Apparatus for picking up a flat work piece from an adhering substrate

An apparatus for picking up a flat work piece from a substrate to which it adheres, which comprises

• (a) a pickup table having a surface for receiving the substrate carrying the flat work piece,
• (b) a receiving table spaced from the pickup table and having a surface for receiving the flat work piece picked up from the substrate, and
• (c) a vertically adjustable tool carrier movable between the tables and carrying a pickup device comprising
• (1) a pressure platen configurated to conform to the flat work piece and having opposite ends,
• (2) an adhesive strip extending over the pressure platen between the ends thereof,
• (3) two guide rollers respectively recessed from the opposite ends of the pressure platen, the guide rollers being arranged to guide the adhesive strip under tension over the pressure platen, and
• (4) two reeling drums receiving respective ends of the adhesive strip beyond the guide rollers and rotatable to displace the adhesive strip in an operating direction by reeling the adhesive strip on one of the drums and unreeling the same from the other drum,
• (5) the tool carrier being arranged to be lowered until the adhesive strip contacts the flat work piece and then picks up the flat work piece from the substrate on the pickup table surface upon raising the tool carrier, to be moved to the receiving table with the picked-up flat work piece adhering to the adhesive strip and then to be lowered until the flat work piece rests on the receiving table surface, and the adhesive strip is displaceable parallel to the receiving table surface and in a direction opposite to the direction of the tool carrier movement whereby the adhesive strip is pulled off the flat work piece resting on the receiving table surface.