Horizontal oscillatory feeder

Apparatus for feeding an object in a desired direction along a track extending along a track axis and mounted on a support element such that said track axis is substantially horizontal, comprising:

• means for constraining the track from moving except in directions along said axis, said means comprising a bearing for guiding the support element along said directions along said axis;
• means for oscillating said track in directions along said axis to achieve acceleration forces on said object which exceed the frictional force between the track and the object in said desired direction, said means for oscillating said track comprising a pneumatic cylinder arranged to drive the support element in said directions along said track axis and wherein said pneumatic cylinder comprises a piston which may be selectively extended and retracted, and means for repetitively extending and retracting said piston through an oscillation stroke;
• and
• wherein said means for oscillating said track comprises first oscillation means for repetitively oscillating said track in such a manner as to apply relative larger acceleration forces on said object in the direction of desired movement to move said object by a relatively large increment on each stroke cycle to relatively large increment qucikly move said object along said track during a large increment cycle mode, and second oscillating means for repetitively oscillating said track in such a manner as to apply relatively smaller acceleration forces on said object in the direction of desired movement which are smaller than said relatively large acceleration to move said object by a relatively smaller increment on each second oscillation cycle during a small increment oscillation cycle mode;
• thereby resulting in slippage of the object in relation to the track and feeding the object along the track in the desired direction.

Horizontal tube magazine feeder apparatus for feeding electrical components of different sizes from a plurality of tube magazines in a desired direction, comprising:

• magazine support means for supporting said plurality of tube magazines in a generally horizontal plane or planes;
• means for exciting said support means with horizontal excitation forces to move said tube magazines in an oscillatory fashion and achieve acceleration forces on said components in said desired direction which exceed the frictional forces tending to prevent sliding of the components within said magazines, thereby feeding said components in said desired direction;
• and
• means for constraining the movement of said magazine support means during said excitation by said exciting means so that said support means is permitted to move only along an axis extending along said desired direction.

Apparatus for feeding an object in a desired direction along a track extending along a track axis and mounted on a support element such that said track axis is substantially horizontal, comprising:

• means for constraining the track from moving except in directions along said axis, said constraining means comprising a bearing for guiding the support element along said directions along said axis;
• means for oscillating said track in directions along said axis to achieve acceleration forces on said object which exceed the frictional force between the track and the object in said desired direction when the direction of the track movement is reversed from movement in said desired direction to movement in the direction opposite to said desired direction;
• dampening means for abruptly stopping the movement of said support element in said desired direction, said means comprising a stop element secured to a stationary structure and disposed so that said support element runs into said stop element at the end of movement in said desired direction,
• thereby resulting in slippage of the object in relation to the track and feeding the object along the track in the desired direction.

A horizontal tube magazine feeder apparatus for feeding electrical components from one or more tube magazines in a desired direction, comprising:

• a magazine support plate disposed in a generally horizontal plane for supporting said one or more tube magazines;
• a base structure for supporting said support plate and exciting said plate with horizontal excitation forces, comprising:
• bearing means for preventing movement of said plate except along directions parallel to said desired direction, said bearing means comprising at least one bearing shaft mounted to said base structure along a direction parallel to said axis, and at least one bearing pillow block secured to a lower surface of said support plate and having an opening formed therein in which said shaft is received, wherein movement of said block along said shaft is permitted, and movement in directions not parallel to said bearing shaft is constrained, and
• exciting means for moving said plate along directions parallel to said one or more tube magazines in an oscillatory fashion and achieving acceleration forces on said component in said desired direction which exceed the frictional forces tending to prevent sliding of the component within said tube magazine, thereby feeding said components in said desired direction.