Apparatus for transferring workpieces and the like

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING WORKPIECES AND SIMILAR DISCRETE ARTICLES TO AND FROM THE WORKING STATIONS OF MACHINE TOOLS AND THE LIKE, IN COMBINATION, GUIDE MEANS DEFINING AN ELONGATED PATHWAY HAVING AN END ADJACENT TO A WORKING STATION; A TRANSFER UNIT MOUNTED ON SAID GUIDE MEANS TO RECIPROCATE ALONG SAID PATHWAY BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF SPACED POSITIONS, SAID UNIT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ARTICLE-ENGAGING ARMS ARRANGED TO ORBIT ABOUT AN AXIS OF ROTATION WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID PATHWAY; STOP MEANS FOR ARRESTING SAID UNIT IN EACH OF SAID POSITIONS; SHOCK ABSORBER MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID UNIT AND ARRANGED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID STOP MEANS SO AS TO CUSHION THE IMPACT ON ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID UNIT AND SAID STOP MEANS; MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID UNIT ALONG SAID PATHWAY AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS; AND CONTROL MEANS ARRANGED TO REDUCE THE SPEED OF SAID UNIT PRIOR TO ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID STOP MEANS AND THE RESPECTIVE SHOCK ABSORBER MEANS.