Vibratory feeding work station module and system

An apparatus for conveying workpieces including a work station module to facilitate the handling of workpiece carriers for carrying at least one detachable workpiece, the work station module comprising:

• a buffer storage area for transitory storage of a plurality of the carriers and carried workpieces which are received at non-specific intervals, said buffer storage area being disposed adjacent an upstream end of the work station module and including:
• a conveying surface along which a plurality of workpiece carriers are moved from the upstream end toward a work station module downstream end, the conveying surface including a multiplicity of resilient fibers projecting outward therefrom to engage and support the workpiece carriers;
• vibrating means for continuously vibrating the conveying surface to move such that the carriers move along the conveying surface from the work station module upstream end toward the work station module downstream end;
• and a first stop means diposed adjacent a downstream end of the buffer storage area for selectively stopping the carriers, the stopped carrier being maintained in substantially full frictional engagement with the resilient fiber conveying surface while stopped and for selectively passing a downstream-most carrier from the buffer storage area while retaining any other carriers upstream in frictional engagement with the resilient fiber conveying surface;
• and,
• a work station for facilitating the performance of an operation on a workpiece carried by each workpiece carrier, the work station being disposed downstream and displaced from the first stop means and the retained carriers for receiving individual workpiece carriers, passed by the first stop means, said first stop means including:
• a member having a friction surface which slidingly engages each carrier to decelerate the engaged carrier;
• said member further defining a stop surface disposed at a downstream end or the friction surface for engaging and stopping each conveyed carrier;
• and
• a biasing means for (1) selectively withdrawing the member to move the friction and stop surfaces out of engagement with the conveyed carriers and (2) yieldingly biasing the member toward the conveyed carriers such that the friction surface is yieldingly biased into engagement with each conveyed carrier and such that the stop surface engages and blocks downstream movement of the conveyed carrier.

A conveying system comprising:

• a plurality of workpiece carriers for carrying work pieces;
• a resilient fiber conveying surface along which workpiece carriers and carried workpieces are conveyed, the conveying surface including a multiplicity of resilient fibers projecting upward therefrom to support the workpiece carriers thereon;
• a means for continuously vibrating the conveying surface to urge the workpiece carriers to move from an upstream end to a downstream end thereof;
• a directing means for directing the workpiece carriers from the upstream end to the downstream end;
• a first deceleration and stop toggle for decelerating and stopping workpiece carriers conveyed along the conveying surface, the first deceleration and stop toggle being disposed downstream from the upstream end to define a buffer storage area for the transient storage of a plurality of workpiece carriers which are received non-specific intervals between the first deceleration and stop toggle and the upstream end, the first deceleration and stop toggle having a first friction surface mounted along one side and above the conveying surface for sliding against a side edge of an advancing workpiece carrier and an integral first stop surface projecting laterally from the first friction surface for engaging a leading edge of the workpiece carrier such that a downstream-most workpiece carrier of the workpiece carriers stored in the buffer storage area is decelerated, stopped, and selectively passed by the first deceleration and stop means without being lifted from the conveying surface;
• a first biasing means for yielding biasing the first toggle to a stop positon in which the first friction surface is yieldingly biased against the carrier side and the first stop surface engages the carrier leading edge and a release position in which the first friction surface and first stop surface are withdrawn from contact with the carrier.

An apparatus for conveying workpieces including a work station module to facilitate the handling of carriers for carrying the workpieces, the work station module comprising:

• a buffer storage area for transitory storage of a plurality of the workpiece carriers which are received at non-specific intervals, said buffer storage area being disposed adjacent an upstream end of the work station module and including:
• a single vibratory, resilient fiber conveying surface along which a plurality of workpiece carriers are moved from the upstream end toward a work station module downstream end, the vibratory resilient fiber conveying surface including a multiplicity of resilient fibers projecting outward therefrom to engage and support the workpiece carriers;
• vibrating means for continuously vibrating the vibratory, resilient fiber conveying surface to move such that the carriers move along the vibratory, resilient fiber conveying surface from the work station module downstream end;
• and a stop means disposed along the vibratory, resilient fiber conveying surface to define a downstream end of the buffer storage area for stopping the conveyed carrier such that the carriers remained substantially fully supported on the resilient fibers while stopped, the stop means selectively passing a downstream-most carrier individually from the buffer storage area while retaining any other carriers supported on the resilient fibers upstream;
• said stop means includes a member having a friction surface which slidingly engages each carrier to decelerate the engaged carrier, a stop surface disposed at a downstream end of the friction surface for engaging and stopping each conveyed carrier and a biasing means for (1) selectively withdrawing the member to move the friction and stop surfaces out of engagement with the conveyed carriers and (2) yieldingly biasing the member toward the conveyed carriers such that the friction surface is yieldingly biased into engagement with each conveyed carrier and such that the stop surface engages and blocks downstream movement of the conveyed carriers;
• the single vibratory, resilient fiber conveying surface extending downstream beyond the stop means;
• a work station disposed adjacent and extending over the vibratory, resilient fiber conveying surface downstream from the stop means and including a positioning means for positioning each workpiece carrier to faciliate operating on the workpiece free of conveying surface vibration and without damaging the resilient fibers.