US 4,988,261 AGranted

Multiple motion transfer apparatus

OwnerJohn A. Blattinventor

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Abstract

An article transfer apparatus includes a power driven shuttle carriage mounted for movement along a first linear path between opposite end limits. An article holder assembly includes a base mounted on the carriage for movement relative to the carriage along a second linear path normal to the first linear path between opposite end limits. The holder base mounts a sleeve slidable along an elongate guide rod whose opposite ends may be independently positioned transversely of the first linear path. The guide rod may thus be located to extend parallel to or to be inclined relative to the first path to accordingly enable the sleeve position the holder on this second linear path or to move the holder base transversely of the carriage driving movement of the carriage along the the first path. An article holder unit mounted on the base may be manually adjusted about one axis relative to the base and driven in rotative adjustment relative to the base about a second axis by a reversible power drive mounted upon the base.

Claims13

Dependent claims

Article transfer apparatus comprising an elongate frame including longitudinally extending main guide rail means and first and second transversely extending secondary guide rail means located respectively at the opposite ends of said main guide rail means, first and second support block means slidably mounted on the respective first and second secondary guide rail means for sliding along respective first and second paths extending movement transversely of said frame, first and second independently operable power drive means on said frame coupled respectively to said first and second support block means for locating said first and second support block means at independently selected positions on their respective first and second paths, an elongate rigid guide member, coupling means at each end of said guide member mounting the respective ends of said guide member upon said first and said second support block means for movement therewith transversely of said frame, shuttle means mounted on said frame for movement along said main guide rail means between the opposite ends thereof, article carrier means mounted on said shuttle means for movement relative to said shuttle means transversely of said frame, and sleeve means on said carrier means received on said guide member for sliding movement longitudinally along said guide member and operable to position said carrier means transversely of said frame in accordance with the position of said guide member relative to said main guide rail means established by said first and second support block means.

In an article handling apparatus including a shuttle carriage mounted upon an elongate frame for movement along a first linear path extending longitudinally of said frame substantially from one end of said frame to the other end, first reversible drive means for driving said carriage along a said first linear path, and article holding means mounted upon said carriage for releasably supporting an article upon said carriage;

the improvement wherein said article holding means comprises base means mounted upon said carriage for movement relative to said carriage along a second linear path normal to said first linear path, first and second guide rod support means mounted on said frame respectively adjacent said one and said other ends of said frame for movement along respective third and fourth fixed linear paths parallel to said second linear path, an elongate guide rod having its opposite ends respectively supported on said first and second support means for movement therewith, independently operable first and second positioning means mounted on said frame for respectively independently positioning said first and second support means on said third and fourth paths to thereby locate and orient said rod at a selected position relative to said first path, slide means mounted on said base means and received upon said rod for sliding movement along said rod for locating said base means on said second linear path in accordance with the position of that portion of said rod engaged by said slide means, and article engaging means mounted on said base means for supporting an article thereon.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.