Device for causing holders transporting objects to release the objects

In an apparatus for transporting objects by holders, each of which comprises a member for mounting said holder to endless conveying means circulating in a predetermined direction, a shaft rotatably mounted on said mounting member, a first arm having an outer free end and fixed at the opposite end thereof to said rotatable shaft, with the axis of said first arm crossing the axis of rotation of said rotatable shaft, so that turning of said arm about the axis of rotation of said shaft causes said shaft to be rotated about said axis of rotation of its own, and a second arm provided at one end thereof with means for releasably gripping an object and pivotally connected at the opposite end thereof to said rotatable shaft, with the axis of said second arm crossing the axis of rotation of said rotatable shaft, so that rotation of said rotatable shaft about said axis of rotation of its own causes said second arm to be turned about said axis of rotation of said shaft between a first position in which said gripping means is positioned forwardly of said axis of rotation of said rotatable shaft in the direction of circulation of said endless conveying means and a second position in which said second arm lies substantially perpendicularly to said direction of circulation, said gripping means operating to release the object gripped thereby when said second arm has been turned from said first to said second position, said apparatus further including along the path of circulation of said endless conveying means a first station at which objects supplied thereto are successively picked up by said holders and a second station provided downstream of said first station and at which said holders are caused to release said objects;

• a device for causing said holders to release said objects at said second station, comprising:
• a plurality of arm-turning means disposed adjacent said second station in spaced apart relation to each other in the direction in which said holders are conveyed, each of said plurality of arm-turning means comprising a member engageable with said outer free end of said first arm of a selected one of said holders to turn said first arm and consequently said second arm from said first to said second position;
• a plurality of arm-pushing means each paired with one of said plurality of arm-turning means and each for moving said first arm of a selected one of said holders into engagement with said engageable member of the corresponding one of said plurality of arm-turning means;
• and control means for selectively operating said plurality of arm-pushing means in accordance with the characteristic of the objects said holders grip or the order said holders grip said objects by using clock pulses produced in accordance with the distance said endless conveying means travels.

An apparatus for transporting objects by holders so as to place said objects at predetermined positions, comprising:

• means for supplying said objects to a first station;
• a plurality of holders;
• means for conveying said holders at a first velocity in a predetermined direction from a first station where said holders pick up said objects to a second station where said holders release said objects;
• each of said holders comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving arm and an object-gripping arm, both of said arms being connected to said rotatable shaft so that turning of said driving arm about the axis of rotation of said rotatable shaft causes said object-gripping arm to be turned between a first position in which said object-gripping arm lies in parallel with said predetermined direction in which said holders are conveyed and a second position in which said object-gripping arm lies perpendicularly to said predetermined direction and releases the object;
• arm-turning means disposed adjacent said second station so as to be engageable with said first arm of a selected one of said holders to turn said first arm and consequently said second arm from said first to said second position;
• and arm-pushing means disposed adjacent said arm-turning means for moving said first arm of a selected one of said holders into engagement with said arm-turning means.

An apparatus for transporting objects by holders so as to place said objects at predetermined positions, comprising:

• means for supplying said objects to a first station;
• a plurality of holders;
• means for conveying said holders at a first velocity in a predetermined direction from a first station where said holders pick up said objects to a second station where said holders release said objects;
• each of said holders comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving arm and an object-gripping arm, both of said arms being connected to said rotatable shaft so that turning of said driving arm about the axis of rotation of said rotatable shaft causes said object-gripping arm to be turned between a first position in which said object-gripping arm lies in parallel with said predetermined direction in which said holders are conveyed and a second position in which said object-gripping arm lies perpendicularly to said predetermined direction and releases the object;
• a plurality of arm-turning means disposed adjacent said second station and each being engageable with said first arm of a selected one of said holders to turn said first arm and consequently said second arm from said first to said second position;
• a plurality of arm-pushing means each paired with one of said plurality of arm-turning means for moving said first arm of a selected one of said holders into engagement with the corresponding one of said plurality of arm-turning means;
• and control means for selectively operating said plurality of arm-pushing means in accordance with the characteristic of the objects said holders grip or the order said holders grip said objects by using clock pulses produced in accordance with the distance said endless conveying means travels.