Article handling and transferring machine

Claim 2

An article handling and transferring machine comprising a movable manipulator arm means movable in only rotative and vertical directions, gripping means disposed at one end of said arm means for seizing and holding the article at a pick-up station, means for moving said arm to a delivery station and releasing said gripping means there to always deliver said article in one and the same fixed geometrical position, said delivery station comprising a horizontal rotatable delivery plate, means for supporting said rotatable plate for moving said rotatable plate in at least two directions under said fixed position, one of said two directions being a rotational direction and the other direction being a radial linear direction, and programming means comprising a horizontal rotatable plate indexed for causing an incremental movement of said delivery plate between each delivery of an article to it.

Claim 3

An article handling and transferring machine comprising a rotative and vertically movable manipulator arm means, gripping means disposed at one end of said arm means for seizing and holding the article at a pick-up station, means for moving said arm to a delivery station and releasing said gripping means there to always deliver said article in one and the same fixed geometrical position, said delivery station comprising a horizontally extending delivery plate, means for supporting said plate for motion in two different horizontal directions under said fixed position, one of said horizontal motions being a linear motion and the second of said horizontal motions being a motion directed transversely to said first motion, both of said motions moving said plate under said fixed geometrical position, and programming means comprising a horizontally extending control plate indexed in a manner similar to the desired incremental movement of said delivery plate for causing such movement of the delivery plate between each delivery of an article to it, whereby said delivery plate may experience said motions in the two different horizontal directions.

Claim 4

An article handling and transferring machine comprising a rotative and vertically movable manipulator arm means, gripping means disposed at one end of said arm means for seizing and holding the article at a pick-up station, means for moving said arm to a delivery station and releasing said gripping means there to always deliver said article in one and the same fixed geometrical position, said delivery station comprising a horizontally extending delivery plate, means for supporting said plate for motion in two different horizontal directions under said fixed position, one of said horizontal motions being a linear motion and the second of said horizontal motions being a motion directed transversely to said first motion, both of said motions moving said plate under said fixed geometrical position, and programming means comprising a horizontally extending control plate indexed in a manner similar to the desired incremental movement of said delivery plate for causing such movement of the delivery plate between each delivery of an article to it, whereby said delivery plate may experience said motions in the two different horizontal directions.

Claim 5

A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said two directions are a rotary movement and a radial movement.

Claim 6

A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said two directions are rectilinear in x and y directions.

Claim 7

A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the programming means include a control plate having the same shape as the delivery plate, means for causing said control plate to perform movements in one place synchronous to the movements of the delivery plate in the same plane, means on the control plate for indicating position markings corresponding to the positions where the articles are placed on the delivery plate and with end markings for indicating the beginnings and ends of the respective movements of the control plate, and the programming means also include sensing means for sensing said position markings and end markings and actuating means controlled by the sensing means for actuating the movements of the delivery plate, the control plate, and the manipulator arm.

Claim 8

A machine as claimed in claim 5, and means for moving the delivery plate and the control plate in a further direction perpendicular to said one plane, and means associated with the programming means and also include marking means and sensing means for control of this perpendicular movement.

Claim 9

A machine as claimed in claims 5 and air motor means for causing said movements of said plates, said motors being provided with progressive dampers.

Claim 10

The machine of claim 2 wherein said delivery plate is mounted for rotation in said second motion.