# US 8,770,563 B2 · Vacuum hold-down apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,563 B2 - Document ID: US8770563B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/007,009 - Filed: 2011-01-14 - Published: 2011-07-21 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2010-01-17 - Assignees: Orbotech Ltd. - Applicants: Asher Katz - Inventors: Asher Katz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770563B2 ## CPC - B25B 11/00: Work holders not covered by any preceding group in the subclass, e.g. magnetic work holders, vacuum work holders (for holding or positioning work for welding, soldering, or cutting by applying heat locally B23K37/04; specially adapted to machine tools B23Q3/00) - B25B 11/005: {Vacuum work holders} - B23P 17/00: Metal-working operations, not covered by a single other subclass or another group in this subclass - B23Q 3/00: Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine (work-tables or other parts, e.g. faceplates, normally not incorporating means for securing work B23Q1/00; automatic position control B23Q15/00 {; food cutting boards A47J47/00; workpiece support for dies B21D37/02}; rotary tool heads for turning-machines B23B3/24, B23B3/26; non-driven tool holders B23B29/00; general features of turrets B23B29/24 {; drawbars in spindles B23B31/261; for electrical discharge machining B23H11/003; for welding B23K37/04; means for securing grinding wheels B24B45/00; mountings for abrasive wheels B24D5/16}; tools or bench devices for fastening, connecting, disengaging or holding B25B {; chucks for percussive tools B25D17/084; work benches for manual work B25H1/00; devices for securing circular saw blades B27B5/32; for assembling or manufacturing aircrafts B64F5/10; devices for holding circuit boards H05K13/0061; for holding semiconductors or wafers H10P72/00}) - Y10T 29/49998: Work holding - B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A vacuum hold-down system for use with workpieces of various shapes and/or sizes is disclosed. The system comprising a vacuum hold-down table defining a mask support plane and an apertured vacuum table mask which is selectably positionable on said mask support plane, wherein said vacuum hold-down table and said vacuum table mask is configured to define a plurality of selectable different contiguous arrays of vacuum apertures, by suitable relative positioning of said vacuum table mask and said vacuum hold-down table in said mask support plane. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vacuum hold-down system for use with workpieces of various shapes and/or sizes, the system comprising: a vacuum hold-down table defining a mask support plane; and an apertured vacuum table mask which is selectably positionable on said mask support plane, said vacuum hold-down table and said vacuum table mask being configured to define a plurality of selectable different contiguous arrays of vacuum apertures, by suitable relative positioning of said vacuum table mask and said vacuum hold-down table in said mask support plane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 1 and wherein: said vacuum hold-down table has an array of vacuum orifices arranged on a support surface thereof; and said vacuum table mask has formed thereon at least two arrays of apertures, mutually offset from each other, each of said at least two arrays of apertures being registrable with at least some vacuum orifices of said array of vacuum orifices, each aperture of each of said at least two arrays of apertures being configured to underlie at least one of said workpieces. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 1 and wherein: said vacuum table mask has an array of apertures arranged on a support surface thereof, said mask being configured to underlie at least one of said workpieces; and said vacuum hold-down table has formed thereon at least two arrays of vacuum orifices, mutually offset from each other, at least some of said apertures of said mask being registrable with orifices of each of said at least two arrays of orifices. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 2 wherein the cross-sectional size of each aperture is at least slightly larger than the cross-sectional size of each vacuum orifice. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 3 wherein the cross-sectional size of each aperture is at least slightly larger than the cross-sectional size of each vacuum orifice. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 2 wherein said vacuum table mask is positionable at at least two selectable locations relative to said vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 3 wherein said vacuum table mask is positionable at at least two selectable locations relative to said vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 2 and wherein said vacuum table mask includes four arrays of apertures. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 3 and wherein said vacuum table mask includes four arrays of apertures. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 8 and wherein said vacuum table mask is positionable at four selectable locations relative to said vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 9 and wherein said vacuum table mask is positionable at four selectable locations relative to said vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 10 and wherein said four selectable locations are defined by corners of said vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 11 and wherein said four selectable locations are defined by corners of said vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 2 and wherein said vacuum table mask is located over the vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 15 (depends on 3) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 3 and wherein said vacuum table mask is located over the vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 2 and wherein said vacuum table mask is located inside a plenum of the vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 3 and wherein said vacuum table mask is located inside a plenum of the vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 2 and wherein areas of said at least two arrays are at least partially overlapping. ### Claim 19 (depends on 3) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 3 and wherein areas of said at least two arrays are at least partially overlapping. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 1 and wherein: said vacuum hold-down table has an array of support surfaces arranged thereon; and said vacuum table mask has formed thereon an array of apertures. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 1 and wherein: said vacuum table mask has an array of apertures, said mask being configured to underlie at least one of said workpieces; and said vacuum hold-down table has formed thereon at least two arrays of support surfaces, said support surfaces of different arrays of said at least two arrays having a different cross sectional configuration, said support surfaces of each array of said at least two arrays having the same cross sectional configuration, said apertures of said mask being configured so as not to overlie said support surfaces of at least one of said at least two arrays of support surfaces. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 1 wherein said vacuum table mask is positionable at at least two selectable locations relative to said vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 1 and wherein said vacuum table mask includes four arrays of apertures. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 23 and wherein said vacuum table mask is positionable at four selectable locations relative to said vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 24 and wherein said four selectable locations are defined by corners of said vacuum hold-down table. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The vacuum hold-down system according to claim 20 and wherein said vacuum table mask is located over said support surfaces. ### Claim 27 A vacuum table mask for use with a vacuum hold-down table having an array of vacuum orifices arranged on a support surface thereof and workpieces of various shapes and/or sizes, said mask comprising: a substrate having formed thereon at least two arrays of apertures, mutually offset from each other, each of said at least two arrays of apertures being registrable with at least some vacuum orifices of said array of vacuum orifices, and wherein areas of said at least two arrays are at least partially overlapping. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The vacuum table mask according to claim 27 and wherein the cross-sectional size of each aperture of said at least two arrays of apertures is at least slightly larger than the cross-sectional size of each vacuum orifice of said array of vacuum orifices. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The vacuum table mask according to claim 27 and wherein said vacuum table mask includes four arrays of apertures. ### Claim 30 A method for providing vacuum hold-down of workpieces of various shapes and/or sizes onto a vacuum hold-down table having an array of vacuum orifices arranged on a support surface thereof, the method comprising: placing onto said support surface of said vacuum hold-down table, a vacuum table mask having formed thereon at least two arrays of apertures, mutually offset from each other, each of said at least two arrays of apertures being registrable with at least some vacuum orifices of said array of vacuum orifices, each of said at least two arrays of apertures being configured to underlie one of said workpieces; positioning said mask on said support surface such that one of said at least two arrays of apertures is in registration with at least some vacuum orifices of said array of vacuum orifices; placing a workpiece of a first size/shape of said workpieces of various shapes and/or sizes onto said vacuum hold-down table, overlying at least part of said mask and overlying said one of said at least two arrays of apertures which is in registration with at least some vacuum orifices of said array of vacuum orifices; removing said workpiece of a first size/shape from said vacuum hold-down table; repositioning said mask on said support surface such that another one of said at least two arrays of apertures is in registration with at least some vacuum orifices of said array of vacuum orifices; and placing one of said workpieces of a second size/shape onto said vacuum hold-down table, overlying at least part of said mask and overlying said another one of said at least two arrays of apertures which is in registration with at least some vacuum orifices of said array of vacuum orifices; wherein areas of said at least two arrays are at least partially overlapping.