Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing groups of integrated circuit (IC) packages in a pattern and quantity corresponding to the pattern of unpopulated IC sockets on a printed circuit board. The apparatus includes a plurality of storage racks stacked one on top of another, with each rack corresponding to one row of socket positions on the unpopulated printed circuit board. Each storage rack includes a number of loaded IC dispenser magazines corresponding to the number of positions in that rack's corresponding row of socket positions which are to be populated with IC packages. The storage racks are normally supported at an acute angle which is less than that at which IC packages will slide down the dispenser magazines. The bottom storage rack includes a handle and it is pivotable at its lower end. When the assembler-operator pulls up on the handle, the storage racks are pivoted to an angle at which one component is dispensed from each dispenser magazine.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inserting solder preforms on selected circuit board back plane pins. A template, drilled with a pattern of holes corresponding to the pattern of back plane pins and counterbored in hole positions corresponding to back plane pins which are to receive solder preforms, is positioned at an acute angle and vibrated at low frequency. Solder preforms are placed at the upper end of the template and due to the vibration and angle the template is positioned at, slide down the surface of the template and are trapped in the counterbored holes. The preform loaded side of the template is aligned with the circuit board back plane and the two are clamped together, causing the selected back plane pins to pass through the corresponding solder preforms positioned in the template's counterbored holes. The clamping circuit board and template are rotated so the template is positioned above the circuit board.