Method and apparatus for straightening electronic components

Claim 2

Apparatus for reconditioning electronic devices having an elongated body portion and a plurality of leads extending from the opposite side edges of said body portion and disposed at a predetermined angle relative thereto comprising an elongated generally vertically oriented trackway, a spreader station having means for spreading outwardly any leads projecting inwardly relative to a predetermined plane through the longitudinal axis of said device and a forming station having means for aligning the leads on opposite side edges of said device in a row at a predetermined angle relative to said body portion and wherein the leads in each row are uniformly spaced relative to one another, said spreader and forming stations being located along said trackway whereby electronic devices are gravity fed through said stations.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spreader station includes a pair of cooperating spreader blades having terminal end portions smaller in combined width than the width of said trackway when the spreader blades are in a closed position thereby permitting the devices to straddle the trackway at the spreader station, and including means for actuating the spreader blades transversely relative to the trackway to affect displacement of the leads of a device outwardly.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including biasing means normally urging said spreader blades to a closed position.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including stop means operable in a first limit position to retain devices at the spreader and forming stations respectively during the spreading and forming operations and in a second limit position permit discharge of the devices from the stations.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said stop means includes an escapement pin operable between extended position in the path of devices on the trackway at the spreader station and a retracted position out of the path of devices on the trackway.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said stop means includes sensing means operable to cycle the escapement pin between said limit position.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a separator mechanism at said forming station comprising a pair of wiper blades having confronting serrated faces disposed on opposite sides of said trackway and adapted for reciprocating transverse movement and a pair of cooperating separator blades having a plurality of grooves with which the serrated heads of the wiper blades cooperate to align said leads.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 including biasing means normally urging said wiper blades outwardly and cam members engagable by said wiper blades during reciprocating actuation thereof thereby providing means for controlling the angular disposition of said leads during the forming operation.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 including control circuit means for affecting cyclic operation of said spreader and separating Mechanisms in a predetermined timed sequence.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of gates each having a guide bar segment overlying and aligned with said trackway and spaced therefrom thereby to confine and guide said devices for movement along said trackway through the apparatus.

Claim 14

Apparatus for reconditioning electronic devices having an elongated body portion and a plurality of leads extending from the opposite side edges of said body portion and disposed at a predetermined angle relative thereto comprising an elongated generally vertically oriented trackway, a spreader station disposed along said trackway having means for spreading outwardly any leads projecting inwardly relative to a predetermined plane through the longitudinal axis of said device, said spreader station including a pair of cooperating spreader blades having terminal end portions smaller in combined width than the width of said trackway when the spreader blades are in a closed position thereby permitting the devices to straddle the trackway at the spreader station, means for actuating the spreader blades transversely relative to the trackway to affect displacement of the leads of a device outwardly, and a forming station having means for aligning the leads on opposite side edges of said device in a row at a predetermined angle relative to said body portion and wherein the leads in each row are uniformly spaced relative to one another.

Claim 15

Apparatus for reconditioning electronic devices having an elongated body portion and a plurality of leads extending from the opposite side edges of said body portion and disposed at a predetermined angle relative thereto comprising an elongated generally vertically oriented trackway, a spreader station disposed along said trackway having means for spreading outwardly any leads projecting inwardly relative to a predetermined plane through the longitudinal axis of said device, said spreader station including a pair of cooperating spreader blades having terminal end portions smaller in combined width than the width of said trackway when the spreader blades are in a closed position thereby permitting the devices to straddle the trackway at the spreader station, means for actuating the spreader blades transversely relative to the trackway to affect displacement of the leads of a device outwardly, and a forming station having means for aligning the leads on opposite side edges of said device in a row at a predetermined angle relative to said body portion and wherein the leads in each row are uniformly spaced relative to one another.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 including biasing means normally urging said spreader blades to a closed position.

Claim 17

A separator mechanism for aligning the leads of electronic devices having a body portion and a plurality of leads extending from the body portion comprising at least a pair of separator blades mounted for displacement relative to one another in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the body portion, each blade having at least one groove in one face thereof and at least one pair of wiper blades having along one edge a plurality of serrations and means for actuating said wiper and separator blades relative to one another so that the wiper blades engage the leads adjacent the body portion and move downwardly toward the terminal ends, the wiper blade serrations cooperating with the grooves in said separator blades to align the leads of the electronic device when it is positioned so that its leads confront the grooves in said separator blades.

Claim 18

A separator mechanism for aligning the leads of electronic devices having a body portion and a plurality of leads extending from the body portion comprising at least a pair of separator blades mounted for displacement relative to one another in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the body portion, each blade having at least one groove in one face thereof and at least one pair of wiper blades having along one edge a plurality of serrations and means for actuating said wiper and separator blades relative to one another so that the wiper blades engage the leads adjacent the body portion and move downwardly toward the terminal ends, the wiper blade serrations cooperating with the grooves in said separator blades to align the leads of the electronic device when it is positioned so that its leads confront the grooves in said separator blades.

Claim 19

Separator mechanism as claimed in claim 14 including biasing means normally urging said wiper blades outwardly away from one another and cam means engagable by said wiper blades during reciprocating actuation thereof thereby providing means for controling the angular disposition of said leads during the forming operation.

Claim 20

The combination including a spreader mechanism and separator mechanism for aligning the leads of electronic devices having an elongated body portion and a plurality of leads extending from the opposite side edges of said body portion disposed at a predetermined angle relative thereto, said spreader mechanism including a pair of cooperating spreader blades having terminal end portions smaller in combined width than the width of said trackway when the spreader blades are in a closed position thereby permitting the devices to straddle the trackway at the spreader station, means for actuating the spreader blades transversely relative to the trackway to affect displacement of the leads of a device outwardly, said separator mechanism comprising at least a pair of separator blades mounted for displacement relative to one another in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the body portion, each blade having a plurality of grooves in one face thereof and at least one pair of wiper blades having along one edge a plurality of serrations and means for actuating said wiper and separator blades relative to one another so that the wiper blades engage the leads adjacent the body portion and move downwardly toward the terminal ends, the wiper blade serrations cooperating with the grooves in said separator blades to align the leads of the electronic device when it is positioned so that its leads confront the grooves in said separator blades.

Claim 21

The combination including a spreader mechanism and separator mechanism for aligning the leads of electronic devices having an elongated body portion and a plurality of leads extending from the opposite side edges of said body portion disposed at a predetermined angle relative thereto, said spreader mechanism including a pair of cooperating spreader blades having terminal end portions smaller in combined width than the width of said trackway when the spreader blades are in a closed position thereby permitting the devices to straddle the trackway at the spreader station, means for actuating the spreader blades transversely relative to the trackway to affect displacement of the leads of a device outwardly, said separator mechanism comprising at least a pair of separator blades mounted for displacement relative to one another in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the body portion, each blade having a plurality of grooves in one face thereof and at least one pair of wiper blades having along one edge a plurality of serrations and means for actuating said wiper and separator blades relative to one another so that the wiper blades engage the leads adjacent the body portion and move downwardly toward the terminal ends, the wiper blade serrations cooperating with the grooves in said separator blades to align the leads of the electronic device when it is positioned so that its leads confront the grooves in said separator blades.

Claim 22

Separator mechanism as claimed in claim 14 including biasing means normally maintaining said separator blades in a closed position and including cam means for displacing said separator blades to an open position.

Claim 23

Separator mechanism as claimed in claim 14 wherein the serrations of said wiper blades are disposed at an outwardly inclined angle and the grooves of said separator blades converge downwardly relative to a plane perpendicular to the plane of the body portion of the device.