Apparatus for accurately positioning components
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorJerrold S. Pine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hollow tube (3) supports a spring (5) coaxially positioned within the tube (3) and free to rotate within it. The tube (3) has a longitudinal slot (4) through which components (2) threaded onto the coils of the spring (5) hang down. A motor 6 rotates the spring (5) causing the components, constrained by the slot (4), to move longitudinally along the slot (4). When they reach the end of the slot (4), they are orientated by the end of the spring (5), which has been suitably shaped, to the correct orientation to be presented for automatic mounting on a printed circuit board.
Claims7
Apparatus for presenting components in a predetermined orientation, comprising:
- a hollow cylindrical member having a longitudinal slot therein;
- a helical member substantially coaxially positioned within said cylindrical member;
- and
- motor means for rotating said helical member to thereby move along said longitudinal slot components which are, in use, slidably mounted on said helical member so as to extend into said longitudinal slot whereby said components are presented at an end of said longitudinal slot in said predetermined orientation.
Apparatus for presenting components in a predetermined orientation comprising a frame for holding a plurality of cartridges, each cartridge comprising:
- a hollow cylindrical member having a longitudinal slot therein;
- and
- a helical member substantially coaxially positioned within said cylindrical member and having, in use, components slidably mounted thereon so as to extend into said longitudinal slot;
- there further being provided means for positioning each cartridge in turn in such a way as to present a component mounted on an end of said helical member in said predetermined orientation, and means for rotating said helical member so as to move components slidably mounted thereon to said end thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.