U.S. Patent Awarded to Delta Design VAT Design Team
Thursday, February 21, 2002
US Patent #6,227,373 was awarded to the design team of Larry Stuckey, Ron Torres, Ira Ramin and Al Lindsey, for the Electronic Device Handling System and Method. The familiar term for this mechanism is the Vertical Auto Tray (VAT), used on the Castle family of handlers. The team applied for the patent in 1998, and was presented with their award in 2002. The patent is recorded active as of May 8, 2001.
The abstract for the device reads as follows:
An apparatus for handling electronic devices in a system that assigns a category corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined categories to the electronic devices and sorts the electronic devices according to the categories is provided. A plurality of platforms, each for supporting one tray that carries one or more electronic devices, and each platform corresponding to one of the categories, are vertically stacked in a predetermined order according to the plurality of categories. A group of the stacked platforms are separated from a platform located at a first position corresponding to a particular category corresponding to the category of an electronic device to expose a tray and enable the electronic device to be placed on the tray. A method of handling electronic devices is also provided.
View the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office report and full patent text here.
The plaque states:
The Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks has received an application for a patent for a new and useful invention. The requirements of law have been complied with, and it has been determined that a patent on the invention shall be granted under the law. Therefore, this United States Patent grants to the persons having title, the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention throughout the United States of America for the term of the patent.