Abstract: A conveyor apparatus for conveying, for instance, dies, comprising: an X-axis moving block movable in an X-axis direction that is a lead frame conveying direction, a Y-axis moving block installed on the X-axis moving block and moved in a Y-axis direction that is perpendicular to the X-axis direction, a nozzle holder installed on the Y-axis moving block so as to be movable upward and downward, a Z-axis guide rail installed on the X-axis moving block and has an inclined part that rises from a die pick-up position side toward a die bonding position side, a Z-axis moving plate moved upward and downward along the Z-axis guide rail and is connected to the nozzle holder, and a suction chucking nozzle that holds the dies by vacuum suction and is installed so as to be moved upward and downward on the nozzle holder and together with the nozzle holder.

Abstract: An electric-component mounting head, including a support member, a suction nozzle which applies a suction to an electric component and thereby holds the component, and a nozzle holder which is supported by the support member, which holds the nozzle such that the nozzle is movable relative to the support member in a direction parallel to an axis line of the nozzle, and which comprises a housing and a piston fitted in the housing such that one of the housing and the piston that is connected to the nozzle is movable relative to the other of the housing and the piston that is connected to the support member, the nozzle holder having at least one pressure chamber which is defined by at least one of axially opposite end surfaces of the piston and the housing, at least one communication opening which communicates with the one pressure chamber, two guide surfaces which are supported by the housing and the piston, respectively, and cooperate with each other to guide the relative movement of the housing and the piston,

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for conveying a conveyable object is disclosed whereby the object (W) attracted at a conveying start site (A) by suction to an attractor means (12) carried by a conveyer arm (14) and conveyed by the conveyer arm (14) while being retained by suction to the attractor means (12) is instantaneously detached from the attractor means (12) at an object conveying destination site (B). To attract the object (W) and to hold it retained to the attractor means (12), an attractor plate (32) having fastened thereto the attractor means (12) and attached to a lower end of an inner cylinder (28) that extends in the outer cylinder (20) is held in a vacuum contact with a head plate (24) attached to a lower end of an outer cylinder (20) carried by a conveyer arm (14) in which a vacuum communication is established of the attractor means (12) with a suction source (16) via the attractor plate (32), the head plate (24) and suction hose means (22).

Abstract: A transfer mechanism for transferring optical glass material to be molded into optical glass elements such as lenses or the like, one after another from a container holding a large number of work pieces of the optical glass material onto a molding surface of a lower mold member of a mold assembly unit located at a work loading/unloading station of a glass molding line. The transfer mechanism employs a tubular positioning member which is located in such a way as to circumvent a suction nozzle and adapted to hold the outer periphery of optical glass material for accurate positioning.

Abstract: A method of controlling a mounting unit having a shaft operated under servo control using a current driven actuator, comprises the steps of detecting interrruption of the servo control, and switching from a positioning control mode to a constant current control mode for supplying an constant amount of current to the shaft actuator to suspend the shaft. In an embodiment the method further includes engaging a gripping device, for holding the shaft, so as to keep the shaft from free-falling when interruption of the servo control is detected, and maintaining the constant current control mode at least until the gripping device grips the shaft. Still further, the current control mode optionally includes the steps of maintaining the supply of the constant amount of current for a predetermined period of time, and disengaging power supplied to the actuator after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Abstract: In a component mounting apparatus, a component (8) is held, positioned and mounted at a predetermined position of a member (4) to be mounted. After the component (8) is mounted to the member (4), a component holding member (5) is raised by a distance corresponding approximately to a push-in amount by which the component holding member (5) has been moved down to mount the component, then stopped to retain the component (8), is kept in this state while retaining the component for a fixed time, and is raised again to a predetermined position.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for handling packaged integrated circuits (IC's), particularly for inserting packaged IC's in and removing packaged IC's from low-insertion-force (LIF) sockets. The apparatus includes a precisor having a chip precisor feature for receiving an IC package and a socket precisor feature for receiving a socket in a predetermined alignment relative to the chip precisor feature. One or more releasable chip retainers are provided, such as a vacuum nozzle for pulling the packaged IC into a seated position within the chip precisor feature and a pair of gripper fingers for holding the packaged IC within the chip precisor feature during extraction from a LIF socket.

Abstract: A device is provided for monitoring sheets from which cards with a monetary value and/or identity cards are punched, where the cards are arranged in rows on the sheets. The device is configured such that the number of cameras used is independent of the number of rows of cards. The device has a table on which at least two sheets can be laid. A camera can be moved along and across the table, and a conveyor device travels along the table above the camera.

Abstract: An electronic-component mounting system, including a printed-circuit-board supporting device which positions and supports a printed circuit board, a movable table which is movable, relative to the printed-circuit-board supporting device, in at least one of an X direction and a Y direction which are perpendicular to each other and cooperate with each other to define an X-Y plane parallel to a board-support plane on which the printed circuit board is supported by the supporting device, an electronic-component supplying device which is mounted on the movable table and which includes a component-supply portion from which electronic components are supplied one by one, and an electronic-component mounting device which is mounted on the movable table together with the electronic-component supplying device and which receives the electronic components one by one from the component-supply portion of the supplying device and mounts at least one of the electronic components on the printed circuit board positioned and sup

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting pipette tips is provided which comprises a vacuum manifold and one or more air conduits. The vacuum manifold internally defines a vacuum chamber, and has a wall which defines one or more apertures. The vacuum manifold is adapted for use in conjunction with a vacuum source. An air conduit is fixed to each of the one or more apertures defined by the wall of the vacuum manifold. Each air conduit defines an air channel, and is sized such that it can be inserted through a proximal opening defined by the head of one of the pipette tips without contacting the inner surface of the head of the pipette tip. The air channel of each air conduit is larger than a distal opening defined by the body of the pipette tip, such that when each air conduit is inserted through the proximal opening of one of the pipette tips and a vacuum source is used in conjunction with the vacuum manifold to create a vacuum in the vacuum chamber, the pipette tips are held in engagement with the vacuum manifold.

Abstract: An improved tool mount structure allows the infinite placement of a tool along a generally elongate cylindrical member at an infinite number of locations. The elongate cylindrical member is fixed at each axial end to a generally rigid moving member such as a robotic arm boom or transfer bar. The cylindrical member is fixed in a bracket at one axial end, and into a quick-release mount at an opposed axial end. The cylindrical member may be quickly released from the moving member such that the tool may be easily changed. At the same time, by fixing the cylindrical member at each axial end, a secure rigid connection is provided.

Abstract: A system for recycling the components dismantled from a disused automobile, which includes a main body having a control part, front and rear glass removers connected with the main body for dismantling the glass from the body of the disused automobile, two molding removal systems connected to the glass remover for removing the molding which connects the glass to the body of the automobile, and a moving apparatus for removing the molding which connects the glass to the body of the automobile, and a moving apparatus for moving the main body in all directions and controlling the position of the main body to the automobile. The windshield glass and the rear glass are automatically dismantled from the disused automobile before compression of the body of the automobile.

Abstract: A dual-arm wafer hand-off assembly includes a pair of pickup arms for transferring wafers within a wafer processing system. The two pickup arms are adapted to move such that the wafer on one of the arms can be positioned over the other arm and handed off. In one version, a Bernoulli-style wand translates along a linear guideway and may be positioned over a paddle-style pickup arm. The wafer carried by the Bernoulli wand can be handed off to the paddle by shutting off the flow of gas from the Bernoulli wand jets. The two pickup arms may be mounted on linear slides and adapted to translate between a load/unload chamber and a processing chamber, or the guideway may be adapted to rotate to allow transfer of wafers to multiple processing chambers in a cluster system. One of the pickup arms is preferably an all-quartz Bernoulli-style pickup arm having a proximal arm portion and a distal wand.

Abstract: A dual-arm wafer hand-off assembly includes a pair of pickup arms for transferring wafers within a wafer processing system. The two pickup arms are adapted to move such that the wafer on one of the arms can be positioned over the other arm and handed off. In one version, a Bernoulli-style wand translates along a linear guideway and may be positioned over a paddle-style pickup arm. The wafer carried by the Bernoulli wand can be handed off to the paddle by shutting off the flow of gas from the Bernoulli wand jets. The two pickup arms may be mounted on linear slides and adapted to translate between a load/unload chamber and a processing chamber, or the guideway may be adapted to rotate to allow transfer of wafers to multiple processing chambers in a cluster system. One of the pickup arms is preferably an all-quartz Bernoulli-style pickup arm having a proximal arm portion and a distal wand.

Abstract: A component suction method including feeding components (8) accommodated in component storage spaces (9c) of a tape base (9a) to a predetermined position, lowering a nozzle (7) capable of sucking the components supplied to the predetermined position, stopping the nozzle (7) at a predetermined distance from an upper surface of the tape base, pushing an undersurface of the component up when the nozzle is at a bottom dead center position or a position adjacent to the center, vacuum-sucking the component by the nozzle at the bottom dead center position or at the position adjacent to the center, and moving the component sucked by the nozzle to a predetermined position of a board after the vacuum-sucking.

Abstract: A dual-arm wafer hand-off assembly includes a pair of pickup arms for transferring wafers within a wafer processing system. The two pickup arms are adapted to move such that the wafer on one of the arms can be positioned over the other arm and handed off. In one version, a Bernoulli-style wand translates along a linear guideway and may be positioned over a paddle-style pickup arm. The wafer carried by the Bernoulli wand can be handed off to the paddle by shutting off the flow of gas from the Bernoulli wand jets. The two pickup arms may be mounted on linear slides and adapted to translate between a load/unload chamber and a processing chamber, or the guideway may be adapted to rotate to allow transfer of wafers to multiple processing chambers in a cluster system. One of the pickup arms is preferably an all-quartz Bernoulli-style pickup arm having a proximal arm portion and a distal wand.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for removing and transporting articles, such as ophthalmic lens mold sections, or packaging elements from a mold. The invention, in one embodiment includes first, second, and third assemblies; the first of which removes the articles from the molding station at a first location and transports them to a second location; the second assembly receives the articles from the first assembly and transports them to a third location, and the third assembly receives the articles from the second assembly and transports them to a fourth location. A second embodiment includes a flipper assembly disposed between the first and second assemblies, which flipper receives the articles from the first assembly and inverts them before depositing them onto the second assembly. This second embodiment is useful in conjunction with molded articles which are transported to the flipper assembly in an inverted position.