A system is disclosed for controlling the disgorging of objects. The system includes a container system including a container for containing objects, rotation means for rotating the container to a disgorgement angle, and movement means for moving at least a portion of the container system in a repetitious manner with a net zero distance of travel of the at least the portion of the container system such that the objects are disgorged from the container at a controlled rate of disgorgement.

A supply device with which elements in disordered form, in particular connection elements as bulk elements, are suppliable to a second receiving volume. The supply device includes a first receiving container from which, via an outlet opening, a plurality of elements is deliverable to a second receiving container. The second receiving container may consist of an oscillation feeder. The oscillation energy of the oscillation feeder is specifically transmitted onto the elements, which are stored in the first receiving container. With the help of the transmitted oscillations, elements are transferred from the first receiving container via a transfer zone from the first receiving container into the second receiving container.

A method and system for an automatic parts conveying system includes a parts feeder configured to receive parts from a receiving bin, a linear conveyor for conveying parts away from the parts feeder to an installation robot. The installation robot includes a robot arm controlled by a controller and a parts handling device coupled to a distal end of the robot arm. The automatic parts conveying system also includes one or more vibrating elements positioned along at least one of the linear conveyor, the parts feeder, and the receiving bin to impart vibratory motions to the at least one of the linear conveyor, the parts feeder, and the receiving bin for stimulating the parts into motion. The automatic parts conveying system also includes an air assist portion configured to provide pressurized fluid to the parts to facilitate moving parts through the automatic parts conveying system.

According to the present invention there is provided a feeding assembly comprising, a track along which components can be moved, said track comprising a sloped surface and a ledge, wherein said sloped surface slopes in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction which the components move along the track so that the components are maintained in a tilted orientation as they move along the track; a pickup platform which comprises a pocket which can receive components from said track; wherein the feeding assembly further comprise a pivot on which the pickup platform can be selectively rotated between a first position and second position, wherein in its first position the pocket is aligned with the track and the pocket is parallel with the sloped surface of the track, so that a component can move from the track into the pocket of the pickup platform, and in its second position the pocket is in a horizontal orientation. There is further provided a corresponding method of feeding components and a component handing assembly which uses the feeding assembly.

A parts accumulating section is constituted by a cylindrical center member; and a hose helically wrapped around the outer periphery of the cylindrical center member, and connecting predetermined two steps of a parts production line to each other. The hose has an inner diameter dimension which enables parts to pass, in a predetermined attitude, through the hose with only each one of the parts disposed in the hose in the radial direction of the hose. A vibration generating section applies torsional vibrations to the parts accumulating section so that the parts are fed in the hose. The parts discharged from the upstream step are accumulated in the hose in the same order as they are handled in the upstream step. The parts are fed in the hose without generating surface damage to the parts due to their collision against each other, and are supplied to the downstream step.

A system for controlled distribution of components, the system including a vibrating bowl provided with an enclosure having a wall extending right around an axis of revolution of the bowl and in which the components are placed in bulk, and an articulated gripping arm provided to distribute the components to the automatic assembly installation, the vibrating bowl including an ascending helical ramp extending along an internal face of the wall between a base and an upper edge of the vibrating bowl constituting an exit of the ramp, the components being able to travel along this ramp towards a supply platform, particularly a slide, on which at least one component is arranged in advance of its seizure by the articulated gripping arm, the supply platform being connected to the exit and extending above or in the enclosure of the vibrating bowl.

A flexible feeding system including a tray configured to orient, segregate and singulate objects. The tray is operatively coupled to a multi-directional vibratory platform for causing movement of the objects in multiple different directions on the tray. The tray includes an orienting region having orienting slots for orienting the objects, and a divider that separates the orienting region from a singulating region of the tray. The divider includes openings that correspond with the orienting slots. The openings are configured to permit the objects which are oriented in the slots to pass across the divider into the singulating region, while restricting the misoriented objects from passing across the divider. The tray may include an upstream bulk region for containing a plurality of the objects in bulk form. The tray also may include a downstream pick region for confining the oriented objects at predetermined locations in each of the slots.

A crimping machine includes a storage arrangement having a plurality of feeding bowls for separated contact elements. The crimping machine further includes a device for transporting the contact elements to a crimp head. At least some of the feeding bowls are designed with a common vibration driver and can be driven via a common control unit.

A combination weighing device includes a plurality of weighing units arranged in a circular form, a combination scale configured to temporarily retain, in a collection hopper, articles discharged from one or more of the weighing units selected as a result of combinatorial computations and to discharge the articles from the collection hopper, and an alignment and transport unit configured to align and vibrationally transport the articles discharged from the collection hopper.

A control apparatus that controls a robot system including a part feeder having a container that accommodates a part and a plurality of vibration actuators for vibrating the container, and a robot having an end effector for picking up a part from the container, the apparatus comprising: a processor that is configured to execute computer-executable instructions so as to control the part feeder and the robot, wherein the processor is configured to select one or more control commands from a plurality of control commands respectively including control parameters of the plurality of vibration actuators and transmits the selected control command to the part feeder for causing the part feeder to perform an operation according to the selected control command.