Abstract: A robotic arm has a pair of gripper fingers designed to grip a variety of containers, including capped and uncapped test tubes as well as containers having unique gripping means. The fingers each have upper and lower projections separated by a groove, the respective projections facing each other when mounted to grippers on the robotic arm. The projections and groove serve to firmly hold the containers as well as self-align the unique gripping means on initially unaligned containers within the fingers as the fingers close around the containers. The fingers have clearance to avoid contact with caps on capped test tubes. Stops are provided at the top of each finger to engage one another and prevent fully closed fingers from deforming. The robotic arm may be transported along a rail mounted above the instrument and a gripper assembly, having a gripper arm, mounted to the robotic arm may be rotated above the instrument to move the container to various locations within the instrument.

Abstract: This invention discloses a conveyor table, including a supporting construction having a first supporting surface for supporting articles to be conveyed, a plurality of conveyor elements mounted to the supporting construction and defining a second supporting surface for supporting the articles to be conveyed, an actuator for selectively moving one of the supporting surfaces with respect to the other to selectively enable either the first supporting surface defined by the supporting construction to support the articles, or the second supporting surface defined by the conveyor elements to support the articles, and a drive for driving the conveyor elements to convey the articles in a predetermined direction when the articles are supported by the second supporting surface defined by the conveyor elements.

Abstract: A crimping apparatus for producing sub-harnesses is described that includes a pair of frames, each provided with a centrally disposed crimper. Pairs of movable connector tables are provided on each frame, as well as locking devices for securing the connector tables on both ends of the respective frames. A pair of connector holding poles are provided in each of which a plurality of connectors are arranged to be settable on each of the connector tables.

Abstract: A system for the automatic loading and/or unloading of products comprises a store (13, 19) with shelves inclined and provided with a mobile transversal blocking means (9, 12), and at least one traveling lift (3) provided with mobile bearing tops (4), also inclined and provided with at least one mobile transversal blocking means (9, 12). Said inclined shelves and bearing tops (4) are provided with transversal, parallel, idle and inclined rollers (5) whereon a product or a product container (1) can slide by gravity when the blocking means is lowered.

Abstract: An apparatus loads and unloads workpieces. The apparatus includes at least one essentially horizontally movable element, at least one essentially vertically movable element and at least one element for receiving workpieces. The horizontally movable element has at least one drive unit and has at least two belts communicating with the one or more drive units and the one or more elements for receiving the workpieces.

Abstract: A conveying system for transporting wafers in clean rooms, the conveying system is configured as a transporting store and connects a plurality of processing centers for processing the wafers. Secondary conveying systems branch off from the conveying system and form supply buffers. In each case one secondary conveying system leads to at least one processing center from which a predetermined number of wafers can be removed, and fed to the processing center, optionally by use of at least one handling unit.

Abstract: A system for performing an operation for a circuit substrate, including a plurality of main conveyors each of which conveys, positions, and supports a circuit substrate, the plurality of main conveyors being arranged in a direction perpendicular to a circuit-substrate conveying direction in which the each main conveyor conveys the circuit substrate, an operation performing device which performs at least one operation for the circuit substrate positioned and supported by the each main conveyor, at least one of (a) a carry-in conveyor which conveys the circuit substrate to the each main conveyor and loads the circuit substrate thereon, and (b) a carry-out conveyor which loads the circuit substrate off the each main conveyor and conveys the circuit substrate away therefrom, and a conveyor shifting device which selectively shifts the at least one of the carry-in conveyor and the carry-out conveyor to one of a plurality of shift positions at each of which the one conveyor is aligned with a corresponding one of the

Abstract: A hanger for transportation of objects along a suspended runway (11) comprises an upper part (14) constrained to run along a runway and a lower part (15) which supports the load and is connected to the upper part through a raising and lowering system (17). Between the two parts is a stiffening structure (27) against oscillations which comprises three stiffening members one of which has a double parallelogram (28) and is arranged on the median plane of the hanger while the other two are made with oscillating rods (29,30) each of which is placed on one side of the central one. The oscillating rods (29,30) are advantageously made up of pairs of triangles connected by an articulation (33,34) to the vertex and hinged at the base (35-38) in a direction transverse to the hanger.

Abstract: A device for treating a substrate in which the cagelike body of the device can be made smaller and in which the waiting time in the treatment parts and the workpiece exchange time can be shortened is achieved as follows: there are two cassette receiving parts, one exposure part and one alignment part arranged in two rows. Furthermore the alignment part and the first cassette receiving part are located in the direction in which a first arm and a second arm of a workpiece transport device extend. Moreover, the two treatment parts and a second cassette receiving part are arranged such that the distances between them are identical to the distance between the first arm and the second arm. The first arm and the second arm move in the Y-direction, are extended or retracted in the X-direction at the same time, and fix the workpiece by the workpiece holding parts which are located on their tips. The workpiece is removed from the cassette of the first cassette receiving part and transported to the treatment parts.

Abstract: A pallet exchange apparatus for a machine tool includes a horizontal rotary support for rotation about a vertical axis. A drive unit vertically moves and rotates the rotary support. The rotary support is flanked by a setup stand which is pivotable between a lying position for receiving a pallet and an upright position for transferring the received pallet onto the rotary support. Further, the rotary support has a plurality of pallet receivers each provided on the rotary support for receiving the pallet in an erect posture from the setup stand which has been pivoted to the upright position.

Abstract: An apparatus for the personalization of identification cards (8) with integrated circuits (35) consisting of at least one personalizing station, for example printing stations (2, 3), furthermore a rotor (1) with a card transport device (16). Around the rotor (1) are laid out contacting devices (31a-m) in a stationary position for loading the integrated circuits (35) of the cards (8) each of which contacting devices is fitted with a card transport device (32) to pick up the cards (8) fed by the card transport device (16) of the rotor (1) and to return them after loading (1) of the integrated circuits (35) to the rotor (1). The rotor (1) is fitted with a contacting device (38) for test reading the integrated circuits (35).

Abstract: A system is provided for unloading finished parts from and also loading new raw material into a compression mold having two halves in which the mold halves are in a spaced apart position. The system includes an elongated endless conveyor which extends laterally away from the mold halves. An unloader platform is secured to and spaced upwardly from the conveyor so that an opening is formed between the platform and the conveyor. Raw material is positioned on the conveyor such that, upon actuation of the conveyor, the raw material passes under the platform. The conveyor is mounted on rails while an actuator moves the conveyor between an extended position, in which the platform is positioned in between the mold halves, and a retracted position, in which the conveyor as well as the platform is spaced laterally from the mold halves.

Abstract: This invention discloses a conveyor table, including a supporting construction having a first supporting surface for supporting articles to be conveyed, a plurality of conveyor elements mounted to the supporting construction and defining a second supporting surface for supporting the articles to be conveyed, an actuator for selectively moving one of the supporting surfaces with respect to the other to selectively enable either the first supporting surface defined by the supporting construction to support the articles, or the second supporting surface defined by the conveyor elements to support the articles, and a drive for driving the conveyor elements to convey the articles in a predetermined direction when the articles are supported by the second supporting surface defined by the conveyor elements.

Abstract: The present invention is an automated and integrated method and apparatus for packaging, loading, storing, and/or retrieving a specified product. A preferred embodiment of a system comprises a packager, a feeder device, a magazine, an unloading device, and a control unit. The packager is adapted to package a predetermined quantity of a product in a package. The feeder device has a loading screw which engages the package and transfers it to a storage screw in the magazine. The magazine preferably comprises multiple horizontal rows of storage screws. Each horizontal row of storage screws may be individually rotated about a central axis of the magazine. The control unit maintains a data base of the location and contents of each package in the magazine. The unloading device is adapted to retrieve a desired package from the magazine. The unloading device then transfers the desired package to a predetermined location such as a tote, bin, or patient specific drawer.

Abstract: An assembly verification test uses a sliding cart to transport work-in-process units from an assembly facility to a test area. The cart has a generally square frame with multiple vertical and horizontal frame members. The front end of the cart has wheels that engage the floor. The rearward end of the cart has wheels that are vertically offset from the front wheels and ride along a chassis of the test station that is located above the floor. The upper end of the cart has guide rails for slidably receiving work unit trays from assembly and offloading the trays to the test area. The wheels allow the cart to move laterally from side to side along the length of the test area so that the cart may be easily repositioned in front of any of the test slots.

Abstract: In order to inspect objects (10), particularly drinks bottles, these are transported on two conveyors (12, 14), which exhibit a mutual lateral separation and run at different speeds, so that the objects (10) rotate about their vertical axis. Within the distance separating the conveyors (12, 14) a bottom checking installation (30, 32) is provided. A rail (16) for guiding the objects (10) can be arranged, stretching in the direction of transport above the first, slower-running conveyor (12), in such a way that the objects (10) on the first conveyor (12) stand on the edge strip between the rail (16) and the edge of the first conveyor (12), and the width of this edge strip amounts to up to about ⅓ of the diameter of the objects.

Abstract: A three-dimensional driving system for a transfer feeder of a transfer press for feeding a work into successive processing stations which is surrounded by a plurality of uprights comprises a feed mechanism linked to a pair of transfer bars arranged parallel to a work feed direction for gripping and transferring the work and a feed mechanism driver linked to the feed mechanism to drive it. The three-dimensional driving system further comprises, a lift mechanism which is provided on a bed surrounded by the uprights and causes the transfer bars to ascend and descend, a clamp mechanism which is linked to the lift mechanism and causes the transfer bars to grip and release the work, a clamp and lift box accommodating the lift mechanism and the clamp mechanism, a lift mechanism driver linked to the lift mechanism to drive it, and a clamp mechanism driver linked to the clamp mechanism to drive it.

Abstract: A device allows easy, rapid, and reliable loading of X-ray cassettes of different formats into a transport receptacle of a processing apparatus for X-ray cassettes in a space-saving and user-friendly fashion. This is achieved, according to the invention, by the fact that a plurality of guide elements for the conveying means configured as a cassette loading device are provided, which are arranged in a stationary fashion between the transport mechanism spaced apart perpendicular to the cassette transport direction. The guide elements can be conveyed by a drive into and out of a horizontal plane formed by the transport mechanism in such a way that during a conveying movement of the transport mechanism, an X-ray cassette is supported on the transport mechanism in a vertical position and is arrested only by the transport receptacles.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for sequential deposition of regular series of layers on consecutive substrates in a modular assembly-line like system. The apparatus and method are especially used processing large glass or metal substrates such as are employed in solar panels. The apparatus includes a load lock chamber and a processing chamber coupled to the load lock chamber. Both the load lock chamber and the processing chamber include a platen to support the substrate. Each platen includes slots therein. A substrate transfer shuttle is provided which is moveable along a shuttle path between one position in the load lock chamber and another position in the processing chamber for transferring the substrate between the load lock chamber and the processing chamber. The shuttle may be moved below the level of the platen and may be maintained in the processing chamber during processing.

Abstract: A system monitored operations test area utilizes a central feed spur to deliver assembled products to parallel rows of test stations on each of its sides. A pivotal, sliding lift gate is mounted to each side of the central spur and is movable between vertical and horizontal positions. The gate can be moved along the length of the spur as needed. When the lift gate is in place, the operator can slide a unit into a desired test slot across the horizontally disposed gate which spans the distance between the spur and the selected test station.

Abstract: A container distribution apparatus having a frame surrounding a revolvable turret, the revolvable turret comprises intermediate transport members in the shape of slots adapted to receive containers from a feeding member such as a conveyor belt, to transport and to deliver containers to accumulator members located between the revolvable turret and the processing machines, to retrieve containers from accumulator members, and to transport containers to a exiting member such as a conveyor belt, each accumulator member is capable of carrying containers to and from a processing machine. A synchronization unit coordinates the transfer of containers to and from the accumulator members by activating a drive mechanism in a step-like manner to rotate the revolvable turret and by activating the opening and closing of gates located at the junction of the intermediate transport members and the accumulator members.

Abstract: In a handler attracting and transporting ICs by the use of a vacuum pick-up head, a control system is provided which provides for removing a jammed IC without the need for opening the door of the constant temperature chamber, if the vacuum pick-up head's failure to grasp an IC should cause jamming. A jam detecting means detects the occurrence of jam to interrupt the operation of the handler, whereupon a motion control means is activated to move the vacuum pick-up head to and stop it at a position distant from the site of jamming whereby the space above the site of jamming is cleared. This allows for removing the jammed IC by using a manipulator rod inserted through a through-hole formed through the outer wall of the constant temperature chamber.