Method and apparatus for soldering

Claim 1

Soldering apparatus comprising: a frame member; a reciprocating member movably mounted on said frame member, means for driving said reciprocating member through an advance stroke and a return stroke, an anvil member arranged to support a component to be soldered in alignment with said reciprocating member, a soldering tip mounted on said reciprocating member and having a soldering face which is moved into contact with said component supported on said anvil member during said advance stroke and out of contact with said component during said return stroke, means for heating said soldering tip, means forming a generally vertical passage through said soldering tip opening at the lower end through said soldering face, flux-cored solder wire supply means, cutting means for separating a predetermined quantity of flux-cored solder from said solder wire supply means, and means for introducing said predetermined quantity of flux-cored solder into the upper end of said generally vertical passage after said soldering tip has been moved into contact with and heated said component whereby the solder is melted by contact with said component.

Claim 9

A method of soldering using a soldering apparatus having: a frame member, a reciprocating member movably mounted on said frame member, means for driving said reciprocating member through an advance stroke and a return stroke, an anvil member arranged to support a component to be soldered in alignment with said reciprocating member, a soldering tip mounted on said reciprocating member and having a soldering face which is moved into contact with said component supported on said anvil member during said advance stroke and out of contact with said component during said return stroke, means for heating said soldering tip, means forming a generally vertical passage through said soldering tip opening at the lower end through said soldering face, flux-cored solder wire supply means, cutting means for separating a predetermined quantity of solder from said solder wire supplied by said supply means, and means for introducing said predetermined quantity of solder into the upper end of said generally vertical passage, said method of soldering comprising the steps of: supporting the component to be soldered on said anvil, moving said heated soldering tip into contact with said component, heating said component with said heated soldering tip, severing a predetermined quantity of flux-cored solder from said solder wire supplied by said supply means and introducing it into the upper end of said passage to drop into contact with said component whereby the flux is automatically heated and melted to clean the surface of the component before said quantity of solder is melted to form the connection, withdrawing said heated soldering tip from said component, removing said component from said anvil, and then cleaning said passage.

Claim 10

A method of soldering using a soldering apparatus having: a frame member, a reciprocating member movably mounted on said frame member, means for driving said reciprocating member through an advance stroke and a return stroke, an anvil member arranged to support a component to be soldered in alignment with said reciprocating member, a soldering tip mounted on said reciprocating member and having a soldering face which is moved into contact with said component supported on said anvil member during said advance stroke and out of contact with said component during said return stroke, means for heating said soldering tip, means forming a generally vertical passage through said soldering tip opening at the lower end through said soldering face, flux-cored solder wire supply means, cutting means for separating a predetermined quantity of solder from said solder wire supplied by said supply means, and means for introducing said predetermined quantity of solder into the upper end of said generally vertical passage, said method of soldering comprising the steps of: supporting the component to be soldered on said anvil, moving said heated soldering tip into contact with said component, heating said component with said heated soldering tip, severing a predetermined quantity of flux-cored solder from said solder wire supplied by said supply means and introducing it into the upper end of said passage to drop into contact with said component whereby the flux is automatically heated and melted to clean the surface of the component before said quantity of solder is melted to form the connection, withdrawing said heated soldering tip from said component, removing said component from said anvil, and then cleaning said passage.