Article transfer apparatus

Claim 2

Article transfer apparatus, comprising in combination, a support, a reciprocable head, a swivelling member carried by said reciprocable head, an article engaging element, mounted on said support, means for bending said article engaging element on said support, said means for bending including rack and pinion means actuated by a screw and nut traversing means, said screw and nut traversing means including a turnable supporting shaft, a turnable shaft therein for operating the screw and nut means and having a gear on its rear end, a parallel splined operating shaft, and a gear slidable on said operating shaft which meshes with the gear on said interior turnable shaft, means for swivelling said article engaging element on said support, means for lineally reciprocating said support, means for bodily elevating said support, and means for turning said support and elevating means through an angle about a vertical axis to move said article engaging element with an article from one station to another while positively holding the article throughout the full travel between stations.

Claim 3

Article transfer apparatus, comprising in combination, a traversable main base, a turnable support column rotatably mounted on said base, means for rotating said column, a handler unit having a frame mounted on said column, Means for bodily elevating said handler frame on said column, reciprocable article transfer means mounted on said handler frame, means for reciprocating said transfer means, a supporting head on said transfer means, article engaging means carried by said supporting head, and means for separately swivelling and bending said article engaging means on said head, said means for rotating said column includes electro-mechanical means with positive holding means for a stopped position, said means for bodily elevating said frame on said column comprises electro-mechanical actuating means with screw and nut moving means, said means for reciprocating said transfer means comprises two parallel supporting shaft rods carrying said supporting head, and electro-mechanical actuating means, including an axially fixed turnable screw shaft and screw nut, connected to one of said supporting shaft rods, said means for swivelling said article engaging means including a turnable portion rotatably mounted on said head, a splined sleeve turning connection for a turnable one of said shaft rods connected to said turning portion, and electro-mechanical actuating means, including a reduction gear unit, for operating said splined sleeve to rotate said turnable shaft rod, and the means for bending said article engaging means including a swing frame mounted on a transverse shaft carried by said turnable portion on said head and carrying said article engaging means, a pinion gear on said transverse shaft, a rack gear meshing with said pinion gear and slidably mounted on said turnable portion, a screw and nut connection for reciprocating said rack gear, a rotary inner shaft mounted within said turnable shaft rod and connected to turn said screw and nut means, a gear on the rear end of said inner shaft, a splined drive shaft, a gear splined on said splined drive shaft and meshing with said end gear, a mount for said meshing gears slidable with the gear on said splined drive shaft, and electro-mechanical actuating means for turning said splined drive shaft.

Claim 4

Article transfer apparatus, comprising in combination, a traversable main base, a turnable support column rotatably mounted on said base, means for rotating said column, a handler unit having a frame mounted on said column, Means for bodily elevating said handler frame on said column, reciprocable article transfer means mounted on said handler frame, means for reciprocating said transfer means, a supporting head on said transfer means, article engaging means carried by said supporting head, and means for separately swivelling and bending said article engaging means on said head, said means for rotating said column includes electro-mechanical means with positive holding means for a stopped position, said means for bodily elevating said frame on said column comprises electro-mechanical actuating means with screw and nut moving means, said means for reciprocating said transfer means comprises two parallel supporting shaft rods carrying said supporting head, and electro-mechanical actuating means, including an axially fixed turnable screw shaft and screw nut, connected to one of said supporting shaft rods, said means for swivelling said article engaging means including a turnable portion rotatably mounted on said head, a splined sleeve turning connection for a turnable one of said shaft rods connected to said turning portion, and electro-mechanical actuating means, including a reduction gear unit, for operating said splined sleeve to rotate said turnable shaft rod, and the means for bending said article engaging means including a swing frame mounted on a transverse shaft carried by said turnable portion on said head and carrying said article engaging means, a pinion gear on said transverse shaft, a rack gear meshing with said pinion gear and slidably mounted on said turnable portion, a screw and nut connection for reciprocating said rack gear, a rotary inner shaft mounted within said turnable shaft rod and connected to turn said screw and nut means, a gear on the rear end of said inner shaft, a splined drive shaft, a gear splined on said splined drive shaft and meshing with said end gear, a mount for said meshing gears slidable with the gear on said splined drive shaft, and electro-mechanical actuating means for turning said splined drive shaft.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein two oppositely directed handler units are mounted on said turnable column for alternately transferring articles between opposite stations while positively holding them throughout their full travel between stations.