CA1070025A - Machine for affixing circuit elements to printed circuit boards - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A machine for processing and securing parallel lead electronic circuit elements into lead receiving openings formed in a printed circuit board is provided. The machine includes a supply assembly for selectively supplying one group of a plurality of distinct groups of parallel lead elec-tronic circuit elements, the supply assembly including a selecting sub-assembly for selecting one of the circuit elements from the selected group circuit ele-ments to be supplied. A transfer assembly includes a chuck for receiving the supplied circuit elements and displacing same to a release position. An insert assembly is adapted to effect release of the circuit elements when the chuck is displaced to a release position and includes a holding sub-assembly for receiving each circuit element released by the chuck at the release position and a plunger sub-assembly adapted to engage the circuit elements at the re-lease position and displace the circuit elements from the release position to an inserted position. A board handling assembly disposes the receiving openings in the printed board in alignment with the circuit elements so that the parallel leads each circuit element are received in the appropriate receiving openings when same are displaced to the inserted position.

Description

~7~5 This applic;ltlon i~ a divlsion of col)ondin~ appLiciltion Sorial No.
Z49,354, filed on ~pril l, 1976, in the name of Tokyo Denki Ka~akll Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha~
This invention is directccl to a machine for processing and securing parallel lead electronic circuit elements to a circ:uit substrate and in particular to automatically securing selected electronic circuit elements from a plurality of stored groups of electronic circuit elements to a printed circuit board.
Heretofore, machines specifically provided for applying parallel lead electronic circuit elements to printed circuit boards have been provided.
One approach is to feed the printed circuit substrate section by section through a line of special purpose machines for individually applying each diferent type of electronic circuit elements to the circuit board. An alter-native approach is the use of quasi-single use machine capable of mounting a single type or several different types of circuit elements in a particular ~; order on the printed circuit board by moving the circuit board in first and second perpendicular coordinate directions each time an element is mounted to the circuit board. Nevertheless, such prior art machines ~equire considerable expense in providing the extra equipment capable of handling the different ZO types of electronic circuit elements, often cause considerable time loss when the type of circuit element processed by the machines is changed, and are less than reliable. Thus, such automated machinery for mounting parallel lead elec-tronic circuit elements to printed circuit boards has not provided the same benefits which obtain to-the automated application of coaxial type circuit elements to such printed circuit boards.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide automated machinery for mounting parallel lead electronic circuit elementsto printed circuit boards.
A further object of thi~ invention is to provide improved automated ~30 machinery for automatically inserting parallel lead electronic circuit elements into receiving openings in printed circuit boards without utilizing a spec]al support member for suppo~ting supplied circuit elements until the circuit ~: . : : , .. .. : .. .. .

7~

elements are to be inserted into the circuit boardO
Still a further object of this invention is to providc a simplified and less expensive automated machinery for proccss:ing and securing parallel lead electronic circuit elements to printed circuit boards~
According to the present invention, the:re is provided in a machine for automatically inserting parallel lead type circuit elements into openings in a printed circuit board, the improvement comprising; insert means for receiving a circuit element at a predetermined position and inserting same to an inserted position; and board handling means for disposing said lead receiving openings in said circuit substrate in alignment with said circuit i element so that said parallel leads of said respective circuit elements are received in said receiving openings when same are displaced to said inserted position, said insert means including plunger means adapted to engage said circuit element at said predetermined position and displace said circuit element from said predetermined position to said inserted position.
.: For a fulier and better unders~anding of the present invention, . ~ . , in addition to the invention disclosed in the parent application, reference ,.
~ :: is made to the following description given in connection with the accompanying ., .
~ drawings, in which:
.: 2Q Figure 1 is a plan view of an automatic machine assembly for process mg and securing electronic circuit elements to a printed circuit board constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;
.: ~: :: :

: ~:

~ - 2 -.~ .

~K~

Figllre ~ is ~n c:LeYational view oE the mact~ e asscmb:Ly dcpicte(l in Figure l;
Figure 3 is an elcvational vicw of the maclline asse~ly depicted i~
Figure l;
Figlu~o 4 is a side olevational view of the machine assembly deplcted in Figure 3;
Figure S is a sectional view taken along line I-I of Figure 3;
Figurc 6 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of Figure 3;
Figure 7 is a plan view of a circuit element carrying tape construct-ed in accordance with the instant invention;
Figure 8 is an elevational end view of the circuit element carrying ~ .
tape illustrated in Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a pl~n view of a separated portion of the circuit element carrying tape illustrated in Figure 7;
Figure lO is a plan view illustrating processed electronic circuit - .
element about to be received by the insert sub-assembly depicted in Figure 28; : ~ -Figure ].l is a sectional view of an electronic circuit element secured to a printed circuit board by a machine assembly constructed in accordance with the instant invcntion;
Figure l2 is a perspective view of a shelf sub-assembly constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;
Figure 13 is a plan view of the shelf sub-assembly depicted in Figure 12 and a column sub-asscmbly constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;
Figure 14 is an elevational view of a tape feedi.ng sub-assembly and : cutting sub-assembly constructed in acco~dance with a prcferred embodimellt of the instant inverltion;
Figure lS is a partial perspective view of a cutting assembly and chuck constructed in accordance with a preferred embodi~lcnt af the instant ,.

. . .. .. . .

~'7~Z~
invcntion;
Figure 16 is I partial sectioncll vicw of a cuttirlg ~ub-assem~l~ alld chuck illustratcd ;n Fig-u~e 15;
Figure 17 is a secti.onal view in full el.evation of a chuck construct-ed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant inverltion;
` Figure 18 is a f-~l sectional plan view of the chuck depicted in Figure 17;
Figure 19 is a sectional view of a rotary chuck support constructed in accordance with a preferred embodin~ent of the instant invention;
10Figure 20 is a sectional vie~ taken along line III-III of Figure 19;
Figure 21 is a plan view of the circuit element carrying tape illustrated in Figure 7;
Figure 22 is an elevational end view of the circuit element carrying tape depicted in Figure 21;
Flgure 23 is a plan Yiew of a portion of the circuit element carrying ; tape being gripped by a chuck, illustrated in section;
Figure 24 is a plan view of an electronic circuit element being gripped by a chuck, illustrated in section, after removal of the tape therefrom;
Figure 25 is a sectional view of a rotary chuck support constructed in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the instant invention;
Figure 26 l~S a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 25;
Figure 26A is a developed view of the barrel cam illustrated in Fig~re 26;
F.igure 27 is an elevational view of a cutter sub-assembly constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;
Figure 2~ is a sectional view of an insert sub-assembly constructed in accordance with a prcferred embodiment of the instant invention~
Figure 29 is a sectional view taken along line V-V of l~lgure 2S;
; Figures 30(a) through 30(f3 respectiv~ly depict the sequence of the ~ .- 4 -.
.: ... .: .

~7~ 5 circuit elements being inserted into the openlngs in the printod circuit board in accordance with the instant invention;
Figure 31 is a sectional view of a clamping mechanis~ of the insert sub-assembly constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;
Figure 32 is a clamping mechanism construoted in accordance w.ith an alternate embodiment of the instant invention;
Figure 33 is an elevational view of the clamping mechanism depicted in Figure 32;
Figure 34 is a perspective view of the clamping mechanism depicted in Figure 32;
Figure 35 is an elevational partially sectional view on an insert sub-assembly constructed in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the instant invention;
Figure 36 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of Figure 35;
Figure 37 is an elevational view of insert assembly depicted in Figure 35;
Figure 38 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of Figure 35;
Fi~ure 39 is a sectional view taken along line VlII~VIII of Figure : 20 35;
Figure 40 is a sectional view of a lead cutting and bending sub-assembly constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment o the instant ' invention;
.~ Figure 41 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX of Figure 40;
Figure 42 is a plan view of a cu~ter of the lead cutting and bending sub-assembly depicted in Figure 40;
Figure 43 is a sec~ional view taken along line X-X of ~:igure 42 Figures 44~a) through 4~e) illustrate the operating sequence of the lead cutting and bending sub-asse~bly depicted in Figure 40; ancl Figure 45 is a rear surface view of a printed circuit board after ~7~

thc oper~tion of tllc insert a~selllbly ~9 ~mpletecl.
Reference is no~Y made to ~ ures 1 and 2 ~ eL~cin a recl support assembly~ generally indicated as 2~ and a machine 1 for autom~ti.cally process-ing and inserting electroni.c circ-lit chip elements in a printcd circuit board are depicted. As is explained in detail below, the machine components and reel supply ~assembly components are controlled by a conventional programmed NC panel (not shown)~ such panels being well-kno~n in the art rendering discussion direeted thereto unnecessary.
Reel support assembly 2 includes a plurality of tape carrying reels 4, each tape carrying reel having a tape 3 carrying a series of electronic eircuit elements attached thereto~ The tape reels are mounted in a conven-tional manner to the tape support assembly to permit the tape wound thereon to be guided around guide rollers S and feed rollers 6 to the machine 1.
Each of the tapes 3 includes a predetermined electronic circuit eomponent such as a specific value capacitor, resistor etc. .As is illustrated in Figure 7, the eircuit elements 17 are of the two-parallel lead variety and are secured to the tape 3, which tape includes apertures 32 therein. Accord-ingly~ the tapes 3 having the.respective circuit elements to be secured to a printed circuit board, also referred to as a printed circuit substrate, are wound upon the reels 4 and distributed into parallel relationship by the respective guide rollers 5 and feed rollers 6 whereafter the respective tapes are applied through a comb-like guide 7 to the machine 1.
Referring specifically to Figures 3 through 6, the machine 1 is suostantially comprised of a supply assembly, generally indicated as 8, a transfer assembl.y, generally indicated as 9~ an insert assembly generally indicated as 10, a table assembl.y, generally indicated as 11, and a frame 12 for supporting the respective supply, transfer, insert and table assemblies.
The operation of the rcspective suppl.y, transfer, insert and table assemblies is hereinafter explained with partic-~ar reference to ~`igures 3 through 11, , ~'7~
wh~reaf~er, each of the rcsl-cctive ;Isscmblies will be describcd in ~l~tail.
Each of the respective circuit element carryin~ tapcs 3 ~re supplic~
~o the su~ply ~sse~bly S. The particular ~ape that is supplicd is selectod by the NC progr~m and ap~lied to ~ cutter sub-assembly, g~nerally inclic~tecl as 16, which sub-ass~mbly ~ffects cutting of the specific tape along a line ~-A illustratcd in ~i~ure 7 in order to separate each circuit element and portion of tape carrying same as illustrated in Figuro ~. Aft~r cuttin~ of the ~ape portion and as~ociated circuit element at the cutting sub-assembly, the parallel leads of the circui~ elemen~ are gripped by one of a plurali~y of chucks 15 provided on the periphery of a ro~ary chuck holder 14 mounted at any angle of 45 with respect to the horizontal plane. During ~he trans~
fer of the circuit element by the transfer assembly, the leads of the cirrui~
~lement 17 are cu~ along line B-B, indicated in Figure g, into the form illustrated in Figure lO, whereafter the circuit element is transferred in an up~ight state to be positioned at the msert assembly lO. At the insert assembly position, each circuit element 17 is clamped by the insert assembly and released by the chuek, whereaf*er the circuit element is urged into and through openings in the printed circuit ~oard by ~he inser~ asse~bly. As is detailed below, the insert assembly can include a ro~ary h~ad sub-assembly for turning the circuit element 90 about its ~ertical axis when required.
The printed circuit board 18 to which each electronic circuit element 17 is-to be secured is positioned on the table assembly 18, and the table assembly is ooordinately displaced in the X and Y directions in a horizontal plane in accordance wi~h programmed ins~ructions from the NC program to the~eby bring the lead receiving openings of the printed circuit substrate into alignment with the insert assembly 3nce the p~rzllel leads are inserted through the openings in *he prin~ed circuit board, ~he portions of the leads extending through the openings in the subs~rate 19 are bent at right-angles in the manner illustra~ed in Figure 11, ~D thereby secure the circuit element 17 to the subs~rate 19.

~7~5 Accordingly~ thc supply asselllbly ~, transfor assembly ~ Sol`t assembly 10 and table assembly 11 arc suppol~ted by thC t`rame 12 and effcct processing, insorting and sccurin~ of the respecti~e c:ircuit elemcnts to a printed circuit board in the manner to hcreillaftor be discussed i,n great~r detail with respect to the specific assemblies.
As illustrated in the prefcrred embodiment depicted in Figures 1 and 2, twenty tape reels are provided on the supply assembly 8~ and the respective feed rollers 6 individually associated with each o the tape reels are selectively driven by the NC program. Each of the feed rollers 6 is a sprocket driven wheel with teeth for engaging the respective openin~gs 32 disposed along the length of the tape 3 so that intermittent rotation of the roller effects a step by step feeding of the circuit elements secured to the tape 3. The guide 7 has a comb-like structure so that each of the individual element carrying tapes 3 is passed between the adjacent comb teeth.
A ~urther comb-like guide 20 is disposed on the machine 1 and belts formed of '-M exible material such as rubber, leather and synthetic resins are stretched between the individual teeth of the guides 7 and 20 so that the respective circuit element carrying tapes 3 slide over the belts with the friction between the belts and tapes subs-tantlally eliminated. The comb-like guide 20 is ~ertically displaceable to facilitate distribution of the ~apes in a manner to be discussed more fully below.
The supply assembly ~ of the machine 1, as is ~ore particularly illustrated in Figures 12 through 16~ includes a shelf sub-assembly, generally indicated as 21, a colunln sub-assembly generally indicated as 22, a ta~e feeding sub-assembly generally indicated as 23~ and a cutting sub-asscmbly generally indicated as 2~. The sholf sub-ass~mb~y 21 is comprised of twcnty elongated shelves 25 arrangcd one above the othcr, ~I stacked relationship~ in ordor to support thc respective circuit clcment carryina tapcs 3 ~heroonO The shelf sub-assembly 21 is ~ .

1al7~ 5 supported in a ~rame 26 ~F;gure ~1) in such m~nncr that the shelvcs 25 can bo lowered and raiscd with r~s~ect to ~rame 26 and so that cach shelf 25 can be independently laterally displ~c~d with respec~ to ~he leng~hwise extcnt there-of.
Th~ colu~n sllb-assembly 22 vertically rais~s and lowers the shelf s~b-assembly 21 to bring a ~r~et~r~ined ~ape s~lpporting shelf 25 into a proper Rlevation ~o bz laterally displaced by kick-out cylind~r ~7. The ~ape feeding sub-assembly 23 effects intermittent feeding of the ~ape 3 carried by the laterally displaced shelf 25 through distinct inCTementS in the leng~h-wise direction of the tape selected. The cutting sub-assembly 24 effeots a severing of the Pnd portion of the tape 3 as same is incrementally advanced to the cutting sub-assembly 24 to ~hereby separate each electronic circuit element 17 secured to the tape.
The column sub-assembly 22 includes a vertically disposed threaded shaft 28 and guide ~ods 29, the threaded shaft being rotated at a pr~deter-mined rotational sp~ed by a suitable drive sotlrce such as a pulse driving motor, The threaded shaft 28 and guide rods 29 are fitted in respective vertical fem~le threaded bores and guide bores foTmed in.the frame 26 of the shelf sub-assembly 21. Accordingly, the ver~ically arranged shelves 25 ars provided on a first side of the frame 26, and each shelf 2S is supported by horizontal support rods 30 fittzd for axial movement in respective horizontsl bores formed in the frame 26. Each shelf Z5 is elongat~d and includes a longitudinal channel or groove in which the circuit element rarrying tape 3 is positioned. As ill~strated in Figure 13, each circuit element carrying tape 3 is set in ~he longitudinal channel formed in the shelf 25 by raising the ~ape positioning leveTs 31 including fitted pilot pins 33 which pin ex-tends therefrom into the opbnings 32 formed in the tape 3. ~nock pins 34 couple the positioning levers 31 to an associated lever shaft 35, which ; shaft is supported by bearings 36 and is biased by a biasing spring 37 ~o maintain the levers 31 in a horizontal position.
Accordingly, when an NC program co~mand providcs a feed command fo~

a spDcific circuit clcmetlt carrying ta~c 3 to bc deliv~red, ~he pulse motor is rotatcd to providc a givell nulllbcr of rot~tions of thc threaded ~lhaft 28 to raise and lower the framc 26 to thereby bring thc shelf 25 supportir-g thc circuit element carrying tape 3 to be selectcd into rcgis-try with the level at which the kick-out cylinder 27 is disposed. ~ photoelectric light sensor (not sho~m) 'is provided for detecting when the selected shelf 25 is disposed at the feed position and in response to detecting same energizes a cylinder which operates to push bar 38 to the position indicated at 38' in Figure 13. By such movement, the selected shelf 25 is laterally projected by the associated support rods 30 thereby bringing tha selected tape 3 to the displaced position indicated at 3~. A stopper 39 is disposed for limiting the displacement of the bars 3 and additionally, return springs 40 are provided for effecting return of the bar 38 once the kick-out cylinder 27 is returned to a rest position.
Referring specifically to Figures 12 and 14, the tape feeding sub-assembly 23 and cutting sub-assembly 24 are depicted. The tape fee'd a`ssembly 23 includes a feed arm 41 displaceable about a rectangular path consisting of vertical and hor1zontal strokes illustrated by the arrows D, E, F and G in ' Figure 14 along appropriate horizontal guides or like mechanis~s. Feed arm ~1 includes tapered pitch-correcting pins 42 and guidepins 44, which guidepins are biased by respective springs 43.
During each downward strolce of the feed arm 41 (indicated by the arrow~D), the correcting pins 42 enter associated openings 32 in the circuit element carrying tape to corrcct the positioning thereof, whereafter, guidepins , ~4 are insertcd into other opcnings 32 by being biased thereagainst. Simulta-neous therewithj a release link 45, which release link is coupled to a hook 46 is raised, causing the positioning levers 31 to be raiscd by hoolc 46 and rc-:
lease hold of the tape 3. Thereafter, the next excursion of the feed arm ~1in a direction toward the cutting sub~assembly ~9 (indicated by arrow E), causes the tape to bc moved onc incrcment and is brought to a hait. Accordingly, ~: : , . , . . , -., , - . . :

32~i the leading end portion of the circuit element carrylng tape 3 comes to rest at a predetermined position at the top of a cutter base 47 in the position indicated in Figure 14O
Thereafter; cutter holder 49 is lowered by a dri~e mechanism ~not sho~), such as a hydraulic cylinder or the like, so that a tape holder 50 contacts and takes hold of the tape 3, and the cutter holder 40 continues to be lowered against the compression of spring 51. The tape 3 is severed by a cutter 4~ as a result of the lowering of the cutter support 49 to thereby separate a portion of the tape carrying only one circuit element 17~ An auxiliary cutter 48' is provided to insure that the portion of the tape is cut even if the cutter 48 does not effect a removal of the portion of the tape.
Once ~he portion of the tape is se~ered9 feed arm 41 commences its upward e~cursion (in the direction of the arrow F) while at the same time, hook 46 is lowered to thereby lower the positioning levers 31~ to insert the guidepins 33 into the openings 32 in the tape 3 to thereby effect positioning and holding of the tape. Finally, the final horizontal excersion of the feed ar~ (in the direction indicated by the arrow G) effects a return of the feed arm to its initial starting position. Accordingly~ the supply assembly selects the specific tape from the group of tapes car~ying circuit elements, and thereafter effects a severing of a portion of the tape con~aining one circuit element from the group contained on the tape selec~ed to be transferred by the eransfer sub-assembly 9 during the next phase of operation of the machine 1. Thereafter, the aforedescribed operation of the s~pply assembly is repeated until the number of selected elements from a particular group represented by the tape selected is completed~ whereafter~ the hoolc 46 is raised to ope~ the positioning levers 31 and cylinder 27 is rendered inoperative thereby causing the laterally dis-placed shelf ~5 to be retracted ~o the initial position by the restoring force of the springs 40 to thereby render the supply sub-assembly ready for the next NC program command.

~7~;25 It is noted, that the supply assembly described hereLn renders it possible to automatically supply a large number of distlnct electronic rircult component elements. Additionally, certain electronic circuit elements may be automatically and selectively supplied from a large nun~ber of differing circuit elements by appropriately programming the NC program. Moreover, in addition ~o the reliability of the supply assembly being improved, the amount of space required to provide different elements is limited, and only a single tape feed sub-assembly is required. ~Moreover, the efficiency obtained in supplying the different circuit elements provides for considerable cost savings during manufacture.
Reference is now made to Figures 6 and 15 through 20 wherein the ~ransfer assembly 9 is illustrated in detail. As is specifically illustrated in Figure 15, once the portion of the tape 3 supporting the electronic circuit element 17 is separated by the cutter 48, the portion of the tape is maintained in position by the tape holder 50. A chuck 15 disposed at a position proximate to the cutter base 47 is raised relative to the element 17 and grips the paral-lel leads 53 of the circuit element by means of a fixed claw 67 and movable claws 52~ Once the gripping is effected by the chuck, the cutter support 49 is retracted ~o thereby releasably secure the hold of the circuit element by 20 the holder 50. Thereafter~ ~he transfer assembly 9 mo~es the chuck 15 with the element gripped thereby to the insert assembly 10 in a manner to be discussed more fully below.
The transfer assembly 9 in~ludes a plurality of chucks 15, a rotary chuck support~ generally indicated as 54, and a cutter sub-assembly 16 for cutting the extra lead portions and tape off each circuit element during the transfer operation. In Figures 1~ and 20, a preferred example of the rotary ; chuck support 54 i5 illustrated~ A rotary chuck holder 14 is supported on a shaft 56, ~hich shaft is rotatably supported by bearings 570 The shaft is axially oriented at a right angle to an uppe~ front portion of the frame 12 -. . .- : : . . .

so that the axis 13 defines an angle of 45 with respect to the horlzontal.
The rotary chuck holder 14 includes a boss~ to which is secured ~ timing member 15 and a spur gear 59. A pinion 60 transmits rotation from a gear 61 to gear 59 and accordingly to the rotary chuck holder 14. Gear 61 is adapted to inter-mittently rotate the rotary chuck holder at constant insrements~ For example, intermittent rotation of the rotary chuckholder can be effected by a pulse motor or a reciprocating cylinder via a ratchet lever~
In order to effect synchroniæation of the intermittent rotation of the rota~y holder 14, the timing member 48 is provided with a plurality of peripherally disposed notches, the respective notches being adapted to receive a latch lever 63 adapted to be displaced into and out of contact therewith.
Ihe respective chucks 15 are provided at uniformly spaced distances around the periphery of the rotary chuck holder 14 and are positioned to circumscribe a cone co-axial with the axis 13 of the shaft 56, the cone having an apex angle of 90. An equal number of notches is provided for the number of chucks in order to insure that the incremental pitch of intermittent rotation corresponds to the number of chucks. For example, if twelve chucks are provided, twelve notches 62 are pro~ided to effect a complete revolution of the rotary holder after twelve incremental rotationsa Also~ at the highest rotary position of the rotary chuck holder 14, the chuck 15 is ver~ically disposed, and at the lowes~posi~ion of the rotary holder, the chuck 15 is hori~ontally disposed, ~ the diametrically opposed chucks defining an angle of 90 with respect to each ; other.
Referring specifically to Figures 16, 17 and 183 chuck 15 includes movable claws 52 and fixed claw 67~ ~ixed claw 67 is intergrally formed with block 68~ block 68 being adapted to be urged against a fixecl block 70 by a biasing spring 69~ Movable claws 52 are mounted to movable block 68 by pivot plns 71 to permit the fixed claws to be pivoeable thereabou~. Tbe movable claws are brought into engagement by the displareme~t of a second block 72 in ,. . , :

a direction toward the respective movable claws 52. A roller 73 i~ rotatably mounted by a pin 74 to block 72 and is adap~ed ~o rec:eive forces for movlng the block 72 in the direction toward the movable claws when gripping of the parallel leads of the circuit to be transferred by chuck 15 is to occur~
Block 72 is further adapted to be moved in the direction toward the movable claws even after the end wall 75 of block o8 strikes fixed block 70 and con-tinues to be moved in such direction until locked by means of a spring biased ball 102 disposed in a recess 104 formed therein~ Accordingly, the recess 104 is so positioned as to insure that the movable claws 52 firmly grip the leads 53 to maintain the leads securely gripped thereby. A roller 76 is rotatably mounted by a pin 77 on an integrally projecting porti~n of the block 72. When roller 76 is moved in a direction away from the fixed claws, as is best illustrated in Figure 17~ the block 72 is thereby moved in the same direc-tion, causing the movable claws 52 to be pivoted away from each other about pins 71 by biasing spring 105 thereby releasing their grip on the parallel circuit element leads. Once the block 72 is sufficiently displaced away from the mo~able claws to effect a sufficient opening of the claws to thereby pre-vent gripping of the leads thereby, the end wall 78 o~ block 72 strikes an end wall 75 of block 68 and thereby carries block 63 in the same direction therewith. The block 72 lncludes a recess 103 therein which can be engaged by a balL 102 to thereby maintain the block 72 in the release position.
Reference is now made to Figures 15, 16 and 21 through 24 wherein the operation of the cutting assembly and chuck 15 are illustrated~ Specifical-ly~ the element supporting tape 3 includes a base strip 65 and an adhesive tape 66 bonded to the base strip in such manner as to sandwich therebetween the parallel leads 53 of a specific type of electronic circuit element such as a capacitor, illus~rated by circular head 64~
A series of elec~ronic circuit elements are uniformly spaced along the lengthwise extent of the tape with the openings 32, as noted above, being . . .
' , : - - : : : .
- , . , , , ::: . : . . .
- . : - . ,: . . ~

~7~`~;25 disposed midway between the ad~acent elec~ronic circuit elements to insure reliability during processing of the tape~ It is noted that the respective openings 32 can be provided between the respective parallel leads in order to facilitate processing of tha tape.
Referring particularly to Figure 16, the element carrying tape 3 is supported by and gulded along a channel in shelf 25 by the tape feeding sub-assembly 23 so that the circuit element to be secured to the printed circuit board is brought into registry with the cutter base 47. Thereafter, the cutter sub~assembly is displaced into contact witb the tape 3, thereby placing the tape holder 50 in contact with the circuit element and tape portion and further permitting the cutters 48 and 48' to sever the portion of the base strip 65 and adhesive tape 56 thereby leaving a single circuit element secured in the portion of the tape being held between the tape holder 50 and cutter base 47 Coincident with the severance of the tape portion~ a command signal efferts operation of cylinder 88 and crank 87) illustrated in Figure 6, to thereby effect engageme~t of roller 73 aligned in position with the cutter assembly 24 and parallel leads of the circuit element to thereby cause the fixed claw 67 and movable claws 52 into the same elevatlon as the parallel leads of the circuit element. Accordingly, fixed claw 67 is disposed between the opposite leads of the electronic circuit element whereafter the ~ovable claws 52 are brought together in the manner described above with respect to Figures 17 and 18~ to thereby grip the respective leads. As is illustrated in Figure 23, at this point, the portion of the tape remains on the extended portion of the leads with the movable claw 52 and ftxed claws 67 of the chuck 15 firmly gripping the circuit element to be transferred. Upon grippillg of the circuit element leads by the chuck 15, the cutter support is ~ertically displaced away from the cutter base 47 to thereby release hold of the tape 3 by the tape holder 50~ Thereafter, the circuit element is displaced to a new position by the chuck gripping same and the base strip 65 and adhesive tape 66 are removed 1~7~)~Z5 by a cutting of the leads along the line H-H in Figure 23 in a manner to be discussed more fully below, thereby leaving the circuit element depicted in Figure 24 to be transferred to the insert position.
It is noted that the use of the circuit element carryin~ tape con-struction illustrated in Figure 21, wherein a series oE electronic circuit elements are disposed at uniformly spaced increments along the lengthwise extent of the tape, in combination with the uniformly spaced openings in the tape, permits increment by increment feeding of each circuit element so that the circuit element can be reliably separated from the remaining circuit elements secured to the eape. Noreover, the tape permits the particular element to be transferred to be specifically clamped by the tape holder at a proper position, so that a portion of the tape carrying the specific circuit element can be removed, and then the separated element can be removed from the base strip and adhesive tape by a cutting of the leads between the chuck and base strip. In this manner, a highly precise and reliable assem~ly for con-tinuously processing electronic circuit elements ls provided. MoreoYer, although circuit elements often can become misaligned when same are secured to the tape 3 as illustrated in Figure 21, by utilizing the clamping features of the chuck 15~ and securing the leads proximate the tape~ problems of mis-alignment are olearly avoided~ Moreover, no take-up reel or other take-up mechanism is required since the portions of th~ tape are severed and only a simple waste container for collecting the cut-off ends is needed.
Reference is now made to Figures 25, 26 and 26A wherein a further embodiment of the rotary sub~assembly 54 is depicted, like reference numerals being u~ilized to describe like elements illustrated and described above. The rotary chuck support 14 is secured to shaft 56 ancl is totatable about the axis 13 of the shaft~ whl~h axis extends at a~ angle of 45 with respect to the horizontal. A disc 79 is secured to the shaft 56 and support rollers 80 which rollers are peripherally disposed thereabout (the rollers ôO being evenly ~ ' : ::

~. . ..

~0~7~)~Z5 spaced about the periphery and corresponding in number to the number o:E chucks 15~ As is illustrated in detail in Figure 26r a barrel cam 81 respectively engages the drive rollers 80 to effect an intermittent rotation of the rotary chuck holder 140 In Figure 26A, a developed view ~f the intermittent barrel cam 81 illustrates the manner in which the ridge portions 85 and groove portions 86 are alternately arranged to effect intermittent rvtat$on of the ro~ary chuck holder 140 The ridge portions 85 and groove portions 86 deine an incline screw-like camming s~rface over a radial angle of 240 of barrel cam 81g the remaining 120 of the barrel cam surface having ridge portions and groove portions that are parallel to a plane normal to the cam axis. The ridge por-tions 85, groove portions 86 and rollers 80 operating in cooperating relation-ship therewith are highly toleranced in diameter and pitch to thereby limit ~ any backlash during operation. Accordingly, by driving the cam shaft 82 at a constant speed, the disc 79 and hence the rotary chuck holder 14 are inter- ~
mittently rotated through precise increments during engagement of the rollers ~-.
80 by the inclined ridge portions as of the bearing surface and ceases to be rotated in response to engagement by the parallel portions of the ridges 85~
The cam shaft 82 is rotated at.a constant speed during the s~eps of selecting ~:
the tape carrying shelf 25 or in the case of coordinate displacements of the printed circuit board supporting table, ~nd the rotation thereof may be inter~
rupted by utilizlng a one-way clutch, illus~rated as 91 in Figure 6, provided between the pulley 84 and dri~e motor~ illustrated as 92 in Figure 6, to effect synchronization of the rota~ion o the cam shaft with the timing cycle oE the :: machine.
A bell crank 87 is driven by a cylinder 88 and effects a displacement o the block 72 of the chuck 15 by having roller 89 carried by the belt crank ~; - 87 engage same to thereby effect a clamping actio~ by the chuck 15 An elec-tronic photodetecting switch 90 is adapted to detect ~he arrival of the elec-: :

- 17 _ (- ~
1~7~5 tronic circuit element 17 in reC~istry ~ith thc cut-ter asscmbly 2L~ t~o thcrcby provide a signal to thc NC pro~ram con-trollcr and synchronixe dic~plclccmctlt of the cylinder to effect clamping of thc circuit element 17 by the claw 15.
As noted above, -the transfcr assembly 9 includes a cutter sub-assembly 16 depicted in Figure 27 for severing the tape portion and portion of the paral-lel leads secured by the tape portion along the line H-H illustrated in Figure 23, when the clamped circuit element is transferred from the hori30ntal position wherein same is gripped by the chuck 15 to the vert:ical insert position. The outter sub-assembly 16 is positioned with respect to the rotary chuck support 1054, as is best i~llustrated in Figure 3~ so that the circuit element 17 including the portion of the tape secured thereto is disposed between cutting blades 97.
~o this end, levers 95 and 96 are pivotally ~ounted by a pin 94 on a bracket ~3 and support the respecti~e blades 97 in facing relationship. Links 98 couple the respective levers 95 and 96 to a lever 100~ which lever is rotatably secured ; about a pivot pin 99 to be pivotally driven by a drive cylinder 101. 'A'ccording-ly, a pivotable driving of the lever 100 effects displacement of the links 98 and levers 95 and 96 to effect opening and closing of the cutting blades 97 to thereby effect a cutting of the leads along the line H-H illustrated in Flgure 23~ ~hereafter~ the circuit element gripped by the chuclc takes cn the form illustrated in Figure 24 and is transfcrred to the insert assembly in a manner to be described more fully below.
~- Referring particularly to Figures 28 through 31, the insert assembly for inserting the circuit elements in thc printed circuit board is depicted.
By way of reference, Figure 28 illustratcs a circuit element such as a capacltor 115, after the chuck has been displaced to the insert position~ but prior to - release of the circuit elemcnt 115 by thc chuclc. ~ movablc bloc,k 110 includcs a bolt 109 having secured thereto a ro~ erld -108. Rod cnd 108 is coupled through a rod 106 to a cylindcr 107, ~hich cylinler i~ response to a commal-d signal from thc NC program cffects a do~n~ard displacement of ~he movable block 110.

~7~

Securcd to the mv~ablc block 110 .is a C.lnl 1].~ arld a p:in 1].1. Thc pi.n 111 is lowered by a comprcssioll spring 11~ as thc block is displacecl dowllward thcrcby applying a weak do~nw~rd spring force against a push bar 114 couplcd to thc pin 111 by a bracl;et 113. l~hcn the head of the capacitor 115 is disposed in the recess 114~ of the push bar 114 ~nd is completcly covered thereby, the state illustrated in Figure 30 (b) is obtained. As the movable block 110 is being displaced downward, a roller 117 pivotably supported on a pin 118 secured to a le~er 119 is cammingly engaged by camming surface 116 to thereby effect a '~ pivoting of the lever 120 away from the capacitor 115 and into contact with ~.

i 10 the roller 76 of chuck 15 to thereby effect a releasing of the capacitor ele- -men* 15 from the grip of the chuck 15, as is particularly depicted in Figure 30(c). At this point, the capacitor element is prevented from turning by the recess 114~ in the push bar 114, the engagement of the push bar 114, with the head of the capaci~or effecting a downward displacement of the capacitor leads between lead quide 121 and lead holder 122, as is more particularly illustrated in Figure 31.
; ; In an alternate embodiment~ the push bar can be provided with a spring-biased chuck 123 as is more particularly illustrated in Figure 32, the spring-biased chuck being particular suited for lightly grlpping irregular type circuit elements or circuit element having unusually shaped leads.
Once the capacitor 115 is transferred to the insert position depicted in Figure 30(c) and is released by the chuck 15, the capacitor is lowered into a position proximate to the openings in the printed circuit board. Thc second stage of lowering the circuit elemcnt to thc ~sition indicated in Figure 30(d) is effected by pin 124 secured to movable block 110~ which pin under control of the spring 125 is displaced into 126 to effect displacement of same Imtil halted by stopper 127. Thereaftcr~ movable blocl; 110 is further lowered, whereby a further pin 128, more particul.arly illustratcd in Figurc 29, furthcr displaces the push bar 114 in a downw~rd dircction, the displaccmcnt of the - 19 ~

push bar 114 in a downward direction ~eing efected by a spring 129 having a weaker biasing force than the spring 112 to thereby urge the leads oE the capacitor through the openings in the substrate, the leads heing guided by the lead guide 121 and lead holder 122 to obta;n ~he ins~erted state depicted in Figure 30~e) of the drawings. Thereafter the tip portion of the leads extend-ing through the holes of the printed circuit substra~e are cut off, if neces-sary3 and then bent or clamped by suitable means, hereinafter described. Once bending is completed, the cylinder 107 effects displacement of the movable block in the upward direction away from the printed circuit board. The block 110 includes a cam 130 formed thereon for displacing a roller 131 to thereby displace a lever 132 in such manner as to be pivoted about a pin 135 and there-by effect movement of slidable pin 136 into contact with a roller 137. The consequence thereof is that the roller 137 effects a counter-clockwise rotation of lever 139 about pin 138 resulting in the lead guide 121 formed on the end of lever 139 being moved away ~rom the circuit element. A roller 143 carried on a lever 141, which le~er is rotatably mounted by pin 140 in response to the counter-clockwise pivoting of the lever 139 is engaged against a fixed element 142 to thereby effect a clockwise rotation of the lever 141, thereby effecting a further rotation of the lead holder 122 in a clockwise direction. In such manner, the lead guide 121 and lead holder 122 are retracted from the leads to define an open position as is more particularly illustrated in Figure 30(f) so ~hat the entire insert assembly can be re~racted in the upward direction until same reaches the initial position, the insert assembly completely clearing the electronic capacitor during its upward stroke. Accordingly, upon completion of the aoredescribed insert sequence, a signal for feeding the next electronic circuit element to the insert position, and a signal for moving the table in the coordinate X and Y direc~ions are produced by the NC program to thereby repeat the next insertion cycle. It is noted that ~he lead guide 121 and lead holder 122 are not opened during a downward displacement of the mDvable block .

110 since the lever 133 is rotatcd with res~cct -to the lcver 132 so tllat thc pin 136 is not displ.ccd by the le~-~r 13~ -thercby permitting cam 130 to be positioned beneath thc roller 131 to effect the aforedcscribed unclamping operation during the next upward stroke thcreof.
Reference is particularly made to Figure 31, wherein an insert head for use in the insert assembly, and is particularly suited for use with a capacitor is depicted. The push bar 114 functions to prevent twisting of the capacitor element by being provided with a V-shaped recessed 114', the shape of the recess further effecting an urging of the element through the openings in the printed circuit board 19. Lead guide 121 includes tapered grooves in the tip portion thereof for receiving the parallel leads 153 and guiding same accordingly~ and lead holder 122 additionally includes grooves for providing the leads in proper registry with the grooves in the lead guide 121. Futher-more, the lead guide 121 is biased by a biasing spring 145 to lightly urge the leads within the grooves.
Referring now to Figure 32, an alternate push bar arrangement for lightly clamping the head of the electronic circuit element when same is irre-gular is provided. The head 148 of the electrbnic circuit element is lightly clamped by chuck 123~ which chuck is pivotally mounted by a pin 147 to the push bar 114 and is maintained in a clamped position by a biasing spring 146.
If necessary, the element can be clamped between the chuck 123 and a auxiliary pad formed of rubber or other like resilient materials. The lead holder 122 is so adapted to independently align the leads as same are inserted into the openings in the circuit board, the relationship betwcen the lead guide 121 and lead holder 122 being partic~larly illustrated in Figures 33 and 34.
Accordingly, thc inscrt assc~bly is charactcrized by the use of lcad guides having grooves extendin~ in the dircction of inscrtion of the leads for guiding thc leads into the opcnings in a circuit board to thcreby facilitate thc insertion of parallel leads into the printcd circuit board with guarantccd ~ - 21 -, ~7~

precision and witllotlt th~ need ~or ~ny particular special purpose erlgaging member. Moreover, the number of electronic circuit elemellts and the differ~nt types of electronic circuit elements capable of being inserted by this mechanism is clearly increased by providing appropriate head adaptor~, Eor the particular shaped heads of the circuit elements to be inserted.
Reerence is now made to Figures 35 through 39 wherein an insert assembly 10 constructed in accordance with an alternate 0mbodiment and wherein the circuit elements can be rotated 90 about the vertical axis at the position a~ which the leads are to be inser~ed into ~he printed circuit board, is illustrated. I~ is understood that if a 90 rota~ion ls required, the NC program would provide ~he necessary command signals to effect such an operation.
; With particular reference ~o Figures 35 and 36, a support ~rame 150 is secured to a bracket 151, which bracket is secured ~o a mounting 152, which mounting effects rotatable support of the rotary support ~older. In response to a command signal, a cylinder 153 disposed at the top of fra~e 150 is operated, ~hereby lowering a movable block 154 along ver~ical guide rods 155. A push bar 157 is inserted within an opening in the block 154 and is coupled thereto by a spring 156 having a weak spring force so that upon displacement of the movable block in a downward direction, th~ push bar 157 is also lowered. Additionally, movable block 154 includes an integrally foTmed cam 158 (best illustrated in ~igure 37~ and a roller 159 adapted to be displaced in a counterclockwise direction in response to the downward displacement of movable block 158. Roller 159 is rotatably carried on a bell-crank 161 which bell-crank is pivo~ally mounted to block 160. Block 160 is integrally formed with the frame 150 and by the rotatable movement of the roller 159, a lower block 163 is slightly elevated by link 162, which link ls coupled to the other end of bsll-crank 161. A sleeve 164 is mounted on lower block 163 and together with a metal guide 1659 a second bell-crank 192, lever 168 pivotally secured to pin 167 a~ the lower end of ~leeve 164, and a lever 170 pivotally secured by a pin -:

~70~25 169 to lever 168, aro raised by tho eLcvatiorl ot` linlc 162. ~9 ~1 l`C'` lt thcreof, lead guide 121 and lead holder 12~, both providcd on tho lower cnd of the lcver 168 are raised. Accordingly, an electronic circuit elemcnt 17 held by chuck 15 in the position directly beneath the push bar 157 is vertic~lly clamped in the recess in the tip of the push bar 157 bctween the lead guide 121 and lead holder 122 thereby corresponding to the position illustrated in Figure 30(c) and accordingly, the chuck 15 is thereafter opened and displaced away from the circuit elemen~.
Thereafter, the block 154 is f~lrther lowered to bring the guide element to the position illustrated in Figure 30(d~. ;
As the block 154 is lowered, the roller 159 clears the cam 158, the lowering of block 154 effecting a corresponding lowering of the lower bloc'~
163 until the lower block 163 strikes a stopper (not shown) and thereby stops the downward displacement of the lead guide 121 and lead holder 122~ while the upper block 154 continues to be lowered. Since the resistance offered when the leads of the electronic circuit element 17 are urged into contact with the printed circuit board is greater than the spring force of the spring 156, the push bar 157 ceases to be displaced downwardly since the spring 156 is com-.
pressed ~mtil the head of pin 171 strikes the head of push bar 157, whereupon the electric circuit element 17 is urged ir.to the printed circuit substratesince spring 172 provides a sufficiently strong spring force. Once insertion is completed~ the cylinder 153 is retracted to raise the blocks 154 and 163.
As the lead guide 121 and lcad holder 122 are raised aftor completion of the insertion of the leadsg thcy are opened in the manner shown in Figure 30(f) so that they will completely clear the head of thc electronic circuit element 17, the mechanism for achicYing this effect being describcd llcrcin~fter.
The upper block 154 includcs a cam 1739 which cam during thc lowerillg thereof laterally displaces a rollcr 131~ which roller 131 effccts a col~tcr-cloclcwise (l~ig-~e 35) rPtation of lever 133 with respcct to lever 132, so that ., - , . . . .

~70~S

lever 132 is not effcctcd thcrcby. Howevcr, whcll bloclc 15~ is raised~ as the hill surfacc of the cam 173 engagcs thc rollcr 131 in thc upw~lrd d:ircctioll, ashoulder portion 134 of thc lever 133 str:i.kes the levcr 132 thereby ~ff'cctingro-tation of the levcr 132 about pin 135 rcsulting in a push pin 174 contacting a push block 175. As is particularly illustrated in Figure 38~ the push block 175 is provided with a rack 176~ whi.ch rack is coupled through gears 177 and 178 to a rack 180 provided on a further block 179 extending at a right-angle to the block 175. Accordingly, an inward movement of the push block 175 ef-fects a corresponding inward movement of further block 179. The movement of block 179 effects displacement of a roller 181, which roller is disposed on the inner surface of the block 179 disposed on lever 168~ so that lever 168 is displaced by the push block 1790 Accordingly~ the lever 168 is pivoted about pin 167. The pivoting of lever 168 is opposed by a spring 182 for re-turning the lever when the orce applied to push blade 179 is removed. At the same'time~ the outward movement of the pin 169 extending from the lever 168 causcs lever 170 to stroke a projection 184 projecting from the end of the stopper 183 to thereby inwardly displace the lead holder 122 secured to the end of the lever 170 to the open position illustrated at 122' in Figure 36.
; By this'arrangement3 contact of the head of the electronic circuit elenlent with the lead guide 121 or with the ].ead holder 122 is avoided. It is noted that a spring 200 thereby returns the respective gears 178 and 177 to the initial position.
I~hen thc elect,ronic circuit element 17 is to be inserted into a `~ circuit board at a right angle to the position at which same is gripped by the ; ; chuck 15, it is necessary to effect rotation thcreof by 90 about its vertical ~xis. To effect such rotation, either cylinder 185 or cylinder 186 providcd in the bloclc 164 (cylinder 185 in Figure 39) is actuated by pne~lati.c prcssure .:
means in response to a command signal, whercby lever 187 is rotatcd about pin ' 188 to bring a cylindcr 189 provi.dcd at a first cnd of thc lcver 187 to a :~ - 2~

,lr predeterminccl position dircctly a~ovc rollcr :L90, said positioll bcin~ ls~
trated in Figurc 35. Thereaftcr~ thc cyl:hldcr 189 is oycrated, thcrcby forcing rod head 191 to strike and lower the rollcr 190. Bell-crank 192 is thercby pivoted to permit the oppositc forked end 193 to move a pin 194 disposed thcrcin in a rightward direction. Pin 19~ ls mo~ted on a raclc 195, the raclc being slidably supported by a guide rail 196, ~hich guide rail is provided with a slot 197 for permitting movement of the pin 194 therethrough. With the movement , of pin 194, rack 195 is moved in the horizontal direction. The rack 195 is i disposed in meshi~lg engagement with pinion 198, which pinion is securely fitted 1 10 on the sleeve 164. The operation of the cylinder 189 therefore effects rotation i of sleeve 164 within the metal guide 165 coincident with the movement of push bar 157 an~ lever 168. The rotational angle of the sleeve 164 is set to 90 by a stopper. The resulting position of the sleeve 164 after a 90 rotation there-of dlsplaces the roller 181 on the direct inner side of the push block 175 so that same is directly operated by the push pin 174 without being under the control of the gears 177 and 178, restoring spring 199 being provided to restore the respective elements to their initial state.
It is noted, that the structure for permitting reorientation of the electronic circuit element 17 to a position 90 with respect to its initial clamp position~ renders it possible to design efficient apparatus for securing electronic circuit elements to printed circuit boards and more importantly permits the size of the printed circuit board to be reduced. Furthermore~ it is possible to omit the conventional step of resetting the printed circuit substratc Oll the table in a position of 90 with respcct to the previous posi-tion, thereby providing further ~Iprovements in the operational efficiency thereof.
Reference is now madc to Figures 3 through 6 whcrcin the table assembly 11 is illustrated. Thc table assemW y includes an X~Y table ~lit anl a lead cutting~and bending sub-assembly~ gcncrally indicated as 201. Thc X-Y

~ ~5 -.

~07~ 5 table assembly, particularly illustrat~d in Fi.g-lres 3 through 6 includes a Y-table 203 adapted to be moved along guide rails on a lower base 202 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper upon which Figure 3 is illustrated by an appropriate cylinder drive or pulse motor, and an X-table 204, which table can be moved along guide rails on the Y-table 203 within a horizontal plane in directions perpendicular to the directions of ~ovement of the Y-table 203 also by appropriate cylinder drive or pulse motor mechan-isms. Thus, the table assembly 11 permits the printed circuit board mounted on the X-table 204 to be brought to a desired position by coordinate movement of the X and Y tables 204 and 203 at right-angles with respect to each other.
The cutting and bending sub-assembly 201 is disposed directly beneath the insert assembly 10 and serves to cut any extra portions of the leads extending fro~ the rear surface of the printed circuit board and fur~her effects bending of the remaining lead portions. Referring specifically to Figures 40 and 41, the parallel leads 53 of the disc-shaped capacitor circuit element llS are inserted through the openings in the circuit substrate l9, whereafter a cylinder 206 secured to frame 205 is displaced toward the posi-tion of the circuit element in response to a lead cut-off command signal received thereby. The displacement of the cylinder 206 causes block 208 secured to a cam 207 ~o be moved by a rod 209. The cam face of cam 207 is oriented so that arm 210 is rotated about a pin 211 in the counterclockwise direction until the arm 210 becomes detached from the cam 237. The movement of the arm 210 is articulated by pin 212 to a non-rotational mold 213 and a rotational mold 214 thereby causing upward movement of a pinion to an upper : set position determined by stopper 216. Addîtionally, a boss 217 contacts an end wall 219 of a slot formed in the rack and effects advanceme~t of the ;~ rack 218. The pinion 215 and rotation mold 214 are rotated in response to the rack 218 being advanced, thereby severing the portions of the lead 53 by the blades 220 of the rotational mold 214 and blades 221 of ~he non-rotational mold 213. Thereafter, the rack 218 continues ~o be advanced .

.. .
. ~ . , :' I causing a co2~ti~ ed clockwisc rotltion o~ the pinion 215 and rotationa~
214. The remaining lead portions 53 arc thereforc guidcd by thc wa:Lls of tllC
chamfered portions 2~2 illustratcd in ~igures 42 and 43 and hcncc are bent by the subtly curved surfaces 223 of thc chamfcrs ~22, more specifically depicted ~ in Figure 43. Once bcnd~ng of the leads 53 is effected, the cylinder 206 is displacèd away from the circuit element thereby car:rying block 208 thcrewith until the boss 217 strikes the end 208 of the slot in the rack 218 to return the rack and thereby rotate the pinion ~15 in the counterclockwise direction.
~ Simultaneous therewith, cam 207 effects rotation of the arm 21~ about pin 11 i 10 in a clockwise direction under the biasing force of a spring 225 to thereb~
! lower the non-rotational mold 213, rotational mold 214 and pinion 215 so that the cylinder is returned to the initial position to thereb~ complete an entire.
machine cycle of the instant invention.
Referring specifically to Figures 44(a) through 44(e), the sequence ' through which the parallel leads 53 are inserted into the openings in the printed circuit board 19 to effect cutting and bending thereof is depicted.
Initially, as depicted in Figure 44(a) the leads 53 are inserted between the respective blade of the non-rotational and rotational molds 213 and 214. There-after, Figure 44(b) illustrates a state where the extra portions of the leads 53 are cut off by rotation of the rotational mold 214, whereaftel the remaining leads 53 are bent in mutually opposite directions by the chamfered portions ~ 2 of the rotational mold 214, as is illustratcd in Figure 44~c). Once the bendin~
: of the leads 53 is completed~ as depicted in Figure 44(d) the rotational mold 214 and non-rotational mold 213 are displaced away from the circuit board and element affixed thereto to thercby lcavc the element securcd to the circuit board at the rear surfacc thereof in the manner illustrated ln Figure 45.
It is noted that alt.hough the cuttin6 and bcnding sub-asscmbly can obtain thc fl~lctions clisclosccl by providin~ two bladc receiving opcni.n6s so *hat tlle rcspec tiYC leads can bc insertcd into the respcctiYe bladc rcceiving .
~7 ~L~7~Z5 openings, in order to facilitate corrcspondence of the bladc openings to the leads when the set statc of the pritlted circuit substrate is chan6cd by 90 , it is particularly effective to provide each mold with four blade openings as particularly illustrated in ~igure 42 or to utilize a combination of molds having blade openings when the circuit element has more than two parallel lcads.
~ It is noted that the machine assembly detailed above renders it possible to obtain highly efficient and precise processing and securing of electronic circuit elements to a circuit substrate, such as a printed circuit board, without requiring subsequent changing of the position of the ele~ents, thereby further insuring that soldering in the next step of formation will be effective. Moreover, the extra lead portions cut off can be easily collected to prevent any contamination of the machine process thereby, and additionally permit reuse thereof.
It is further noted that whereas the prior art was characteri~ed by an exclusive insert machine being required for each type of electronic circuit element to be secured to a printed circuit board, the instant invention permits a single machine to effect automatic insertion of the electronic circuit ele-ments into a printed circuit board in a sequential manner by merely supplying the NC programmer with an appropriate program.

~
,.

.

Claims (7)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH IN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. In a machine for automatically inserting parallel lead type circuit elements into openings in a printed circuit board, the improvement comprising;
insert means for receiving a circuit element at a predetermined position and inserting same to an inserted position; and board handling means for disposing said lead receiving openings in said circuit substrate in alignment with said circuit element so that said parallel leads of said respective circuit ele-ments are received in said receiving openings when same are displaced to said inserted position, said insert means including plunger means adapted to en-gage said circuit element at said predetermined position and displace said circuit element from said predetermined position to said inserted position.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said insert means includes holding means adapted to grip said circuit element when same is displaced to said predetermined position by said transfer means and continues to grip said circuit elements during displacement by said plunger means from said pre-determined position to said inserted position, and hold releasing means for releasing the grip of said holding means when said parallel leads are dis-placed to said inserted position.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said board handling means includes lead bending means for bending the ends of said parallel leads pro-jecting through said openings in said circuit substrate when said circuit ele-ment is displaced to said inserted position.

.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said insert means includes lead guide means having grooves for receiving and directing the circuit ele-ment parallel leads, lead holder means adapted to cooperatively engage said lead guide means and thereby effect a gripping of said circuit element paral-lel leads therebetween said plunger means including a push bar adapted to en-gage said circuit element when same is gripped by said lead guide means and lead holder means and displace said circuit element parallel leads to said inserted positon under the guiding control of said lead guide means.

5. A machine as claimed in claim in 3, wherein said lead bending means further includes Cutting means for cutting away portions of said parallel leads extending through said openings in said circuit substrate prior to the bending of the remaining portions of said leads extending through the openings in said circuit substrate.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said lead guide means, lead holder means and push bar are adapted to be rotated about the vertical axis to effect angular reorientation of said circuit element prior to displacement of same from said predetermined position to said inserted position.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said lead bending and cut-ting means includes a first rotatable mold having a plurality of spaced blade holes, each of said blade holes defining a cutting edge surface facing in the direction through which said rotatable mold means is adapted to be rotat-ed, said edged surface terminating in a subtly curved surface, and a non-rotatable mold coaxially disposed with respect to said rotatable mold, said non-rotatable mold including the same number of blade holes as said rotatable mold, the blade holes in said non-rotatable mold being aligned with the blade holes in said rotatable mold when said circuit element is displaced from said predetermined position to said inserted position.