Patent ID: 7393444

Claim:
An installation for treating articles comprising: a) at least one treatment zone into which the articles are introduced; and b) a conveying means, with which the articles may be conveyed through the installation in a continuous or intermittent translational movement and which comprises: at least one pair of transport carriages, which in turn comprises: a first transport carriage comprising: a running gear; and at least one swivel arm, which is connected with the running gear to be swivellable about a first pivot pin and with which a first point of a supporting structure for the article to be treated is connected to be swivellable about a second pivot pin; and a second transport carriage, which likewise comprises: a running gear; and at least one swivel arm, which is connected with the running gear to be swivellable about a first pivot pin and with which a second point of the supporting structure is connected to be swivellable about a second pivot pin; wherein c) a means for positioning the at least one pair of transport carriages comprising the following six degrees of freedom of motion: a translational movement of the first transport carriage; a translational movement of the second transport carriage; a swivelling of the at least one swivel arm of the first transport carriage about the first pivot pin thereof; a swivelling of the at least one swivel arm of the second transport carriage about the first pivot axis thereof; a swivelling of the supporting structure about the second pivot pin of the first transport carriage; and a swiveling of the supporting structure about the second pivot pin of the second transport carriage; and, d) drives are provided for at least three of the six degrees of freedom of motion, and at least one of the drives is a translational drive.