Automatic apparatus for sequencing repair work in optimum order on malfunctions of grouped operating machines

Claim 1

An automatic apparatus for transporting an operator to a plurality of work stations in an optimum sequence comprising, a driven carriage for transporting an operator to work stations in an optimum sequence, means at each work station having means developing output work information signals representative of work that is to be preformed at the individual work stations and work information signals having a priority and an address, memory means receptive of the output work information signals and work information signals for combining them into combined work information signals and memorizing them, a priority comparator circuit receptive of the combined work information signals from said memory means for determining the priority sequence of all the combined work information signals received and developing output priority address signals representative of the address priority of the sequence of work at the work stations, a direction-selector circuit receptive of the priority address signals and a signal representative of the instantaneous address of the carriage developing resultant direction signals, a control circuit receptive of the priority address signals from said priority comparator circuit and said resultant direction signals frOm said direction-selector circuit for developing operational command signals for driving the carriage in accordance with the command signals and having means developing a signal representative of the instantaneous address of the carriage relative to a given reference address, and a work-address comparator means for applying a stop signal to the driving means when the carriage arrives at the work stations sequentially in accordance with said priority.