Automated welding systems and methods

An automated method of welding lead wires of first electrical components to lead wires of second electrical components, comprising:

• (a) mechanically positioning in sequence at a first predetermined position a plurality of said first electrical components of the type including:
• a body;
• a lower body portion extending from said body in a direction parallel to a first axis of said body, said lower body portion having a width in a direction parallel to a second axis of said body, and a thickness less than said width in a direction parallel to a third axis of said body, said first, second and third body axes being mutually perpendicular;
• and
• first and second lead wires extending from said lower body portion substantially parallel to said first body axis and spaced apart in a direction parallel to said second axis;
• said positioning step including the steps of:
• orienting each of said electrical components so that said first body axis thereof is vertical, with said lead wires extending downward from said body, and so that said second body axis is parallel to a predetermined horizontal line;
• and
• feeding said oriented electrical components to a predetermined location in space;
• said first predetermined position of said electrical components corresponding to a first position of an automated welding system and being defined by said predetermined location in space, said vertical orientation of said first body axes, and said orientation of said second body axes parallel to said predetermined horizontal line;
• (b) receiving said bodies of said first electrical components sequentially one at a time in a component holder means when said bodies are positioned at said predetermined position;
• (c) releasably holding each of said bodies of said first electrical components in said component holder means in a fixed position relative to said component holder means;
• (d) moving said component holder means, with each of said first electrical components held therein, from said first predetermined position to a subsequent predetermined position;
• and
• (e) welding a lead wire of one of said second electrical components to one of said lead wires of each of said first electrical components, while each of said first electrical components is held at said subsequent predetermined position by said component holder means.

An automated welding system, comprising:

• a frame;
• a lamp holder;
• indexing means, operably associated with said frame and said lamp holder, for moving said lamp holder in successive steps to a plurality of positions relative to said frame;
• positioning means for orienting a plurality of lamps, each of said lamps including a bulb with first and second lamp lead wires extending from one end thereof, so that said lamps may be received by said lamp holder, and for feeding said oriented lamps to a first one of said plurality of positions, said positioning means including a pair of rotating rollers arranged and constructed so that said bulb of each of said lamps is engaged by both of said rollers;
• actuating means for actuating said lamp holder, when said lamp holder is located at said first position, so that one of said lamps is received by said lamp holder from said positioning means;
• a welding means, located at a subsequent one of said plurality of positions, for welding a resistor lead wire of a resistor to one of said lamp lead wires of each of said lamps when said lamp holder is located at said subsequent position;
• and
• cutter means, located at an intermediate position of said automated welding system between said first position and said welding means, for cutting said one of said lamp lead wires to be welded to said resistor lead wire to a predetermined length.

An automated welding system, comprising:

• a frame;
• a component holder means;
• indexing means, operably associated with said frame and said component holder means, for moving said component holder means in successive steps to a plurality of positions relative to said frame;
• a plurality of initially randomly oriented first electrical components of the type including:
• a body;
• a lower body portion extending from said body in a direction parallel to a first axis of said body, said lower body portion having a width in a direction parallel to a second axis of said body, and a thickness less than said width in a direction parallel to a third axis of said body, said first, second and third body axes being mutually perpendicular;
• and
• first and second lead wires extending from said lower body portion substantially parallel to said first body axis and spaced apart in a direction parallel to said second axis;
• positioning means for mechanically positioning said plurality of first electrical components in sequence at a first one of said plurality of positions relative to said frame, said positioning means including:
• orienting means for orienting each of said first electrical components so that said first body axis thereof is vertical, with said lead wires extending downward from said body, and so that said second body axis is parallel to a predetermined horizontal line;
• and
• feeder means for feeding said oriented first electrical components to a predetermined location in space;
• wherein
• said first position of said first electrical components relative to said frame is defined by said predetermined location in space, said vertical orientation of said first body axes, and said orientation of said second body axes parallel to said predetermined horizontal line;
• and further including:
• actuating means for actuating said component holder means when said component holder means is located at said first position, so that one of said first components is received in said component holder means from said positioning means;
• and
• a welding means, located at a subsequent one of said plurality of positions, for welding a lead wire of a second electrical component to one of said lead wires of each of said first electrical components when said component holder means is located at said subsequent position.