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Workpiece processing system

  • US 4,982,827 A
  • Filed: 01/30/1989
  • Issued: 01/08/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1985
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Workpiece processing apparatus for performing processing operations on workpieces comprising:

  • a plurality of processing machines, each respectively located at a processing station therefor;

    an incoming load station;

    an outgoing unload station;

    an endless conveyor having plural carriers for carrying the workpieces along an endless path passing adjacent said incoming load station, said processing stations and said outgoing unload station;

    plural machine load and unload transfer means, each located respectively adjacent each of said processing stations, for delivering workpieces from said carriers to receiving devices at said processing stations in preparation for having processing operations performed thereon and for returning workpieces after performance of the processing operations thereon to said carriers;

    said incoming load station having conveyor incoming load transfer means for transferring workpieces prepared to have processing operations performed thereon to said carriers;

    said outgoing unload station having conveyor outgoing unload transfer means for transferring workpieces upon which processing operations have been completed from said conveyor to said unload station;

    carrier seat memory means for tracking each of said carriers and designating each of said carriers as either (a) a work-to-be-performed carrier or (b) a work-finished carrier;

    means signaling said memory means to cause said memory means to designate each of said carriers as a work-to-be-performed carrier when it is filled at said incoming load station, said memory means retaining the work-to-be-performed designation of each of said carriers until it is emptied at a processing station;

    means signaling said memory means to cause said memory means to designate each of said carriers as a work-finished carrier when it is emptied at a processing station, said memory means retaining the work-finished designation of each of said carriers until it is filled at said incoming load station with at least one workpiece upon which work is to be performed;

    and incoming load logic means for controlling the operation of said incoming load transfer means to cause it to logically fill selected ones of said carriers with workpieces upon which work is to be performed so that the ratio between the number of those of said carriers being conveyed from said incoming load station to the first of said processing stations designated as work-to-be-performed carriers and the number of those of said carriers designated as work-finished carriers is finite and substantially constant.

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