The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 23, 2025
Filed:
Jan. 03, 2024
Ats Corporation, Cambridge, CA;
Kenneth Wayne Nicholson, Cambridge, CA;
ATS CORPORATION, Cambridge, CA;
Abstract
There is provided a device, system, and method for flexible feeding capable of being integrated into an assembly system. The device includes a disperser, a part retainer, a vibrator, an excess part removal device, a pick-and-placer, carriers, a transporter, a carrier inspection disc, a part remover, a gate, a transfer station, and re-entry tracks. The method includes dispersing parts, agitating parts, removing excess parts, picking captured parts, placing the captured parts into carriers, inspecting the carriers, positioning the carriers at a transfer station, and transferring the parts to a downstream processor. The system includes a flexible feeding device configured to perform flexible feeding operations, a data processor, and a medium having machine-readable instructions executable by the data processor and configured to cause the data processor to generate signals useful in the synchronization of two or more flexible feeding operations.