Reciprocating Product Handler Patents (Class 83/153)
  • Patent number: 11633776
    Abstract: An apparatus for working bars includes a plurality of containing devices disposed adjacent and parallel to each other with an oblong development in respective longitudinal directions to contain a respective bundle of bars. At least one work station is located downstream of the containing devices. The work station includes at least one removal device to remove at least one bar from one of the containing devices, at least one drawing unit configured to move the bars in a direction of feed parallel to the longitudinal directions, and at least one bending device configured to bend the bars At least one drive member is associated with the work station, configured to move work station in a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal directions in order to take the removal device into correspondence with one or the other of the containing devices, which are substantially fixed in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: M.E.P.—MACCHINE ELETTRONICHE PIEGATRICI S.P.A.
    Inventor: Giorgio Del Fabro
  • Patent number: 9283686
    Abstract: Solder wires are conveyed from insert openings for allowing the solder wires to be inserted toward discharge openings from which the solder wires are discharged and the solder wires project. The projecting wires are cut with first cutting blades and the solder wires inserted into the insert openings are cut with second cutting blades. This enables fixed cutting stress on a portion of the solder wires to be cut with the first cutting blades and a portion of the solder wires to be cut with the second cutting blades at the same time to prevent deformation of the cut surface of the cut solder wires. Solder columns having a column shape and having a uniform length along a conveying direction thereof can be manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: SENJU METAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Nomoto, Takashi Nauchi
  • Patent number: 8783145
    Abstract: An apparatus for stripping metal sheets from a cathode blank includes: a frame; a stripping assembly disposed on the frame; and a receiving mechanism including at least one receiving platform which is disposed on the frame for receiving the deposited metal sheets. The stripping assembly includes: first and second clipping mechanisms for clipping a conductive member on an upper end of the cathode blank; first and second stripping mechanisms for stripping the deposited metal sheets from two surfaces of the cathode blank; a bottom positioning mechanism for positioning a lower end of the cathode blank; and first and second loosening mechanisms each including a push rod which is movably disposed on the frame in the transversal direction for pushing the cathode blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Jiangxi Nerin Equipment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Aimin Deng, Hui Ding, Jun Lu, Jianrong Xie
  • Patent number: 7146892
    Abstract: A cutting installation for a fabric web comprising an unwinding unit, a downstream dancer unit serving as a buffer, and a downstream cutting frame with a cutting unit disposed thereon. At least two gripper beams extending parallel to the cutting unit and guided along a lateral rail arrangement are displaceable across the longitudinal extension of the cutting frame, and each gripper beam on one side is carried by a first support tower which is displaceable along the rails, and on its opposite end is provided with a telescopically extendable extension piece. The extension piece can be docked with a second support tower arranged on the opposite side and traveling along. The support towers are adapted for adjusting the height of the respectively carried gripper beam, such that each gripper beam, as it moves along the cutting frame, can travel over the other gripper beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Parker Hannifin GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Kienzle, Franz Hagle, Olaf Zeiss
  • Patent number: 7096769
    Abstract: An automatic top slice removal device includes a frame, a lower conveyor belt and an adjustably mounted upper conveyor belt extending generally parallel with and spaced from the lower conveyor belt. A meat product slicing device includes a blade interposed between the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt to separate a top slice from the remainder of the meat product. A top slice separator plate is adjustably mounted between the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt and positioned rearwardly adjacent and vertically aligned with the blade and extends rearwards therefrom to maintain separation of the top slice and the remainder of the meat product between the belts. Finally, a top slice removal conveyor belt is positioned rearwards of the top slice separator plate and below the upper conveyor belt to remove the top slice from the remainder of the meat product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Inventors: Henry Biggs, Steve Korteley
  • Patent number: 6901832
    Abstract: A method to remove pieces (14) cut off from bar-shaped workpiece material (5) by a cutting machine (1) is provided as well as an apparatus to carry out this process, wherein the piece (14) of the material (5) to be cut lies on a machine table (7) during cutting behind the cutting plane (8) in the direction of feed (9) of the material (5), is gripped between gripping jaws (12, 13) from behind the cutting plane (8) only. At the end of the cut, the cut off piece (14) is moved away from the cutting plane (8) by the gripping jaws (12, 13) in the material feed direction (9) and is tilted about an axis perpendicular to the material feed direction (9) such that its most recently cut surface is essentially horizontal and directed downward and that the piece (14) is then discharged by the gripping jaws (12, 13) by an essentially vertical motion downward onto an offload table (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: EURO Besitz GmbH & Co. EDV-Dienstleistungs KG
    Inventor: Armin Stolzer
  • Publication number: 20040182210
    Abstract: A gripper pulls a web off a supply downstream through upstream and downstream clamps. The upstream clamp is closed on the web and a piece is cut off its end. Then the gripper is moved back upstream to form the cut-off piece into a dependent loop while the lower part of the downstream clamp is held down and back out of the way so it does not contact the dependent loop. Once the gripper has moved upstream passed the lowered downstream clamp part, it is raised and advanced downstream to press the web against the upper downstream clamp part. Then both clamps are displaced transversely to move the web as a dependent loop transversely away.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicant: SCHMALE-HOLDING GmbH & CO.
    Inventor: Peter Reinders
  • Patent number: 6766719
    Abstract: The invention describes a method and an apparatus removing a plurality of die-cut products from an operating area of a die-cutting apparatus having multiple dies. The die-cut products are simultaneously picked up at a pick-up point in the operating area. Then they are simultaneously moved to a delivery point outside the operating area. At the delivery point, the die-cut products are released simultaneously. The operations of picking up moving and releasing are carried out in such a manner that the die-cut products at the delivery point are situated at substantially at the same position with respect to one another as those which they adopt at the pick-up point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Van Doorne's Transmissie, B.V.
    Inventors: J. H. Van Liempd, L. C. H. Buysen, H. K. Nooi
  • Patent number: 6655045
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for pick and place handling of electronic components that have been formed on a common substrate and then separated on a cutting chuck. A transferring means is provided formed with openings for receiving separated components. The opening is defined by walls of which at least one is movable so as to engage the components and hold them in a fixed configuration and orientation while they are moved by a sliding motion through a processing unit and onto a transfer platform for delivery to an output track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: ASM Assembly Automation Limited
    Inventors: Yiu Ming Cheung, Pei Wei Tsai, Yu Sze Cheung
  • Patent number: 6601489
    Abstract: An apparatus for cutting sheets from an elongated workpiece is operated by first closing a pair of grippers on a workpiece leading end in an upper station and then cutting off the leading end of the workpiece to leave a sheet held in the grippers. The grippers holding the sheet are then moved downward and in an output direction to align the sheet with an output plane and pass the sheet to an output conveyor. The grippers are opened to release the cut-off sheet to the output conveyor for displacement of the sheet away in the output direction. Then the upper gripper is moved downstream in the output direction until it is out from underneath the input station and the lower gripper is moved oppositely upstream in the output direction until it is out from underneath the released sheet on the output conveyor. The upper gripper is moved upward to immediately above the upper plane and the lower gripper upward to immediately below the upper plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Schmale-Holding GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Peter Reinders
  • Patent number: 6557446
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Kinematic Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Carlberg, Ford Garratt, Ted Meigs
  • Patent number: 6460440
    Abstract: A cutting apparatus can make a length of a remainder material of a work as short as possible and can use one work effectively. The cutting apparatus has a main stock vice mechanism holding a work to be cut at upstream side and downstream side of a cutting position for cutting the work by means of a saw blade, a work feeding stock vice mechanism holding the work toward the cutting position for feeding per a predetermined cutting length, and a work drawing mechanism active when a difference between a length of a remainder material of the work and a feed limit length of the remainder material by the work feeding stock vice mechanism becomes shorter than a preliminarily set cutting length of the work. The work drawing mechanism holds a tip end of the remainder material at a predetermined position on downstream side of the cutting position or on upstream side of the cutting position for drawing the remainder material to extend a predetermined length from the cutting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Tsune Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Tsune
  • Patent number: 6264456
    Abstract: An apparatus for cutting an indefinite length suture strand to uniform lengths for subsequent threading and swaging to a surgical needle includes a drawing tower having at least one guide member defining a drawing axis parallel thereto. First and second gripping devices are provided to grip the indefinite length suture strand and draw it along the drawing axis; each gripping device mounted for reciprocal movement on at least one guide member. A retractable cutter for cutting the indefinite length suture strand is also provided for cutting the strand at a start position along the drawing axis. The indefinite length suture strand is fed to the drawing axis and drawn a predetermined distance beyond the location of the retractable cutter for positioning within a suture receiving opening formed in the surgical needle, while the second gripping device reciprocates to a start position along the drawing axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Inventors: David Demarest, Timothy Lenihan, William Rattan
  • Patent number: 6230596
    Abstract: An apparatus for advancing positions of a web material has a first transporter at which the pieces are separated from a web, a clamp which transfers the pieces to the plane of a second transporter and a second transporter operating in this plane in a direction orthogonal to the displacement direction of the first transporter. The second transporter has at least one conveyor at least part of which is movable toward and away from the clamp and toward which the clamp can be moved so that the pieces are transferred to the conveyor and can be displaced by the latter with no spacing between them or with only a limited spacing between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Schmale-Holding GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Peter Reinders
  • Patent number: 6216572
    Abstract: A machine for punching sheet metal, and having a worktable beneath which are located two stores for storing blank and machined sheets. Over each store, the worktable has a respective opening, which is closed selectively by a respective movable closing device, which, in the closed position, defines a portion of the worktable. Over one of the two stores, a handling device is provided for partly lifting a blank sheet from the store and over the worktable; and, over the other of the two stores, a movable stop element is provided for retaining the machined sheet over the respective opening as the respective movable closing device is moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Rainer S.r.l.
    Inventor: Federico Raimondi
  • Patent number: 6145421
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for sorting out short lengths in light-section finishing lines, including a cutting device, for example, a cold shear, which has a cutting plane, wherein the cutting device is followed by a driven roller conveyor with a length stop which can be removed preferably by being lifted and is adjustable to the desired length. The rolling stock resting against the length stop is held after cutting to length in the cutting device until the short lengths have been conveyed away by the driven roller conveyor after lifting the length stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Rainer Hellenbrandt
  • Patent number: 6076255
    Abstract: This invention relates to a needle attached suture manufacturing method and apparatus capable of cutting a suture exactly at the same length, with a simple construction and high efficiency. A transport/holding device 42 holds a suture Y and transports the suture straight forward toward a needle swaging device 20 a distance corresponding to a predetermined target value. Thereafter, the suture Y is cut at a certain position to obtain a suture strand. The suture strand is then inserted in an insertion hole formed at the end of a needle and is swaged by the needle swaging device 20. As an altered method, after the suture Y is inserted in the insertion hole of the needle, the suture Y is cut at a position away from the end of the needle a predetermined target distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Azwell (Azwell Inc.)
    Inventors: Kenji Shikakubo, Norio Yamanaka, Gennai Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 5989116
    Abstract: A meat slicing apparatus is disclosed, wherein the apparatus is capable of high-speed slicing of meat having large skeletal bones therein. The apparatus has a blade composed of a steel alloy that is approximately 5 to 10 times greater in compression strength than typical steel. The blade has an involute shape for withstanding the stresses incurred when slicing through bones having compression near that of steel, e.g., pork loin bones. The meat slicer includes a mechanism for securing a position of a meat section to be sliced so that the meat section stays in place during a slicing process, thereby reducing the risk of misalignment of the meat section with the blade. Thus, without such misalignments, there is a reduction in blade failures, shattered bones, bone fragments, and bone dust. Also, the securing mechanism reciprocates between securing the meat section for slicing and releasing it sufficiently for indexing toward the blade between slicing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Swift & Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Johnson, John Cliff
  • Patent number: 5943765
    Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a needle attached suture manufacturing apparatus, with a simple construction and reduced cost, capable of assuredly inserting the lead end of a suture in an insertion hole formed in the end of a needle before the end of the needle is swaged. In order to accomplish the above object, a needle swaging device 20 of this apparatus includes die support members 101 and 102 on which swaging dies 111 and 112 are mounted to be movable toward and away from each other. Suture guide plates 95 and 96 are mounted on the die support members 101 and 102 and are formed with guide grooves 95a and 96b, respectively. Before a swaging operation of the needle end by the swaging dies 111 and 112, the suture guide plates 95 and 96 move to a contact state or to a close contact state with each other when the swaging dies 111 and 112 are set to a pre-swaging position in contact with or in close contact with the end of the needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Azwell (Azwell Inc.)
    Inventors: Kenji Shikakubo, Keiichi Yokohiki, Gennai Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 5885051
    Abstract: A wafer is gripped by a chuck part provided at a front end of a slide arm, and the slide arm is moved in the first direction from a reference position, from which the workpiece is transferred to a workpiece cutting part, to a cleansing position, where the cut workpiece is cleansed, so that the wafer can be transferred in the first direction. The wafer is gripped by a chuck part provided at a front end of a rotary arm, which is rotatably supported at a base end by the front end of the slide arm. Then, the slide arm is moved in the first direction and the rotary arm is rotated. Thereby, the wafer can be transferred in the second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Azuma, Hirofumi Shimoda
  • Patent number: 5806396
    Abstract: An automatic fabric pattern-matching apparatus for, a fabric (MA) which has a pattern continuous at least in the lateral direction and which is unwound and spread from a wound fabric (M) and is fed from one end thereof in the longitudinal direction of the fabric in a hanging manner via a feeding mechanism of the fabric pattern-matching apparatus. The surface of the hanging portion of the fabric (MA) fed in the hanging manner is read by a CCD camera functioning as an optical reading apparatus, so that the vertical position of the fabric (MA) is controlled for aligning the fabric pattern so as to form a lateral straight line, based on the read signal. As a result, disadvantageous phenomena such as bias or bowed patterns created by gravity are eliminated, thereby eliminating defective products due to the disadvantageous phenomena noted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha NCA
    Inventor: Kenichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5726422
    Abstract: An apparatus for making a surgical suture which includes a moving clamp for griping surgical suture material. The moving clamp has a gripping state and a non-gripping state. A heating station is provided for heating a length of surgical suture material. A first actuator, coupled to the moving clamp, is provided for translating the moving clamp from a position on a first side of the heating station to a position on a second side of the heating station opposite the first side when the moving clamp is in its gripping state, and for translating the moving clamp from the position on the second side of the heating station to the position on the first side of the heating station when the moving clamp is in its non-griping state. A stationary camp is provided for gripping the surgical suture material after the first actuator has translated the moving clamp from the position on the first side of the heating station to the position on the second side of the heating station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernd Haase, Kenneth J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5613417
    Abstract: In order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of forming a groove in a board, an apparatus and method are disclosed. The apparatus includes a station for feeding the board from a supply of boards, a table for supporting the board upon receipt from the feeding station, a cutter for forming the groove while the board is supported by the table, and a station for removing the board after the groove has been formed. It is among the unique aspects of the disclosure that the table is moved relative to the cutter such that a grooved board can be removed from the table with the material defining the groove having been separated therefrom just after another board on the table has been grooved. The method includes the steps of feeding the board from a supply of boards at a feeding station, supporting the board after the board has been fed from the feeding station, forming the groove in the board while the board is being supported, and removing the board after forming the groove at a removing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company
    Inventors: Gavin Scobbie, Thomas P. McQueeny, Mel S. Kristmann, Richard C. Hennessey
  • Patent number: 5487216
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically forming a plurality of needle-suture assemblies out of a plurality of unsorted needles and an indefinite length strand of suture material, and, automatically positioning them within a package tray, comprises a first machine located at a first location for sorting a plurality of randomly oriented needles and orienting each needle for automatic handling at a first predetermined location, a second machine located at a second predetermined location for automatically drawing and cutting an indefinite length strand of suture material and automatically inserting a free end thereof into a suture receiving opening of the needle, and swaging the needle about the sutures to form a needle suture assembly, and a first indexing device for sequentially receiving individual oriented needles at the first location and transporting each of the needles from the first location to the second location to form the needle-suture assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: David Demarest, Michael G. Hodulik
  • Patent number: 5485668
    Abstract: A swaging station incorporates a drawing tower that automatically draws, cuts, and inserts an indefinite length strand of suture material within the suture receiving end of a surgical needle for swaging thereof. The suture receiving end of the surgical needle is positioned within a swaging assembly located at the top of the drawing tower that comprises a first fixed swage die and a second movable swage die forming a swage die opening for positively gripping the suture receiving end of the needle positioned therein. A first suture alignment die and a second suture alignment die are precisely registered below and adjacent the respective first and second swage dies to form a lower funnel guide that is axial with the swage die opening for positioning the tip of the suture strand therein. The lower funnel guide has an exit diameter that is larger than the diameter of the suture tip and smaller than the diameter of the suture receiving end of the needle for easy placement of the suture tip therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: David Demarest, Robert B. Duncan, William Rattan
  • Patent number: 5483857
    Abstract: A workpiece finishing machine feeds a plurality of interconnected workpieces, in the form of a feedstock bandolier, to a cutting cylinder wherein individual workpieces are separated from the bandolier by a cutting punch. The separated workpiece is subsequently moved into engagement with a reciprocating presentation carriage which removes the workpiece from the cutting cylinder and presents it in a predetermined position to a robotic loader or assembly device. The machine includes a plurality of sensors which detect various aspects of the feedstock and workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Bi-Link Metal Specialties
    Inventor: Frank Ziberna
  • Patent number: 5477609
    Abstract: A swaging station incorporates a drawing tower that automatically draws, cuts, and inserts an indefinite length strand of suture material within the suture receiving end of a surgical needle for swaging thereof. The suture receiving end of the surgical needle is positioned within a swaging assembly located at the top of the drawing tower that comprises a first fixed swage die and a second movable swage die forming a swage die opening for positively gripping the suture receiving end of the needle positioned therein. A first suture alignment die and a second suture alignment die are precisely registered below and adjacent the respective first and second swage dies to form a lower funnel guide that is axial with the swage die opening for positioning the tip of the suture strand therein. The lower funnel guide has an exit diameter that is larger than the diameter of the suture tip and smaller than the diameter of the suture receiving end of the needle for easy placement of the suture tip therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: David Demarest, Robert B. Duncan, William Rattan
  • Patent number: 5473810
    Abstract: An automated machine for attaching a suture to a surgical needle having a suture receiving opening formed therein, and for packaging the same in a package tray comprises a first workstation including a device for sorting a plurality of needles and orienting each needle for automatic feeding to a second swaging workstation, a second workstation including a device for automatically cutting an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length and a device for automatically swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about a free end of the suture to secure the suture thereto and form a needle-suture assembly, a needle packaging station including a device for sequentially receiving at least one of the needle-suture assemblies in a package tray in synchronism with the second workstation, the needle packaging station having a device for automatically winding the depending suture portion of the needle-suture assembly into the package tray, a first indexing device for sequentially receiving indiv
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: David Demarest, Robert B. Duncan, Martin Sobel, Timothy P. Lenihan, William Rattan, John F. Blanch, Michael G. Hodulik, Dennis P. Yost
  • Patent number: 5445053
    Abstract: An apparatus and a related method are disclosed for cutting a sheet from flexible film wound on a roll and for placing the sheet on a pallet or on a layer of one or more boxes on the pallet. The roll is mounted so that it is rotatable about an axis parallel to one end of the pallet. A leading end of the film is gripped. The gripped end is pulled away from the roll. As the roll is thus rotated, a portion of the film is unwound from the roll. Also, at least a substantial part of the unwound portion is extended over the pallet or over a layer of boxes on the pallet. The unwound portion at a position is clamped between the pallet and the roll. The clamped portion is cut so as to cut a sheet having a predetermined length from the remaining film. The gripped end is released after the sheet has been cut therefrom so as to permit the sheet to drop onto the pallet or onto a layer of one or more boxes or other articles on the pallet. The gripped end may be lowered toward the pallet before the gripped end is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Mima Incorporated
    Inventor: David J. Kallner
  • Patent number: 5375493
    Abstract: An apparatus for feeding separator sheets (20) to a stack is disclosed. Separator sheets (20) made of paper or another material are disposed between carton layers (19) of a pallet (13) loaded with cartons (10). The separator sheets are produced by a separate separator sheet unit (25) by way of being severed from a web of material (21 ) and are placed onto the carton layers (19). The separator sheet unit (25) operates independently of a palletizer (12) for the cartons (10). The separator sheet unit (25) is comprised of a web conveyor (29) for transporting the web of material (21) in portions, and a blank conveyor (30) for receiving and transporting the separator sheets ( 20) and placing them on the carton layers (19). Additionally, a cutting unit (37) for severing a blank (23) is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
    Inventors: Heinz Focke, Johannes Holloch
  • Patent number: 5203244
    Abstract: The device comprises a support (9) provided with means (12) for its demountable fastening to the reactor structure (1) above and vertically in line with the component (3), a turret (10) mounted rotatably on the support (9) about its vertical axis, a device for taking up forces (11), on which the lower end of the turret (10) is mounted rotatably, an arm (18) mounted movably on the turret (10) in a radial direction, a first cutting unit (20) mounted on the movable arm (18), a trolley (25) mounted movably on the turret (10) in the vertical direction, a vertical second cutting unit mounted on the trolley (25) and a means for handling (30) fragments of the component (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: Framatome
    Inventors: Jean-Paul Guigon, Paul Jacquier
  • Patent number: 5189934
    Abstract: Arrangement for production of sections cut out from a material web (18), such as sections for articles of clothing. It comprises a carrier element (19) with a deposit surface (17) for the material web (18), an automatic cutter (16) which is displaceable over the cutting member (70; 77) is supported by the slide arrangement. The cutting member is moved by means of a computer program along the intended contours of the sections which are to be cut out. The carrier element (19), which can be a conveyor belt, is of a material which is elastically compressible. The material, by virtue of its elasticity, tends to form a main plane in which, as a result of the compressibility of the material, depressions can be formed by exerting a force on the material, for example by pressing-down of bottom parts of the cutting and picking members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1993
    Assignee: Eton Construction AB
    Inventors: Mats I. Davidson, Dan Davidson
  • Patent number: 5111722
    Abstract: The belt-shaped member supplying method and apparatus are used for cutting a long material paid out of a winding roll into a belt-shaped member of a predetermined length and supplying the belt-shaped member onto a winding drum by means of a transfer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Tada, Jun Nagano, Yoshihiro Fukamachi
  • Patent number: 5088364
    Abstract: To provide for efficient handling of stock material (40) and cut-off elements (41), which may be workpieces or cut-off wedges, by a cut-off saw, with miter adjustments, a positioning finger (21) is pressed against the stock material to engage the stock material against a guide plate or bar (19) prior to clamping the stock material in position for cut-off. After cutting of the stock material, the clamp (5) is released, and the finger is moved to a position ahead of the cut-off surface, and then longitudinally in feeding direction to a removal conveyor (28) so that the cut-off element is raked away by the positioning finger. After removal, the positioning finger is retracted out of the path of the stock material and, while new stock material is being fed, is longitudinally returned to the starting position to again align new stock material against the guide plate or bar (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Keuro Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Armin Stolzer
  • Patent number: 5061967
    Abstract: An electrophotographic recording apparatus records an image on a recording paper, either a cut recording sheet or a continuous recording paper, through steps of feeding the recording paper along a paper feed plane exclusively for the recording paper, stopping the recording paper upon the arrival of the same at a predetermined, exclusive starting position, forming an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor by an exposure unit as the photoconductor is rotated at a fixed surface speed, developing the electrostatic latent image in a toner image by a developing unit by applying a toner charged in a polarity opposite that of the electrostatic latent image, restarting the feed of the recording paper at a feed seed corresponding to the surface speed of the photoconductor upon the arrival of the first line of the toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor at a position which will coincide with a fixed recording position on the recording paper at a transfer position, transferring the toner image fro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1991
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Isobe
  • Patent number: 4987808
    Abstract: A system for handling a flexible thin wall tubular extrudate of an elastomeric material of the type used as a body ply element for the manufacture of tires, and for cutting-off a predetermined length sleeve of the extrudate and delivering the sleeve to a discharge station. A pair of grippers is movably mounted on carriage assemblies which move the grippers horizontally and transversely with respect to the axis of the extrudate. The leading gripper provides tension to the extrudate and pulls it along a production axis. The trailing gripper engages the extrudate and moves in unison with the extrudate and the leading gripper along the production axis. The grippers completely circumferentially envelop the length of sleeve to be cut from the extrudate and retain the shape of the extrudate by applying a vacuum thereto. A cutting mechanism having a fixed motor driven blade and a pair of similar pivotally mounted blades moves vertically down into contact with the extrudate between the pair of grippers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard W. Sicka, Dale A. Tompkins, Peter Kundig
  • Patent number: 4919028
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a shearing machine in which the upper shearing blade can be easily adjusted and positioned. The upper blade is held on a pivotal plate member which is pivotally held on a ram by means of a hinge means to be rotated to adjust of the position of the upper blades. In addition, a hold down member is provided for holding a work-sheet. The hold down member is arranged to be urged by a toggle joint to hold the work-sheet at a reduced speed with an increased force after coming into contact with the work-sheet. A scrap removal member is also included in the shearing machine such that scraps can be easily removed without mingling them with the finished sheets. The scrap removal member removes scrap without idle time between feeding the work-sheets to be sheared. The shearing machine is so arranged that scraps are taken away directly to a scrap box as soon as the work-sheet has been completely sheared into its finished product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Amada Company, Limited
    Inventors: Chuo Tobita, Eiji Matsuno
  • Patent number: 4854202
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for cutting paper pads to provide a paper pad which has a beveled edge. The apparatus includes a gripping assembly for gripping the pad and a positioning assembly for bending the pad intermediate its ends. A cutting assembly is provided for cutting the pad with a perpendicular cut while it is bent such that when the pad is returned to its original planar configuration, the cut edge will assume beveled configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: Donald R. McNab
    Inventors: Donald R. McNab, Floyd D. Smith
  • Patent number: 4823662
    Abstract: An apparatus for handling bar-like workpiece material in a sawing machine, in particular in the form of a miter-box saw, whichhas a clamping carriage that is disposed on the machine frame above the workpiece table and is movable horizontally and parallel to the feed direction of the workpiece material. On one workpiece side, the clamping carriage has two openable and closable bearing jaws, and facing them in the direction of the workpiece material it has three openable and closable clamping jaws disposed beside one another in the material feed direction. The openable and closing jaws are coordinated such that a stock material is held in place for sawing a measured piece and then the cut piece and stock material are moved together to a position for the nextcut length. The cut piece is then moved and released. The steps are repeated to cut the next and successive pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Keuro Maschinenbau GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventor: Armin Stolzer
  • Patent number: 4794832
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cutting tubular band stock to produce an elastic band and unbonding the abutting edges of the band is disclosed. The apparatus includes a guillotine-type movable blade which cuts transversely across the tubular stock and band engaging surface proximate the blade which is formed to engage the cut band and shift opposite sides of the stock in a direction along the cut to break any bonds formed during the cutting process. The shifting apparatus is provided by a pair of fingers which engage one side of the band and cooperate with an arcuate surface engaging the opposite side of the band to shift two portions of the band next to the ends thereof toward the middle of the band and thereby effect breaking of the bonds. A reversible blade and reversible shear plate, as well as a lubricating structure and assembly for adjusting the band with which is cut also are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Rubber Band Technology, Ltd.
    Inventor: Don K. Trimble
  • Patent number: 4781092
    Abstract: An apparatus for feeding bar-like workpiece material in a severing machine is disclosed, which has an openable and closable pair of chuck jaws disposed nondisplaceably in the feed direction of the material before the cutting plane and an openable and closable pair of feed jaws disposed behind the cutting plane and displaceable in the material feed direction. In crossing the cutting plane, this pair of feed jaws can grasp the unworked material anew and, with the chuck jaws open, advance it. A pair of removal jaws is provided, disposed behind the cutting plane and displaceable in the material feed direction, with which the material to be severed can be grasped before the end of the severing cut and removed in the material feed direction after the end of the severing cut. It is also provided that the feed jaws are movable out of the displacement path of the removal jaws that extends in the material feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Keuro Maschinenbau GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Ruprecht Gaiser
  • Patent number: 4765053
    Abstract: A flexible strand stacker comprises:(a) a conveyor having an elongated endwise traveling stretch onto which the strand is fed to be carried endwise on the stretch,(b) a gripper to grip a trailing portion of the strand as forward extent of the strand is carried endwise on the stretch,(c) structure to effect displacement of the gripper to a position locating the gripped portion of the strand sufficiently out of alignment with the stretch that the strand is progressively pulled sidewardly off the stretch in response to endwise travel of the stretch relative to the strand,(d) and a holder such as a roller is provided to temporarily and locally hold the trailing portion of the strand to the traveling conveyor means stretch to travel therewith; the holder then releases the wire strand and the gripper initially grips the trailing portion of the strand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Eubanks Engineering Co.
    Inventor: Jack L. Hoffa
  • Patent number: 4765215
    Abstract: A device for advancing rod-shaped material in a cutting machine, in which ring the cutting operation the material is held by at least one pair of clamping jaws that are arranged in front of the cutting plane in the material advance direction and by a pair of advancing jaws which are arranged after the cutting plane and can be displaced in the material advance direction, of which at least one advancing jaw can be moved transversely to the material advance direction for the purpose of clamping the material and by means of which the workpiece material can be displaced by an amount corresponding to the portion to be cut off and by means of which the severed material can be removed. The arrangement is such that the transversely movable advancing jaw can be displaced beyond the other advancing jaw and that the other advancing jaw can be moved out the corresponding lateral displacement path of the severed material for disposal of the cut piece of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Keuro Maschinenbau Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung & Co.
    Inventor: Dieter Spath
  • Patent number: 4706370
    Abstract: In a cutting and mounting apparatus for cutting a film section (9) which can be lowered into a slide mount (10) positioned below a cutting tool (5) in a slider (7), and which upon withdrawal of slider (7) can be snapped into the slide mount (10) while resting agaisnt a guiding jaw (2a), a component (12), shiftably guided on the slider (7), is designed as a U-shaped resilient clamp enclosing the rear area of the slider (7). The component (12) comprises guiding elements (12b) which point in the direction of movement of the slider (7), and are formed by tongues pointing upwardly at an angle, seizing the rear edge of a bent film section (9) when the slider (7) has been partly extended, and deflecting said rear edge so that it snaps into the groove-shaped recess in the rear frame portion (10b) of slide mount (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dietmar Blattner, Hermann Dieterle, Manfred Leutwein, Horst Simon
  • Patent number: 4672871
    Abstract: A pair of wire feed clamps are affixed to parallel flights of a pulley-supported steel cable which is axially driven back and forth by an oscillatably rotatable cable drum whereby the wire feed clamps, which reciprocably move in opposite directions, feed a wire strand along a first path. The cable drum is driven by a drive rod reciprocably movable by an orbiting crank pin on a support member which is adjustably mounted on a motor-driven rotatable feed crank. Crank pin orbit determines drive rod stroke, cable drum position, wire feed clamp spacing and travel, and wire segment length. A locking mechanism releasably locks the support member (crank pin) in desired adjusted positions. Two laterally spaced-apart conveyor assemblies, each having conveyor clamps for receiving the wire strand, convey severed wire segments along a second path perpendicular to the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Assignee: ARTOS Engineering Company
    Inventor: Ragnar Gudmestad
  • Patent number: 4640161
    Abstract: A wood cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece from a stock of material includes a guide device for moving the stock material through the apparatus and a pair of saws located to opposite sides of the guide device for movement across the stock material to cut the workpieces to a selected configuration off the stock material. A movable workpiece holder is located at the end of the guide device which holds and supports the portion of the stock material composing the piece being cut off the stock material. An ejector ejects a severed workpiece from the workpiece holder as the workpiece holder moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Inventor: Robert L. Kurk
  • Patent number: 4604928
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically conveying and cooling the cut sections is described. The head and tail of each section are grasped and pulled by head and tail chuck which are moved by respective chuck conveyors. The head chuck conveyor is constituted of a endless chain which has an engaging mechanism for engaging with the head chuck when the head chuck moves horizontally and release the head chuck when the head chuck moves vertically. The tail chuck conveyor includes a chain for conveying the tail chucks from the conveyance starting position to end position, and other path and carriage for returning the tail chucks from the conveyance end position to the start position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: Ube Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Honda
  • Patent number: 4603611
    Abstract: A feed system for a punch press includes a first clamping and advancing mechanism for gripping feed stock and moving it toward the press, and a second clamping and advancing mechanism for gripping the stock and conveying the stock away from the press. A controller causes the first clamping and advancing mechanism to be operated until a predetermined number of punching operations have been performed upon the stock while the second clamping and advancing mechanism remains inoperative. After the predetermined number has been attained, the second clamping and advancing mechanism is activated and punch operations continue until a second predetermined count has been attained. Thereafter, the stock is conveyed away from the press. The invention permits stock to be conveyed through the press very rapidly, and it prevents damage to the press by accurately determining the position of the stock relative to the press.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1986
    Inventor: Dennis R. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 4596174
    Abstract: A high speed wire handling and cutting apparatus having particular application for efficiently providing a continuous supply of uniform dimension wire leads which are to be electrically connected (e.g. welded) to an electronic component, or the like, so that such component can be connected into an electrical circuit. The apparatus includes a wire feeding crank and an associated cross head assembly, a wire receiving crank and an associated cross head assembly, and a wire cutter disposed therebetween. The wire feeding crank and its associated cross head assembly continuously feed an accurately metered length of wire from a wire supply to the cutter, so that wire sections of precise and uniform dimension can be cut therefrom. The wire receiving crank and its associated cross head assembly embrace the sections of wire that are cut from the supply and transfer the sections from the cutter to a suitable storage facility or to the next stage in an electronic component packaging and/or manufacturing assembly line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1986
    Assignee: GTI Corporation
    Inventor: James K. LaFleur
  • Patent number: 4563926
    Abstract: A shear discharge conveying system including a plurality of individual conveying belt modules connectd to a main frame for easy repair and replacement. Impact bar assemblies are spaced between the modules to prevent sheared material from impacting directly on the belts. Rows of vertically extending and retracting gauging supports are adjustable to match the cut size, and tension links connected between the rows prevent the material from nosing down between supports. A scrap gripping and conveying mechanism moves strips of scrap transversely to the conveying direction directly behind the shear before the strips can contact and foul the conveyor. The main frame is mounted on air pads so a single operator can move the entire system to and from the shear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1986
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Peter W. Boardman