Abstract: The present invention contemplates the use of a conveyor transporting circuit boards through a production line. At a point or stage in the production line where testing is to occur, the invention is employed to remove circuit boards from an input conveyor and transport them to a off line test assembly. Subsequent to testing, the invention is intended to selectively place the circuit boards on output conveyors in accordance with the results of testing, use an intelligent system, including a pick and place apparatus controlled to selectively retrieve boards from the input line and move them transversely to the line to a test site. The test site may include a staging conveyor for positioning the circuit boards received thereon on a bed-of-nails test station. Preferably, the pick and place apparatus will be able to move the boards to more than one test station, such that it may return to the input line and move another board while each board is being tested.

Abstract: A powered conveyor apparatus for conveying boards. When the boards are being conveyed, they rest on the molded wheels. The wheels remain static while the boards are being conveyed. When the boards are stopped on the conveyor (FIG. 2), the molded wheels rotate freely (See FIG. 2, Item No. 6) under the boards. This allows the conveyor to run while boards remain in a static position on the conveyor.