Apparatus for the manufacture of printed circuits

Claim 2

A contact printer for use in the manufacture of photographically produced printed circuits and adapted to hold in registration two photographic masters one each side of a printed circuit board for exposing images of said masters on said board said assembly comprising a pair of frame members at least one of which is movable between two positions in one of which a board and at least one master can be held between said members and in another of which the board can be removed and replaced; master locating means in at least one of said members and adapted to cooperate with locating means on an inserted master to hold the same in a predetermined position in relation to the members; suction means in at least said movable member for holding a master (once placed in position in relation to said member) by suction against said member even when said member is moved; and positive gas pressure means in at least said movable member for pressing the master against the surface of an inserted board when the members are in the position for exposing the board to light through the master.

Claim 3

A contact printer for use in the manufacture of photographically produced printed circuits and adapted to hold in registration two photographic masters one each side of a printed circuit board for exposing images of said masters on said board said assembly comprising a pair of frame members at least one of which is movable between two positions in one of which a board and at least one master can be held between said members and in another of which the board can be removed and replaced; master locating means in at least one of said members and adapted to co-operate with locating means on an inserted master to hold the same in a predetermined position in relation to the members; suction means in at least said movable member for holding a master (once placed in position in relation to said member) by suction against said member even wlen said member is moved; each of the two frame members being provided with a peripheral suction groove in its edge portion and said members being so formed that when they are in the position for exposing an inserted board to light they co-operate to form a gas retaining chamber inside said edge portions, the suction grooves in said two members forming part of said suction means; and means for admitting air under pressure through said members to said chamber so as to press inserted masters on both sides of an inSerted board against said board by air pressure.

Claim 4

A contact printer for use in the manufacture of photographically produced printed circuits and adapted to hold in registration two photographic masters one each side of a printed circuit board for exposing images of said masters on said board said assembly comprising a pair of frame members at least one of which is movable between two positions in one of which a board and at least one master can be held between said members and in another of which the board can be removed and replaced; master locating means in at least one of said members and adapted to co-operate with locating means on an inserted master to hold the same in a predetermined position in relation to the members; suction means in at least said movable member for holding a master (once placed in position in relation to said member) by suction against said member even wlen said member is moved; each of the two frame members being provided with a peripheral suction groove in its edge portion and said members being so formed that when they are in the position for exposing an inserted board to light they co-operate to form a gas retaining chamber inside said edge portions, the suction grooves in said two members forming part of said suction means; and means for admitting air under pressure through said members to said chamber so as to press inserted masters on both sides of an inSerted board against said board by air pressure.

Claim 5

A frame assembly for use in the manufacture of photographically produced printed circuits comprising in combination: a pair of separable frame members movable between separated and closed conditions; locating pin means acting between said frame members for locating a printed circuit blank and a pair of photographic masters sandwiching said blank therebetween in predetermined face-to-face registry bertwen said frame members; both of said frame members being of open form each to define a circumscribing body having one face opposed to the other frame member and adapted marginally to engage a respective one of said photographic masters, a pair of transparent covers, one on each of said frame members and defining a chamber between it and said respective photographic master; a pair of suction means, one on said one face of each frame member selectively to hold said respective photographic master to the associated frame member in correctly registered condition thereon when the two frame members are separated; and means for selectively pressurizing each said chamber to force said photographic masters into intimate contact with the printed circuit blank when said frame members are in closed condition.

Claim 6

A frame assembly for use in the manufacture of photographically produced printed circuits comprising in combination: a pair of separable frame members movable between separated and closed conditions; locating pin means acting between said frame members for locating a printed circuit blank and a pair of photographic masters sandwiching said blank therebetween in predetermined face-to-face registry bertwen said frame members; both of said frame members being of open form each to define a circumscribing body having one face opposed to the other frame member and adapted marginally to engage a respective one of said photographic masters, a pair of transparent covers, one on each of said frame members and defining a chamber between it and said respective photographic master; a pair of suction means, one on said one face of each frame member selectively to hold said respective photographic master to the associated frame member in correctly registered condition thereon when the two frame members are separated; and means for selectively pressurizing each said chamber to force said photographic masters into intimate contact with the printed circuit blank when said frame members are in closed condition.

Claim 7

A frame assembly as defined in claim 3 including means connecting said frame members for holding them in face-to-face parallelism throughout their movement between separated and closed conditions.

Claim 8

A frame assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said frame members are horizontally disposed and the last mentioned means comprises a pair of vertical pillars fixed to the lower frame member and slidably engaged by the upper frame member.