Apparatus for transferring and turning over parts

Parts handling apparatus comprising a table disposed in a generally horizontal plane and having a series of part carriers spaced angularly around its upper side, means for continuously rotating said table about an upright axis, and transfer mechanism for (a) picking up a part from one of said carriers as said table rotates and moves said one carrier through an unloading area and (b) for releasing said part at a receiving area spaced horizontally outwardly from said table, said transfer mechanism comprising a head having a part holder which is operable to pick up and release a part, means supporting said head for movement between first and second positions, said part holder picking up a part at said unloading area when said head is in said first position and moving said part upwardly and outwardly from said table as said head moves toward said second position, means mounting said part holder on said head for horizontal movement relative to the head and along the same general path followed by said one carrier as the latter moves through said unloading area, and means for moving said part holder horizontally in one direction relative to said head as said one carrier moves through said unloading area and during final movement of said head into and initial movement of said head out of said first position whereby said part holder horizontally tracks said one carrier while moving into position to pick up said part from said carrier and while moving upwardly with the picked-up part.

Parts handling apparatus comprising a table disposed in a generally horizontal plane and having a series of part carriers spaced angularly around its upper side, means for continuously rotating said table about an upright axis, and transfer mechanism for (a) picking up a first part from a first one of said carriers as said table rotates and moves said first carrier through a loading area and (b) releasing said first part at a receiving area spaced horizontally outwardly from said table, said transfer mechanism also being operable to pick up a second part at said receiving area and to release said second part to a second one of said carriers as said table rotates and moves said second carrier through said loading area, said transfer mechanism comprising a head having first and second part holders disposed in side-by-side relation and operable to pick up and release said first and second parts, respectively, means supporting said head for movement between first and second positions, said first part holder picking up said first part from said first carrier when said head is in said first position and moving said first part upwardly and outwardly from said table as said head moves toward said second position, said second part holder picking up said second part from said receiving area when said head is in said second position and moving said second part inwardly and downwardly toward said table as said head moves toward said first position, means mounting said part holders on said head for horizontal movement relative to the head and along the same general path followed by said part carriers as the latter move through said loading area, and means for moving said part holders horizontally relative to said head as said first and second carriers move through said loading area and during final movement of said head into and initial movement of said head out of said first position whereby said first part holder horizontally tracks said first carrier and picks up said first part from the first carrier while said second part holder horizontally tracks said second carrier and releases said second part to the second carrier.

Parts handling apparatus comprising first and second horizontally spaced tables each having a series of part carriers spaced angularly around its upper side, means for rotating said first table continuously about an upright axis, means for rotating said second table intermittently about an upright axis to index each of the carriers on the second table between a receiving area and a turning area, one pair of carriers on the second table dwelling in said receiving area while another pair of carriers on the second table is dwelling in said turning area, transfer mechanism for (a) picking up a first part from a first one of said carriers on said first table as said first table rotates and moves said first carrier through a loading area spaced horizontally inwardly from said receiving area and (b) delivering said first part to one carrier of a pair dwelling in said receiving area, said transfer mechanism also being operable to pick up a second part from the other carrier of the pair dwelling in said receiving area and to deliver such part to a second one of the carriers on said first table as the first table rotates and moves said second carrier through said loading area, said transfer mechanism comprising a head having first and second part holders which are operable to pick up and release said first and second parts, respectively, means mounting said head for movement between first and second positions, said first part holder picking up said first part from said first carrier when said head is in said first position and moving said first part upwardly and outwardly from said first table as said head moves toward said second position, said second part holder picking up said second part from said receiving area when said head is in said second position and moving said second part inwardly and downwardly toward said first table as said head moves toward said first position, means mounting said part holders on said head for horizontal movement relative to the head and along the same general path followed by said first and second part carriers as the latter move through said loading area, means for moving said part holders relative to said head as said first and second carriers move through said loading area and during final movement of said head into and initial movement of said head out of said first position whereby said first part holder horizontally tracks said first carrier and picks up said first part from the first carrier while said second part holder horizontally tracks said second carrier and releases said second part to the second carrier, said first part holder releasing said first part to a carrier dwelling in said receiving area when said head reaches said second position, turn over mechanism located adjacent said second table, said turn over mechanism being operable to pick up the part released to the carrier in said receiving area by said first part holder after said part has been indexed from said receiving area to said turning area, said turn over mechanism thereafter being operable to re-orient the picked-up part and to replace the re-oriented part on a carrier dwelling in said turning area whereby the re-oriented part may be picked up by said second part holder and returned to said first table after the re-oriented part has been indexed from said turning area to said receiving area by said second table.

Parts handling apparatus comprising a table having angularly spaced pairs of angularly spaced parts carriers on its upper side, means for rotating said table intermittenly about an upright axis to index each pair of carriers from a receiving area to a turning area and then back to said receiving area, one pair of said carriers dwelling in said receiving area while another pair of said carriers is dwelling in said turning area, mechanism for placing a first part on a first carrier of each pair and for picking up another part from the second carrier of such pair when such pair dwells in said receiving area, said first carrier and said first part being moved into said turning area when said table is indexed, turn over mechanism located adjacent said turning area and having first and second part holders disposed in side-by-side relation and operable to pick up and release parts, said part holders being movable between raised and lowered positions and being disposed in said raised position as said first part is indexed into said turning area, said first part holder being empty and there being a second part in said second holder when said part holders are in said raised position, means (a) for moving said part holders from said raised position to said lowered position and then back to said raised position while said table is dwelling and (b) for causing said first part holder to pick up said first part from the first carrier in said turning area and for causing said second part holder to place said second part on the second carrier of the pair in the turning area during movement of said part holders, means for turning said part holders about an axis located symmetrically with respect to the part holders and through one-half revolution when said part holders are returned back to said raised position and while said table is indexing whereby said first part is turned over and said part holders switch positions with one another, said part holders then being moved to said lowered position when said table dwells whereby said first part holder places the turned-over first part on the second carrier of the pair then dwelling in the turning area while the second part holder moves into position to pick up the part from the first carrier of such pair.