US 5,100,516 A · High volume workpiece handling and chemical treating system

Abstract

A high volume workpiece treating system includes horizontally arranged treating staions, including vertically arranged treating stations. A conveyor system moves workpieces sequentially and cyclically through the vertically arranged treating stations so that, while one treating station is loaded with workpieces and carrying out a treating procedure, the next station in the vertical group is being loaded with the next batch of workpieces. A single conveyor is arranged to supply a group of vertical treating stations with workpieces and to remove the workpieces from each station at the completion of the treating process. The conveyor and treating stations are arranged to handle sequential batches of workpieces with a minimum of idle time to achieve maximum efficiency. Each group of vertical treating stations is associated with a single piece of auxiliary equipment that controls the flow of treating solution through each of the treating cells of the group. A workpiece handling procedure governs movement of the conveyor and opening and closing of the treating stations in a continuous process.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A workpiece handling and treating system for moving a high volume of workpieces through and treating them sequentially at a plurality of treating stations comprising:

at least a first group of vertically spaced treating stations;
at least one intermediate treating station at least horizontally spaced from said first group of treating stations;
a means for supplying workpieces to be treated at the work treating stations;
a first single conveyor means comprising a single horizontally and vertically moveable workpiece carrier means arranged to move between at least said means for supplying workpieces, said first group of vertically spaced treating stations and said intermediate treating station, to transfer workpieces from said means for supplying workpieces to each treating station of said first group of treating stations and to remove the workpieces from said treating stations of said first group of treating stations and move them to said intermediate treating station, all in accordance with a first predetermined cyclic movement pattern that includes sequentially supplying workpieces to a different one of the vertically spaced treating stations so that each workpiece is treated only at a single one of said vertically spaced treating stations, and subsequently moving each workpiece from its respective treating station to the intermediate treating station.

1 more element

A method for high volume handling and treating a series of workpieces at a plurality of treating stations, comprising:

providing a source of workpieces at a supply location;
providing a series of generally horizontally spaced workpiece treating stations including at least one group of vertically spaced treating cells comprising a first treating station;
using a single first workpiece handling conveyor and carrier, sequentially grasping and moving a first workpiece to be treated from said supply location to a first treating cell of said first treating station, then moving a second workpiece to be treated from the supply location to a second treating cell vertically spaced from the first treating cell of the first treating station;
then moving the first workpiece from the first treating cell of the first treating station to a second treating station;
then moving a third workpiece from the supply location to the first treating cell of the first treating station;
then moving the second workpiece from the second cell of the first treating station to the second treating station;
then moving a fourth workpiece from the supply location to the second cell of the first treating station, and repeating all the foregoing recited conveyor movements in cyclic sequence to move subsequent workpieces through the first and second treating stations.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High volume workpiece handling and chemical treating system

Life of this patent

High volume workpiece handling and chemical treating system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24