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US006431623B1
(12) United States Patent ao) Patent No.: us 6,431,623 Bi
Roeters et al. (45) Date of Patent: Aug. 13,2002
(54) VACUUM DEVICE FOR PEELING OFF THIN SHEETS
(75) Inventors: Glen Roeters, Huntington Beach; Boris Moldavsky, Irvine, both of CA (US)
(73) Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.,
Morristown, NJ (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 09/330,368
(22) Filed: Jun. 11, 1999
(51) Int. C I. B66C 1/02
(52) U.S. CI 294/64.1; 271/90; 414/627;
414/752
(58) Field of Search 294/64.1, 65; 414/627,
414/737, 752; 901/40; 271/5, 20, 90-92, 94, 98, 106, 107
(56) References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
3,307,869 A * 3/1967 Warfel 294/64.1
3,313,568 A * 4/1967 Fogg 294/64.1
3,627,369 A * 12/1971 Nixon 294/64.1
4,511,386 A * 4/1985 Kellar et al 294/64.1
4,775,290 A * 10/1988 Brown et al 294/65
5,540,795 A * 7/1996 Franklin et al 271/91
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
GB 2028281 * 3/1980 271/91
SU 1735187 * 5/1992 294/64.1
* cited by examiner
Primary Examiner—Dean J. Kramer
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fish & Associates, LLP;
Robert Fish
(57) ABSTRACT
An automated tool that can handle a sheet. The tool may include a flexible membrane that is attached to a frame. The flexible membrane may include a vacuum opening that is adapted to pull the sheet into the membrane. The vacuum opening may pull the outer edges of the sheet out of a tray when the membrane is deflected to a flat position. The tool may then move away from the tray wherein the outer edges of the membrane and sheet are pulled from an adjacent sheet. This effectively "peels" the sheet out of the tray.
13 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets
