Ball-assembly apparatus

Claim 1

WELDING APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE, A FIRST ELECTRODE EXTENDING UPWARD FROM THE BASE, A RECIPROCABLE PLATEN MOVABLE BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS, SAID PLATEN COMPRISING A BOWL HAVING A FIRST OPENING THROUGH THE BOTTOM THROUGH WHICH SAID FIRST ELECTRODE EXTENDS AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A MASS OF BALLS COVERING THE INNER END OF THE FIRST ELECTRODE WHEN THE PLATEN IS AT ITS UPPER LIMIT, SAID INNER END OF THE FIRST ELECTRODE BEING FORMED AS A SOCKET ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A SINGLE BALL, SAID PLATEN ALSO HAVING A GUIDE PASSAGE ADAPTED FOR MOVEMENT OF A CONDUCTIVE STRIP ACROSS THE BOWL, SAID PLATEN ALSO HAVING A SECOND OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PASSAGE, A SECOND ELECTRODE EXTENDING THROUGH THE SECOND OPENING, RECIPROCATING MEANS ADAPTED TO MOVE THE SECOND ELECTRODE AGAINST THE STRIP AND TO MOVE THE PLATEN DOWNWARD RELATIVE TO THE FIRST ELECTRODE A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO FREE THE END OF SAID FIRST ELECTRODE OF ALL BUT ONE BALL AND TO FORCE THE STRIP AGAINST THE LAST-NAMED BALL, AND ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID ELECTRODES ADAPTED TO BE COMPLETED WHEN A BALL AND THE STRIP ARE ENGAGED.