DEVICE FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OF ARTICLES IN VACUUM Russian patent published in 1995 - IPC

FIELD: vacuum treatment of articles. SUBSTANCE: magazine 30 of base holders 4 is moved from sluice chamber to working chamber 1 by pressing flange 31 to plane of inlet port 7. In this case, formed between flanges 2 and 31 is space with atmospheric pressure. After evacuation of said hollow, rod 11 of step motion mechanism 3 catches flange 31, and flange 31 is joined with flange 2 by means of retainer 35. Body 28 of sluice chamber loses sealing. Flange 31 together with magazine 30 secured to it lowers to form gap between sealing 29 and body 28. Flange 2 in this case remains in position. After evacuation of body 28, magazine 30 and flange 31 are lowered into working chamber 1 by means of step motion mechanism. In this chamber, manipulator 6 transfers bases to process chamber and back from it. Flange 2 in form of flat ring is provided with bellows 12 and flange 31 is made in form of disk with retainer 35. All this, and also positioning of rod 11 of working chamber 1 coaxial to retainer 35 and its airtight joint with bellows provides for lost sealing of body 28 without disturbance of sealing of working chamber 1. So, accomplished manually in the process is only installation of magazine 30 on flange 31 of inlet port 7. All other operations are executed automatically. EFFECT: simplified design and higher reliability of device operation. 4 dwg