Abstract: An automated mobile paint robot, according to particular embodiments, comprises: (1) a wheeled base; (2) at least one paint sprayer; (3) at least one pump; (4) a vision system; (5) a GPS navigation system; and (5) a computer controller configured to: (A) generate a room painting plan using one or more inputs from the GPS navigation system, vision system, etc.; (B) control movement of the automated mobile paint robot across a support surface: (C) use the vision system to position the wheeled base in a suitable position from which to paint a desired area using the at least one paint sprayer; and (D) use the at least one pump to activate the at least one paint sprayer to paint a swath (e.g., swatch) of paint from the suitable position.

Abstract: An apparatus including a grid having a plurality of rows and columns; a base, to which the grid is configured to be fixed; a liquid container; and a liquid application device; wherein the liquid application device is removably attached to the grid and configured to move along the grid when attached to the grid; and wherein the liquid application device is connected to the liquid container so that it receives liquid from the liquid container. The liquid application device may include a brush, a roller, and/or a spray device. The liquid may be paint or an adhesive, and for adhesive, wallpaper may be applied after the adhesive. The grid may be configured to be fixed parallel or perpendicular to the base, when the base is parallel to a floor surface, depending on whether the liquid is being applied to a vertical wall or to a ceiling.

Abstract: An automated mobile paint robot, according to particular embodiments, comprises: (1) a wheeled base; (2) at least one paint sprayer; (3) at least one pump; (4) a vision system; (5) a GPS navigation system; and (5) a computer controller configured to: (A) generate a room painting plan using one or more inputs from the GPS navigation system, vision system, etc.; (B) control movement of the automated mobile paint robot across a support surface: (C) use the vision system to position the wheeled base in a suitable position from which to paint a desired area using the at least one paint sprayer; and (D) use the at least one pump to activate the at least one paint sprayer to paint a swath (e.g., swatch) of paint from the suitable position.

Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device manufacturing method and a substrate processing apparatus. The method comprise: a first process of forming a film containing a predetermined element on a substrate by supplying a source gas containing the predetermined element to a substrate processing chamber in which the substrate is accommodated; a second process of removing the source gas remaining in the substrate processing chamber by supplying an inert gas to the substrate processing chamber; a third process of modifying the predetermined element-containing film formed in the first process by supplying a modification gas that reacts with the predetermined element to the substrate processing chamber; a fourth process of removing the modification gas remaining in the substrate processing chamber by supplying an inert gas to the substrate processing chamber; and a filling process of filling an inert gas in a gas tank connected to the substrate processing chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for wetting and coating ophthalmic lenses having a tank with a cleaning or coating solution and a handling system for sequentially moving a lens and the solution in relation to each other, to wet the lens. A master control module is coupled to the handling system and configured execution a wetting profile. The wetting profile moves the lens to obtain a generally consistent lens surface wetting speed so that the lens coating has a more uniform thickness. According to a method, lenses are wetted in a liquid bath. The lens is placed in a handling system which moves the lens with respect to the bath according to a wetting profile. The wetting profile is based on the incremental vertical lens surface slope with respect to the surface of the solution.

Abstract: A system for purging a plural component coating application system including: a first pressure regulator for receiving an inert gas, providing the gas at a first pressure; a first valve; a first operator connected to the first valve capable of being controlled by a logic controller; a first check valve; a mixing manifold; a second pressure regulator for receiving an inert gas, providing the gas at a second pressure that is less than the first pressure; a second valve; a second operator connected to the second valve capable of being controlled by a logic controller; a second check valve; a static mixer in fluid communication with the mixing manifold; an outlet from the static mixer for receiving a connection to at least two spraying members; and where the second regulator is capable of providing the second pressure at a pressure that is less than one-fifth of the first pressure.

Abstract: Droplet ejection method and device capable of preventing a line defect, which results from a defective nozzle that ejects an inappropriate amount of droplet and is included in nozzles of an ink-jet head, from developing to appear as a visible defect in image display of a liquid crystal display panel. When adjacent streams of droplets of alignment material that are formed by movements in a Y-direction of the ink-jet head join together to form an alignment film on a substrate, a shift amount in an X-direction of the ink-jet head is set such that the adjacent streams are formed by the different nozzles. Thus, the streams of the droplets ejected from the defective nozzle can be prevented from being formed adjacent to each other, and portions of the alignment film that have thicknesses smaller than the other portions, which result in line defects, do not gather together but are dispersed.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for making a coated plastic container, such as for packaged beverages, possessing a gas barrier and having enhanced resistance to loss in barrier due to handling abuses expansion of walls of the container. The system comprises a vacuum cell, a coating source in the vacuum cell for supplying a coating vapor to an external surface of a plastic container positioned within the vacuum cell, and gas feeds for supplying one or more process gases into an interior space of the vacuum cell. The coating source heats and evaporates an inorganic coating material, such as metal or silicon, to form a coating vapor, which is energized to form a plasma. The process gases include a carbon-containing gas, such as acetylene.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and apparatus for depositing a two-layer structure, including an antireflective coating and a dielectric layer, without any intervening process steps, such as a cleaning step. The invention is capable of providing more accurate and easier fabrication of structures by reducing inaccuracies caused by the reflection and refraction of incident radiant energy within a photoresist layer used in the patterning of the dielectric layer. Additionally, the antireflective coating of the present invention may also serve as an etch stop layer during the patterning of a layer formed over the antireflective coating.

Abstract: An apparatus for color coating and further manipulating workpieces of wood, plastic material or metal includes a color coating station and further product-manipulation stations for finishing the workpiece. Through provision of a conveyor, the workpiece shuttles through the color coating unit and the manipulation stations at least in one forward run and at least in one return run, whereby a control unit moves the color coating unit and the manipulation stations commensurate with a preselected program between an operating position and an idle position during forward run and return run of the workpiece.

Abstract: In a device by means of which to support dispensers of adhesive material for application to selected areas of a wrapping material, use is made of a slide equipped with a yoke providing a releasable restraint for at least one disposable type of dispenser consisting of or containing the adhesive. The slide reciprocates between at least two limit positions, following a path along which the adhesive is applied by the dispenser to a selected area.

Abstract: Lenses are brought individually or in pairs on a transport device (12) to a continuous vacuum apparatus (1) equipped with a rotating substrate carrier (3). The eyeglass lenses (13) are introduced through a system of locks (15) into the continuous vacuum apparatus (1), where they are coated in at least one controllable coating station (5, 6, 7) with at least one transparent layer and then sent back to the transport device (12). The eyeglass lenses (13) are given codes (18), and the codes are read by a code reader (19). The coating parameters of the individual coating stations (5, 6, 7) and the drive of the substrate carrier (3) are controlled by the code reader (19).

Abstract: A device for applying flux to the rear of a printed circuit board loaded with electronic parts on the front thereof and being transported by spraying the flux. The device has a single nozzle which is movable in a reciprocating motion in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the circuit board, thereby applying flux to the entire rear surface of the circuit board in a uniform distribution. The range of reciprocation of the nozzle is controlled on the basis of data generated by a sensor which is responsive to the width of the circuit board in transport. A flux feeding device capable of adjusting the amount of flux to be sprayed from the nozzle and a device for preventing the nozzle from being stopped up are associated with the flux applying device.

Abstract: A thin film is formed on a substrate in a reaction chamber using a photo CVD technique by decomposing a reactive gas supplied to the reaction chamber by means of light irradiated through a light introducing window. The reduction in film deposition rate due to clouding of the light introducing window is corrected in order to form a thin film of a desired film thickness.

Abstract: A system for installing an elongated hollow handgrip over an elongated end portion of a golf club shaft is operable to apply a liquid adhesive to an interior surface portion of the hollow handgrip so as to produce a coating of adhesive thereon and then to apply the hollow handgrip with the adhesive coating applied on the interior surface portion thereof over the end portion of the golf club shaft. The liquid adhesive is applied by use of a probe capable of receiving the hollow handgrip over the probe. The probe has an elongated central passageway with an inlet for receiving a flow of liquid adhesive and an outlet for dispensing the liquid adhesive from the probe. Also, the probe has an annular groove in an exterior surface portion communicating with the passageway outlet for receiving liquid adhesive from the outlet and wiping the liquid adhesive onto the interior surface portion of the handgrip as it is being moved past the annular groove to removed from the handgrip from the probe.

Abstract: A dip coat process material handling system and method for coating multiple layers of material on a plurality of workpieces, in particular for producing a multi-layer optical photoconductive drum, wherein a plurality of pipes are suspended from a carrier pallet which transports the workpieces through a dip coat cell housing various dip coating stations. The system includes a load/unload station, vertical and horizontal transport systems for transporting the carrier pallet having workpieces loaded thereon to the various dip coating stations, a drying/cooling booth, and a return conveyor system. The invention allows complete dip coat processing to be completed in an in-line configuration while the workpieces are attached to the carrier pallet, thereby eliminating load/unload steps at each dip coating station to provide efficient and flexible processing of materials.

Abstract: An apparatus for spraying the surfaces of glass containers which are being moved in longitudinally spaced transverse rows by a conveyor wherein a rodless air cylinder is mounted transversely of the conveyor and the spraying apparatus is connected to the piston of the rodless cylinder so that the spraying apparatus is moved transversely of the rows of containers. The rodless cylinder is supported for pivotal movement about a vertical axis so that the axis of the cylinder may be moved to a position other than a right angle to the longitudinal axis of movement of the conveyor. The offset of the angle from a right angle and the speed of traverse of the piston is coordinated with the conveyor speed so that any time during the travel, the spray apparatus is spraying between the rows being sprayed.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying an anaerobic adhesive to the inside of the necks of cartridge cases preparatory to insertion of bullets therein to provide a seal between the inside of the necks and the bullets, the cases being held standing on end, mouth end up, in a holder arranged in a rank and file format, the holder being indexed to bring successive rows of cases under a set of adhesive dispensing nozzles which are lowered for entry of the tips of the nozzles into the upper ends of the cases in a row.

Abstract: A sealant applicator for dispensing sealant material under pressure from a nozzle onto a succession of can lids which are advanced into alignment with the sealant applicator nozzle includes a needle valve which is positively driven in a forward and reverse direction to open and close the nozzle under the control of a pair of solenoids arranged in back-to-back relation and an adjustable limit stop member to regulate the amount of sealant applied to each can lid. One or more sealant applicators may be mounted for rotation in synchronism with a rotatable chuck table and are program-controlled to control the amount of sealant applied to each lid.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying a predetermined glue pattern to a predetermined surface of a workpiece, which workpiece is moved in a stepwise, indexed fashion, such that this predetermined surface thereof follows a given path. The predetermined pattern includes first portion which extends along a line which intersects the given path. The apparatus includes a non-contact glue valve having an outlet; a carrier for mounting the glue valve for bidirectional motion along the line intersecting the given path with the outlet thereof in alignment with the first portion of the predetermined pattern and spaced closely above the predetermined surface of the workpiece. A control is provided for turning the glue valve on and off in a predetermined fashion for depositing glue upon the predetermined surface of the workpiece in the first portion of the pattern.

Abstract: A plate making device for a plate roll that is to be made into a printing plate in which a pretreatment assembly, a photosensitive film coating assembly, and a protective film coating assembly are respectively installed on three separate tables that can be raised and lowered relative to the plate roll. The three separate tables are provided on a common table that is slidable along the axis of the plate roll. The three separate tables and the common table are moved so that a pretreatment assembly, a photosensitive film coating assembly and a protective film coating assembly are successively come into contact with the plate roll, and a pretreatment, a photosensitive film coating and a protective film coating are successively performed on the plate roll by the pretreatment assembly, the photosensitive film coating assembly and the protective film coating assembly. Thus, the entire plate making processes is performed by a single device, occupying lesser spaces.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus programmed to automatically form a barrier layer for contacting a metal interconnect layer to one or more exposed N and P type silicon regions on a wafer. The wafer is heated with a direct radiation source, such as a lamp. To equalize the differing emissivities of the N type and P type silicon regions, an opaque layer of refractory metal is first formed on the regions at a temperature below approximately 100.degree. C. A refractory metal deposition process is then conducted at temperatures between 230.degree. C.-425.degree. C. During this higher temperature deposition process, the reducing gas is ramped up with time to increase the deposition rate of the refractory metal as the exothermic reducing reactions increasingly heat the contact areas.

Abstract: Lead frame workholder and transport apparatus for holding and transporting a strip of lead frames from one station to another, each lead frame having a pad and a locating pinhole, comprises a track having an input station at one end and an output station at the other end with an application station in between, a vacuum loader for loading a strip of lead frames onto the input station, a first transporter for contacting the lead frame strip in the input station by inserting a pin into the locating pinhole and moving the strip along the track to the application station, and a second transporter for moving the strip to the output station and into an exit carrier. A method of applying an epoxy layer to the pads of a strip of lead frames using the apparatus is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus and process for coating hollow objects at precise bands within the internal cavity of the object. The process utilizes centrifugal force to apply the fluid to the object. A probe is moved from underneath the object thereby utilizing gravitational forces to prevent spillage of the material from the probe. A computer controls the pumping rate, the vertical movement of the probe and the rotational speed of the probe to allow the machine to precisely coat a band on the internal cavity of an article. The computer controlled operation eliminates the necessity to waste material. One application of the invention is in the coating of the threads of nuts with Teflon.

Abstract: An eyeglass lens tinting machine which utilizes a microprocessor-controlled stepping motor to carefully control the vertical oscillations of a support structure including a vertical shaft which mounts a horizontal boom which in turn supports an eyeglass lens holder. The lens holder is moved directly up and down (with substantially no horizontal components of movement) by the mechanism. The base which mounts the vertically sliding shaft which supports the boom also mounts the stepping motor and printed circuit board with the microprocessor controller on it. The tinting machine has two basic modes of operation, the solid tint mode in which the lens is lowered beneath the surface of dye in a dye vat and reciprocated completely immersed for a pre-set period of time to create an even, uniform tint.

Abstract: An apparatus for tinting a soft contact lens which is received in a fixture including an inlet and an outlet for directing predetermined fluids therethrough for engagement with predetermined surfaces of the contact lens. The apparatus comprises a carrier for carrying the fixture in a predetermined orientation; a guide arrangement for defining a predetermined path of travel; a motive assembly for propelling the carrier along the predetermined path; and a plurality of fluid application stations arranged along the path, each fluid application station including a fluid release member. The guide track and the motive assembly cooperate for aligning the inlet of the fixture with each fluid release member sequentially as the carrier travels along the predetermined path, for delivering a quantity of fluid to the fixture and the contact lens therein.

Abstract: Apparatus for coating an internal wall of a curved conduit (50) with a layer of protective material, characterized in that it comprises a guide means (46, 46a), a longitudinally flexible member (44) which is transversely substantially rigid associated with the guide means, means for mounting a coating means (62) adjacent a first end of the flexible member for incremental rotation with the flexible member, a drive means (28) for driving the flexible member relative to a curved conduit (50) to be coated, so that the coating means can enter the curved conduit in use and so that the coating means can deposit a strip of protective material longitudinally of the conduit, and means (32, 34, 36) acting on the flexible member for automatically stepping the flexible member and consequently the coating means by a rotational increment after the coating means has completed a traverse of the conduit and for automatically reversing the drive means so that the apparatus deposits a strip of protective material adjacent the fi

Abstract: A liquid spray apparatus provides predetermined, uniform quantity of liquid (such as photoresist developer) per unit area of surface by a parabolic cam mechanism, arranged to repeatedly reciprocate a nozzle at a predetermined varying linear velocity a plurality of times over a spinning surface, such as a semiconductor device wafer. The mechanism moves the nozzle at a parabolic varying velocity whereby the liquid is deposited at a uniform quantity per unit area. The cam is continuously rotated and engaged with a spring-biased cam follower during the spraying period. The cam follower is engaged and disengaged with the cam by a programable timer defining the spraying period.

Abstract: A variable sweep means connects the rotating shaft of an electric motor to a rotatable gas manifold in a rotary disc reactor to convert rotation of the shaft into reciprocating oscillation of the gas manifold. A cycle timing control means for varying electric motor speed at two independent speeds is connected to the electric motor. The control means varies the oscillation speed of the gas manifold at two sweep rates by varying electric motor speed automatically during each sweep cycle.

Abstract: An automobile sound insulating panel and apparatus for and method of making same are provided wherein such panel comprises a contoured fibrous pad and a plastisol layer bonded against the pad with the plastisol layer comprising a foamed plastisol layer having randomly disposed air pockets therethrough which provide a minimum weight for the panel while improving the acoustical properties thereof.

Abstract: Automatic coating and drying apparatus wherein a stream of parts or elements is directed from above into an upright perforated basket spinning at low speed, and are simultaneously sprayed with a coating solution. When the basket is full, the loading and spraying cycles are terminated, and the basket is spun at high speed to throw excess solution off of the parts. The basket may be rotated to a position opening downwardly such that the parts spill therefrom into a suitable bin, after which the basket may be returned to the upright position so that the entire cycle may be repeated.

Abstract: A mechanism, operable on a shoe assembly comprised of a last having an upper mounted thereon and an insole located on its bottom, for applying cement in a cement applying stroke along the corner formed by the upper margin and the insole periphery between an initial location at a boundary between the lasted toe portion of the shoe assembly and an unlasted side portion of the shoe assembly and a final location at the heel end extremity of the shoe assembly. The cement is applied by a nozzle that is movable rearwardly in the cement applying stroke and that is swingable about a heightwise axis during its rearward movement. The cement is applied from the nozzle into the corner through a passage that extends radially from the upright axis.