Abstract: A transport system for the transport of combustion waste, comprising:—a belt conveyor for transporting the waste, arranged at the bottom of a combustion chamber and apt to transport the waste onto a transport surface (311) movable along a longitudinal direction of advancement; and—side boards (81, 82) for containing the waste in a transport region (80), arranged above said transport surface, ratably connected to a casing of the conveyor and bearing wearable members (811, 812) apt to establish a sliding seal with lateral fins (312, 313) of the movable transport surface of the conveyor belt, so that the transported material be confined in the transport region defined by said movable transport surface and by said boards bearing the wearable members.

Abstract: A substrate conveying method conveying a layered body having first and second substrates stacked with a spacer member provided between their respective bottom surfaces facing each other includes receiving the first substrate by holding the first substrate from below its bottom surface using a first holding mechanism provided on a side of a first fork provided above a second fork, and turning the first fork upside down and placing the received first substrate on the second fork; receiving the spacer member held in a substrate holding part by holding the spacer member from above using a second holding mechanism provided on the same side of the first fork as the first holding mechanism, and placing the received spacer member on the first substrate; and holding the second substrate from above its top surface using the first holding mechanism, and placing the received second substrate on the spacer member.

Abstract: A system for fluid processing substrate surfaces arrayed in a fluid having a process section with a frame having a plurality of process elements to process the substrate surfaces without contacting the substrate surfaces. A substrate holder assembly having a holder frame and a number of substrate holders, each of which is coupled to the holder frame and is configured for holding a substrate so that each substrate holder holds a different substrate for transport as a unit with the substrate holder assembly to and from the process section. The substrate holder assembly and each substrate holder are removably coupled to the process section frame, and the substrate holders of the substrate holder assembly are movable relative to the holder frame and positionable in repeatable alignment with respect to a predetermined feature of the process section and independent of positioning of the holder frame with respect to the process section.

Abstract: A transport apparatus for dry extraction and transport of fly ashes produced inside solid fuel boilers, adapted to be associated with a fume dedusting system and including: a metal belt conveyor, having a plurality of slats partially overlapped, adapted to support a bed of fly ashes to transport the bed along a preset path, and a sealed metal casing inside which the slats move; and containment means for fly ashes, adapted to confine the ashes on the slats and along the transport path so as to limit relative motion between ashes and conveyor, which means comprises transverse boards, leveling members, side boards and a movable rear baffle.

Abstract: A device and method for transporting and handling catalyst for a chemical reactor.

Abstract: A transmission system includes two or more independent chambers, in each of which shafts with gears thereon are provided for rolling in synchronous motion, and a carrier with adjustable gear devices on a bottom thereof. Each of the adjustable gear devices has a base, a movable rack member, vertical springs and horizontal springs. The movable rack member is connected to the base to be moved along a horizontal direction. The vertical springs are provided between the base and the carrier to urge the adjustable gear device along a vertical direction. The movable rack member has a rack portion to be meshed with the gears of the shafts, such that the carrier is moved by the gears to cross the chambers. With the movement of the movable rack member both along the horizontal and the vertical direction, the carrier is transported in a smooth, synchronous, skid-proof, stable and real-time motion during the crossing chamber process.

Abstract: The present invention restrains, during a transfer of a substrate, a central portion of the substrate from being warped by its own weight, which might be caused by a super-enlargement of a diameter of the substrate. A substrate transfer apparatus 18 includes: a support part 17 which is moved above a substrate w of a large diameter; and an upside grip mechanism 28 disposed on the support part 17, the upside grip mechanism 28 capable of supporting a peripheral portion of the substrate w from above. The support part 17 is provided with a non-contact sucking and holding part 30 having a suction hole 31 and a blow hole 32. The non-contact sucking and holding part 30 sucks and holds the substrate w in a non-contact manner, by blowing a gas onto the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate w and sucking the central portion to form an air layer 50 such that the central portion of the wafer w is not warped.

Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a baking apparatus for PDP capable of realizing an improvement in productivity while minimizing an increase in a factory space. In a baking furnace 2 for performing heat treatment while conveying substrates 4, conveying means 6 of multiple stages for conveying substrates are provided. The conveying means 6 adjacent in an up and down direction are divided with heat insulating partitions 7 provided between them so as to form a multi-stage furnace, and heating means 9 are provided appropriately to the heat insulating partitions 7. In each furnace of the multi-stage furnace, a heating area, a keeping area and a cooling area are formed in order in the traveling direction of the conveying means, whereby baking of plasma display panels is performed in multiple stages.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing wafers, a combined post expose bake and chill unit, and an interface are disclosed. An exemplary system includes a lithography tool, local track, transfer device, transfer device handler, interface unit, and controller to schedule processing. An exemplary combined post expose bake and chill unit includes an enclosure having an opening in its side, and a bake unit and a chill unit in the enclosure. An exemplary interface includes a plurality of enclosures arranged around robot(s) that transfer wafers among the enclosures, one of the plurality of enclosures being an integrated bake and chill unit.

Abstract: A silicon pellet feed system for use with a silicon melt furnace used to grow a silicon web. A reservoir for containing feed particles is coupled to the upper end of a feed tube. The lower end of the feed tube is positioned adjacent a pair of rotatable drive rollers driven by a motor through a coupling and a pair of gears. The rollers are mounted at an angle with respect to horizontal and the outlet end of the roller feed path is located above a delivery tube leading to the silicon melt furnace. The elements are surrounded by an enclosure having a vacuum outlet for enabling the enclosure to be evacuated to a working vacuum level and a gas inlet for enabling an inert gas to be back filled into the enclosure. The feed rate is determined by the angle of the drive rollers, the speed of the motor and the shape of the bottom end of the feed tube. The rollers are resilient to provide enhanced surface friction for the particle flow and to prevent trapped feed particles from jamming the motor.

Abstract: A sealant melter incorporates a sealant block feed assembly that reduces the labor required to feed sealant blocks to the sealant tank of the melter and that reduces or even eliminates the risk that hot liquid sealant will splash out of the sealant tank when sealant blocks are fed into it. The sealant block feed assembly preferably includes a top-fed splash box and a conveyor assembly for feeding sealant blocks to the splash box from a towing/storage vehicle or the like. The splash box incorporates internal guards in the form of counterbalanced flaps that prevent hot liquid sealant from splashing out of the splash box when the sealant blocks are fed into it from above. The conveyor assembly includes a conveyor that is selectively controllable, either from the towing/storage vehicle or from curbside, to receive sealant blocks and to selectively feed the received sealant blocks to the splash box.

Abstract: A transfer system that supports circuit boards as it conveys them through a reflow oven. The system uses a sag support between edge supports. The sag support does not have to move as the circuit board is transferred along the transfer system. The height of the sag support can be easily adjusted. The sag support's mounts can maintain appropriate tension in the sag support even if the sag support expands during operation. The system may use a mechanism to prevent the friction between the boards and the sag support from interfering with the movement of boards along the transfer system.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for moving and thermally conditioning generally cylindrical containers in which the structure provides for movement of the containers about their axes and provides for a predetermined heat flow relative to the containers to change the temperature of the containers by a predetermined amount. The apparatus may be used for cooling of hot containers or for both heating the containers for sterilization and then subsequent cooling, if desired.

Abstract: An improved system for applying labels to pharmaceutical vials or the like includes a heating tunnel assembly having an insulated heating chamber defined by a first stationary portion and a second removable portion, with a heater positioned within the insulated heating chamber. The assembly includes movable mounting structure for mounting the second removable portion of the insulated heating chamber for movement between a first position engaged with the first stationary portion, and a second retracted position remote from said first portion. An actuator is provided for moving the second portion of the insulated heating chamber into its engaged position, while a biasing spring resiliently biases the second removable portion of the chamber toward the retracted position. As a result, the heating tunnel assembly will automatically be opened to prevent products from overheating or burning in the event of an emergency that disables the actuator.

Abstract: The storage arrangement for operation in an autoclave with horizontal cylinder (60) includes a conveyor chain (10), which is moved on both sides back and forth over guide sprocket wheels. Shelves (1) are conveyed with the conveyor chain (10). The parallel guidance of these shelves (1) is effected by means of parallel guide wheels (16), which run synchronously with the guide sprocket wheels (12). The guide sprocket wheels (12) are connected with idler gears (15), so that, as a whole, they present a rigid drive structure. With this kind of storage arrangement, a cylindrical autoclave can be densely packed, and it is easy to carry out heating by means of steam and cooling through spraying.

Abstract: A refuse storage equipment for temporary storage and timely discharge of refuse which includes a storage tank having a refuse charging hopper at its top and a refuse discharge port at its bottom and a plurality of dampers adapted to divide the space within the storage tank into a plurality of storage compartments, the dampers being sequentially actuated beginning with the uppermost one to allow the refuse to fall from the uppermost to the lowermost of each storage compartment and discharged from the refuse discharge port in sequence.

Abstract: A continuous furnace for the heat-treatment of workpieces comprising an endless chain-like conveyer belt (18) consisting of a ceramic material and having a plurality of links (34, 34', 34", 34'"; 36, 36',36', 36""; 38, 38', 38") which are arranged one beside the other and one behind the other and which are interconnected by rods extending transversely to the feeding direction (19). The arrangement provides that a plurality of separate rods (40, 44, 48) are provided one behind the other, viewed over the full width of the conveyor belt (18), and that gaps (42, 46, 50 to 55) remaining between the separate rods are offset laterally, viewed in the feeding direction (19).

Abstract: A mold table is linearly moved into a pouring position or a resting position in a vacuum casting unit and rotates around its vertical axis so that the ingot molds disposed on the mold table can be individually positioned in front of the pouring nose of a crucible. A flexible belt-type roller device, for example a roller chain 15 as used in the chain drive of a crawler, is guided around a rod-like carrier 13 disposed in direction F in the mold chamber, and a catch 16 is integrated into this flexible, belt-type device. A separate drive, preferably a rope drive, is provided for moving the apparatus 10, this drive being connected to the rotatable catch 16 generating the rotation of the mold table. All motors for linearly moving and rotating the mold table are disposed outside the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A surge feeder for feeding refuse material into a furnace comprises a plurality of rollers mounted on a base supporting the rollers above the feed opening to the furnace. A chain and sprocket drive mechanism is mounted to the base and serves to counter-rotatably drive the rollers. Each roller has fixedly mounted thereto at equally angularly spaced apart locations a plurality of generally planar shaped paddles which extend continuously along the length of the roller. The paddles project radially from and alternate in height angularly about each roller.

Abstract: A mechanism for feeding solid material, e.g. wood in a wood-burning furnace, has a pair of rollers. The rollers are rotatably mounted, so as to be generally horizontal and substantially parallel to one another. The rollers are spaced apart to permit the solid material to fall between them. Thus, in a furnace, they are far enough apart to permit logs to fall from a store into a combustion chamber, but are also sufficiently close that, in the absence of roller motion, the material tends to bridge between the rollers. A drive is provided for rotating the rollers.

Abstract: A combination mechanical/pneumatic fuel feeder for feeding particulate fuel into a furnace and having a closely coupled hopper, fuel metering device, rotor and air swept delivery plate.

Abstract: Material handling apparatus and methods, especially for use with loose stacks of paper and the like in pallets. The invention includes depalletizing apparatus, distributing apparatus, and hopper loading apparatus; and material handling apparatus for transporting material between the depalletizing apparatus, the distributing apparatus, and the hopper loading apparatus. The depalletizing operation includes lateral sliding of layers of a pallet load onto a removal conveyor and then away from the pallet. Significant advantages are achieved by using a special spacing sheet in the pallet load instead of slip sheets and tie sheets. Fingers on the pusher extend below individual layers of the load and into the channels in a spacing sheet, effecting the removal of even the bottom layer of papers in a stack. Similar use of fingers and channels applies to operation of the hopper loader and its control of the bottom papers in the stack.

Abstract: An automatic log feeder for fireplaces is provided which includes an upper horizontal conveyor, an intermediate carriage mechanism and a lower horizontal conveyor. The upper horizontal conveyor is used to store a plurality of logs outside of a building and to advance individual logs through the feeder as desired. Through use of a unique guide rail and rail following bracket the intermediate carriage mechanism receives individual logs from the upper conveyor and lowers them to the lower conveyor while simultaneously changing orientation of the individual logs by 90.degree. before depositing them onto the lower conveyor. The lower conveyor is adapted to automatically advance individual logs into the fireplace in a cantilevered fashion before gently tipping them onto the fireplace grating, or, allows for manual removal of the log from the lower conveyor through an access door extending to the interior of a building.

Abstract: A hopper for use in a dry ash removal system is structured with a front elevational profile which converges from top to bottom while the side elevational profile of same diverges from top to bottom to allow substantially uniform hopper cross-sectional area from top to bottom and thereby reduce incidence of ash bridging within the hopper.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding a combustor with viscous bulk material, particularly coal slurry, comprises two silos which are associated with at least one conveyor system, for transporting the bulk material from the silos to a plurality of fuel-feeders in the combustor. Advantageously, two conveyor systems are linked with each other so that bulk material can be distributed uniformly either from both silos or from one of the silos to all the fuel-feeders of the combustor.

Abstract: An automatic log feeder is provided which includes a hopper for retaining a plurality of logs. The hopper includes a plurality of generally parallel and vertically arranged compartments which are adapted to each hold a single row of logs. The hopper has a chute at its lowermost portion for dispensing individual logs onto a generally vertically arranged conveyor. The vertically arranged conveyor comprises an endless chain driven by a motor and a plurality of sprocket wheels, and a plurality of pairs of brackets which are foldably connected to the chain. Each of the bracket pairs is adapted to receive a single log from the chute. Additionally, the generally horizontally arranged conveyor is positioned beneath the generally vertically arranged conveyor and is adapted to transfer logs to a wood burning apparatus. The generally horizontally arranged conveyor comprises a motor driven push log for moving the logs in a horizontal fashion.

Abstract: A feeder comprising in combination a vessel (10) of substantially circular cross section that contains an en-masse conveyor (11) that is constrained to pass through a trough (16.sub.1, 16.sub.2) spaced from the internal wall of said vessel so that material being conveyed from an inlet (10.sub.1) in said vessel (10) to an outlet (14.sub.2) in said vessel (10) by said conveyor does not come into rubbing contact with said wall.

Abstract: Converging upper and lower conveyors transport loose waste from a receiving hopper toward an incinerator combustion chamber entrance at an adjustably predetermined normal rate, cooperating to compact the waste into a continuous plug and to force the plug through a confining passageway extending from the conveyors to the incinerator entrance, thereby feeding the waste plug to the burning firebed in the combustion chamber at a steady rate for causing waste combustion therein at a generally steady rate while sealing the entrance thereto against incoming air and outgoing heat or fire.