National Semiconductor Corporation

Roger H Doherty

Raymond A Roberts

Richard C Wood

Clarence A Smith

Apparatus (10) and method for solder finishing the leads of an integrated circuit package are applicable to 'flat packs' or flat packages having coplanar rows of leads (84) along sides of the flat package (75). First and second tracks (22,26) are formed with elongate first and second supporting surfaces (72,74) oriented with the first and second supporting surfaces at opposite first and second downwardly depending angles (.THETA.1,.THETA.2). First and second index edges (70) are formed along the respective first and second supporting surfaces of the first and second tracks (22,26) for retaining a flat package (75) at the respective opposite first and second downwardly depending angles. Vertical first and second falling columns of molten solder are established at first and second loci of solder finishing (16a,16b) defined by solder bridge sections (66,68) with the first and second falling columns (85) located on the lower sides of the respective first and second tracks (22,26). A conveyor line (44) formed with pushers (76) pushes the flat package on the respective first and second tracks (22,26) along first and second transport paths (25,28) with respective downwardly depending first and second rows of leads (84) passing through the respective first and second tilting mechanism (100) at the transfer end of the track section lifts the flat package from the first track (22), reorients the flat package from the first downwardly depending angle (.THETA.1) to the second downwardly depending angle (.THETA.2) and deposits the flat package (75) on the second track (26).

Solder finishing planar leaded flat package integrated circuit leads

A machine provides automated counting of integrated circuit (IC) parts packed in a shipping tube which may be, for example, an opaque shipping rail for translation of the rail along the track. An elongate support or track receives and holds a shipping rail. A first rail sensor positioned adjacent to the track senses the presence of a rail on the support track and generates a start count signal. A second rail sensor positioned along the track generates a stop count signal after the scanning of the rail by the sensors is completed. An IC parts sensor provided by an inductive proximity sensor is positioned adjacent to the track between the first and second rail sensors and senses the presence of IC parts contained in the shipping rail. A roller drive translates the shipping rail and the sensors relative to each other for scanning of the rail by the sensors. The parts sensor generates parts counting signals from the start count signal to the stop count signal. A computer processor processes the parts counting signals, calculates the number of IC parts in a rail, and accumulates and displays the count of rails and parts.

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Portland, ME, United States of America

Roger H Doherty