US 4,068,373 AGranted

Component insertion machine

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsTerry Lee Bell, Lyle G. Call, George Omer Dillan, James Phillip Jackson, Jr., Larry Albin Johnson

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Abstract

An improved component feed mechanism allows a component support table to move simultaneously with the component feed mechanism. The table has a plurality of guides for urging guiding component holding cartridges toward a work station. The table is movable transverse to the cartridge lengths. A friction block guide disposed above said table has a block movable parallel to said cartridge feed direction. A feed lever is pivoted on said block; means sense pivoted positions of said feed lever; and means selectively pivot said feed lever between cartridge engaging and retracted positions. The table moves transversely only when said feed lever is in a retracted position enabling concurrent motions of the feed lever and the table for reducing setup time of the machine.

Claims5

Dependent claims

Apparatus for inserting different size circuit modules into a circuit board, each of said circuit modules having two or more leads emerging from a first side thereof, said modules to be inserted into a circuit board;

a number of positionable module-containing magazines, each of said magazines containing a stack of essentially identically dimensioned modules positioned with their leads parallel with each other;
a table supporting said magazines and being movable transverse to direction of module feed within said magazines;
the improvement including in combination:
a loading driver having an upper actuating end and a lower pushing end;
a friction block guide extending parallel to the direction of module feed and disposed above said movable table;
a friction slide block in said guide for pivotably supporting said loading driver such that said loading driver is pivotable between a module engaging position and a retracted noninterferring position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.