Gerber Technology, Inc.

Gerber Systems Corporation

John M Davies

Richard Kuchta

Alan W Menard

Bruce L Davidson

David P Squires

Timothy P MacDonald

Lawrence E Devine

Mark C Schwartz

A side seal assembly is provided in a conveyorized work supporting table with vacuum holddown for conveying work material covered with an air impermeable overlay sheet. The table has first and second longitudinally extending side members and has a plurality of bristle blocks forming a work supporting surface which are movable by a conveyor undersurface. The work supporting surface has first and second longitudinally extending side edges spaced laterally inwardly of the first and second side members respectively. The bristle blocks include a set of bristle blocks positioned side by side along the length of the table and define one of the side edges of the work supporting surface. The side seal assembly includes a stationary side seal having an outward edge and an inward edge and is fixed relative to one of the side members of the conveyorized table to extend longitudinally along the table over a marginal area of the table located outwardly of and adjacent to one of the side edges of the work supporting surface. A plurality of movable, semi air permeable side seals are provided and are each associated with and to be movable in unison with bristle blocks defining the one side edge. Each of the movable side seals is a thin strip of material covering an area of the associated bristle block adjacent to the side edge to inhibit the overlay sheet from being drawn by the vacuum of the vacuum holddown into the bristles of the bristle block in the covered area.

Side seal assembly for a conveyorized work supporting table with vacuum holddown

In an endless conveyor, a plurality of slats are positioned in a side-by-side relationship relative to one another, thereby defining a work supporting surface which in turn is carried by a frame. The slats are driven via at least one chain that includes a plurality of pins extending therefrom, each adapted to engage a bracket mounted to one of the slats. The chain is moved in response to commands issued from a controller, thereby causing the slats to move relative to the frame.

Endless conveyor having quick release slats

An automated media transport apparatus and method includes a load module for loading media plates from a flat cassette through one end of an internal drum of an imaging module. Sensors detect the presence of interleaved paper sheets from the media plates being loaded, and paper assemblies remove any interleaved paper sheets. An unload module unloads imaged media plates from the other end of the drum, and position the unloaded plates onto a multi-directional conveyor of the unload module. The conveyor is capable of moving the imaged media plate in one of several directions to other devices for further processing of the media plates.

Automated media transport device and method of using the same

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Willington, CT, United States of America

John M Davies