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:
Oct. 08, 1996
Filed:
Sep. 21, 1994
John L Vaphiadis, Birmingham, MI (US);
Western Atlas, Inc., Hebron, KY (US);
Abstract
A system, method and apparatus for rapidly conveying workpieces successively through multiple stations by providing an integrated dual shuttle transfer mechanism conveyor operable in an intermittent repetitive lift and carry workpiece travel cycle mode. The dual shuttles cooperate to alternately advance an in-line array of workpieces at twice the rate of a conventional single shuttle by successively alternately handing off the workpiece array from the workpiece loaded shuttle to the companion empty shuttle for the next array advance thereon while the other shuttle as so unloaded retracts to reload a workpiece on its upstream end. Workpiece carrier rails of each shuttle reciprocable vertically adjacent and past one another between upper and lower elevational limits and horizontally between advance and retract stroke end limits. A shuttle drive causes the dual sets of carrier rails to move through identical closed loop lift and carry travel paths disposed in laterally adjacent vertical planes and in a 180.degree. out-of-phase directional and positional relationship. Dual drive racks are respectively operable coupled one each to set of carrier rails for propelling the same horizontally between advance and retract stroke end limits. Driving gears engage the racks for imparting rack reciprocation thereto and powered input gears drive the rack gears for producing synchronous counterrotation thereof for causing the carrier rail sets to reciprocate horizontally in a 180.degree. out-of-phase travel directional and positional relationship relative to one another. The drive also includes a plurality of combined counterbalancing and shuttle lifting stations.