A linear guide includes an elongate guide body and a bearing cage, on the inner sides of which fluid pressure bearings are provided. The bearing cage moves along the guide body via the bearings. The bearing cage includes at least three interconnected plates. The plates each have an inner surface facing the guide body, an outer surface facing away from the guide body and side surfaces between the inner and the outer surface. Each plate is connected to a first other plate in a first end region and connected to a second other plate in an opposite second end region. For each of the plates: the first other plate, with its inner surface, abuts against a side surface of the considered plate, while the considered plate, with its inner surface, abuts against a side surface of the second other plate in the second end region of the considered plate.

A table device including: a first base including a first reference surface; a second base including a second reference surface, and movable on the first reference surface in a direction parallel to a first axis; a first bearing member provided to the second base, and forming a gas bearing between the first bearing member and the first reference surface; a second bearing member provided to the second base, apart from the first bearing member relative to a direction parallel to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and forming a gas bearing between the second bearing member and the first reference surface; and a table movable on the second reference surface. A distance between the first bearing member and the second bearing member is longer than a dimension of a moving range of the table relative to the direction parallel to the second axis.

A vehicle for travelling along a linear route guideway, comprising a body configured to accommodate cargo, equipment or passenger(s); traction engines on the body of the vehicle configured to orient the body within relative to the linear route guideway; and a controller for actuating at least one of the traction engines as a function of a desired orientation of the vehicle relative to the linear route guideway. A controller system for a vehicle for travelling along a linear route guideway is also disclosed.

A vibration isolation system including a support, a forward actuator and a return device. The support is for supporting the body on a base. The support has a body engaging surface and a base engaging surface. The base engaging surface is arranged to couple to the base. The support couples the body engaging surface to the body in a coupled state. The support uncouples the body engaging surface from the body in an uncoupled state. The forward actuator moves the body and the body engaging surface together relatively to the base in a first direction from a first initial position to an end position in the coupled state. The return device is configured to move the body engaging surface relatively to the body opposite to the first direction from the end position to a second initial position in the uncoupled state.

A support table for a lithographic apparatus, a method of loading a substrate, a lithographic apparatus and a method for manufacturing a device using a lithographic apparatus. In one arrangement, a support table is configured to support a substrate. The support table has a base surface. The base surface faces a surface of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support table. One or more gas cushion members are provided above the base surface. Each of the gas cushion members includes a recess. The recess is shaped and configured such that a lowering of the substrate into a position on the support table at which the substrate is supported by the support table causes a localised build-up of pressure within the recess. The localized build-up of pressure provides a localised gas cushioning effect during the lowering of the substrate.

The present invention refers to an enclosed conveyor (10) for bulk material (100), comprising an enclosure (2) having on its interior a roller (43) capable of supporting a transport portion (31) of a conveyor belt (30) and an air support system capable of supporting a return portion (32) of said conveyor belt (30). Thus, such enclosed conveyor (10) can move bulk material (100) without damaging the transport portion (31) of the conveyor belt (30), due to a higher pressure enforced by an unequal distribution of said material (100) over said transport portion (31), and also reduce the friction between the return portion (32) and a bottom plate (23) of the enclosed conveyor (10), in order to enable the proposed conveyor (10) to be manufactured at a longer length and with a smaller traction engine if compared to a conventional enclosed conveyor.

An actuator includes: a slider driven within a movable range along a predetermined movement direction; a guide that extends in the movement direction to guide the slider and includes a surrounding structure surrounding an outer periphery of the slider and including an opening portion where at least a part thereof is open in a cross section perpendicular to the movement direction; a fluid supply portion that supplies a fluid between the slider and the guide; a slider connecting member that penetrates the opening portion to connect the slider inside the surrounding structure and a driven body outside the surrounding structure; and a guide connecting member that connects edges of the opening portion to each other and is provided at a position where the slider connecting member does not come into contact with the guide connecting member when the slider moves within the movable range.

An air suspension support and motion guiding device having unequal-depth throttling chambers. Throttling plugs (10) are arranged regularly on an air suspension working surface, forming an array of throttling chambers with unequal depths. The invention improves the rotational stiffness per unit area for an air suspension working surface while ensuring support and stability of an air-suspended rail (1) and enables construction of a small-volume, long cantilever, high torque load two-dimensional motion reference device.

A guide device includes a support that includes a guide surface, and a movable body that includes an oil pocket to which lubricant is supplied and a sliding surface facing the guide surface. The sliding surface includes a first region that is arranged around the oil pocket and formed of a first material, and a second region that is arranged at least partially around the first region and formed of a second material.

Methods and systems for determination of warpage in a workpiece supported by a non-contact support platform, including a surface with a plurality of pressure ports and a plurality of fluid evacuation ports on the surface, a supply system with a pressure supply connected to the plurality of pressure ports on the surface and configured to supply pressure at a substantially constant level and cause a fluid to flow out of the plurality of pressure ports, so as to support a workpiece by fluid-bearing formed under the workpiece, and at least one flowmeter, coupled to a controller and configured to measure the flowrate at the surface, wherein the workpiece is determined to be warped when the measured flowrate is outside a predefined flowrate range.