Device for Orienting an Object on a Flat Surface

This invention relates generally to orienting objects and particularly to a device for orienting a substantially rectangular object on a substantially flat surface.

There are many instances in industry when it is necessary to accurately orient and locate a substantially rectangular object on a flat surface. An example of such an instant is the production of the phosphor screen on the inside surface of a kinescope faceplate panel. The phosphor screens of kinescopes are composed of triads of phosphors each of which emits a different color of light when impacted by electrons. The screens are produced by coating the internal surface of the faceplate panel with a slurry containing one of the phosphors and a light sensitive material. An apertured shadow mask is inserted into the panel and the panel is placed upon an exposure mechanism, commonly called a lighthouse. The lighthouse includes a bright light source which exposes the slurry through the apertures in the shadow mask. This process is repeated for each of the three phosphors. During the operation of a kinescope, electron beams are scanned across the shadow mask and the apertures cause the electron beams to impact a phosphor of the proper color. For this reason, it is critical that the panel be properly oriented and located on the lighthouse during the exposure process because the light passing through the apertures simulates the electron beams passing through the apertures during the operation of the tube. The present invention is directed to a device for accurately orienting and locating a faceplate panel on the flat surface of a lighthouse.

A device for orienting an object on a flat support surface includes two lever means each of which has an orienting end and an actuated end. The lever means are pivotably coupled to the flat support surface at pivot points between the orienting end and the actuated end. Actuating means is supported by and pivotably coupled to the actuated ends whereby energization of the actuating means pivots the levers and the orienting ends urge any object on the support surface into a desired orientation and location.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment arranged on the flat surface of a lighthouse.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of FIG. 1.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, an inventive orienting device 10 is fixed to a flat surface 11 of a lighthouse 12. A faceplate panel 13 (shown in phantom) rests on a flat surface 11 of the lighthouse 12. As explained hereinabove, the proper exposure of the phosphor on the inside surface of the panel 13 requires that the panel be accurately located and oriented on the lighthouse 12. A plurality of guide stops 14, 16 and 17 are permanently affixed to the flat surface 11 of the lighthouse 12. The panel 13 is substantially rectangular and, therefore, the guide stops 14, 16 and 17 are arranged to engage two sides of the panel. Accordingly, by urging a panel into engagement with the three guide stops 14, 16 and 17, the panel is properly oriented and located on the lighthouse to permit the accurate exposure of the phosphor on the inside surface of the panel. The inventive orienting device 10 urges the panel into engagement with the guide stops 14, 16 and 17 for a wide variety of panel sizes and irrespective of the orientation of the panel when the panel is initially placed on the lighthouse.

Two levers 18 and 19 are pivotably mounted to the flat surface 11 at two pivot points 21 and 22, respectively. The pivot points 21 and 22 are located to span the corner of the panel 13 which is diagonally disposed from the corner of the panel which engages the guide stops 14 and 16. A mounting base 23 is used to fix the lever arms 18 and 19 and the pivot points 21 and 23 to the flat surface 11 by use of machine screws (not shown). The use of the mounting base 23 permits easy removal of the orienting device 10 from the lighthouse as a complete unit.

A fluidic cylinder 24, having a chamber 26 and a slideable shaft 27, serves as an actuating means for the levers 18 and 19. The lever 18 is pivotably coupled to the chamber 26 at an actuated end 28 of the lever 18. Similarly, the lever 19 is pivotably coupled to the end of the shaft 27 at an actuated end 29 of the lever 19. Thus, the cylinder 24 is supported solely by the levers 18 and 19, and is free to float when actuated. An orienting end 31 of the lever 18 rotatably supports a roller 32. Similarly, the orienting end 33 of the lever 19 rotatably supports a roller 34. The rollers 32 and 34 engage the sides of the panel and urge the panel against the guide stops 14, 16 and 17 when fluid, such as air, is admitted to the cylinder 24.

The levers 18 and 19 each include oppositely facing angles 36 and 37. These angles permit the lever, which is coupled to the chamber 26, to clear the chamber 26 during the actuation of the device 10. The lever 19, which is coupled to the end of the shaft 27, includes the angles 36 and 37 merely to permit both of the levers to be similarly configured to decrease the number of parts required for the orienting unit 10. The distance between the pivot points 21 and 22 and the centers of the rollers 32 and 34, respectively, exceeds the distance between the pivot points and the actuating ends 28 and 29 of the levers by a predetermined multiple, such as 1.5. This results in a multiplication of the linear motion of the shaft 27.

In operation, a faceplate panel 13 is placed upon the flat surface 11 of lighthouse 12 either manually or by an automatic transfer mechanism. In either event, the panel 13 ordinarily is not precisely located or oriented on the flat surface 11. The fluid cylinder 24 is actuated to extend the shaft 27 outwardly from the chamber 26 to the fully extended position shown in FIG. 1. The cylinder 24 floats with respect to the lighthouse 12 and, accordingly, both of the orienting ends 31 and 33 of the levers 18 and 19 respectively move toward the respective sides of the panel 13. When either of the rollers 32 or 34 first engages the panel 13, the motion of the cylinder 24 assumes the path of least resistance, and the cylinder rotates somewhat and causes the other roller to also engage the panel. The rollers 32 and 34 then gradually urge the panel into engagement with the guide stops 14, 16 and 17. As soon as one of the rollers 32 or 34 has urged the panel into engagement with the guide stops along one side of the panel 13, the other roller continues to engage the other side of the panel 13 and urges the panel until the panel is in full engagement with the guide stops. The actuation of the cylinder 24 can be ceased either by detecting the pressure in the cylinder 24 when the orienting device 10 urges the panel into full engagement with the guide stops 14, 16 and 17, or by any other appropriate mechanism, many of which are known to those skilled in the art.