Patent ID: 7153367

Claim:
A drive mechanism for a vacuum treatment apparatus, by which a plurality of substrate holders can be transported on a circulation path surrounding an axis (A—A) from an entry airlock through at least one treatment chamber to an exit airlock comprising: a stationary supporting column being disposed in the center of the circulation path and on it a rotatable drive chamber is borne, on the outsides of which control rods are disposed for a rotation and a radial displacement of the substrate holders, a stationary motor being fastened on the supporting column in the rotatable drive chamber and rotatable displacing drives are disposed for the control rods and penetrate one of the walls of the drive chamber and are in working connection each with a corresponding substrate holder, wherein a) the motor is connected with a fixed bearing housing in which a rotatable star-shaped arrangement of cantilevers is mounted concentrically with the supporting column, b) the cantilevers are joined articulately with one end of double-arm bell-crank levers which have each at least one pivot pin, c) the other end of the bell-crank levers is articulated with one end of the control rods, and d) the pivot pins of the bell-crank levers are guided in a first fixed radial cam whose shape determines the radial movements of the control rods.