WORKPIECE SINGULATOR WITH ADJUSTABLE STAIR DEPTH

摘要

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a workpiece singulator with one or more movable stairs. A first one of the movable stairs may include an outer step member and an inner step member that is positioned between the outer step member and a second one of the movable stairs. The step members may be movable synchronously as a single stair to transport larger workpieces and asynchronously to transport smaller workpieces on the outer step member. Optionally, the workpiece singulator may further include a sensor configured to detect the size and/or position of a workpiece. In some embodiments, the workpiece singulator may be coupled with a controller configured to control the position of the outer step member independently of the position of the inner step member. In various embodiments, a workpiece singulator as disclosed herein may be operable to selectively singulate workpieces of different sizes.

主权项

1. A workpiece singulator, comprising:
a set of movable stairs, a first one of the movable stairs having a first step member with a first workpiece support surface and a second step member with a second workpiece support surface, the second step member being disposed between the first step member and a second one of the movable stairs, and the first and second step members being movable along generally parallel paths, wherein the first one of the movable stairs is configured to transport a workpiece from a first level to a second level, and the second one of the movable stairs is configured to transport the workpiece from the second level to a third level; and a drive assembly coupled with the set of movable stairs, the drive assembly selectively operable to move the first step member independently of the second step member.