A highly efficient Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) that allows an overhead hoist transport vehicle to load and unload Work-In-Process (WIP) parts directly to/from one or more WIP storage units included in the system. The AMHS includes an overhead hoist transport subsystem and at least one vertical carousel stocker having a plurality of storage bins. The overhead hoist transport subsystem includes an overhead hoist transport vehicle traveling along a suspended track defining a predetermined route, which runs adjacent to the carousel stocker, thereby allowing the overhead hoist transport vehicle to access a WIP part directly from one of the storage bins. At least one of the storage bins includes a movable shelf operative to move laterally from a first position along the carousel path to a second position near the overhead hoist transport vehicle. The storage unit is at least partially open to allow the movable shelf to move to the second position, thereby allowing the overhead hoist to access a material unit directly from the movable shelf for subsequent transport along the track between various locations within a product manufacturing facility.

An automated material handling system comprising:an overhead hoist transport subsystem including at least one overhead hoist and at least one overhead hoist transport vehicle, the overhead hoist including a translating stage and a gripper portion coupled to the translating stage, the gripper portion being configured to grip a material unit,wherein the translating stage is configured to vertically move the gripper portion gripping the material unit from a first position proximate to the overhead hoist transport vehicle to at least one of a second position proximate to a load port and a third position proximate to a fixed storage location, thereby allowing the overhead hoist transport subsystem to load the material unit on at least one of the load port and the fixed storage location,wherein the load port is beneath an overhead rail, andwherein at least a portion of the fixed storage location is disposed lateral to the overhead rail.

A rotatable neck ring assembly for use primarily in an automatic blow molding machine includes an annular bushing and a concentrically arranged series of pivotally mounted foot members which in their closed position cooperate with the bushing to hold a parison during molding of the ware. The feet are spring-biased toward open position and cammed in to closed position when engaged by the upwardly moving parison mold. Cam surfaces on the outer surface of the feet cooperate with corresponding surfaces on a concentrically surrounding sleeve to hold the ring tightly closed on the rim of the parison even after lowering of the parison mold and throughout the blow molding portion of the cycle. The ring is opened following the molding and cooling portions of the cycle by hydraulic pressure acting on a piston which engages the upper surface of the bushing to force the feet to pivot outwardly.

The present invention is a wood drying kiln having a flexible cover allowing the stack of lumber, itself, to be employed to support the vacuum chamber using a flexible collapsing bag or cover alone or in combination with walls. The collapsing bag seals against a base, which may be heated or unheated to maintain the vacuum. In its simplest form a stainless steel platform or base is made to support a stack of lumber. The lumber stack has alternating layers of hot plates or stickers separating layers of lumber. A bag having an open bottom and made of nylon-reinforced rubber or other strong flexible material is placed over the wood and sealed to the stainless steel platform. A vacuum pump is connected with the bag by means of a manifold and operated to remove air from the enclosed lumber stack, the vacuum strengthening the seal between the base and the bottom of the bag.

One aspect of the invention is a bulk material handling system comprising an enclosure, a door frame, and an access door. The enclosure is adapted for the passage of bulk material. The enclosure comprises a wall having an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface of the wall in part defines an interior of the enclosure. The wall includes an access opening for providing access to the interior of the enclosure. The door frame is secured to the wall of the enclosure adjacent the access opening. The door frame has an exterior surface protruding outward from the wall. The exterior surface of the door frame is devoid of horizontal surface portions when the enclosure is oriented with the wall of the enclosure in a vertical position. The access door is releasably secured to the door frame. The access door is movable between a closed position and an open position. The access door is surrounded by the door frame and covers the access opening when the access door is in the closed position. The access door is spaced from the door frame sufficient to allow a user to access the interior of the enclosure via the access opening when the access door is in the open position. The access door has an exterior surface. The exterior surface is devoid of horizontal surface portions when the access door is in the closed position and the enclosure is oriented with the wall of the enclosure in the vertical position.

Another aspect of the present invention is a bulk material handling system comprising an enclosure, a door frame, and an access door. The enclosure is adapted for the passage of bulk material. The enclosure comprises a wall having an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface of the wall in part defines an interior of the enclosure. The wall includes an access opening for providing access to the interior of the enclosure. The door frame comprises a plurality of door frame segments. Each of the door frame segments comprises a length of angle iron having first and second panels. The first panel of each door frame segment comprises opposite central and outer edges. The second panel of each door frame segment comprises opposite central and outer edges. The central edges of the first and second panels of each door frame segment are coextensive with each other and constitute an apex of the corresponding door frame segment. Each door frame segment is secured to the wall of the enclosure and is adjacent the access opening such that the apex of such door frame segment protrudes outward and away from the interior of the enclosure. The outer edges of the first and second panels of each door frame segment lie in a plane that is between the apex of the corresponding door frame segment and the interior of the enclosure. The access door is releasably secured to the door frame. The access door is movable between a closed position and an open position. The access door is surrounded by the door frame and covers the access opening when the access door is in the closed position. The access door is spaced from the door frame sufficient to allow a user to access the interior of the enclosure via the access opening when the access door is in the open position.

A rotatable neck ring assembly for use primarily in an automatic blow molding machine includes an annular bushing and a concentrically arranged series of pivotally mounted foot members which in their closed position, cooperate with the bushing to grip the rim of a parison and hold it securely during the molding process. These pivoted foot members, which are spring biased to a closed position, are kept into firm engagement with the bushing by the upwardly moving parison mold. A first cam surface on the outer surface of the foot members cooperates with a corresponding surface on a concentrically surrounding sleeve to hold the foot members tightly against the bushing to grip the rim of the parison and hold it securely during the molding process. The cooperating cam surfaces on the foot members and the surrounding sleeve create a hoop tension in the bushing which must be overcome to pivot the foot members to open position at completion of the molding process. A second set of cooperating cam surfaces on the upper portion of the sleeve and foot members is effective during the application of hydraulic pressure to the uppermost surface of the foot members to greatly aid in overcoming the hoop tension in the bushing and move the foot members to open position.

The present invention is a wood drying kiln having a flexible cover allowing the stack of lumber, itself, to be employed to support the vacuum chamber using a flexible collapsing bag or cover alone or in combination with walls. The collapsing bag seals against a base, which may be heated or unheated to maintain the vacuum. In its simplest form a stainless steel platform or base is made to support a stack of lumber. The lumber stack has alternating layers of hot plates or stickers separating layers of lumber. A bag having an open bottom and made of nylon-reinforced rubber or other strong flexible material is placed over the wood and sealed to the stainless steel platform. A vacuum pump is connected with the bag by means of a manifold and operated to remove air from the enclosed lumber stack, the vacuum strengthening the seal between the base and the bottom of the bag.

material handling system includes a composite beam including an upper rail and a lower track connected through a plurality of spaced apart transverse members. A trolley includes an upper set of wheels and a lower set of wheels. The lower set of wheels is received within two parallel channels defined by the lower track. A drive tube is positioned between the upper rail and the lower track such that the upper set of wheels are in frictional engagement with the drive tube. A drive system is configured to rotate the drive tube.

During a manufacturing process, a product is typically advanced through a plurality of manufacturing stations of a manufacturing chain. Specifically, the product is transported through each of the manufacturing stations along an article transportation device. At each manufacturing station, a specific one of a plurality of tasks in the manufacturing process is performed. All equipment and other components necessary to perform the assigned task are positioned, and often permanently affixed, at each manufacturing station. As a result, and dependent upon the number of tasks and the complexity of the manufacturing process, a manufacturing chain is typically a large structure that is permanently situated inside a manufacturing facility.

At least partially as a result of its permanency, a manufacturing chain is typically inflexible, such that modifying, removing, or replacing the manufacturing chain may be an expensive and time-consuming process. Therefore, even minor improvements to the manufacturing process, such as, for example, changes to the equipment positioned at one manufacturing station, may be too expensive and time consuming to implement. Further, if the manufacturing process performed by the manufacturing chain becomes unnecessary, it may not be feasible to alter the manufacturing chain to perform a different manufacturing process. Ultimately, the manufacturing chain may only be cost effective in performing the specific manufacturing process for which it was designed. As a result, the significant amount of costs and efforts to design and construct the manufacturing chain may be wasted.

A remote controllable material handling system for particulate matter, said material handling system comprising:(a) a material handling device (MHD) configured to carry the particulate matter, said material handling device including one or more actuators operatively coupled thereto, said one or more actuators configured to transfer the particulate matter carried by the material handling device, the one or more actuators responsive to one or more control signals;(b) a MHD receiver operatively connected to the material handling device, said MHD receiver configured to generate the one or more control signals in response to one or more transmission signals; and(c) a wireless remote transmitter moveable relative to the material handling device, said wireless remote transmitter configured to receive as input one or more operator instructions and generate the one or more transmission signals for transmission to the MHD receiver in response to the one or more operator instructions.

 

Material-handling equipment is controlled through operation of control elements such as switches, buttons, knobs, levers and touch screens or the like which may be grouped or integrated into a control console. The control elements are configured to be operated manually by a user to operate the typically hydraulic or pneumatic actuators to provide control over the actuator system of the material handling equipment. The control elements are usually either directly affixed to the material handling equipment or the control console is configured as a separate modular component operatively connected to the material handling equipment via a cable or umbilical cord to provide wired control of the equipment. Control elements, specifically in older equipment, are sometimes exclusively directly manually operated hydraulic valves. More recent systems include electrical switches operatively connected to electromagnetically-controlled hydraulic or pneumatic valves. Console-controlled hydraulic systems typically include electromagnetically controlled hydraulic valves.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a modification of an existing program for modeling pipe networks, such as the 3D Piping Design module of CATIA. Other programs for modeling other fluid handling systems, such as HVAC or electrical systems could also be used. The CATIA piping module itself cannot be used to model a material handling system because of the many differences between pipes and conveyors. For example, pipes carry a flow of a homogeneous fluid while conveyors must transport multiple, discrete, solid objects. It is necessary to keep the objects on a conveyor line separate, to add and remove them from the carrying mechanism, and to control the order in which they travel and the spacing between the objects. None of these concerns are present when designing a pipe layout. Therefore, while the need for a three dimensional model of a material handling system has been recognized, it has heretofore not been possible to create such a system. However the present inventors have discovered that, despite the striking differences, enough similarities exist between the two types of system to allow a system for modeling a material handling system to be developed from a system for modeling pipes.

The CATIA 3D Piping Design module is particularly amenable to such modification due to a number of tools built into CATIA which allow the program to be customized for the needs of a given user. For example, the names of the pipe elements can be altered, and new descriptions of pipes and connectors can be added to a catalog of pipe parts. Furthermore, CATIA is built on object technology. This means that elements created by the piping or other modules have properties, can perform certain actions, and can be controlled through manipulation of the properties and actions. CATIA allows for the modification and creation of objects, which is very useful for the reasons described in greater detail hereinafter. Beneficially, all of these modifications can be made without altering or even having access to the source code of the CATIA program or piping module.