METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHANGING THE ORIENTATION OF WORKPIECES ABOUT AN ANGLED AXIS FOR A DECORATOR

摘要

A workpiece transfer for loading and unloading workpieces for a decorating machine includes at least one workpiece gripper for supporting a workpiece during changing of the orientation thereof from a first orientation to a second orientation. The workpiece in the first orientation has a longitudinal central axis oriented in one of a vertical and a horizontal orientation and in the second orientation has the axis in the other of the vertical and horizontal orientations. A drive reciprocates the workpiece gripper and the workpiece gripped thereby generally parallel with a rotational axis while rotating the workpiece gripper and the workpiece gripped thereby about the rotational axis, the rotational axis forming acute angles with the longitudinal central axis of the workpiece in each of the vertical and horizontal orientations.