A prior art material handling apparatus 20 (
A material handling apparatus 30 (
The apparatus 30 includes a frame 30′ and machine controls 30″ as appropriate, depending on the sophistication of the control equipment required. By rotating the ring 34 slightly faster than the track 33 (which track 33 may be stationary or may itself move at a predetermined rotational rate), parts 41 become slightly spaced apart a distance D1 as they move onto the ring 34 from output location 40, allowing for clear viewing by the cameras 37. Since the ring 34 extends around the bowl 31, the arrangement is very compact and the apparatus 30 has a very small foot print. Nonetheless, the present material handling apparatus 30 when used for handling bolts, nuts, fasteners and the like can operate at speed up to or more than 4000 pieces per minute.
The disclosure below is intended to be and is believed to be complete and sufficient to provide to a person skilled in the art with an enabling disclosure and a best mode. Nonetheless, the reader is referred to the disclosure in co-assigned Kenneway U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,805,245 and 6,701,001 for additional information on object sorting systems and automated part sorting systems, including vision recognition systems. Also, see Doty U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,808 for additional disclosure and teaching on part sorters/feeders. The entire contents and teachings of these three patents are incorporated herein in their entirety.
The illustrated bowl feeder (31) is exemplary of those manufactured by Moorfeed company. It is a centrifugal-type sorter/feeder machine where parts 41 (e.g., fasteners) are dumped into a center of the bowl 31 and then singulated and oriented as they are fed by centrifugal force on a rotating plate to a perimeter track 33 where they are oriented (i.e. bumped from the track if improperly oriented) and then to an output location 40. It is specifically contemplated that the present invention can be used on a wide variety of different part feeder apparatus, even though only a particular one is shown, such as a vibratory-type sorter/feeder machine. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not intended to be unduly limited to only the feeder shown. The illustrated bowl feeder 31 has a supply bowl 32 with a bottom plate 42 on which loose randomly-oriented supply of parts 41 are supported. An outer wall 43 extends around the plate 42 and includes flanges forming a perimeter track 33 suitable for engaging and causing the parts 41 to singulate and orient as they travel along the perimeter track 33. The details of the track 33 are not illustrated, however a wide variety of such tracks are well known in the art and are in the public domain. The particular illustrated part 41 is a headed threaded bolt with square washer and round washer on its head. It is shown on the track 33 (and on track 35) with its head squarely supported on the floor of the track with its threaded shaft extending upwardly. However, it is contemplated that the part 41 can be held in different orientations and that the part 41 can be any of a number of different items, and that the tracks 33 and 35 can be made to accommodate, singulate, orient and sequentially feed any such parts. The point is that parts are singulated and oriented such that they form a line of parts stacked up against the output location 40 as they are ready for further processing.
The ring 34 is rotatably supported for rotation about the perimeter track 33, and it is noted that this support can be provided by a number of different means. The illustrated arrangement includes rollers or bearings 44 and 44′ (
The vision inspection system includes cameras 37 (
It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.