Fabric pickup and transfer device

Claim 1

An apparatus for providing individual work pieces comprising, means for holding a stack of work pieces in a supply position including means for raising and lowering said holding means, rotatable transfer means positioned above said holding means for transferring said work piece from a surface down position to a surface up position including adhesive means for adhesive contact with a work piece operatively interconnected with said transfer means, said adhesive means comprising an adhesive tape and said transfer means comprising, a housing pivotally supported about a horizontal axis, a plurality of reels for supporting and receiving said adhesive tape rotatably supported on said housing, means for guiding said adhesive tape to a periphery of said transfer means, and means for advancing said adhesive tape between said reels; means for directing a first blast of air along the sides of said holding means and towards the uppermost work piece on said stack and means for directing a second blast of air towards the uppermost work piece on said stack adjacent said adhesive means to insure separation of said uppermost work piece from the next piece in the stack; means for rotating said transfer means about a horizontal axis, means for supporting a work piece on said transfer means, and means for disengaging a work piece from adhesive contact with said adhesive means.

Claim 2

An apparatus for providing individual work pieces comprising, means for holding a stack of work pieces in a supply position including means for raising and lowering said holding means, rotatable transfer means positioned above said holding means for transferring said work piece from a surface down position to a surface up position including adhesive means for adhesive contact with a work piece operatively interconnected with said transfer means, said adhesive means comprising an adhesive tape and said transfer means comprising, a housing pivotally supported about a horizontal axis, a plurality of reels for supporting and receiving said adhesive tape rotatably supported on said housing, means for guiding said adhesive tape to a periphery of said transfer means, and means for advancing said adhesive tape between said reels; means for directing a first blast of air along the sides of said holding means and towards the uppermost work piece on said stack and means for directing a second blast of air towards the uppermost work piece on said stack adjacent said adhesive means to insure separation of said uppermost work piece from the next piece in the stack; means for rotating said transfer means about a horizontal axis, means for supporting a work piece on said transfer means, and means for disengaging a work piece from adhesive contact with said adhesive means.

Claim 6

An apparatus for providing individual work pieces comprising, means for holding a stack of work pieces in a supply position including means for raising and lowering said holding means, rotatable transfer means positioned above said holding means including adhesive means for adhesive contact with a work piece operatively interconnected with said transfer means, means for rotating said transfer means about a horizontal axis, means for supporting a work piece on said transfer means, means for disengaging a work piece from adhesive contact with said adhesive means, and means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus including an electrical circuit which comprises: a. means for sensing a raised position of said sTack of work pieces; b. means, responsive to said means for sensing a raised position, for directing a blast of air towards the sides of said holding means and towards the uppermost work piece on said stack; c. means for energizing said means for rotating said transfer means responsive to said means for sensing a raised position; d. means for energizing said means for lowering said holding means operatively interconnected to said means for sensing a raised position; e. means for sensing a lowered position of said stack of work pieces; f. first delay means operatively interconnected to said means for sensing a lowered position; g. means, operatively interconnected with said first delay means, for directing a blast of air towards the top of the stack along the side thereof adjacent said adhesive means; h. means for activating said means for disengaging a work piece operatively interconnected to said means for rotating; i. means for energizing said means for raising said holding means operatively interconnected to said means for sensing a lowered position; and j. second delay means operatively interconnected to said means for sensing a lowered position for returning said electrical circuit to its initial conditions.

Claim 7

An apparatus for providing individual work pieces comprising, means for holding a stack of work pieces in a supply position including means for raising and lowering said holding means, rotatable transfer means positioned above said holding means including adhesive means for adhesive contact with a work piece operatively interconnected with said transfer means, means for rotating said transfer means about a horizontal axis, means for supporting a work piece on said transfer means, means for disengaging a work piece from adhesive contact with said adhesive means, and means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus including an electrical circuit which comprises: a. means for sensing a raised position of said sTack of work pieces; b. means, responsive to said means for sensing a raised position, for directing a blast of air towards the sides of said holding means and towards the uppermost work piece on said stack; c. means for energizing said means for rotating said transfer means responsive to said means for sensing a raised position; d. means for energizing said means for lowering said holding means operatively interconnected to said means for sensing a raised position; e. means for sensing a lowered position of said stack of work pieces; f. first delay means operatively interconnected to said means for sensing a lowered position; g. means, operatively interconnected with said first delay means, for directing a blast of air towards the top of the stack along the side thereof adjacent said adhesive means; h. means for activating said means for disengaging a work piece operatively interconnected to said means for rotating; i. means for energizing said means for raising said holding means operatively interconnected to said means for sensing a lowered position; and j. second delay means operatively interconnected to said means for sensing a lowered position for returning said electrical circuit to its initial conditions.

Claim 8

An apparatus for furnishing workpieces comprising: a. a frame; b. a vertically movable workpiece supply table slidably mounted on a lower portion of said frame, said supply table having a plurality of vertically positioned racks attached thereto; c. a supply table drive motor having an extended drive shaft, said drive shaft having a plurality of pinion gears mounted thereon in engagement with said racks; d. a horizontal tubular shaft rotatably mounted on said frame above said supply table, including drive means for rotating said tubular shaft about its longitudinal axis; e. a housing rigidly attached to said tubular shaft, said housing having an adhesive tape supply reel, an adhesive tape receiving reel and an adhesive tape guide roller rotatably mounted thereon in mutual planar relationship, and said guide roller positioned at the periphery of said housing; f. an inner shaft rotatably mounted within said tubular shaft and extending therefrom, said inner shaft having a worm gear at one end thereof and a crank at the other end thereof; g. a manually releasable latch mounted on said housing and engagable with said crank; h. a first reel drive gear axially connected to said adhesive tape receiving reel; i. a second reel drive gear rotatably mounted on said housing and interconnected to said first gear; j. a third reel drive gear axially connected to said second gear and interconnected to said worm gear on said inner shaft; k. a workpiece stripper plate attached to said frame above said tubular shaft and said housing, said stripper plate having a beveled edge and a notch in said beveled edge; l. a rotatable puller wheel pivotally mounted on said frame above said stripper plate; m. conveyor means for advancing a workpiece away from said stripper plate and for driving said puller wheel; n. means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; o. a workpiece supply position sensor positioned above said supply table including a fulcrum arm having a suspended plate attached to one end thereof, and two microswitches vertically positioned on alternate sides of the other end of said fulcrum arm, said microswitches operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; p. at least one side air blast jet horizontally mounted on said frame and directed toward said supply table, said side air blast jet operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; q. at least one up air blast jet mounted on said frame and directed toward said housing, said up air blast jet operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; r. a pneumatic cylinder attached to said frame And having a vertically positioned piston rod interconnected with said puller wheel, said pneumatic cylinder operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; s. at least one cam attached to said tubular shaft; and, t. a cam switch mounted on said frame for each cam, said cam switch operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus.

Claim 9

An apparatus for furnishing workpieces comprising: a. a frame; b. a vertically movable workpiece supply table slidably mounted on a lower portion of said frame, said supply table having a plurality of vertically positioned racks attached thereto; c. a supply table drive motor having an extended drive shaft, said drive shaft having a plurality of pinion gears mounted thereon in engagement with said racks; d. a horizontal tubular shaft rotatably mounted on said frame above said supply table, including drive means for rotating said tubular shaft about its longitudinal axis; e. a housing rigidly attached to said tubular shaft, said housing having an adhesive tape supply reel, an adhesive tape receiving reel and an adhesive tape guide roller rotatably mounted thereon in mutual planar relationship, and said guide roller positioned at the periphery of said housing; f. an inner shaft rotatably mounted within said tubular shaft and extending therefrom, said inner shaft having a worm gear at one end thereof and a crank at the other end thereof; g. a manually releasable latch mounted on said housing and engagable with said crank; h. a first reel drive gear axially connected to said adhesive tape receiving reel; i. a second reel drive gear rotatably mounted on said housing and interconnected to said first gear; j. a third reel drive gear axially connected to said second gear and interconnected to said worm gear on said inner shaft; k. a workpiece stripper plate attached to said frame above said tubular shaft and said housing, said stripper plate having a beveled edge and a notch in said beveled edge; l. a rotatable puller wheel pivotally mounted on said frame above said stripper plate; m. conveyor means for advancing a workpiece away from said stripper plate and for driving said puller wheel; n. means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; o. a workpiece supply position sensor positioned above said supply table including a fulcrum arm having a suspended plate attached to one end thereof, and two microswitches vertically positioned on alternate sides of the other end of said fulcrum arm, said microswitches operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; p. at least one side air blast jet horizontally mounted on said frame and directed toward said supply table, said side air blast jet operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; q. at least one up air blast jet mounted on said frame and directed toward said housing, said up air blast jet operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; r. a pneumatic cylinder attached to said frame And having a vertically positioned piston rod interconnected with said puller wheel, said pneumatic cylinder operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus; s. at least one cam attached to said tubular shaft; and, t. a cam switch mounted on said frame for each cam, said cam switch operatively interconnected to said means for controlling and cycling said apparatus.