Abstract: Disclosed is a stocking system that effectively copes with contingencies such as a sudden increase in the number of units to be stocked or malfunctions that render a port disabled. The stocking system includes a plurality of input ports and output ports that are operated automatically, and in input/output port that is normally operated manually, but is configurable to be operated automatically in conjunction with the other input ports and output ports. The stocking system also includes a conversion controller for switching the input/output port between manual and automatic mode.

Abstract: A wheel lift system for efficiently lifting and positioning a wheel and tire onto a wheel hub. The wheel lift system includes a first arm and a second arm pivotally attached to one another, a plurality of caster wheels attached to the lower portion of the arms, and a first support and a second support extending from the arms respectively for supporting a wheel and tire. A bias member is preferably attached to the arms for providing a bias force that assists in elevating the wheel and tire. Alternatively, a bias unit may be attached to the arms for providing a bias force that assists in maintaining elevation of a wheel and tire.

Abstract: A component loader for orienting a component along its long-axis for transfer to transmission means such as a carrier belt. The loader includes a rotatable load plate having an outer peripheral edge and an upper surface where the upper surface is inclined from a horizontal plane. A plurality of slots is on the upper surface, and each is located about the outer edge of the load plate. Each of the plurality of slots is sized to receive at least one chip, preferably lying with its long axis perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotatable load plate. An outer wall conforms to the curvature of the outer peripheral edge and is mounted adjacent thereabout. A transfer slot extends axially into the upper surface of the load plate. Preferably, each transfer slot is shaped so that a chip descending into each transfer slot from a respective slot has a ninety degree rotation about the long axis.

Abstract: The present invention, a tire mounting device, is a lifting and transporting device for the facilitating the removing and replacing of a tire. The tire mounting device comprises a cross assembly, handle assembly, left fork assembly, and right fork assembly. The handle assembly is perpendicularly rigidly attached to the cross assembly. The left fork assembly and right fork assembly are rigidly attached to opposing ends of cross assembly which extends horizontally. An obtuse angle is disposed in an intermediate position with each fork assembly. Tire supports the underside of each fork assembly to allow for the transporting the tire upon the tire mounting device.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for transporting objects are shown and described. Embodiments of the present invention allow objects to be easily transported over elevated structures. The disclosed embodiments can be used for quickly and conveniently traversing one or more elevated structures, such as street curbs. The disclosed embodiments can be associated with a garbage truck and used to conveniently transport dumpsters over street curbs.

Abstract: A versatile mobile utility cart or vehicle using either tracks, wheels or both for suspension and steering with propulsion coming from but not limited to an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. The vehicle is meant to be a utility workhorse with the ability to load and unload itself as well as drag or carry materials. The vehicle can be configured in many ways to do many tasks with the main feature being labor savings. One of the unique features of the vehicle is a loading system called a fork and foot system. For transport the forks and feet system can be raised or detached individually or as a system, this is beneficial when unloading. The foot may remain attached and used for stability. Detaching the fork and foot system as a system allows the vehicle to be used for other tasks including but not limited to: a dump vehicle; a skidder; a reel carrier; a fork lift/carrier; and a prime mover or base for brush chippers, stump cutters, tree spades and more.

Abstract: An article transport facility includes a plurality of mobile bodies movable along a single track for transporting articles, and a control device for controlling movement of the mobile bodies. The control device is capable of executing a joint moving operation for moving the mobile bodies in combination. In this operation, a first mobile body which is one of the mobile bodies pushes a second mobile body which is another of the mobile bodies.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved transfer mechanism that transfers, in a vertical heat treatment system, process objects W between a container (carrier), and a holder (boat) holding plural process objects at vertical intervals. The transfer mechanism includes plural substrate support devices spaced at intervals, and each of the substrate support devices has a gripping mechanism for gripping a process object on the under side. The gripping mechanism includes a fixed engagement member on a distal end of the substrate support device, and a movable engagement member movably attached to a proximal end of the substrate support device.

Abstract: A cargo management device and vehicle including a cargo management device having a base portion having a surface. The device also includes a support portion pivotably mounted to the base portion and being configured to receive cargo. A locking member is pivotably mounted to the support member and in sliding contact with the surface of the base portion. The support member is capable of detachable engagement with a portion of the surface. A bridge portion is associated with the support portion and is capable of being secured at a first position with respect to the support portion. The device is capable of loading and unloading cargo from a cargo compartment by an incline formed by the support portion. A method for unloading cargo is also disclosed.

Abstract: A trailer, having the capability of lowering its deck to the ground surface for ease of loading and unloading from the ground; raising its deck to a loading dock height for ease of loading and unloading from a loading dock or other elevated surface; and tilting its deck for dumping is disclosed. The deck is maintained in a transport position for travel. All the changes in position may be effected by a single actuator. Rollers, affixed to a rail affixed to the deck roll inside C-channels affixed to the frame arranged at a diagonal to the vertical when raising or lowering.

Abstract: A semiconductor material handling system including a frame mounting a wafer cassette and a plurality of load ports thereon, and a wafer moving robot including a robot body which has a lifting member mounted in the frame and vertically moving along a predetermined lifting shaft, an articulated arm which has a driving link mounted in the lifting member and a plurality of driven links whose end part transversely moving along the frame having the load ports, a swing unit which is mounted in the end part of the driven links and rotates along a vertical rotation shaft, and a crossing arm which comprises a base mounted in the swing unit, a plurality of sliding units mounted in the base and reciprocating transversely, and a wafer hand mounted in the sliding units and picking up a wafer from the wafer cassette and storing the wafer back in the wafer cassette.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tool holder for cranes. The tool holder comprises hydraulic cylinder means arranged to detachably be able to lock a tool to the tool holder. Furthermore, hydraulic coupling means is comprised and arranged to be connected with hydraulic coupling means on the tool and hydraulic line means. The object of the invention is, among other things, to reduce the number of requisite lines in the hydraulic line means. According to the invention, the tool holder comprises furthermore valve means provided with switching means arranged to connect the hydraulic line means either to the hydraulic cylinder means or to the hydraulic coupling means of the tool holder. Thereby, the same hydraulic line means may be used for the locking i 5 function and the tool. The invention also relates to a crane provided with such a tool holder as well as use of the tool holder.

Abstract: A shuttle is disclosed in which a large-sized substrate is prevented from sagging under its weight or from slipping. The shuttle includes a body, support pins supporting sides of the substrate, and shuttle arms provided to sides of the body to rotate in an axial direction and move in a right-to-left direction. The support pins are coupled with the shuttle arms, respectively. A pair of center supports support center parts of sides of the substrate not supported by the support pins. The center supports are movably coupled to a main frame in a front-to-rear direction. A driving unit moves and rotates the shuttle arms in the right-to-left direction. The driving unit moves the center supports in the front-to-rear direction using the main frame. A vacuum instrument assembly is provided to each of the support pins to securely hold the substrate by a vacuum force.

Abstract: In this invention, a movable body movable in forward and backward directions and a connector fixed to an opener-side door are connected with each other by link members so as to constitute a parallel link mechanism, such that they can be angularly displaced relative to each other. Link member angular displacement means controls the angular displacement of each link member relative to the movable body to be in a predetermined angular position, corresponding to the position of the movable body along the forward and backward directions. Reciprocation of the movable body in the forward and backward directions by movable body drive means moves the opener-side door in the forward and backward directions as well as in the upward and downward directions, thereby opening an opener-side opening.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a container transport and loading system. The system generally comprises a load port for presenting articles to a tool and a container transport system. In one embodiment, the load port includes a vertically movable FOUP advance plate assembly that is adapted to load and unload a FOUP from a conveyor that passes by the load port and move the FOUP horizontally. In another embodiment, the load port includes a vertically movable support structure that is adapted to load and unload a container from a shuttle that passes by the load port. The various embodiments of the load port and container transport system are improvements over conventional container transport systems. The present invention also includes a shuttle for simultaneously transporting multiple containers that a load port may load or unload a container from.

Abstract: An automated storage system for storing large quantities of samples in trays includes a storage compartment, a tray shuttle compartment abutting the storage compartment on one side and a plurality of independent modules on the other side. The modules perform processing of samples that are retrieved from the storage compartment by a tray shuttle, including extraction of selected samples from retrieved source trays and transfer of the selected samples into a separate, destination tray that can be further processed or removed from the system for use. The independent operation of the modules permits handling and processing to be performed simultaneously by different modules while the tray shuttle accesses additional samples within the storage compartment. In one embodiment, a vertical carousel is used to vertically align a desired tray with the tray shuttle, while the tray shuttle operates within a horizontal plane.

Abstract: A moving robot includes a first arm portion is coupled to a first joint on a side portion of a main robot body. The first arm portion has concave portion with an opening. A folding mechanism is accommodated in the concave portion. In the folding mechanism, a second arm portion is connected to the first arm via a second joint portion. A third arm portion is also connected to the second arm portion via a third joint portion. The first arm portion is rotated around the first joint to orient the opening in an upper direction. The second joint portion can be slid along the concave portion to take out the folding mechanism through the opening. The third arm portion can be rotated around the third joint portion to extend the third arm portion.

Abstract: The system includes a first conveying vehicle for holding and conveying wafers as products finished with an inspection step from a stock storage shelf group 11 to a reloading device 17, and a second conveying vehicle for holding and conveying a transporting container from a reloading device to a transporting storage shelf group: wherein a traveling course of the first conveying vehicle is provided on one side of the reloading device and a traveling course for the second conveying vehicle is provided on the other side; the reloading device includes a first mounting table for mounting the conveying container, a second mounting table for mounting the transporting container, and a reloading device for reloading wafers in the conveying container mounted on the first mounting table to the transporting container mounted on the second mounting table; and the installed number of the first mounting tables is larger than that of the second mounting tables.

Abstract: When a first floor (11) which is formed of a punching plate or the like and through which air passes is provided immediately below an arm (17) at a middle height part of a conveying robot (10) in a casing (2a) of a clean transfer device (2) and a degree of opening of a casing bottom part frame (2b), which supports a base part of the conveying robot (10), with respect to the outside is restricted, a class 1 can be maintained. Here, when a second floor (13) formed of a punching plate or the like is used on the casing bottom part frame (2b), a class 0 state can be realized under specific conditions, thereby enabling production of a semiconductor having a wire width of 0.1 ?m. As a result, the device can cope with the unexpectedly high degree of cleanliness of 0.1 ?m particle class 1, which cannot be realized in the prior art, requested also for the transfer device according to a reduction in wire width on a highly integrated semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A telescoping vehicle step comprised of three slide beams and a step. The first slide beam is shaped to slide within the hitch receiver of a vehicle. The second slide beam is inserted into the first slide beam. The third slide beam is inserted into the second slide beam. A step is attached to the third slide beam. The slide beams and step form a telescoping vehicle step which can be used to facilitate entry into the cargo bed of a vehicle. During use, the beams form a telescopic extension member which positions the step beyond the outer perimeter of a lowered tailgate. When not being used, the beams form a collapsed configuration which holds the step near the opening of the hitch receiver.