Vacuum pick up head

Claim 2

A pick-up assembly for use in moving articles, said pick-up assembly comprising a pick-up head, sucker means on said pick-up head for engaging an article and applying suction to the article, valve means operable between an open condition in which said sucker means is connected with a source of low pressure and a closed condition, electrical actuator means for operating said valve means from said closed condition to said open condition, main circuit means for activating said electrical actuator means to said open condition, and holding circuit means for preventing deactivation of said electrical actuator means and operation of said valve means from said open condition to said closed condition in response to the application of suction to an article by said sucker means.

Claim 3

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including indicator means for indicating when said valve means is in the open condition and said sucker means is effective to apply suction to an article.

Claim 4

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said holding circuit means includes a switch and means for actuating said switch in response to the application of suction to an article by said sucker means.

Claim 5

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sucker means includes a plurality of suckers arranged in an array on said pick-up head, said valve means includes a plurality of valves each of which is associated with one of said suckers, and said electrical actuator means includes a plurality of solenoids each of which is associated with one of said valves.

Claim 6

A pick-up assembly for use in moving articles, said pick-up assembly comprising a pick-up head having an array of fluid inlets on an operating side of the pick-up head, a plurality of passages each of which extends from an associated one of said fluid inlets to a source of low pressure, and control means for controlling fluid flow through said passages so that only the fluid inlets which are adjacent to the surface of an article to be moved are connected in fluid communication with the source of low pressure while the article is moved by the pick-up assembly, said control means including a plurality of valves each of which is associated with one of said passages and is operable between a closed condition blocking fluid flow through the associated passage and an open condition, a plurality of electrical actuators each of which is associated with one of said valves to effect operation of the associated valve between the closed and open conditions, electrical circuit means for effecting operation of at least some of said plurality of actuators for a predetermined period of time to operate at least some of said plurality of valves to the open condition to thereby connect at least some of the fluid inlets on the operating side of said pick-up head with the source of low pressure for a predetermined period of time to enable the fluid inlets adjacent to the surface of an article to apply suction to the surface of the article, said circuit means being operable at the end of the predetermined period of time to effect a closing of any of said valves which are associated with fluid inlets other than fluid inlets through which suction is being applied to an article by effecting operation of the actuators associated with these valves, and a plurality of retaining means each of which is associated with one of said valves for preventing operation of the one valve to the closed condition at the end of the predetermined time period when suction is applied during the predetermined time period to a surface of an article at the fluid inlet associated with the one valve.

Claim 7

A pick-up assembly for use in moving articles, said pick-up assembly comprising a pick-up head having an array of fluid inlets on an operating side of the pick-up head, a plurality of passages each of which extends from an associated one of said fluid inlets to a source of low pressure, and control means for controlling fluid flow through said passages so that only the fluid inlets which are adjacent to the surface of an article to be moved are connected in fluid communication with the source of low pressure while the article is moved by the pick-up assembly, said control means including a plurality of valves each of which is associated with one of said passages and is operable between a closed condition blocking fluid flow through the associated passage and an open condition, a plurality of electrical actuators each of which is associated with one of said valves to effect operation of the associated valve between the closed and open conditions, electrical circuit means for effecting operation of at least some of said plurality of actuators for a predetermined period of time to operate at least some of said plurality of valves to the open condition to thereby connect at least some of the fluid inlets on the operating side of said pick-up head with the source of low pressure for a predetermined period of time to enable the fluid inlets adjacent to the surface of an article to apply suction to the surface of the article, said circuit means being operable at the end of the predetermined period of time to effect a closing of any of said valves which are associated with fluid inlets other than fluid inlets through which suction is being applied to an article by effecting operation of the actuators associated with these valves, and a plurality of retaining means each of which is associated with one of said valves for preventing operation of the one valve to the closed condition at the end of the predetermined time period when suction is applied during the predetermined time period to a surface of an article at the fluid inlet associated with the one valve.

Claim 8

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said actuators includes solenoid means for operating the associated one of said valves between the open and closed conditions and each of said retaining means includes a holding circuit means for preventing the associated solenoid means from being operated and a closing of the associated valve at the end of the predetermined time period when suction is applied to the surface of an article to be moved at the associated fluid inlet.

Claim 9

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 6 further including a plurality of indicator means each of which is electrically connected with an associated holding circuit means and is operable to indicate when the associated one of said valves is in the open condition at the end of the predetermined period of time.

Claim 10

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said retaining means includes an electrical switch which is electrically connected with the associated one of said actuators and is operable from a first condition to a second condition to prevent operation of the associated actuator and the associated one of sAid valves from the open condition to the closed condition at the end of the predetermined time period, each of said retaining means further including means for operating said electrical switch to the second condition in response to the application of suction to a surface of an article in the associated fluid inlet.

Claim 11

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 8 further including display means for indicating which of said valves are in the open condition at the end of the predetermined time period and the spatial relationship between the fluid inlets associated with these valves.

Claim 12

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said retaining means includes means for defining a chamber which is connected in fluid communication with the source of low pressure upon operation of the associated one of said valves to the open condition and means which is movable in response to a change in pressure to prevent operation of the associated one of said valves to the closed condition.

Claim 13

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 5 further including a plurality of flexible cups each of which is mounted on said pick-up head in association with one of said fluid inlets and is operable to sealingly engage a surface of an article to be moved to facilitate the application of suction to the surface of the article.

Claim 14

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 5 further including means for indicating which of said valves is in the open condition at the end of the predetermined time period.

Claim 15

A pick-up assembly for use in moving articles, said pick-up assembly comprising a pick-up head having an array of fluid inlets, a plurality of passages each of which extends from an associated one of said fluid inlets to a source of low pressure, control means for controlling fluid flow through said passages so that only fluid inlets which are adjacent to the surface of an article to be moved are connected in fluid communication with the source of low pressure while the article is moved by the pick-up assembly, and indicator means for indicating which of the fluid inlets are connected to the source of low pressure as the article is moved by the pick-up assembly.

Claim 16

A pick-up assembly for use in moving articles, said pick-up assembly comprising a pick-up head having an array of fluid inlets, a plurality of passages each of which extends from an associated one of said fluid inlets to a source of low pressure, control means for controlling fluid flow through said passages so that only fluid inlets which are adjacent to the surface of an article to be moved are connected in fluid communication with the source of low pressure while the article is moved by the pick-up assembly, and indicator means for indicating which of the fluid inlets are connected to the source of low pressure as the article is moved by the pick-up assembly.

Claim 17

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said indicator means includes display means for indicating the spatial relationship between the fluid inlets which are connected to the source of low pressure as the article is moved by the pick-up assembly.

Claim 18

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said display means includes a plurality of lights which are arranged in an array similar to the array of fluid inlets, said indicator means further including a plurality of switches each associated with one of said fluid inlets, means for operating each of said switches from a first condition to a second condition when the associated one of said fluid inlets is connected to the source of low pressure as the article is moved by the pick-up assembly, and circuit means for electrically connecting each of said switches to an associated one of said lights.

Claim 19

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said indicator means includes a plurality of switches each of which is associated with one of said fluid inlets and is operated from a first condition to a second condition upon application of suction to the surface of an article at the associated fluid inlet, said control means including a plurality of valves each of which is associated with one of said passages and is operable between a closed condition blocking fluid flow through the associated passage and an open condition, a plurality of electrical actuators each of which is associated with one of said valves for operating the associated valve to the open condition, and circuit means for activating said electrical actuators upon closing of the associated one of said switches.

Claim 20

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 16 further including means associated with each of said switches for operating said switches in response to the Application of suction to the surface of an article at a fluid inlet associated with the switch.

Claim 21

A pick-up assembly as set forth in claim 17 wherein said indicator means further includes display means for indicating the spatial relationship between the fluid inlets which are connected to the source of low pressure, said display means including a plurality of lights arranged in an array similar to the array of fluid inlets, said indicator means further including circuit means interconnecting said switches and said lights to effect energization of a light associated with one of said switches when the associated switch is in the second condition.