Patent ID: 7063498
Filing Date: 2006-06-20
Classification: B25J,C03B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for transferring an article from a first position to a second position without varying an angular orientation of the article, said apparatus comprising, in combination: a fixed shaft; a housing journalled on said fixed shaft to be oscillatible with respect to said fixed shaft; a first gear within said housing, said first gear being co-axial with said fixed shaft and being oscillatible with respect to said fixed shaft, said first gear having a plurality of teeth in an outer periphery; a rotatable shaft mounted within said housing; a second gear fixed to said rotatable shaft within said housing and oscillatible with said housing, said second gear being spaced from said first gear and being rotatable with respect to said housing about a central axis of said second gear, said central axis of said second gear being parallel to the axis of oscillation of said first gear; a rack extending through said housing and having a plurality of teeth in engagement with teeth on said first gear and teeth on said second gear; and resilient biasing means for resiliently biasing said rack into engagement with said first gear and said second gear to minimize backlash between said first gear and said second gear.