Richard J Pickreign

8167522, May 1, 2012

Mar 30, 2005

11/093481

Michael Duhamel - Acton MA, US
Richard J. Pickreign - Harvard MA, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

B65G 15/08

414217, 414935

A substrate transport apparatus comprising a drive mechanism, a movable arm assembly, and an end effector with an active edge gripper. The apparatus is configured to avoid the need to provide cables to the end effector for power or communication. In one aspect, the gripper is actuated when a motion sensor senses motion of the end effector. In another aspect, communication signals are wirelessly transferred to the end effector to control the active gripper. In another aspect, power is wirelessly transferred to the end effector to power actuation of the gripper.

8628288, Jan 14, 2014

Mar 30, 2012

13/436155

Michael Duhamel - Acton MA, US
Richard J. Pickreign - Harvard MA, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

H01L 21/677

414217, 414411

In accordance with one aspect of the exemplary embodiments, a substrate transport apparatus is provided comprising a drive mechanism, a movable arm assembly connected to the drive mechanism, an end effector connected to the arm assembly. A chuck for holding a substrate is mounted on the end effector and having a movable edge gripper with a contact surface and an edge of the substrate may be gripped by actuating the movable edge gripper to engage the substrate with the contact surface. The apparatus further comprising a motion sensor for providing a signal to actuate the movable edge gripper to close and open the moveable edge gripper for capturing and releasing the substrate.

20070092359, Apr 26, 2007

Oct 13, 2006

11/580697

Richard Pickreign - Harvard MA, US
Jeffrey Tawyer - Danvers MA, US
Brian Doherty - Weston MA, US

B65G 1/00

414281000

An improved automated material handling system that allows an overhead hoist supported by a suspended track to access Work-In-Process (WIP) parts from storage locations beside the track. The automated material handling system includes an overhead hoist transport vehicle for transporting an overhead hoist on a suspended track, and one or more storage bins for storing WIP parts located beside the track. Each storage bin is either a movable shelf or a fixed shelf. To access a WIP part from a selected shelf, the overhead hoist transport vehicle moves along the suspended track to a position at the side of the shelf. Next, the movable shelf moves to a position underneath the overhead hoist. Alternatively, overhead hoist moves to a position above the fixed shelf. The overhead hoist is then operated to pick a desired WIP part directly from the shelf, or to place one or more WIP parts directly to the shelf. Once the WIP part is held by the overhead hoist, the overhead hoist transport vehicle moves the WIP part to a workstation or processing machine on the product manufacturing floor.

20220415607, Dec 29, 2022

Sep 7, 2022

17/939530

Richard Joseph Pickreign - Harvard MA, US

H01J 37/20
H01L 21/683

An automated grid handling apparatus for an electron microscope including a transport module having a multistage shuttle, the multistage shuttle having a first shuttle stage having a single degree of freedom of motion for gross movement, a second shuttle stage having a single degree of freedom of motion independent of the first stage for fine movement, an end effector connected to at least one of the first and second shuttle stages, the end effector being configured to hold a grid carrier and transport the grid carrier holding the grid into and out of an electron microscope through a transport interface that is communicably connected to a multi-axis positioning stage port of the electron microscope, the end effector having a range of motion, defined by a combination of the first and second stage degrees of freedom of motions and the multi-axis positioning stage internal to the electron microscope, and an automated loading module connected to the frame and being communicably connected to the transport module, the automated loading module including a load port module through which grids are loaded into the automated loading and transport modules.

20210343498, Nov 4, 2021

Jul 13, 2021

17/374008

Richard Joseph Pickreign - Harvard MA, US

H01J 37/20
H01L 21/683

An automated grid handling apparatus for an electron microscope including a transport module having a multistage shuttle, the multistage shuttle having a first shuttle stage having a single degree of freedom of motion for gross movement, a second shuttle stage having a single degree of freedom of motion independent of the first stage for fine movement, an end effector connected to at least one of the first and second shuttle stages, the end effector being configured to hold a grid carrier and transport the grid carrier holding the grid into and out of an electron microscope through a transport interface that is communicably connected to a multi-axis positioning stage port of the electron microscope, the end effector having a range of motion, defined by a combination of the first and second stage degrees of freedom of motions and the multi-axis positioning stage internal to the electron microscope, and an automated loading module connected to the frame and being communicably connected to the transport module, the automated loading module including a load port module through which grids are loaded into the automated loading and transport modules.

20210082657, Mar 18, 2021

May 11, 2018

16/611935

RICHARD JOSEPH PICKREIGN - HARVARD MA, US

H01J 37/20
H01L 21/683

An automated grid handling apparatus for an electron microscope including a transport module having a multistage shuttle comprising a first shuttle stage having a single degree of freedom of motion and a second shuttle stage having a single degree of freedom of motion independent of the first stage, an end effector connected to at least one of the first and second shuttle stages, the end effector configured to hold a grid carrier and transport the grid carrier into and out of an electron microscope through a transport interface that communicates with a multi-axis positioning stage port of the microscope, the end effector having a range of motion defined by the first and second stage degrees of freedom of motions and the multi-axis positioning stage internal to the electron microscope, and an automated loading module connected to the frame and communicating with the transport module, the automated loading module including a load port module through which grids are loaded into the automated loading and transport modules.

20140119856, May 1, 2014

Jan 7, 2014

14/148785

- Chelmsford MA, US
Richard J. Pickreign - Harvard MA, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

H01L 21/677

414217

In accordance with one aspect of the exemplary embodiments, a substrate transport apparatus is provided comprising a drive mechanism, a movable arm assembly connected to the drive mechanism, an end effector connected to the arm assembly. A chuck for holding a substrate is mounted on the end effector and having a movable edge gripper with a contact surface and an edge of the substrate may be gripped by actuating the movable edge gripper to engage the substrate with the contact surface. The apparatus further comprising a motion sensor for providing a signal to actuate the movable edge gripper to close and open the moveable edge gripper for capturing and releasing the substrate.