Compliance apparatus and methods for gripping and transporting workpiece sheets such as appliance door blanks to be formed to and from a properly aligned forming position at a work station

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Compliance apparatus, for gripping and transporting workpiece sheets such as appliance door blanks to be formed to and from a work station having precision locator sheet stop surfaces is, mounted on a carrier for travel in a generally horizontal path toward the work station. The compliance apparatus includes a plurality of generally horizontally spaced apart, workpiecealigned suction grippers for collectively gripping the top surface of a workpiece sheet. Resilient mechanism connecting each of the grippers to the carrier provides for relative individual lateral movement of the sheet carrying grippers from neutral positions to positions displaced therefrom in any required direction, as …