Robot positioner and seal arrangement for a closed chamber

Claim 1

Apparatus for treating an object within an entirely enclosed compartment having enclosed sides and an enclosed ceiling covering the top of said compartment including an operative device manipulated by a robot manipulator means having an elongated mast extending downwardly through the ceiling of said compartment and supporting said device at its lower end for movement within said compartment and supporting said device at its lower end for movement within said compartment; said device being adapted to treat said object with a substance some of which is capable while said treatment is taking place of escaping through any opening in said compartment; the improvement comprising means for enclosing said ceiling in which said manipulator means adjusts the mast during such treatment and while it is extending through said ceiling such adjustment being in a direction along at least two horizontal orthogonal "X" and "Y" coordinates; said manipulator means comprising a carriage assembly extending in a direction along the "Y" coordinate and mounted over said top for movement in a direction along the "X" coordinate, said carriage assembly having an elongated opening extending in the direction of said "Y" coordinate and through which said mast extends; a cart assembly mounted on said carriage assembly and supporting said mast for moving said mast through and along the said opening; first motive means for causing said carriage to move in a direction along the "X" coordinate; second motive means for causing said cart assembly to move along said carriage assembly in a direction along said "Y" coordinate; a first belt cover means having first and second portions each attached respectively to and extending from each of the sides of such carriage and except for the portions occupied by said carriage assembly extending in a direction along the "X" coordinate over the open portions of the top of said compartment whereby said first belt cover means moves with said carriage in a direction along the "X" coordinate; means attached to each of the ends of said first and second portions and operatively connected together to take up the slack in one of said first and second portions while keeping said other portion taut as it moves with the carriage so as to continuously provide a ceiling for the compartment; a second belt cover means having first and second portions attached respectively to the ends of said cart assembly and extending in a direction along the said "Y" coordinate from such ends for covering the open portions of said elongated opening whereby said second cover means moves with said cart assembly in a direction along the "Y" coordinate; means attached to the ends of said first and second portions of said second belt cover means and operatively connected together to take up the slack in one of said first and second portions while keeping said other portion taut as it moves with said carriage so as to continuously cover said elongated opening whereby the open top of said compartment is completely covered by said carriage assembly, said cart assembly and said first and second cover means regardless of the position of the elongated mast as it is moved by said carriage and cart assemblies along the "X" and "Y" coordinates.