Table with carrier balls designed to rotate in directions extending along two parallel orthogonal lines
First Claim
1. A table with crosswise operating motor-driven carrier balls designed for orthogonally sorting of flat workpieces, said table comprising a horizontal tray with freely rotatable carrier balls arranged within said tray so as to protrude from both upper and lower surfaces of the tray;
- means arranged underneath the tray for supporting said carrier balls;
aligning plates being adjustably positioned above the tray to allow movement of the tray therebeneath;
first means for imparting rotary motion in a first horizontal direction along a first line to the carrier balls being supported on said supporting means;
second means for imparting to the carrier balls a second rotary motion in a second horizontal direction along a second line extending perpendicular to the first direction;
means for controlling and checking the application and amplitude of said first and second rotary motions so as to impart to the carrier balls at contact points of the balls with the workpiece a rotary motion resulting from a variable amplitude in any direction of the reference plane defined by said first and second lines;
means for carrying the workpieces onto the balls of the tray for processing; and
means for collecting the workpieces at an outlet of the tray after processing.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A table for orthogonally sorting flat workpieces comprising a tray with freely rotatable carrier balls protruding from both surfaces of the tray, an arrangement engaging the balls to support the balls and to rotate them in either direction along a first line of motion, this arrangement being either a continuously moving belt or a plurality of parallel positioned rollers. The table also includes an arrangement for obtaining relative movement between the belt or parallel rollers and the tray to cause a rotation of the balls along a second line extending perpendicular to the first line.
42 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A table with crosswise operating motor-driven carrier balls designed for orthogonally sorting of flat workpieces, said table comprising a horizontal tray with freely rotatable carrier balls arranged within said tray so as to protrude from both upper and lower surfaces of the tray;
- means arranged underneath the tray for supporting said carrier balls;
aligning plates being adjustably positioned above the tray to allow movement of the tray therebeneath;
first means for imparting rotary motion in a first horizontal direction along a first line to the carrier balls being supported on said supporting means;
second means for imparting to the carrier balls a second rotary motion in a second horizontal direction along a second line extending perpendicular to the first direction;
means for controlling and checking the application and amplitude of said first and second rotary motions so as to impart to the carrier balls at contact points of the balls with the workpiece a rotary motion resulting from a variable amplitude in any direction of the reference plane defined by said first and second lines;
means for carrying the workpieces onto the balls of the tray for processing; and
means for collecting the workpieces at an outlet of the tray after processing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- means arranged underneath the tray for supporting said carrier balls;
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6. A table with crosswise operating motor-driven carrier balls designed for orthogonally sorting of flat workpieces, said table comprising a horizontal tray with freely rotatable carrier balls arranged within said tray so as to protrude from both upper and lower surfaces of the tray, means arranged underneath the tray for supporting said carrier balls;
- first means for imparting rotary motion in a first horizontal direction along a first line to the carrier balls being supported on said supporting means, said first means comprising a continuous belt being supported on support rollers and having means for driving the belt, second means for imparting to the carrier balls a second rotary motion in a second horizontal direction along a second line extending perpendicular to the first direction, said second means consisting of means of shifting the tray relative to the belt and including a fixed horizontal jack arranged between the upper and lower runs of the belt and linked to one edge of the tray, said belt having a width corresponding to the effective width of the movement for a batch on the table, said belt having an extension tray on each side with one of said extension trays adjacent the connection of the jack to the tray having a slot for receiving said connection, means for controlling and checking the application and amplitude of said first and second rotary motions so as to impart to the carrier balls at contact points of the balls with a workpiece a rotary motion resulting from a variable amplitude in any direction of the reference plane defined by said first and second lines, means for carrying the workpieces onto the balls of the tray for processing, and means for collecting the workpieces at an outlet of the tray after processing.
- View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
Specification