Abstract: A transfer mechanism for withdrawing an object from the bottom of a stack of such objects in a first magazine and for inserting said object at the bottom of a stack of such objects in a second magazine. The magazines are removably mounted on bases positioned with respect to each other so that the openings in the magazines through which an object is removed from one and inserted into the other are essentially opposite one another and are spaced apart less than the corresponding dimension of an object. An extractor removes the bottommost fixture from the first magazine and inserts that object into the second magazine. Cam surfaces which project into the second magazine cause the stack of such objects therein to clear the opening in the second magazine and cause the object being loaded to move the stack of such objects upwardly with the most recently inserted object at the bottom of the stack.

Abstract: A sequencer for assembling into a transferee magazine predetermined numbers of fixtures from a predetermined plurality of transferor magazines, each of which transferor magazines is adapted to hold a plurality of fixtures. Each of the fixtures stacked in a transferor magazine holds an integrated circuit (IC) chip of the same type. The transferor magazines are removably mounted on transferor bases mounted on a support member. Positoning means are also mounted on the support member and a transferee magazine is removably mounted on a transferee base secured to the positioning means. A transfer mechanism is mounted on the positioning means to transfer a fixture from a transferor magazine to the transferee magazine when the transferee magazine is in fixture transfer position with respect to a transferor magazine.

Abstract: A magazine into which a plurality of fixtures holding integrated circuit chips can be inserted serially by a machine and from which the fixtures can be removed serially by a machine. The fixtures are loaded through an opening in the bottom of the magazine and are removed from the magazine through the same opening. The magazine provides protection to the fixtures and chips held by the fixtures during storage and handling encountered in the typical manufacturing environment for electronic systems. The magazine facilitates automating the processes of accumulating fixtures holding integrated circuits of a given type and of assembling in one magazine the desired number of fixtures holding integrated circuit chips of the appropriate types preparatory to mounting the chips on a multilayer substrate.