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US 4,726,240 AGranted
Transfer mechanism and drive with straight line lift and lower
OwnerJohn H. Bremsinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power drive and lift-and-carry mechanism in which a rotary input drives a mechanical system to produce a relatively long dwell stage and, in combination with a crank drive mechanism, produces a transfer motion with a substantially straight lift and lower motion coupled with a horizontal component in a smooth transfer motion for work parts.
Claims17
In a transfer mechanism which has two degrees of freedom for movement along or about any two axes, an interrelated mechanical system to drive said transfer mechanism along a predetermined path comprising:
- (a) a frame;
- (b) transfer means mounted in said frame for movement having said two degrees of freedom,
- (c) crank drive means mounted in said frame,
- (d) first coupling means directly and uninterruptedly connecting said crank drive means and said transfer means for movement along the first of said two degrees of freedom,
- (e) second coupling means connecting said transfer means for movement along the second of said degrees of freedom with:
- (f) long dwell drive means mounted in said frame,
- (g) substantially constant velocity prime mover rotatable drive means rotatable in a forward direction directly and uninterruptedly driving said crank drive means and said long dwell drive means in synchronism
- (h) said long dwell drive means comprising:
- (1) input means mounted for rotation in said frame,
- (2) output means mounted for rotation in said frame,
- (3) variable gear ratio means interconnecting said input means and said output means, whereby upon continuous rotation of said input means, said output means rotates in a sequence of discrete unidirectional index steps separated by dwell intervals during which said output means is substantially stationary,
- whereby when said prime mover is rotating in a forward direction, said transfer means is driven in a forward direction in a developed topologically U-shaped path comprising a first portion during which said crank drive means drives said transfer means along said first degree of freedom, and said long dwell drive means holds said transfer means substantially stationary along said second degree of freedom;
- a second portion during which said long dwell drive means drives said transfer means along said second degree of freedom in a forward direction while said crank drive means moves said transfer means along said first degree of freedom and then reverses this movement along said first degree of freedom;
- and a third portion during which said crank drive means drives said transfer means along said first degree of freedom in the opposite direction from said first portion, and said long dwell drive means holds said transfer means substantially stationary along said second degree of freedom;
- and whereby, upon directional reversal of said prime mover drive means, said transfer means is driven in a reverse direction along the same topologically U-shaped path which had been traversed by said transfer means during its movement in the forward direction;
- and alternatively whereby, upon continued rotation of said prime mover drive means in a forward direction, said transfer means is driven forward along multiple, sequential, adjacent topologiaclly U-shaped paths, which are geometrically identical but non-coincident.
13 more elements
In a transfer mechanism which has two degrees of freedom for movement along or about any two axes, an interrelated mechanical system to drive said transfer mechanism along a predetermined path comprising:
- (a) a frame,
- (b) transfer means mounted in said frame for movement having said two degrees of freedom,
- (c) crank drive means mounted in said frame,
- (d) first coupling means directly and uninterruptedly connecting said crack drive means and said transfer means for movement along the first of said two degrees of freedom,
- (e) second coupling means connecting said transfer means for movement along the second of said degrees of freedom with:
- (f) long dwell drive means mounted in said frame,
- (g) substantially constant velocity prime mover rotatable drive means rotatable in a forward direction directly and uninterruptedly driving said crank drive means and said long dwell drive means in synchronism
- (h) said long dwell drive means comprising:
- (1) an output member adapted for tangential drive and supported by said frame for rotation and connected in an operation relationship with said second coupling means,
- (2) a first rotating pair supported by said frame comprising:
- (i) a first rotating member mounted for rotation in said frame,
- (ii) a first eccentric member mounted eccentrically, in non-rotational relation to, and on said first rotating member,
- (3) a second rotating pair mounted in fixed spatial relationship with said first rotating pair comprising:
- (i) a second rotating member,
- (ii) a second eccentric member mounted eccentrically in non-rotational relation to, and on said second rotating member,
- (4) means connecting for rotation said first rotating pair and said second rotating pair for substantially an integral angular velocity ratio,
- (5) means connecting said output member and said second eccentric member in a driving relationship, and
- (6) means connecting said first rotating member and said prime mover drive means in a driving relationship,
- whereby when said prime mover is rotating in a forward direction, said transfer means is driven in a forward direction in a developed topologically U-shaped path comprising a first portion during which said crank drive means drives said transfer means along said first degree of freedom, and said long dwell drive means holds said transfer means substantially stationary along said second degree of freedom;
- a second portion during which said long dwell drive means drives said transfer means along said second degree of freedom in a forward direction while said crank drive means moves said transfer means along said first degree of freedom and then reverses this movement along said first degree of freedom;
- and a third portion during which said crank drive means drives said transfer means along said first degree of freedom in the opposite direction from said first portion, and said long dwell drive means holds said transfer means substantially stationary along said second degree of freedom;
- and whereby, upon directional reversal of said prime mover drive means, said transfer means is driven in a reverse direction along the same topologically U-shaped path which had been traversed by said transfer means during its movement in the forward direction;
- and alternatively whereby, upon continued rotation of said prime mover drive means in a forward direction, said transfer means is driven forward along multiple, sequential, adjacent topologically U-shaped paths, which are geometrically identical but non-coincident.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.