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US 5,176,289 AGranted
Direct vertical pin feeder
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDavid J. Klossner, Michael J. Yurko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a pin feeder for supplying contact pins in a high density interstitial pattern in a printed circuit carrier. The feeder apparatus eliminates the use of tubes, and features instead vertical vibration in combination with a honeycomb feeder plate configuration, thereby providing a process and apparatus for pin feeding with greatly improved reliability, reduced jamming and greater flexibility in its applications.
Claims6
A pin feeding apparatus including in combination:
- a. means for pin storage and supply;
- b. means for sensing the need for pins and initiating the supply of pins from the pin storage means;
- c. a supply box for receiving pins from the bulk container, vibrating the pins vertically and dropping the vertically vibrating pins into a pin feeder plate having honeycomb shaped through-holes;
- d. a pin feeder plate having honeycomb shaped through holes for maintaining the pins received from the supply box in a substantially vertical position and transferring them to a program plate;
- e. a program plate for receiving pins from the honeycomb pin feeder, determining the pattern in which pins will be transmitted, and transferring the pins to a shuttle plate;
- f. a restrictor for controlling transfer of pins between the program plate and a shuttle plate;
- g. a shuttle plate for receiving pins from the program plate, shifting to drop a full matrix of pins into the carrier and returning to receive additional pins from the program plate;
- and
- h. means for vertically vibrating pins as they move from parts a through g above.
6 more elements
A method for supplying pins to a carrier, comprising:
- a. sensing the need for pins;
- b. supplying pins to a supply box in response to the sensed need;
- c. providing that the pins be vibrated vertically;
- d. transferring pins from the supply box to a honeycomb pin feeder plate;
- e. positioning the pins to vertical in the honeycomb pin feeder plate;
- f. transferring the pins to a program plate;
- g. causing the pins to remain in the program plate by means of a restrictor plate;
- h. providing that the vertical vibration of the pins cease;
- i. transferring pins from the program plate to a shuttle plate;
- j. laterally transferring pins by means of a shuttle to a carrier;
- and
- k. providing that the vertical vibration of the pins be resumed to ensure pin drop.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.