Abstract: A tire dismantling method is provided that is capable of dismantling a reinforcing member from a tire in which a thermoplastic material and the reinforcing member are an integral unit. The dismantling method is of a tire including a tire frame member formed of a thermoplastic resin, and a reinforcing member laid up at a tire radial direction outside of the tire frame member and formed of a material with a higher rigidity than the tire frame member. The tire dismantling method includes an opening-out process of cutting the tire along a width direction to make the tire into a belt shape, and a reinforcing member separation process of crushing the belt shaped tire to separate the tire frame member and the reinforcing member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a first thermoformed workpiece, such as a tab closure, to a second thermoformed workpiece, such as a lid.

Abstract: An automobile assembly system 1 for assembling plural types of automobiles including a type equipped with a slide door and/or a tailgate, comprising: a front door sub-line 7 for assembling front door assemblies; a rear door sub-line 8 for assembling rear door assemblies or slide door assemblies; a tailgate sub-line 9 for assembling tailgate assemblies; and a main line for assembling the front door assembly, the rear door assembly or the slide door assembly and the tailgate assembly with a vehicle body F.

Abstract: A device for transferring a film from a carrier strip onto a substrate such as a sheet of writing or drawing paper comprises a housing in which a supply reel and an empty reel are arranged. The film-coated carrier strip is guided over an applicator foot which is looped around by the carrier strip with a clip-type slide element of a friction-reducing material secured to the applicator foot. The applicator foot comprises a pivotally hinged extension arm having an end in the end portion for receiving a profile member for the slide element.

Abstract: A tire assembly line including a wheel soaping work station, a tire soaping workstation, a tire and wheel assembly station, and a tire inflation station. The assembly line is formed from a plurality of modules that are interchangeable and releasably connected to one another. The modules support an endless conveyor member for circling movement. The endless conveyor member moves wheels and assemble tires and wheels along the assembly line between the work stations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a first thermoformed workpiece, such as a tab closure, to a second thermoformed workpiece, such as a lid.

Abstract: The invention concerns an installation comprising continuously and successively: at least a station (A) automatically supplying tires; at least a station (B) for simultaneously removing each of the bead cores present in the tire rims; at least a station (C) for gradually crushing, along their circumference, the tires without bead cores; at least a station (D) for transversely cutting the crushed tires to obtain strip sections; at least a station (E) for treating the strip sections to separate the rubber material and the metal plies of the tire body from the running tread of each of the strip sections by reducing the rubber material to rubber crumb; means (12-13-14) for separately recuperating the rubber crumb and the strands of metal plies; the different stations and means are synchronously controlled for automatically and continuously treating and recycling tires.

Abstract: An apparatus for assembling a photographic film cassette whose cassette shell is constituted of a pair of shell halves, and contains a spool having a filmstrip wound thereon. A bucket conveyer successively conveys a plurality of buckets through a series of stations. The buckets each has a recess formed to hold a first shell half stationary therein. The first shell half is put in the recess of the bucket in the first station, and a spool is located in the lower shell half to be rotatable therein in the second station. In the next station, the spool is rotated to be set in a predetermined angular position, and the spool is connected to an end of a filmstrip which is fed through a film feed chute. Thereafter, the spool is rotated to wind the filmstrip onto the spool. In the following station, a second shell half is joined to the first shell half to form the cassette shell so as to contain the spool with the filmstrip therein.

Abstract: A rotor assembly machine for assembling spring biased starter pawls to a rotor. The machine includes three loaders. A first loader positions a coiled spring around a post of a rotor. A second loader connects the starter pawl onto the post. The third loader moves a first end of the spring into operable biasing engagement with the starter pawl. The machine is substantially entirely automated with various testing stations along the assembly line path. The machine uses various novel methods at the loaders that allow a substantially trouble free automated assembly.

Abstract: The specification discloses a system for producing and distributing index coded hangers to a plurality of locations, wherein the index indicia is correlated to the characteristics of the garment to be hung from the hanger at each of the plurality of locations. A unique hanger and index cap is disclosed, along with a method and means of making the same that is particularly adapted to high volume semi-automated operation. A device for assembling the index cap and hanger at the time the garment is hung is also disclosed.The system contemplates the localized production of the index caps for improved control of batch color and other characteristics, with remote molding and assembly of the hangers at said plurality of remote locations.

Abstract: Machine for the automated fitting of insulative foam inserts into the cores of masonry building blocks includes a frame for straddling, in superposed relation, a masonry block conveyor. The machine has a magazine section for sequentially feeding pairs of laterally compressible inserts linked together in juxtaposed relation by a frangible web of the foam material. The machine includes a vertically reciprocal tamping mechanism for moving each of the linked-pairs of inserts sequentially from the magazine section into the cavities of building blocks being carried on the block conveyor disposed below the machine. The machine further includes adjacent throat channels vertically aligned with the tamping mechanism and with the cores of each building block positioned to receive the inserts therein. The channels are each defined, in part, by a central wedge having its apex disposed upwardly to sever the web and separate the linked-pair of inserts as each is moved through the channels past the wedge.

Abstract: An apparatus for assembling plastic cases consisting of a male case member and a female case member for cassette tapes comprising a robot for removing the male and female case member for an injection mold to an assembling position and assembling the male and female case members. The robot has an arm having a sucker assembly consisting of an upper sucker seat and a lower sucker seat. A plurality of suckers are provided on the upper and lower sucker seats. The suckers are controlled by a plurality of air cylinders in the upper and lower sucker seats to selectively retain the male and female case members on the sucker seats or release the cases members from the sucker seats. Two parallel, vertical holding arms are respectively provided adjacent to both sides of each sucker seat. Two vertical rails are formed on the arm between the upper sucker seat and the lower sucker seat. The upper sucker seat is movable along the vertical rails under the control of an actuating bar provided on the upper sucker seat.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically and successively assembling ribbon feeder roller assemblies of ink ribbon cassettes, comprises a fixed base, shaft supplying means for supplying a horizontally positioned shaft to a first predetermined position on the fixed base, a pair of roller supplying means for supplying a pair of elastic rollers to be fitted to the shaft to second predetermined positions on the fixed base where axes of the rollers are in parallel with an axis of the shaft and where the rollers are in axial alignment with each other, a first reciprocating member supported on the fixed base and capable of reciprocating in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the shaft, a pair of second reciprocating members supported on the fixed base on each side of the first reciprocating member and capable of reciprocating in a direction orthogonal to the reciprocating direction of the first reciprocating member, and drive control means for controlling and driving the first and second reciprocating members in a predeterm

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus of forming and assembling two-part merchandise display hooks, including new design features of the hook itself, enable two-part hooks to be manufactured and assembled at extremely low cost. Wire from a continuous length is gripped and bent to form the outer portion of the hook. The wire is then severed and bent in a single operation to form a hook-mounting portion. While the severed wire remains gripped by its shaped outer end, a preoriented and guided base member is applied over the just-formed mounting portion of the wire. A retractable bend-forming member is withdrawn when the base member is applied to the wire, to enable the bent portion to be fully received within the plastic base. Major manufacturing economies are realized.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically tightening a tapped member such as a nut are disclosed. A socket of an open end air wrench mounted on a nut tightening robot is coupled with the tapped member. The robot rotates the socket in a first direction, i.e., a tightening direction, to a first relatively small torque, and subsequently rotates the socket in a second direction opposite to the first direction to a predetermined position, i.e., a central receptive position after the socket being disengaged from the tapped member. A rotary encoder is provided to generate pulses in response to the rotation of the socket in the second rotational direction. An angle of rotation of this rotation of the socket in the second direction is detected by counting the number of pulses generated by the encoder.

Abstract: To assemble nuclear fuel bundle spacers comprised of a multiplicity of rod-positioning ferrules, automated apparatus is provided comprising an indexing table mounting a plurality of identical, angularly spaced ferrule fixtures which are successively positioned at a first station for receipt of a pair of properly oriented ferrules. The table is indexed to present the ferrule pairs in turn to a second station where a spring is loaded in pre-assembly relation thereto. At the next table index position, a third station manipulates the successive fixture-mounted ferrule pairs to interlock the spring with each ferrule pair as a subasssembly which is then indexed in turn to a fourth station for assembly into a spacer fixture.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for attaching a ring-like part to the outer periphery of a columnar material, as, for example, in the assembling of a catalytic converter. The columnar material is positioned and supported with its axis oriented horizontally. A guide member is supported from the side to position it adjacent to the columnar material on the same axis as the columnar material. The guide member has an outer inclined surface enlarged towards the columnar material. The guide member is then supported in the axial direction and at the same time, has the side support thereof released. The ring-like part is then pushed while guiding it on the outer inclined surface of the guide member to fit it over a portion of the columnar material. The pushing of the ring-like part is released and then the guide member is again supported from the sides, while at the same time, the support thereof from the axial direction is released.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting direction of two component fasteners having a head element and a backing element for attachment to garment. The apparatus is a reciprocable driving device (8) for receiving the head element (7a) fed in from a hopper feeder (4a) through a chute (5) and charging it into a clamping device (12). The apparatus comprises an interlocking mechanism for rotating a support seat (9) for the head element (7a) in synchronism with the reciprocating movement of the driving device (8), a stopper (56) for stopping the rotation of the head element (7a), and a stopper exchanging device. The stopper exchanging device is a head element pressing section (43) comprising two layers (49, 50). The upper layer (50) having the stopper (56) is rotatable relative to the lower layer (49).

Abstract: An apparatus for securing a pair of elongated cooperative interlocking tapes to the corresponding edges of a pair of fabric pieces, for guiding the edge portions of the fabric pieces to an overlapping vertically aligned position, and for pulling and compressing the overlapping portions into interlocking engagement. The apparatus is particularly adaptable for stitching cooperative tapes of "Velcro" to the opposed edges of fabric pieces, such as the margins of an opening in an edge panel in a sofa cushion cover. The overlapping edges with their opposed tapes are compressed into interlocking relationship so that the edges may be retained closed when the fabric pieces are subsequently stitched to other fabric pieces to complete a sofa cushion cover.

Abstract: A device for filling spacing mounting frames of insulating glass with hygroscopic material. Spacing mounting frames have corners that are formed integrally by bending from a single hollow profiled bar. A mounting support (8,18) is provided for the spacing mounting frame (1) to be filled and at least one multi-purpose tool (10) which preferably rotates like a turret head, is provided with three sequentially usable tools, namely: a drill (12) for forming an opening in the outer wall of the spacing mounting frame, a nozzle (13) for feeding the hygroscopic material into the spacing mounting frame (1) and a nozzle (14) for sealing the inlet opening.

Abstract: The invention concerns a machine design to fill hollow profile rods, such as spacer rods for insulating window panes, with a granular material which serves as a desiccating agent.The purpose of the machine is to mechanize to a large extent the filling operation which has hitherto been performed manually.

Abstract: A carriage for moving urethane rings along a shaft is driven by an air motor powering a rack and pinion arrangement.

Abstract: An automatic machine for assembling and banding together the components making up an expansion shell so that the assembly can be conveniently packaged and shipped. In one embodiment, the machine contains a series of work stations arranged to assemble the bolt components within a die. The expansion shell halves are staked to a common strap and the components then passed through a combination forming gage and banding mechanism which aligns the parts in assembly and bands them together using a plastic sleeve. In a second embodiment of the invention, the expansion shells are staked to the strap prior to being loaded into the die.

Abstract: A method and device for assembling pre-shaped pairs of coaxially mating parts in interfitting assembled relationship one within the other and briefly embodying the concepts of rotating the mating parts in unassembled positionally oriented relationship through a first arcuate path with the corresponding interfitting portions thereof disposed transversely of their respective rotational planes and in adjacent confronting relationship with one another, and concurrently rotating an axially elongated assembly member in rotational synchronization with the mating parts and through a second arcuate path deployed in adjacent oblique planar relationship with the arcuate path of rotation of the mating parts to thereby direct the assembly member to travel along an arcuate path disposed to cause the assembly member to uniformly advance and retreat relative to the arcuate path of rotation of the mating parts and during such advance to forcefully urge the mating parts into assembled interfitting relationship one within the o

Abstract: Apparatus for placing a sheath on a vertically oriented elongated member, the sheath having an open end for receiving the elongated member, comprises an upright magazine for containing a stacked plurality of the sheaths with the openings thereof oriented downwardly, a downwardly extending passage having an upper end communicating with the magazine and a lower end having a discharge opening arranged on a vertical axis with which the elongated member is to be aligned for being received in a respective said sheath discharged from the discharge opening onto the elongated member, a first gate defining the boundary between the magazine and the passage and for blocking transit of the sheath from the magazine into the passage and a second gate below the first gate a distance about equal to the length of a respective said sheath for blocking transit of the sheaths to the discharge opening of the passage, whereby the sheaths may be individually discharged by gravity onto respective said elongated members consecutively