Package and dispensing system incorporating storage tubes for electrical connectors

A package for storing and dispensing a plurality of electrical components stored in a sliding end-to-end fashion in an array of laterally stacked tubes,

• said array of stacked tubes including a first tube with an open component receiving end through which components may be loaded or dispensed, a second tube adjacent the first tube with an open component receiving end adjacent the open end of the first tube, wherein outer walls of said array define two separate parallel planes, and
• a selectively removable cover for preventing components from being dispensed from the open ends of the tubes,
• the improvement comprising:
• said cover including an elongated U-shaped resilient end cap having a pair of leg portions biased inwardly toward each other joined by a bight portion with the bight portion being wider than the tubes and juxtaposed along said open end of the stacked array of tubes the leg portions frictionally and slidingly gripping the opposite outer walls of the array of stacked tubes covering the open ends thereof and maintaining the tubes in their lateral stacked array;
• whereby, when the end cap is slidably disengaged from the outer walls of one or more of the tubes in an array, those one or more tubes will be separated from the array and their open ends will be uncovered allowing the components within to be dispensed therefrom.

A system for dispensing a plurality of electrical components stored in a sliding end-to-end fashion in an array of laterally stacked tubes at a loading station,

• said array of laterally stacked tubes including a first tube with an open component receiving end through which components may be loaded or dispensed, a second tube adjacent the first tube with an open component receiving end adjacent the open end of the first tube, all of said tubes having opposite outer walls forming two separate parallel planes, and a selectively removable cover for preventing components from being dispensed from the open ends of the tubes,
• said system including a component dispensing apparatus for receiving said stacked tubes and dispensing said components, said apparatus having means for holding the first tube in a position adjacent the loading station, means for removing the cover to allow said first tube to be moved into said loading station and to allow components to be dispensed from the open end thereof while at the loading station, and means for releasing the first tube from the loading station after the components are dispensed therefrom and allowing the second tube to be positioned adjacent the loading station,
• the improvement comprising:
• said cover including an elongated, U-shaped resilient end cap slidingly engaging the outer walls of the array of stacked tubes to cover the open ends thereof;
• said means for removing the cover including complementary engaging means between said end cap and said dispensing apparatus such that, when the array of stacked tubes is moved toward the loading station, the first tube will slidingly disengage from said end cap and move toward a position where the open end of the first tube will be next to the loading station to allow dispensing of components therefrom while said end cap covers the open ends of the tubes remaining in said array.