Operator position adjustable production line machine

Abstract

An operator position adjustable production line assembly includes a main unit having a product path and an interior including a product cavity. An operable top is attached to the main unit with a plurality of support posts enabling equal or near equal access to the interior and product cavity from either side and the ends of the main unit. Optional side covers are selectively movable to increase product cavity and interior height of the main unit. A pair of control stations are provided, one on each side of the main unit, to enable operation from either side or both sides. An optional view screen is rotatably attached to the main unit to permit viewing from either of the control stations.

I claim: 
     
       1. An operator position adjustable production line assembly comprising:
 a main unit having a pair of sides, a product path, and a product process cavity; and   a pair of redundant control stations, each control station being positioned on a respective side of said main unit such that said main unit is operable by an operator positioned adjacent to a selectable side of said main unit;   an air filter coupled to said main unit, said air filter extending along one of said sides of said main unit.   
     
     
       2. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 said main unit having a top being movable vertically to provide access to an interior of said main unit, said interior including said product cavity.   
     
     
       3. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a plurality of support posts coupled between said main unit and said top, said support posts being extendable from said main unit to support said top in an elevated position over said main unit.   
     
     
       4. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a post operating assembly for extending said posts to move said top, said post operating assembly being operationally controlled to each said control station.   
     
     
       5. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 side covers coupled to said top for forming sides of said product process cavity.   
     
     
       6. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stop button operationally coupled to said main unit for permitting selective shut down of said main unit, said stop button being positioned between said control stations such that said stop button is adapted for being accessible to an operator positioned at a selectable one of said control stations.   
     
     
       7. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 6  wherein said stop button is positioned along a longitudinal axis of said main unit. 
     
     
       8. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 said stop button being a first stop button, said first stop button being positioned proximate an first end of said main unit; and   a second stop button, said second stop button being positioned proximate a second end of said main unit opposite said first end.   
     
     
       9. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a light tower coupled to said main unit.   
     
     
       10. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 said main unit having a top for covering an opening into said main unit, said opening extending between a pair of sides of said main unit to provide access to said interior of said main unit; and   side covers coupled to said top for adjusting a height of said top above said opening.   
     
     
       11. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 said air filter being a first air filter;   a second air filter extending along an associated side of said main unit opposite said first air filter.   
     
     
       12. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a main power handle operationally coupled to said main unit and positioned for being operable from each said side of said main unit.   
     
     
       13. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an exhaust opening in said main unit, said exhaust opening being positioned closer to one of said pair of sides of said main unit.   
     
     
       14. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 two stop buttons offset from a longitudinal axis of said main unit such that each stop button is reachable from a respective one of said sides of said main unit.   
     
     
       15. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a switching assembly operationally coupled to said pair of control stations for selective activation of each control station.   
     
     
       16. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pair of first end stop buttons, each first end stop button being positioned at a first end of said main unit proximate a respective side of said main unit; and   a pair of second end stop buttons, each second end stop button being positioned at a second end of said main unit proximate a respective side of said main unit.   
     
     
       17. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a main power receptacle, said main power receptacle being positioned closer to one of said sides of said main unit.   
     
     
       18. A method comprising:
 activating one of a plurality of control stations, at least some of the control stations positioned on different sides of an electronic circuit processing unit integrated into a multiple machine process line that moves electronic circuits in a process direction from either left to right or right to left relative to the activated one of the plurality of control stations of the electronic circuit processing unit wherein the electronic circuit processing unit comprises a conveyor disposed intermediate two opposing sides of the electronic circuit processing unit, a cover that comprises a top and downwardly extending sides and support posts for raising the cover to an open position to provide access to the conveyor from each of the opposing sides and for lowering the cover to a closed position that covers the conveyor;   controlling an electronic circuit production process via the activated control station of the electronic circuit processing unit wherein the production process comprises heating and then cooling electronic circuits moving in the process direction of the multiple machine process line via the conveyor of the electronic circuit processing unit with the cover of the electronic circuit processing unit in the closed position;   stopping movement of the conveyor of the electronic circuit processing unit; and   controlling the support posts of the electronic circuit processing unit via the activated control station of the electronic circuit processing unit to extend the support posts vertically to raise the cover to the open position to provide access to the conveyor from each of the two opposing sides of the electronic circuit processing unit.   
     
     
       19. The method of claim 18 wherein the stopping movement occurs responsive to an emergency situation. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 18 wherein the stopping movement occurs responsive to activation of one of a plurality of stop buttons. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 18 wherein the controlling support posts via the activated control station comprises controlling a central control unit. 
     
     
       22. A processing unit for processing electronic circuits, the processing unit configured for integration into a multiple machine process line that has a process direction, the processing unit comprising:
 an air filter;   a top that comprises downwardly extending sides;   a plurality of support posts connected to the top;   a conveyor disposed intermediate two opposing sides of the processing unit and configured to convey electronic circuits along a long axis of the processing unit in the process direction of the multiple machine process line for heating and then cooling of the electronic circuits, in that order, under the top;   a central control unit configured to control movement of the conveyor and to control extension of the plurality of support posts to vertically adjust height of the top with respect to the conveyor to provide access to the conveyor from each of the two opposing sides of the processing unit;   a plurality of control stations configured for selective activation to control the central control unit, at least some of the control stations positioned on different sides of the processing unit, wherein electronic circuits processed by the processing unit move in the process direction of the multiple machine process line, the direction being either left to right or right to left relative to each of the plurality of control stations; and   a plurality of stop buttons configured to control the central control unit to at least stop movement of the conveyor.   
     
     
       23. An operator position adjustable production line assembly comprising:
 a main unit having a pair of sides, a product path, and a product process cavity;   a pair of redundant control stations, each control station being positioned on a respective side of said main unit such that said main unit is operable by an operator positioned adjacent to a selectable side of said main unit; and   an air filter coupled to said main unit, said air filter extending along one of said sides of said main unit.   
     
     
       24. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 said main unit having a top being movable vertically to provide access to an interior of said main unit, said interior including said product cavity.   
     
     
       25. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 24, further comprising:
 a plurality of support posts coupled between said main unit and said top, said support posts being extendable from said main unit to support said top in an elevated position over said main unit.   
     
     
       26. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 25, further comprising:
 a post operating assembly for extending said posts to move said top, said post operating assembly being operationally controlled to each said control station.   
     
     
       27. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 24, further comprising:
 side covers coupled to said top for forming sides of said product process cavity.   
     
     
       28. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 a stop button operationally coupled to said main unit for permitting selective shut down of said main unit, said stop button being positioned between said control stations such that said stop button is adapted for being accessible to an operator positioned at a selectable one of said control stations.   
     
     
       29. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 28 wherein said stop button is positioned along a longitudinal axis of said main unit. 
     
     
       30. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 28, further comprising:
 said stop button being a first stop button, said first stop button being positioned proximate an first end of said main unit; and   a second stop button, said second stop button being positioned proximate a second end of said main unit opposite said first end.   
     
     
       31. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 a light tower coupled to said main unit.   
     
     
       32. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 said main unit having a top for covering an opening into said main unit, said opening extending between a pair of sides of said main unit to provide access to said interior of said main unit; and   side covers coupled to said top for adjusting a height of said top above said opening.   
     
     
       33. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 said air filter being a first air filter;   a second air filter extending along an associated side of said main unit opposite said first air filter.   
     
     
       34. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 a main power handle operationally coupled to said main unit and positioned for being operable from each said side of said main unit.   
     
     
       35. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 an exhaust opening in said main unit, said exhaust opening being positioned closer to one of said pair of sides of said main unit.   
     
     
       36. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 two stop buttons offset from a longitudinal axis of said main unit such that each stop button is reachable from a respective one of said sides of said main unit.   
     
     
       37. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 a switching assembly operationally coupled to said pair of control stations for selective activation of each control station.   
     
     
       38. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 a pair of first end stop buttons, each first end stop button being positioned at a first end of said main unit proximate a respective side of said main unit; and   a pair of second end stop buttons, each second end stop button being positioned at a second end of said main unit proximate a respective side of said main unit.   
     
     
       39. The operator position adjustable production line assembly of claim 23, further comprising:
 a main power receptacle, said main power receptacle being positioned closer to one of said sides of said main unit.