Importance

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Abstract

A conveyor for transporting articles to or from a clean room or from one place to another within a clean room. The conveyor has housings extending along either side of the path of conveyor travel. Extending between the housings are conveying members, usually metal rods, elongated perpendicularly to the path of conveyor travel. Each housing is slotted so that the ends of the conveying members may extend therethrough. Within each housing are rollers journaled to the ends of the conveying members and a track. The track receives and guides the rollers. Extending along and in air communication with each housing is a plenum, and between each housing and its plenum is an air restriction sheet that restricts the flow of air. The conveyor also includes a blower for drawing a partial vacuum within each plenum thus drawing a lesser vacuum in the housing. Each housing, plenum, air restriction sheet, and blower are arranged so that a pressure differential is created between the housing and plenum. The pressure differential must be great enough to cause air to flow upwardly through the slot of each housing from the area surrounding the surface of the conveying members. The air flow should flow through the slots of the housing at an average velocity of not less than about one hundred feet per minute. The movement of air through the slots draws with it contaminants on or near the surfaces of the conveying members.

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First Claim