Transferring device

Claim 1

Apparatus for feeding workpieces, comprising a. a supply conveyor to which workpieces are delivered at random; b. a discharge conveyor arranged to receive workpieces and to move them in predetermined spaced relation; c. a turntable conveyor located a predetermined distance above said supply and discharge conveyors; d. means for rotating said turntable conveyor in synchronism with the movement of the discharge conveyor; e. a stop movable into and out of the path of a workpiece at the output end of the supply conveyor; f. a plurality of tong-like workpiece grippers mounted beneath the turntable conveyor and equidistantly spaced around a pitch circle common thereto, each said tong-like gripper being arranged to be raised and lowered relatively to the turntable conveyor; g. control means operable to lower a gripper and to cause it to grip a workpiece arrested by said stop and to raise the gripper workpiece for movement by the turntable conveyor into position over the discharge conveyor, to lower the gripper and to deposit the workpiece gripped thereby onto the discharge conveyor, to release the gripper from the workpiece, and to raise the released gripper; h. means operable to effect rotation of a gripper relative to the turntable conveyor at least during movement of said gripper from the workpiece gripping position thereof relative to the supply conveyor to a position at which it is lowered relative to the discharge conveyor to deposit a workpiece thereon, the said means comprising a planet gear coaxial with each gripper and rotatable therewith, a stationary sun gear coaxial with the axis of rotation of the turntable conveyor, said planet gear being rotatable through the intermediary of said stationary sun gear; i. each said gripper comprising a vertical tubular gripper body which is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in the turntable conveyor, is operatively connected to said control means, and at its lower end has two gripper jaws pivotally mounted thereon for movement towards and away from one another; and j. an operating rod extending through said tubular gripper body for opening and closing said gripper jaws, said operating rod being slidable lengthwise of the gripper body, the lower end of the operating rod being formed as a double-sided rack which meshes with two opposite toothed segments one each of which is connected to a gripper jaw, and the upper end of the operating rod projecting out of the gripper body and being Operatively connected to said control means.