Metering and singulating apparatus for integrated circuits
AssigneeDaymarc Corporation
InventorNicholas J. Cedrone
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for metering and singulating electronic devices such as integrated circuits that are arrayed initially in a column. A support member positioned over one end of the column has a plurality of spaced apart coil springs that extend radially to engage a leading one of the devices. The support member rotates at a constant rate to carry one or more of the springs into engagement with the leading device, upon further rotation deflect the spring to store energy, and upon still further rotation, cause the spring or springs to snap back to their initial radial orientation thereby accelerating the leading device to separate it from the column.
Claims7
Apparatus for successively feeding and separating, at a controlled rate, electronic devices from a supply of said devices arrayed in a column, comprising,
- a support structure spaced closely from a feed end of said column,
- means for rotating the support structure at a controlled rate,
- a plurality of coil springs freely mounted on said support structure with a radial orientation and mutually spaced from one another,
- each of said coil springs being sufficiently long that as said support structure rotates it engages one of said devices, and with continued rotation deflects to resiliently store energy, and upon further rotation springs to its initial radial orientation thereby to accelerate said device, and
- said mutual spacing being such that (i) said coil springs do not interfere with said deflection of adjacent ones of said coil springs and (ii) successive ones of said devices are accelerated intermittently to produce a separation between said accelerated device and other of said devices remaining in said column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.