Abstract: An apparatus (10) for automatically feeding and measuring circular discs (12) includes a gauging station (15). The latter includes a pair of opposed capacitive displacement measuring probes (27 and 28). The probes are connected to a thickness measuring test set (66), adapted to provide a capacitance-derived measurement of the thickness of each advancing disc (12) at either one or a plurality of spaced measurement points (142) extending across the major surfaces thereof. Precise control must be maintained over the speed at which each disc is passed between the capacitive probes (27, 28) in a non-contacting manner. This is accomplished through the use of a controllably driven drive wheel (98), and a cooperative arcuate feed channel section (74), which includes an outer arcuate sidewall ramp insert (92).

Abstract: A thru-hole insertable terminal (10, 50, 60) includes an upper shank portion (12, 52, 66) preferably adapted for soldered securement to an end electrode (24) of a component (20), such as a capacitor. A lower shank portion (14, 54, 68) is dimensioned and adapted for minimal initial contact insertion into, and the temporary securement thereafter within, an oversized thru-hole (26, 58, 62) of a supporting substrate, such as a circuit board (28, 59, 64). At least one upwardly extending free-ended tab (32, 56, 72, 74) is formed in the lower terminal shank portion (14, 54, 68), and is oriented in the major plane thereof until after the insertion thereof within an associated substrate-formed thru-hole (26, 58, 62). Stop means (14b, 14c, 54b, 54c, 68b, 68c) also formed in the lower terminal shank portion is adapted to position the upper free end of the tab at an elevation preferably below the upper open end of a confining thru-hole.

Abstract: A component module (15, 70), adapted for piggyback mounting on an IC Dip (51,81), preferably incorporates a decoupling capacitor (18, 44, 74), with opposite end electrodes (23, 24), encapsulated within a molded housing (21, 72) of preferably parallelepiped configuration. The electrodes are uniquely connected to only two of preferably four rectangularly shaped terminals (26-29, 76-79) that project downwardly from different corners of the housing. The terminals, as well as an optional heat sink (61) are preferably formed out of a strip stock carrier (33). The two capacitor-connected terminals (27, 29 and 77, 79) are uniquely diagonally disposed and spaced, for a decoupling application, so as to respectively engage the battery and ground leads of a standard pin-out DIP (51, 81). The other two diagonally disposed component module terminals (26, 28 or 76, 78) are electrically isolated from the capacitor, being employed only to facilitate the mounting of the module on an associated DIP.

Abstract: A storage reel (10, 10') particularly adapted for winding bandoliered, axially leaded, tubular components thereon, such as capacitors (18), includes a core (12, 12') formed with a uniquely configured peripheral relief (32, 44, 46). The relief, in accordance with one preferred embodiment (32), has a concave base, and is dimensioned to accommodate the lower half body portions of a predetermined number of bandoliered, forward end capacitors (18), when wound as part of the first wrap of such components on the core, via a pair of laterally spaced lead-supporting tape carriers (26, 27). The relief is centrally located on the core so as to define on each side thereof a circumferentially displaced, lead-supporting peripheral core border region (12a or b).

Abstract: A fixture (31) is constructed of plastic for holding a stack of electrical components (10) that are to be sequentially picked off (77) from the bottom of the stack and fed to a component insertion machine. The fixture includes a receiver (32) having a passageway (47) into which projects shoulder(s) 68 for supporting a tube (14) of components. The components are held in the tube, during loading and unloading by a stylus-like tool (30) which fits within a tube slot (26). The tool is used to support and guide the components during movement of the components through the receiver passageway onto or from a removable support tab (57) without spillage or jamming of the components in the passageway.

Abstract: A time slot-controlling circuit (14, 14'), applicable for use with diverse types of keyboard-operated utilization devices or apparatus (18, 97, 98), such as in a pushbutton telephone (90), allows all (or pre-selected) keyboard-mounted key switches (24a-n, 24a'-h') to acquire a selected one of at least two different time slot-dependent operating states. This advantageously allows each key to initiate or control more than one work (or logic) function performed by an associated keyboard-operated utilization device or apparatus (18, 97, 98), as typically employed in a composite system or apparatus (10, 90). Such a two-state mode of operation is accomplished by each of two illustrative time slot-controlling circuit embodiments (14, 14') comprising a common time slot signal generator (21, 21'), which is responsively connected to a plurality of control signal generating channel selector circuits (22a-n, 22a'-h').

Abstract: A stationary shaft (17) is electrically connected to a roller (18) by a contactor (31) having a first section in the form of a wire loop (32) seated in a groove (32) and a second pointed section (36,37) seated within a conical recess (38) formed in the end face of the shaft and having an apex axially aligned with the axis of the shaft. An intervening section (34) is dimensioned to resiliently bias the pointed section (36,37) into firm engagement with the apex of the conical recess to make good electrical contact with a minimum degree of friction.

Abstract: A split reel (10), particularly adapted for temporarily storing a wound supply of elongated material, such as scrap wire, includes a cylindrical hub (12) having a first flange (14) fixedly secured to one end, and a second flange (16) releasably secured to the other end thereof. The releasable flange (16) is uniquely secured to the hub through the use of two identical quick-release locking mechanisms (21, 22) which are preferably mutually disposed relative to the axis of the reel (10). With reference to only representative locking mechanism (21), it includes two cooperatively engaging portions, one portion including a releasable flange-mounted cylindrical member (23) that is positioned and dimensioned to be telescopically received within a second portion, comprising a hub-mounted cylindrical member (24). The hub-mounted cylindrical member (24) is preferably formed with a pair of circumferentially spaced detent-receiving slots (33, 34) that communicate with an interior detent-receiving locking notch (38a or b).

Abstract: A hand-operated device 10 is disclosed for inserting or extracting the dual-in-line leads (14) of a circuit module (12), particularly of the type having a relatively fragile circuit-supporting substrate (18), into or out of respective lead-engaging through-holes of a circuit board (17), or a board-mounted socket. The device (10) comprises a pair of mutually disposed, longitudinally extending, and spring-biased gripping jaws (21, 22), interconnected by a spaced pair of guide rods (26, 27). Each guide rod is fixedly secured at one end within a bore (24a or b) of one jaw-supported boss (24), with the other end being slidably received within an aligned bore (29a or b) of an other jaw-supported boss (29) so as to allow precisely controlled, relative linear displacement of the jaws.

Abstract: A cable pulling eye assembly comprises a spike (16) having an auger thread (18), a coaxially mounted shell (36) and an eye (31) with a threaded opening (34), which is mounted on a threaded rear section of the spike. The eye is rotated by a power tool to advance the auger into a bundle of wires (11) of a sheathed cable (10). The shell is subsequently crimped to further force the wires into the flute defined by the auger thread. A pulling steel cable is attached to the eye to draw the cable between telephone poles or through an underground conduit.

Abstract: A thermocompression bonding apparatus (10), which is particularly adapted to bond an array of miniaturized electrical leads (36) to a corresponding array of respectively aligned pads (33) of a metallized circuit, supported on a substrate (31), includes a specially constructed and internally heated bonding thermode (12) that is uniquely pin-coupled at an upper surface midpoint portion thereof to the lower end of a single support rod (54). The latter is resiliently supported at its upper end, preferably through the use of a plurality of coaxially mounted Belleville washers (77), within an oversized central bore of a three-plate support assembly (14). The latter is, in turn, adapted to be secured to a reciprocally driven member, such as a multipost-mounted platen (16), of the composite apparatus.

Abstract: A high speed capacitance test set (10 or 60), comprised of a digital test circuit portion (11 or 11') and a multi-pulse train generating portion (12 or 12'), is adapted to make exceedingly rapid, repetitive capacitance measurements, such as required when winding roll-type capacitors to a precisely ascertained final value of capacitance, determined on-the-fly.

Abstract: Plate-like carriers (51) having box-receiving slots (54) formed along one edge and rack teeth (58) formed along an opposite edge are fed from a stack (52) and along a trackway (53) where a pair of cog devices (59 and 61) are cyclically operated on fast and slow cycles to engage the rack teeth and move the carriers along the trackway. Boxes (30) are fed into each advanced carrier slot, whereafter the boxes are moved to an encapsulant dispensing station (63). During each slow cycle of operation of the cog devices a metered charge of encapsulant is dispensed into each pair of adjacent boxes. At a subsequent station (67) a strip (68) of lead-attached capacitors (36) are loaded into all the boxes in a carrier. The assembled boxes and capacitors are stripped from the carrier and moved through an encapsulant curing oven (80).

Abstract: An extraction device (10) is adapted for removing a linear array of dual-in-line integrated circuit packages (12), referred to herein as DIPs, from a corresponding array of slotted receiving sockets (14), mounted on a test board (16), and for effecting the temporary magazine-storage of the extracted DIPs. The device comprises a composite elongated body member (21) formed with a forward wedge-shaped portion (23), of essentially T-shaped cross-section, an elongated rearward magazine-supporting portion (24) and a handle portion (27), the latter being located adjacent the rearwardmost end of the magazine-supporting portion (24), oriented downwardly and preferably being of pistol-grip configuration.

Abstract: A manually operated device (10) adapted to facilitate the removal of a solderless type flat cable connector (15) from the terminated end of a flat cable (19) and, more particularly, to effect the release and pivotal separation of a first connector housing section (17) from a mating second housing section (18) normally snap-lock-secured thereto. The device (10) comprises a pair of pivotally connected, plier-like gripping members (21, 22) that are, in turn, respectively pivotally connected, as well as cross-coupled, to a pair of fixture-supporting gripping jaws (28, 34). As interconnected, the jaws advantageously move in parallel relationship in clamping a third connector housing section (16), fixedly secured to the second housing section (18), between two mutually disposed jaw-supported nesting blocks (42, 44), one (42) being mounted to the associated jaw (28) in a spring-biased manner.

Abstract: An auxiliary socket assembly (25) includes an array of sockets (10 or 70) supported within a plastic block (21). Each socket (10 or 70) includes an outer conductive shell (12 or 72) having an upper tubular portion (13 or 73) within which a pre-formed solder insert (26 or 76) is confined and a lower portion formed into a male-type pin (14 or 74) with a selective plating of gold (16 or 74a) thereon. An aligned primary socket (46) which includes an upper female portion (56) and an insert (61) having gold-plated contacts (61a) releasably receives the male-type pin (14 or 74). The primary socket (46) also includes a lower pin portion (58) which is to be positioned within an aligned hole (63) in a circuit board (41) and soldered to a printed circuit (66) formed thereon.

Abstract: A pair of thermoplastic coated, paramagnetic metal sheets (26 and 27) are moved from a position within a first bus loop half (28) to a position within a second loop half (29) while a pair of electrodes (31 and 32) are cyclically moved to engage and weld a line of spots along the sheets. Constant current pulses are cyclically applied to the welding electrode (32) and through the loop halves (28 and 29) to the welding electrode (31). The current divides in the loop halves in proportion to the positionment of the metal sheets in the respective loop halves so that eddy current and hysteresis losses are held to constant minimum values. Auxiliary heaters (43 and 44) act to heat the electrodes to melt and displace the thermoplastic coating along the line of engaged spots prior to the cyclic application of the weld pulses.

Abstract: A sheet stock transfer apparatus (10) is adapted to successively extract the lowermost sheet (22) of a stack thereof, while initially releasably confined within an elevated magazine (23) at a dispensing station, and to thereafter invert each such extracted sheet while being transferred to, and subsequently precisely positioned within, an underlying workholder (26) of an associated indexably advanced turret (27), for example, at a receiving station. This sequence of operations is accomplished through the use of both a specially constructed rack (11) and a pinion assembly (12). The rack is formed with an intermediate section with teeth and two opposite end sections without teeth.

Abstract: A test circuit (15 or 65), comprised of a plurality of parallel-connected circuit modules (15.sub.o-n or 65.sub.o-n), in response to both control signals from an associated commercially available automated test set (12), and output data from a test set-accessed read/write memory (14) under test, continuously senses for the presence of valid "one" or "zero" outputs on the data bit lines of the memory throughout a test set-established time window test period. When the memory output from a given data bit line, as applied to only an associated one of the circuit modules, is determined, as normally expected, to be continuously valid during each successive time window test period, a "pass" RESULT signal is generated by that circuit module and continuously applied to the test circuit (12) for flagging at any time between termination of the time window and the end of a given test set-established memory read cycle. Conversely, should the output on any memory data bit line be determined to be invalid (i.e.

Abstract: A safety scaffold includes a platform (21) for supporting a workman while using jack hammer to remove encrustations (13) from a furnace wall (14). A pair of lanyards (29 and 31) are secured at first ends to a restraint worn by the workman, and at the opposite ends to a trolley (28) riding on a guide rail (27) so as to restrict movement of the workman toward an opening (23) in the platform. A duct system (24) is mounted beneath the platform (21) to exhaust fumes emanating from the furnace (11).