Side seal assembly for a conveyorized work supporting table with vacuum holddown

Abstract

A side seal assembly is provided in a conveyorized work supporting table with vacuum holddown for conveying work material covered with an air impermeable overlay sheet. The table has first and second longitudinally extending side members and has a plurality of bristle blocks forming a work supporting surface which are movable by a conveyor undersurface. The work supporting surface has first and second longitudinally extending side edges spaced laterally inwardly of the first and second side members respectively. The bristle blocks include a set of bristle blocks positioned side by side along the length of the table and define one of the side edges of the work supporting surface. The side seal assembly includes a stationary side seal having an outward edge and an inward edge and is fixed relative to one of the side members of the conveyorized table to extend longitudinally along the table over a marginal area of the table located outwardly of and adjacent to one of the side edges of the work supporting surface. A plurality of movable, semi air permeable side seals are provided and are each associated with and to be movable in unison with bristle blocks defining the one side edge. Each of the movable side seals is a thin strip of material covering an area of the associated bristle block adjacent to the side edge to inhibit the overlay sheet from being drawn by the vacuum of the vacuum holddown into the bristles of the bristle block in the covered area.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.