US 5,209,047 AGranted

Tube loader for integrated circuit parts

AssigneeVLSI Technology, Inc.

InventorDavid Olson

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Abstract

Integrated circuit parts to be loaded are guided down an inclined ramp in a guideway for gravity feeding into a storage and transport tube. A tube holder member is attached to the bottom of the ramp; and it has an aperture through it for receiving a tube to be loaded. A blocking device, in the form of a lever arm, is attached to the tube holder member, and extends into the guideway through which the integrated circuit devices travel. When a tube is inserted into the tube holder member, a projection on the lever arm is engaged by the end of the tube to move the lever arm out of engagement with the guideway or any integrated circuit parts in it. When the tube is full of parts, it is removed from the tube holder member and the lever arm drops into place to either rest on the top of the next integrated circuit part in line or to fall into the guideway to prevent further movement of parts into the tube holder member.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A tube loader for facilitating the loading of integrated circuit devices into a storage and transport tube including in combination:

an inclined ramp with an upper end and a lower end and having a guideway for gravity feeding integrated circuit devices from the upper end of said ramp to the lower end thereof;
a tube holder member attached to the lower end of said inclined ramp and having a tube-receiving aperture therein in alignment with the guideway on said ramp;
blocking means on said tube holder member for preventing integrated circuit devices from moving into the tube-receiving aperture of said tube holder member when no storage and transport tube is located therein;
and
means responsive to the presence of a storage and transport tube in the tube receiving aperture of said tube holder member for releasing said blocking means to permit integrated circuit devices to move from said ramp into a storage and transport tube located in the tube-receiving aperture of said tube holder member.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.