Fluid bearing apparatus and method for handling and gaging articles |
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| 申请号 | US3747753D | 申请日 | 1972-01-24 | 公开(公告)号 | US3747753A | 公开(公告)日 | 1973-07-24 |
| 申请人 | SYSTEMS IND CORP; | 发明人 | FLINT A; | ||||
| 摘要 | An improved apparatus and method for sorting articles, such as silicon and like wafers used in making electronic devices, according to size. Articles are transferred on a fluid bearing track structure in sequence to a gaging station following which the measured articles are selectively directed to a predetermined receiver station according to their size. | ||||||
| 权利要求 | 1. Apparatus for automatically handling and gaging articles, such as silicon wafers, comprising A. fluid bearing track structure extending between a sender station at which a supply of articles to be gaged is located, and at least two receiver stations, 1. said track structure including at least two track sections which lead to said receiver stations, B. gaging means at a gaging station interposed between said sender station and said receiver stations for automatically gaging a predetermined characteristic, such as size, of articles presented to said gaging station in sequence, which includes 1. a non-contact measuring gage selectively movable into and out of alignment with an article held stationary at said gaging station for determining said characteristic without contacting such article, 2. extensible and retractable mechanism at said gAging station for moving said gage into and out of alignment with an article as the same is held at such station by said holding means, C. means at said gaging station for holding individual articles presented thereto stationary during gaging thereof, D. diverting means, responsive to control signals emanating from said gaging means, positioned between said gaging station and said receiver stations for selectively diverting individual articles in sequence onto one of said track sections toward one of said receiver stations or permitting such articles to pass said diverting means and move on the other of said track sections toward the other of said receiver stations, and E. means at said receiver stations for accepting articles in sequence delivered thereto on said respective track structure sections. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said measuring gage includes structure for measuring a predetermined dimension, such as thickness, of such articles as the same are sequentially held stationary at said gaging station by said holding means. 2. extensible and retractable mechanism at said gAging station for moving said gage into and out of alignment with an article as the same is held at such station by said holding means, C. means at said gaging station for holding individual articles presented thereto stationary during gaging thereof, D. diverting means, responsive to control signals emanating from said gaging means, positioned between said gaging station and said receiver stations for selectively diverting individual articles in sequence onto one of said track sections toward one of said receiver stations or permitting such articles to pass said diverting means and move on the other of said track sections toward the other of said receiver stations, and E. means at said receiver stations for accepting articles in sequence delivered thereto on said respective track structure sections. 2. extensible and retractable mechanism at said gaging station for moving said measuring gage into and out of said straddling relationship relative to an article being gaged at said station as such article is held stationary at said station by said holding means. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said holding means comprises vacuum mechanism at said gaging station to which such articles are presented in sequence at said gaging station. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes F. stop means at said gaging station for positively halting movement of articles presented to said gaging station so that said holding means may engage and hold each such article. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said stop means comprises an extensible and retractable stop pin selectively interposable in the path of each article presented to said gaging station. 6. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes E. stop means at a holding station interposed between said sender station and said gaging station for holding articles fed in sequence from said sender station in readiness for release to said gaging station when said gaging station is unoccupied. 7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said stop means comprises an extensible and retractable stop pin selectively interposable in the path of each article presented to said holding station. 8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said measuring gage comprises a pneumatic gage selectively movable into and out of straddling relationship with an article held stationary at said gaging station for determining the thickness thereof without physically contacting such article. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which said measuring gage includes structure for determining the presence or absence of parallelism of each article presented to said gaging station. 10. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said diverting means comprises an air jet positioned at the juncture of said one track section with said other track section for urging an article onto said one track section from said other track section when said air jet is activated. 11. The apparatus of claim 10 which further includes E. air jet means, responsive to control signals emanating from said gaging means, positioned at said juncture of said one track section with said other track section for precluding diversion of an article onto said one track section when said air jet means is activated. 12. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said diverting means comprises at least two pivotal gates selectively extensible into the path of an article moving on said track structure for directing such article into a predetermined one of said receiver stations in response to the characteristic of such article gaged at said gaging station. 13. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes E. article magazines at said sender and receiver stations for discharging and accepting articles in sequence to and from said track sections, and F. indexing mechanisms at said sender and receiver stations for automatically indexing each such magazine relative to its associated track section to discharge an article thereto or receive an article therefrom. 14. The apparatus of claim 1 which includes at least three receiver stations and three track sections leading from said gaging means to said receiver stations, and in which said diverting means includes at least two segments for selectively diverting individual articles onto a predetermined one of said three track sections. 15. The apparatus of claim 1 which said track structure further includes 16. A method for automatically and sequentially sorting articles, such as silicon wafers, according to a gaged characteristic thereof, such as size, without manual handling thereof, comprising, A. feeding articles in sequence to a gaging station, B. holding individual articles stationary at said gaging station as the same are sequentially fed thereto, C. determining said characteristic of each article fed to said gaging station without physically contacting the same thereat by moving a non-contact measuring gage selectively into and out of alignment with each article held stationary thereat, and D. automatically segregating said articles into groups having similar characteristics following sequential gaging thereof at said gaging station. 17. The method of claim 16 in which said articles are fed to said gaging station on a fluid bearing which supports such articles above a track structure during such feeding. 18. The method of claim 16 which includes D. temporarily halting movement of individual articles in sequence at a holding station to maintain such articles in sequential readiness for gaging at said gaging station, and E. releasing articles in sequence from said holding station and feeding the same in sequence to said gaging station when the latter is unoccupied. 19. The method of claim 16 in which determining said characteristic of each said article comprises measuring the thickness thereof at said gaging station. 20. The method of claim 16 in which determining said characteristic of each said article comprises determining at said gaging station whether opposite generally planar surfaces thereof are parallel. 21. The method of claim 16 in which determining said characteristic of each said article at said gaging station comprises measuring the thickness thereof while simultaneously determining whether opposite generally planar surfaces thereof are parallel. 22. The method of claim 16 in which said articles are fed to and past said gaging station on a fluid bearing track structure defined by a first section on which articles are fed to said gaging station and at least two other track sections beyond said gaging station, said method further including D. segregating said articles into said groups by selectively diverting individual articles onto one or the other of said other two track sections in accordance with the determination of said characteristic of each said article at said gaging station. 23. The method of claim 22 in which said articles are selectively diverted onto such one or the other of said two track sections by directing a jet of fluid thereagainst as each such article reaches the juncture between said two track sections. 24. The method of claim 22 in which said articles are segregated by blocking one of said other two track sections to selectively divert such articles in sequence from such one track section to preclude its passage beyond a predetermined location at which said selective diversion is effected. 25. The method of claim 16 which includes determining said characteristic of each said article at said gaging station by moving a pneumatic gaging mechanism selectively into and out of alignmeNt with each said article while the same is held temporarily stationary at said gaging station. 26. The method of claim 25 in which each said article is held stationary at said gaging station by a vacuum atmosphere applied thereto while said article is being gaged by said pneumatic gaging mechanism. 27. The method of claim 16 in which said characteristic of each article fed to said gaging station is determined by moving said non-contact measuring gage selectively into and out of straddling relationship with each article held stationary at said gaging station. 28. Apparatus for automatically handling and gaging articles, such as silicon wafers, comprising, A. fluid bearing track structure extending between a sender station at which a supply of articles to be gaged is located, and at least two receiver stations, 29. The apparatus of claim 28 in which said measuring gage includes structure for determining the presence or absence of parallelism of each article presented to said gaging station and held stationary thereat. 30. The apparatus of claim 28 in which said track structure further includes 31. A method for automatically and sequentially sorting flat articles, such as silicon wafers, according tO a gaged characteristic thereof, such as size, without manual handling thereof, comprising A. feeding articles in sequence to a gaging station, B. measuring the thickness of each article fed to said gaging station while simultaneously determining whether opposite generally planar surfaces thereof are parallel without physically contacting the same thereat, and C. automatically segregating said articles into groups having similar characteristics following sequential gaging thereof at said gaging station. 32. A method for automatically and sequentially sorting articles such as silicon wafers, according to a gaged characteristic thereof, such as size, without manual handling thereof, comprising A. feeding articles in sequence to a gaging station, B. determining sAid characteristic of each article fed to said gaging station without physically contacting the same thereat by moving a pneumatic gaging mechanism selectively into and out of alignment with each said article while the same is held temporarily stationary at said gaging station, and C. automatically segregating said articles into groups having similar characteristics following sequential gaging thereof at said gaging station. 33. The method of claim 32 which further includes D. holding each said article stationary at said gaging station by applying a vacuum atmosphere thereto while said article is being gaged by said pneumatic gaging mechanism. |
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