Apparatus for processing electronic components

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING AND POSITIVELY LOCATING A PLURALITY OF LEADS OF A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WHICH EXTEND IN THE SAME DIRECTION FROM A BODY PORTION THEREOF, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A PLURALITY OF MOVABLE STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED SEQUENTIALLY SO AS TO APPLY FORCE TO SUCCESSIVE PORTIONS OF EACH LEAD OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE IN A STEP-WISE FASHION BEGINNING NEAR THE BODY PORTION OF THE DEVICE AND PROGRESSING AWAY FROM THE BODY PORTION LENGTHWISE OF THE LEADS, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS FORMING AT LEAST TWO SERIES EACH COMPRISED OF A PLURALITY OF SAID MEMBERS ARRANGED SUCH THAT PAIRS OF SAID STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS ARE ADAPTED TO CLOSE ON SAID LEADS AND COMPRESS THE SAME, WITH EACH PAIR OF SAID STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS HAVING RELATIVELY THIN JAW-LIKE PORTIONS POSITIONED DIRECTLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER FOR ENGAGING LIMITED PORTIONS OF THE LEADS AND FOR POSITIONING THE LEADS WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, MEANS FOR PROVIDING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AT A WORK POSITION IN SAID APPARATUS IN WHICH THE LEADS OF THE DEVICE EXTEND BETWEEN SAID JAWLIKE PORTIONS OF SAID STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS FOR SUCCESSIVE ENGAGEMENT THEREBY, AND ACTUATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS PROVIDING SEQUENTIAL CLOSING OF SAID JAW-LIKE PORTIONS ON SAID LEADS BEGINNING WITH ACTUATION OF THE PAIR OF STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS CLOSEST TO THE PLACE WHERE THE BODY PORTION OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE IS POSITIONED IN OPERATION OF SAID APPARATUS AND CONTINUING WITH ACTUATION OF SUCCESSIVE PAIRS OF STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS, WHEREBY IN THE OPERATION OF SAID APPARATUS THE FIRST PAIR OF STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS SQUEEZES AND HOLDS A PORTION OF EACH LEAD NEAR THE BODY PORTION OF THE DEVICE THEREBY INSURING THAT THE LEADS ARE SUFFICIENTLY STRAIGHTENED THAT THE NEXT PAIR OF STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS CAN CLOSE AND FURTHER STRAIGHTEN THE LEADS WITH EACH SUCCESSIVE PAIR OF STRAIGHTENER MEMBERS POSITIONING AND HOLDING THE LEADS FOR THE NEXT PAIR OF MEMBERS UNTIL THE LEADS ARE FULLY STRAIGHTENED.