Transport and positioning mechanism
AssigneeHarry Arthur Hele Spence-Bate
InventorsHarry A. H. Spence-Bate, Timothy Bain-Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Substrates such as printed circuit boards are transported between and precisely indexed at work stations by means of a gas cushion formed on a plate. The substrate is transported and shifted from position to position by means of ducted gas jets or sweeps while indexing of the substrate is achieved by means of movable stops controlled by electromagnets or pneumatic means. The system finds particular use in the drilling of printed circuit boards and for component insertion, especially of integrated circuit chips, thereon.
Claims18
A circuit board processing mechanism comprising two opposed plates, means for maintaining a cushion of gas on one of said plates to support a circuit board in a plurality of X and Y positions relative to a process axis intersecting said plates, said means comprising ducts formed in at least one plate and arranged to direct a flow of gas for said cushion towards a space between the plates into which a said board is insertable, means for performing work on said board, said means located at the process axis, and means for moving the board across the plate to any of the plurality of X and Y positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.