Includes Suction-type Article Gripping Means Patents (Class 414/793)
  • Patent number: 5149162
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for conveying layers comprising a multitude of individual objects, in particular glasses, cans, etc., preferably for loading and unloading pallets, a suction head being provided for picking up a layer of individual objects, which suction head has a plurality of suction holes. On the one hand, said suction holes face the top side of the objects and, on the other hand, are connected to a source of negative pressure. To avoid a breakdown of the negative pressure as a result of suction holes not being allocated over individual objects, a long flow duct is connected to each suction hole on the side facing away from the individual objects, which flow duct is coupled with the source of negative pressure or the suction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
    Inventors: Heinz Focke, Johannes Holloch
  • Patent number: 5100284
    Abstract: A robot of a cylindrical structure with vertical axes of rotation comprises a base for support on a ground surface; a column mounted on the support for rotation about an axis; a support element for linking and for driving, which is flexible and inextensible and closed in a loop, mounted on and along the column; a first assembly including a carriage fixed to one of the vertical sections of the element, a horizontal bracket mounted on the carriage for rotation about a second axis, a head mounted on the bracket for rotation about a third axis; a second assembly including a second carriage fixed to the second section of the element, a second bracket, a second head mounted on the second bracket; and a control arrangement for driving and controlling so that the two assemblies are displaced synchronously along the column in opposite vertical directions to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Vega Automation
    Inventor: Jean-Louis Boisseau
  • Patent number: 5095680
    Abstract: Machine for filling containers with products, in a predetermined distribution includes simultaneous feed means, with as many vibratory ducts transporting respective rows of products and with corresponding unit supports thereof; at least one rotating frame with vertical pneumatic cylinders and with as many lower suction cups at their pistons, communicating with sources of vacuum; a carriage with alternating transverse displacement, with means of longitudinal advance for at least one pair of containers and with transverse barrier and constraint means for the products, both coordinated; and a process programming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: Talleres Daumar S.A.
    Inventor: Agustin D. Guardiola
  • Patent number: 5088878
    Abstract: The lifting and transportation of sensitive articles incapable of bearing a mechanical load, without manual involvement, presents special difficulties in packaging technology. This applies, above all, to tray packs in which articles are arranged standing on a bottom part (11) of small height, without any additional anchoring. For grasping and lifting articles of this type, there is provided a raisable and lowerable suction box (15) which, with suitable dimensions, is placed over the article in the manner of a bell. By the generation of a vacuum within the suction box (15), the article (tray pack 10) is held carefully and can be lifted by means of the suction box (15). Side walls (22) of the suction box (15) are arranged pivotably, to make it easier to place the suction box (15) onto the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
    Inventors: Heinz Focke, Johannes Holloch
  • Patent number: 5074735
    Abstract: A wicket post mounting in a bag stacking machine includes a base unit bolted to a conveyor plate. The base unit includes an upstanding wall with a plurality of machined, vertical post receptacles or openings. Each receptacle is identical to receive and physically support one post in precise accurate relation to a longitudinal location on the station plate of a second post. The spacing of the receptacles and posts is selected to receive bags with spaced holes. A releasable latch pin is secured to each receptacle. The pin projects into an appropriate opening in the post and locks the post in the receptacle. The base unit may include a pair of post mounting bases each having an offset edge wall abutting the station plate to accurately locate the base. Bolts pass through the mounting base into threaded holes in the station. Each base has two spaced receptacles, providing for post spacing of 4, 5 and 6 inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: Amplas, Inc.
    Inventor: David K. Stock
  • Patent number: 5035568
    Abstract: A suction gripper device for transfer of boards and other substantially flat objects includes a suction plate having at its underside suction openings that are closable by way of calibrated flaps. The plate is connected with a vacuum vessel through a closable vacuum opening on the one hand, and on the other hand, through a calibrated opening that serves to effect a controlled leakage to keep the vacuum within the vacuum vessel at a pre-defined maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Joulin Aero Distribution S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Michel Joulin
  • Patent number: 5035571
    Abstract: In an apparatus for setting down cross-wound bobbins into a transport container, preferably onto a pallet, cross-wound bobbins are received at a transfer position with a programmable apparatus, such as a programmable palletizing apparatus. A plurality of the cross-wound bobbins are simultaneously delivered in succession in a plurality of increments from the transfer position onto a pallet or into a transport container at a drop-off location with the programmable apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: W. Schlafhorst AG & Co.
    Inventor: Hans Raasch
  • Patent number: 4978275
    Abstract: An improved palletizer is provided for receiving successive groups of articles in a pattern forming area and transferring the groups in succession to a stacking area on a pallet. A servocontrolled sweep system transfers article groups from the pattern formings to the stacking area for stacking one group on top of the other as the pallet is indexed downward by a hoist system after each successive group, and a carriage system interleaves separator sheets between successive groups. A programmable logic controller controls the servocontrolled sweep system in accordance with a velocity characteristic designed to increase machine speed and efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Simplimatic Engineering Company
    Inventors: Laurie M. Reid, Gary D. Hunt
  • Patent number: 4966521
    Abstract: A device for slowing cut sheets in seriatum flow by nipping the trailing edge of the sheets as they leave a high-speed conveyor system is provided whereby the sheets pass to a stacking pile at a slow speed. The nipping device is provided in several embodiments including a brush carrying roll, an oscillating roll on a lever arm and an air jet. Ream removal apparatus are also provided to remove reams of paper from the bottom of the stacking pile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: Beloit Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth G. Frye, Donald C. Fitzpatrick, Donald R. Grody
  • Patent number: 4960361
    Abstract: Individual air permeably sheetlike structures are efficiently lifted from a pile by a vacuum lifter and deposited again at a processing station, the pile including as an alternate interlayer a sheet of air impermeable material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1990
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jaroslav Melzer
  • Patent number: 4941374
    Abstract: In the loading of pallets (10) with cartons (11) arranged in layers (carton layer 14), intermediate layers (24) consisting of paper or the like frequently have to be introduced between the carton layers (14). The pallets (10) are loaded by a palletizer (13) which is known for these purposes and which has a pivotable and multiply bendable cantilever arm (19). The intermediate layers (24) are laid onto the carton layers (14) by this cantilever arm (19) with a suction holder (23). At the same time, portions of a continuous web of material (25) running off from a reel (26) are drawn onto the completed carton layer (14) and then severed to the correct size from the web of material (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1990
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
    Inventor: Heinz Focke
  • Patent number: 4893401
    Abstract: An automatic assembly system for assembly of transformer laminated cores of the type having three parallel legs and two yokes. The laminations are stacked in a simple or complex configuration on a movable support frame on tracks, which receives the core laminations at a lamination loading station from four movable platforms on independent tracks. The platforms are grouped circumferentially about the support frame at four lamination feed positions while it is at the lamination loading station and have thereon stacked corresponding core laminations that are to be stacked on the support frame in a proper sequence and position order for forming a transformer laminated core. The system has four travelling gantry cranes that are on independent tracks and are each provided with a pick-up frame having suction cups arranged thereon for lifting the laminations individually from corresponding platforms at the four lamination feed positions and depositing them on the support frame in a properly stacked relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: Ansaldo Componenti S.p.A.
    Inventor: Ioseph Viani
  • Patent number: 4850782
    Abstract: Conveying apparatus, especially a palletiser, with a feed conveyor (10) for articles, especially packs (11; 30) of differing size and differing weight, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, with a stacker (14) assigned to a stacking point (12; 13) and having a pivoting arm (16) which is movable vertically up and down and at the free end of which suction head 17 for grasping and releasing packs (11; 30) is arranged. To reduce the drive energy, the pivoting arm (16) has assigned to it a balancing weight (18) which is continuously effective during the up-and-down movement of the latter and which at the same time runs respectively in the opposite direction; there is also an additional balancing weight (24) which can be connected to the continuously effective balancing weight, if necessary, especially during heavy-duty operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Focke & Co., (GmbH & Co.)
    Inventor: Heinz Focke
  • Patent number: 4850781
    Abstract: A wicket type bag stacking machine is provided with apparatus for accumulating articles being stacked on a temporary stack so that stacked articles on the production stacking station can be removed. Upon removal of stacked articles from the production stacking station an empty stacking station is provided and the articles temporarily stacked on the temporary stack are positioned on the production stacking station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: FMC Corporation
    Inventors: Rene F. DeBin, William Van Der Gucht
  • Patent number: 4809965
    Abstract: A sheet transfer device and method are disclosed for transferring sheets from a sheet stack to a utilization area such as a can pallet. A base unit causes pivoting of a beam about a moveable pivot point so that a sheet picked up from the sheet stack is moved upwardly for a substantial distance and then pivoted to a point above a can pallet, after which the sheet is moved downwardly and deposited on the upwardly extending tops of a horizontal layer of cans on the can pallet. Suction is supplied through a plurality of cups brought into engagement with the top sheet of a sheet stack to lift the top sheet from the stack, with the suction being terminated when the sheet is deposited on the can pallet to thereby release the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: Goldco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard H. Vander Meer, Ronald A. Pearce, Milton W. Kapke
  • Patent number: 4801429
    Abstract: A sample handling device for automatically handling a multiplicity of samples, particularly the encapsulated samples for evaluation using a differential scanning calorimeter, on an individual basis. The device comprises a vacuum means, which is capable of transferring a new sample to be substituted for a tested sample, a transfer means, which is capable of removing and replacing a cover means to allow the transfer of the new sample to be substituted for the tested sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Assignee: Dow Nederland B.V.
    Inventors: Jan C. M. Torfs, Johannes P. M. Laarhoven, Christiaan F. J. Van Heel