with the gripper mechanism. If one or more of the bags is not pinched or is improperly pinched by the gripper mechanism, the transfer motion is arrested to prevent damage to the bag or the apparatus. The apparatus can be utilized to remove paper bags containing stacks of metal can lids from boxes.

Abstract: The sheet fed rotary press includes a feed cylinder cooperating with a feed table extending in a plane situated below and in spaced relationship from the periphery of the feed cylinder. An auxiliary gripper system located under the feed cylinder provides for the transfer of respective sheets from the feed table to the feed cylinder.

Abstract: A handling device and installation for bringing to a second station, in a predetermined and fixed orientation and position, a piece, and in particular a supple piece in sheet form such as a fabric, situated in a first station in an approximative position. The installation includes photoelectric edge detectors for locating the position of the piece at the first station, drive motors for bringing and positioning a carriage opposite so-called gripping zones which are predetermined locations on the piece, and shoes for gripping the piece at the first station at the gripping zone and moving the piece to the second station whereby pieces of fabric are supplied in a predetermined orientation to a sewing station.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for positioning a supple piece in sheet form on a support surface and to a handling installation applying this process, whereby the piece on the storage support is gripped by two so-called gripping points, these points are displaced along parallel paths above the support surface so that one end of the piece trails on this surface, and each of said gripping points is released independently of each other, as soon as the trailing free edge of the piece passes through a respective point of alignment of the support surface. The invention is particularly applied to the automatic supply of a sewing station.

Abstract: A break-away device includes a lower arm 15 pivotally connected to an upper arm 19 by a coupling 17. The lower and upper arms 15,19 are generally maintained in a rigid, colinear relationship by a spring-biased detent pin 39. When the lower arm 15 undergoes a lateral impact, the detent pin 39 is displaced from a grooved detent recess 37 of the lower arm 15 and rolled about an upper convex surface 31 thereof, thereby permitting the lower arm 15 to pivot about the coupling 17 and break away from the upper arm 19.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and installation for supplying a machine for linear treatment such as a sewing machine for joining flexible elements such as textile pieces, said method comprising the steps of gripping at least one flexible element by a gripping zone thereof and placing and maintaining this gripping zone at a predetermined fixed spot by means of a first gripping device (fixed clips); gripping the flexible element by said gripping zone thus positioned by means of a second gripping device (carriage provided with clips); displacing the flexible element by means of the second gripping device up to driver members of the machine for linear treatment.

Abstract: Apparatus for clamping and transferring to another location a stack of thermoplastic bags or the like wherein the bag walls have varying thicknesses. The apparatus preferably includes sets of clamping jaws for grasping the stack of bags. Each set comprises two pairs of the jaws. One pair is designed to rigidly clamp upon the stack while the other pair is spring-loaded or otherwise adjustable so that it can close differently than the first pair to compensate for the varying bag thicknesses even when the pairs of jaws are closed by the same drive mechanism. Each set of clamping jaws is independent of the other so that they can operate independently if one set were to jam.

Abstract: The invention relates to improvements in a machine and method for enclosing battery plates within a pouch or envelope of sheet separator material. In such machines a length of such sheet is positioned in spanning relationship to a folding aperture or slot and a plate injector shuttle is mounted for reciprocating movement into and out of the folding aperture so that when a battery plate is mounted on the injector shuttle the movement of the injector shuttle into the folding aperture effects the folding of the sheet about the leading edge of the injector shuttle and the battery plate mounted thereon. This invention provides two pairs of grasping tongs mounted in laterally spaced positions on an extractor shuttle which in turn is mounted for reciprocating movement along a path parallel to the injector shuttle and on the opposite side of the folding aperture.

Abstract: A monitoring device for missing and skewed sheets in sheet feeding devices on printing machines having feed grippers includes at least two sensors spaced along the width of the feed table for monitoring the front edge of the sheet being fed. The sensors have air outlet means which are disposed to be covered by a transported sheet when the latter is properly aligned.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for picking up, depositing and transporting thin foils by use of a vacuum lifting device. The vacuum lifting device is conveyed on a traverse from a foil receiving station to a foil depositing station. At the depositing station a transport frame is provided on guide rails to permit conveyance to a processing station. At the receiving station the vacuum lifting device picks up the foil by suction at a central region of the foil such that the foil will be suspended in a curved fashion from the vacuum lifting device. At the depositing station, the vacuum lifting device is lowered so as to permit ends of the foil which are downwardly extending on both sides of the vacuum lifting device to be pushed beneath open foil clamps on the transport frame. Subsequently the clamps are closed and the foil is maintained in an extended, wrinkle free arrangement for conveyance to the processing station.

Abstract: A gripping or picker device, particularly for a jacketed magnetic disk or diskette, comprising a pair of arms extending along each other and fixed with respect to a common support and having outwardly diverging cam surfaces on their distal ends to provide a throat into which an article may be thrust. One of the arms has a flat leaf spring portion for moving the arms together, and the arms have plane substantially parallel facing surfaces connected with said cam surfaces for gripping the article frictionally when the article is thrust between the arms. One of the cam surfaces extends farther toward the common support than the other so that it faces the plane support surface of the other arm, and one of the arms has a stop portion abutting the other arm to limit the approaching movement of the arms toward each other to a distance which is equal to or greater than the thickness of the article to be gripped.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding record cards to and from a utilization station in a record card utilization machine comprises a support housing for a card origination hopper and a card collection hopper, which is mounted below the origination hopper. A transfer carriage is mounted for reciprocal, pivoted movement from a first position where it receives a card from the origination hopper, to a second position at the utilization station where the card is utilized, and back to the same first position where it returns the card to the collection hopper. A card feeding and returning mechanism is associated with the hoppers to feed cards to and remove cards from the carriage at different times in the sequence of operation of the apparatus, but nevetheless with the carriage at the same first position in its path of reciprocal, pivoted travel.

Abstract: A media positioning means for a printer having first and second transport mechanisms which are positioned in opposed relation with each other to form a common throat therebetween. Each of the first and second transport mechanisms includes first and second endless belts, a cross bar whose ends are secured to the belts, and grippers mounted on the cross bar to enable first and second record media inserted in the throat to be individually gripped thereby and positioned in side by side or overlapping relationship with regard to a print line in the printer.

Abstract: A printing machine for use in printing on an end portion of a bag or an article and the like comprises a printing roller, a back-up wheel segment, an arm journalling the wheel segment for adjustable movement toward and away from the printing roller, an elongated stop plate for guiding an article to be printed upon between the printing roller and the wheel segment, a piston-cylinder assembly actuable upon feeding the article toward the wheel segment and the printing roller to carry the wheel segment into contact with the article and the article into contact with the printing roller, and a drive common to the printing roller and the wheel segment for rotating them in unison. The drive is formed of an endless drive element operably connected to the printing roller and the back-up wheel segment.

Abstract: A feed and takeoff assembly particularly adapted for use in connection with a printing press to automatically transfer generally flat stock from a first position to a print position and to a delivery position, having a frame, a transfer carriage mounted for movement along the frame, a single elongated feed gripper mounted near one end of the transfer carriage and disposed transversely to the path of travel of the carriage along the frame, and a low profile delivery gripper mounted near the opposite end of the transfer carriage for movement therewith along the frame. The single elongated feed gripper is capable of repeated precisely registered movement along the frame through a spring-biased cam-operated guide means. The delivery gripper acts to remove an entire sheet of printed stock at a desired time by a cam-operated opening and closing of pivotally mounted upper and lower jaws.

Abstract: The drive of a rocking initial gripper of a sheet printing machine is derived from the shaft of the impression cylinder by a control cam by way of a control roller and a control lever fixed directly on the shaft of the rocking initial gripper without intermediate elements.

Abstract: A feed and takeoff assembly particularly adapted for use in connection with a printing press to automatically transfer generally flat stock from a first position to a print position and to a delivery position, having a frame, a transfer carriage mounted for movement along the frame, a single elongated feed gripper mounted near one end of the transfer carriage and disposed transversely to the path of travel of the carriage along the frame, and a delivery gripper mounted near the opposite end of the transfer carriage for movement therewith along the frame. The single elongated feed gripper is maintained in constant registered position during movement along the frame by a spring-biased cam-operated guide means. The delivery gripper acts to remove an entire sheet of printed stock at a desired time by a cam-operated opening and closing of upper and lower jaws mounted on a common pivot print.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for successively conveying large metal plates of different sizes to a particular position where an operation such as welding a reinforcing element thereto can be performed. The plates of different sizes may be gripped at points on the front and rear ends in line of their movement with one side edge engaged by guide rollers on a side of the conveyor track, and the distance between the line of gripping points and the edge of the apparatus is so determined as to permit conveyance of plates of a range of different sizes to be conveyed to the desired position without misplacement due to twisting.

Abstract: In sheet feeding apparatus of the type having a feed table, feed grippers movable back and forth to transfer sheets on the feed table, carrier means including an oscillating lever, a shaft, a crankwheel mounted on the shaft and a coupler connected between the crankwheel and the lever, the carrier means being movable above the feed table between a first and a second position for mounting the feed grippers thereon, drive means and operable means for respectively moving and lowering the carrier means so as to dispose the feed grippers below the top surface of the feed table as the carrier means commences a return movement to the first position, the improvement including an eccentric crankpin mounted on the crankwheel and connected to the coupler at a location thereof spaced from the location at which the coupler is connected to the oscillating lever; and motion generating means including the crankwheel actuated by the driving means for imparting a cycloid motion to said eccentric crankpin about the center of rot