Automatic soldering machine

Claim 2

An automatic soldering machine comprising a. a reciprocating member capable of making an advance stroke and a return stroke upon which is mounted rotatably a solder wire supply reel, b. a supporting member for a soldering iron, a solder wire guide and a solder wire feed nozzle, said supporting member being suspended from said reciprocating member and adapted to make an advance stroke in the first half of the advance stroke of said reciprocating member and to make a return stroke in the last half of the return stroke of said reciprocating member, c. means for limiting the advance stroke of said supporting member, d. a solder wire feeding device mounted on said supporting member and adapted to be actuated in the last half of the advance stroke of said reciprocating member and in the last half of the return stroke of said reciprocating member, e. means for actuating said reciprocating member, said solder wire feeding device comprising an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder slidably fitted therein for reciprocal motIon by said reciprocating member, the solder wire being fed from said solder wire supply reel through said outer and inner cylinders of said solder wire feeding device, said solder wire guide and said solder feed nozzle, said solder wire feeding device further comprising solder wire clamping mechanisms located in the base portion of said outer cylinder and in said inner cylinder, each of said solder wire clamping mechanisms comprising clamping means which release the solder wire when the latter is moved in the feed direction relative to said outer and inner cylinders and which clamp the solder wire when the solder wire is moved in the direction opposite to said feed direction.

Claim 3

An automatic soldering machine set forth in claim 1 wherein a compression spring is loaded between said outer and inner cylinders; and each of said solder wire clamping mechanisms comprises a plurality of balls arranged so as to surround the solder wire, a hollow portion which has a conical surface, a retainer for retaining said plurality of balls in position, and a spring for pressing said plurality of balls against said conical surface of said hollow portion through said retainer.

Claim 4

An automatic soldering machine set forth in claim 1 comprising a soldering iron supported on said supporting member by adjusting pins extending from said supporting member, a soldering iron supporting member which is guided by said adjusting pins, and compression spring fitted over said adjusting pins between the heads thereof and said soldering iron supporting member.

Claim 5

An automatic soldering machine set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for limiting the advance stroke of said supporting member is adjustable in position so that the advance stroke of said supporting member may be varied.

Claim 6

An automatic soldering machine set forth in claim 1 wherein said solder wire guide is adjustable in position relative to said supporting member whereas said solder wire feed nozzle is adjustable in position relative to said solder wire guide.

Claim 7

An automatic soldering machine set forth in claim 1 comprising a soldering iron mounted on said supporting member, and means for forwardly or backwardly inclining said machine so that the angular positions of said solder wire feed nozzle and said soldering iron may be varied relative to the joints to be soldered.

Claim 8

An automatic soldering machine set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said ball retainers is provided with a plurality of radial grooves for receiving therein said plurality of balls.

Claim 9

An automatic soldering machine comprising a. a reciprocating member capable of making an advance stroke and a return stroke upon which is mounted a solder wire supply reel, b. a supporting member for supporting a soldering iron, a solder wire guide and a solder wire feed nozzle, said supporting member being suspended from said reciprocating member and adapted to make an advance stroke in the first half of the advance stroke of said reciprocating member and to make a return stroke in the last half of the return stroke of said reciprocating member, c. means for limiting the end of the advance stroke of said supporting member, d. a solder wire feeding device mounted upon said supporting member through a first compression spring and is actuated in the last half of the advance stroke and in the first half of the return of said reciprocating member, e. means for actuating said reciprocating member, said solder wire feeding devices comprising an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder which is slidably fitted into said outer cylinder for reciprocal motion by said reciprocating member, the solder wire passing along the axes of said inner and outer cylinders, said solder wire guide and said solder wire feed nozzle, said inner cylinder comprising a first solder wire clamping mechanism which is adapted to release the solder wire when the latter is moved in the feed direction relative to said inner cylinder and clamps the Solder wire when the latter is moved in the direction opposite to said feed direction, said outer cylinder further comprising second and third clamping mechanisms which are similar in construction and function to said first clamping mechanism and are located below said first clamping mechanism in the order named, said third clamping mechanism being reversed in direction relative to said second clamping mechanism and releasing the solder wire when the advance stroke of said outer cylinder is started while clamping the solder wire at a time closer to the end of the return stroke of said outer cylinder than said second clamping mechanism.

Claim 10

An automatic soldering machine comprising a. a reciprocating member capable of making an advance stroke and a return stroke upon which is mounted a solder wire supply reel, b. a supporting member for supporting a soldering iron, a solder wire guide and a solder wire feed nozzle, said supporting member being suspended from said reciprocating member and adapted to make an advance stroke in the first half of the advance stroke of said reciprocating member and to make a return stroke in the last half of the return stroke of said reciprocating member, c. means for limiting the end of the advance stroke of said supporting member, d. a solder wire feeding device mounted upon said supporting member through a first compression spring and is actuated in the last half of the advance stroke and in the first half of the return of said reciprocating member, e. means for actuating said reciprocating member, said solder wire feeding devices comprising an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder which is slidably fitted into said outer cylinder for reciprocal motion by said reciprocating member, the solder wire passing along the axes of said inner and outer cylinders, said solder wire guide and said solder wire feed nozzle, said inner cylinder comprising a first solder wire clamping mechanism which is adapted to release the solder wire when the latter is moved in the feed direction relative to said inner cylinder and clamps the Solder wire when the latter is moved in the direction opposite to said feed direction, said outer cylinder further comprising second and third clamping mechanisms which are similar in construction and function to said first clamping mechanism and are located below said first clamping mechanism in the order named, said third clamping mechanism being reversed in direction relative to said second clamping mechanism and releasing the solder wire when the advance stroke of said outer cylinder is started while clamping the solder wire at a time closer to the end of the return stroke of said outer cylinder than said second clamping mechanism.

Claim 11

An automatic soldering machine set forth in claim 8 wherein a second compression spring which is stronger than said first compression spring is loaded between said outer and inner cylinder.

Claim 12

An automatic soldering machine as set forth in claim 8 comprising a soldering iron mounted on said mounting means, and wherein the solder wire is further advanced when the feeding end of the solder wire and the tip of said soldering iron have approached the joints to be soldered.

Claim 13

An automatic soldering machine set forth in claim 8 wherein the feeding end of the solder wire is retracted away from the feeding end of said solder wire feed nozzle after the solder has been applied to the joints.