Douglas Machine Inc.

Thomas Harold Peterman

Irvan Leo Pazdernik

Paul Howard Wagner

Richard Jerome Schoeneck

Richard Willard Lukanen, Jr

Daniel Leonard Floding

Matthew D Toyli

Aaron M Frederick

Christopher Todd Davis

Gene Allen Corle

Matthew R Crissinger

Vernon J Anderson

Christopher D Harren

Chad W Hahn

Michael Paul Bauer

Simin Jiang

A top loading assembly is provided. The assembly includes a robotic arm and an article collector assembly supported thereby. The robotic arm is characterized by first and second arm segments and three pivotable arm joints, a first arm joint Jbeing a distal arm joint for operatively supporting said collector assembly, a second arm joint Jbeing an intermediate arm joint, and a third arm joint Jbeing a terminal/anchorable arm joint. The collector assembly, directable from an article collection locus to a collected article loading locus, includes a collector adapted to effectuate select clamping in relation to articles collected by the collector during direction of the collector assembly from the article collection locus to the collected article loading locus.

Robotic article handling system and operations

An article accumulation pattern building load plate assembly is provided. The assembly includes a deck for support of patterned articles, a stop for retaining deck supported articles, and spaced apart guides adjustably positionable in relation to the deck so as to transversely guide articles thereacross towards the stop. Articles of the patterned articles are received at an ingress portion of the assembly from a metered article source, the articles extendable at least across a width of the deck in a direction transverse to an article ingress direction. The stop is adjacent the deck, extending in a direction transverse to the article ingress direction, the stop delimiting an egress portion of the assembly.

Article accumulation pattern building load plate

An article metering system is generally provided. The system is primarily comprised of a conveyor section, for receipt of a bulk flow of articles and conveyance of spaced apart metered article groups downstream of an ingress portion thereof, and an article metering station characterized by an article metering apparatus characterized by a drive assembly and a driven member driven thereby. The driven member includes an end effector for select positioning between adjacent articles of articles of the bulk flow of articles received by the conveyor section in furtherance of delimiting a downstream spaced apart metered article group characterized by a select number of columns. The drive assembly includes cooperatively driven servo drives to effectuate travel of the end effector in either of a downstream article flow direction or an upstream article flow direction, and an up/down direction in relation to articles of the bulk flow of articles received by the conveyor section.

Article metering apparatus, system and methods

A product metering apparatus () includes a first product conveyance mechanism () conveying product in a continuous stream. A platform () supports product and is movable along a closed path between a loading position adjacent to the first product conveyance mechanism () and a transfer position adjacent to an output in the form of a second product conveyance mechanism () spaced from the first product conveyance mechanism () in the conveying direction. The platform () in the loading position receives the product in the continuous stream from the first product conveyance mechanism () and is then accelerated to a speed greater than the first product conveyance mechanism () creating a gap between the product supported on the platform () and the product remaining in the continuous stream on the first product conveyance mechanism (). A sweep bar () is inserted into the gap and abuts with the product on the platform () for assisting transfer of the product on the platform () to the output.

Transfer device metering apparatus and methods

Product is conveyed as a continuous stream by a meter conveyor () unto a transfer plate () and a transfer device (). The transfer device () is movable between a retracted position and an extended position extending over a sweep conveyor (). In a preferred form, the transfer device () is in the form of a thin piece of flexible material and is moved in the conveying direction from the retracted position to the extended position by engaging with the sweep conveyor () and is moved to the retracted position by being wrapped around a rotated roller (). Product is transferred from the transfer device () to the sweep conveyor () as the transfer device () moves from the extended position to the retracted position and is engaged by a metering bar () which controls the product on the sweep conveyor () until the product group leaves the transfer device (). With nested product, the leading edge of the transfer device () is scalloped to represent the product bottom leading edge.

Retractable transfer device metering apparatus and methods

Product is conveyed as a continuous stream by a meter conveyor () unto a transfer plate () and a transfer device (). The transfer device () is movable between a retracted position and an extended position extending over a sweep conveyor (). In a preferred form, the transfer device () is in the form of a thin piece of flexible material and is moved in the conveying direction from the retracted position to the extended position by engaging with the sweep conveyor () and is moved to the retracted position by being wrapped around a rotated roller (). Product is transferred from the transfer device () to the sweep conveyor () as the transfer device () moves from the extended position to the retracted position and is engaged by a metering bar () which controls the product acceleration on the sweep conveyor () to match the meter conveyor () until the product group leaves the transfer device (). With nested product, the leading edge of the transfer device () is scalloped to represent the product bottom leading edge.

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Alexandria, MN, United States of America

Thomas Harold Peterman