Article assembly apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FORMING A J BEND CONDUCTING ELEMENG FROM A LENGTH OF STRIP MATERIAL AND ASSEMBLING SAME WITH A TRANSISTOR HEADER, WHICH COMPRISES: MEANS FOR FORMING AN ARCUATELY SHAPED BEND IN THE LEADING END OF THE STRIP MATERIAL; MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY ADVANCING THE FORMED STRIP MATERIAL; A POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR RECEIVING AND GRASPING THE ADVANCED STRIP MATERIAL A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM THE ARCURATELY SHAPED BEND; A CUTTING UNIT DISPOSED BETWEEN THE FORMING MEANS AND POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR CUTTING THE STRIP MATERIAL A PREDETERMINED LENGTH FROM THE ARCURATELY SHAPED BEND TO FORM AND FREE A J BEND ELEMENT GRASPEDLY HELD BY THE POSITIONING MECHANISM; MEANS FOR MOVING THE POSITIONING MECHANISM TO A FIXED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HEADER SO THAT THE RESPECTIVE BENT END AND FREE END OF THE J BEND ELEMENT CONTACT SAID HEADER; AND WELDING MEANS RENDERED EFFECTIVE AFTER THE J BEND IS FREED AND MOVED INTO CONTACT WITH THE HEADER FOR JOINING SAID BENT END AND FREE END OF THE ELEMENT TO THE HEADER.