Abstract: A guiding device comprising a carriage portion (13), which is aerostatically journalled on a base portion (11) and is guided in a rectilinear movement by means of five pre-stressed air bearings (21) in two guide planes of the base portion (11) enclosing an angle with each other. The air bearings (21) are pre-stressed by means of a magnet system comprising a permanent magnetic part and a ferromagnetic part, which are provided on the base portion and the carriage portion. Due to the fact that the magnetic system is arranged at an angle so that the plane of symmetry through the centre line of the magnet system encloses an acute angle with the two guide planes, all air bearings are pre-stressed solely by the magnet system. With the use of a linear electric motor (29) with permanent magnets for the drive of the carriage portion (13), the armature (41) and the stator (31) of the electric motor act at the same time as magnet system for pre-stressing the pre-tension air bearings.

Abstract: A device for transferring an electric or electronic component to a mounting board comprises a suction tube for picking up the component and gripping means with two pairs of jaws for aligning and centering the component, this suction tube being movable with respect to the gripping means. The device further has a holder in which the suction tube is arranged so as to be axially movable, while the jaws of the gripping means are secured to a support which is axially movable with respect to the holder. An abutment of the suction tube can axially displace the support of the jaws, while with the aid of adjusting members present in the holder two oppositely arranged jaws reach the closed position earlier than the two other jaws.