Apparatus for positioning and indexing workpieces

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING AND INDEXING WORKPIECES COMPRISING (A) A FLAT SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED WORKPIECE SUPPORTING TABLE, SAID TABLE HAVING A CENTRALLY LOCATED SHAFT EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF, (B) A FRAME HAVING MEANS MOUNTING SAID TABLE SHAFT FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF DISPOSED ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID TABLE, (C) BRAKING MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID TABLE SHAFT FOR PREVENTING MOVEMENT OF SAID TABLE SHAFT WHEN NO DRIVING FORCE IS APPLIED THERETO AND FOR IMPARTING RESISTANCE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID TABLE SHAFT WHEN A DRIVING FORCE IS APPLIED THERETO, (D) A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERNETIALLY SPACED APART ABUTMENT MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID TABLE ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, (E) ROTARY DRIVE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID PERIPHERALLY DISPOSED PORTION OF SAID FRAME AND OPERABLE THROUGH A PORTION OF EACH REVOLUTION TO ENGAGE ONE OF SAID ABUTMENT MEMBERS AND APPLY A DRIVING FORCE THERETO SUFFICIENT TO MOVE SAID ABUTMENT MEMBER, TABLE AND TABLE SHAFT THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ARC IN OPPOSITION TO SAID RESISTANCE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID BRAKING MEANS WHEREBY SAID TABLE ROTATES INTERMITTENTLY ABOUT SAID VERTICAL AXIS IN RESPONSE TO SUCCESSIVE ROTATIONS OF SAID DRIVE MEANS, SAID DRIVE MEANS COMPRISING (1) A DRIVEN SHAFT JOURNALED FOR ROTATION IN SAID PERPHERALLY DISPOSED PORTION OF SAID FRAME, AND (2) A DRIVE MEMBER ECDENTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND CONSTRAINED TO MOVE IN AN ORBITAL PATH ABOUT SAID DRIVEN SHAFT WHICH INTERSECTS THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID ABUTEMENT MEMBERS WHEREBY SAID DRIVE MEMBER ENGAGES AND MOVES ONE OF SAID ABUTEMENT MEMBERS DURING A PORTION OF ITS ORBITAL PATH, AND (F) POWER MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRIVE MEANS, SAID POWER MEANS COMPRISING (1) A CYLINDER SECURED TO SAID PHERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID FRAME AND HAVING OPPOSITE END CLOSURES, (2) A PISTON SEALINGLY SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CYLINDER, (3) MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID PISTON AND SAID DRIVEN SHAFT FOR IMPARTING INTERMITTENT ROTARY MOTION TO SAID DRIVEN SHAFT IN RESPONSE TO RECIPROCATORY MOTION OF SAID PISTON AND OPERABLE TO CAUSE ROTATION OF SAID DRIVEN SHAFT WHEN SAID PISTON MOVES IN ONE DIRECTION AND PREVENT COUNTERROTATION OF SAID DRIVEN SHAFT WHEN SAID PISTON MOVES IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND (4) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID CYLINDER SUCCESSIVELY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PISTON WHEREBY SAID PISTON RECIPROCATES TO AND FRO TO DRIVE SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, SAID DRIVE MEMBER AND SAID TABLE INTERMITTENTLY IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY.