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US 4,540,111 AGranted
Article transport apparatus
OwnerVolker Schmidt, Erich A. Schmidtinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article is clamped in a predetermined position on a support, which is movable along a reciprocating path by a stepping motor. This movement of the support positions selected and spaced portions of the article at a fixed location at which a fastener element is attached to an edge of the article. The movement of the stepping motor is controlled by a computer program whereby the selected and spaced portions of the article are spaced from each other as desired.
Claims27
An article transport apparatus for positioning various selected and spaced portions of an article at a fixed location in a selected order including:
- support means to support an article having selected and spaced portions for positioning at a fixed location in a selected order;
- clamping means to clamp the article on said support means in a fixed relation to a predetermined location on said support means;
- moving means to move said support means along a predetermined reciprocating path relative to a fixed location during a cycle of operation;
- said clamping means being disposed on said support means for movement with said suport means;
- first causing means to cause activation of said moving means;
- second causing means to cause inactivation of said moving means when each selected portion of the article to be disposed at the fixed location is disposed at the fixed location by said moving means;
- processing means to perform a process on each of the selected portions of the article when the selected portion of the article is disposed at the fixed location and said moving means is inactivated;
- said moving means moving said support means during a cycle of operation from its home position in one direction along the predetermined reciprocating path to position at least one selected portion of the article at the fixed location for processing by said processing means, in the opposite direction along the predetermined reciprocating path after said processing means has performed a process on the at least one selected portion of the article to position at least one other selected portion of the article at the fixed location for processing by said processing means, and in the one direction along the predetermined reciprocating path after completion of processing by said processing means to return said support means to its home position;
- said clamping means clamping the article on said support means during a cycle of operation to prevent any relative movement between said support means and the article supported thereon until at least completion of processing by said processing means during a cycle of operation;
- activating means to activate said first causing means after each of the selected portions of the article has been disposed at the fixed location and subjected to the process by said processing means;
- and means to render said clamping means ineffective only after processing by said processing means is completed during a cycle of operation.
8 more elements
An article transport apparatus for positioning various selected and spaced portions of an article at a fixed location in a selected order including:
- support means to support an article having selected and spaced portions for positioning at a fixed location in a selected order;
- clamping means to clamp the article on said support means in a fixed relation to a predetermined location on said support means;
- moving means to move said support means along a predetermined reciprocating path relative to a fixed location during a cycle of operation;
- first causing means to cause activation of said moving means;
- second causing means to cause inactivation of said moving means when each selected portion of the article to be disposed at the fixed location is disposed at the fixed location by said moving means;
- processing means to perform a process on each of the selected portions of the article when the selected portion of the article is disposed at the fixed location and said moving means is inactivated;
- activating means to activate said first causing means after each of the selected portions of the article has been disposed at the fixed location and subjected to the process by said processing means;
- means to render said clamping means ineffective only after processing by said processing means is completed during a cycle of operation;
- and said clamping means including:
- first clamping means disposed on said support means at a fixed location;
- second clamping means adjustably disposed on said support means at a selected distance from said first clamping means;
- and said second clamping means including tension increasing means to increase the tension on the article after it is clamped by said first clamping means and said second clamping means and before any processing by said processing means.
9 more elements
An article transport apparatus for positioning various selected and spaced portions of an article at a fixed location in a selected order including:
- support means to support an article having selected and spaced portions for positioning at a fixed location in a selected order;
- clamping means to clamp the article on said support means in a fixed relation to a predetermined location on said support means;
- moving means to move said support means along a predetermined reciprocating path relative to a fixed location during a cycle of operation;
- p1 first causing means to cause activation of said moving means;
- second causing means to cause inactivation of said moving means when each selected portion of the article to be disposed at the fixed location is disposed at the fixed location by said moving means;
- processing means to perform a process on each of the selected portions of the article when the selected portion of the article is disposed at the fixed location and said moving means is inactivated;
- activating means to activate said first causing means after each of the selected portions of the article has been disposed at the fixed location and subjected to the process by said processing means;
- means to render said clamping means ineffective only after processing by said processing means is completed during a cycle of operation;
- and said clamping means including:
- first clamping means disposed on said support means at a fixed location;
- first movable means to be selectively locked to said support means at a selected distance from said first clamping means;
- second clamping means to clamp the article, said second clamping means being supported by said first movable means for movement relative to said first movable means;
- and means to shift said second clamping means relative to said first movable means after said first clamping means and said second clamping means have clamped the article to increase the tension on the clamped article.
10 more elements
An article transport apparatus for positioning various selected and spaced portions of an article at a fixed location in a selected order including:
- support means to support an article having selected and spaced portions for positioning at a fixed location in a selected order;
- clamping means to clamp the article on said support means in a fixed relation to a predetermined location on said support means;
- moving means to move said support means along a predetermined reciprocating path relative to a fixed location during a cycle of operation;
- limit means to limit the maximum movement in each direction of said support means from its home position disposed at a selected distance in one direction along the predetermined reciprocating path from the fixed location;
- first causing means to cause activation of said moving means;
- means to prevent said first causing means from initially being effective until said clamping means is effective during a cycle of operation;
- second causing means to cause inactivation of said moving means when each selected portion of the article to be disposed at the fixed location is disposed at the fixed location by said moving means;
- processing means to perform a process on each of the selected portions of the article when the selected portion of the article is disposed at the fixed location and said moving means is inactivated;
- activating means to activate said first causing means after each of the selected portions of the article has been disposed at the fixed location and subjected to the process by said processing means;
- means to prevent said activating means from activating said first causing means until said processing means has completed the process on the selected portion of the article disposed at the fixed location;
- first rendering means to render said clamping means ineffective;
- gripping means to grip the article clamped by said clamping means;
- and second rendering means to render said gripping means effective to grip the article clamped by said clamping means upon the clamped article being released by said clamping means.
10 more elements
An article transport apparatus for positioning various selected and spaced portions of an article at a fixed location in a selected order including:
- support means to support an article having selected and spaced portions for positioning at a fixed location in a selected order;
- clamping means to clamp the article on said support means in a fixed relation to a predetermined location on said support means;
- moving means to move said support means along a predetermined reciprocating path relative to a fixed location during a cycle of operation;
- first causing means to cause activation of said moving means;
- second causing means to cause inactivation of said moving means when each selected portion of the article to be disposed at the fixed location is disposed at the fixed location by said moving means;
- processing means to perform a process on each of the selected portions of the article when the selected portion of the article is disposed at the fixed location and said moving means is inactivated;
- activating means to activate said first causing means after each of the selected portions of the article has been disposed at the fixed location and subjected to the process by said processing means;
- first rendering means to render said clamping means ineffective;
- gripping means to grip the article clamped by said clamping means and second rendering means to render said gripping means effective to grip the article clamped by said clamping means upon the clamped article being released by said clamping means.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.