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US 12,060,234 B2Granted
Transporting system
AssigneeMurata Machinery, Ltd.
InventorMichinobu Wakizaka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a transporting system, a first conveyor includes a transport surface to transport different size tires in a first direction. A first positioner positions an end of a tire transported by the first conveyor, at a first predetermined position in the first direction. A second positioner positions an end of the tire at a second predetermined position in a second direction horizontally perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The first and second clamping portion portions are at or adjacent to a clamping position, and pass through between a tire first portion at or adjacent to an end of the tire positioned by the first positioner and a tire second portion at or adjacent to an end of the tire positioned by the second positioner to clamp side surfaces of the tire.
Claims23
A transporting system comprising:
- a conveyor including a transport surface to transport multiple kinds of circular articles with different sizes, in a first direction;
- a controller to control the conveyor;
- a first positioner to position an end of an article that is transported by the conveyor, at a first predetermined position in the first direction;
- a second positioner to position an end of the article in a second predetermined position in a second direction horizontally perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
- and
- a pair of clamping portions provided at a clamping position or adjacent to the clamping position and to pass through between an article first portion at or adjacent to an end of the article that has been positioned by the first positioner and an article second portion at or adjacent to an end of the article that has been positioned by the second positioner to clamp side surfaces of the article;
- wherein
- the pair of clamping portions is capable of clamping the article in a direction inclined relative to the first direction.
5 more elements
A transporting system comprising:
- a conveyor including a transport surface to transport multiple kinds of circular articles with different sizes, in a first direction;
- a controller to control the conveyor;
- a first positioner to position an end of an article that is transported by the conveyor, at a first predetermined position in the first direction;
- a second positioner to position an end of the article in a second predetermined position in a second direction horizontally perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
- and
- a pair of clamping portions provided at a clamping position or adjacent to the clamping position and to pass through between an article first portion at or adjacent to an end of the article that has been positioned by the first positioner and an article second portion at or adjacent to an end of the article that has been positioned by the second positioner to clamp side surfaces of the article;
- wherein
- the second positioner includes:
- a second-direction position detector to contactlessly detect a second-direction position of the article;
- a second-direction adjustment conveyor to transport the article in the first direction, and being movable in the second direction;
- and
- a mover to, based on information from the second-direction position detector, move the second-direction adjustment conveyor in the second direction to position the article at a desired position in the second direction.
9 more elements
A transporting system comprising:
- a conveyor including a transport surface to transport multiple kinds of circular articles with different sizes, in a first direction;
- a controller to control the conveyor;
- a first positioner to position an end of an article that is transported by the conveyor, at a first predetermined position in the first direction;
- a second positioner to position an end of the article in a second predetermined position in a second direction horizontally perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
- a pair of clamping portions provided at a clamping position or adjacent to the clamping position and to pass through between an article first portion at or adjacent to an end of the article that has been positioned by the first positioner and an article second portion at or adjacent to an end of the article that has been positioned by the second positioner to clamp side surfaces of the article;
- and
- an elevator including:
- a pair of lower bodies located below in the vertical direction;
- a pair of upper bodies located above in the vertical direction;
- a pair of connectors connecting the pair of lower bodies and the pair of upper bodies, respectively, and the pair of clamping portions being connected to the pair of connectors, respectively;
- and
- a driver to drive the pair of lower bodies or the pair of upper bodies such that the pair of clamping portions moves between the upper position and the lower position;
- wherein
- the pair of lower bodies are located at a position higher than an upper surface of the highest article;
- and
- the pair of clamping portions is located in the lower position such that lower ends of the pair of clamping portions are lower than the pair of lower bodies.
13 more elements
A transporting system comprising:
- a conveyor including a transport surface to transport multiple kinds of circular articles with different sizes, in a first direction;
- a controller to control the conveyor;
- a first positioner to position an end of an article that is transported by the conveyor, at a first predetermined position in the first direction;
- a second positioner to position an end of the article in a second predetermined position in a second direction horizontally perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
- a pair of clamping portions provided at a clamping position or adjacent to the clamping position and to pass through between an article first portion at or adjacent to an end of the article that has been positioned by the first positioner and an article second portion at or adjacent to an end of the article that has been positioned by the second positioner to clamp side surfaces of the article;
- and
- a clamping driver to move the pair of clamping portions in a clamping direction;
- wherein
- the controller is configured or programmed to control the clamping driver such that one of the pair of clamping portions moves to a position where the one is in contact with or adjacent to the article, and then the other of the pair of clamping portions pushes the article to clamp the article between the pair of clamping portions.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.