Workpiece treating apparatus and method of treating same

• US 5,968,297 A
• Filed: 09/09/1998
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advantage Capital Florida Partners I, L.P. (Advantage Capital Partners)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Machine Concepts LLC
• Inventors: Spencer, James E. Jr., Hooker, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crispino, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Purvis, Sue A.
• Application Number:
  US09/149,711
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 156/64, 156/350, 156/356, 156/357, 156/360, 12/142 F, 118/669, 118/679, 118/680, 118/682, 364/559
• US Class Current: 156/64
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 117/00 Racks for receiving or transporting shoes or shoe parts; Other conveying means
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 119/00 Driving or controlling mechanisms of shoe machines; Frames for shoe machines
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 2200/10 Fully automated machines, i.e. machines working without human intervention
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 25/183 by nozzles
• 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 156/1749 All articles from single source only

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are provided for treating a workpiece such as a shoe component. The workpiece treating apparatus preferably includes a transporter for transporting a workpiece along a predetermined path of travel and a storage device for storing a plurality of predetermined parameters of each of a plurality of workpieces. A workpiece identifier is positioned responsive to the storage device for identifying the workpiece during travel along the predetermined path. A workpiece treatment applicator is positioned adjacent the transporter and responsive to the workpiece identifier for applying a treatment a workpiece being transported along the predetermined path of travel. A workpiece treatment position determiner preferably is positioned responsive to the workpiece identifier for continuously determining the position of the workpiece treatment applicator along a predetermined trajectory during treatment of the workpiece.

Claims

1. A workpiece treating apparatus for treating a workpiece, the workpiece treating apparatus comprising:

a conveyor positioned to convey a workpiece along a predetermined path of travel;

a workpiece identifier positioned to identify at least parameters of the workpiece during travel along the predetermined path;

a workpiece treatment applicator positioned adjacent said transporter and responsive to said workpiece identifier for treating a workpiece being transported along the predetermined path of travel; and

a workpiece treatment position determiner responsive to said workpiece identifier and positioned to continuously determine the position of said workpiece treatment applicator along a predetermined trajectory during treatment of the workpiece.

2. A workpiece treating apparatus for treating a workpiece, the workpiece treating apparatus comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of predetermined parameters of each of a plurality of work pieces;

a workpiece identifier responsive to said storage device for identifying the workpiece during travel along a predetermined path;

a workpiece treatment applicator responsive to said workpiece identifier for applying a treatment to a workpiece during travel along the predetermined path of travel; and

a workpiece treatment position determiner responsive to said workpiece identifier for continuously determining the position of said workpiece treatment applicator along a predetermined trajectory during treatment of the workpiece.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said workpiece identifier comprises a camera positioned to capture a visual image of a workpiece being transported by said transporter, a vision processor responsive to said camera for processing data representative of the visual image of the workpiece and comparing the visual image data to the plurality of predetermined parameters of at least one of the plurality of work pieces, and a user interface responsive to said vision processor for providing a visual image of the workpiece to a user thereof.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said vision processor includes workpiece position identifier for identifying the orientational position of the workpiece during travel along the predetermined path.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said workpiece treatment position determiner comprises an optical sensor connected to said workpiece treatment applicator and positioned to sense optical data from the workpiece.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, further comprising a workpiece treating controller responsive to said workpiece identifier and said workpiece treatment position determiner for controlling the treatment of the workpiece.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said workpiece treating controller includes a trajectory determiner responsive to said workpiece identifier for determining a treatment trajectory for said workpiece treatment applicator to thereby apply the workpiece treatment to the workpiece along the determined trajectory.

8. A workpiece treating apparatus for treating a workpiece, the workpiece treating apparatus comprising:

an imaging collector having a vision processor positioned to identify a workpiece;

a workpiece treatment applicator responsive to said workpiece identifier and positioned to treat a workpiece; and

a workpiece treatment position determiner responsive to said workpiece identifier and positioned to determine the position of said workpiece treatment applicator along a predetermined trajectory during treatment of the workpiece.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said imagine collector comprises a camera positioned to capture a visual image of a workpiece, and said vision processor is responsive to said camera for processing data representative of the visual image of the workpiece and comparing the visual image data to a plurality of predetermined parameters of at least one workpiece.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said vision processor includes workpiece position identifying means for identifying the orientational position of a workpiece.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said workpiece treatment position determiner comprises an optical sensor connected to said workpiece treatment applicator and positioned to sense optical data from the workpiece.