Patents by Inventor Malcolm N. Daniel

Malcolm N. Daniel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Workpiece handling system and methods of workpiece handling
    Patent number: 9694989
    Abstract: One embodiment of this workpiece handling system has conveyor belts and a load lock. A first swap robot holds and transports workpieces between a build station and the load lock. A gantry robot transports the workpieces between each of the conveyor belts and the first swap robot. In one instance, processed workpieces are transported from the first swap robot to a first conveyor belt and unprocessed workpieces are transported from a second conveyor belt to the first swap robot using the gantry robot. A second swap robot also may be used with the first swap robot to load and unload workpieces from the load lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason M. Schaller, Robert Brent Vopat, Charles T. Carlson, Malcolm N. Daniel, Aaron P. Webb, William T. Weaver
  • Workpiece alignment device
    Patent number: 9240338
    Abstract: An alignment device has a carriage, two rails on the carriage that are configured for a workpiece to pass therebetween, and a finger that protrudes a distance from the carriage. The finger is configured to be disposed on a carrier for the workpieces. The workpieces may be solar cells and may pass through the rails on a conveyor belt. The alignment device may move in order to align the workpieces as the workpieces are loaded into a carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Malcolm N. Daniel, Charles T. Carlson, William T. Weaver
  • Optimization of conveyor belts used for workpiece processing
    Patent number: 9145271
    Abstract: A system and method for the handling of workpieces in a workpiece processing system is disclosed. The system utilizes three conveyor belts, where one may be a loading belt, feeding unprocessed workpieces from its associated workpiece carrier to a processing system. A second conveyor belt may be an unloading belt, receiving processed workpieces from the processing system and filling its associated workpiece carrier. The third conveyor belt may be exchanging its workpiece carrier during this time, so that it is available to start operating as the loading belt once all of the workpieces have been removed from the workpiece carrier associated with the first conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Brent Vopat, Malcolm N. Daniel, Luke Bonecutter, Jason M. Schaller, Charles T. Carlson, William T. Weaver
  • WORKPIECE ALIGNMENT DEVICE
    Publication number: 20140366358
    Abstract: An alignment device has a carriage, two rails on the carriage that are configured for a workpiece to pass therebetween, and a finger that protrudes a distance from the carriage. The finger is configured to be disposed on a carrier for the workpieces. The workpieces may be solar cells and may pass through the rails on a conveyor belt. The alignment device may move in order to align the workpieces as the workpieces are loaded into a carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Malcolm N. Daniel, Charles T. Carlson, William T. Weaver
  • Workpiece alignment device
    Patent number: 8813338
    Abstract: An alignment device has a carriage, two rails on the carriage that are configured for a workpiece to pass therebetween, and a finger that protrudes a distance from the carriage. The finger is configured to be disposed on a carrier for the workpieces. The workpieces may be solar cells and may pass through the rails on a conveyor belt. The alignment device may move in order to align the workpieces as the workpieces are loaded into a carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Malcolm N. Daniel, Charles T. Carlson, William T. Weaver
  • OPTIMIZATION OF CONVEYOR BELTS USED FOR WORKPIECE PROCESSING
    Publication number: 20140076688
    Abstract: A system and method for the handling of workpieces in a workpiece processing system is disclosed. The system utilizes three conveyor belts, where one may be a loading belt, feeding unprocessed workpieces from its associated workpiece carrier to a processing system. A second conveyor belt may be an unloading belt, receiving processed workpieces from the processing system and filling its associated workpiece carrier. The third conveyor belt may be exchanging its workpiece carrier during this time, so that it is available to start operating as the loading belt once all of the workpieces have been removed from the workpiece carrier associated with the first conveyor belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventors: Robert Brent Vopat, Malcolm N. Daniel, Luke Bonecutter, Jason M. Schaller, Charles T. Carlson, William T. Weaver