US3822728A — Apparatus for flattening and trimming the leads o…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 258 words

In an apparatus for processing leads which are axially arranged on an electrical component wherein at least one substantially round wire lead is flattened to provide a determined thickness, said apparatus including: (a) a frame including a base for the apparatus; (b) means for feeding in a single file array and delivering to a receiving means carried by the frame a supply of axially arranged electrical components; (c) a transport means carried by the frame and adapted for receiving the delivered electrical components one at a time and with an intermittent motion carrying each component and its attached leads in a predetermined path; (d) a die pair carried by the frame, said die pair having opposed hammer and anvil surface members, the die pair while and when in an open condition disposed to receive an unflattened lead component moved between the opposed surfaces of the hammer and anvil, this lead retained there during a pause in the intermittent transport of the component; (e) means for supporting the anvil member and for moving the hammer surface member a determined distance toward the anvil member to flatten the lead therebetween to produce a selected lead thickness during this pause in the transport of the component; (f) means for opening the die pair to the open condition prior to moving the transport and component with its flattened lead so as to remove this lead from the die pair and further in its transport path for further operations, and (g) means for discharging the component with its processed leads from the apparatus.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 258 words

In an apparatus for processing leads which are axially arranged on an electrical component wherein at least one substantially round wire lead is flattened to provide a determined thickness, said apparatus including: (a) a frame including a base for the apparatus; (b) means for feeding in a single file array and delivering to a receiving means carried by the frame a supply of axially arranged electrical components; (c) a transport means carried by the frame and adapted for receiving the delivered electrical components one at a time and with an intermittent motion carrying each component and its attached leads in a predetermined path; (d) a die pair carried by the frame, said die pair having opposed hammer and anvil surface members, the die pair while and when in an open condition disposed to receive an unflattened lead component moved between the opposed surfaces of the hammer and anvil, this lead retained there during a pause in the intermittent transport of the component; (e) means for supporting the anvil member and for moving the hammer surface member a determined distance toward the anvil member to flatten the lead therebetween to produce a selected lead thickness during this pause in the transport of the component; (f) means for opening the die pair to the open condition prior to moving the transport and component with its flattened lead so as to remove this lead from the die pair and further in its transport path for further operations, and (g) means for discharging the component with its processed leads from the apparatus.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 75 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 1 in which the means for feeding the components in a single file array to the receiving means is a chute which is arranged in a sufficiently vertical condition to provide gravity flow of the components, said chute arranged to slidably engage and retain the wire leads and to slidably engage the ends of the body of the components as they are fed down the chute.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 88 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 1 in which the transport means includes two circular flange members carried on and rotated with an intermittently rotated shaft, the flanges spaced to slidably engage and retain each end of an electrical component fed thereto and with each flange having a plurality of equally spaced notches formed in its periphery, the notches of one flange aligned with the other flange and each notch sized so as to slidably engage and retain a wire lead of an electrical component.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 97 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 3 in which one flange is fixed to the shaft and the other flange is rotatably retained by a key and keyway on the shaft so as to be selectively slidable along the shaft to establish a different spacing between the flanges whereby a run of components having body lengths which although of like length are as a group of a length different than the prior run, this newly established spacing remaining for the length of run of components which have their ends slidably engaged by the flanges.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 77 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 4 in which the rotation of the flanged transport means is arranged to receive the electrical components from a gravity chute at a position which is prior to a top position and from this receiving position to transport Each component to a position whereat the component is substantially at the top of its rotative path and at this top position the flattening operation of the leads does occur.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 94 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 1 in which the die pair includes a base block which is adjustably carried on a support means carried by the frame, the base block carrying the anvil member; a die arm pivotally carried on and by the base block, the die arm having a hammer face which in a mounted condition is disposed opposite the anvil face and in which the means for moving the anvil face is an associated eccentric drive driven by a power means in timed relationship with the transport wheel.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 54 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 6 in which the die pair further includes a cutter bar which is pivotally carried on the base block, said cutter bar being actuated by an eccentric means and timewise immediately subsequent to the actuation imposed on the die arm to flatten the lead wire.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 53 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 7 in which the pivot means for both the cutter bar and the die arm is a bolt carried by the base block and in which a bias means is provided to urge the cutter bar and the die arm to the open condition.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 66 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 8 in which the bias means are two tension springs, one of which has one end attached to the cutter bar and the other end attached to means associated with the base block and the other spring has one end attached to the die arm and its other end attached to means associated with the base block.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 59 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 7 in which the anvil member is removably carried by the base block and has one face finished so that in a mounted condition it will cooperate with the cutter bar and its cutting edge to cut the flattened lead substantially at the outer end of the flattened lead area.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 39 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 6 in which there are two die pairs, each pair carried on rail means for selective adjustment to and from the outside of the flange with which it is associated.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 53 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 11 in which each die pair is attached to and carries a U-member which provides the means for supporting the anvil member, each U-member being positioned and adapted to engage the base and be supported thereby while and when the lead flattening operation occurs.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 60 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 12 in which the U-members include at least two screw jacks which are adjusted so as to be a few thousandths of an inch above the base until the lead flattening action occurs whereupon with the flattening pressure the screw jacks move to the base to support the die pair anvil.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 60 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 13 in which the adjustment of a die pair and the U-member which it carries is by a plurality of screw members carried by the frame and the die pair support, the screw members cooperatively connected so that simultaneous actuation of said screw members is provided by a selective control means.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 43 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 14 in the cooperative connection of the screws in a roller chain and sprocket system for each die pair and associated U-member which system includes a crank for manipulative positioning of the die pairs.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 39 words

Apparatus for processing axial electrical components as in claim 10 in which there is associated with the transport wheel a subsequent die pair which is actuated to perform a later lead processing operation prior to discharge from the apparatus.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-07-08	1978-01-07	1978-07-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-07-08	1982-01-07	1982-07-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-07-08	1986-01-07	1986-07-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus for flattening and trimming the leads of electrical components

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