Method and apparatus for inserting pins into a circuit board

Claim 2

Apparatus for sequentially inserting clusters of straight pins into a circuit board comprising, in combination: support means for supporting and moving a circuit board; insertion head means for sequentially inserting clusters of straight pins into the circuit board; loading means for sequentially loading clusters of straight pins into the insertion head means; and control means for controlling the moving of the support means and the circuit board, the loading of the pins into the insertion head, and the insertion of the clusters of pins from the insertion head into the circuit board.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the control means controls movement of the support means in response to movement of the loading means and the insertion head means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 in which the control means controls movement of the loading means in response to movement of the insertion head means.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the insertion head means includes: slotted means for receiving a cluster of straight pins from the loading means; means for pivoting the slotted means from the loading means to the circuit board; ram means for removing the cluster of straight pins from the slotted means and for inserting the pins into the circuit board.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 in which the slotted means includes a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of straight pins, said plurality comprising a cluster of pins, and biasing means for releasably biasing the pins into the slots.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 in which the ram means includes: a plurality of rods movably disposed in the plurality of slots in contact with the plurality of pins therein; a block connected to the rods for providing simultaneous movement of the rods; and a ram movable in response to the control means to move the block and the rods to insert the cluster of pins into the circuit board.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the loading means includes: a base plate; loading hopper means disposed on said base plate for receiving said storing clusters of straight pins; and pusher means disposed on said base plate for pushing a cluster of pins from the loading hopper into the insertion head means.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 7 in which the loading hopper means comprises: a bin housing; bin frame means pivotally secured to the bin housing and including a plurality of bins for receiving and storing the straight pins; a sloping bottom portion on the bin frame adjacent the base plate and terminating at a bottom edge on the base plate for pivoting the bin frame in response to urging of the pusher means as the pusher means contacts the sloping bottom portion of the bin frame while pushing a cluster of pins from the bin frame into the insertion head means.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8 in which the pusher means includes a pusher blade disposed and movable on the base plate beneatH the bin frame to push the cluster of pins and to pivot the bin frame.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9 in which the pusher means further includes: an actuator for moving the pusher blade in a first direction to push a cluster of pins from the bin hopper into the insertion head means and to pivot the bin frame on the bin housing, and for moving the pusher blade in a second direction away from the insertion head means and from beneath the bin frame.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10 in which the bin frame means includes: a plurality of bin laminations, each of which is substantially the width of a straight pin; a spacer between each of said plurality of bin laminations defining with the bin laminations a plurality of bins for receiving a plurality of straight pins in stacked parallel alignment.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 11 in which the loading hopper means includes spring means for biasing the bin frame against the base plate as the pusher blade moves from beneath the bin frame to urge a pin from each of said bins within the bin frame downwardly against the base plate, said pin from each of said bins comprising a cluster of pins.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 7 in which the loading means further includes: a support plate; a first bracket secured to said support plate; a second bracket secured to said supply plate; a bar adjustably secured to the support plate and extending between the first and second brackets; a plate secured to said bar; a third bracket secured to said plate for supporting the base plate; and screw means extending through said first and second brackets to said bar for positioning said bar on said support plate.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the support means comprises: a first drive unit for moving the circuit board in a first direction, said first drive unit including a pair of end braces, each of which includes a rack secured thereto, a first drive motor, a shaft coupled to and driven by said first drive motor, a pair of gears secured to and movable with said shaft and meshing with the racks secured to the end braces; a second drive unit for moving the circuit board in a second direction disposed on and movable with said first drive unit, said second drive unit including a table frame, a rack secured to said table frame, a second drive motor, a shaft coupled to and driven by said second drive motor, a gear secured to and movable with said shaft and meshing with the rack secured to the table frame; photo sensor means for said first and said second drive units coupled respectively to said first and said second drive motors for stopping said drive motors in response to a signal from said photo sensor means; and program means disposed adjacent the photo sensor means and movable with the drive units to provide a source for the signal from the photo sensor means in response to movement of the drive units.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 14 in which the support means further includes indexing means for manually aligning a drive unit and a circuit board thereon to receive a cluster of pins comprising, in combination: a grid index disposed on and movable with the drive unit, said grid index including a plurality of spaced apart parallel index lines, each of which corresponds to a row along which the circuit board may receive clusters of pins from the insertion head means; a disc secured to and rotatable with said shaft, said disc including circumferential periphery having a plurality of spaced apart index marks extending axially of said disc and said shaft circumferentially about the periphery of said disc, said index marks corresponding to incremental movements of said drive motor and shaft and of said drive unit; and an index pointer disposed adjacent said disc and said grid index for aligning the index lines on said grid index with the index marks on said disc to align the drive unit and circuit board.

Claim 17

THe apparatus of claim 1 in which the insertion head means includes: an insertion head for holding a cluster of pins; ram means movable for inserting the cluster of pins from the insertion head into the circuit board; guide housing means for aligning the insertion head with the circuit board; and means for pivoting the insertion head between the guide housing and the loading means.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 16 in which the means for pivoting the insertion head comprises: a trapeze harness secured to the insertion head and pivotally secured to the guide housing; an offset portion of said trapeze harness; and a trapeze strap extending from said ram means to said offset portion of the trapeze harness for pivoting said trapeze harness and the insertion head secured thereto in response to movement of the ram means.

Claim 19

Apparatus for positioning a moving table, comprising, in combination: programming means secured to and movable with said moving table; detector means for detecting the programming means and for providing an output signal in response to said programming means; a motor for moving said table in discrete increments in response to bursts of pulses; a pulse generator for providing bursts of pulses for driving said motor incrementally in response to each burst; and means for stopping the bursts of pulses from the pulse generator in response to the output signal from the detector means at the end of the burst of pulses in progress at the time of said output signal from the detector means.

Claim 20

Apparatus for positioning a moving table, comprising, in combination: programming means secured to and movable with said moving table; detector means for detecting the programming means and for providing an output signal in response to said programming means; a motor for moving said table in discrete increments in response to bursts of pulses; a pulse generator for providing bursts of pulses for driving said motor incrementally in response to each burst; and means for stopping the bursts of pulses from the pulse generator in response to the output signal from the detector means at the end of the burst of pulses in progress at the time of said output signal from the detector means.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 18 in which the programming means comprises a metal strip having a plurality of holes extending through said metal strip; and the detector means comprises a photosensor system including a light source and a photocell disposed adjacent the metal strip and the photocell provides an output signal in response to a hole in the metal strip.

Claim 22

In apparatus for inserting pins in a circuit board, said apparatus including a pin insertion head, a ram for moving said insertion head, a loader for loading pins into said insertion head, and a table for moving the circuit board, control means for sequentially controlling the ram, the loader, and the table, comprising, in combination: first circuit means for moving the ram in a down direction in response to movement of the loader in a forward direction; second circuit means for moving the ram in an up direction and for moving the loader in a back direction in response to movement of the ram in the down direction; third circuit means for moving the loader in a forward direction and for moving the table in response to movement of the loader in a back direction and movement of the ram in an up direction; and fourth circuit means for inhibiting the first circuit means while the table is moving.

Claim 23

In apparatus for inserting pins in a circuit board, said apparatus including a pin insertion head, a ram for moving said insertion head, a loader for loading pins into said insertion head, and a table for moving the circuit board, control means for sequentially controlling the ram, the loader, and the table, comprising, in combination: first circuit means for moving the ram in a down direction in response to movement of the loader in a forward direction; second circuit means for moving the ram in an up direction and for moving the loader in a back direction in response to movement of the ram in the down direction; third circuit means for moving the loader in a forward direction and for moving the table in response to movement of the loader in a back direction and movement of the ram in an up direction; and fourth circuit means for inhibiting the first circuit means while the table is moving.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 20 in which: the first circuit means comprises a loader in limit switch, a first control relay, and a first solenoid coil, and said first control relay is set by said loader in limit switch to provide power to the solenoid coil to move the ram in a down direction; the second circuit means comprises a ram down limit switch, a second control relay, a third control relay, a second solenoid coil, and a third solenoid coil, and the second control relay is set by said ram down limit switch and said second control relay sets the third control relay to provide power to the second solenoid coil to move the loader in a back direction and said second control relay also resets said first control relay to provide power to the third solenoid coil to move the ram in an up direction; the third circuit means comprises a loader back limit switch, a ram up limit switch, and a fourth solenoid coil, and said loader back limit switch resets the second control relay, and the third control relay is reset by the ram up limit switch in response to the resetting of the sEcond control relay, and power is provided to the fourth solenoid coil to move the loader in a forward direction in response to the resetting of the third control relay, and the table is moved in response to the resetting of the third control relay; and the fourth circuit means comprises means for grounding the first control relay to prevent the setting thereof while the table is moving.

Claim 25

Apparatus for reversing the direction of drive of a movable table, comprising, in combination: a drive motor for driving said table in a first direction and in a second direction, said motor including a first input terminal for driving the motor and the table in a first direction, and a second input terminal for driving the motor and the table in a second direction; means for providing output signals in response to desired reversals of direction of drive for the table; a control relay having a set state and a reset state; a first silicon controlled rectifier, having a conducting state and a nonconducting state and being switchable by an input signal to the conducting state to change the control relay to the set state; a second silicon controlled rectifier having a conducting state and a nonconducting state and being switchable by an input signal to the conducting state to change the control relay to the reset state; capacitor means disposed between the silicon controlled rectifiers to commutate either one of the silicon controlled rectifiers to change it to a nonconducting state in response to an input signal to the other of the silicon controlled rectifiers to change the state of the said other of the silicon controlled rectifiers to a conducting state; first input signal means to switch the first silicon controlled rectifier to a conducting state and to set the control relay in response to an output signal for a desired reversal of direction of drive and in response to the reset state of the control relay; means for providing an input to the first input terminal of the drive motor for driving the motor and the table in a first direction in response to the set state of the control relay; second input signal means to switch the second silicon controlled relay to a conducting state and to reset the control relay in response to another output signal for another reversal of direction of drive and in response to the set state of the control relay; and means for providing an input to the second input terminal of the drive motor for driving the motor and the table in a second direction in response to the reset state of the control relay.

Claim 26

Apparatus for reversing the direction of drive of a movable table, comprising, in combination: a drive motor for driving said table in a first direction and in a second direction, said motor including a first input terminal for driving the motor and the table in a first direction, and a second input terminal for driving the motor and the table in a second direction; means for providing output signals in response to desired reversals of direction of drive for the table; a control relay having a set state and a reset state; a first silicon controlled rectifier, having a conducting state and a nonconducting state and being switchable by an input signal to the conducting state to change the control relay to the set state; a second silicon controlled rectifier having a conducting state and a nonconducting state and being switchable by an input signal to the conducting state to change the control relay to the reset state; capacitor means disposed between the silicon controlled rectifiers to commutate either one of the silicon controlled rectifiers to change it to a nonconducting state in response to an input signal to the other of the silicon controlled rectifiers to change the state of the said other of the silicon controlled rectifiers to a conducting state; first input signal means to switch the first silicon controlled rectifier to a conducting state and to set the control relay in response to an output signal for a desired reversal of direction of drive and in response to the reset state of the control relay; means for providing an input to the first input terminal of the drive motor for driving the motor and the table in a first direction in response to the set state of the control relay; second input signal means to switch the second silicon controlled relay to a conducting state and to reset the control relay in response to another output signal for another reversal of direction of drive and in response to the set state of the control relay; and means for providing an input to the second input terminal of the drive motor for driving the motor and the table in a second direction in response to the reset state of the control relay.