Indexing apparatus

Claim 2

Indexing apparatus comprising a housing, an indexing shaft mounted in said housing for rotation about its axis, a spider secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of rollers mounted on said spider and equally spaced about its periphery, an indexing bracket mounted in said housing for substantially straight line movement transversely of said shaft, locking means including a roller stop on said bracket selectively engaging at least one of said rollers to prevent rotation of said spider, moving means on said bracket selectively engaging another of said rollers to move it about the axis of said spider, means for causing relative movement of said rollers and said locking means into and out of engagement, and means for moving said moving means when said locking means is disengaged to rotate said spider and shaft about their axis.

Claim 3

Indexing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said moving means includes a guide mounted on said bracket in spaced relationship with said roller stop, a roller engaging member movable along said guide, and means for moving said bracket between a position where one of said rollers engages said roller stop and no roller is engaged by said roller engaging member and a position where no roller engages said roller stop and a roller is engaged by said roller engaging member.

Claim 4

Indexing apparatus according to claim 2 including a pair of guide shafts mounted in said housing transversely of said indexing shaft one on opposite sides thereof, and bearing blocks on said bracket for receiving said guide shafts.

Claim 5

Indexing apparatus according to claim 3 in which said guide extends normal to said guide shafts, and in which said roller engaging member includes an elongated slot for receiving a roller.

Claim 6

Indexing apparatus according to claim 4 in which said means for moving said bracket includes a fluid cylinder and piston rod connected to said bracket, and said means for moving said moving means on said bracket includes a fluid cylinder and piston rod operably connected to said roller engaging member.

Claim 7

Indexing apparatus according to claim 1 in which four rollers are mounted on said spider, said bracket has spaced walls between which said spider is received, and said locking means includes a pair of roller stops secured between said walls and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the distance between the outside of adjacent rollers.

Claim 8

Indexing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said moving means includes a guide mounted on said bracket on the opposite side of said indexing shaft from said roller stops, a roller engaging member movable along said guide, and means for moving said bracket between a position where one of said rollers engages said roller stop and no roller is engaged by said roller engaging member and a position where no roller engages said roller stop and a roller is engaged by said roller engaging member.

Claim 9

Indexing apparatus according to claim 7 including a pair of guide shafts mounted in said housing transversely of said indexing shaft one each on opposite sides thereof, and bearing blocks on said bracket for receiving said guide shafts.

Claim 10

Indexing apparatus according to claim 8 in which said guide extends normal to said guide shafts, and in which said roller engaging member includes an elongated slot for receiving a roller.

Claim 11

Indexing apparatus according to claim 9 in which said means for moving said bracket includes a fluid cylinder and piston rod connected to said bracket, and said means for moving said moving means on said bracket includes a fluid cylinder and piston rod operably connected to said roller engaging member.

Claim 12

Indexing apparatus comprising a housing, an indexing shaft mounted in said housing for rotation about its axis, a spider secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of rollers mounted on said spider and equally spaced about its periphery, an indexing bracket mounted in said housing for substantially straight line movement transversely of said shaft, said indexing bracket surrounding said shaft and having an opening therein substantially longer than the diameter of said shaft for receiving said shaft and permitting relative movement of said shaft with respect to said bracket, a roller stop movable with respect to said rollers and positionable to selectively engage one of said rollers to prevent rotation of said spider, moving means on said bracket selectively engaging another of said rollers to move it about the axis of said spider, means for causing relative movement of said rollers and said roller stop into and out of engagement, and means for moving said moving means when said roller stop is disengaged to rotate said spider and shaft about their axis.

Claim 13

Indexing apparatus comprising a housing, an indexing shaft mounted in said housing for rotation about its axis, a spider secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of rollers mounted on said spider and equally spaced about its periphery, an indexing bracket mounted in said housing for substantially straight line movement transversely of said shaft, said indexing bracket surrounding said shaft and having an opening therein substantially longer than the diameter of said shaft for receiving said shaft and permitting relative movement of said shaft with respect to said bracket, a roller stop movable with respect to said rollers and positionable to selectively engage one of said rollers to prevent rotation of said spider, moving means on said bracket selectively engaging another of said rollers to move it about the axis of said spider, means for causing relative movement of said rollers and said roller stop into and out of engagement, and means for moving said moving means when said roller stop is disengaged to rotate said spider and shaft about their axis.