Method and apparatus for loading circuit boards

An apparatus for use in manually loading dual-in-line-type integrated circuit devices onto a circuit board disposed in a receiving area, said apparatus comprising:

• a rack disposed adjacent said receiving area;
• a plurality of means for manually dispensing selected ones of said circuit devices from a queue, each one of said dispensing means including means for supporting a tubular container which is for holding said circuit devices end to end, said dispensing means further including means for releasing only single ones of said circuit devices from said containers to an access position and supporting only single one of said devices from said queue at said access position;
• and
• a plurality of substantially planar frame means, each one of said frame means being slidably mounted to said rack in an inclined, closely-spaced array, each rack including means for supporting, along its lower horizontal edge, a plurality of said dispensing means in substantially one angularly downwardly inclined plane, wherein the access position of said dispensing means is adjacent said lower edge of said frame means, each said frame means being movable from a first position within said rack to a second position over said receiving area, said rack and said frame means being substantially devoid of obstacles between said receiving area and said access position such that each single circuit device, in its respective queue, is vertically aligned with a defined horizontal matrix location of said receiving area for transferring each single circuit device from said access position to a corresponding vertically aligned underlying device receiving position in said receiving area.