Laser drilling system and method

11) A laser-drilling system comprising:

• a) a laser device that directs a pulsing laser beam at a firing zone;
• b) a solids handling assembly comprising:
• c) a first solids reservoir;
• d) a continuous solids indexer comprising plural solids-receiving slots;
• e) a containment assembly comprising an undrilled-solids loading zone and a drilled-solids delivery zone;
• f) an electronic inspection device directed at an inspection zone between the firing zone and the delivery zone;
• and
• g) a solids-diverging means in the delivery zone and responsive to a signal from the inspection device;
• wherein:
• the indexer transports a solid from the solids reservoir through the firing zone to a delivery zone, and the laser device, in synchronization with the solids indexer, drills one or more holes or cavities in the surface of the solid;
• and
• the electronic inspection device determines the presence of a hole or cavity, the location of a hole or cavity, the number of holes or cavities and/or the shape of a hole or cavity drilled in the surface of the solid and/or determines the color of the solid.

18) A laser-drilling system comprising:

• a) a laser device that directs a pulsing laser beam at a firing zone;
• b) a solids handling assembly comprising:
• c) a first solids reservoir;
• d) a continuous solids indexer comprising plural solids-receiving slots;
• e) a containment assembly comprising an undrilled-solids loading zone and a drilled-solids delivery zone;
• f) a solids detector in a first detection zone between the loading zone and the firing zone;
• and
• g) a color detector in the first detection zone to detect the color of the surface of a solid in a solids receiving slot;
• wherein:
• the indexer transports a solid from the solids reservoir through a first detection zone and then the firing zone to a delivery zone, and the laser device, in synchronization with the solids indexer and the solids detector, drills one or more holes or cavities in the surface of the solid;
• and
• the solids detector detects the presence of a solid in a solids receiving slot of the indexer by means other than the pulsing laser beam of the laser device.

23) A laser drilling system comprising:

• a) a laser device that directs a pulsing laser beam at a firing zone;
• b) a solids handling assembly comprising:
• c) a continuous solids indexer comprising plural solids-receiving slots;
• d) a first solids reservoir comprising a fill detector;
• e) a solids-loading means adapted to conduct solids from a second solids reservoir into the first solids reservoir;
• wherein the solids-loading means comprises a flow controller responsive to a signal from the fill detector;
• and
• f) a solids delivery zone,
• wherein the indexer transports a solid from the solids reservoir through the firing zone to a delivery zone, and the laser device, in synchronization with the solids indexer, drills one or more holes or cavities in the surface of the solid.

29) A method of drilling a hole or cavity with a laser into a solid, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing plural solids in a continuous solids indexer which obtains the solids from a solids reservoir;
• b) striking a solid in the slot of the solids indexer with one or more laser pulses as the solids indexer passes it through a firing zone to form one or more holes, cavities or a combination thereof on the surface of the solid;
• c) rejecting the solid if no hole or cavity is formed on the solid to provide a rejected solid, wherein the rejected solid, if present, is returned to the solids reservoir;
• d) delivering a drilled solid to a delivery zone;
• e) directing a correctly drilled solid to an acceptance zone and directing an incorrectly drilled or an undrilled solid to a rejection zone.