Patent ID: 6416274
Filing Date: 2002-07-09
Classification: A47F,B65G

Abstract:
A method of attracting a conveyable object (W) by suction to an attractor means (12) and conveying the so attached conveyable object (W) by a conveyer arm (14), the method comprising the steps of:moving the conveyer arm (14) towards an object conveying start side (A) while guiding downwards with a guide cam (44) disposed towards the object conveying start side (A), a cam roller (34) attached to a front side surface of an external cylinder (20) biased with a biasing means (18) to assume an upper limit position thereof and thereby causing the external cylinder (20) to descend together with an internal cylinder (28) disposed in the external cylinder (20) and biased upwards with a biasing means (26), the internal cylinder (28) having attached thereto an attractor plate (32) that carries the attractor means; in the object conveying start side (A) permitting a conveyable object (W) to be attracted by suction to the attractor means (12) carried by the internal cylinder (28) that has descended, the attractor means (2) providing a suction force sufficient to attract the conveyable object (W) thereto by being then in suction communication with a suction source (16) via the attractor plate (32), a head plate (24) attached to a lower end of the external cylinder (20), and a suction hose means (22) connecting to the suctions source (16); and thereafter moving the conveyer arm (14) towards an object conveying destination side (B) while guiding downwards with a release guide cam (46) disposed towards the object conveying destination side (B), a release roller attached to a rear side surface of the internal cylinder (28) as movable on a rear side surface of the external cylinder (20) and thereby causing the attractor plate (32) having the attractor means (12) to descend to separate, in the object conveying destination side (B), the attractor plate (32) from the head plate (24), thereby removing the suction force provided by the attractor means (12) and releasing the conveyed object (W) from suction retention.