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. 21, 1993
Filed:
Apr. 02, 1992
Leo V Schuppert, Jr, York, PA (US);
Kerry J Stakem, Hummelstown, PA (US);
The Whitaker Corporation, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for feeding electronic components from a tube magazine to a pick up station comprises first and second column assemblies which support the tube magazines in a horizontal attitude. One tube is supported in a feeding position and the components are fed therefrom by a flexible tape. After the one tube has been emptied, it is dropped onto an endless belt conveyer which carries the empty tube axially from the apparatus. Automatic tube supports are disclosed for supporting an inventory of filled tubes and for delivering a filled tube to the feeding position after an empty tube has been ejected. The apparatus is relatively narrow so that a plurality of identical apparatus can be placed side by side against each other on a production line.