Centrifugal pre-tinning apparatus for printed circuit boards

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRE-TIMING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ENCLOSURE HAVI NG A WORK LOADING OPENING IN A SIDE WALL THEREOF; A SOLDER POT WITHIN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ENCLOSURE AND CONTAINING MOLTEN SOLDER; A JIG ARRANGED TO HAVE A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD MOUNTED THEREON; A SHAFT SECURED TO SAID JIG TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD; MOTOR MEANS OPERABLE TO ROTATE SAID SHAFT; SUPPORTING MEANS MOUNTING SAID SHAFT FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT BETWEEN A GENEALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION AND A VERTICAL POSITION IN WHICH SAID SHAFT IS SUBSTANTIALLY CENTERED WITH RESPECT TO SAID SOLDER POT; AND MEANS OPERABLE TO MOVE SAID SUPPORT MEANS BETWEEN A JIG LOADING POSITION, IN WHICH SAID SHAFT IS HORIZONTAL AND SAID JIG IS ADJACENT SAID WORK LOADING OPENING, A LOWER POSITION IN WHICH SAID SHAFT IS VERTICLE AND A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD ON SAID JIG IS DIPPED INTO THE MOLTEN SOLDER, AND AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION IN WHICH SAID SHAFT IS VERTICAL AND SAID PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD IS ABOVE SAID SOLDER POT; SAID MOTOR MEANS, WHEN SAID PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD IS DIPPED IN SAID MOLTEN SOLDER, ROTATING SAID SHAFT AT A RELATIVELY LOW SPEED AND, WHEN SAID SHAFT IS RAISED TO SAID INTERMEDIATE POSITION, ROTATING SAID SHAFT AT A HIGH ANGULAR VELOCITY TO FLING MOLTEN SOLDER FROM OPENINGS IN SAID CIRCUIT BOARD; SAID MOTOR MEANS BEING INEFFECTIVE TO ROTATE SAID SHAFT WHEN SAID LATTER IS IN THE HORIZONTAL POSITION.