Methods and apparatus for assembling permutations of elements into or onto articles

An apparatus for loading a predetermined array of pins into a bank of holes formed in an article, which comprises:

• a load station, an unload station, and an inspect station positioned therebetween;
• a fixture located at the unload station for holding an article;
• a carrier selectively movable relative to the station having an array of pin receiving holes corresponding to the bank of holes formed in the article;
• an elongated bar longitudinally extending between the load station and the unload station and slidably positioned beneath said carrier for supporting the pins in said carrier receiving holes;
• means proximate to the load station for feeding a succession of pins into a load position at the load station;
• means operatively associated with the plurality of work stations including a programmed controller for moving the carrier relative to the load position to receive in said receiving holes a predetermined array of pins from said feeding means;
• means located at the inspect station for sensing the array of pins loaded into the carrier to determine if the array of received pins is in accordance with the predetermined array and accordingly generating a control signal out of a plurality of different control signals, the controller operating said moving means (i) to advance the carrier to the unload station in response to a first control signal, or (ii) to return the carrier to the load station in response to a second control signal, or (iii) to shift the carrier out of the inspect station in response to a third control signal;
• and
• means located at the unload station rendered effective upon said carrier being moved to the unload station to overlay the fixture for transferring the array of pins from said carrier receiving holes into the bank of holes formed in an article held in said fixture.

An apparatus for assembling a predetermined permutation of plugs into an array of receiving holes formed in an article, which comprises:

• three successively located work stations including a load station, an inspect station and an insertion station;
• a carrier selectively movable relative to the work stations having an array of holes corresponding to the array of holes formed in the article;
• means at the load station for loading plugs into the carrier holes in accordance with the predetermined permutation;
• a support plate extending between the load station and the insertion station and located beneath the carrier for covering the bottoms of said carrier holes and supporting the plugs loaded thereinto during movement of the carrier relative to the work stations;
• means operatively associated with the carrier for moving the carrier along the plate to the inspect station and then to the insertion station;
• means at the inspect station for ascertaining that the loaded plugs in the carrier are in accordance with the predetermined permutation;
• means rendered effective by said ascertaining means for operating the moving means to advance the carrier to the insertion station to position the plugs in alignment with the holes in the article;
• and
• means operative upon advancement of the carrier into the insertion station for shifting the support plate relative to the carrier to drop the permutation of plugs into the holes formed in the article.

A method for inserting a predetermined permutation of plugs in an array of holes formed in an article, which comprises:

• loading a permutation of plugs in a transfer carrier, at a load station;
• moving the transfer carrier to an inspect station;
• ascertaining at the inspect station the permutation of plugs loaded in the transfer carrier;
• advancing the transfer carrier to an insert station only upon ascertaining the presence of the predetermined permutation of plugs;
• and
• inserting the permutation of plugs advanced to the insert station into the array of holes in an article positioned in the insert station.

A method of inserting a predetermined permutation of plugs in an array of holes formed in an article comprising the steps of:

• loading a permutation of plugs in a transfer carrier, at a load station;
• moving the transfer carrier to an inspection station;
• sensing the absence of plugs in the permutation at the inspection station;
• returning the transfer carrier to the load station upon sensing one or more missing plugs from the permutation;
• loading the transfer carrier with additional plugs in accordance with the sensing of the absence of plugs and returning the transfer carrier to the inspection station;
• advancing the transfer carrier to an insertion station only upon ascertaining the presence of the predetermined permutation of plugs;
• and
• inserting the permutation of plugs advanced to the insertion station into the array of holes in an article positioned in the insertion station.

A method of inserting a predetermined permutation of plugs in an array of holes formed in an article comprising the steps of:

• loading a permutation of plugs in a transfer carrier, at a load station;
• moving the transfer carrier to an inspection station;
• sensing the presence of plugs not arranged in accordance with the predetermined permutation;
• removing all the plugs from the transfer carrier;
• returning the transfer carrier to the load station upon removal of the plugs;
• loading a new permutation of plugs into the transfer carrier and returning the transfer carrier to the inspection station;
• advancing the transfer carrier to an insertion station only upon ascertaining the presence of the predetermined permutation of plugs;
• and
• inserting the permutation of plugs advanced to the insertion station into the array of holes in an article positioned in the insert station.