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US3655041A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electronic component handler and tester

Assignee: INTEGRATED MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
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Filing: 1970-04-23
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Granted: 1972-04-11
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Expires: 1990-04-23
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Abstract

Abstract A machine to handle integrated circuits is disclosed wherein the circuits slide into slots in a wheel with the leads along side the wheel. Kelvin type contacts engage these leads and connect the integrated circuit to suitable testing circuits. The wheel then rotates a quarter turn to where the circuit is ejected into a storage tube if the testing circuits so indicate. If not the circuit falls out of the wheel during the next quarter turn into a reject bin.

Inventors

  • 👤 Alexander Baker
  • 👤 Eugene A Vosika

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 18:15
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07C; B07C5/00; B07C5/34; B07C5/344; G; G01; G01R; G01R1/00; G01R1/02; G01R1/06; G01R1/067; G01R1/06705; G01R31/00; G01R31/28; G01R31/2851; G01R31/2893; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S209/00; Y10S209/919

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 161 words
An integrated circuit handling and testing machine comprising in combination: a wheel having a plurality of integrated circuit accepting slots in the periphery thereof in which at least the portions of the wheel adjacent one side of the slots comprise insulating material, said wheel being disposed for rotation in a substantially vertical plane; feed means positioned generally above said wheel adapted to gravity feed said circuits into said slots; receiving means positioned generally beside and below said wheel; testing means adapted to connect test circuitry to the leads from said circuits, said testing means comprising contact arms which contact the leads of the circuits by pressing the leads against the insulating material with contact elements in said contact arms while the circuits are in said slots; selector means operable to eject integrated circuits from said slots into one of said receiving means beside the wheel upon receiving an appropriate signal from said testing means; and means for periodically rotating said wheel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 161 words
An integrated circuit handling and testing machine comprising in combination: a wheel having a plurality of integrated circuit accepting slots in the periphery thereof in which at least the portions of the wheel adjacent one side of the slots comprise insulating material, said wheel being disposed for rotation in a substantially vertical plane; feed means positioned generally above said wheel adapted to gravity feed said circuits into said slots; receiving means positioned generally beside and below said wheel; testing means adapted to connect test circuitry to the leads from said circuits, said testing means comprising contact arms which contact the leads of the circuits by pressing the leads against the insulating material with contact elements in said contact arms while the circuits are in said slots; selector means operable to eject integrated circuits from said slots into one of said receiving means beside the wheel upon receiving an appropriate signal from said testing means; and means for periodically rotating said wheel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 56 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said testing means further comprises electronic test circuitry connected to the contact elements in said contact arms, which test circuitry is operable to determine the condition of said integrated circuit and connected to the selector means so as to control which receiving means said selector ejects the circuit into.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 50 words
The apparatus of claim 2, in which said selector means comprises at least one spring driven member restrained by a first cam following means the rotation of the corresponding first cam allowing the spring driven member to periodically slide said circuits from said slots into one of said receiving means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 60 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said contact arms are positioned on each side of said wheel and pivoted into contact with the leads of the circuits by the action of a second cam following means, the rotation of the corresponding second cam operating to periodically pivot said contact arms in coordination with said periodic rotation of the said wheel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 53 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first and second cams are carried by a cam drive shaft which shaft is connected to a motor by means of electrically activated clutch means and wherein said means for periodically rotating the wheel comprises a geneva movement between said wheel and said cam drive shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 37 words
The apparatus of claim 5 in which said test circuitry controls said spring driven member by activating a blocking pin which pin, upon activation, is retracted so as not to restrain movement of said spring driven member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 94 words
The apparatus of claim 6 including a disk on said cam drive shaft, a pair of light sources adapted to shine through said disk, and a pair of light detectors adapted to receive light when passed by the disc, said detectors connected to said test circuitry, said disc having a pattern of light transmitting portions arranged to pass light to said detectors and thereby signal to the teSt circuitry the position of said cam drive shaft and therefore the appropriate times at which to begin and end the test and activate the selector means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 38 words
The apparatus of claim 7 including guide members adjacent the periphery of said wheel so as to prevent said circuits from leaving said slots at locations other than those corresponding to said feed means and said receiving means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 58 words
The apparatus of claim 8 in which said receiving means comprises an accept and a reject portion said accept portion receiving circuits slid from said slots by said spring driven member and said reject portion comprising a receiving bin generally beneath said wheel adapted to receive unaccepted components which slide into said bin under the influence of gravity.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 25 words
The apparatus of claim 9 including adjustable insert means in said slots adapted to vary the size of the slots to accommodate various sized circuits.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 22 words
The apparatus of claim 10 in which two contact elements in the contact arm engage each lead in the circuits being tested.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3073446A Cited
US3413553A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-04-11 1975-10-11 1976-04-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-04-11 1979-10-11 1980-04-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-04-11 1983-10-11 1984-04-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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