System for handling electrical components having slender columnar leads

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM HAVING MEANS AT AN OPERATING STATION FOR SEQUENTIALLY RECEIVING ORIENTED COMPONENTS WITH A PLURALITY OF LONG THIN LEADS EXTENDING THEREFROM TO LOAD THEM INDIVIDUALLY INTO A PERFORATED CARRIER, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A CLAMP FOR ENGAGING EACH COMPONENT WITH SAID LEADS EXTENDING THEREFROM, (B) MEANS FOR CONFINING SAID LEADS IN A LIMITED ZONE NEAR THE ENDS OF SAID LEADS OPPOSITE SAID COMPONENT, (C) A FIRST COMB MOVABLE INTO SAID STATION HAVING A PLURALITY OF TEETH WHOSE SURFACE ADJACENT SAID COMPONENT CONFORMS WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID COMPONENT FROM WHICH SAID LEADS EMERGE AND WHOSE LEADING EDGES ARE BEVELED TO POINTS AT SAID SURFACE FOR THREADING SAID LEADS BETWEEN SAID TEETH, (D) A SECOND COMB HAVING A BLADE POSITIONED FOR REGISTRATION WITH EACH SLOT IN SAID FIRST COMB AND HAVING STRUCTURE SUPPORTING THE BLADES BEVELED AWAY FROM SAID SURFACE AND TOWARD SAID FIRST COMB FOR FORCING ONE LEAD INTO EACH SAID SLOT TO STRAIGHTEN EACH LEAD, (E) MEANS FOR INDEXING ONE SAID CARRIER WITH PERFORATIONS THEREIN ALIGNED WITH POINTS OF EMERGENCE OF SAID LEADS FROM SAID COMPONENT, (F) MEANS FOR MOVING THE COMBS TOWARD SAID CARRIER, (G) MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CLAMP TOWARD SAID CARRIER TO INSERT SAID LEADS INTO THE ALIGNED PERFORATIONS, AND (H) MEANS TO RETRACT SAID CLAMP AND SAID COMBS.