Electrode tip loading method and apparatus
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsGlenn Kuenzler, Martin N. Hassink
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for singulating and delivering wire leads as part of an electrode welding process in lamp production. Leads in bulk form are transported by a feeder. The leads are dropped from the feeder and passively caught in a desired orientation within a rotational turret. The turret delivers the leads to an exit point. The leads are processed at the exit point by pick-and-place equipment.
Claims16
An apparatus for singulating and delivering lamp electrodes for use in a lamp production process, comprising:
- a) an electrode feeder, supplied by a bulk containment feeder, for feeding lamp electrodes to a feeder exit;
- b) a fixture defining an upper surface having a generally apex shape, said upper surface having machined therein holes to catch some of the electrodes as they fall from the electrode feeder exit;
- c) a vibrating catch tray mounted under the fixture having a return path to the bulk containment feeder;
- and
- d) a driving mechanism, attached to the fixture for delivering electrodes to a location removed from the electrode feeder exit.
A method of catching elongated lamp electrodes moving along a travel path comprising the steps of:
- a) moving electrodes from a bulk source via a feeder;
- b) dropping the electrodes onto a surface of a fixture,
- c) providing holes in said surface to catch some of the electrodes depending on their orientation when they reach said surface;
- d) containing electrodes not caught within the holes in said surface, wherein said electrodes are contained by a vibrating catch tray;
- and
- e) moving the surface to another position to allow the electrodes caught within the holes to be individually removed from the fixture.
A method of catching elongated lamp electrodes moving along a travel path comprising the steps of:
- a) moving electrodes from a bulk source via a feeder;
- b) dropping the electrodes onto a surface of a fixture;
- c) providing holes in said surface to catch some of the electrodes depending on their orientation when they reach said surface, and
- d) moving the surface to another position to allow the electrodes caught within the holes to be individually removed from the fixture;
- e) wherein the surface comprises a ring and the step of moving the surface is performed by rotating the ring so that electrodes caught as they fall onto the fixture move in a generally circular path to an electrode removal station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.