Circuit board support apparatus for use with circuit board lead trimmer

Claim 1

A support apparatus for a through-hole soldered circuit board having an unpopulated perimeter during the lead-trimming process, said apparatus designed for use in conjunction with a circuit board lead trimming machine of the type having a planarly-movable cutting head and a base plate below the cutting head parallel to its plane of movement, comprising: (a) a perimeter frame of uniform height, the lower surface of which is rigidly and hermetically affixed to the base plate of the lead trimming machine; (b) a plurality of removable equal-height support posts, each having a board-support apex and a base perpendicular to its associated post; (c) a support post positioning plate having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of support post-positioning apertures, the center of each aperture, when viewed from the positioning plate's lower surface, corresponding dimensionally to a safe, planar position on the populated side of a circuit board to be lead trimmed, into each of which apertures, one of said support posts can be slidably inserted from the positioning plate's lower surface with minimal play, said positioning plate accurately positionable within said frame such that each support post inserted in its respective aperture is accurately and vertically positioned with its associated base in contact with the base plate of the lead trimming machine; (d) means associated with the lead trimming machine baseplate for securely maintaining in position each accurately positioned support post; (e) a circuit board support plate having a cutout which is smaller, but proportionally similar to the profile of the circuit board to be lead trimmed, said support plate being accurately and hermetically affixed to the top of said perimeter frame such that the upper surface of said support plate is essentially equiplanar with a plane which passes through the apices of said support posts following the positioning said support posts on said base plate utilizing said positioning plate, and said support plate also having circuit board positioning means so that when the circuit board to be lead trimmed is resting on inner edges of the cut-out, the circuit board is positioned such that the apices of said support posts contact the safe, planar positions on the populated side of the circuit board to be lead trimmed.