Patent US3850313A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3850313A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Palletizing apparatus
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1971-06-21
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Granted: 1974-11-26
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Expires: 1991-06-21
Abstract
Abstract A program-controlled article-transfer robot is adapted to load a pallet automatically with cartons of various sizes without dependence on a lengthy control program identifying the position of every carton in each of the rows and at each of the levels of the load. At the start, the robot is taught to load only a single carton on the pallet, ordinarily at one corner and at the surface of the pallet. When the robot goes through its routine for loading the first carton, it picks up a carton at a supply point, and it measures the dimensions of the carton. Subsequent cartons are loaded in successive rows and in successive levels automatically, in dependence on the first-carton loading coordinates, on the carton measurements, on the pallet size, and on the height limit of the load. The control apparatus prevents any projection of cartons outside the pallet outline and it also limits projection of cartons at upper levels beyond the nextlower level to within limits to insure stability. The procedure is also operable to create a complete program automatically, so that subsequent robot operations can load and unload pallets under program control.
Inventors
- 👤 M Rackman
- 👤 G Devol
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 12:48
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/08; B; B65; B65G; B65G57/00; B65G57/02; B65G57/16; B65G57/20; B65G57/22; B65G61/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
Apparatus for transferring articles to a receiving area including an article transfer mechanism having an article holder, means for operating the article holder through desired paths in space, control means including means for storing a program for controlling said operating means to execute repeatedly a basic sequence of operations which includes seizing an article at a pick-up location, transferring the article to a particular location in the receiving area, releasing the article, and returning the article holder to a pick-up location, said article holder having article-calipering means cooperable with an article to be transferred to the receiving location for measuring at least one dimension thereof, and means responsive to said calipering means for modifying the control of the operating means by that part of said stored program that relates to the motion of the article holder at the receiving area in successive program cycles to transfer successive articles automatically to successive positions in said receiving area displaced from said particular location in the receiving area by distances that are a function of the measurement output of the article-calipering means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
Apparatus for transferring articles to a receiving area including an article transfer mechanism having an article holder, means for operating the article holder through desired paths in space, control means including means for storing a program for controlling said operating means to execute repeatedly a basic sequence of operations which includes seizing an article at a pick-up location, transferring the article to a particular location in the receiving area, releasing the article, and returning the article holder to a pick-up location, said article holder having article-calipering means cooperable with an article to be transferred to the receiving location for measuring at least one dimension thereof, and means responsive to said calipering means for modifying the control of the operating means by that part of said stored program that relates to the motion of the article holder at the receiving area in successive program cycles to transfer successive articles automatically to successive positions in said receiving area displaced from said particular location in the receiving area by distances that are a function of the measurement output of the article-calipering means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
94 words
Article transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said calipering means includes two pairs of jaws operable symmetrically toward a common center for making mutually perpendicular measurements of the length and width of an article to be transferred, and wherein said apparatus includes means responsive to the calipering means for deriving halves of said measurements, said modifying means being responsive to said halfmeasurement deriving means for transferring the calipered article to a location in said receiving area displaced in mutually perpendicular directions from said particular location by said halves of said calipered measurements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
139 words
Apparatus for transferring an article from a pick-up location to a receiving location, including articletransfer mechanism having an article holder, means for operating the article holder through desired paths in space, control means for causing said operating means to cause the article holder to pick up an article at the receiving location, transfer it to the receiving location and release the article centered at a particular location, said article holder having article-calipering means including jaws operable symmetrically toward the center of the article holder and said apparatus including means responsive to said calipering means for deriving half of said one dimension, and means responsive to said half-dimension deriving means for modifying the control effected by said control means for transferring the article to a location whose center is displaced from said particular location by one-half of the calipered dimension.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
139 words
Apparatus for transferring an article from a pick-up location to a receiving location, including articletransfer mechanism having an article holder, means for operating the article holder through desired paths in space, control means for causing said operating means to cause the article holder to pick up an article at the receiving location, transfer it to the receiving location and release the article centered at a particular location, said article holder having article-calipering means including jaws operable symmetrically toward the center of the article holder and said apparatus including means responsive to said calipering means for deriving half of said one dimension, and means responsive to said half-dimension deriving means for modifying the control effected by said control means for transferring the article to a location whose center is displaced from said particular location by one-half of the calipered dimension.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
166 words
Apparatus operable under program control for executing a series of work operations at a sequence of places, including a work device for effecting a work operation, and operating and control means for said work device, said lastnamed means including means for supporting and moving said work device in space and including at least three actuators for operating the work device in three coordinates, respectively, memory means for storing and providing control information representing a selected position of the work device in space, increment means for providing incremental control information representing a series of discrete displacement distances for operation of the work device to a sequence of places spaced progressively from said selected position, and means for combining the control information representing said selected position with the control information representing said series of displacement distances for controlling at least one of said actuators to effect motion of said work device to a sequEnce of places spaced from said selected position by a function of said displacement distances.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
166 words
Apparatus operable under program control for executing a series of work operations at a sequence of places, including a work device for effecting a work operation, and operating and control means for said work device, said lastnamed means including means for supporting and moving said work device in space and including at least three actuators for operating the work device in three coordinates, respectively, memory means for storing and providing control information representing a selected position of the work device in space, increment means for providing incremental control information representing a series of discrete displacement distances for operation of the work device to a sequence of places spaced progressively from said selected position, and means for combining the control information representing said selected position with the control information representing said series of displacement distances for controlling at least one of said actuators to effect motion of said work device to a sequEnce of places spaced from said selected position by a function of said displacement distances.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 further including means for causing said work device to perform work operations at said sequence of places when the work device has been moved thereto as aforesaid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 further including means for limiting the extent of said sequence of places.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
78 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein said apparatus includes encoding means for providing codes corresponding to the positions of the work device in said at least three coordinates, manual means operable to effect operation of said work device to various positions including said selected position and operable to effect coordinate operation of said encoding means, and means for transferring position-representing codes from said encoding means to said memory when said work device is at said selected position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein said memory has capacity for a sequence of position-representing codes, said apparatus having means causing operation of the actuators under control of a sequence of position-representing controls in said memory and, selectively, under the combined control as aforesaid of said memory and said increment means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
99 words
Manipulating apparatus including an article holder, means for operating the article holder through desired paths in space, control means for said operating means including program means for storing representations of locations of the article holder including a prescribed location, means for measuring a dimension of an article to be transported by the article holder, and means for combining the output of the measuring means with the output of the program means to effect transfer of the article to a position displaced from said prescribed location by a distance that is a function of the output of said measuring means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
99 words
Manipulating apparatus including an article holder, means for operating the article holder through desired paths in space, control means for said operating means including program means for storing representations of locations of the article holder including a prescribed location, means for measuring a dimension of an article to be transported by the article holder, and means for combining the output of the measuring means with the output of the program means to effect transfer of the article to a position displaced from said prescribed location by a distance that is a function of the output of said measuring means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
Manipulating means in accordance with claim 9, wherein said measuring means includes jaws forming part of the article holder and measurement output means responsive to the separation of said jaws while gripping an article for providing output to said combining means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3279624A
Cited
US3455468A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-25 | 1978-05-27 | 1978-11-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-25 | 1982-05-27 | 1982-11-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-25 | 1986-05-27 | 1986-11-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |