Workpiece alignment system

Claim 1

A system for positioning and aligning a circular workpiece having an irregular circumference at one region along its circumference comprising, in combination: a. a pair of stop members, and b. a body, c. said stop members being so positioned relative to said body as to position a workpiece on said body when both of said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and in a desired aligned position only when the irregular portion of the circumference of said workpiece is in contact with one of said stop members, d. said body having i. a surface on which a workpiece is received for positioning and aligning, ii. a plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of pressurized fluid and being so arranged and positioned to produce an upwardly inclined and directional fluid jet flow to urge said workpiece into contact with both said stop members, iii. a second plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of pressurized fluid and so arranged and positioned to produce an upwardly inclined and tangential fluid jet flow to rotate said workpiece while being so urged, and iv. A third plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of partial vacuum anD positioned to be within the circumference of the vertical projection of said workpiece onto said surface only when both said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and said irregular portion of the circumference of said workpiece is in contact with said one of said stop members, whereby when said workpiece moves into said desired aligned position said third plurality of passages are covered by said workpiece and produce a suction sufficient to draw said workpiece into contact with said surface and stop said workpiece in said desired aligned position.

Claim 2

A system for positioning and aligning a circular workpiece having an irregular circumference at one region along its circumference comprising, in combination: a. a pair of stop members, and b. a body, c. said stop members being so positioned relative to said body as to position a workpiece on said body when both of said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and in a desired aligned position only when the irregular portion of the circumference of said workpiece is in contact with one of said stop members, d. said body having i. a surface on which a workpiece is received for positioning and aligning, ii. a plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of pressurized fluid and being so arranged and positioned to produce an upwardly inclined and directional fluid jet flow to urge said workpiece into contact with both said stop members, iii. a second plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of pressurized fluid and so arranged and positioned to produce an upwardly inclined and tangential fluid jet flow to rotate said workpiece while being so urged, and iv. A third plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of partial vacuum anD positioned to be within the circumference of the vertical projection of said workpiece onto said surface only when both said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and said irregular portion of the circumference of said workpiece is in contact with said one of said stop members, whereby when said workpiece moves into said desired aligned position said third plurality of passages are covered by said workpiece and produce a suction sufficient to draw said workpiece into contact with said surface and stop said workpiece in said desired aligned position.

Claim 5

A system for positioning and aligning a circular workpiece having a flat edge at one region along its circumference comprising, in combination: a. a pair of flat stop members, and b. a body, c. said stop members being so positioned relative to said body as to position a workpiece on said body when both of said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and in a desired aligned position when the flat edge of said workpiece is in contact with one of said stop members, d. said body having i. a surface on which a workpiece is received for positioning and aligning ii. a plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and means selectively to supply a pressurized fluid to said passages, said passages being so arranged and positioned to produce from said fluid an upwardly inclined and directional fluid jet flow to urge said workpiece into contact with both said stop members, iii. a second plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and means selectively to supply a pressurized fluid to said second plurality of passages, said second plurality of passages being so arranged and positioned to produce from said fluid an upwardly inclined and tangential fluid jet flow to rotate said workpiece while being so urged, iv. a third plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and means selectively to supply a partial vacuum to said third plurality of passages, said third plurality of passages being so positioned and arranged to be within the circumference of the vertical projection of said workpiece onto said surface only when both said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and said flat edge of said workpiece is in contact with said one of said stop members, whereby, when said workpiece moves into said desired aligned position said third plurality of passages are covered by said workpiece and produce a suction sufficient to draw said workpiece into contact with said surface and stop said workpiece in said desired aligned position.

Claim 6

A system for positioning and aligning a circular workpiece having a flat edge at one region along its circumference comprising, in combination: a. a pair of flat stop members, and b. a body, c. said stop members being so positioned relative to said body as to position a workpiece on said body when both of said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and in a desired aligned position when the flat edge of said workpiece is in contact with one of said stop members, d. said body having i. a surface on which a workpiece is received for positioning and aligning ii. a plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and means selectively to supply a pressurized fluid to said passages, said passages being so arranged and positioned to produce from said fluid an upwardly inclined and directional fluid jet flow to urge said workpiece into contact with both said stop members, iii. a second plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and means selectively to supply a pressurized fluid to said second plurality of passages, said second plurality of passages being so arranged and positioned to produce from said fluid an upwardly inclined and tangential fluid jet flow to rotate said workpiece while being so urged, iv. a third plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and means selectively to supply a partial vacuum to said third plurality of passages, said third plurality of passages being so positioned and arranged to be within the circumference of the vertical projection of said workpiece onto said surface only when both said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and said flat edge of said workpiece is in contact with said one of said stop members, whereby, when said workpiece moves into said desired aligned position said third plurality of passages are covered by said workpiece and produce a suction sufficient to draw said workpiece into contact with said surface and stop said workpiece in said desired aligned position.

Claim 9

A system for positioning and aligning a circular workpiece having an irregular circumference at one region along its circumference comprising, in combination: a. a guideway having a major surface and an opening therein, b. a movable chuck member having a major surface, said chuck member being movable into said opening until the major surface of said chuck member is essentially coplanar with the major surface of said guideway, c. said guideway further having i. a plurality of fluid passages communicating with said guideway major surface and a source of pressurized fluid and so arranged along said guideway major surface as to produce an upwardly inclined and directional fluid jet flow to urge a workpiece on said guideway toward said opening, and ii. a pair of stop members so positioned adjacent said opening as to position a workpiece on said chuck member occupying said opening when both sait stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and in a desired aligned position only when the irregular portion of said circumference of said workpiece is in contact with one of said stop members, d. said chuck member further having i. a plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of pressurized fluid and being so arranged and positioned to produce an upwardly inclined and directional fluid jet flow to urge said workpiece into contact with both said stop members, ii. a second plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of pressurized fluid and so arranged and positioned to produce an upwardly inclined and tangential fluid jet flow to rotate said workpiece while being so urged, iii. a third plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of partial vacuum and positioned to be within the circumference of the vertical projection of said workpiece onto said major surface only when both said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and said irregular portion of the circumference of said workpiece is in contact with said one of said stop members whereby when said workpiece moves into said desired aligned position said third plurality of passages are covered by said workpiece and produce a suction sufficient to draw said workpiece into contact with said surface and stop said workpiece in said desired aligned position, and iv. a fourth plurality of fluid passages communicating with said major surface and a source of partial vacuum and so positioned and arranged to produce a suction holding said workpiece in said desired aligned position on said chuck member when said chuck member is moved.

Claim 10

A system for positioning and aligning a circular workpiece having an irregular circumference at one region along its circumference comprising, in combination: a. a guideway having a major surface and an opening therein, b. a movable chuck member having a major surface, said chuck member being movable into said opening until the major surface of said chuck member is essentially coplanar with the major surface of said guideway, c. said guideway further having i. a plurality of fluid passages communicating with said guideway major surface and a source of pressurized fluid and so arranged along said guideway major surface as to produce an upwardly inclined and directional fluid jet flow to urge a workpiece on said guideway toward said opening, and ii. a pair of stop members so positioned adjacent said opening as to position a workpiece on said chuck member occupying said opening when both sait stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and in a desired aligned position only when the irregular portion of said circumference of said workpiece is in contact with one of said stop members, d. said chuck member further having i. a plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of pressurized fluid and being so arranged and positioned to produce an upwardly inclined and directional fluid jet flow to urge said workpiece into contact with both said stop members, ii. a second plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of pressurized fluid and so arranged and positioned to produce an upwardly inclined and tangential fluid jet flow to rotate said workpiece while being so urged, iii. a third plurality of fluid passages communicating with said surface and a source of partial vacuum and positioned to be within the circumference of the vertical projection of said workpiece onto said major surface only when both said stop members are in contact with the circumference of said workpiece and said irregular portion of the circumference of said workpiece is in contact with said one of said stop members whereby when said workpiece moves into said desired aligned position said third plurality of passages are covered by said workpiece and produce a suction sufficient to draw said workpiece into contact with said surface and stop said workpiece in said desired aligned position, and iv. a fourth plurality of fluid passages communicating with said major surface and a source of partial vacuum and so positioned and arranged to produce a suction holding said workpiece in said desired aligned position on said chuck member when said chuck member is moved.