Manipulator mechanisms
AssigneeThe Marconi Company Limited
InventorEric A. Blount
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A manipulator mechanism for handling small electronic components consists of a number of pairs of fingers, each pair being movable independently and being capable of being used for electrically testing the component. The mechanism can position the component accurately above its required location on a printed circuit board and movable push rods are used to insert the electrical leads of the component into their required positions.
Claims8
A manipulator mechanism including a plurality of pairs of fingers, both fingers of a given pair being capable of movement towards each other in a single plane relative to each other about a datum line lying in said plane, said single planes for all pairs of fingers being parallel to each other and the datum line of all pairs lying in the same plane which is perpendicular to said single planes, each pair of fingers being movable independently of at least some other pairs of fingers;
- and wherein said movement is produced by means of a pair of engaging wheels one of which drives the other so that rotation of one wheel in one direction produces an opposite rotation of the other wheel, with at least one finger being moved by the action of each wheel;
- and means for moving fingers of selected pairs towards each other under action of a common drive means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.