The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 01, 1992
Filed:
Sep. 18, 1991
Steven T Merkt, New Cumberland, PA (US);
Richard L Schaeffer, Jr, Carlisle, PA (US);
Dale E Stough, Jr, Red Lion, PA (US);
AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, PA (US);
Abstract
Feeding apparatus for feeding articles, such as electrical devices, from a tube magazine comprises a frame for supporting the tube with a first end of the tube adjacent to a delivery station. The articles are fed by a flexible feeding member which has a first feeding member and located, at the beginning of an operating cycle, adjacent to the second end of the tube. The feeding member extends away from the second end and then in the reverse direction back towards the first end of the tube. The feeding member is moved through the tube by an actuator which comprises a resilient flexible tape or band. The actuator has a coiled portion adjacent to the second tube end and an end portion which extends from the coiled portion towards the first tube end. The end portion is secured to the trailing end of the feeding member. When the end portion of the actuator is retracted towards the coiled portion, the feeder is moved along its length and its leading end moved through the tube magazine thereby to push the articles from the tube to the delivery station.