Method and apparatus for processing taped components

Claim 3

A method as recited in claim 1, which further includes the steps of: transferring the fed components, in their positions on the preselected center-to-center spacings, in a direction essentially perpendicular to the direction of advancement of the components along the linear path; and retaping portions of the cut leads remaining on the components, on the preselected center-to-center spacings, during said transferring of the components.

Claim 6

A method as recited in claim 3, which comprises the additional step of: retaping portions of the cut leads remaining on the components on the preselected center-to-center spacings.

Claim 7

A method as recited in claim 3, which further includes the steps of: transferring the fed components, in their positions on the preselected center-to-center spacings, in a direction essentially perpendicular to the direction of advancement of the components along the parallel linear paths; and retaping portions of the cut leads remaining on the components, on the preselected center-to-center spacings, during said transferring of the components.

Claim 8

A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of advancing the components includes: advancing the taped components along parallel linear paths on spacings not greater than twice the preselected center-to-center spacings into which the separated components are fed as the leads of the components are cut to length from the tapes.

Claim 11

A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the step of advancing the components includes: advancing the taped axial lead components along parallel linear paths on spacings not greater than twice the center-to-center spacings into which the components are fed for retaping.

Claim 12

Apparatus for processing taped components, wherein leads of the components are joined in spaced relationship by interconnecting tapes, which comprises: linearly reciprocable feed means for advancing the taped components along a preselected linear path; and means for cutting the leads of the taped components to length from the interconnecting tapes as the components are advanced along the preselected linear path, said lead cutting means being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means for movement therewith along the preselected linear path to engage and advance the leads of each component along the preselected linear path while simultaneously cutting the leads of the component to length.

Claim 13

Apparatus for processing taped components, wherein leads of the components are joined in spaced relationship by interconnecting tapes, which comprises: linearly reciprocable feed means for advancing the taped components along a preselected linear path; and means for cutting the leads of the taped components to length from the interconnecting tapes as the components are advanced along the preselected linear path, said lead cutting means being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means for movement therewith along the preselected linear path to engage and advance the leads of each component along the preselected linear path while simultaneously cutting the leads of the component to length.

Claim 14

Apparatus as recited in claim 9, which further comprises: opposed movable means spring biased toward one another for engaging and centering a body of each component therebetween with respect to said lead cutting means.

Claim 15

Apparatus as recited in claim 10, in which: said opposed movable means includes a pair of pivoted centering fingers, said fingers having intermeshed portions for causing pivoting of said fingers in unison and having guide portions biased toward one another to engage and center the body of each component with respect to said lead cutting means.

Claim 16

Apparatus as recited in claim 9, which further comprises: tape cutting means for cutting portions of the tapes which are secured to the leads of each component to separate the component from the remaining taped components; and means reciprocable with said linearly reciprocable feed means essentially in a plane extending parallel to and containing the preselected linear path, for operating said tape cutting means.

Claim 17

Apparatus as recited in claim 12, in which: said operating means includes means for causing said tape cutting means to cut the portions of the tapes which are secured to the leads of each component prior to the cutting of the leads of the component by said lead cutting means.

Claim 18

Apparatus as recited in claim 13, which further comprises: means mounted on said linearly reciprocable feed means and movable therewith for ejecting the cut portions of the tapes after the leads of the component have been cut by said lead cutting means.

Claim 19

Apparatus for processing taped axial lead components, which comprises: linearly reciprocable feed means for advancing the taped axial lead components along a preselected linear path; means for cutting the axial leads of the components to length from respective tapes as the components are advanced along the preselected linear path, said lead cutting means being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means for reciprocation therewith to engage and advance the leads of each component along the preselected linear path while simultaneously cutting the leads of the component length; linearly reciprocable fluid-operated drive means for reciprocating said feed means; said drive means, feed means and lead cutting means being located in essentially coplanar relationship within planar limits containing the linear path of advancement of the components; opposed movable means spring-biased toward one another for centering a body of each component therebetween with respect to said lead cutting means; tape cutting means located in essentially coplanar relationship with said drive means, said feed means and said lead cutting means for cutting portions of the tapes which are secured to the leads of each component to separate the component from the remaining taped components prior to the cutting of the leads of the component by said lead cutting means; and means for ejecting the cut portions of the tapes after the leads of each component have been cut by said lead cutting means.

Claim 20

Apparatus for processing taped axial lead components, which comprises: linearly reciprocable feed means for advancing the taped axial lead components along a preselected linear path; means for cutting the axial leads of the components to length from respective tapes as the components are advanced along the preselected linear path, said lead cutting means being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means for reciprocation therewith to engage and advance the leads of each component along the preselected linear path while simultaneously cutting the leads of the component length; linearly reciprocable fluid-operated drive means for reciprocating said feed means; said drive means, feed means and lead cutting means being located in essentially coplanar relationship within planar limits containing the linear path of advancement of the components; opposed movable means spring-biased toward one another for centering a body of each component therebetween with respect to said lead cutting means; tape cutting means located in essentially coplanar relationship with said drive means, said feed means and said lead cutting means for cutting portions of the tapes which are secured to the leads of each component to separate the component from the remaining taped components prior to the cutting of the leads of the component by said lead cutting means; and means for ejecting the cut portions of the tapes after the leads of each component have been cut by said lead cutting means.

Claim 21

Apparatus for processing taped components, which comprises: a bank of taped component processing heads in side-by-side relationship; linearly reciprocable feed means in each of said processing heads for advancing respective ones of the taped components through said head along a preselected linear path; means in each of said processing heads for cutting leads of the components to length from respective tape portions as the components are advanced along the preselected linear path, said lead cutting means in each of said processing heads being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means in said head for reciprocation therewith to engage and advance the leads of a component along the preselected linear path while simultaneously cutting the leads of the component to length; and linearly reciprocable drive means in each of said processing heads for reciprocating said feed means.

Claim 22

Apparatus for processing taped components, which comprises: a bank of taped component processing heads in side-by-side relationship; linearly reciprocable feed means in each of said processing heads for advancing respective ones of the taped components through said head along a preselected linear path; means in each of said processing heads for cutting leads of the components to length from respective tape portions as the components are advanced along the preselected linear path, said lead cutting means in each of said processing heads being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means in said head for reciprocation therewith to engage and advance the leads of a component along the preselected linear path while simultaneously cutting the leads of the component to length; and linearly reciprocable drive means in each of said processing heads for reciprocating said feed means.

Claim 23

Apparatus as recited in claim 16, in which said linearly reciprocable drive means in each of said processing heads includes: at least one fluid-type operating cylinder located in essentially coplanar relationship with said linearly reciprocable feed means and said lead cutting means within planar limits containing the path of advancement of the components through said head; and a piston rod slidable in said cylinder and connected to said feed means.

Claim 24

Apparatus as recited in claim 16, which further comprises: opposed spring-biased means in each of said processing heads in essentially coplanar relationship with said feed means and said lead cutting means in said head for centering the components with respect to said lead cutting means as the components are advanced through said head.

Claim 25

Apparatus as recited in claim 16, which further comprises: tape cutting means in each of said processing heads for cutting the tape portions which are secured to the leads of each component to separate the component from the remaining taped components prior to the cutting of the leads of the component by said lead cutting means.

Claim 26

Apparatus as recited in claim 27, which further comprises: means in each of said processing heads for ejecting the cut tape portions from said head after the leads of the component have been cut by said lead cutting means in said head.

Claim 27

Apparatus as recited in claim 16, in which: said processing heads are slidably mounted in side-by-side relationship for movement into and out of operative positions independently of one another.

Claim 28

Apparatus as recited in claim 21, which further comprises: air-cushion clamping means for retaining said processing heads in their operative positions and precluding vibration of said heads.

Claim 29

Apparatus as recited in claim 16, which further comprises: conveyor means movable beneath said processing heads for receiving the components from said heads in retaping positions on preselected center-to-center spacings after the leads of the components have been cut by said lead cutting means; and means for retaping the leads of the components in their preselected center-to-center spacings on said conveyor means as the components are advanced by said conveyor means.

Claim 30

Apparatus as recited in claim 23, in which: said processing heads are located on center-to-center spacings not greater than twice the preselected center-to-center spacings of the components on said conveyor means.

Claim 31

Apparatus for processing strips of different taped components extending from a plurality of separate supplies, wherein bodies of the components have opposite axial leads jooined in spaced relationship by elongated tapes, which comprises: a bank of taped component processing heads of essentially planar configuration slidably mounted in side-by-side relationship for movement into and out of operative positions inependently of one another; air-cushion clamping means for retaining said processing heads in their operative positions and precluding vibration of said heads; linearly reciprocable feed means in each of said processing heads for advancing a respective strip of the taped axial lead components through said head along a preselected linear path; means in each of said processing heads for cutting the axial leads of a component to length from its respective tapes, said cutting means being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means in said head for reciprocation therewith to engage and advance the leads of the component along the preselected linear path while simultaneously cutting the leads of the component to length; linearly reciprocable fluid-operated drive means in each of said processing heads for reciprocating said feed means in said head; opposed movable means in each of said processing heads spring-biased toward one another for centering a body of a component therebetween with respect to said lead cutting means in said head; tape cutting means in each of said processing heads for cutting portions of the tapes which are secured to the leads of a component to separate the component from the remaining taped components prior to the cutting of the leads of the component by said lead cutting means in said head; means in each of said processing heads for ejecting the cut portions of the tapes after the leads of a component have been cut by said lead cutting means in said head; a single conveyor movable beneath said processing heads for receiving the components from said heads in a desired sequence and on preselected center-to-center spacings as the leads of the components are cut by said lead cutting means, said processing heads being located on center-to-center spacings not greater than twice the preselected spacings of the components on said conveyor; and means for retaping the leads of the components on said conveyor on the preselected center-to-center spacings as the components are advanced by said conveyor.

Claim 32

Apparatus for processing strips of different taped components extending from a plurality of separate supplies, wherein bodies of the components have opposite axial leads jooined in spaced relationship by elongated tapes, which comprises: a bank of taped component processing heads of essentially planar configuration slidably mounted in side-by-side relationship for movement into and out of operative positions inependently of one another; air-cushion clamping means for retaining said processing heads in their operative positions and precluding vibration of said heads; linearly reciprocable feed means in each of said processing heads for advancing a respective strip of the taped axial lead components through said head along a preselected linear path; means in each of said processing heads for cutting the axial leads of a component to length from its respective tapes, said cutting means being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means in said head for reciprocation therewith to engage and advance the leads of the component along the preselected linear path while simultaneously cutting the leads of the component to length; linearly reciprocable fluid-operated drive means in each of said processing heads for reciprocating said feed means in said head; opposed movable means in each of said processing heads spring-biased toward one another for centering a body of a component therebetween with respect to said lead cutting means in said head; tape cutting means in each of said processing heads for cutting portions of the tapes which are secured to the leads of a component to separate the component from the remaining taped components prior to the cutting of the leads of the component by said lead cutting means in said head; means in each of said processing heads for ejecting the cut portions of the tapes after the leads of a component have been cut by said lead cutting means in said head; a single conveyor movable beneath said processing heads for receiving the components from said heads in a desired sequence and on preselected center-to-center spacings as the leads of the components are cut by said lead cutting means, said processing heads being located on center-to-center spacings not greater than twice the preselected spacings of the components on said conveyor; and means for retaping the leads of the components on said conveyor on the preselected center-to-center spacings as the components are advanced by said conveyor.

Claim 33

Apparatus for processing taped components, wherein leads of the components are joined in spaced relationship by interconnecting tapes, which comprises: a frame having an essentially planar configuration and including spaced end members between which the taped components are advanceable along a preselected linear path, said frame having sides defining planar limits containing the preselected linear path of advancement of the taped components therethrough; linearly reciprocable feed means located substantially within the planar limits defined by the sides of said frame for advancing the taped components between the end members of said frame along the preselected linear path; means located substantially within the planar limits defined by said frame for cutting the leads of the taped components to length from the interconnecting tapes as the components are advanced between the end members of said frame along the preselected linear path, said lead cutting means being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means for reciprocation therewith to engage and advance the leads of each component past the part of said lead cutting means adjacent the preselected linear path to cut the leads of the component to length; at least one fluid-type operating cylinder formed in one of the end members of said frame; and a piston rod reciprocable in said cylinder and connected to said linearly reciprocable feed means.

Claim 34

Apparatus for processing taped components, wherein leads of the components are joined in spaced relationship by interconnecting tapes, which comprises: a frame having an essentially planar configuration and including spaced end members between which the taped components are advanceable along a preselected linear path, said frame having sides defining planar limits containing the preselected linear path of advancement of the taped components therethrough; linearly reciprocable feed means located substantially within the planar limits defined by the sides of said frame for advancing the taped components between the end members of said frame along the preselected linear path; means located substantially within the planar limits defined by said frame for cutting the leads of the taped components to length from the interconnecting tapes as the components are advanced between the end members of said frame along the preselected linear path, said lead cutting means being mounted in part adjacent the preselected linear path and in part on said feed means for reciprocation therewith to engage and advance the leads of each component past the part of said lead cutting means adjacent the preselected linear path to cut the leads of the component to length; at least one fluid-type operating cylinder formed in one of the end members of said frame; and a piston rod reciprocable in said cylinder and connected to said linearly reciprocable feed means.

Claim 35

Apparatus as recited in claim 26, which further comprises: a second fluid-type operating cylinder formed in the second end member of said frame; and a second piston rod reciprocable in said second cylinder and connected to said linearly reciprocable feed means.