Abstract: A semiconductor wafer pod payload platform is operable for rotation in response to linear movement of the platform by a cam assembly having rollers adapted to engage a cam surface. The payload platform is rotatably attached to a shuttle platform adapted for movement along linear rails. The shuttle platform is supported by shuttle glides adapted to move along the linear rails. A cam follower assembly is connected to the payload platform through a shaft extending through the shuttle platform and operable to rotate the payload platform. A cam surface substantially parallel to the linear rails is adapted to engage rollers on the cam follower assembly. Linear movement of the shuttle platform causes the rollers on the cam follower assembly to engage the cam surface and dispose the cam follower assembly so as to rotate the payload platform via rotation of the shaft.

Abstract: A plug-in trip unit joint 900 for a molded case circuit breaker 10, with the circuit breaker 10 having an operating mechanism 40 with a movable contact arm 45 mounted on a cross-bar 55, a trip bar 618 and a line terminal mounted in a first housing and a trip unit 600 and a load terminal 16 mounted in a second housing. The plug-in trip unit joint 900 comprises a trip unit stab 910 coupled to the trip unit 600 and load terminal 16 and extends from the second housing and a movable contact arm clamp assembly 909 mounted in the first housing and aligned to selectively engage the trip unit stab 910 wherein the line terminal 18 and the load terminal 16 are electrically coupled together and with the trip unit in selective contact with the operating mechanism 40 of the circuit breaker 10.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining the color and/or composition of a material. A sample of the material is illuminated with at least three separate illumination bands singly or in combination, said illumination bands collectively substantially spanning at least the visible range. The light reflected or transmitted by the sample is measured with at least four light detector elements responsive to light in wavelength bands which substantially span the visible range when the sample is illuminated. The width of the illumination bands differs in such a manner that the illumination bands are narrowest near the expected fluorescence absorption bands.

Abstract: A push-pull switch operator includes a housing. A rotary drive is rotationally mounted in the housing and has a circumferential cam track. An actuator is operatively coupled to the rotary drive for converting linear movement of the actuator to rotary movement of the rotary drive. A pusher is received in the housing and has a follower pin riding in the cam track to convert rotary movement of the cylinder to linear movement of the pusher. The pusher actuates an electrical switch. A cap is operatively coupled to the actuator for manually operating the actuator between in, middle and out positions to selectively operate the pusher.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method are disclosed for reading documents, such as identity documents, including passports, and documents of value, to obtain and verify information recorded thereon, and to read and/or detect security information thereon to determine if such documents are counterfeit or have been altered.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for moving a circuit breaker (12) with respect to a circuit breaker connecting apparatus (14) so as to connect or disconnect the circuit breaker from the circuit breaker connecting apparatus. The mechanism includes a draw bracket assembly (29) having a draw bracket (30) constructed and arranged to be mounted to the circuit breaker connecting apparatus (14) so as to be generally adjacent to a side of the circuit breaker connecting apparatus. A guide engaging member (36) is mounted for generally vertical movement with respect to the draw bracket (30). The guide engaging member (30) has a slot structure (42) therein having surfaces constructed and arranged to receive and engage a guide (26) associated with the circuit breaker (12) for moving the circuit breaker with respect to the circuit breaker connecting apparatus (14). A drive member (55) is provided and has a movable element (56).

Abstract: An ultracapacitor power supply for an electric vehicle is provided which employs an ultracapacitor as the primary power source and a battery as a supplemental power source. This vehicle is particularly effective in power-rail system having gaps in the power-rail or in non-power rail systems having recharging stations positioned along the track The ultracapacitor recharges quickly upon vehicle passage over a live power rail or entry into a recharging station. Optimum performance is achieved when the capacitor is allowed to fully recharge. The battery need only provide power when the ultracapacitor has been discharged or during acceleration or other periods of peak power consumption, thereby reducing the number of battery recharges required during any given operational period.

Abstract: A low current electrical power distribution busway system which includes a housing composed of two side channels is described. The side channels enclose and secure a plurality of conductive busbars in place. In the preferred form of the invention, the busbars are electrically insulated via an electrostatic spray process. The side channels include a series of corrugations which space the busbars apart at a centerline-to-centerline distance compatible with common bus plugs used with high current busway systems. An S-shaped polychannel mechanically insulates separates the busbars and the side channel corrugations. Each side channel includes a pair of flange members which allow for joining and sealing the busway, and allow for improved structural strength and heat dissipation.

Abstract: A coaxial drive employs a base member which is secured to a housing and is open to atmosphere and mounts rotatably an interior drive shaft about said base member so that rotation of the drive member in either direction in a full 360° circle. An electrical slip ring is provided between the base and the drive member with a ferrofluidic seal disposed proximate the lower end of the interior drive shaft such that atmospheric pressure passing through the base member and through the electrical slip ring is blocked by the ferrofluidic seal which has an opposite end disposed to the vacuum in the central processing apparatus.

Abstract: An electric load center having a basepan having a surface with a modular extension mounting foot extending from a lower end wall of a circuit breaker support rail for receiving a modular extension basepan, the modular extension mounting foot having a slot for receiving a flexible snap hook of the modular extension basepan to secure the modular extension basepan to the basepan.

Abstract: An item layer assembly apparatus for continuously receiving items from an infeed conveyor, forming an item layer from a plurality of items, and loading the item layer onto a pallet is provided. The item a layer assembly apparatus comprises an item receiving area surface for continuously receiving the items from the infeed conveyor. At least one side plate area surface is adjacent and substantially horizontally planar to the item receiving area surface for receiving the items from the item receiving area surface. A item layer forming plate receives the items from each of the side plate area surfaces with the item layer forming plate positioned substantially under the item receiving area surface. A mechanism associated with the item layer forming plate forms a substantially rectilinear package layer wherein the item layer forming plate deposits the item layer onto the pallet.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for positioning an actuator. In the method, the actuator is controlled by a continuous control pulse (2a) toward a desired value (1), and the position of the actuator is measured. Further, a pulsing range limit located before the desired value (1) is defined, and when the position of the actuator is past the pulsing range limit (3), the motion of the actuator is stopped. The pulsing range limit (3) is defined to be so far from the desired value (1) that the actuator stops before its position is substantially past the desired value (1). The position of the actuator is then measured, and if necessary, a corrective run is performed.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus having a substrate transport and substrate processing chambers. The substrate transport has a transport chamber and a transport mechanism. The transport mechanism has a rotatable drive, an arm pivotably connected to the drive to pivot in vertical directions, and a substrate holder pivotably connected to an end of the arm by an articulating wrist. The arm can vertically move the substrate holder up and down. The substrate processing chambers are stationarily connected to the transport chamber at two different vertical levels.

Abstract: An improved switch mechanism having a housing formed to provide a Z-shaped slot to facilitate the assembly of the spring arm components into the housing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining the color and/or composition of a material. A sample of the material is illuminated with at least three illumination bands singly or in combination, said illumination bands collectively substantially spanning at least the visible range. The light reflected or transmitted by the sample is measured with at least four light detector elements responsive to light in wavelength bands which substantially span the visible range when the sample is illuminated. The measured reflected or transmitted light is compared to the light reflected or transmitted by a reference material of known apparent emissivity or transmissivity and the apparent emissivity or transmissivity of the sample is calculated therefrom.

Abstract: A robotic palletizing apparatus includes a conveyor and retractable product support having a support surface controllably extending beyond one end of the conveyor to support the bottom of an article beyond the conveyor end and retracting from the extended position such that the article supported thereon falls substantially flat from its otherwise supported condition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for substrate processing at lower cost than existing processing systems are disclosed, which by implementing an arrangement using load locks of smaller dimensions or of a non-indexing type, as compared to existing large dimension or indexing load locks, along with a substrate loading and unloading technique can achieve the fast throughput of existing systems while reducing the size and cost of the load lock apparatus required. A processed substrate is returned by an internal robot from one of its processing modules to the shelf or slot in the small load lock from which the last substrate was removed for processing by the robot, rather than being returned to the original source shelf or slot from which it was removed for processing, as in the prior art. Also venting for a first one of the load locks is started as soon as the second load lock becomes the substrate source for the internal robot rather than waiting until the first load lock has been refilled with processed substrates.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tuning control loop parameters in a motion control system, is provided. In one embodiment, tuning of the proportional and integral gains of a servocontroller's velocity loop compensator is provided, as well as tuning of the cutoff frequencies of the servocontroller's low pass filters. In this embodiment, random noise excitation is added to the velocity command during a plurality of movement types for a machine tool axis. During each movement type, frequency response measurements are taken. Then, a composite frequency response can be selected by concatenating portions of the various frequency response measurements, so as to simulate a worst case scenario for the machine tool axis. From this composite response, an open loop response can be calculated and displayed, as well as bandwidth, phase margin, and gain margin values. The user can then enter the compensator parameters which were used when this data was taken, as well as proposed parameters.

Abstract: An end effector for handling stacks of plastic cups, dishes, and similar items. The end effector includes a bracket for coupling the end effector to the end of a robot arm. A main plate or body with a top side, a bottom side, and a plurality of apertures is connected to the bracket and supports the major components of the end effector. The end effector includes at least one bay positioned in the bottom side of the main body. Within each bay is a multiple-piece blade support block that helps guide the blades located within the bay. One or more roller blocks are positioned at predetermined points along the length of the bay, preferably between two pieces of the blade support block. Each roller block has an arcuate track that holds a roller assembly. Each roller assembly has a link which extends through one of the apertures in the main body. Each roller assembly is also coupled to a curved blade. One or more linear actuators are positioned on the top side of the main body.

Abstract: An adjustable thermal-magnetic trip unit for a molded case circuit breaker 10 is disclosed, with the circuit breaker 10 including a housing 12 having an operating mechanism 40 including an intermediate latch 52, a line terminal 18, a load terminal 16 and a cover 20. The adjustable thermal-magnetic trip unit includes a magnetic yoke 66 mounted in the housing 12, and a bimetal member mounted in the magnetic yoke 66, with the bimetal member having a fixed end and a movable end. The fixed end is coupled to a load bus 61 of the load terminal 16, and the movable end is coupled to a movable contact of the operating mechanism 40. The trip unit 610 also includes a horizontal trip bar rotatably mounted in the housing 12, with the trip bar 54 having an actuating arm gapped from the movable end of the bimetal member and with the actuating arm aligned to selectively engage the movable end of the bimetal member.