US3680762A — Automatic soldering apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 315 words

Automatic soldering apparatus, comprising endless carrying means moving in a given direction in a circuitous path in a horizontal plane; a plurality of carriers for removably carrying printed circuit boards with lead wires depending from one face, with said carriers being connected with said endless carrying means for movement therewith; track means supporting said carriers for movement in said horizontal plane and with said one face of circuit boards carried thereby being horizontally disposed and facing downwardly; a first series of successive flux-foaming, preheating, and solder bath units beneath said carriers, and being in flux-applying, preheating, and solderapplying relation, respectively, with said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers, of which said solder bath and fluxfoaming units are leading and trailing, respectively, in said given direction, and said solder bath unit having a nozzle and a continuous solder wave issuing therefrom and overflowing thereat, with said nozzle being spaced from said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers to clear depending lead wires thereon, and said overflowing solder wave having a sufficiently high crest to contact said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers; a lead wire cutting unit beneath said carriers and spaced from said solder bath unit in said given direction, and being in leadcutting relation with circuit boards on passing carriers; another series of second successive flux-foaming, preheating and solder bath units beneath said carriers, and being in flux-applying, preheating and solder-applying relation, respectively with said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers, with said other series of units being spaced from said lead wire cutting unit, and said second solder bath and flux-foaming Units being leading and trailing in said given direction, and said second solder bath unit being identical with that of said first series, except that said nozzle of said second solder bath is closer to said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 315 words

Automatic soldering apparatus, comprising endless carrying means moving in a given direction in a circuitous path in a horizontal plane; a plurality of carriers for removably carrying printed circuit boards with lead wires depending from one face, with said carriers being connected with said endless carrying means for movement therewith; track means supporting said carriers for movement in said horizontal plane and with said one face of circuit boards carried thereby being horizontally disposed and facing downwardly; a first series of successive flux-foaming, preheating, and solder bath units beneath said carriers, and being in flux-applying, preheating, and solderapplying relation, respectively, with said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers, of which said solder bath and fluxfoaming units are leading and trailing, respectively, in said given direction, and said solder bath unit having a nozzle and a continuous solder wave issuing therefrom and overflowing thereat, with said nozzle being spaced from said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers to clear depending lead wires thereon, and said overflowing solder wave having a sufficiently high crest to contact said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers; a lead wire cutting unit beneath said carriers and spaced from said solder bath unit in said given direction, and being in leadcutting relation with circuit boards on passing carriers; another series of second successive flux-foaming, preheating and solder bath units beneath said carriers, and being in flux-applying, preheating and solder-applying relation, respectively with said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers, with said other series of units being spaced from said lead wire cutting unit, and said second solder bath and flux-foaming Units being leading and trailing in said given direction, and said second solder bath unit being identical with that of said first series, except that said nozzle of said second solder bath is closer to said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 168 words

Automatic soldering apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of said flux-foaming units provides an outer vessel, an inner vessel in communication with said outer vessel and having a top nozzle below said one face of circuit boards on passing carriers, with said vessels holding a supply of flux liquid, a foamer immersed in flux liquid in said inner vessel, said foamer having a porous foaming tube, a pair of end caps supporting said foaming tube in said inner vessel, two air ducts extending in said foaming tube, the outer ends of said air ducts being closely fitted into said end caps, respectively, and the other ends thereof being threadedly connected, and an air pipe connected to one of said air ducts, with said air ducts having a large number of holes throughout their peripheries to equalize the air pressure in the space between the foaming tube and the air ducts therein and thereby bring about uniform flux foaming from the whole outer periphery of the foaming tube.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 52 words

Automatic soldering apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of said preheating units provides a casing, a sheathed heater, and a mounting bar carrying said heater, with said bar being hinged to said casing, whereby said heater is turnable from its operative position in said casing to the out-side of the casing.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-08-01	1976-01-31	1976-08-01	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-08-01	1980-01-31	1980-08-01	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-08-01	1984-01-31	1984-08-01	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Automatic soldering apparatus

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