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:
Mar. 10, 1998
Filed:
May. 23, 1996
Kenneth Norman Saliba, Tewksbury, MA (US);
Joseph Leon Kaminski, III, Harrisburg, PA (US);
Richard Eugene Benner, Harrisburg, PA (US);
The Whitaker Corporation, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for assembling a multiple component article such as an optical fiber connector and inspecting assembled multiple component articles. The apparatus includes a fixture or nest for retaining an elongated body of the connector in a selected orientation. Stations of the apparatus are included for placing the elongated body in the fixture in a selected orientation, placing a biasing component on the elongated body, placing a coupling nut on the elongated body over the exposed end and abutting the biasing component, and applying a retaining component to an outside surface of the elongated body for retaining the biasing component between the elongated body and the coupling nut in a compressed state. The inspection system includes a fixture for retaining the multiple component article in a selected orientation in which a portion of the elongated body and a portion of the coupling nut are exposed for inspection. An emitter/detector is provided for identifying the presence of the elongated body and the coupling nut and indicating when the elongated body and coupling nut are properly assembled. Two emitter/detectors are positioned for acting on at least two sites relative to the multiple component article retained in the fixture.