Transfer mechanism employing swingable arm formed as a parallelogram linkage

Claim 2

Transfer apparatus comprising an object-suspending rod, upper and lower support rods whose one ends are pivotally connected to said object-suspending rod, and a connecting rod pivotally connecting said support rods adjacent the other ends thereof, said object-suspending rod and said connecting rod as well as said upper and lower support rods being disposed in parallel to constitute two pairs of opposite sides of a parallelogram link mechanism, an object hanger attached to the lowest end of said object-suspending rod, a vertically stationary support member having substantially vertical and transverse guide slots therein, a fluid-pressure cylinder device stationary mounted relative to said support member and having an extendible and contractible portion, the other end of said upper support rod being connected to a balance weight which is movably guided in said vertical guide slot so as to be movable up and down therein by the extendible and contractible portion of said cylinder device, a pivot shaft connecting the lower-support and connecting rods, the pivot shaft functioning as a fulcrum for permitting swinging of said parallelogram link mechanism relative to said support member and being guided for movement along said transverse guide slot in said support member, and another balance weight connected to the other end of said lower-support rod in spaced relation from said pivot shaft.

Claim 3

A transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transverse guide slot extends approximately horizontally and extends continually across a vertically-extending line defined by the longitudinal direction of said vertical slot, whereby said transverse slot has elongated portions thereof positioned horizontally on opposite sides of said vertically-extending line.

Claim 4

A transfer apparatus for moving objects between selected locations, said apparatus comprising: a support, and means for positioning said support in a vertically fixed and upwardly spaced relationship with respect to a floor or other surface therebelow, said support having first and second elongated guide means extending in substantially perpendicular relationship with respect to one another, said first and second guide means defining a substantially vertical plane; transfer arm means movably mounted on said support for permitting raising and lowering of an object and for also permitting swinging movement of said object within a substantially vertical plane, said transfer arm means including a vertically disposed parallelogram linkage formed by four pivotally interconnected links, a first of said links at a preselected point thereon being slidably guidably engaged with said first guide means, and a second one of said links at a preselected point thereon being slidably guidably engaged with said second guide means, one of said preselected points functioning as a fulcrum for permitting vertical swinging of said arm means; object-engaging means attached to said arm means at a location spaced from said fulcrum; weight means connected to said arm means in spaced relationship from said fulcrum for counterbalancing said arm means; and force-applying means coacting between said support and said arm means for applying a selected force to said arm means at a point spaced from said fulcrum for counterbalancing the effect of an object carried by said engaging means.

Claim 5

A transfer apparatus for moving objects between selected locations, said apparatus comprising: a support, and means for positioning said support in a vertically fixed and upwardly spaced relationship with respect to a floor or other surface therebelow, said support having first and second elongated guide means extending in substantially perpendicular relationship with respect to one another, said first and second guide means defining a substantially vertical plane; transfer arm means movably mounted on said support for permitting raising and lowering of an object and for also permitting swinging movement of said object within a substantially vertical plane, said transfer arm means including a vertically disposed parallelogram linkage formed by four pivotally interconnected links, a first of said links at a preselected point thereon being slidably guidably engaged with said first guide means, and a second one of said links at a preselected point thereon being slidably guidably engaged with said second guide means, one of said preselected points functioning as a fulcrum for permitting vertical swinging of said arm means; object-engaging means attached to said arm means at a location spaced from said fulcrum; weight means connected to said arm means in spaced relationship from said fulcrum for counterbalancing said arm means; and force-applying means coacting between said support and said arm means for applying a selected force to said arm means at a point spaced from said fulcrum for counterbalancing the effect of an object carried by said engaging means.

Claim 6

A transfer apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first and second links extend parallel to one another, said parallelogram linkage including a third said link pivotally connected between said first and second links adjacent one end thereof, and a fourth said link disposed parallel with said third link and pivotally connected between said first and second links more closely adjacent the other ends thereof, said object engaging means being connected to said linkage in the vicinity of said third link; and said weight means including a pair of separate counterbalance weights, one of said weights being rigidly connected to said linkage directly at the other of said preselected points so that said one weight is movable solely due to slidable engagement with the respective guide means, the other of said weights being rigidly connected to said linkage at a location spaced from both of said preselected points.

Claim 7

A transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said other weight is connected to said linkage at a location spaced on the opposite side of said fulcrum from said object-engaging means.

Claim 8

A transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said pair of weights are individually rigidly connected to said first and second links adjacent said other ends thereof, the one weight being rigidly attached to said first link directly at the preselected point thereon so as to be solely slidably guided by engagement with said first guide means, the other weight being spaced on the opposite side of said fulcrum from said object-engaging means, said preselected point as defining said fulcrum being spaced intermediate the ends of said second link.

Claim 9

A transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said force-applying means is connected to said arm means substantially at the preselected point on said first link, said force-applying means causing application of a force to said arm means in a direction substantially parallel with the direction of movement along said first guide means.

Claim 10

A transfer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second guide means extends approximately horizontally and is positioned vertically below said first guide means so that said second guide means extends continually across an extension of a line defining the longitudinal direction of said first guide means, the preselected point as slidably engaged with said second guide means functioning as said fulcrum.

Claim 11

A transfer apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second guide means extends approximately horizontally and is positioned vertically below said first guide means so that said second guide means extends continually across an extension of a line defining the longitudinal direction of said first guide means, the preselected point as slidably engaged with said second guide means functioning as said fulcrum, and said weight means including a pair of separate counterbalance weights, one of said weights being rigidly connected to said first link directly at the other of said preselected points so that said one weight is movable solely due to slidable engagement with the respective first guide means, the other of said weights being rigidly connected to said second link at a location thereon whereby said fulcrum is located intermediate said other weight and said point of connection between said second link and said object-engaging means.

Claim 12

A transfer apparatus for moving objects between selected locations, said apparatus comprising: a support, and means for stationarily positioning said support relative to the vertical, said support having first and second elongated guide means extending in substantially transverse relationship with respect to one another, said first and second guide means defining a substantially vertical plane, and one of said guide means extending continually across a line defining the elongated direction of said other guide means; transfer arm means movably mounted on said support for permitting raising and lowering of an object and for also permitting swinging movement of said object within a substantially vertical plane, said transfer arm means comprising a vertically disposed parallelogram linkage movably supported on said support; said parallelogram linkage including first and second substantially parallel elongated links, and substantially parallel third and fourth links each extending transversely between said pivotally connected to said first and second links; said third link being pivotally connected in spaced relationship to one end of each of said first and second links, said third link having object-engaging means associated therewith; said fourth link being pivotally connected to each of said first and second links at a location spaced from said one end thereof; said first link having a first preselected point thereon slidably and guidably engaged with said other guide means, said first preselected point being defined adjacent the other end of said first link; said second link having a second preselected point thereon which is slidably and guidably engaged with said one guide means, said second preselected point being disposed intermediate the ends of said second link; a first counterweight attached to said first link at said first preselected point, whereby said first counterweight is confined for slidable displacement in the longitudinal direction of said other guide means; a second counterweight attached to said second link at a third preselected point located adjacent the other end thereof, said third preselected point being spaced from said second preselected point, whereby said second preselected point is disposed between said second counterweight and said third link; and force-applying means coacting between said support and said arm means for applying a selected force to said arm means at a point thereon which is spaced from one of said first and second preselected points for controlling the movement of said arm means and of the object carried thereby.

Claim 13

A transfer apparatus for moving objects between selected locations, said apparatus comprising: a support, and means for stationarily positioning said support relative to the vertical, said support having first and second elongated guide means extending in substantially transverse relationship with respect to one another, said first and second guide means defining a substantially vertical plane, and one of said guide means extending continually across a line defining the elongated direction of said other guide means; transfer arm means movably mounted on said support for permitting raising and lowering of an object and for also permitting swinging movement of said object within a substantially vertical plane, said transfer arm means comprising a vertically disposed parallelogram linkage movably supported on said support; said parallelogram linkage including first and second substantially parallel elongated links, and substantially parallel third and fourth links each extending transversely between said pivotally connected to said first and second links; said third link being pivotally connected in spaced relationship to one end of each of said first and second links, said third link having object-engaging means associated therewith; said fourth link being pivotally connected to each of said first and second links at a location spaced from said one end thereof; said first link having a first preselected point thereon slidably and guidably engaged with said other guide means, said first preselected point being defined adjacent the other end of said first link; said second link having a second preselected point thereon which is slidably and guidably engaged with said one guide means, said second preselected point being disposed intermediate the ends of said second link; a first counterweight attached to said first link at said first preselected point, whereby said first counterweight is confined for slidable displacement in the longitudinal direction of said other guide means; a second counterweight attached to said second link at a third preselected point located adjacent the other end thereof, said third preselected point being spaced from said second preselected point, whereby said second preselected point is disposed between said second counterweight and said third link; and force-applying means coacting between said support and said arm means for applying a selected force to said arm means at a point thereon which is spaced from one of said first and second preselected points for controlling the movement of said arm means and of the object carried thereby.

Claim 14

A transfer apparatus according to claim 10, including mounting means for rotationally supporting said support for rotational movement about a substantially vertical axis which is positioned in close proximity to and substantially parallel with the elongated direction of one of said first and second guide means.

Claim 15

A transfer apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said one guide means extends approximately horizontally and the other guide means extends approximately vertically, said horizontally-extending guide means being vertically spaced from said vertically extending guide means so as to not physically intersect same, and said force-applying means including a movable force-applying member connected to said first link at said first preselected point.