Abstract: A blower unit is configured to have a forward containment portion for housing mechanical equipment for receiving and dispensing material particles as ground cover. A rear containment portion is provided for containing such material particles. A material mover preferably operable in forward and rearward direction will feed material to the mechanical equipment for breakdown and pneumatic disbursement. A rear door design enables convenient unloading of the material with the live floor directionally reversed. Benefits include a more convenient means for servicing of the blower mechanism including e.g. an engine providing a motor source, dispensing hose, rotary air lock feeder and mixing chamber e.g. T injector or dropout (term as used in the industry).

Abstract: The present invention comprises a stocker. The stocker comprises multiple container storage locations arranged in a horizontal array. The horizontal array of storage locations may be suspended from the facility ceiling or supported by the facility floor. The stocker may include one or more stocker robots for transporting a workpiece container within the stocker and/or to a material transport system. The stocker may also include features such as container elevators and conveyor loops.

Abstract: A substrate-treating apparatus includes: a plurality of modules disposed along a first direction, each of the plurality of modules having an inner space containable a substrate; a transfer unit transferring the substrate among the plurality of modules, the transfer unit including at least one track disposed along the first direction and at least one movable transfer chamber moving along the at least one track; and a gate valve fixed to each of the plurality of modules and combined with the at least one movable transfer chamber, wherein the at least one movable transfer chamber is atmospherically isolated from an exterior while moving.

Abstract: The invention provides a moveable underride system that may be used with lifts such as stow lifts. The underride system includes an underride member and a linkage mechanism for coupling the underride member to a support frame, wherein the linkage mechanism moves the underride member between an extended position and a retracted position. In the extended position the underride member is at a first distance from the frame, and in the retracted position the underride is at a second distance from the frame, such that the first distance (for the extended position) is larger than the second distance (for the retracted position).

Abstract: A release mechanism for use with an explosives disposal robot having an elongated boom includes a latch member secured to an outer end of the boom, the latch member having a fixed portion and movable latch or lever members. A flexible strap extends between the lever members, with one end being attached to one of the lever members and the other end being releasably attached to the other lever member. When the other lever member is moved to a release position the other end of the strap falls from the other lever member so as to release, for example, a firing line cradled in the strap. The one lever member can be actuated by way of a remote controlled solenoid connected thereto via a flexible cable or by way of an elastic member connected thereto.

Abstract: According to the type of the plate placed in a plate placing device of a component feeder, appropriate holding operation and expanding operation are performed selectively and automatically according to the type of the plate by regulating the lowered position of a plate pressurizing member for the tray feeding plate to securely hold the plate and performing wafer expanding while securely holding the wafer feeding plate by releasing the regulation of the lowered position for the wafer feeding plate.

Abstract: A reticle rotatable rack is provided at an upper position, and a pod rotatable rack is provided at a lower position in a clean stocker. A clean gas is supplied downwardly. In the stocker, a pod transportation device and a reticle transportation device are elevated and lowered. Load ports, a pod opener, and the pod rotatable rack are connected by the pod transportation device. The pod opener and the reticle rotatable rack are connected by the reticle transportation device.

Abstract: A component loader for orienting a component along its long-axis for transfer to transmission means such as a carrier belt. The loader includes a rotatable load plate having an outer peripheral edge and an upper surface where the upper surface is inclined from a horizontal plane. A plurality of slots is on the upper surface, and each is located about the outer edge of the load plate. Each of the plurality of slots is sized to receive at least one chip, preferably lying with its long axis perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotatable load plate. An outer wall conforms to the curvature of the outer peripheral edge and is mounted adjacent thereabout. A transfer slot extends axially into the upper surface of the load plate. Preferably, each transfer slot is shaped so that a chip descending into each transfer slot from a respective slot has a ninety degree rotation about the long axis.

Abstract: The present invention, a tire mounting device, is a lifting and transporting device for the facilitating the removing and replacing of a tire. The tire mounting device comprises a cross assembly, handle assembly, left fork assembly, and right fork assembly. The handle assembly is perpendicularly rigidly attached to the cross assembly. The left fork assembly and right fork assembly are rigidly attached to opposing ends of cross assembly which extends horizontally. An obtuse angle is disposed in an intermediate position with each fork assembly. Tire supports the underside of each fork assembly to allow for the transporting the tire upon the tire mounting device.

Abstract: A semiconductor material handling system including a frame mounting a wafer cassette and a plurality of load ports thereon, and a wafer moving robot including a robot body which has a lifting member mounted in the frame and vertically moving along a predetermined lifting shaft, an articulated arm which has a driving link mounted in the lifting member and a plurality of driven links whose end part transversely moving along the frame having the load ports, a swing unit which is mounted in the end part of the driven links and rotates along a vertical rotation shaft, and a crossing arm which comprises a base mounted in the swing unit, a plurality of sliding units mounted in the base and reciprocating transversely, and a wafer hand mounted in the sliding units and picking up a wafer from the wafer cassette and storing the wafer back in the wafer cassette.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tool holder for cranes. The tool holder comprises hydraulic cylinder means arranged to detachably be able to lock a tool to the tool holder. Furthermore, hydraulic coupling means is comprised and arranged to be connected with hydraulic coupling means on the tool and hydraulic line means. The object of the invention is, among other things, to reduce the number of requisite lines in the hydraulic line means. According to the invention, the tool holder comprises furthermore valve means provided with switching means arranged to connect the hydraulic line means either to the hydraulic cylinder means or to the hydraulic coupling means of the tool holder. Thereby, the same hydraulic line means may be used for the locking i 5 function and the tool. The invention also relates to a crane provided with such a tool holder as well as use of the tool holder.

Abstract: An automated storage system for storing large quantities of samples in trays includes a storage compartment, a tray shuttle compartment abutting the storage compartment on one side and a plurality of independent modules on the other side. The modules perform processing of samples that are retrieved from the storage compartment by a tray shuttle, including extraction of selected samples from retrieved source trays and transfer of the selected samples into a separate, destination tray that can be further processed or removed from the system for use. The independent operation of the modules permits handling and processing to be performed simultaneously by different modules while the tray shuttle accesses additional samples within the storage compartment. In one embodiment, a vertical carousel is used to vertically align a desired tray with the tray shuttle, while the tray shuttle operates within a horizontal plane.

Abstract: A moving robot includes a first arm portion is coupled to a first joint on a side portion of a main robot body. The first arm portion has concave portion with an opening. A folding mechanism is accommodated in the concave portion. In the folding mechanism, a second arm portion is connected to the first arm via a second joint portion. A third arm portion is also connected to the second arm portion via a third joint portion. The first arm portion is rotated around the first joint to orient the opening in an upper direction. The second joint portion can be slid along the concave portion to take out the folding mechanism through the opening. The third arm portion can be rotated around the third joint portion to extend the third arm portion.

Abstract: A transporting rail unit includes a first driving mechanism driving the object to a first position on a rail. A second driving mechanism includes a member designed to displace in response to reception of a force from the object when the object moves forward to the first position from a second position in front of the first position on the rail. The second driving mechanism allows accumulation of an elastic repulsive force based on displacement of the member. The transporting rail unit allows the object to keep moving forward based on the elastic repulsive force even after the object is released from engagement with the first driving mechanism. If the second driving mechanism is interposed between the first driving mechanisms, the object can be transferred between the first driving mechanisms. A single transporting rail unit can be utilized in common. This results in reduction in the production and management costs.

Abstract: An automated storage system for storing large quantities of samples in trays includes a storage compartment, a tray shuttle compartment abutting the storage compartment on one side and a plurality of independent modules on the other side. The modules perform processing of samples that are retrieved from the storage compartment by a tray shuttle, including extraction of selected samples from retrieved source trays and transfer of the selected samples into a separate, destination tray that can be further processed or removed from the system for use. The independent operation of the modules permits handling and processing to be performed simultaneously by different modules while the tray shuttle accesses additional samples within the storage compartment. In one embodiment, a vertical carousel is used to vertically align a desired tray with the tray shuttle, while the tray shuttle operates within a horizontal plane.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing with two pairs of forks a front part of a forklift truck comprises first profiled elements for supporting a pair of external forks and second profiled elements for supporting a pair of internal forks, a guide device that receives internally both said first profiled elements and said second profiled elements.

Abstract: A method of providing portable storage and a portable storage system including a vehicle for carrying a container. The vehicle includes a tilting bed carried by a wheeled carriage. A lift system tilts the bed from the carriage to load and unload the container by using a conveyor on the bed.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism and method for feeding minute items, such as capacitors, resistors, or solder preforms. The mechanism is adapted to receive a plurality of the randomly-positioned and randomly-oriented extremely small or minute items, and to isolate, orient, and position one or more of the items in a specific repeatable pickup location wherefrom they may be removed for use by, for example, a computer-controlled automated assembly machine. The mechanism comprises a sliding shelf adapted to receive and support the items; a wiper arm adapted to achieve a single even layer of the items; and a pushing arm adapted to push the items into the pickup location. The mechanism can be adapted for providing the items with a more exact orientation, and can also be adapted for use in a liquid environment.

Abstract: The method invented is based on sluice system according to which the product is first conveyed through a portioning device, which produces a sequence of uniform product portions divided by uniform particle free spaces, and subsequently the product portions are conveyed individually through a sluice device, which comprises at least one sluice chamber and two pressure locks of which at least one at any time secures a pressure tight barrier between the two pressure zones, and the product portions are force loaded from the first zone into a sluice chamber by means of a piston screw, the axis of which is practically in line with the axis of the sluice chamber, and the product portions are force unloaded from the sluice chamber and into the second pressure zone by means of said piston screw or a piston or by means of gas, steam or liquid supplied at a pressure higher than that of the second pressure zone.

Abstract: A wheel dolly is disclosed that is suited to serve as both an automobile jack, capable of holding large loads aloft for extended periods, relying on only mechanical systems and eliminating hydraulic systems. In a further aspect, the wheel dolly of the present invention does not include extended arms, handles, or levers for pumping or rotating the lifting mechanisms. Each lifting element terminates in only a single nut exposed to the user. Preferably, each nut of each lifting system has the same plan dimensions as the other, thus providing the advantage of allowing the user to operate the dolly with a driver and only one socket.