Die shuttle conveyor and nest therefor
AssigneeDelaware Capital Formation, Inc.
InventorsPeter Davis, Dean Tarrant
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a method and apparatus for use in a die feeder used in automated assembly machines and includes, among other aspects and features, a novel nest for holding a die against a vacuum port and releasing same without an independently controlled vacuum source. The invention also includes a novel elevator mechanism, employed to lift the nest to a pick location and means for positioning and aligning the nest for precision travel and pick location placement.
Claims28
A die conveying apparatus in a die feeder, comprising:
- a path in the die feeder, said path lying between a first location in proximity to a die source and a distal pick location at an end of the feeder;
- and
- a shuttle for transporting die, said shuttle generally reciprocating along said path between the die source location and the distal pick location, said shuffle carrying a plurality of nests, each of said plurality of nests being capable of holding a die thereon.
A die conveying apparatus in a die feeder, comprising:
- a path in the die feeder, said path lying between a first location in proximity to a die source and a pick location at an end of the feeder;
- and
- a shuttle generally translating along said path for transporting die from a die source location to the pick location, said shuttle carrying a plurality of nests, each of said plurality of nests being capable of holding a die thereon, wherein said plurality of nests are connected to a common vacuum source, and where each nest is independently capable of holding a die under vacuum and releasing the die without independent control of the vacuum source.
A die conveying apparatus in a die feeder, comprising:
- a path in the die feeder, said path lying between a first location in proximity to a die source and a pick location at an end of the feeder;
- and
- a shuttle generally translating along said path for transporting die from a die source location to the pick location, said shuttle carrying a plurality of nests, each of said plurality of nests being capable of holding a die thereon, wherein said shuttle further comprises:
- a carriage slidably affixed to said path;
- a drive system for moving said carriage along said path;
- and
- a nest assembly operatively associated with said carriage, said nest assembly being movable in at least one direction relative to said carriage, and including a plurality of nests, each of said plurality of nests being capable of holding a die thereon.
A die conveying apparatus in a die feeder, comprising:
- a path in the die feeder, said path being a linear path between a first location in proximity to a die source and second location in proximity to a pick location at an end of the feeder;
- a shuttle carriage, slidably connected to said path and traveling therealong;
- and
- a shuttle operatively associated with said shuttle carriage, wherein said shuttle is conveyed along a non-linear path as the carriage travels along the linear path, thereby transporting die from a first location in proximity to the die source to the pick location, said shuttle carrying a plurality of nests, each of said plurality of nests being capable of holding a die thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.