Abstract: The present device is directed to a nozzle tip for the head of a pick and place device for arranging electronic components as desired on a substrate. The tip permits both first and second vacuum areas to be selectively generated, thus facilitating the pick-up of components of widely varying sizes and shapes with a single tip.

Abstract: A turret assembly is movable in X and Y and a turret of the assembly is rotatable to position a selected one of a plurality of spindles at a transfer station of the turret. The selected spindle is telescopic to pick a component from a supply point and to place the component at a placement point on a circuit board or the like. An assembly for squaring, centering, orienting, and/or testing a component being held by another spindle of the turret is actuated generally concurrently with extending of the selected spindle. Alternatively, the spindle at the transfer station may be retained in the retracted position during actuation of the squaring assembly. Much time is saved by loading components on the plurality of the spindles of the turret at one or more supply stations and then placing all of these components without the need for transferring back and forth between the supply and P.C. board.

Abstract: A top cover is peeled from a component supply tape by passing the cover around a guide surface and in a peeling direction generally reverse to the feeding direction of the supply tape while moving the guide surface in the peeling direction in order to minimize the tension necessary to accomplish the peeling.

Abstract: An adjustable width chain conveyor is disclosed. The conveyor includes angled supports having inclined slide portions on which the chain can slide inwardly or outwardly to accommodate variations in the effective width of products or to compensate for misalignment of conveyor components as the conveyor wears, beyond the tolerance permitted by the product support surface area. A cover is provided to prevent the chain from tipping off of the conveyor.

Abstract: A component supply tape is stepped to present each pocket at a component pick-up area, and a top cover of the tape is peeled back so that each pocket is opened in turn. A shutter is positioned over the pick-up area prior to tape movement so that the pocket is covered by the shutter as the top cover is peeled from the substrate. After each indexing step, the shutter is actuated to uncover the opened pocket which is situated at the pick-up area for retrieval by the vacuum nozzle of a pick-and-place head. By the improved method and apparatus of the instant invention, the pick and place head is provided with a finger for opening the shutter of the feeder while the vacuum nozzle is advanced along a normal to the pick-up surface of the component, so as to minimize the period of time that the component is uncovered.

Abstract: Presence, absence, and adequacy of length of component leads are detectable by engaging each lead with a corresponding interposer and monitoring the amount of displacement of each interposer or plunger in response to the lead. Each plunger is provided with an optic fiber for guiding and directing a light beam from a transmitter to a receiver of a sensor when a lead is missing or too short. The lead engaging portion of the plunger is interchangeable to accommodate different lengths of leads and heights of cut and clinch anvils. For DIP components, each half of the inventive device receives all of the leads on one side of the component, with an individual piston for each lead. Thus, mirror image devices may be used for oppositely spaced rows of leads of a DIP, with the spacing between the mirrored halves of the device being adjustable according to the center-to-center (CTC) spacing between leads on opposite sides of the component body.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for providing an auxiliary feedback of the position of a pick and place spindle during multi-image repositioning of the spindle at the inspection station, wherein the auxiliary feedback is sufficiently precise to meet lead inspection requirements which are not met by the existing encoder. The auxiliary feedback is achieved by attaching a mapping plate with very accurately spaced reference marks onto the pick and place head and by mounting a second sufficiently precise camera adjacent the inspection station so that at least one reference mark or fiducial of the mapping plate is always in the field of view of the second camera while the component is at the inspection station.

Abstract: The present invention involves a method and apparatus for sequencing leadless and leaded surface mountable components, feeding them directly from a sequencer to chip placement heads, and placing them at selected locations on a circuit board. The chip carriers of an endless chain conveyor carry each component of the sequence of components to a chip placement head. Direct supply from a sequencer having the chip carriers and a series of individual programmably controlled dispenser heads provides for quick and flexible variation of the input sequence without manual intervention. A plurality of the chip placement heads are mounted on a turret assembly to facilitate continuous unloading of the chip carriers and orienting, centering, and squaring of the components prior to placement on a circuit board.

Abstract: The invention involves non-contact sensing of a selected location on a substrate at which material is to be deposited, and positioning of a material depositing tip a preferred distance from this location on the substrate according to such sensing and in preparation for the depositing. Preferably, the tip is advanced to a preferred spacing between it and the substrate, without overshooting the spacing and without contacting the substrate, in preparation for depositing.

Abstract: Electronic components, such as resistors with bodies of different lengths and axially protruding leads, are fed along a feed path and between a pair of rotating members. Each rotating member has fingers that are flexed away from the feed path for reception of the component bodies between cooperating fingers of the rotating members, after which these fingers close onto the bodies to center them on the feed path.An opposed pair of the flexible fingers, one from each rotating member, retain each component in a centered condition along the feed path until corresponding leads of consecutive components are taped together at a subsequent taping station to form a ladder-like belt of components.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, solder masking material is pressurized by means of a fluid pump to approximately 250 psi and high speed valve is used to turn the flow on and off rapidly in order that small "shots" of fluid are propelled from a tip, through the air, to selected portions of a circuit board. The selected areas of the circuit board to be masked are situated oppositely from the tip , as by a XY positioning system for the tip and/or the circuit board. The drops of masking material, which form upon impinging of the shots onto the circuit board, may be varied in volume and diameter. Where needed, a continuous bead of masking material may be formed on the circuit board by spacing the dots sufficiently close together.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, the supply tape is stepped to present each pocket at a pick-up area for removal of a component. Each pocket is opened in turn during the indexing step that positions it at the pick-up area, and a shutter is moved over the pick-up area prior to tape movement so that the pocket is covered by a shutter during the tape movement and peeling of the cover from the substrate. After each indexing step, the shutter is moved away from the pick-up area in order to provide access to the component in the opened pocket.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for gripping DIP components automatically without the need for shutting down the machine to change the tooling assembly when handling components which differ in width. Two sets of fingers are provided, with one set inside the other, such that engagement of the inner pair with a wide component causes automatic retraction of them sufficiently for gripping of the component by the outer pair. In the absence of a component, the inner pair of fingers is automatically extended for subsequent component handling.

Abstract: The novel tester comprises jaws for orienting the component about a longitudinal axis of the tester in order to ensure proper positioning of the electrical connectors for engagement by test contacts of the tester. Each component usually has a mounting surface for engaging a dot of glue by which the component is held to the circuit board, and the novel tester provides means for generally preventing tilting of this mounting surface relative to longitudinal axis of the tester during testing.

Abstract: A compact spindle assembly for surface mounting and insertion of electrical components comprises a unitary casing in which electric rotary and linear displacement motors are housed in order to provide for actuation of a vacuum nozzle and easily interchangeable tool assemblies such that components may be picked from a supply, squared and/or centered during transfer to a placement station, and placed at a particular position on a circuit board or the like.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a depending pair of fingers may be caused to grip a component on an inside surface by spreading the fingers apart or to grip the outside surface of a component by closing the fingers upon the component, with the relative orientation of the gripping faces of the fingers depending upon sliding displacement of the tool posts supporting the fingers. The fingers are driven into positive engagement with the surface to be gripped, for both inside and outside gripping, via positive displacement and spreading of cam followers by a cam which, in turn, is displaced by a fluid cylinder. Alternatively, the fingers may be biased into engagement with the surface to be gripped, for both inside and outside gripping, with disengagement of the fingers being provided by positive displacement and spreading of the followers by the cam.

Abstract: A dispensing nozzle tip is advanced into engagement with the particular position of the circuit board to which material is to be applied, and a reactive force on the nozzle tip from the circuit board is sensed by variation in the output from a load cell such that an exact spacing may be provided between the nozzle tip and that portion of the surface to which material is to be dispensed. Having provided such spacing between the tip and surface, the flowable material is dispensed and a reactive force from the surface, via the flowable material, is sensed by the load cell arrangement to provide for metering of a dose of the flowable material. Such surface location and dispensed dosage sensing is performed for every dose of material to be applied.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for adapting a variable center distance electronic component insertion machine to form and insert the leads of components into particularly closed spaced mounting holes of a circuit board.

Abstract: A component is centered and oriented on a pick and place head by positive closing of pivotal fingers onto the component which is supported on a vacuum tube, and subsequent placement pressure is sensed and controlled. Rapid automated changing of component-engaging tips of the centering fingers is also provided.

Abstract: An eyelet is mountable to a circuit board by a snap-fit upon insertion into the circuit board from only one side. The eyelet has converging, flexible gripper legs between which a wire or electrical component lead may be inserted and retained in order to connect it mechanically to a conductive portion of the circuit board. More permanent attachment to the circuit board may be achieved by filling the eyelet with solder.