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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7165309 | Method for assembly of a motorcycle frame A method and apparatus for assembling motorcycle frames includes a conveyor defining a path of travel and a pallet movable along the conveyor through a workstation. The pallet supports a rotatable frame for receiving individual components and/or sub-assemblies in fi... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7128196 | Flexible automotive assembly line method An apparatus for assembling an automotive body on an assembly line having a right-hand body subassembly line, a left-hand body subassembly line and an underbody subassembly line, for delivery to a pallet transport system for movement through a body framing subassemb... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7108189 | Precise transport positioning apparatus using a closed loop controlled, non-direct drive or friction drive system with absolute positioning encoder An apparatus for positioning a workpiece carrier with respect to a workstation can include an encoder reader located in a fixed position at a workstation for generating a signal in response to interaction with at least one encoder strip, a workpiece carrier movable ... | 09/19/2006 |
| 6966427 | Pallet/skid power roll system An apparatus moves a plurality of transport media along a path of travel. The plurality of transport media define at least two groups of transport media, where each group of transport media has substantially identical transverse dimensions with respect to one anothe... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6948227 | Framing station having self piercing rivets and method An apparatus and process for assembling individual body components of a body-in-white vehicle with respect to one another to form a unitary vehicle body including a framing workstation for receiving and positionally locating an underbody member of the vehicle, and f... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6932263 | Vehicle framing system for plurality of vehicle body styles An apparatus and method for randomly interchanging up to four pairs of side framing gates at a framing station of a vehicle assembly line while maintaining a predetermined build cycle time interval of the assembly line. The system employs first and second carousels ... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6912774 | Apparatus and method for assembly of motorcycle frame A method and apparatus for assembling motorcycle frames includes a conveyor defining a path of travel and at least one pallet movable along the conveyor through at least one workstation. The pallet supports at least one rotatable frame for receiving individual compo... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6911616 | Weld gun assembly A weld gun for performing a welding operation on a workpiece includes a pair of opposing arms, at least one arm movable relative to the opposing arm to apply pressure to the workpiece during a welding operation. A pair of identical or mirror image side plates suppor... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6909064 | Pinch weld gun with swivel shunt connection A weld gun including a frame structure, a weld arm mounted on the frame structure, an electrode mounted on the weld arm and including an electrode cap at one end of the electrode, a transformer, and a shunt fixedly secured at one end thereof to another end of the el... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6827197 | Flexible automotive assembly line and method An apparatus for assembling an automotive body on an assembly line having a right-hand body subassembly line, a left-hand body subassembly line and an underbody subassembly line, for delivery to a pallet transport system for movementthrough a body framing subassembl... | 12/07/2004 |
| 6799673 | Versaroll overhead conveyor system An overhead conveyor or transport system is disclosed where at least one carriage is supported on a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted in fixed overhead locations spaced along a path of travel. At least one motor is provided for driving a portion of the pluralit... | 10/05/2004 |
| 6787729 | Multi-axis articulatable robot having a weld gun with inverted roller screw actuator A multi-axis articulatable robot with a weld gun having a pair of opposing arms, where at least one arm is movable relative to the other arm to apply pressure to a workpiece during a welding operation. At least one of the opposing arms of the weld gun can be rotatab... | 09/07/2004 |
| 6732852 | Trunnion mountable fixture A rotatable frame mounted on a base with trunnions. The frame can support a workpiece on more than one surface and can have workpiece engaging devices such as clamps, locating pins or nesting fixtures on both sides. The engaging devices can be different on different... | 05/11/2004 |
| 6723944 | Pinch weld gun A pinch type weld gun wherein the weld arms are pivotally mounted on the frame structure via a ball bearing structure including annular members of insulative material positioned in apertures in the weld arms, inner races fixedly mounted on a common pivot pin, outer ... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6719122 | Lockable latch for an apparatus having a combined latch actuation and carrier movement A lowerator for an assembly system of the type including at least one rail defining a path of travel with respect to at least one workstation, and a conveyor for transporting a workpiece along the rail. The conveyor includes a trolley moveable along the rail and a c... | 04/13/2004 |
| 6698736 | Clamping locator A clamping and locating fixture includes a hollow body, a pin mountable to the body, a locking arm positionable within the body locatable between two positions and a drive pin moveable within the body to engage the locking arm. A workpiece can be directed... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6685177 | Clamping locator A clamping and locating fixture includes a hollow body, a pin or angled plate mountable to the body, a locking arm positionable within the body locatable between two positions and a drive pin moveable within the body to engage the locking arm. A workpiece... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6662083 | Multiple robotic workstation with multiple fixtures A workstation having multiple robots and multiple fixtures for processing multiple workpieces along two processing paths. A first fixture can be positioned on the first processing path and a second fixture can be positioned on the second processing path. ... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6651867 | Robotic turntable A plurality of robots are positioned on a rotatable table for transporting parts to be processed through a plurality of work stations positioned around the periphery of the table. Each robot can carry a workpiece from one work station to the next. The rot... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6446478 | Two-stage hemming machine with movable dies A two-stage hemming machine has a centrally located press station with an anvil extendable along a vertical axis, and a loading station and an unloading station located on opposite sides of the press station. Separate first and second dies slide on horizo... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6435397 | Robotic turntable A plurality of robots are positioned on a rotatable table for transporting parts to be processed through a plurality of work stations positioned around the periphery of the table. Each robot can carry a workpiece from one work station to the next. The rot... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6426626 | Apparatus and method for testing an ignition coil and spark plug A method and apparatus for testing spark plugs and ignition coils. An apparatus includes a power supply for supplying power to an ignition coil to generate a spark across a spark plug. A capture circuit captures an energy signal reflected from the ignitio... | 07/30/2002 |
| 6419071 | Lowerator having an actuator capable of combined latch actuation and carrier movement A lowerator for an assembly system of the type including at least one rail defining a path of travel with respect to at least one workstation, and a conveyor for transporting a work piece along the rail. The conveyor includes a trolley moveable along the ... | 07/16/2002 |
| 6378186 | Automobile framing system A framing system and framing device for assembling and welding a body-in-white. The framing system utilizes completely separate framing and welding operations, which are typically intermixed in conventional framing systems. The framing device is a unitary... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6344626 | Apparatus and method for laser welding in a hemmer apparatus A hemmer apparatus has at least one welding laser attached to the moveable crown for controlled welding of the hemmed panels to hold the panels with respect to one another, at least temporarily, and/or to maintain geometry between the panels until permane... | 02/05/2002 |
| 6173881 | Car body assembly and welding station with reciprocal gate-supporting system A vehicle body welding system includes a work station for welding components of a preassembled body with respect to one another. The body is moveable along a fixed path of travel through the work station. At least two moveable pillars are located on each ... | 01/16/2001 |
| 5966808 | Method for assembling a heat exchanger core An apparatus assembles a heat exchanger core having first and second side plates. The first and second side plates cooperate with first and second end plates to sandwich a plurality of layered tubes and fin plates therebetween. The apparatus includes a li... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5966801 | Automatic door flusher The present invention provides an automatic door flusher which uses one floating urethane flushing block, at least two tractor elements for urging the flushing block toward the body and urging the door toward the floating flushing block. The tractor eleme... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5920386 | Support frame for headlight aiming apparatus An apparatus and method for aiming a vehicle headlight to a standard image pattern includes a frame movable relative to the vehicle. A housing carried on a vertically adjustable housing includes a lens focusing a headlight beam onto a reflective screen wh... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5890298 | Vehicle centering apparatus An apparatus for longitudinally centering the front and rear pairs of vehicle wheels includes a frame having pairs of laterally movable tables, each for receiving one of the vehicle wheels. Pusher members are engageable with each vehicle wheel. A centerin... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5870819 | Apparatus for assembling a heat exchanger core An apparatus assembles a heat exchanger core having first and second side plates. The first and second side plates cooperate with first and second end plates to sandwich a plurality of layered tubes and fin plates therebetween. The apparatus includes a li... | 02/16/1999 |
| 5751832 | Headlight aiming apparatus An apparatus and method for aiming a vehicle headlight to a standard image pattern includes a frame movable relative to the vehicle. A housing carried on a vertically adjustable housing includes a lens focusing a headlight beam onto a reflective screen wh... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5750933 | Weld cable end A flexible strain relief device having a center through aperture for receiving cable end portions to be installed into a carrier. The strain relief device has a solid cone shaped portion and a rectangular portion constructed of flexible material having se... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5739499 | Weld gun counterbalance apparatus A pair of tongs position the first and second electrodes with respect to the workpiece while the tongs rotate with respect to one another about a pivot axis. A counterbalancing mechanism balances the first and second electrodes when in or in close proximi... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5697752 | Overhead transfer clamp actuator and linkage An apparatus for conveying panels, such as vehicle body side panels to and from work stations located at spaced locations along a conveyor includes a panel support frame mounted on the conveyor for movement along the conveying path with the support frame ... | 12/16/1997 |
| 5665255 | Laser welding apparatus and method for high temperature gradient cooling alloys Metal alloy workpieces are laser welded to one another with a laser head emitting a laser beam. The laser head and workpieces are moved relative to one another at a predetermined velocity along a weld path. The laser beam power is selectively modulated to... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5591358 | Apparatus for clamping and laser welding A clamping and welding apparatus for properly clamping and welding a pair of sheet materials within a welding station for both confined and accessible clamping and welding areas. When sheet materials or body panels of automobiles arrive in a welding stati... | 01/07/1997 |
| 5479698 | Geometry station The method and apparatus for the manufacture of product subassemblies by computer programmed robots is an end effector fixture assembly, or geometry station wherein at least two individual elements of the particular subassembly are dimensionally positione... | 01/02/1996 |
| 5427300 | Apparatus for framing vehicle bodies A framing apparatus that accurately and efficiently clamps and welds a loosely assembled vehicle body with a high degree of repeatability between consecutive vehicle bodies while also having the ability to adapt to a plurality of different, predetermined ... | 06/27/1995 |
| 5409158 | Automobile framing system A framing system and framing device for assembling and welding a body-in-white utilizes completely separate framing and welding operations, which are typically intermixed in conventional framing systems. The framing device is a unitary frame structure wit... | 04/25/1995 |
