Device for picking up planar work pieces

In an apparatus for picking up, transporting and exactly depositing planar workpieces having a selected shape from at least one first to a second deposition point wherein said apparatus includes:

• a platform disposed over and bridging said deposition points;
• lifting device means movably mounted on said platform for horizontal movement between said deposition points and for vertical movement between a raised position and a lowered position;
• adhesive tape pick up means mounted on said lifting device means comprising a vertically disposed frame member having an upper and lower end, a baffle member having an aperture therein disposed on the lower end of said frame member, an adhesive tape winding means having adhesive tape deflection roller means associated therewith for receiving adhesive tape from said winding means, with said winding means and said associated roller means movably mounted in said frame member for vertical movement in said frame between an upper operating position and a lower operating position wherein said roller means are arranged on said winding means facing said aperture of said baffle member and protrude through said aperture when said winding means is in said lower operating position and said roller means are retracted with respect to said aperture when said winding means is in said upper position;
• means for lowering said lifting device and means for lowering said winding means to said lower position at said first deposition point whereby said roller means protrude through said aperture and adhesive tape thereon picks up a work piece;
• means for raising said lifting device and for transversely transporting said lifting device means to said second deposition point after said work piece has been picked up wherein said winding means and associated roller means remain in said lower position whereby said work piece remains adhered during said transport;
• means for lowering said lifting device at said second deposition point and means for raising said winding means and said associated roller means to the upper position at said second deposition point whereby said roller means retract into said aperature and said work piece is released;
• wherein the improvement comprises:
• said lifting means comprise one horizontally oriented pressure plate selectively movable in the vertical direction wherein said pressure plate has an area defined by a first dimension in a first direction and by a second dimension in a second direction transverse to the first direction;
• said adhesive tape pickup means comprises a plurality of independent units with the frame member of each unit defined by a vertically aligned tubular housing;
• and
• fastening means for permitting selective movement of each tubular housing in both said first and said second directions of said one pressure plate and for detachably connecting each tubular housing to said pressure plate in a preselected desired arrangement whereby said plurality of independent functional units are arranged on said pressure plate to conform to the selected shape of said workpieces.