GB1580284A

GB1580284A - Apparatus for processing the connecting wires of electrical components

Info

Publication number: GB1580284A
Application number: GB2015578A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: WERESCH T
Current assignee: WERESCH T
Priority date: 1977-05-17
Filing date: 1978-05-17
Publication date: 1980-12-03
Also published as: CH629912A5; JPS549581A; FR2391029A1; FR2391029B1; CH640981A5

Abstract

A device is specified for processing the connecting wires of electrical components (8), which device operates fully automatically and, in particular, permits the bending, crimping and cutting to length of the connecting wires of transistors or the like. At least one tool set, having a fixed and pivotable tool (53, 54), is arranged on a rotatable carrier (52). The components (8) are gripped at a handover point of a conveyor device (4) by the fixed tool (53) which is next in the rotation direction and, subsequently, the pivotable tool (54) is controlled into the closing position of the tools, the processing of the connecting wires taking place and, finally, control into the open position, in which the components (8) are ejected. The processing of the connecting wires takes place during the rotation of the tools (53, 54) with the carrier (52), the tools (53, 54) in this case being controlled by a fixed-position cam disc. Various designs are specified which, in particular, also relate to strain relief of the connecting wires during the processing and to measures for safe ejection of the components (8). <IMAGE>

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING THE CONNECTING WIRES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS (71) I, THOMAS WERESCH, of Greschbachstrasse, 19, D-7500 Karlsruhe 41, Federal Republic of Germany, of German nationality, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to apparatus for processing connecting wires of a succession of electrical components such as transistors or the like and comprising at least one storage container which stores the components to be processed, at least one pair of forming tools which are adjustable relative to each other and shape the connecting wires between them, and at least one cutting tool disposed downstream of the pair of forming tools.

The invention is intended mainly for processing the connecting wires of transistors but can be basically used for all components whose connecting wires are also disposed on one side of the component. Processing of such connecting wires refers mainly to bending, beading (or crimping, i.e. providing a kinked or offset portion) and cutting to length, i.e. steps by means of which such transistors are prepared for insertion into a circuit board or the like. This gives rise to the problem that because of their asymmetrical construction such components cannot be readily conveyed in a continuous manner for transfer to a processing machine.

Moreover, the connecting wires must be bent and beaded in different directions so that the tools must also be constructed and guided in a relatively complex manner. Known devices of the kind described hereinbefore do not therefore operate fully automatically but instead the components must be manually supplied to the tools. For example it is known (from practical operation) to manually place the components into recesses of a turret plate so that the body of the component is situated in the recess and is subsequently guided past stationary processing tools by rotation of the turret plate which must be stopped at each processing station. The use of such known devices of the kind described hereinbefore is therefore very labour-intensive and permits only an unsatisfactory output to be achieved.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus of the kind described in the introductory paragraph hereof, which operates fully automatically and enables the output to be substantially increased.

According to the invention, in such apparatus: (a) the forming tools are disposed on the periphery of a support which is rotatable about a stationary axis of rotation, one of the tools of the pair being fixedly disposed and the other tool pivotably disposed, (b) a stationary disc cam is provided to drive the pivotable tool from an open position of the forming tools into a closed position thereof in the course of rotation of the support, (c) at least one conveying device is provided to supply the components in closely adjacent succession to the forming tools, this device being disposed between the storage container and the rotatable support, (d) at the place of transfer of successive components to the forming tools the conveying device has a transfer slit disposed approximately at the height of the tools, extending in the direction of rotation of the tools and being open in this direction, in which transfer slit the component is supported and through which slit the connecting wires extend vertically downwards, and (e) the arrangement is such that when the forming tools are in the open position a component supported in the transfer slit is seized by the fixed tool, which follows the pivotable tool in the direction of rotation, and the pivotable tool is subsequently driven into the closed position.

By contrast to known devices the components are not transferred step by step with respect to stationary tools. Instead, according to the invention, the components are removed by the tools from the stationary transfer slit and processed by the said tools during circulation. The movements necessary for retention and forming of the component during rotation are imparted to the tools by the disc cam. The support need not be intermittently stopped and again accelerated but can rotate continuously. Delays which could reduce the output also do not occur in the region of the transfer so that the output rate depends solely on the capacity of the conveyor device which can in principle be of conventional kind.

The support is advantageously constructed as a disc or plate, the periphery of which can be provided with several sets of tools. Advantageously the system is arranged so that the pivotable tool can pivot about a pivoting axis which is parallel with the axis of rotation. The disc cam for controlling the pivotable tool in one advantageous embodiment has a circular arcuate section of large diameter and a circular arcuate section of small diameter, joined to each other by steep transitions and the section of smaller diameter is substantially associated with the transfer place. Above the circular arcuate section of larger diameter the tools are in the closed position in which the connecting wires are formed and cut to length. At the beginning of the steep transition to the circular arcuate section of smaller diameter the movable tool pivots into the open position so that the component is released and ejected. The tools attain their widest opening over the circular arcuate section of small diameter where said tools pass by the transfer slit so that the trailing fixed tool grips the next component. The pivotable tool is moved into the closed position in the course of further rotation and where appropriate it is guided by a follower roller which slides or rolls along the disc cam. Steep transitions are recommended between portions of the curve because this achieves short control distances and therefore a space-saving arrangement and because the opening and closing motions take place very rapidly so that the components do not drop out of the tools unintentionally. For this reason it can also be advantageous that the construction of the cam flank which closes the tools is steeper than that of the opening flank.

The pivotable tool can be urged by means of a spring into the open position. This particularly simple embodiment is recommended more particularly if the speed of rotation of the carrier is relatively low. For higher speeds of rotation it can however be necessary for the spring to be re latively hard so that controlling the timing of the pivoting motion is performed with the necessary accuracy. As a consequence, substantial forces must be applied for the operation of the tools and these lead to undesirably high stresses on the material and furthermore to substantial noise. This can be avoided if the disc cam is additionally provided with an opening cam by means of which the pivotable tool can be driven from the closed into the open position. The previously explained part of the disc cam, by means of which the pivotable tool is transferred into the closed position, is referred to as the working cam for the purpose of distinction. In this way the invention embodies a positive control for the pivotable tool which dispenses with the need for a spring for resetting the pivotable tool so that only mass forces, and no spring force, need to be overcome on the transition from the open into the closed'position and vice versa. Accordingly, precise control of the timing of the process can also be achieved at high rotational speeds while suitable construction of the working and opening cam restricts the resultant accelerations to permissible limits.

The working cam and the opening cam can each be associated with its own follower roller which is connected to the pivotable tool to permit separate adjustment of the opening and closing operation. The working cam must not only provide mass forces for accelerating the pivotable tool but must also provide the processing forces and is therefore correspondingly strongly constructed, for example in solid form. The opening cam, which must supply only low forces, can be constructed less robustly and can comprise a sheet metal strip which is mounted on the circumference of the disc cam and can also be subsequently attached in a simple manner.

In known machines the connecting wires are merely clamped between the tools and deformed. This gives rise not only to forces acting transversely to the connecting wires but also in the direction of the wire so that there is a risk that the connecting wires are torn out of the body of the component. It is therefore advisable to provide for tensile stress relief of the connecting wires with respect to the component body, at least in rapidly operating machines.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, such tensile stress relief is achieved by the provision above each of the tools of respective cooperating members of a holder which directly clamps the connecting wires of the components beneath the component body, both said members being supported under the action of a spring and a stop abutment with limited movability relative to the tool associated therewith, and in the course of the closing motion of the pivotable tool the holder member associated therewith is entrained until it bears on the other member and subsequently - at the commencement of the actual operating motion -- the latter member is also entrained against the spring supporting it and finally, when the two holder members are stationary, the pivotable tool is moved into the closed position against the spring which Supports the associated member.

In this embodiment the connecting wires are first clamped between the holder members in the course of the closing motion of the tools and are thus relieved of tensile stress in relation to the component member. This is followed by the holder members co-executing the forming motion of the connecting wires, initially in one direction. Finally, when the holder members are at rest, forming takes place in the opposite direction because the pivotable tool can continue to move through the distance required for forming after the holder and workholder have stopped.

Advantageously the spring which supports the holder on the pivotable tool is made stronger, i.e. it is dimensioned to have a spring force which is higher than that of the spring which supports the workholder on the fixed tool. In the course of the closing motion the pivotable tool and the holder initially move together towards the other tool and the associated holder member.

At the moment at which the first holder member reaches the second holder member the latter is entrained because, by virtue of the stronger spring, the first member continues to be moved together with the tool. The weaker spring of the second member is then compressed so that the latter moves back in relation to the stationary tool associated with it so that forming takes place in the first direction. If the spring of the second member is compressed, the spring of the holder member associated with the pivotable tool will also be compressed so that the tool is able to continue to move under the holder and the connecting wires are formed in the opposite direction.

The tools can be adjustably disposed directly on the support or - in a preferred embodiment - on support arms which are mounted on the support. The support, for example in the form of a support disc can be interchangeable with a support having different tools. In this way the machines can be rapidly reset for different tools to permit setting up for different shapes of connecting wires, different sizes of components or the like in the shortest possible time. Instead of exchanging the entire support it is also possible for the tools to be interchangeably mounted on the support arms. Finally, the support arms can also be interchangeably mounted on the support disc.

To facilitate installation or removal of the tools or of the support arms which accommodate them the fixed tool can be interchangeably mounted by means of a support arm on the support disc and the support arm of the pivotable tool can be connected to the support arm of the fixed tool by means of a pivoting bearing.

In this way the entire tool set can be readily installed and exchanged.

The finished component will not generally drop out of the tool by itself but must be ejected, since the forming tools, at least to the extent to which they are used for beading the connecting wires, have relatively sharp-edged profiles. This operation can be performed with an ejector which is mounted in a stationary position, grips the component by its body and/ or its connecting wires and comprises a rotating finger, an eccentric disc or the like. The said ejector must rotate more rapidly than the support disc so that it moves from the rear upon the component and ejects it to the front owing to its higher speed. For this purpose the ejector can also be transmissively coupled to the support disc.

It is also possible and especially advantageous to dispose a co-rotating ejector on the fixed tool to which the component generally adheres, which said ejector is actuated by a stationary control element in the course of rotation of the support.

An ejector of this kind can, for example, comprise a pivoting lever supported on the fixed tool or on the support arm thereof with an ejector nose situated in the region of the component body and an ejector nose in the region of the connecting wires, and can be pivoted by means of a stationary stop abutment from an inoperative position in which it does not obstruct the tools, against a spring which retains it at that position, so that the said ejector grips the component by its body and its connecting wires to detach it from the tool. This construction of the ejector offers the advantage that the component can be gripped by means of the two ejector noses at two different places and is therefore not ejected in every case and more particularly cannot jam within the tool.

As regards the operation of the ejector it is particularly advantageously possible to utilize the previously explained positive control of the pivotable tool by the working and opening cam of the disc cam. To this end the invention proposes the provision of a driver arm which is connected to the pivotable tool and is engaged with the ejector. The driver arm utilizes the movement of the pivotable tool to actuate the ejector. This has been found substantially simpler and more reliable than operation of the ejector by means of a stationary stop abutment, a disc cam or the like. It also achieves accurate and clearly defined timing between opening of the tools and ejection of the processed component. Accurate operation of the ejector can also be achieved if this is supported on the pivotable tool for any reason. If the driver arm is disposed on the fixed tool the ejector will be correspondingly withdrawn from the pivotable tool on transition into the open position.

As regards manufacturing tolerances it is advisable to arrange for engagement of the driver arm on the ejector so that it permits at least a specific clearance or that such engagement takes places only in the opening direction.

In the opposite direction the ejector can be pulled by spring force as already explained. Engagement of this kind can be achieved if the driver arm grips behind a projection or pin of the ejector by means of a claw or if the driver arm engages by means of a pin in a slot of the ejector. The driver arm can also be rigidly connected to the pivotable tool or its tool support or can be pivotably supported thereon and can be retained in engagement with the ejector by means of spring force. In any case, it is advantageous if the ejector is supported so as to be pivotable about an axis which is parallel with the axis of rotation, more particularly directly on the fixed tool so that a compact subassembly is obtained.

It is advantageous to provide the tools with a plurality of so-called combs which co-operate in pairs during the closing motion in accordance with the particular processing requirements and in any case with a view to obtaining precise guiding of the components in the course of ejection thereof. Advantageously at least two of such combs are provided in each case and the ejector is disposed between the combs of the stationary tool. It will then be particularly advantageously possible to construct the ejector itself as a comb to be utilized in the processing, for example the beading or the bending of the connecting wires. To this end the ejector is arranged parallel with and between the substantially flat combs.

In another advantageous embodiment the ejector has two ejector arms which are parallel with each other and are connected to each other by means of a connecting web, forming a Ushaped cross-section, and enclose between them one of the combs, preferably the uppermost comb, of the fixed tool. The bottom ejector arm acts on the connecting wires and the top arm on the component body, thus providing a very compact construction which also ensures rectilinear and trouble-free ejection of the components. If tensile stress relief is provided for the connecting wires as already explained it will be advantageous if the ejector arms enclose between them the workholder associated with the fixed tool and the top comb of the fixed tool.

The cutting tool provided for cutting the connecting wires to length after bending and beading advantageously comprises a rotatably supported round knife which is fixedly disposed in the path of motion of the tools.

The conveying device is provided with a trough which is inclined towards the support discs and whose bottom is provided in known manner with a continuous slit through which the connecting wires extend. It is particularly important that the end of this slit merges into the transfer slit. Advantageously, a separating slide, which engages between the body of the component in the transfer slit and is moved by the support disc into the separating position when a tool pair passes by, is disposed upstream of the place at which the slit merges into the transfer slit. The separating slide ensures that the tool can grip only one component which is disposed in the ready position in the transfer slit. The separating slide also prevents the tool touching or gripping the next component and thus pressing it against the slit of the trough floor and damaging it. The separating slide also ensures that the component in the transfer slit is always in the intended position and can be reliably taken over.

According to another feature of the invention the wall of the transfer slit nearest to the support disc is constructed as a holder which bears resiliently on the body of the component and is pivoted into the open position from a position in which the body of the component in the transfer slit is lightly clamped between each separating slide, when this component is gripped by the passing tool, and is subsequently pivoted back. The said holder can be biased in the simplest manner by a spring which presses it against the body of the component. By virtue of this construction the component cannot tilt during transfer nor can it be thrown out of the transfer slit by the impact of the tool because increased friction occurs between the component body and the pivoting holder due to the presence of the spring force. On the other hand, the spring is so lightly dimensioned that it does not offer any substantial resistance to the component in the course of the outward motion. As soon as the component leaves the transfer slit the holder is pivoted back into the closed position.

A nose, which acts on the separating slide by means of a roller supported thereon to move it into the separating position, can be disposed on the support disc in the region of the tools to control the separating slide. Advantageously, the nose is resiliently yieldingly constructed or correspondingly supported to prevent the component being damaged in the event of a fault.

Conveniently, the trough and the transfer slit are vertically adjustable with respect to the tools. A vertical adjustability of approximately 1 mm is sufficient because its purpose is merely to enable the component to be transferred in such manner that the holder members for providing relief from tensile stress do not act directly beneath the component body but at a slight distance therefrom. This feature also prevents possible damage of the component body.

Moreover, when being formed or shaped, the connecting wire can also be slightly drawn into the tools but cannot be pulled out of the component body.

Advantageously the storage container is constructed as a vibratory cup to whose top edge the trough is attached. Such vibratory cups are also known as spiral vibrators and their purpose is, by virtue of the vibratory motion, to elevate small components, thrown at random into the cup, on a rising guide track and thus to individualise them. For this purpose the guide track can be constructed so that all components are aligned in the same manner and can be transferred into the trough so that the connecting wires extend downwardly through the slit in the bottom of the trough.

Such orientation of the connecting wires can be achieved if the spiral guide track has an inlet portion and an orienting portion and the bottom end of the orienting portion commences beneath the top end of the inlet portion and the orientating portion has a retaining edge situated at a distance from the wall of the vibratory cup and pointing towards the wall and being radially downwardly inclined towards the middle of the cup. This ensures that at the top end of the inlet portion the components drop over the end edge thereof downwardly onto the orienting portion and the component body is retained by the retaining edge while the connecting wires orient themselves radially by virtue of gravity.

Components which are not retained in this manner by the retaining edge drop over the orienting portion downwardly on to the floor of the cup and are again conveyed to the top.

At the top end of the orienting portion there is disposed a sorting device which allows only those components to pass which have the intended orientation about their longitudinal axis while incorrectly oriented components are thrown off.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective general view of an apparatus embodying the invention, Figure 2 shows perspective views of two components, Figure 3 is a side view of the conveying device, Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the conveying device with a broken-away partial view of the tool support, Figure 5 is an end view of the trough or the transfer place as seen from the tool support, Figure 6 is an exploded view showing the tool support and the disc cam, Figure 7 shows a detail of tools and tool supports from above, Figure 8 is a detail view of tools and tool Supports from the side, Figure 9 is a detail view of tools and tool supports from below in an embodiment which is modified with respect to that shown in Figure 8, Figure 10 is a plan view of a stationary tool with ejector, Figure 11 is an end view of what is shown in Figure 10, Figure 12 shows different operating positions of tools and ejectors in simplified form and in section.

The apparatus shown in Figure 1 comprises a housing 1 with a control console 2, a storage container 3, a conveying device 4, connected thereto and a tool support 5 which is covered, for example by means of a transparent hood 6 through which the conveying device extends.

An electric motor and, where appropriate, a transmission for driving the tool support 5 is disposed in the housing 1. The storage container 3 is constructed as a vibratory cup (spiral vibrator) and, for this purpose, is mounted on a vibrator disposed in the cylindrical housing 7.

The apparatus is provided for processing electrical components whose connecting wires are disposed on only on side, for example, transistors. Two components 8 of this kind are shown in Figure 2. The component shown on the left comprises a cylindrical member 81 and three connecting wires 82, 83, 84 which initially extend parallel with each other and in this embodiment are bent to two different sides (82, 83 or 84) and are to be provided with beaded, crimped or kinked portions 85. The other component 8 in Figure 1 differs from the first in that the body 89 is constructed part-cylindrically and the connecting wires 86, 87, 88 are bent at a distance from the bottom endface of the body. Moreover, in both cases, the ends of the connecting wires 82, 83, 84 or 86, 87, 88 are again bent beneath the beaded portions 85 to permit resilient insertion of the "legs" into the apertures of a conventional circuit board.

In the initial state with parallel connecting wires the components 8 are fed loosely and at random into the vibratory cup 3. The vibratory cup 3 is provided with an inlet portion 32 of a spiral ramp which rises from the bottom 31 and on which the components slowly travel and are individualized and by virtue of the kind of vibration and their mass distribution the components travel preferentially along the wall 22 until they reach an edge 34. At that place they drop on to the orienting portion 35 of the ramp which is situated at a distance from the wall 33. This results in alignment of the components 8 so that the bodies of the components 8 hang freely in the space between the orienting portion 35 and the wall 33 without being supported, while the connecting wires bear on the orienting portion 35. For this purpose the latter is inclined towards the centre of the container. The angle of inclination increases so that the components are situated on the top portion 36 of the ramp 35 in a distinctly inclined position with the connecting wires pointing downwardly. The components then pass into the conveying device 4 comprising a guide plate 37 which guides the components by their body and places them into an approximately vertical position with the connecting wires pointing downwardly. The conveying device 4 is provided with a trough 41 (Figure 3) which can, if necessary, be closed to form a duct by means of a cover 42. The trough 41 is supported by a pedestal 43 on the machine housing 1 (Figure 1) such that the trough can be vertically adjusted, for example by means of an adjusting screw 44. The trough is inclined at an angle and at the bottom 45 is provided with a longitudinal slit 46 (Figure 4). The connecting wires of the components 8 extend through the slit (Figure 3) while the body slides on the floor 45 of the trough. The components are situated closely adjacent to each other in the trough by virtue of the gradient of the trough 41 and because of the constant thrust applied by fresh components from the vibratory cup 3. At its bottom end the trough 41 merges into a hori zontal portion 47 of short length where it is provided with a transfer device 410 which transfers the components individually to the tool support 5.

The transfer device 410 has a slit 411 which continues the slit 46 in the bottom 45 of the trough 41 and merges at its end into a transfer slit 412. The slit 412 extends approximately in the direction of the rotation of the tool carrier, indicated by the arrow 51, or parallel with a tangent to the circulating path. The slit is also open in the circulating direction. The component 9 which leads in the conveying direction therefore passes from the slit 46 of the trough into the transfer slit 412 and can be removed towards the open side thereof.

A separating slide 413, pivotably supported on a block 415 of the transfer device 410 by means of a bolt 414 is provided to separate the said component 9 from the next following component 9 at the moment of removal to prevent the other components slipping forward.

The separating slide is under the action of a compression spring 416 (Figure 5) which retains it in the open position and thrusts the separating slide against a stop abutment surface 417. The separating slide can be pivoted against the spring, for example via the control roller 418 which bears thereon, and the edge 419 of the slide can penetrate between the head 91 of the component 9 and the head 81 of the component 8. The connecting wires 92 of the component 9 extend through the transfer slit 412 and project downwardly.

The front wall of the transfer slit 412 is formed by a horizontal holder 420 which is pivotably supported on a bolt 421, mounted on a block 415, and is under the action of a spring, not shown, which thrusts it into the position shown in Figure 4 in which the transfer slit has its narrowest cross-section. The surface of the pivoting holder 420 nearest to the transfer slit 412 bears on the body 91 of the component 9 so that this is clamped with slight force under the action of a spring, not shown between the pivoting holder 420 and the separating slide 413 and can be removed towards the open end of the transfer slit only against the aforementioned force and the pivoting holder 420 pivots outwardly into the position shown in broken lines in Figures 3 and 4.

The transfer device 410 transfers the components to the tool support 5 (Figure 1) the parts of which are shown in detail in Figures 6 to 11. Reference will first be made to the diagrammatic exploded view shown in Figure 6.

In the illustrated embodiment the tool support 5 is constructed as a circular support disc 52 but it can also be constructed as a rot formed on the part which leads in the direction of rotation 51. The conditions are made clear by Figure 9 which is a bottom view of the support plate 52 with a tool set and cams 61, 62. The view is diagrammatic in that the construction of the connection between the working cam 61 and the opening cam 62 by the disc cam 58 is not shown. It can clearly be seen how the follower roller 545, connected to the pivotable tool 54, is guided by the inlet part 63 to a smaller radius when entering the transition 585 in the direction of rotation 51 so that the pivotable tool 54 is pivoted about the pivoting axis 535 into the open position. At the end of the opening cam 62 the follower roller meets the rise 586 which extends to the portion 583 so that the pivotable tool 54 is again transferred into the closed position in the direction of the arrow 544.

A holding device comprising two members 551, 561, each in the form of a plate, is arranged on the top of the bending and beading tools 53, 54, (Figure 7). The member 551 associated with the pivotable tool (which member will hereinafter be referred to as the "holder") is provided with a nose 552 and the member 561 associated with the fixed tool 54 (which member will hereinafter be referred to as the "counterholder") has a corresponding recess. The leading edge 553 of the holder and the mating edge 563 of the counterholder provide relief from tensile pull on the connecting wires while they are being deformed, in that for the duration of the forming operation the connecting wires are directly clamped beneath the body of the component. For this purpose the holder 551 and the counterholder 561 both have limited pivotability with respect to the tools 53, 54, for example they are supported by means of shafts (not shown) on the support arms 533, 543. The holder 551 is biased by a compression spring 554 and the counterholder is biased by a compression spring 564. Both have a slit 555 or 565 into each of which engages a limiting stop 556, 566 which is mounted on the support arms of the tools. The holder 551 and the counterholder 561 can thus move relative to the tools 53, 54 and against the compression springs 554, 564 by the amount of length of the slits 555 or 565 in accordance with the directional arrows 557, 567. One of the two springs - the spring 564 in the illustrated example - is adjustable, for example by means of a screw 568.

This is to ensure that, if the tensile relief edges 553,563 of the holder 551 and counterholder 561 are in contact, it is the latter which deflects in each case. The reason for this will be explained below.

After the connecting wires have been formed or shaped it is possible for them to remain in the fixed tool 53. An ejector is provided to prevent this effect and to ensure that the finished component is always delivered at the same place of the device, for example into a delivery chute (not shown). The ejector illustrated in the embodiment shown in Figure 8 comprises a lever 571 which is pivotably supported between the forming tools 531 or 541 and the support disc 52 on the support arm 533 at 572 and is biased by a tension spring 573. This returns the ejector to a vertical position in which it does not obstruct the forming operation. The ejector 571 has an outwardly extending arm with an ejector nose 574, bent above the counterholder 561, and a further ejector nose 575 which engages from the side between the forming halves of the tools. The top ejector nose 574 acts against the body of the component while the bottom ejector nose acts against the connecting wires. The ejector 571 also has a downwardly extending arm 576 which moves against a stop abutment, not shown, for example mounted on the cover plate 11 of the housing 1, for the purpose of ejecting. The stop abutment is so arranged that in the course of rotation of the support disc 52 it comes into operation only when the forming operation is completed and the tools 53, 54 are again open. The stop abutment tilts the ejector 571 about its axis 572 so that it assumes the position shown in dash-dot lines and detaches the component from the fixed tool 53.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 9 the ejector 591 is supported on the stationary tool 53 and can be pivoted about a pivoting shaft 592 which is parallel with the axis of rotation of the support disc 52. The ejector 592 is actuated by a driver arm 593 which is rigidly connected to the support arm 543 of the pivotable tool 54 and by means of a claw 595, grips behind a pin 594 which is provided on the ejector 591. This arrangement ensures that the ejector 591 is positively actuated when the tools are opened.

Further details are disclosed in Figures 10 and 11. The manner in which the stationary tool 53 is provided with two so-called combs 601, 602 for processing the connecting wires can be seen, said combs being substantially flat structures, arranged parallel with each other and are connected on the rear by a tool member or body 603. Though not apparent from the drawing, the comb structures can be displaced relative to each other in a direction which is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in accordance with the arrangement of the connecting wires. Combs (not shown) of the associated pivotable tool 54 correspond to the combs associated with the stationary tools 53 and illustrated in Figures 10 and 11. Figures 10 and 11 also show a counterholder 561 which is adjustable in the closing direction with respect to the stationary tool 53 against the bias of a spring and, in the manner already explained and in conjunction with the corresponding holder disposed on the pivotable tool, ensures relief from tensile stress on the connecting wires during processing.

The ejector 591 has two ejector arms 596, 597 which are parallel with each other and are connected to each other by means of a connecting web 598 so that the ejector lever 591 is constructed in U-configuration over part of its length. A pin 604 which extends through the ejector lever 591 in the rear portion thereof and through the stationary tool 53 is provided to support the ejector lever 591 on the fixed tool 53.

A pin 904, which is provided on the one hand for the engagement of the claw 595 (see Figure 9) and on which on the other hand a spring 605 acts for pulling back the ejector lever 591 into its inoperative position shown in Figures 10, 11, also extends through the said ejector lever 591. The bottom ejector arm 597 is disposed between the two combs 601, 602 of the stationary tool 53 and the two ejector arms 596, 597 also enclose between them the top comb 601 of the stationary tool 53 and the counterholder 561. The arrangement is such that in the inoperative position the bottom ejector arm 597 bears on the tool member 603 and thus simultaneously functions as part of the stationary tool 53 while the connecting wires are processed.

A block 523 on which a control element 525 in the form of a spring tongue or resilient reed is mounted by means of screws 524 is situated on the support disc 52 in the region of the tool 53, 54. The spring tongue is bent slightly upwardly on its edge 526 which leads in the circumferential direction and is provided for controlling the separating slide 413 (Figures 3 to 5) and to this end acts against the follower roller 418 in order to pivot it into the separating position when the tools 53, 54 pass by the transfer slit 412. The resilient spring construction enables the tongue 525 to yield upwardly in the event of a fault such as jamming.

The method of operation of the apparatus is as follows.

The components 8 are disposed in closely adjacent configuration in the slit 46 of the trough 41 and in the slit 411 of the transfer device 410 (Figure 4). The leading component 9 is situated at the transition between the slit 411 to the transfer slit 412 and is laterally guided at that position by the pivotable holder 420.

The support disc 52 rotates continuously in the direction 51 and the tools 53, 54 open and close once in each rotation. The open position is obtained by virtue of the arrangement of the disc cam 58 (Figures 6 and 7) where the completely processed component is ejected and this position is maintained until the tools 53, 54 enter the region of the transfer device 410 (Figure 4). The tool 54, which advances in the circulating direction 51, bears by means of its follower roller 545 on that portion 584 of the disc cam 58 which has the smaller diameter (Figure 7), so that on the one hand the opening angle of the tools is a maximum and on the other hand the tool 54 is displaced slightly inwardly towards the centre of the support disc 52 in relation to the tool 53. By virtue of this displacement the outer edge 547 of the tool (Figure 4) passes by the connecting wires of the component 9 disposed in the transfer slit 412 without touching these wires. Furthermore, the transfer device 410 is arranged in relation to the support disc 52 at a height which is such that the top of the tools 53, 54 passes by directly beneath the transfer slit 412. This is indicated in Figure 3 by the dash-dot line 536. While the pivotable tool 54 passes by the connecting wires 92 of the component 9 (Figures 3 and 4) the fixed tool 53 will be arranged on the support disc 52 so that it grips the component by its connecting wires 92, initially by means of the recess 562 in the counterholder 561. The spring tongue or resilient reed 525 will have previously pivoted the separating slide 413 into the separating position by means of the follower roller 418 in the manner already described so that the component 9 is separated from the next following component 8 and when being gripped by the next tool 53 is removed from the transfer slit 412 while the pivoting holder 429 simultaneously pivots upwardly (Figure 4).

Thereafter the spring tongue 525 again releases the follower roller 418 so that the component 8 can slip into the position of the component 9.

As soon as the component 9 has been gripped the follower roller 545 of the preceding tool 54 passes on to the steep transition 585 of the disc cam and is therefore accelerated towards the fixed tool 53 against the direction of rotation 51 (arrow 544 in Figure 7) and finally reaches the position 558 indicated in Figure 7 in dashdot lines for the holder 555, in which position the recess 562 of the counterholder 561 is closed by the nose 552 of the holder 551 and the connecting wires 92 are finally clamped firmly between the edges 553 and 563. This position is shown in Figure 12a.

The follower roller 545 of the tool 54 continues to move along the steep transition 586 of the disc cam 58 and the counterholder 561 of the fixed tool 53 is displaced to the left in the drawing against the force exerted by the spring 564, i.e. it is deflected back against the actual forming tool 531 and reaches the position shown in Figure 12b. The forming tool 541 will then be able to engage with the forming tool 531 and one or two connecting wires 92 - depending on the arrangement thereof can be bent in one direction. Finally the holder 551 will also move back relative to the forming tool 541 because the spring 564 will then be compressed and the spring 554 will yield. The forming tools 531, 541 will then be more deeply engaged so that all connecting wires are formed as indicated in Figure 12c. The beads are fonned on the connecting wires either simultaneously or subsequently. During the entire forming operation the connecting wires 92 are relieved from tensile stress with respect to the body of the component because the holder 551 and the counterholder 561 remain in the clamped position and follow tlie deformation motion without needing any separate control to this end.

When the tools 53, 54 are in the closed position, which is reached when the follower roller 545 of the tool 54 moves along the portion 583 of the disc cam, the components are guided past the stationary cutting tool 59, whose cutting wheel shears the connecting wires to the specified dimension. Thereafter the follower roller 545 moved again inwardly on the steep transition of the disc cam 58 so that the tools 53, 43 open. Figure 1 2d shows the beginning of the opening phase in which the tools 54, 53 are already moving away from each other while the connecting wires are still clamped between the counterholder 561 and the holder 551. The ejector arms 596, 597 will then still be in their inoperative position. As opening continues the counter-holder 561 and the holder 551 move away from each other and by virtue of its spring biasing the counterholder 561 follows the opening motion by a limited amount. Reliable ejection of the transistor 9 cannot however be achieved in this way.

Figure 12e finally shows the tools 53, 54 in the fully open position with the outwardly pivoted ejector 591. The top ejector arm 596 acts on the housing of the transistor 9 while the bottom ejector arm 597 acts on the connecting wires 92. Accordingly, the transistor 9 is reliably and effectively ejected from the stationary tool 53. It should be noted that corresponding measures are not necessary for the pivotable tool 54 because, by contrast to the stationary tool, this does not have very deep forming spaces. In practice the tools 53, 54 can normally be constructed so that deep forming spaces, requiring special measures to ensure ejection of the components after processing, are present on only one of the two tools and it can be arranged for this to be the stationary tool.

Moreover, the expert will realise that the arrange ment and operation of the ejector lever 591 can also be kinematically reversed. Where necessary, the ejector lever 591 can also be supported on the pivotable tool 16, can be pivoted therewith and can be actuated by means of a driver arm which is connected to the stationary tool.

To increase the processing capacity of the apparatus as a whole, where the conveying capacity of a single conveying device 4 (as in the embodiment described above) is less than the processing capacity of the actual component.

processing parts of the apparatus with a single tool set or with two or more tool sets (a possi bility mentioned hereinbefore), two or more conveying devices (4) may be provided, appropriately associated with the tool support (5), and, of course, each conveying device may be associated with its own individual vibratory cup storage container (3). The disc cam (58) would be accordingly provided with a plurality for arcuate sections (583, 584) with corres ponding transitions (585, 586), such that the components will be seized and processed in an orderly manner. Apparatus with several convey ing devices will usually be provided with several tool sets on the support (5), but this may not always be essential since it will depend on the relationship between the conveying capacity of the conveying devices and the processing capacity of the actual component-processing parts of the apparatus.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for processing connecting wires of a succession of electrical components such as transistors or the like and comprising at least one storage container which stores the components to be processed, at least one pair of forming tools which are adjustable relative to each other and shape the connecting wires be tween them, and at least one cutting tool dis posed downstream of the pair of forming tools, wherein: a) the forming tools are disposed on the peri phery of a support which is rotatable about a stationary axis of rotation, one of the tools of the pair being fixedly disposed and the other tool pivotably disposed, b) a stationary disc cam is provided to drive the pivotable tool from an open position of the forming tools into a closed position thereof in the course of rotation of the support, c) at least one conveying device is provided to supply the components in closely adjacent succession to the forming tools, this device being disposed between the storage container and the rotatable support, d) at the place of transfer of successive components to the forming tools the conveying device has a transfer slit disposed approximately at the height of the tools, extending in the direction of rotation of the tools and being open in this direction, in which transfer slit the com ponent is supported and through which slit the connecting wires extend vertically downwards, and e) the arrangement is such that when the forming tools are in the open position a com ponent supported in the transfer slit is seized by the fixed tool, which follows the pivotable tool in the direction of rotation, and the pivo table tool is subsequently driven into the closed position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pivotable tool is pivotable about a pivoting axis which is parallel with the axis of rotation.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the disc cam comprises a circular arcuate section of large diameter and a circular arcuate section of small diameter with steep transitions and the portion of small diameter extends at least into the region of the transfer place of the conveying device.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pivotable tool is urged by a spring into the open position.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the disc cam is additionally pro vided with an opening cam and the pivotable

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. deformation motion without needing any separate control to this end. When the tools 53, 54 are in the closed position, which is reached when the follower roller 545 of the tool 54 moves along the portion 583 of the disc cam, the components are guided past the stationary cutting tool 59, whose cutting wheel shears the connecting wires to the specified dimension. Thereafter the follower roller 545 moved again inwardly on the steep transition of the disc cam 58 so that the tools 53, 43 open. Figure 1 2d shows the beginning of the opening phase in which the tools 54, 53 are already moving away from each other while the connecting wires are still clamped between the counterholder 561 and the holder 551. The ejector arms 596, 597 will then still be in their inoperative position. As opening continues the counter-holder 561 and the holder 551 move away from each other and by virtue of its spring biasing the counterholder 561 follows the opening motion by a limited amount. Reliable ejection of the transistor 9 cannot however be achieved in this way. Figure 12e finally shows the tools 53, 54 in the fully open position with the outwardly pivoted ejector 591. The top ejector arm 596 acts on the housing of the transistor 9 while the bottom ejector arm 597 acts on the connecting wires 92. Accordingly, the transistor 9 is reliably and effectively ejected from the stationary tool 53. It should be noted that corresponding measures are not necessary for the pivotable tool 54 because, by contrast to the stationary tool, this does not have very deep forming spaces. In practice the tools 53, 54 can normally be constructed so that deep forming spaces, requiring special measures to ensure ejection of the components after processing, are present on only one of the two tools and it can be arranged for this to be the stationary tool. Moreover, the expert will realise that the arrange ment and operation of the ejector lever 591 can also be kinematically reversed. Where necessary, the ejector lever 591 can also be supported on the pivotable tool 16, can be pivoted therewith and can be actuated by means of a driver arm which is connected to the stationary tool. To increase the processing capacity of the apparatus as a whole, where the conveying capacity of a single conveying device 4 (as in the embodiment described above) is less than the processing capacity of the actual component. processing parts of the apparatus with a single tool set or with two or more tool sets (a possi bility mentioned hereinbefore), two or more conveying devices (4) may be provided, appropriately associated with the tool support (5), and, of course, each conveying device may be associated with its own individual vibratory cup storage container (3). The disc cam (58) would be accordingly provided with a plurality for arcuate sections (583, 584) with corres ponding transitions (585, 586), such that the components will be seized and processed in an orderly manner. Apparatus with several convey ing devices will usually be provided with several tool sets on the support (5), but this may not always be essential since it will depend on the relationship between the conveying capacity of the conveying devices and the processing capacity of the actual component-processing parts of the apparatus. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for processing connecting wires of a succession of electrical components such as transistors or the like and comprising at least one storage container which stores the components to be processed, at least one pair of forming tools which are adjustable relative to each other and shape the connecting wires be tween them, and at least one cutting tool dis posed downstream of the pair of forming tools, wherein: a) the forming tools are disposed on the peri phery of a support which is rotatable about a stationary axis of rotation, one of the tools of the pair being fixedly disposed and the other tool pivotably disposed, b) a stationary disc cam is provided to drive the pivotable tool from an open position of the forming tools into a closed position thereof in the course of rotation of the support, c) at least one conveying device is provided to supply the components in closely adjacent succession to the forming tools, this device being disposed between the storage container and the rotatable support, d) at the place of transfer of successive components to the forming tools the conveying device has a transfer slit disposed approximately at the height of the tools, extending in the direction of rotation of the tools and being open in this direction, in which transfer slit the com ponent is supported and through which slit the connecting wires extend vertically downwards, and e) the arrangement is such that when the forming tools are in the open position a com ponent supported in the transfer slit is seized by the fixed tool, which follows the pivotable tool in the direction of rotation, and the pivo table tool is subsequently driven into the closed position.

tool is driven by the opening cam from the closed into the open position.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the said support is provided with two or more tool sets.

7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein two or more conveying devices are associated with the said support and the disc cam is accordingly provided with a plurality of arcuate sections with corresponding transitions.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a holder and a counterholder, which cooperate to clamp the connecting wires of the components directly beneath the comb ponent body, are disposed above the respective tools and said holder and counterholder are supported under the action of respective springs and stop abutments with limited movability relative to the tools associated therewith and during the closing motion of the pivotable tool the holder associated therewith is entrained until it bears on the counterholder and subsequently - at the commencement of the actual operating motion - the counterholder is also entrained against the associated spring on which it bears and finally, when stationary, is moved into the limiting position against the other spring which supports the said holder.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the spring which supports the said holder on the pivotable tool has a higher spring force than the spring which supports the counterholder on the fixed tool.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein one of the two clamping members, namely the holder or the counterholder, has a recess which receives the connecting wires, and the other of those members is provided with a nose which penetrates into the recess.

11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the forming tools are adjustably disposed on support arms which are mounted on the said support.

12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the forming tools and/ or the support arms of claim 11, if provided, are arranged to be exchangeable.

13. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the said support is ex changeably coupled to a drive shaft.

14. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the fixed forming tool is exchangeably mounted on the said support, which is a disc, by means of a support arm, and the pivotable tool is also mounted on a support arm which is connected via a pivoting bearing to the support arm of the fixed tool.

15. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein a stationary ejector, which grips the component by its body and/or connecting wires, is disposed in the region of the circulating path of the forming tools.

16. Apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein a rotating ejector, which is actuated by a stationary control element in the course of rotation of the said support, is supported on the fixed tool and rotates therewith.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the ejector comprises a pivoting lever which is supported on the fixed tool or on the support arm thereof of claim 11, if provided, and has ejector noses disposed, respectively, in the region of the component body and in the region of the connecting wires, the ejector being pivotable by a stationary stop abutment from an inoperative position in which it does not obstruct the tools, and against the action of a spring which biases it towards that position, into a position which releases the component from the fixed tool.

18. Apparatus according to claim 16, including a driver arm which is connected to the pivotable tool and is engaged with the ejector.

19. Apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the ejector is pivotable about a pivoting axis which is parallel with the axis of rotation.

20. Apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein each of the forming tools is provided with two combs which cooperate in pairs during the closing motion, and the ejector is disposed between the combs of the stationary tool.

21. Apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein the ejector has two ejector arms which are parallel with each other and are connected to each other by means of a connecting web to form a U-shaped crosssection and between them enclose one of the combs of the stationary tool.

22. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the cutting tool is fixedly disposed in the path of motion of the forming tools and is provided with a rotatably supported round knife.

23. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the conveying device is provided with a trough which is inclined towards the said support and whose bottom has a continuous slit through which the connecting wires of the components extend and which merges at its end into the transfer slit.

24. Apparatus according to claim 23, wherein a separating slide, which engages between the body of the component supported in the transfer slit and the body of the next component and is moved by the said support in the separating position when a pair of forming tools passes by, is disposed upstream of the place at which the said continuous slit merges with the transfer slit.

25. Apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a control element, which acts on the separating slide, is disposed on the said support in the region of the forming tools.

26. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein the wall of the transfer slit nearest to the said support is constructed as a holder which bears resiliently on the body of the component and, when the component is seized by the passing tool, is pivoted into an open position, from a position in which the body of the component is lightly clamped between it and the separating slide, and is subsequently again pivoted back.

27. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the transfer slit and the trough of claim 23, if provided, are vertically adjustable with respect to the forming tools.

28. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 27, including a trough according to claim 23, wherein the storage container is a vibratory cup (spiral vibrator) to whose top edge the trough is attached.

29. Apparatus for processing connecting wires of a successidn of electrical components: the apparatus being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.