Amistar Corporation

Auto Splice Systems Inc.

Autosplice, Inc.

Jerome L Weber

Robert Martin Bogursky

George M Wohlhieter

Daniel C Finn

Peter V Bellantoni

David J Kole

Thomas Francis Gaasch

A novel feeder construction, and method of operation, for feeding components arranged in pockets in a carrier tape to a conventional pick-and-place machine. In a preferred embodiment, the carrier is fed in a line spaced laterally from the pickup location. The lead component when separated from the carrier must then be moved laterally to the pickup location. The invention includes a novel winder for the waste generated when the typical cover strip is removed from the carrier in order to remove its components. The invention also includes a vacuum nozzle construction that is capable of picking-up components such as pins and posts without altering the angular orientation of the component from the orientation it had while at the pickup location.

Automatic feeder for carrier-supported contacts

A novel feeder construction, and method of operation, that is easily interfaced to a variety of conventional pick-and-place machines and can readily and reliably feed components suspended from a carrier for pickup at a pickup location by the pick-and-place machine. In a preferred embodiment, the carrier with suspended components is fed in a line spaced laterally from the pickup location. The lead component when separated from the strip must then be moved laterally to the pickup location. By laterally spacing the carrier strip of components from the pickup location it is ensured that the feeder parts involved in separating the component from the carrier do not obstruct movement of the vacuum nozzle of the pick-and-place machine during the pickup operation and advancement of the carrier to present the next component.

Automatic feeder for strip-supported contacts

A label placement machine used for placing labels on articles, the label placement machine including a label supply having one or more labels, a label shuttle assembly capable of retrieving a label from the label supply and transporting the label from the label supply to a pickup zone and a label placement head retrieving the label from the label shuttle at the pickup zone and transporting the label from the pick up zone to the article to be labeled, the label placement head then attaching the label to the article while the label shuttle returns to the label supply to retrieve another label.

Label shuttle and clamp bar assembly for a label placement machine

A plurality of discrete SMT pins are carried in bandoleer fashion. Each SMT pin has a base formed on its underside with solder flux vapor venting channels and a shaft with a longitudinal axis connected to the base. A consecutive series of identical pin holding segments are arranged in side-by-side or end-to-end fashion to provide a flexible strip windable about a reel. The strip is continuously injection molded of plastic as a plurality of strings each made up of a predetermined number of part holding segments with a forward portion of each string, except for leading string of the strip, being molded over a trailing portion of a preceding string. Each pin holding segment has a receptacle formed by a pair of opposing resilient fingers for frictionally removably holding a shaft of a corresponding SMT pin so that the pin can be inserted and removed in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of its shaft. Each pin holding segment is configured as a substantially rectangular body spaced from and parallel to an adjacent pin holding segment. At least one shoulder of each body provides a drive surface for engagement by a drive member or sprocket of a feeder for advancing the strip in an automatic pick and place machine.

Continuous carrier to SMT pins

A belt drive tube feeder for use in a surface mount placement system (SMPS) reliably advances a sequence of parts fed from a tube at a determinable sequential rate to a pick location on a belt assembly that includes one or more intermittently driven endless belts. Intermittent movement of the belts moves the parts along a track past a foot to the pick location. One part at a time is advanced to the pick location, with its immediate adjacent neighbor being clamped by the foot prior to the part being picked.

Belt drive tube feeder for a surface mount placement system

A tape feeder for advancing a carrier tape with pockets containing parts in a surface mount placement system enhances the precision and reliability with which the tape is advanced and reduces the risk of loss of parts in uncovered pockets due to vibration by provision of a sprocket wheel to advance the tape, a reciprocating shutter to retain parts in uncovered pockets, and a retaining member disposed above an edge of the tape for contacting a portion of a top surface of the tape to retain the top surface portion in a plane when the tape is engaged by the sprocket wheel. The operation of the retaining member is assisted by a guide member including front and rear guides that contact the top surface of the tape and a support block that is pressed by a support spring against the bottom surface of a portion of tape between the front and rear guides. The operation of the tape feeder is adjusted to accommodate different pitches.

Growing community of inventors

Escondido, CA, United States of America

Jerome L Weber