Automatic production apparatus and method

• US 3,313,014 A
• Filed: 04/08/1965
• Issued: 04/11/1967
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1954
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Application Number:
  US04/465,812
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• US Class Current: 29/33.00P
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 41/00 Combinations or associations of metal-working machines not directed to a particular result according to classes B21, B23, or B24 B23Q37/00, B23Q39/00 take precedence; features relating to operations performed, if the different metal-working operations are of the same kind, see the subclass for the kind of operation, e.g. punching B21D, welding B23K, grinding B24B; features relating to technically specified combinations of different metal-working operations B23P23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41815 characterised by the cooperation between machine tools, manipulators and conveyor or other workpiece supply system, workcell
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36395 Load local computer program from host, data transfer ram to rom, BTR
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36511 Select by a detector
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36513 Select out of a plurality of programs, patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37572 Camera, tv, vision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40283 Reservoir with additional material on vehicle with manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40284 Toolrack on vehicle with manipulator, toolchanger
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45051 Transfer line
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45213 Integrated manufacturing system ims, transfer line, machining center
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5196 Multiple station with conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53061 Responsive to work or work-related machine element

Claims

7. AN AUTOMATIC PRODUCTION APPARATUS COMPRISING:

(A) MEANS FOR HOLDING AND PREPOSITIONING WORK, (B) MACHINE MEANS FOR PERFORMING VARIOUS OPERATIONS ON WORK RETAINED BY SAID HOLDING MEANS, (C) MEANS FOR CONVEYING SAID HOLDING MEANS WITH RESPECT TO SAID MACHINE MEANS, (D) A MULTI-CIRCUIT PROGRAM CONTROLLER INCLUDING MEANS FOR GENERATING A SEQUENCE OF CONTROL SIGNALS, (E) MEANS FOR MOVING SAID HOLDING MEANS AND SELECTIVELY POSITIONING SAME IN OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID MACHINE MEANS FOR OPERATIVELY POSITIONING THE WORK HELD THEREBY WITH RESPECT TO SAID MACHINE MEANS, (F) MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID PROGRAM CONTROLLER WITH SAID MACHINE MEANS UPON OPERATIVELY POSITIONING SAID HOLDING MEANS WITH SAID MACHINE MEANS AND CAUSING SAID PROGRAM CONTROLLER TO GENERATE CONTROL SIGNALS, (G) MEANS FOR USING SAID SIGNALS TO CONTROL SAID MACHINE MEANS TO EXECUTE PREDETERMINED OPERATIONS ON WORK RETAINED BY SAID HOLDING MEANS AND, (H) MEANS OPERATIVE IN RESPONSE TO THE OPERATION OF SAID PROGRAM CONTROLLER FOR UNCOUPLING SAID HOLDING MEANS AND SAID MACHINE MEANS AND CAUSING SAID HOLDING MEANS TO BE MOVED BY SAID CONVEYING MEANS AWAY FROM SAID MACHINE MEANS.