Method for orienting an article
AssigneeWestern Electric Company, Inc.
InventorsLyle J. Hentz, Willard G. Otto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article, such as a beam-lead semiconductor device, is precisely oriented by placing it on the end of a tubular member which is centered in a cavity having the form of inverted, truncated, pyramid. The smallest cross section of the cavity is smaller than the smallest article to be positioned. The member slides vertically within the cavity and is resiliently supported by a vacuum chamber for movement therewith. The chamber is lowered with a vertical oscillatory motion, while a slight vacuum is applied, to lower the article into the cavity and engage it intermittently with the walls of the cavity. This orients and centers the article in the cavity.
Claims4
A method of orienting one of a plurality of articles without the use of a fluid for supporting the article, each of said articles having possible different dimensions one with respect to others, comprising the steps of:
- placing the article on a member associated with a locating and orienting cavity having dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the smallest article;
- and
- engaging the article intermittently with the walls of the cavity while lowering the member and the article into the cavity to locate and orient the article at a point above the lower end of said cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.