| 摘要 |
A transfer assembly and method for transferring a flexible sheet of material which is subject to wrinkling, folding and/or creasing. The assembly and method includes a vacuum manifold having a cavity which is connected to an evacuation source for drawing a vacuum on the cavity, and an opening on the manifold of a given size and shape and communicating with the cavity. A sheet of porous material for supporting the flexible sheet of material for transfer thereon covers the opening and has a plurality of fine pores extending therethrough. The pores are profusely and uniformly distributed entirely over an area of the sheet of porous material which area is at least substantially of the same size and shape as the flexible sheet of material which is to be transferred thereon, so that substantially the entire area of the flexible sheet of material which is to be transferred is exposed to the pores. The pores are subjected to the vacuum in the manifold cavity in the substantial absence of impairment of communication of the vacuum to the pores to uniformly pickup and hold the flexible sheet of material for transfer without folding, wrinkling or creasing of the flexible sheet of material.
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