Gravitational IC package transfer mechanism

An IC package transfer mechanism for transferring molded IC device packages to and from a flat tray with a large number of IC holder nests in an array on an upper side thereof and an IC magazine adapted to accommodate a large number of the IC packages in a row within a tubular housing to be turned into a tilted position in loading and unloading operations to let the IC packages slide into or out of the cylindrical housing automatically by gravity, said IC package transfer mechanism comprising:

• an IC package transfer block movably supported for displacement between a horizontal position and a tilted position, and internally provided with a slide channel with stopper means for holding one or a plural number of the IC packages in predetermined IC stop positions, said slide channel having an open entrance at an end to be turned into said tilted position and connected to an outlet end of a tubular IC magazine set in a similarly tilted position at a loading terminal for transferring the IC packages to said IC transfer block automatically by gravitational sliding movements of individual IC packages, along with top openings bored in a top wall over said IC stop positions to permit access to the IC packages in said slide channel from above by a handling means when said transfer block is in said horizontal position.