Sperry Corporation

Kenneth H Kirk

George A Fedde

Robert R Tarbuck

Juan M Gottschalk

An apparatus for maintaining electronic component pin alignment includes a support member having an adjacent lead shear, a stationary nest, a printed circuit board and a component feeder. A component in the component feeder includes a chip having a plurality of leads. The leads have a first end connected to the chip and a second free end. A movable lead guide engages the first end of the leads. A robot is mounted adjacent the support member for picking up the component from the component feeder, inserting the component into the stationary nest moving the component relative to the stationary nest for moving the lead guide from the first end of the leads toward the second free end of the leads, moving the component from the stationary nest to the shear for shearing the second free end of the leads, and moving the component from the shear to the printed circuit board and urging the leads into corresponding holes formed in the printed circuit board. The stationary nest includes a planar member having an elongated slot formed therein. The elongated slot has an open end, two side walls and an end wall. The robot moves the component into the elongated slot through the open end so that the side walls and the end wall are between the chip and the lead guide.

Apparatus for maintaining electronic component pin alignment

A programmable force assembler for robots includes a bi-directionally actuatable slide member. A microprocessor is programmable for controlling insertion force independent of the distance moved by the slide member. A position indicator transmits slide member distance signals and velocity information to the microprocessor. A pressure transducer is connected to the bi-directional actuator and is coupled to send signals to the microprocessor. A supply valve is connected to the bi-directional actuator and is coupled for receiving signals from the microprocessor in response to the pressure transducer signals.

Force assembler apparatus for robots

A scanning apparatus which periodically sweeps a beam of light across a printed circuit board along a plurality of sweep paths, includes a detector responsive to radiation from the printed circuit board as the board is swept by the beam of light. The detector is also responsive to first and second adjustment signals indicating whether a conductor portion or substrate portion of the board is being swept. An automatic level control is responsive to the first and second signals for providing level adjusted output signals via an adjustor coupled to the detector. The levels of the output signals form a ratio R substantially the same for all boards swept in the scanning apparatus.

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Harleysville, PA, United States of America

Kenneth H Kirk