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US 4,481,984 AGranted
Electronic component lead straightening device and method
AssigneeAmerican Tech Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorFrank V. Linker
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAmerican Tech Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorFrank V. Linker
Estimating the term…
An electronic component lead straightening device and method for conditioning, or reconditioning, electronic devices having an elongated body portion of possible different sizes and materials, and a plurality of metal leads extending from opposite edges of the body portion. The leads, for appropriate use of the electronic component in a circuit, such as a printed circuit on a mounting board, requires their disposition at a preferred predetermined angle to the body, and in substantial parallel mutual relationship, one to another. The present apparatus and method include an elongated generally upward angularly disposed elevated trackway, and a lead spreader and lead aligning work station, positioned on the trackway, compound work means in the station operable on an electronic component positioned in the station, with leads on opposite side edges of the body, to initially spread the leads to a predetermined appropriate angle with respect to the body, then untangle and remove overlapping of leads, if necessary, and subsequently the leads are oriented into substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other. Subsequent to the untangling or orienting and aligning steps, and in the same station, the leads can be, if desired, subjected to an oscillating movement of a nature to reduce elastic memory of the metal in the leads to ensure continued appropriate positionment thereof.
Mechanism for aligning leads of electronic devices having a body portion and a plurality of leads extending from the body portion comprising at least one separator blade having a series of spaced alternating lands and grooves oriented to receive the leads of the device arranged and oriented in a pattern corresponding generally to the desired pattern and orientation of the leads in a conditioned device, a head assembly cooperatively associated with said separator blade comprising a floating blade having a series of teeth adapted to initially engage between adjacent leads of the device to orient the same in general relation to the grooves in the separator blade upon relative movement of said separator blade and head assembly, and a wiper blade having means operable for engaging the leads in the grooves of the separator plate upon said relative movement.
An electronic component lead straightening device for conditioning electronic devices having an elongated body portion and a plurality of leads extending from opposite edges of the body portion, said leads including a relatively thin connecting bridge extending in the plane of the body and outwardly therefrom, a depending lead leg attached to the outer end of said connecting bridge and depending downwardly therefrom, said leg having a flat shoulder adjacent said connecting bridge and wider than said connecting bridge and a terminal end portion thinner than said flat shoulder, said leads being subject to bending primarily in the length of said connecting bridge, wherein the leads are to be disposed at a predetermined angle outwardly from the longitudinal center line of the body, and substantially parallel to one another, comprising lead component support means to support an electronic device in a work station, work means in said work station, said work means including a compound head assembly, said head assembly including means operable to sequentially initially spread said leads outwardly from said body to a predetermined angle to said body, secondly to untangle overlapped and tangled ones of said leads if necessary and generally align said leads into parallel relationship with one another by engagement of movable toothed lead orienting means between adjacent ones of said leads in proximity to the upper edges of the said flat shoulder portions and below said connecting bridge, subsequently orient said leads in respective common planes on opposite sides of said body and in substantial parallel relation to one another, said lead spreading means comprising a set of opposed separator blades having grooves in the active faces thereof adapted for engaging said leads, said separator blades being respectively simultaneously movable outward to angularly spread said leads to said predetermined angle, said general lead aligning means comprising a floating toothed wiper blade extending initially out from said head and the teeth being engageable between adjacent said leads, and subsequently being retractable within said head, and further including a fixed toothed wiper blade extendable into engaging position with said generally aligned leads and operable to force said leads into appropriate corresponding grooves in said separator blades for final orientation of said leads.
A method of aligning leads of electronic devices having a body portion and a plurality of leads extending from the body portion, and consisting of the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.