Metal working – Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for... – Separate tool stations for selective or successive operation...
Patent
1997-04-30
2000-01-11
Briggs, William
Metal working
Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for...
Separate tool stations for selective or successive operation...
29705, 29712, 29715, 29788, B23Q 1500
Patent
active
060122161
ABSTRACT:
A semi-automated machine for singulating individual surgical needles from an bulk supply and attaching a suture to the surgical needle is described. Each of the surgical needles has a suture receiving opening formed therein for receiving a suture. The machine includes a singulation station having a sliding surface that assists an operator in singulating needles and depositing them in a pair of drop locations for subsequent automatic handling. Indexing conveyors, an articulated robot and a precision conveyor are used with a precise positioning station for orienting each needle for automatic handling. A universal gripper mounted on a rotary indexing device automatically receives each individual needle in a predetermined orientation and conveys the needle for sequential processing from station to station to form the needle-suture assembly. A suture feeding and cutting station automatically cuts an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length suture strand and automatically inserts an end of the definite length suture strand into the suture receiving opening formed in the needle. A swage station is provided for swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about the suture to secure said suture thereto and form therefrom a needle and suture assembly. A suture pull-test station test each needle suture bond, and selectively and destructively tests the bond for adjusting the swage dies and for statistical quality control. A final off-load station provides an apparatus for assembling a predetermined number of need-suture assemblies in a bundle for subsequent packaging.
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Blanch John F.
Daniele Robert A.
Demarest David D.
Esteves Anthony
Briggs William
Ethicon Inc.
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