TRANSPORT APPARATUS

摘要

Transport apparatus is disclosed which includes a stationary support, a plurality of groups of rails, a corresponding plurality of groups of first flexures connected between the support and the rail groups for supporting the rail groups above the support, a plurality of groups of slats defining a track, and a corresponding plurality of groups of second flexures connected between the rail groups and the slat groups for supporting the slat groups above the rail groups, each slat group being connected by said flexures to a different rail group to form a unique slat and rail groups pair. The slat group and rail group comprising each said pair are reciprocated generally parallel to but out of phase with one another so that each point on each slat group orbits about a highly eccentric ellipitcal path relative to the support. The different slat and rail group pairs are also reciprocated out of phase with one another so that an object positioned on slats belonging to a plurality of slat groups is advanced by those slats in succession incrementally along the track. .