Vacuum processing machine for aluminizing headlamp reflectors

Claim 2

A transfer apparatus for advancing articles toward and retreating articles from a processing operation comprising: a support member; a plurality of stations on said support member including a handling station at one end and a processing station at the other end associated with the processing operation; a shuttle member extending between said stations; means for moving the shuttle member between a first position and a second position; carrier means associated with the shuttle member for accommodating said articles, one of said carrier means registering with said handling station at said first position for receiving unprocessed articles and for discharging processed articles, another of said carrier means registering with said processing station at said second position for discharging unprocessed articles for a processing operation and receiving processed articles, and intermediate carrier means alternately registering with adjacent stations at said positions for receiving and discharging articles; first transfer means at said processing station operable at said second position to discharge unprocessed articles from and to load processed articles on said carrier means; second transfer means at the other of said stations, said second transfer means operable at said first position to discharge unprocessed articles from and to load processed articles on said carrier nests, said second transfer means operable at said second position to discharge unprocessed articles from and to load processed articles on said carrier means whereby unprocessed articles are alternately advanced along said stations to said processing station during movement to said second position and processed articles are alternately retreated from said processing station along said stations in a reversely parallel path during return movement to said first position.

Claim 3

A transfer apparatus for advancing articles toward and retreating articles from a processing operation comprising: a support member; a plurality of stations on said support member including a handling station at one end and a processing station at the other end associated with the processing operation; a shuttle member extending between said stations; means for moving the shuttle member between a first position and a second position; carrier means associated with the shuttle member for accommodating said articles, one of said carrier means registering with said handling station at said first position for receiving unprocessed articles and for discharging processed articles, another of said carrier means registering with said processing station at said second position for discharging unprocessed articles for a processing operation and receiving processed articles, and intermediate carrier means alternately registering with adjacent stations at said positions for receiving and discharging articles; first transfer means at said processing station operable at said second position to discharge unprocessed articles from and to load processed articles on said carrier means; second transfer means at the other of said stations, said second transfer means operable at said first position to discharge unprocessed articles from and to load processed articles on said carrier nests, said second transfer means operable at said second position to discharge unprocessed articles from and to load processed articles on said carrier means whereby unprocessed articles are alternately advanced along said stations to said processing station during movement to said second position and processed articles are alternately retreated from said processing station along said stations in a reversely parallel path during return movement to said first position.

Claim 4

A transfer apparatus for advancing articles toward and retreating articles from a processing operation comprising: a support member; a plurality of stations on said support member including a handling station at one end and a processing station at the other end associated with the processing operation; a shuttle member extending between said stations; means for moving the shuttle member between a first position and a second position; carrier means associated with the shuttle member for accommodating said articles, one of said carrier means registering with said handling station at said first position for receiving unprocessed articles and for discharging processed articles, another of said carrier means registering with said processing station at said second position for discharging unprocessed articles for a processing operation and receiving processed articles, and intermediate carrier means alternately registering with adjacent stations at said positions for receiving and discharging articles; first transfer means at said processing station operable at said second position to discharge unprocessed articles from and to load processed articles on said carrier means; second transfer means at the other of said stations, said second transfer means operable at said first position to discharge unprocessed articles from and to load processed articles on said carrier nests, said second transfer means operable at said second position to discharge unprocessed articles from and to load processed articles on said carrier means whereby unprocessed articles are alternately advanced along said stations to said processing station during movement to said second position and processed articles are alternately retreated from said processing station along said stations in a reversely parallel path during return movement to said first position.

Claim 7

A continuous vacuum processing apparatus for applying a coating to an article, comprising: an enclosure having a series of chambers; passage means defining an entrance and interconnecting said chambers; pumping means communicating with the chambers for evacuating the latter to a predetermined pressure; a piston member slidably supported in said passage means and extending between the chambers; means for reciprocating said piston member relative to the chambers between an extended position and a retracted position; a work station at a chamber remote from said entrance including means for applying said coating to an uncoated article; nesting means on said piston member aligned and registering with the chambers at said extended position and said retracted position, one of said nesting means being exposed to atmosphere beyond said entrance at said retracted position for receiving thereat an uncoated article and dispensing therefrom a coated article; transfer means in said chambers operable at said retracted position to shift coated articles from said piston member and shift uncoated articles onto said nesting means, said transfer means being operable at said extended position to shift uncoated articles from said nesting means to said work station and to simultaneously shift coated articles onto said nesting means, whereby articles are continuously routed to and from said work station during each movement of said piston member.

Claim 8

A continuous vacuum processing apparatus for applying a coating to an article, comprising: an enclosure having a series of chambers; passage means defining an entrance and interconnecting said chambers; pumping means communicating with the chambers for evacuating the latter to a predetermined pressure; a piston member slidably supported in said passage means and extending between the chambers; means for reciprocating said piston member relative to the chambers between an extended position and a retracted position; a work station at a chamber remote from said entrance including means for applying said coating to an uncoated article; nesting means on said piston member aligned and registering with the chambers at said extended position and said retracted position, one of said nesting means being exposed to atmosphere beyond said entrance at said retracted position for receiving thereat an uncoated article and dispensing therefrom a coated article; transfer means in said chambers operable at said retracted position to shift coated articles from said piston member and shift uncoated articles onto said nesting means, said transfer means being operable at said extended position to shift uncoated articles from said nesting means to said work station and to simultaneously shift coated articles onto said nesting means, whereby articles are continuously routed to and from said work station during each movement of said piston member.

Claim 9

A vacuum processing machine for processing articles on a continuous basis, comprising: an enclosure having an enclosed processing end and an exposed handling end; a plurality of interconnected chambers in said enclosure including a processing chamber at said processing end; means connected to said chambers for maintaining a series of predetermined pressure conditions therewithin; passage means extending through said chambers; a shuttle member slidably received in said passage means; means for imparting a forward stroke and a reverse stroke to said shuttle member; a plurality of carrier nests associated with said shuttle member for accommodating said articles and being spaced complementary to said chambers, one of said carrier nests being exposed to atmosphere at said handling end when the shuttle member is at the end of said reverse stroke for receiving unprocessed articles and for discharging processed articles, another of carrier nests being in said processing chamber when the shuttle member is at the end of said forward stroke for presenting the unprocessed articles to a processing operation; transfer means associated with the shuttle member and operable after said forward stroke to shift unprocessed articles to said chambers and simultaneously shift processed articles to said carrier nests, said means being operable after said reverse stroke to shift said processed articles to said chambers and simultaneously shift unprocessed articles to said carrier nests, whereby said unprocessed articles are sequentially moved between chambers to said processing chamber during said forward stroke and processed articles removed therefrom in reverse sequence during said reverse stroke for discharge at said handling end.

Claim 10

A vacuum processing machine for processing articles on a continuous basis, comprising: an enclosure having an enclosed processing end and an exposed handling end; a plurality of interconnected chambers in said enclosure including a processing chamber at said processing end; means connected to said chambers for maintaining a series of predetermined pressure conditions therewithin; passage means extending through said chambers; a shuttle member slidably received in said passage means; means for imparting a forward stroke and a reverse stroke to said shuttle member; a plurality of carrier nests associated with said shuttle member for accommodating said articles and being spaced complementary to said chambers, one of said carrier nests being exposed to atmosphere at said handling end when the shuttle member is at the end of said reverse stroke for receiving unprocessed articles and for discharging processed articles, another of carrier nests being in said processing chamber when the shuttle member is at the end of said forward stroke for presenting the unprocessed articles to a processing operation; transfer means associated with the shuttle member and operable after said forward stroke to shift unprocessed articles to said chambers and simultaneously shift processed articles to said carrier nests, said means being operable after said reverse stroke to shift said processed articles to said chambers and simultaneously shift unprocessed articles to said carrier nests, whereby said unprocessed articles are sequentially moved between chambers to said processing chamber during said forward stroke and processed articles removed therefrom in reverse sequence during said reverse stroke for discharge at said handling end.

Claim 11

An air-to-air vacuum processing machine for applying a reflective coating for headlamp reflectors, comprising: a vacuum enclosure having a plurality of longitudinally aligned holding chamberS; a work processing station in the holding chamber at one end of said enclosure; a reflector handling station at the other end of the enclosure; vacuum pumping means fluidly connected to each of said chambers for providing a series of controlled environments having progressively increasing vacuums in the direction of said work processing station; a longitudinal passage in said enclosure extending from said reflector handling station to said work processing station; a cylindrical transfer shuttle slidably received in said passage for bidirectional longitudinal movement; means operably connected between the enclosure and the transfer shuttle for reciprocating the latter between a retracted position and an extended position; a plurality of transverse carrier nests formed in said transfer shuttle and adapted for transporting said reflectors, said carrier nests being longitudinally spaced complementary to said chambers with said one of said carrier nests registering with said reflector handling station at said retracted position and another of said carrier nests registering with said work processing station at said extended position, said shuttle including intermediate carrier nests registering with successive chambers at said shuttle positions; first transfer carriage means at said reflector handling station and operative transversely with respect to said transfer shuttle at said retracted position to shift reflectors to and from the carrier nest; support means in each of said holding chambers adapted to receive and store reflectors; second transfer carriage means in said holding chambers and operative transversely with respect to said transfer shuttle at both of said shuttle positions to shift reflectors between said holding stations and said carrier nest thereby alternately moving coated and uncoated reflectors into and out of the control of said transfer shuttle; a pair of coating stations at said work processing station operable to apply a reflective coating to said reflectors; third transfer carriage means in said work processing chamber and operative transversely with respect to said transfer shuttle at said extended position for alternately shifting reflectors to and from said coating stations whereby coated and uncoated reflectors are alternately shifted in reverse paths along said machine.

Claim 12

An air-to-air vacuum processing machine for applying a reflective coating for headlamp reflectors, comprising: a vacuum enclosure having a plurality of longitudinally aligned holding chamberS; a work processing station in the holding chamber at one end of said enclosure; a reflector handling station at the other end of the enclosure; vacuum pumping means fluidly connected to each of said chambers for providing a series of controlled environments having progressively increasing vacuums in the direction of said work processing station; a longitudinal passage in said enclosure extending from said reflector handling station to said work processing station; a cylindrical transfer shuttle slidably received in said passage for bidirectional longitudinal movement; means operably connected between the enclosure and the transfer shuttle for reciprocating the latter between a retracted position and an extended position; a plurality of transverse carrier nests formed in said transfer shuttle and adapted for transporting said reflectors, said carrier nests being longitudinally spaced complementary to said chambers with said one of said carrier nests registering with said reflector handling station at said retracted position and another of said carrier nests registering with said work processing station at said extended position, said shuttle including intermediate carrier nests registering with successive chambers at said shuttle positions; first transfer carriage means at said reflector handling station and operative transversely with respect to said transfer shuttle at said retracted position to shift reflectors to and from the carrier nest; support means in each of said holding chambers adapted to receive and store reflectors; second transfer carriage means in said holding chambers and operative transversely with respect to said transfer shuttle at both of said shuttle positions to shift reflectors between said holding stations and said carrier nest thereby alternately moving coated and uncoated reflectors into and out of the control of said transfer shuttle; a pair of coating stations at said work processing station operable to apply a reflective coating to said reflectors; third transfer carriage means in said work processing chamber and operative transversely with respect to said transfer shuttle at said extended position for alternately shifting reflectors to and from said coating stations whereby coated and uncoated reflectors are alternately shifted in reverse paths along said machine.