Substrate carrying apparatus for use in coating equipment

Claim 1

Apparatus for carrying substrates comprising means forming a circular driving track, a plurality of substrate supporting discs each having a circular rim supportable on said track, support means above said track having a circular support surface positioned so that when the lower portion of each said disc rests on said track the upper portion of each said disc rests against said support surface, means for rotating said track, positioning means for holding said discs in fixed spacial relation to each other as they travel around the axis of said track, said positioning means comprising a positioning arm for each of said discs, means interconnecting the upper ends of said arms, a first bearing contact surface on the lower portion of each of said arms, a second bearing contact surface on each of said discs and engageable by one of said first bearing contact surfaces, said first bearing contact surfaces being disengageable from said second bearing contact surfaces by outward movement of said first bearing contact surfaces relative to said second bearing contact surfaces, said arms being flexible in an outward direction to accomplish said disengagement of said first and second bearing contact surfaces, an abutment surface positioned below said interconnecting means to support said interconnecting means when said discs are removed, and said interconnecting means being spaced above said abutment surface when the bearing surfaces on said arms engage the bearing surfaces on said discs.