Abstract: A transport device for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system comprises an essentially rectangular frame and two groups of holding elements, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame in such a manner that any pair of opposite holding elements can be connected to both ends of a substrate. Furthermore, at least one retainer bar is provided that is operatively connected to a group of holding elements in such a manner that the holding elements of this group are moveable in order to increase or decrease by choice their distance from the holding elements of the other group. Also provided are a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device, and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.

Abstract: A transport device for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system comprises an essentially rectangular frame and two groups of holding elements, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame in such a manner that any pair of opposite holding elements can be connected to both ends of a substrate. Furthermore, at least one retainer bar is provided that is operatively connected to a group of holding elements in such a manner that the holding elements of this group are moveable in order to increase or decrease by choice their distance from the holding elements of the other group. Also provided are a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device, and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.

Abstract: A transport device for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system comprises an essentially rectangular frame and two groups of holding elements, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame in such a manner that any pair of opposite holding elements can be connected to both ends of a substrate. Furthermore, at least one retainer bar is provided that is operatively connected to a group of holding elements in such a manner that the holding elements of this group are moveable in order to increase or decrease by choice their distance from the holding elements of the other group. Also provided are a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device, and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.

Abstract: A transport device for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system comprises an essentially rectangular frame and two groups of holding elements, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame in such a manner that any pair of opposite holding elements can be connected to both ends of a substrate. Furthermore, at least one retainer bar is provided that is operatively connected to a group of holding elements in such a manner that the holding elements of this group are moveable in order to increase or decrease by choice their distance from the holding elements of the other group. Also provided are a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device, and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for assembling and packing small-sized articles consisting of at least two components. A first component is here supplied to a handling device; a second component is assigned to the first component. The article which has been assembled from the first and second components is then packed. Being held between an input position and a discharge position by the handling device, the first component is guided by controllable pairs of gripper means along a curved path, the first components being received in the input position, guided along the curved path and transferred in the discharge position by the pairs of gripper means of the handling device to a transfer means. The second component is also supplied to the handling device, isolated and connected to the first component.