GB1330707A - Article handling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1330707 Rotary conveyers INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP 18 Dec 1970 [31 Dec 1969] 60209/70 Heading B8A A rotating spider assembly 14 has eight arms each carrying a vacuum pencil pick-up head. A second spider assembly 16 is fixed rotationally but is reciprocable vertically. When the arms of the assembly 14 are stationary they are in vertical alignment with the arms of the assembly 16, and the latter is then lowered (by means, not shown) so that heads 96 carried by the arms, can engage members 106 on respectively aligned arms of the lower assembly. This results in the lower arms, which are so engaged, being flexed due to the construction of these arms being of spring steel 56, 58. The heads 96 are formed with a pattern of radially and circumferentially spaced projections which can be selectively positioned to align with spaced projections (128), (130) Fig. 5, (not shown) on the associated member 106 where these are also suitably and selectively positioned. By this means, the pencils 62 may be selectively depressed at any of eight stations (two only- 120 and 122-visible in Fig. 1) positioned below the respective arms of the upper assembly 16. In this way, semi-conductors are picked up from a supply station 120 and are carried round to six processing or testing stations. Each head 96 is retained in its selected position by a spring stop 118 which engages one of a series of notches in a peripheral rim of the head. Each pencil 62 is connected by a pipe 72 to a central manifold leading via an adjustment valve assembly to three inlet conduits 153, 155, 157. The supply to these conducits is controlled by a pneumatic logic unit 15. Pressure air for blow off, or steady state vacuum, is supplied by conduit 153, steady state vacuum is supplied by conduit 155, and interruptable vaccuum is supplied by conduit 157. The control manifold is formed by a stationary plate 40 formed with a series of circumferential channels (Fig. 4, not shown), a stationary plate 42 (Fig. 3, not shown) having a further series of circumferential channels, axially extending bores, and radially extending channels, and a plate formed by a flange 38 of the drive shaft 48 of the lower spider assembly. The plate 42 has two manually adjustable valves 200 (202) (Figs. 2 and 9, not shown) which enable the conduits 153, 155, and 157 to be connected up to the pencils 62 according to different selectable programmes of operation.