1. A storage container manipulator device for use with agricultural seed box having a first orientation box state and a second orientation box state, the device comprising:
a rigid first tower frame defining a process area;
a conveyor defining a path of travel, the conveyor operative to move a container oriented in a first state along a path of travel through the process area;
a manipulator device including a rigid carriage, a first gripper and a second gripper, the first and second grippers moveably connected to the carriage and operable to selectively engage a portion of the container to reorient container to a second state different than the first state; and
a lifting device connected to the first tower frame and engageable with the manipulator carriage defining a second path of travel substantially perpendicular to the first path of travel, the lifting device operative to selectively raise the manipulator device from a first position to an elevated second position sufficient to reorient the container portion from the first state to the second state.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second grippers further comprise a frame and a plurality of pads extending from the gripper frame for engagement with the portion of the container, the gripper frames are rotatable with respect to the manipulator device carriage and at least one of the first and second grippers are connected to a drive to forcibly rotate the gripper frame relative to the manipulator carriage to selectively rotate the container relative to the manipulator carriage.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the manipulator device further comprises:
a pivot arm hingedly connected to the manipulator carriage and one of the first or the second gripper frame; and
an actuator connected to the manipulator carriage and the pivot arm, the actuator operable to selectively move and position the connected pivot arm and gripper in the process area to selectively engage the portion of the container whether oriented in a first state or the second state.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein the manipulator device comprises a pair of pivot arms and actuators, one pivot arm and actuator for each of the first and the second grippers, the actuators synchronously operative to selectively move the respective grippers toward or away from one another in the process area.
5. The device of claim 3 wherein the gripper device further comprises a biasing member positioned between the pivot arm and the gripper frame operable to provide a range of compression force on engagement of the gripper with the container.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the lifting device further comprises:
a drive motor connected to the first tower frame;
a drive shaft connected to the motor and having a pair of opposed sprockets adjacent the ends of the drive shaft, the drive shaft rotatable about an axis of rotation;
a pair of chains engageable with the respective sprockets each having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends connected to the manipulator carriage wherein on movement of the drive motor, the manipulator device is moved along the second path of travel relative to the first tower frame.
7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a first and a second locator connected to the first tower frame and positioned on opposing sides of the first path of travel, each locator having a pad selectively engageable with another portion of the container to position the container at a predetermined location in the process area.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein each locator further comprising:
an arm pivotally connected to the first tower frame, the pad connected to a distal end of the arm;
an actuator connected to the first tower frame and arm wherein the actuator selectively moves the pad from a first position toward the first tower frame and a second position in engagement with the container.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein the container further includes a removable lid, the manipulator device further comprising a lid removal device connected to the first tower frame, the lid removal device comprising a lid engagement member positioned in the first base tower process area, the lid engagement member operative to selectively engage and hold the lid relative to the container until selectively disengaged to place the lid in contact with the container.
10. The device of claim 9 further comprising a container lid transport device wherein the first tower process area defines a first lid station, the container lid transport device comprising:
a second rigid tower frame positioned distant from the first tower frame;
a tower bridge frame connecting the first tower frame to the second tower frame and defining a third path of travel, the bridge frame defining a second lid station and the second tower frame defining a third lid station; and
a conveyor positioned between the first tower frame and the second tower frame along the third path of travel for selective movement of the lid engagement member between the first, the second and the third lid stations.
11. The device of claim 10 wherein the lid engagement member comprises a first lid engagement member and a second lid engagement member, each lid engagement member connected to the conveyor and spaced apart along the third path of travel a distance between the first and the second lid stations, wherein the container lid transport device is operable to selectively shuttle removed container lids between the first, the second and the third lid stations.
12. The device of claim 11 wherein the lid transport device further comprises an lid actuator positioned at the third lid station and connected to the second tower frame, the lid actuator operable to place the previously removed and transported lid back on the container that has been transported from the first tower frame to the second tower frame.
13. The device in claim 1 wherein the container is an agricultural seed box.
14. A method for reorienting a container having a first portion and a second portion from a first orientation state to a second orientation state using a manipulation device having a first tower frame defining a processing area, a lift device connected to the tower frame, a manipulating device connected to lifting device having a first gripper and a second gripper, and a conveyor in communication with the first tower frame and the processing area, the method for reorienting a container comprising:
loading a container oriented in a first state onto a conveyor;
transporting the container along a first path of travel into the processing area;
positioning the manipulation device along a second path of travel proximate the container;
engaging one of the first or the second container portions with the first and the second manipulation device grippers;
reorienting the one of the first or the second container portions relative to the other of the container portion forming a container second orientation state through moving the first and the second grippers relative to the first tower frame; and
transporting the container oriented in the second state away from the tower frame processing area.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of engaging the container with the first and the second grippers further comprises the step of pivoting the grippers on respective pivot arms connected to the first tower frame to accommodate different size containers.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of engaging the container with the first and the second grippers further comprising the step of compressing a biasing member in each gripper to apply a linear range of pressure to accommodate different size and locational position of the container in the processing area.
17. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of reorienting the one of the first and the second container portions relative to the other container portion further comprises the steps of:
raising the manipulation device and engaged container portion along the second path of travel;
rotating the first and the second grippers and engaged container portion 180 degrees; and
lowering the engaged container portion onto the other container portion forming the second container orientation state nested with the first container portion.
18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of engaging and removing a lid from the container in the processing area at a first lid station.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of removing the lid from the container further comprises the steps of:
transporting the removed container lid along a third path of travel to a second lid station; and
replacing the removed lid back onto the container through movement along a forth path of travel.
20. A storage container manipulator device for use with agricultural seed box having a first orientation box state and a second orientation box state, the device comprising:
means for loading a container oriented in a first state onto a conveyor;
means for transporting the container along a first path of travel into the processing area;
means for positioning the manipulation device along a second path of travel proximate the container;
means for engaging one of the first or the second container portions with the first and the second manipulation device grippers;
means for reorienting the one of the first or the second container portions relative to the other of the container portion forming a container second orientation state through moving the first and the second grippers relative to the first tower frame; and
means for transporting the container oriented in the second state away from the tower frame processing area.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A data transfer system comprising:
a transfer controller having an input for serially receiving request packets and completion packets from an upstream device;
a transfer receiving device coupled to the transfer controller for receiving request packets and completion packets from the transfer controller;
a first interface coupling the transfer receiving device to the transfer controller; and
a second interface coupling the transfer receiving device to the transfer controller;
wherein the transfer controller transmits request packets to the transfer receiving device over the first interface and transmits completion packets to the transfer receiving device over the second interface.
2. The data transfer device of claim 1 wherein the transfer receiving device comprises an application layer.
3. The data transfer system of claim 1 wherein the request packets comprise posted request packets.
4. The data transfer system of claim 1 wherein the request packets comprise non-posted request packets.
5. The data transfer system of claim 1 wherein the request packets comprise posted request packets and non-posted request packets.
6. The data transfer device of claim 5 wherein the transfer controller comprises an arbiter for reordering the posted and non-posted request packets received by the transfer controller for transmission over the first interface to the transfer receiving device.
7. The data transfer device of claim 1 wherein the transfer controller enables the transmission of the request packets and completion packets to the transfer receiving device contemporaneously.
8. A data transfer system comprising:
a PCI Express transaction layer having an input for serially receiving posted and non-posted request packets and completion packets from an upstream device;
an application layer coupled to the PCI Express transaction layer for receiving posted and non-posted request packets and completion packets from the PCI Express transaction layer;
a first transmission interface coupling the application layer to the PCI Express transaction layer; and
a second transmission interface coupling the application layer to the PCI Express transaction layer;
wherein the PCI Express transaction layer transmits posted and non-posted request packets to the application layer over the first transmission interface and transmits completion packets to the application layer over the second transmission interface.
9. The data transfer system of claim 8 wherein the PCI Express transaction layer comprises an arbiter for reordering the posted and non-posted request packets received by the PCI Express transaction layer for transmission over the first transmission interface to the application layer.
10. The data transfer device of claim 8 wherein the PCI Express transaction layer enables the transmission of the posted and non-posted request packets and completion packets to the application layer contemporaneously.
11. A data transfer method comprising:
A. serially receiving request packets and completion packets from an upstream device;
B. inputting the request packets into a first register device;
C. inputting the completion packets into a second register device;
D. transmitting the request packets to a packet receiving device through a first interface; and
E. transmitting the completion packets to the packet receiving device through a second interface.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet receiving device comprises an application layer.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the request packets comprise posted request packets.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the request packets comprise non-posted request packets.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the request packets comprise posted request packets and non-posted request packets.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising reordering the posted and non-posted request packets prior to their transmission over the first interface to the packet receiving device.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting the request packets and completion packets to the packet receiving device relatively contemporaneously.
18. A data transfer method comprising:
A. serially receiving, from an upstream device, request packets and completion packets in a PCI Express transaction layer;
B. inputting the request packets into a first register device;
C. inputting the completion packets into a second register device;
D. transmitting the request packets to an application layer device through a first interface; and
E. transmitting the completion packets to the application layer device through a second interface.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the request packets comprise posted request packets.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein the request packets comprise non-posted request packets.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein the request packets comprise posted request packets and non-posted request packets.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising reordering the posted and non-posted request packets prior to their transmission over the first interface to the packet receiving device.
23. The method of claim 22 further comprising transmitting the request packets and completion packets to the packet receiving device contemporaneously.