Loading and unloading system for piece part carrier

Abstract

A 'hands-free' apparatus for loading and unloading piece parts from baskets containing a plurality of such parts on a ferris wheel or other type carrier for submersion into plating or cleaning tanks. The preferred embodiment is adapted for handling plurality of metallic disks to be plated for the purpose of magnetic recording of data. The system accepts a plurality of baskets transported to it on a conveyor mechanism. The baskets are simultaneously lifted up to a load/unload position at which a mandrel is threaded through the aperture in each metallic disk. The baskets are lowered back down to the conveyor. The mandrel carrying the disks is swung onto a slot on the ferris wheel which is adapted to carry approximately twelve such disk carrying mandrels. The ferris wheel is stepped to the next slot which is loaded the same way. After all slots on the ferris wheel are loaded, the entire ferris wheel is removed from engagement with the loader and transported through the fabrication cycle. Each disk is worked on while resting in its notch on its mandrel in a specific slot on a particular ferris wheel. During the manufacturing process, the mandrel is rotated, causing each disk to rotate, at the same time that the entire ferris wheel is being rotated. After the manufacturing cycle is complete, the ferris wheel is brought back into engagement with the loader/unloader. The completed disks are placed back into their baskets in a sequence that is the reverse of the loading sequence. The loaded baskets are transported away by the conveyor system.