This invention relates to a greatly simplified workpiece changer mechanism in combination with a simplified tool storage and changing mechanism for a machine tool. To accomplish this, a rotatable work carrying spindle is adapted to support a workpiece for selective rectilinear movement relative to an associated rotary cutting tool, and to support the same workpiece for selective rotational movement relative to a rectilinearly movable cutting tool carried by the same spindle. The work receiving s...

A tool storage magazine containing a plurality of movable tool receptacles or cartridges that are movable to a tool change station. The cartridge and its associated tool at the tool change station is removable from the magazine by a pivotal carrier that is provided with a clamp which clamps the cartridge containing the selected tool to the pivotal carrier. The pivotal carrier then swings 90.degree. to move the clamped cartridge with it for the purpose of positioning the axis of the selected tool...

A mechanical and pneumatic chip pickup apparatus employs a controllable vacuum manifold for selectively feeding vacuum or positive fluid pressure to vacuum pencils carried by an indexed, rotatable eight-position flexing pencil arm spider assembly. An oscillating depressor spider is coaxially positioned above the rotatable pencil arm assembly and adjustable depressor elements cooperate with preset pencil selectors atop each pencil arm to force the rotating pencil arm assembly at each index positi...

Nuclear reactor coolant pump having a tooling boom mounted on the periphery of the motor stand of the pump for transferring pump components through openings in the motor stand during performance of maintenance on the pump. The tooling boom comprises an articulated arm mounted on the periphery of the motor stand with a gripping mechanism attached to the arm at the end opposite the arm's attachment to the motor stand. The gripping mechanism is capable of having pump components firmly attached ther...

In a manipulator, a first drive shaft extends from a first actuator means to a first gear case through one of two parallel cylinders of a manipulator arm and is coupled to a second gear case rockably supported by the first gear case via a pair of bevel gears for causing a working head or "hand" of the manipulator arm to undergo a bending or wrist-flexing motion. A second drive shaft extends through the other cylinder from a second actuator means to the first gear case and is coupled to a power c...

A system for accurately damping and thereafter stopping high-speed displacement of robot arms in individual directions with substantially no play simultaneously with transmission of a signal for initiating displacement of other robot arms during the damping.

The shifting of the jackets and weights from the molds on one conveyor system run to a contiguous conveyor system run is performed automatically by a swinging boom mechanism having a vertical lift mechanism on the outer end of the boom. An open clamp means attached to the lower end of the lift rod closes the clamp on the jacket and accompanying weight of a mold in which the molten metal has solidified. The closed clamp and its load is lifted clear of the mold, swung on the supporting post throug...

Replacing the workpiece-lifting arm on top of the vertically-reciprocating horizontally-turning lift piston rod of the Lifting and Swinging Work Transfer Device of Kirsch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,837 of Oct. 22, 1968, the present invention mounts a head adjustably holding a horizontal slide bearing sleeve in which is slidably mounted an elongated tubular arm. The forward end of this arm carries a stationary work-gripping jaw adjacent a movable work-gripping jaw on a piston rod extending throu...

A fruit is arranged to be held upon a plurality of impaling pins with its top surface at a predetermined elevation regardless of the size of the fruit by means of a support for the lowermost surface of the fruit which support is slidably mounted with respect to the pins and is hydraulically controlled. Valve means are provided to permit the support to move vertically with the fruit when the fruit is placed in the proper position upon the pins and to prevent further movement of the support during...

An article-handling apparatus having a roller-supported base and a telescopic post assembly extending upwardly from the base. The telescopic post assembly includes a first post section secured to the base and a second post section slidably supported on the first post section and interconnected thereto by a first drive unit, such as a fluid pressure cylinder. A telescopically extendible boom assembly is rotatably supported on the upper end of the second post section and a second drive unit coacts...