Latest publications
Everything published here, newest first.
- OT-2026-000000043
This disclosure describes an arrangement for monitoring the preload of mounting bolts securing a slewing ring. The system utilizes a subset of load-sensing washers integrated with select bolts to measure axial clamping force. By acquiring and analyzing these preload signals over time, the system can detect progressive
- OT-2026-000000042
This disclosure describes a guided glide shoe arrangement designed to manage the dynamics of energy chains operating over extended unsupported travel distances. The arrangement mitigates the problem of sag-induced interference and wear between the upper and lower runs of the energy chain, which can occur during long-st
- OT-2026-000000041
This disclosure describes a ball screw preload retention mechanism employing a split nut assembly with an interposed compliant spacer. The arrangement addresses the issue of preload degradation in ball screw systems due to wear, which typically results in increasing backlash and subsequent positional inaccuracy long be
- OT-2026-000000040
This disclosure describes a mobile racking system configured to manage the kinetic energy of closing aisles, addressing the fundamental hazard of personnel entrapment. The system employs a specific aisle opening sequence and movement control strategy to limit the maximum kinetic energy achievable by any closing aisle s
- OT-2026-000000039
An arrangement for protecting a storage rack upright incorporates a deformable element designed to absorb impact energy. This element integrates a passive indicator mechanism that records accumulated impact history without requiring external power. The mechanism provides a visual indication of past impacts, allowing fo
- OT-2026-000000038
A system for localized recovery of a robot within a cube storage grid is disclosed, addressing the problem of grid-wide operational halts due to a single robot malfunction. This arrangement defines a dynamic isolation zone around a faulty robot or jammed bin lift, rerouting adjacent operational robots to maintain throu
- OT-2026-000000037
This disclosure describes a system for optimizing inventory slotting within a storage facility by considering product affinity and co-pick frequency while adhering to a bounded reslotting rate. The arrangement determines optimal storage locations for items to minimize travel distance and pick time. It quantifies item a
- OT-2026-000000036
An automated storage system employs a dedicated buffer position to facilitate the handover of storage units between an aisle shuttle and a vertical lift. This arrangement addresses the problem of reduced system throughput that occurs when an aisle shuttle waits directly at a lift interface, thereby blocking the entire
- OT-2026-000000035
This disclosure describes a C-hook arrangement for handling cylindrical coils, incorporating an eccentricity compensating suspension system. The system addresses the problem of coil damage that occurs when an off-center coil pickup causes the C-hook to tilt during transport. The suspension dynamically adjusts the effec
- OT-2026-000000034
A zero-gravity balancer arrangement for manipulating objects in three-dimensional space is disclosed. The arrangement includes an end effector with an integrated grip sensor that detects operator contact. A control system monitors both the grip sensor state and the vertical velocity of the end effector. When the grip s
- OT-2026-000000033
This disclosure describes a system for synchronizing the vertical position of a lift table actuated by two independent linear actuators. The system employs position feedback from each actuator to a control unit that independently adjusts actuator commands. A primary objective is to prevent racking of the lift table sci
- OT-2026-000000032
This disclosure describes a system for anti-sway control in crane operations, addressing the challenge of load oscillation caused by varying rope lengths. The system utilizes real-time measurements of rope angle and length to dynamically generate an acceleration and deceleration profile for the crane's load-carrying me
- OT-2026-000000031
This disclosure describes a control system for a vacuum tube lifter designed to enhance safety during unexpected vacuum supply interruptions. Conventional systems can lead to rapid load release, posing risks. The proposed arrangement incorporates a vacuum reservoir and a check valve to maintain vacuum integrity for a c
- OT-2026-000000030
This disclosure describes a power and free monorail carrier system featuring a pusher dog designed to disengage under controlled overload conditions. The arrangement prevents damage to the carrier or the power chain drive system when a carrier becomes jammed or obstructed. It details the mechanism for disengagement, th
- OT-2026-000000029
This disclosure describes a right-angle article transfer system designed to correct article skew during redirection. The system utilizes a lift-and-shift roller bank to receive articles from an input conveyor, elevate them, square them against a reference surface, and then transfer them onto an output conveyor moving a
- OT-2026-000000028
A belt conveyor take-up system employs a constant force spring cartridge to maintain consistent belt tension. This arrangement addresses limitations of gravity take-ups requiring significant vertical space and screw take-ups that can lose tension unnoticed. The spring cartridge is coupled to a take-up carriage, providi
- OT-2026-000000027
This disclosure describes a two-stage belt cleaning system designed to minimize carryback on conveyor belts. A primary scraper removes bulk material, while a secondary scraper, mounted on a compliant mechanism, removes finer particles and moisture. The compliant mount enables the secondary blade to maintain consistent
- OT-2026-000000026
A modular fixturing base provides a precisely defined and reconstructible platform for workpiece positioning. It incorporates a keyed grid system that encodes the spatial location of each mounting point. This encoding enables the accurate re-establishment of fixture element positions, mitigating deviations that can ari
- OT-2026-000000025
This disclosure describes an arrangement for verifying the tool centre point (TCP) of a robotic manipulator using a three-plane touch routine against a fixed reference artefact. The method addresses inaccuracies arising from tool changes, damage, or mounting variations, which can silently shift the TCP and compromise p
- OT-2026-000000024
This disclosure describes a powered hand tool incorporating a vibration reduction system that decouples the handle from the tool body through a tuned mass path. The system addresses the problem of hand-arm vibration exposure, which typically limits the duration of tool use long before component wear dictates replacemen
- OT-2026-000000023
This disclosure describes a plate handling tool designed to securely grip and lift plates with varying thicknesses and weights. The arrangement employs a mechanical wedge action to generate a gripping force that is proportional to the downward load exerted by the plate itself, thereby addressing the problem of excessiv
- OT-2026-000000022
This disclosure describes a zero point clamping interface featuring an integrated seating confirmation port. The system provides a mechanism to verify that a pallet is correctly seated within the clamping unit prior to commencing machining operations. It addresses the issue of undetected non-seated pallets, which can l
- OT-2026-000000021
This disclosure describes a torque tool system incorporating a floating reaction arm equipped with a controlled release mechanism. The arrangement is designed to mitigate the impulsive reaction force transmitted to an operator’s wrist upon tool shut-off by managing the energy associated with high-speed torque peaks. Th
- OT-2026-000000020
A vacuum fixture for securing drilling equipment to rough concrete surfaces is disclosed. It addresses the challenge of maintaining a vacuum seal on uneven substrates where conventional fixtures fail. The arrangement incorporates a multi-lip, compliant elastomeric seal (22) designed to conform to surface irregularities
- OT-2026-000000019
This disclosure details a mechanism for extending the effective payload capacity and preserving acceleration characteristics of a Delta robot by counterweighting its upper arm linkage. Delta robots typically experience a significant reduction in achievable acceleration with increasing payload due to the inherent inerti
- OT-2026-000000018
This disclosure describes a system for managing automated guided vehicle (AGV) traffic by reserving individual path segments, addressing issues prevalent in traditional area-based control systems. Area-based methods often lead to vehicle deadlocks at intersections and underutilized floor capacity due to large, exclusiv
- OT-2026-000000017
This disclosure describes a method for precisely inserting a mating component into a corresponding receptacle using a robotic manipulator. The system employs a force-controlled spiral search pattern to locate the receptacle's opening. The search is bounded by an accumulated lateral force threshold, which prevents galli
- OT-2026-000000016
This disclosure describes a system for autonomous mobile robot docking utilizing a two-stage fiducial approach. It addresses the common challenge where a single fiducial either provides a wide capture range or high precision, but not both, often leading to docking failures during the transition. The system employs a la
- OT-2026-000000015
This disclosure describes a method and system for dynamic speed and separation monitoring for robotic manipulators. It addresses the limitations of fixed safety zones that either cause premature robot stops or necessitate conservative sizing, leading to reduced operational throughput. The described arrangement computes
- OT-2026-000000014
This disclosure describes a system for compensating for positional and orientational inaccuracies of a mobile robot base prior to executing a precision manipulation task. It addresses the challenge of achieving high-accuracy manipulation with a mobile platform that has inherent limitations in docking repeatability. An
- OT-2026-000000013
This disclosure describes a tool changer coupling system incorporating redundant locking detection mechanisms independent of the actuator state. The problem addressed is the potential for tool drops when a coupling reports locked solely based on actuator position, without confirming mechanical engagement of the locking
- OT-2026-000000012
This disclosure describes a soft robotic gripper employing a granular jamming mechanism to conform to and grasp objects of varied shapes and stiffness. The gripper features a compliant outer membrane enclosing a volume of granular material, which transitions from a fluid-like state to a rigid solid state upon the appli
- OT-2026-000000011
This disclosure describes a vacuum gripper array incorporating per-pad isolation to prevent system vacuum collapse when engaging loads with varying porosity or incomplete coverage. The arrangement utilizes individual check valves for each gripper pad, a vacuum reservoir, and a control unit. It details how the system ac
- OT-2026-000000010
This disclosure describes a pallet dispensing system configured to handle pallets with damaged or non-standard stringer boards. The system employs a tine-and-fork transfer mechanism designed to engage with and lift individual pallets from a stack. It incorporates features for detecting stringer irregularities during en
- OT-2026-000000009
This disclosure describes a hanger bearing arrangement for screw conveyors handling abrasive bulk materials. The design addresses premature wear and failure of intermediate support bearings, a common cause of conveyor downtime. It employs a non-contact, indirectly lubricated bearing system, optimized material selection
- OT-2026-000000008
This disclosure describes a dock leveller lip control system designed to maintain continuous contact between the leveller lip and a trailer bed during loading or unloading operations. The system addresses the problem of trailer suspension settling, which causes the trailer bed height to decrease as its load increases,
- OT-2026-000000007
A goods-to-person picking station integrates two presentation bays to minimize operator idle time during item retrieval. It addresses the problem where an operator waits for the next storage unit to arrive, reducing potential pick rate. The system employs a control logic that anticipates the completion of picking from
- OT-2026-000000006
This disclosure describes an arrangement for suppressing dust at bulk material transfer points. It employs a staged enclosure around the material drop zone, paired with an induced air balance system. The enclosure design promotes staged particle settling while skirt seals minimize uncontrolled air ingress. An air extra
- OT-2026-000000005
An arrangement for a cross belt sorter synchronizes article induction with carrier movement. This system utilizes a high-resolution encoder to precisely track carrier positions on a continuous loop. Induction timing is dynamically calculated based on the detected pitch of carriers, ensuring articles are released only w
- OT-2026-000000004
This disclosure describes an arrangement for singulating overlapping parcels on a conveyor system by employing differential roller speeds. Parcels arriving side-by-side or in an overlapped configuration, which prevents individual identification and sorting, are presented to a singulation zone. Within this zone, transpo
- OT-2026-000000003
This disclosure describes a layer transfer head designed to handle full layers of unstable packages, such as cartons or bags. The head incorporates independently retractable side clamps with compliant clamp faces and a layer height sensing mechanism. This configuration prevents layer collapse during transfer and releas
- OT-2026-000000002
A system for zero pressure accumulation on roller conveyors is described, addressing issues arising from variable article lengths. It dynamically adjusts accumulation zone behavior to prevent jams and maintain high density by measuring article length and coordinating zone release. The system handles articles that span
- OT-2026-000000001
This disclosure describes a self-correcting belt tracking system designed for conveyor applications. It addresses the problem of conveyor belts wandering off-center, which leads to premature wear, edge damage, and potential operational failure. The system employs a pivoting idler roller assembly, whose angular position