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US 4,234,418 AGranted
Dip-handling apparatus
AssigneeContrel Corporation
InventorClaude M. Boissicat
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A DIP-handling apparatus comprising a support chassis, an input tray attached to the support chassis and including a plurality of DIP-receiving input trays arrayed in parallel, a reorienting and metering device for receiving a DIP from one of the tracks of the input tray, for reorienting the received DIP and for discharging the DIP onto a track leading to a test head station, an output tray attached to the support chassis, and a shuttle device for transporting the DIP from the test station to a particular track of the output tray as determined by the result of the tests performed at the test station.
Claims20
A DIP-handling apparatus comprising:
- input tray means having at least one input track disposed to lie in an inclined plane and for receiving DIPs at one end of said tray means in a first particular disposition relative to said track and for discharging said DIPs at the other end thereof;
- test station means having a test track lying in a vertical plane intersecting said inclined plane and adapted to receive a DIP to be tested, and including test means for engaging said DIP as it is passed along said test track and for performing diagnostic tests thereupon;
- metering and reorienting means disposed between said input tray means and said test station means and including a rotating member having a recess for receiving a DIP discharged from said input tray, and means for rotating said member about an axis bisecting an intersecting angle of said inclined plane and said vertical plane, said member being rotated between a DIP receiving position, wherein said recess is aligned to receive a DIP discharged from said input tray means, and a DIP discharging position, wherein said recess is aligned with said test track, whereby a DIP carried in said recess between said receiving position and said discharging position is reoriented such that the end thereof that first entered said recess at said receiving position is the last to leave the recess at said discharging position and such that the DIP is discharged onto said test track with a second particular disposition relative thereto;
- output tray means having a plurality of DIP sorting tracks;
- shuttle means for receiving a tested DIP discharged from said test track and for depositing it onto one of the DIP sorting tracks of said output tray means;
- and
- means responsive to a signal developed by said test means and operative to cause said shuttle means to deposit the tested DIP onto a particular one of said DIP sorting tracks.
4 more elements
A DIP-handling apparatus comprising:
- a chassis;
- input tray means having a plurality of parallel arrayed input tracks for receiving DIPs at one end of said tray means in a first particular disposition and inverted relative to said tracks and for discharging said DIPs at the other end of said tray means;
- test station means having a test track for receiving a DIP to be tested and test means for engaging said DIP as it is passed along said test track and for performing diagnostic tests thereupon;
- metering and reorienting means disposed between said input tray means and said test station means and including a rotating member having a recess for receiving a DIP discharged from said input tray, and means for rotating said member between a DIP receiving position and a DIP discharging position whereby a DIP carried in said recess between said receiving position and said discharging position is reoriented such that the end thereof that first entered said recess at said receiving position is the last to leave said recess at said discharging position and such that the DIP is discharged onto said test track with a second particular disposition relative thereto;
- means mounting said input tray means to said chassis and including
- a support arm for supporting the DIP receiving end of said input tray means at a first level and having one end pivotally attached to said chassis and pivotable about a first generally vertical axis, and its other ends pivotally attached to said DIP receiving end of said input tray means and pivotable relative thereto about a second generally vertical axis, and
- means for supporting the other end of said input tray means at a second level lower than said first level;
- means for selectively moving said other ends of said input tray means laterally relative to the longitudinal dimensions of the input tracks so that a particular one of said tracks is aligned with said recess when it is in said DIP receiving position;
- output tray means having a plurality of DIP sorting tracks;
- shuttle means for receiving a tested DIP discharged from said test track and for depositing it onto one of said DIP sorting tracks;
- and
- means responsive to a signal developed by said test means and operative to cause said shuttle means to deposit the test DIP onto a particular one of said DIP sorting tracks.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.