Article transfer apparatus with vacuum operated work holder and articulated work holder mover
AssigneeMurata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorJunichi Masuda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article transfer apparatus is described which is movable along a row of article storage racks and comprises an article carrier having a conveyor and an article holder disposed above the article carrier and containing a plurality of suction cups. The article holder includes mechanism which, after the suction cups have been pushed against an article to suck and attract the article, there is operable via a folding motion of first and second swing arms, or alternatively, in conjunction with a movement of a front-back moving member simultaneously with such folding motion of the swing arms, and an article carrying conveyor is synchronously driven in an article pulling-in direction, whereby the article can be put onto the article carrying conveyor.
Claims4
An article transfer apparatus movable along a row of article storage racks, comprising:
- an article carrier provided with a conveyor and means for moving said conveyor substantially perpendicular to the row of the article storage racks;
- an article holder disposed adjacent said article carrier and being movable between said row of article storage racks and said article carrier, said article holder including a base frame carrying a suction cup case containing a plurality of suction cups and means for connecting said suction cup case with respect to said base frame for horizontal pivotal movement with respect thereto;
- and
- means for moving said article holder between said article storage racks and said article carrier including:
- support means,
- means for moving said support means between said article storage racks and said article carrier,
- a plurality of articulated swing arms connecting said article holder to said support means, and
- means for controllably, driving said swing arms for selectively moving said article holder with respect to said article carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.