Antonelli, Terry Stout & Kraus
Distribution method and flexible manufacturing apparatus
 A plurality of machine tools are disposed along a circulating conveyor transporting materials to be processed by the machine tools, and material selector subsystems associated with the respective machine tools are provided together with a load/unload command subsystem. The material selector subsystems exchange information therebetween to track materials loaded on the conveyor under command of the load/unload command subsystem so as to reserve materials requested by the individual machine tools. Each of the reserved materials is unloaded from the conveyor under command of the load/unload command subsystem as soon as it arrives at the position of the corresponding machine tool. 
Hitachi, Ltd.
Kinji Masayuki Hirokazu Yasuo Shoji
Mori Orimo Ihara Suzuki Miyamoto