Abstract

A gripper device is provided for picking up and releasing an article. The device includes a support (15, 16) and a pair of grippers (10, 11) pivotally mounted on the support for movement of their distal ends towards and away from each other. A belt (1) is belt arranged to extend across the gap defined between the distal ends of the grippers when they are spaced apart so that the belt is able to extend over the article to be picked up and to extend around the article when the grippers have been moved towards each other to pick up the article.

IPC Classes  ?

• B25J 15/00 - Gripping heads

Abstract

A pick and place device for picking up and re-positioning an article (11) carried by a support surface, comprising a first part which includes a plate portion (8, 8′) which is movable parallel to the support surface so that a leading edge thereof penetrates below the article, between the article and the support surface, and a belt of flexible material (9, 9′) which is wrapped around at least the leading edge of the plate portion so that it is sandwiched between the plate and the article when the former penetrates therebelow and as the plate portion moves below the article there is substantially no relative sliding movement between the sandwiched portion of the belt and the article.

IPC Classes  ?

• B66C 1/42 - Gripping members engaging only the external or internal surface of the articles

Abstract

A gripper device is provided for picking up and releasing an article. The device includes a support (15, 16) and a pair of grippers (10, 11) pivotally mounted on the support for movement of their distal ends towards and away from each other. A belt (1) is belt arranged to extend across the gap defined between the distal ends of the grippers when they are spaced apart so that the belt is able to extend over the article to be picked up and to extend around the article when the grippers have been moved towards each other to pick up the article.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65G 47/90 - Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
• B25J 15/00 - Gripping heads
• B65B 25/06 - Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
• B65B 35/16 - Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by grippers

Abstract

A gripper device is provided for picking up and releasing an article. The device includes a support (15, 16) and a pair of grippers (10, 11) pivotally mounted on the support for movement of their distal ends towards and away from each other. A belt (1) is belt arranged to extend across the gap defined between the distal ends of the grippers when they are spaced apart so that the belt is able to extend over the article to be picked up and to extend around the article when the grippers have been moved towards each other to pick up the article.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65G 47/90 - Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
• B25J 15/00 - Gripping heads
• B65B 25/06 - Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
• B65B 35/16 - Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by grippers

Abstract

A vision system for viewing the end face of product (64) mounted in a machine and which in use produces measurements relating to the area of the end face and of at least one constituent part of the product which is visible in the said end face. The system comprises means for illuminating a region containing the end face and scanning (78) means for producing a video signal from an image of the illuminated region. The region is illuminated consecutively using first one (50) and then the other (58, 60) of two strobed light sources.

IPC Classes  ?

• B26D 5/00 - Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
• B26D 7/30 - Means for performing other operations combined with cutting for weighing cut product

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are described for picking and placing a plurality of items as a group for placement in a particular spacing using a robotic arm and gripper device. The claimed method comprises the steps of positioning the device over the items and then lowering (see actuators 10A, 28A, 32A), operating (see actuator 18) and raising (see actuators 10A,28A,32A) each gripper means in turn to pick up the items one by one, until a predetermined number have been picked, moving (see actuator 36) at least one of the gripped items within the device so as to form with the other items the said particular spacing, positioning the group of items over a new location where they are to be deposited, opening the gripper means so as to release (see actuator 18) the items into the new location, and raising (see actuators 10A,28A,32A) the device so as to leave the group of items in the new location. A corresponding pick and place gripper device is claimed which includes a plurality of item-gripping means (12, 14; 20, 22; 24, 26) and drive means (36).

IPC Classes  ?

• B25J 15/00 - Gripping heads

Abstract

A pick and place device for picking up and re-positioning an article (11) carried by a support surface, comprising a first part which includes a plate portion (8, 8' ) which is movable parallel to the support surface so that a leading edge thereof penetrates below the article, between the article and the support surface, and a belt of flexible material (9, 9') which is wrapped around at least the leading edge of the plate portion so that it is sandwiched between the plate and the article when the former penetrates therebelow and as the plate portion moves below the article there is substantially no relative sliding movement between the sandwiched portion of the belt and the article.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65G 47/90 - Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
• B25J 15/00 - Gripping heads

Abstract

A pick and place device for picking up and re-positioning an article (11) carried by a support surface, comprising a first part which includes a plate portion (8, 8' ) which is movable parallel to the support surface so that a leading edge thereof penetrates below the article, between the article and the support surface, and a belt of flexible material (9, 9') which is wrapped around at least the leading edge of the plate portion so that it is sandwiched between the plate and the article when the former penetrates therebelow and as the plate portion moves below the article there is substantially no relative sliding movement between the sandwiched portion of the belt and the article.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65G 47/90 - Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
• B25J 15/00 - Gripping heads

Abstract

A vision system is described for viewing the end face of product mounted in a machine which in use produces measurements relating to the area of the end face and of at least one constituent part of the product which is visible in the end face. The system comprises means for illuminating the end face and a video camera for producing a video signal from an image of the illuminated end face. The end face is illuminated by light of two predominantly different wavelengths. One wavelength illuminates an area which contains both the end face and surrounding parts of the machine, while light of the other wavelength from a laser source produces a pattern of parallel spaced apart lines of light of the said other wavelength. A memory stores information on the components of the machine which in use extend into the field of view of the scanning means, and signals obtained from the stored information are employed to gate the video signal to exclude video signal corresponding to regions of the field view which are known not to contain any part of the product end face. The parallel lines cross the end face at a specific given angle, and parallel lines in the field of view at other angles indicate regions in the field of view which are not part of the end face of the product. Gating excludes video signal of parallel lines in the image which are not at the specific angle and of parallel lines crossing flat regions of the machine parallel to the end face of the product, to leave a residual video signal corresponding to the end face, from which an electronic mask is generated which represents the extent of the product end face. A full colour video signal of the field of view is gated by the mask. The vision system forms part of a product slicing machine and measurements and/or dimensional values obtained from the video signal control the thickness of the next slice to be cut and are also sent to slice and pack grade-level decision logic, to control down-line gates.

IPC Classes  ?

• B26D 5/00 - Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
• B26D 7/30 - Means for performing other operations combined with cutting for weighing cut product

Abstract

A vision system is described for viewing the end face of product mounted in a machine which in use produces measurements relating to the area of the end face and of at least one constituent part of the product which is visible in the end face. The system comprises means for illuminating the end face and a video camera for producing a video signal from an image of the illuminated end face. The end face is illuminated by light of two predominantly different wavelengths. One wavelength illuminates an area which contains both the end face and surrounding parts of the machine, while light of the other wavelength from a laser source produces a pattern of parallel spaced apart lines of light of the said other wavelength. A memory stores information on the components of the machine which in use extend into the field of view of the scanning means, and signals obtained from the stored information are employed to gate the video signal to exclude video signal corresponding to regions of the field view which are known not to contain any part of the product end face. The parallel lines cross the end face at a specific given angle, and parallel lines in the field of view at other angles indicate regions in the field of view which are not part of the end face of the product. Gating excludes video signal of parallel lines in the image which are not at the specific angle and of parallel lines crossing flat regions of the machine parallel to the end face of the product, to leave a residual video signal corresponding to the end face, from which an electronic mask is generated which represents the extent of the product end face. A full colour video signal of the field of view is gated by the mask. The vision system forms part of a product slicing machine and measurements and/or dimensional values obtained from the video signal control the thickness of the next slice to be cut and are also sent to slice and pack grade-level decision logic, to control down-line gates.

IPC Classes  ?

• G01N 33/12 - MeatFish
• A22B 5/00 - Accessories for use during or after slaughtering
• B26D 5/00 - Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
• B26D 7/30 - Means for performing other operations combined with cutting for weighing cut product

Goods & Services

Cutting machines; food processing machines; machine moulds; food preparation machines; food handling machines; food moulding machines; control systems for machines; punching machines; rinsing machines, parts and fittings for all the aforesaid goods.