Abstract: Disclosed is an automatic controlled multi-level storage system having a bottom access level, a plurality of cargo storage levels vertically spaced above the access level, and a central elevator space vertically disposed through each level, each level having an array of contiguous spaces mounted with four-way or two-way wheel assemblies longitudinally and/or transversely and pairs of parallel rails intersected with one another longitudinally and transversely for moving individual storage platforms and cargo thereon, the elevator space being installed with an elevator for raising and lowering individual storage platforms and cargo thereon to a desired level, the elevator having two register spaces vertically spaced, each resister space having four-way wheel assemblies and mechanical arms for moving each time an individual storage platform to either level, the access level having platform storage devices for storing individual storage platforms.

Abstract: A rack packer for loading containers onto a rack comprises a loading station, a transfer station, an elevator, and a rack positioning means. The loading station receives and supports successive incoming rows of vertically oriented identical containers. The transfer station is positioned adjacent to the loading station. A starwheel at the transfer station is rotatably mounted about a transfer axis parallel to the successive rows of containers at the loading station. The starwheel has multiple sets of radial arms extending from the transfer axis to support individual containers of each row. The starwheel moves successive rows of containers from their vertical positions at the loading station upwardly to horizontal positions above the loading station. The elevator is located adjacent to the starwheel to receive multiple rows of horizontally oriented containers from the starwheel.

Abstract: A cargo handling vehicle such as a forklift truck having a push-pull unit is improved in responsibility, operation speed and in precise operability by: replacing a conventional hydraulic cylinder for moving a face member 10 back and forth along forks 9 of the vehicle with an electric motor 32. The thus employed motor 32 also eliminates a fear that a cargo 26 is smudged with oil leaking from the hydraulic cylinder and pressurized-oil supply pipes thereof. In cargo loading and discharging operation conducted by the cargo handling vehicle, the face member 10 of the push-pull unit of the vehicle is automatically operated so as to move back and forth along the forks 9 of the vehicle at the substantially same traveling speed as that of the vehicle in a direction counter to a vehicle traveling direction, whereby the sheet pallet B' carrying the cargo 26 is kept substantially stationary during cargo loading and discharging operation or the vehicle.

Abstract: The expandable magnetic tape cartridge storage system is designed to handle a moderate number of magnetic tape cartridges and is expandable without the need to add an additional robotic cartridge handling mechanism. This is accomplished by the use of a base module that consists of a half cylinder of magnetic tape cartridge storage locations. A center pivot robotic cartridge handling mechanism is included in the base module in order to transport the magnetic tape cartridges between the cartridge storage locations and a plurality of magnetic tape drives included in the base module. The capacity of this cartridge storage system can be increased by adding an additional half cylinder of magnetic tape cartridge storage locations to thereby create a complete cylinder of cartridge storage locations.

Abstract: The gripper mechanism includes two fingers hingeably attached to a support and operable by means of a spring to grasp an object with a predetermined amount of force and a solenoid to open the fingers and release the object The gripper mechanism is enclosed by a substantially rectangular box-like enclosure which includes a plurality of compliant guides to align and support an object retrieved from an object storage location by the finger gripper mechanism. Each of these four guides consist of an elongated L-shaped guide finger that is attached to the enclosure by a spring mechanism to enable the guide finger to translate in directions that are normal to the opening in the enclosure. The end of the guide fingers adjacent the opening in the enclosure support the object as it is being retrieved and are tapered in order to provide a funneling capability to account for misalignments between the object that is retrieved and the precise center lines of the enclosure.

Abstract: An automatic automobile parking garage is provided, particularly an underground parking garage having an entrance at ground level, which is the location of the roof of the parking garage. One or two vertical arrays of automobile loading stations are provided, and at the roof, there is an automobile loading station. An elevator carries a pallet, and means for pushing the pallet laterally onto an automobile loading station, and then pulling the pallet, with the car on it, from the elevator base, the elevator base then being lowered until it is opposite an automobile storage station, where the pallet with the automobile on it is pushed laterally by pushing apparatus onto the automobile storage station. The automobile storage station comprises a pair of parallel, horizontal cantilever support beams, which support a pallet and an automobile thereon. A hatch is provided which is of a size and shape to cover, or close, the opening.

Abstract: A bottle loader and method for loading bottles onto shelves on a rack. The bottle loader has a carrier car rotatably supported on a frame. The bottles are placed in a vertical position and urged onto the carrier car. The bottles are then rotated on the carrier car from the vertical position to a horizontal position while horizontally aligning the bottles with the shelf on the rack. Once the bottles are aligned, they are urged off of the carrier car and onto the rack.

Abstract: The gripper mechanism is housed in a substantially rectangular box-like enclosure and includes a plurality of guide rails to align and support an object retrieved from an object storage location by the finger gripper mechanism. The finger gripper mechanism is attached to a carriage which functions to translate the finger gripper mechanism from a position proximate to the object storage location to a position within the enclosure. A degree of compliance between the gripper fingers and the object in the selected object storage location is provided by a centering spring that functions to couple the finger gripper mechanism to the carriage.

Abstract: The continuous operation robotic hand mechanism of the present invention is used in a robotic object handling system and makes use of a crank mechanism attached to the gripper mechanism carriage in order to enable the drive motor to continuously operate throughout the entire carriage movement and object retrieval operations. This apparatus is configured to minimize the acceleration and deceleration required to operate the carriage mechanism as well as provide a pause of predetermined duration once the carriage has reached its furthest extent of travel in order to provide sufficient time for the finger gripper mechanism to be activated to grasp the object stored in a selected object storage location. This entire operation takes place without interrupting the operation of the drive motor to thereby minimize the power consumption, increase the speed of operation of the hand mechanism, and reduce the wear on the motor and associated components.

Abstract: A system for storing and retrieving items to and from a storage receptacle which includes a track riding dolly carrying a robotic item handler for inserting and extracting items to and from storage The dolly also carries a multishelved caddy for receiving a plurality of items thereon. The item handler has the capacity to access each of the shelves of the caddy and may execute, under computer control, a selected sequence of item transfers between the caddy and storage during a single passage of the dolly from an on/off load point past the storage receptacle. A multishelved caddy loader queues a plurality of items received from an on-load device independently of the caddy, via vertical repositioning, and performs a bulk transfer of the queued items to the caddy when the caddy is available. A mass offloader device permits the bulk transfer of a plurality of items from the caddy to an offload receiver.

Abstract: An automated work center for use in materials handling operations is disclosed. The work center includes a randomly accessible vertically moving temporary storage queue 11 for receiving containers 25 that hold material goods. A fixed loading ramp 20 is arranged to receive containers 20 from an external system and to load the received containers onto the storage queue 11. A work area 5 having a plurality of rotatable work tables 7 provides an gives the operator access to the containers. A delivery system 14 transfers containers between the storage queue 11 and the work tables 7 and a takeaway system 16 transfers containers between the work area and the conveyor network. An automated control system 17 coordinates the delivery of containers between the temporary storage queue 11 and the work area 5. A consolidation queue 18 having a multiplicity of vertically spaced shelfs may be disposed opposite the work tables 7 to facilitate the consolidation of ordered goods.

Abstract: An automatic dispenser for the sale/exchange of video cassettes/compact ds and similar. The products are housed on a rotary drum inside respective peripheral radial compartments arranged side by side in two concentric rings of the same diameter and occupying the same radial position. Drive means controlled by electronic control means provide for selectively rotating the drum by a given number of fractions of a turn equal to half the circumference of each compartment, so as to selectively position the compartments facing two withdrawal slots formed through a panel on the dispenser parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum, which slots are offset heightwise by an amount substantially equal to half the circumference of the compartments.

Abstract: A disk cartridge storage and retrieval apparatus includes a stocker vertically disposed in a housing for storing a multitude of disk cartridges. An information recording and reproducing device is disposed in the housing in a vertically aligned relation with the stocker for recording and reproducing information onto or from a disk received in a disk cartridge. A guide shaft is vertically disposed in the housing and has an upper end thereof fixedly secured to an upper portion of the housing and a lower end thereof held free to move. A carrier mechanism is supported on the guide shaft for vertical movement therealong for transporting a disk cartridge between the stocker and the information recording and reproducing device. A vertical drive mechanism including a motor and an endless belt drives the carrier mechanism in a vertical direction along the guide shaft.

Abstract: Two tray-supporting racks are located on opposite sides of an elevator carriage which carries a mechanized retrieving system for withdrawing trays from either rack and delivering them to a work area. The elevator carriage is vertically driven by a motor, sprockets, and chains. A transport chain travels on sprockets mounted on end plates of the elevator carriage. Transport rollers on the chain engage transport blocks on selected trays to produce lateral movement of the trays onto and off of their respective racks.

Abstract: An assembly for the controlled programmed handling of articles includes autoguided and robotized vehicles and a plurality of work stations and storage areas. There is a computer communication system between a host computer, the vehicles, and the work and storage areas. The vehicles have manipulator devices to move articles from the vehicle to the work stations and storage areas and vice versa. The work stations include a receiving area, a work area, and an output area with detector devices for detecting articles in each area and for communicating same to the computer. Each vehicle has a non-traction wheel and an encoder device communicating with the non-traction wheel for converting rotation of the non-traction wheel into distance travelled by the vehicle.

Abstract: A package replacing apparatus capable of running along a creel having a plurality of pegs comprising a fitting unit for putting packages on the pegs and a pull-off unit for pulling off bobbins from the pegs, wherein the fitting unit includes a plurality of package support members which are supported by sleeves vertically movable and rotatably put on a vertically movable rod and the pull-off unit includes a plurality of robot hands provided at the corresponding position to the pegs.

Abstract: A handling device for a stocker, for storing various articles or containers, has a pair of engaging members for storing or extracting the articles, in which the engaging members have unbalanced engaging forces and the articles are aligned in one direction by the unbalanced engaging forces.

Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system includes two confrontingly opposed, columnar arrays which define a plurality of vertically spaced tray-receiving recesses. A platform is vertically displaceable along and between the arrays and carries an extraction device operable for withdrawing a selected tray from an array recess onto the platform, and for inserting a tray supported on the platform into a vacant recess in either array. The extraction device includes a pair of rods carried on and for movement longitudinally along the platform, toward and away from the opposed arrays, about opposed continuous-loop drive belts which lie in substantially vertical planes. The rods are releasably engageable, through rotation of the drive belts, within handles provided at and extending longitudinally outwardly from the opposite ends of each tray to enable withdrawal and insertion of the selected tray.

Abstract: This invention consists of an assembly and apparatus for handling clothes on hangers, and more exactly of an apparatus able of moving clothes or the like from one place to another inside a factory or a warehouse, following instructions that could be provided by an external computer. The apparatus includes basically an autoguided vehicle, a manipulator of two degrees of freedom and a clamp, movable in four degrees of freedom, being all the aforementioned elements specifically designed for controlled handling clothes on hangers. When applied in a factory, a set of apparatus like this one of the invention, communicated with the proper computer, could automate the operations and the internal management of the warehouse or workshop (FIG. 1).

Abstract: An incubation apparatus for microtiter plates includes an heating chamber and a incubation chamber. The heating chamber has a controllable hot air generator over which are arranged air guide devices for equalizing and distributing a stream of hot air to the microtiter plates. Air return devices are provided for collecting and returning hot air to the hot air generator. The heating chamber can be closed by a gate, and incubation chamber is divided by shelves into a plurality of compartments for receiving the microtiter plates. It is possible to close each compartment with a gate, and the side walls of the compartments are provided with heating devices. Furthermore, the incubation apparatus is provided with a gripping and transporting device having a working platform that is vertically displaceable and having a horizontally displaceable gripping arm.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the disposition of loads movable on wheels, e.g., roller pallets or their equivalent, in a storage area consisting of one or more storage levels located one above the other and provided with collateral flow-through channels for the loads, the storage levels being arranged either horizontally or with a slight downward inclination towards the output end, provides that each storage channel has a conveyor rail mechanism which, by utilization of a conveyor rail, both guides and conveys the loads of goods in the channel.

Abstract: An article handling method and system for an article handling machine operable by users having identification (ID) cards bearing user identifying codes for vending and/or receiving articles which bear article identifying codes and are stored within storage bins in the machine. The article handling system includes a novel article transport and a novel user and article code reading arrangement. The article transport is selectively operable in a vending mode to transport user-selected articles from their storage bins to a position accessible to machine users for removal of the selected articles from and later return of the articles to the machine and in a return mode to transport returned articles from the user accessible position to their storage bins. The user and article code reading arrangement embodies a single common code reader for reading both ther user code on user ID cards inserted into the machine and the article codes on articles vended to and returned by machine users.

Abstract: Inner pickers (6) are provided for respective stages of racks (4) of storage areas (2, 3) to be movable on rails (7). Operations of the inner pickers (6) are independently controlled in the respective rack stages by optical communication through optical communication units (9).

Abstract: A method of and system for handing a load by transferring a load between a storage base and a transport base by engaging a portion of at least one engagement member, e.g. a suction cup or an electromagnet, with an engagement surface on a side or end of the load, and displacing the engagement member to thereby pull the load onto the transport base for transport by the transport base or to push the load from the transport base onto the storage base. The engagement surface has a size at least equal to that of the portion of the engagement member.

Abstract: A lithographic plate storing system comprises a lifting member for engaging with a hook of a lithographic plate; a carriage including a lithographic plate engagement member which is adapted to be located in an advanced position while the lifting member is lowered so as to receive the lithographic plate and in a retreated position while the lifting member is raised so as not to interfere therewith and a pusher for sidewardly pushing the lithographic plate while the lithographic plate is supported by the engagement member; and a fixed storage shelf including a plurality of perpendicularly spaced-apart partitions.

Abstract: An automated rack loading system for loading trays of products, especially bakery products, into racks for transport by delivery trucks. An empty transport rack is brought to the loader, and its shelf structure is scanned on each side to locate shelf brackets and to detect any left-over trays still residing on the supposedly empty rack. The precise height of each bracket on each side is noted, and pairs of brackets are compared to determine vertical height differentials, missing brackets, and damaged brackets. Filled trays are advanced on a conveyor to the loader station, where individual trays are loaded into a lift mechanism having lift brackets capable of carrying trays from the lowermost rack shelf position to the uppermost. A loading program, based on the original scan of the transport rack, moves flights of the lift mechanism, filled with trays, to the nearest available open rack position.

Abstract: The automated changer for printed circuit board test fixtures includes apparatus for transporting printed circuit board test fixtures between a printed circuit board test fixture storage apparatus and a printed circuit board test facility. The automated changer also includes apparatus that automatically unlocks and retrieves a test fixture from the printed circuit board test facility and automatically loads another test fixture in its place. In operation, the automated changer retrieves a selected printed circuit board test fixture from a storage apparatus and transports the retrieved printed circuit board test fixture to the printed circuit board test facility. The automated changer orients one of its printed circuit board test fixture retrieval arms in juxtaposed position with a printed circuit board test fixture loading aperture in the test facility. The automated changer unlocks and then retrieves the printed circuit board test fixture that is presently loaded in the test facility via the aperture.

Abstract: A mechanical assembly for alternately producing displacement of a carriage with respect to a carriage track and rotation of a gear mounted on the carriage, in response to torque provided from a single drive motor comprising: a latching assembly, having a latched state and an unlatched state, operably associated with the carriage for preventing relative movement between the carriage and the track during the latched state; and a locking assembly, having a locked state and an unlocked state, operatively associated with the gear for preventing relative rotation of the gear during the locked state.

Abstract: The automated changer for printed circuit board test fixtures includes apparatus for transporting printed circuit board test fixtures between a printed circuit board test fixture storage apparatus and a printed circuit board test facility. The automated changer also includes apparatus that automatically unlocks and retrieves a test fixture from the printed circuit board test facility and automatically loads another test fixture in its place. In operation, the automated changer retrieves a selected printed circuit board test fixture from a storage apparatus and transports the retrieved printed circuit board test fixture to the printed circuit board test facility. The automated changer orients one of its printed circuit board test fixture retrieval arms in juxtaposed position with a printed circuit board test fixture loading aperture in the test facility. The automated changer unlocks and then retrieves the printed circuit board test fixture that is presently loaded in the test facility via the aperture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the disposition of loads movable on wheels, e.g. roller pallets or their equivalent, in a storage area consisting of one or more storage levels located one above the other and provided with collateral flow-through channels for the loads, the storage levels being arranged either horizontally or with a slight downward inclination towards the output end, provides that each storage channel has a conveyor rail mechanism which, by utilization of a conveyor rail, both guides and conveys the loads of goods in the channel.

Abstract: A high shelf system and a conveyor arrangement including a vertical mast ucture which is movable in longitudinal direction of a corridor between shelf racks. The mast structure includes load receiving members which can be aligned with the shelf compartments. The load receiving members are displaceable perpendicularly to the shelf corridor. A load receiving member is fixedly arranged on the mast structure for each shelf level. At least one loading and unloading station is provided for the conveyor arrangement for vertically moving units to be stored between a storage input and output level and the shelf compartments. Each load receiving member carries on a rigid platform a transverse conveyor device which is adjustable along the entire length of the platform and beyond each end of the platform. The transverse conveyor device includes a slide or carriage. A linear drive arranged on the platform acts on the slide. The slide has at both ends thereof locking members for the units to be stored.

Abstract: A mechanized multitier storage apparatus includes a housing, main load-carrying brackets located in the housing and installed vertically in pairs, removable shelves installed on the main load-carrying brackets, and at least two carriages connected with a drive providing vertical movement. Each carriage is provided with a pull-out shelf-engaging element. Additionally, the storage apparatus is provided with an industrial robot having a gripper movably installed on a horizontal guide mounted on a side of the housing opposite to the direction in which the shelf-engaging element is pulled out, and a pair of additional brackets located in line with the main load-carrying brackets. The housing provided with a side opening for the gripper of the industrial robot.

Abstract: A goods handling facility having a storage rack with vertically aligned sves, storage containers disposed within the racks, a shelf conveying device movable alongside the storage rack, a support frame disposed within the shelf conveying device, and at least one transport frame supported in the support frame with shelves for the storage containers. A charging device for collecting individual storage containers from the storage racks is mounted at the support frame and is displaceable relative to the support frame. Lot forming takes place at a stationary goods removing station from a transport frame deposited thereat. The charging device is adapted to transfer storage containers from the transport frame into the storage rack, and vice versa. At the goods removing station a transport frame is removed from the support frame of the shelf conveying device permitting an exchange of transport frames. The exchanged transport frame is then moved alongside the storage rack.

Abstract: An automatic multi-level storage structure including a building structure having at least one entrance and exit station, a main floor directly accessible from the entrance station, and a plurality of storage levels, a plurality of object pallets provided with wheels and adapted to carry objects to be stored. The pallets are movable along, and guide by, a first track fixedly attached to the floor of the levels. There is also provided at least one storage elevator adapted to accommodate the object pallets and to move between the main floor and the plurality of storage levels, and transfer platforms permanently located in the elevator and provided with a second track fixedly attached to the platform. The second track is adapted to accept and guide the wheels of the object pallet, and is furnished with a driver for moving the object pallet onto and off of the transfer platform.

Abstract: A storage system, in particular a multi-story car park, comprises a displaceable lift (10) resembling a tower and transport pallets (8) with a guide rail on their lower side. The pallets (8) are gripped by the transfer device (47) forming part of the lift (10), which transfers them from the roller rails (20) of the lift (10) to stationary roller rails (7) of the parking places.

Abstract: A system especially adapted to retrieve, insert and transport a computer data storage cassette between spaced-apart cassette library and cassette drive unit sites. The system includes a robot carried by a movable transport assembly which is operable to transport the robot between the cassette library and cassette drive unit sites. The robot itself includes an especially adapted robotic manipulator whereby the cassette may be gripped and released. A mechanical cassette ejector is preferably provided to ensure that the cassette is expelled from the fingers of the robotic manipulator when the cassette is released. A push rod may also be provided so as to engage, and thus manipulate, a door which covers a slot of the cassette drive unit.

Abstract: Inner pickers (6) are provided for respective stages of racks (4) of storage areas (2, 3) to be movable on rails (7). Operations of the inner pickers (6) are independently controlled in the respective rack stages by optical communication through optical communication units (9).

Abstract: A magnetic tape cassette transport/accessor assembly is actuated by a sprocket driven, belt drive system. First and second belt drives drive the transport/accessor assembly in horizontal and vertical directions and are tensioned by spring dampener assemblies. Each spring dampener assembly dampens rough and jerky movements and effects smooth and gentle acceleration and deceleration of the transport/accessor assembly. Each spring dampener assembly also provides compensation for belt drive wear, belt stretching and differential thermal expansion and contraction of the belt.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a storage structure for yarn bobbins and it comprises a plurality of storage units having support devices of the bobbin. Such storage units are distributed in a plurality of stationary deposit equipments. The storage units contained within each stationary deposit equipment are movable along an annular path. The stationary deposit equipments are vertically superimposed in groups. The groups of deposits are arranged in lateral, side-by-side relationship, thus defining a vertical surface of loading and a vertical surface of unloading, which are accessible from devices of loading and unloading, respectively.

Abstract: A hiring and vending slot-machine, in particular for video cassettes, has a cupboard-like housing, two superimposed storage compartments arranged within the housing for the boxes containing the video cassettes, a computer-controlled cassette transporting device that can move vertically and horizontally between both compartments, receive and transport the cassette boxes to and from a determined storage container or input/output shaft in the housing. Reading means read the cassette identification codes and an operating field is provided outside the housing for selecting the desired cassette, requesting or delivering cassette: The operating field has an input keyboard and a display. A cassette transporting carriage (46) can move horizontally or vertically along horizontal or vertical guide-ways in the housing (10) and be shifted into the vertical or horizontal direction within the horizontal or vertical guide-ways.

Abstract: An automated magnetic tape cartridge library system includes a cabinet (24) having a door (26) removably and pivotally connected thereto. The cabinet (24) houses a plurality of tape drives (56A-56E) and a plurality of racks (70) wherein magnetic tape cartridges are stored. A cartridge transport assembly (100) serves to retrieve a cartridge from a rack (70) and to load the cartridge into a target tape drive (56), and vice versa. Movement of the cartridge transport assembly (100) along X, Y and Z rectangular coordinate axes is effected by X, Y, and Z displacement systems (104, 106, 108). The cartridge transport assembly (100) and the X, Y and Z displacement systems (104, 106, 108) are all mounted on the removable, pivotal door (26). The cartridge transport assembly (100) includes a pair of engagement fingers (402A, 402B) which engage a selected cartridge upon contact with the cartridge.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cassette transport/accessor assembly for use in a system including magnetic tape cassette storage and magnetic tape cassette record/reproduce apparatus. The cassette transport/accessor assembly transports cassettes between locations in the system in a gentle and reliable manner. The magnetic tape cassette transport/accessor assembly includes upper and lower carriages having spring-biased, V-grooved wheels, which travel on spaced, parallel, upper and lower V-shaped horizontal rails located at the top and bottom of the cassette storage and record/reproduce apparatus. An accessor platform travels on two vertical rails rigidly mounted on the upper and lower carriages. The accessor platform supports two accessor assemblies which travel laterally on lead screws to effect insertion and extraction of magnetic tape cassettes. The transport/accessor assembly is lightweight since no actuating motors or motor supports are mounted on it.

Abstract: In a magnetic tape cassette storage and magnetic tape cassette record/reproduce system, disclosed is an accessor which inserts or extracts a cassette from a storage location or a record/reproduce device. The accessor includes a cassette gripper assembly which handles different sizes of cassettes. Lateral motion of the accessor (a) actuates the gripper assembly to grip and ungrip a cassette and (b) effects locking and unlocking of the gripper assembly. A pair of accessors are mounted on an accessor platform so that one accessor can insert a cassette while the other accessor extracts a cassette, either at the same location (record/reproduce device) or at different locations (storage compartments).

Abstract: A catridge changer for carrying a cartridge to a utilization position and returning it to its initial position after the utilization thereof has a cartridge containing chamber for containing a number of cartridges therein, a hand member for gripping a selected cartridge, a hand moving device for moving the hand member gripping the selected cartridge to the cartridge containing chamber and the utilization position to carry the cartridge, and a correcting device for correcting the posture of the cartridge gripped by the hand member to a regular posture.

Abstract: Device for the storage, insertion, and removal of containers in and, respectively, from a secured space, with racks (14) exhibiting storage sites (16) for the containers, arranged in tiers in superposition. The containers are retained in the racks (14) by respectively one detent spring (35). During transporting of the racks (14), the detent springs (35) are locked by locking elements (44), and the containers are thereby secured in the racks (14). The unlocking of the containers takes place automatically, only after complete introduction of the racks (14) into the secured space, by an unlocking element (65) that is moved into a lock (47) by a bar (67) abutting against a stop (73).

Abstract: Machine tool apparatus utilizes a tool magazine provided with first plurality of horizontally extending parallel separate compartments disposed vertically one above the other. A plurality of elongated tool units are disposed in the compartments, each compartment containing a like number of units, the units in each compartment being disposed in spaced side by side position across the width of the compartment. Each unit in any compartment is vertically aligned with the correspondingly positioned units in all other compartments. Displaceable, first mechanisms coupled to each unit enable each unit to be separately moveable back and forth along the length of its compartment to either extend the unit out of its compartment into position for subsequent transfer or to retract the corresponding unit back into its compartment.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus for carrying a semiconductor wafer into a wafer cassette comprising an arm to load a semiconductor wafer thereon, a moving mechanism to move the arm to a wafer cassette, a chucking device to have a wafer attracted to the arm, and an auxiliary mechanism to push a wafer and adjust the position of the wafer to the inlet of a wafer cassette when the wafer comes into contact with the side wall of the wafer cassette.

Abstract: An apparatus for exchanging elastic rolls in a supercalender has a platform which is movable up and down between the frame of a supercalender and a magazine for spare rolls. The platform supports two cracks with horizontally movable guides for two supports which can engage the end portions of an elastic roll from below before the guides and the supports are moved horizontally to transfer the roll from the supercalender, across the platform and into the magazine. In order to temporarily detach guide rolls which are installed in front of elastic rolls, the platform further supports two tracks for jaw-shaped supports for the end portions of a guide roll which is transferred into the apparatus and remains in the apparatus at a level above the tracks for the supports which transfer elastic rolls.

Abstract: An automatic article feeding system which includes a conveyor for conveying pallets each of which contains an article or articles such as parts to be assembled and has a mark indicating the kind of article or articles contained therein, having a feeder for feeding each of the conveyed pallets into one of the shelves of the stocker according to empty shelf information supplied by an information processing unit; a memory for storing the address of the shelf in which the pallet has been stocked and further storing information of the kinds of articles on the pallet; a searcher for searching the memory according to the instruction received from the automatic assembling machine to detect the existence or non-existence of the article required by the automatic assembling machine and, if in existence, detect the address of the shelf in which the required article is stocked; a system for withdrawing the pallet from the stocker according to such detection; a feeder for feeding the pallet to a position for supplying the

Abstract: The invention is a loader for loading containers such as large, heavy bottles of bottled-water from a conveyor, into a rack. It comprises a transfer table spaced from the conveyor and generally coplanar therewith. The table includes pairs of upstanding support arms having spacing corresponding to the spacing of the shelves of the rack. Guides are disposed intermediate the conveyor and the table and are adapted to guide the containers in diverging paths from the conveyor into the spaces on the table between the upstanding support arms respectively. Cylinders are provided for moving the containers laterally from the conveyor along the guides and into the spaces. The table is pivotally supported at one end and there is a large cylinder to swing it about the pivot to a vertical position wherein the support arms are horizontal and the containers rest on them. The arms are aligned with the shelves of the rack. Further cylinders are provided to drive the containers from the support arms into the rack.