Selector device for feeding an object such as a substrate to a processing station

A device for moving at least one substrate to a processing station comprising:

• an object-holder rotatably mounted on a support, the object holder comprising object receiving areas for receiving objects to be processed, and the object-holder being adapted to move the object receiving areas to the processing station during use;
• a force accumulator member connected to and adapted to rotate the object-holder during use;
• an incrementer mechanism comprising a stopping mechanism on the support;
• a plurality of abutments on the object-holder that are operatively associated with the receiving areas, the stopping mechanism being adapted to cooperate with the abutments to hold the object-holder at positions such that the receiving areas are selectively located at the processing station during use;
• and
• a trigger mechanism adapted to operate in association with the incrementer mechanism so that the stopping mechanism passes selectively from one abutment to a next abutment after rotation of the object-holder by the force accumulator member.

A method of moving at least one object to a processing station, comprising:

• obtaining a selector device for moving at least one object to a processing station, comprising:
• an object-holder rotatably mounted on a support, the object holder comprising object receiving areas for receiving objects to be processed, and the object-holder being adapted to move the object receiving areas to the processing station during use;
• a force accumulator member connected to and adapted to rotate the object-holder during use;
• an incrementer mechanism comprising a stopping mechanism on the support;
• a plurality of abutments on the object-holder that are operatively associated with the receiving areas, the stopping mechanism being adapted to cooperate with the abutments to hold the object-holder at positions such that the receiving areas are selectively located at the processing station during use;
• and
• a trigger mechanism adapted to operate in association with the incrementer mechanism so that the stopping mechanism passes selectively from one abutment to a next abutment after rotation of the object-holder by the force accumulator member;
• placing at least one object on at least one of the object-holders;
• and
• operating the selector device to move the object to a processing station.