Method for making carrier tape
AssigneeWestern Electric Company, Inc.
InventorsMichael T. Gursky, William W. Pcihoda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A strip 20 has a drive margin 36 and a latent image of a pattern in a light sensitive coating 73 of a pattern portion 22 thereon. To avoid disturbing the pattern, the strip 20 is gripped by the drive margin 36 using a set 43 of pinch-drive rollers which drive the strip without disturbing the latent image. The strip 20 is driven through pattern development, cleaning and etching solution spray chambers 64, 66 and 108, respectively. One or more adjustable shields 78 are used to vary the time interval during which the strip 20 is sprayed by these solutions. By adjusting one or more shields 78 to suit changes in solution condition the time intervals for proper developing, cleaning and etching are coordinated for a speed at which the strip 20 is driven.
Claims19
A method of making carrier tape from metal foil having no substantial resistance to bending, comprising:
- successively gripping along a substantially unperforated drive portion of a strip of metal foil in a continuous manner, such drive portion extending substantially along the full length of the strip, and driving the strip thereby in a lengthwise direction;
- forming a pattern in at least one portion of the strip in such a manner that no support materials are affixed to the strip, the pattern portion being disposed separately from the drive portion of the strip;
- and
- separating the pattern portion of the strip from the drive portion of the strip whereby said pattern portion becomes usable for carrier tape.
A method of forming a pattern in a strip of metal foil having no substantial resistance to bending and having a substantially unperforated, drive margin portion extending substantially along the full length of the strip and a pattern portion disposed separately from the drive margin portion with a latent image of the pattern on the pattern portion of the strip, comprising:
- successively gripping along the drive margin of the strip in a continuous manner and driving the strip in a lengthwise direction, such gripping and driving being done without disturbing the latent image;
- guiding the driven strip over support means through a succession of forming steps to form the pattern in the strip in accordance with the latent image, each step requiring a separate exposure time interval suitable for such forming step;
- and
- shielding the strip at one or more of the forming steps whereby the pattern portion of the strip is exposed for a respective time interval suitable for the said forming step.
A method of forming a pattern in a coated, metal foil strip having a singular, unperforated, full length drive margin and having at least one pattern portion with a latent image of the pattern in the coating on one side of the strip comprising:
- successively gripping along the drive margin of the strip in a continuous manner, for driving the strip without disturbing the latent image of the pattern in the coating on the strip;
- driving the strip for developing the latent image, over support means in a direction lengthwise of the strip, at a speed suitable for cleaning the pattern on the strip;
- shielding the image side of the driven strip while leaving the other side exposed, during part of the developing, the shield allowing the latent image of the pattern to be exposed for development for a time interval suitable for developing the latent image to make it patent upon the strip;
- removing unwanted areas within the patent image of the pattern in the driven strip by etching away the unwanted areas of the strip leaving etched edges of metal in the strip;
- rinsing and drying the strip;
- and
- winding the strip upon a spool, with a protective interleaving material upon the strip to protect the etched edges of metal in the pattern from entanglement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.