Workpiece transporter

A device for transporting and positioning a workpiece which comprises:

• a housing;
• a rare earth magnet mounted on said housing for creating a magnetic field, said rare earth magnet forming a projection;
• a bobbin slidingly mounted on said housing, said bobbin being disposed around said projection;
• a grip for holding said workpiece, said grip being attached to said bobbin for movement therewith;
• a coil for generating an electrical current in said magnetic field, said coil being wrapped around and connected to said bobbin to move said bobbin in response to a generated electrical current and to create very light and very precise forces on said workpiece during positioning of said workpiece;
• and
• a source of electrical current, said source being electrically connected with said coil.

A device for transporting and positioning a workpiece which comprises:

• a housing;
• a means mounted on said housing for creating a magnetic field;
• a bobbin slidingly mounted on said housing;
• a grip for holding said workpiece, said grip being attached to said bobbin for movement therewith, said grip being moveable between a first position wherein said grip is withdrawn into said housing and a second position wherein said grip is extended from said housing;
• and
• a means for generating an electrical current in said magnetic field, said current generating means being connected with said bobbin to move said bobbin in response to a generated electrical current to create very light and very precise forces on said workpiece during positioning of said workpiece.

A method for inspecting and positioning an assembly component in an automated assembly operation which comprises the steps of:

• providing a device having a permanent magnet creating a magnetic field, said magnet forming a projection, an electrical coil for carrying a current, said coil being disposed around said projection for movement within said magnetic field in response to current flow through said coil, a grip connected with said coil and engageable with said component to generate very light and very precise forces on said component during positioning of said component;
• providing a means for determining the difference between an actual position of said grip and a desired stop position to generate an error signal and cause an electrical current to flow through said coil when said error signal has an absolute value greater than zero;
• generating a flow of current through said coil to selectively move said coil between a withdrawn position and an extended position;
• and
• monitoring said error signal to reject said assembly component when said error signal attains a predetermined value.