Abstract: A conveyor belt washer/dryer that includes a housing, which encloses a washing station separated by one or more spray barriers from a drying station. The housing has a passage that is sized and configured to allow the conveyor belt to successively pass through the washing station and the drying station. The washing station includes one or more washing heads, a splash plate and a reservoir. The washing heads discharge a wash liquid onto the top surface of the conveyor belt and the splash plate redirects the wash liquid onto the bottom surface. The reservoir collects the spent wash liquid. The drying station includes one or more air knife/knives that discharge(s) pressurized air onto the conveyor belt to dry the belt.

Abstract: A workpiece surface treatment system (1), which obtains a surface-treated workpiece by sequentially carrying a treatment cell (9) containing a workpiece to a series of apparatuses for operations in the respective apparatuses, is characterized by including: a carrying apparatus (2) for sequentially carrying the treatment cell (9) to a series of the apparatuses in the system; a carrying-in/out apparatus (3) for carrying the treatment cell in and out of the carrying apparatus; a surface treatment apparatus (4) for performing a surface treatment on the workpiece by receiving the treatment cell from the carrying apparatus and supplying a surface treatment liquid to the inside of the treatment cell while rotating the treatment cell; and a workpiece collection apparatus (5) for collecting the workpiece by receiving the treatment cell from the carrying apparatus, inverting the treatment cell, and squirting the inside of the treatment cell with water from below to flow out the workpiece, wherein the carrying apparatus

Abstract: A modular semiconductor substrate cleaning system is provided that processes vertically oriented semiconductor substrates. The system features a plurality of cleaning modules that may include a megasonic tank-type cleaner followed by a scrubber. An input module may receive a horizontally oriented substrate and rotate the substrate to a vertical orientation, and an output module may receive a vertically oriented substrate and rotate the substrate to a horizontal orientation. Each of the modules (input, cleaning and output) has a substrate support and may be positioned such that the substrate supports of adjacent modules are equally spaced. The modules are coupled by an overhead transfer mechanism having a plurality of substrate handlers spaced the same distance (X) as the substrate supports of the modules therebelow.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating a workpiece, the apparatus including a carriage for holding the workpiece, a first station for transferring the workpiece into and out of the carriage, a first chamber for holding treating fluid, a second station for transferring the workpiece between the carriage and the first chamber, and a mechanism for staging the carriage, the mechanism capable of positioning the carriage at the first station and at the second station and the first chamber capable of being isolated from atmosphere when the carrier is located at the second station.

Abstract: An automatic machine for hot dipping galvanization has lower and upper frames to support a slide, an elevator and a control device. The slide consists of two sets of sprocket wheels, each having two sprocket wheels installed at respective ends of each frame controlling a plurality of guide rails via link belts to slide along two slideways. The elevator consists of an elongated elevator hanging on top of the lower frame by means of four guide supports which each have one end connected to the elevator and the other end to a U-shaped rod. Two arcuate plates extending outwards from respective ends of the elevator carry articles to be galvanized into the zinc bath and galvanized articles out of the zinc bath. The control device consists of a central processing unit which controls the entire movement, a motor which controls the slide, and a cylinder which controls the elevator.

Abstract: A work processing system comprising: a plurality of work processing stations or tanks arranged in a predefined manner; superstructure means suspended above the process stations; a programmable controller situated remote from said processing stations for generating command signals; crane means suspended on and translatable relative to the superstructure and to the processing stations in response to said command signals; work carrier means carried by the crane means and adapted to be suspended and supported by a respective one of the processing stations; the work carrier unit comprising a work carrier member or platform adapted to support a workpiece and further including means for rotating the work carrier member or platform about a predetermined axis thereof in response to command signals.

Abstract: Apparatus for treating a plurality of work pieces at spaced apart treatment stations 19 arranged around a circle comprises a conveyor 8 that is a horizontal ring and that is mounted on supports 5 connected to an outer housing for rotation about its vertical axis by a drive 10, and hangers 12 mounted on the ring 8 and including reciprocating means 15 by which a work piece 13 may be lowered into or raised from a treatment station 19. The apparatus is useful for conducting inspection penetrant treatment processes and other processes.

Abstract: A flipper assembly has a flipper plate and an aligned guide rail both of which provide a support surface for a movable assembly. The flipper plate is movable into and out of the plane of the support surface. An extension arm is mounted on the guide rail for movement in a horizontal plane thereon and for movement in a vertical direction at the location of the flipper plate if permitted by the position of the flipper plate. The flipper plate is counterbalanced to an open position permitting the carrier arm to be moved vertically at that location, but is automatically positioned in a down closed position supporting the carrier arm in the plane of the guide rail support, by an automatic camming action as the slide arm moves toward and onto the flipper plate. In the preferred embodiment, the flipper plate safety device is utilized in a multistation work processing conveyor apparatus and is mounted on a vertical elevator.

Abstract: In the phosphate immersion treatment of a steel sheet structure such as an automobile body, a method is provided wherein the bottom of a treatment tank is flat. An object to be treated such as an automobile body is submerged in the treatment solution. The object to be treated is inclined upward and downward at least once to remove oil, reaction cases, and air collected inside the object. An apparatus for performing phosphate immersion treatment of the object is also provided wherein the treatment solution is sprayed toward the feeding side of the treatment tank to cause small waves, so that formation of a border line mark on the surface of the object due to temporary interruption of the feeding operation may be prevented. An undulation is formed in a conveyor arranged above the treatment tank, or a pair of drop lifters which are individually operable are mounted to the conveyor, so that the object may be inclined upward and downward.

Abstract: An improved electroplating apparatus comprises a nonlinear array of treating tanks having a central rinse tank. A hoist motor is located on a fixed support structure above the rinse tank. A traversing guide engages a hoist cable to move the cable around the array of treating tanks. An insulating canopy surrounds the array to conserve waste heat given off by any heated treating tanks. A plurality of shower nozzles is located around the rinse tank for rinsing off any articles carried thereto by the hoist cable. The rinse water is heated by the waste heat conserved by the insulating canopy. The rinse discharge from the rinse tank can be conducted to a concentrating device for concentrating any contaminants contained in the rinse discharge.

Abstract: The present invention applies pressurized air and vacuum to container interiors as they are being conveyed through the cleaning station in the course of their forward travel. Cleaning according to the invention occurs through the combined action of a plurality of air jets which dislodge any foreign matter from the container interior and a vacuum drawn through an arcuate slot evacuates and draws out the dislodged contaminents. The aforementioned operation taking place as containers continuously advance in a circular conveyor in the opening down position. After this operation, the containers are urged to assume a horizontal position and are subsequently oriented into the opening up position for travel to a new work station.

Abstract: Surface treating apparatus comprising treating bath means; a carrier bar having devices for vertically suspending workpieces; lifting means provided at the sides of the bath means for vertically conveying the carrier bar and dipping said workpieces into and out of said bath means, the lifting means also including means for conveying the carrier bar in a substantially horizontal direction; loading means rotatable between a horizontal and a vertical position and adapted to removably receive the carrier bar having workpieces attached in the horizontal position for loading the carrier bar onto the lifting means in the vertical position; unloading means rotatable between a horizontal and a vertical position and adapted to receive the carrier bar supporting finished workpieces in the vertical position, the workpieces being released from the carrier bar when the unloading means is in a horizontal position; and returning conveyor means between the loading and unloading means so that the carrier bar moves from the loa