MXPA01001842A - Electronic component handler - Google Patents

Abstract

A handler for testing and sorting randomly oriented parallel piped-shaped ceramic components (2), each component (2) having at leas one set of metal terminations (6) located on opposite edges, comprising a rotating feed wheel (16) mounting on a central shaft and including an upper surface to receive randomly oriented components (2), a plurality of radially-pointing, spaced-apart bosses (28) extending upward and outward terminating at component-sized cavities (30) to receive a component (2), a rotating carrier plate (10) having an upwardly extending circular peripheral wall (12) which has test seat notches (14) in spaced-apart arrangement with the cavities in the feed wheel (16), first vacuum pressure device (36) to draw the component (2) into the seat notch and a second vacuum pressure device (86) to hold the component therein, a device (22) for testing including at least one roller assembly (62) arranged to contact the component terminals (6), and a device (26) for separately ejecting the components from the notches (14).

Description

"MANIPULATOR, ELECTRONIC COMPONENT" BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is generally related to apparatuses commonly called "manipulators" which receive lots of components manufactured for use in electronic circuits, for example ceramic capacitors, and present them to a tester for parametric tests, and which subsequently classify the components of conformity with the results of the test. As used herein, the term "component" refers to ceramic capacitors and any other electronic or electrical device that has a shape that allows it to be manipulated by this invention. The manipulator according to this invention is a significant advance through the prior art. Eliminates manual settling of components for testing purposes and subsequent manual sorting. It manipulates a greater number of components per unit time than the manipulators of the prior art. If you manipulate components that have multiple pairs of opposite terminals. It takes a lot of randomly oriented components, guides them appropriately, presents them to test contactors and provides a means to classify the individually tested parts in accordance with the results of the test. Other advantages and attributes of this invention will be readily discernible during a reading of the subsequent text.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide a manipulator for components having a plurality of opposite terminals. A further object of this invention is to provide a component manipulator that has a significantly increased performance relative to the manipulators of the prior art. A further object of this invention is to provide a component manipulator that can receive a stream of randomly or randomly and automatically oriented components: (1) seat each component in a respective test seat appropriately oriented for testing, (2) simultaneously, dock electrically the plurality of terminals of each of the components seated to a tester, and (3) subsequently disassembling and classifying the components tested in accordance with the results of the test. A further object of this invention is to provide a component manipulator as described above that can create the component stream of a bunch of components. A further object of this invention is to provide a component manipulator as described above that includes a loading mechanism to receive the stream of components and individually seat them in a seat ring defined by a rotating carrier, the ring being concentric with the axis of rotation. A further object of this invention is to provide a component manipulator as described above, which may simultaneously display a plurality of components seated to a plurality of contactors. These objects, and other objects expressed or implied in this specification, are achieved by a component manipulator that has a ring of uniform test seats or notches, each to seat a single component; an impeller for rotating the ring; a charging station in the path of the rotary ring, to receive a stream of components and to seat them in the ring; a plurality of test stations, in the path of the rotary ring, for electrically contacting each component seated sufficiently to test it; and a plurality of ejection stations, in the path of the rotary ring, for ejecting the tested components from their test seats to classify them. Preferably, the trial seating ring is defined by a circular wall projecting perpendicularly from a rotating carrier plate, each test seat being a notch in size of the component on the wall. The test seats are oriented to expose the terminals opposite the components on opposite sides of the wall. Below the carrier plate there is a stationary plate that bumps against a flat bottom of the wall. The stationary plate defines a vacuum channel that runs under the wall and extends at least from the loading station to the last ejection station. Through the vacuum channel run it communicates with the test seats through respective vacuum holes defined by the wall and extending through the wall from the channel to the seats. The vacuum channel communicates with a vacuum source and communicates this vacuum with the test seats through the holes to keep the components seated. In the preferred embodiment, the wall of the test seats is inclined at an angle, preferably approximately 45 degrees, and is tangentially adjacent to the coplana feed wheel. As will be explained, the tangential adjacency is the "charging station". The feed wheel defines a plurality of uniform structures that are angularly spaced uniformly around the periphery of the wheel. The singular structures guide the components lying randomly to respective feed seats which are angularly spaced evenly around the edge of the feed wheel. As will be explained, the components are transferred individually from a feed seat to a test seat in the loading station. Each singular structure includes an open slot in the upper part that runs radially towards the axis of rotation of the wheel, whose slot begins at a distance from the wheel margin and opens the ends towards a deeper aligned cavity, a "seat" of power ", which has an open side towards the edge of the plate. The groove and the feeding seat together form a groove oriented downward, rounded in an "L" shape, which serves to properly orient the components for transfer from the feed wheel to the carrier plate. The slots are preferably long enough to retain two or more components in line, but narrow enough to admit only the same laterally. The components enter the slots by the action of gravity, and optionally assisted by vibration of the feed wheel eventually fall from the slots to the corresponding feed seats that can only retain one component each. Each feeding seat admits only one component if it is properly oriented, namely if it is standing at the end with one of the terminal edges of the component facing outwards, that is, facing the open side of the seat. The manipulator also includes a means for emptying the components towards the feed wheel. The seats of the carrier ring are evenly spaced, in the angular direction, and the ring preferably is rotated incrementally, the rotation increase being the angular space between the adjacent seats. There are a plurality of bearing contactors on both sides of the wall for coupling the components in a tester. All contactors are easily replaceable. The tested components pass through an ejection manifold defined by a plurality of ejection holes that coincide with a set of seats each time the ring is rotated in an increment. The ejection tubes are coupled with the ejection holes. The components are ejected from their seats by air jets of respective pneumatically operated valves selectively. The jet of air and gravity sends the components ejected through the tubes to the classification tanks in accordance with the result of the test. The manipulator also includes a sensor to detect the components that were not ejected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an illustrative view of an exemplary component that can be manipulated by this invention; Figure 2 is a total illustrative view of the invention; Figure 3 is a view of a feed plate; Figure 4 is a partial cross-section of a carrier plate illustrating a wall of the component seats, some of the seats containing the components; Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a charging station in accordance with this invention; Figure 6 is a plan view of a stationary plate in accordance with this invention; Figure 7 is a cross section illustrating a non-ejected component sensor in accordance with this invention; Figure 8 is a plan view of a plurality of rolling contactors in accordance with this invention; Figure 9A is an illustrative view of a rolling contactor in accordance with this invention; Figure 9B is a top view of the rolling contactor of Figure 9A; Figure 9C is a partial front view of the rolling contactor; Figure 10 is an illustrative view of an ejection station in accordance with this invention; Figure 11 is a cross section illustrating the process by which the component is ejected from its seat; Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a component that is in a notch of the test seat and that is brought into contact by four internal rollers and four external rollers; Figure 13A is a left side view of the micro-adjustment device used in this invention; Figure 13B is a right side view of the micro-adjustment device used in this invention; Figure 13C is a top plan view of the micro-adjustment device used in this invention; Y. Figure 13D is a bottom plan view of the micro-adjustment device used in this invention; DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY Referring to Figure 1, an example of a component 2 that can be manipulated by this invention is illustrated. This specific component is a four-site capacitor that has four individual pairs of metal terminations. It is best described as being parallelepiped having opposite faces, 4A and 4B perpendicular to four relatively thinner sides. The opposite terminals 6 of the example component are placed on the opposite long thin sides of the component, the "ends" of the component being the thinner sides shorter. In this document, the term "edge", when used with reference to a component, means a thin side of the component, not a face, and the term "terminal edge" will refer to a long thin side of a component. where the terminals are placed. Referring to Figure 2, a base 8 supports a rotating inclined carrier plate 10 (preferably at 45 °). Projecting normally from the carrier plate is a vertical circular wall 12 concentric with the axis of rotation of the carrier. Evenly spaced apart in the angular direction around the wall are the notches 14, that is, the "test seats", defined by the wall, each of which is sized to seat a component to be tested. Preferably, the carrier plate 10, and therefore the wall 12 is rotatably matched about a hub in such a way that the carrier plate rotates (by means of an impeller not shown) in singular steps with each step being the common angle between the seats of adjacent tests. Also illustrated is a feed wheel 16 which receives a stream of components from an agitator channel 18 which in turn feeds from heaps of components from a hopper 20. As will be explained, the feed wheel 16 loads the components into the notches of test seat 14. As illustrated, the carrier plate 10 rotates clockwise, in the direction of the arrow so that as the components 12 are loaded on the ier wall 12, they traverse clockwise towards a generally designated test fitting 22 that includes a plurality of contactors 24. The contactors 24 provide communication between the terminals of the components and a parametric tester. After the components 2 are tested, they continue to be made clockwise to an ejection system, generally designated 26, which ejects the components and sends them down to a plurality of ejection tubes based on the results of the test. Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 5, the feed wheel 16 is circular and has a plurality of radially oriented elongated elevations 28 juxtaposed uniformly around its periphery. Each pair of adjacent enhancements defines a slot 30 which guides the components 2 towards the edge of the feed wheel 16 where they individually fall towards the cavities 32 of component size, ie the "feed seats", defined by the wheel 16, each cavity 32 having an open side facing outwards. The slots 30 are preferably long enough to retain two or more aligned components, but narrow enough to admit only the same laterally. The feeding seats are dimensioned to admit only one appropriately oriented component, placed at one end with a terminal edge facing the open side of the feeding seat or, in other words, having a terminal edge facing outwardly from the ier wall 12 and an opposite terminal edge facing inward from the ier wall 12. As illustrated, each slot 30 and its respective feed seat or cavity 32 forms a groove oriented downward, rounded in "L" shape. The slot 30 and the feed seat or cavity 32 together comprise a singular structure for properly separating and orienting the components 2 and allowing them to fall on the slots because the feed wheel is synchronously rotated in the ier plate 4. and it leans toward the horizontal. The components enter the slots by the action of gravity, and are optionally aided by the vibration of the feed wheel 16 so that they eventually fall from the slots to the corresponding feed seats. A separate stationary peripheral wall 34 adjacent to or around the peripheral wall of the supply wheel 16 contains all of the unsettled components in the feed wheel, so that as the wheel rotates, the components fall over the slots and are not of the power wheels. Referring again to Figures 2, 3 and especially 5, the components are transferred from the cavities 32 to the test seat notches 14 in a "loading station" which is the point at which the ier plate 10 is tangentially adjacent to the feed wheel 16. The spacing between the test seats coincides with the spacing between the feeding seats, and the ier plate 10 and the feed wheel 16 are synchronously matched in such a way that each indexing step Place a test grip notch in alignment with the feed seat cavity in the charging station. Also, in the charging station there is a vacuum supply manifold 36 placed on the inward side of the ier wall 12. The manifold 36 defines a hole 38 oriented and narrowly spaced to the wall 12 at the point of the alignment of the seat. The manifold 36 communicates with a vacuum source (not shown). Each time the test seat notch 14 and a feed seat cavity 32 are placed in adjacent alignment, the vacuum from the orifice 38 attracts a component 2 from the feed seat through the test seat. For clarity of understanding, the vacuum supply manifold 36 is shown separately from the interior of the carrier wall 12, but in reality it is very close. inside the wall to also act as a stop to prevent the component from being attracted beyond its optimum point in the notch of the test seat. Referring to Figures 4 to 6, the components 2 are retained in their respective test seat notches 14 by gravity by vacuum pressure. Beneath the carrier plate 10 there is a stationary plate 40 which abuts against a flat bottom of the carrier wall 12. The stationary plate 40 defines a vacuum channel 42 which runs under the carrier wall 12 and extends at least from the station of loading 44 to the last ejection station of the ejection manifold 26. Through the vacuum channel run 42, it communicates with the test seat notches 14 through respective vacuum holes 46 formed in the carrier wall 12. which extend through the wall 12 from the channel 42 towards the notches 14 of the test seat. The vacuum channel 42 communicates with a vacuum source (not shown) and is communicated by vacuum pressure with the test seat notches 14 through the vacuum holes 46 to help maintain the seated components.

Referring to Figure 8, the purse fitting 22 is illustrated as having a plurality of test stations, each A comprising a pair of opposed contactor modules 48. A number of modules are on the side to the outside of the carrier wall 12 to contact the component terminals facing outwards, and a corresponding number of modules are on the inner side of the wall to contact the oriented terminals into. The module pairs are positioned in such a way that each time the carrier plate 10 is matched a certain number of times, a new test seat is aligned with each pair of contactors. Preferably, the notches on the test seat are separated by 2 ° while the test stations are separated by 10 °. As each test seat moves through the test fixture it immediately contacts each pair of contactors. Each contactor communicates with the parametric tester, so that a series of tests, e.g., one per test station, can be carried out on each component as it passes through the pairs of contactors. With reference to Figures 8, 9A-9C and 12, each module of the contactor 48 includes a mounting bracket 50, a bridge 52 fixed to the bracket 50 for retaining a plurality of sets of rollers 54, and a guide frame 56 for rolls also fixed to the bracket 50. As illustrated, there are four sets of rollers 54 per side of one component but there may be more or less, depending on the pieces being tested. Each roller assembly has a flexible, electrically conductive rod 58, one end of the rod 58 is clamped at point 52 and the other end has a branch 60 extending therefrom. The bridge 52 is not conductive and the ends of the rods 58 fastened thereon are electrically connected to the conductors 61 with a tester (not shown). A conductor roller 62 freely rotates about an axis (not shown) hingedly supported on the branch 60 of each rod 58, and is electrically connected to the rod 58 through the branch 60 and the shaft. As illustrated, the rollers 62 are inclined inwardly to conform to the terminals of the components 2 with which they remain in contact. Figure 9C shows the preferred angular relationship of the rollers with respect to a terminal side of a component. The two outer rollers are at an angle of + and - 75 ° from the terminal edge of the component, and the two internal rollers are at an angle of + and -85 °. In general, the amount of inclination required is determined by the widths of the roller assemblies. During operation, the rolilos 62 roll along in the grooves 63 formed in the inner carrier wall 12 and roll along in grooves 64 formed on the outside of the carrier wall 12. It has been found beneficial to form deeper grooves 64 on the carrier wall 12 so that the rollers 62 can have a deeper area to enter and are guided better than if the grooves were shallow. The guide frame 56 maintains the rollers 62 in angular relation when the rods 58 are flexed, such as when the rollers 62 find a seated component. The frame 56 includes a frame bridge 64 extending from the mounting bracket 50, a plurality of fingers bars 66 projecting from the bridge between which the rollers move as their rods flex, and a pair of additional boundary rods 68. In addition, a plurality of pivot spheres 69, each mounted on a fixed arrow (not shown) are placed between each roller 62 to further ensure electrical isolation and provide general guidance to the rollers. The guide frame 56 is electrically insulated (each roller is electrically insulated). With reference to Figures 9A and 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D, a micro-adjusting device 70 is shown placed between the bracket 50 and the carrier plate 10. The micro-adjustment device 70 makes very small changes in the pitch, pressure and operation of a contactor module. 48 so that it will contact the required metal termination in the component with the proper pressure and will provide a positive result in the electronic tester. The micro-adjustment device 70 comprises a base plate 71 having two holes 72 formed therethrough for receiving bolts (not shown) for securing the plate 71 to the surface of the carrier plate 10. A plate is placed of adjustment 73 adjacent to the base plate 71 and retained in sliding relation therewith by a slot-pin attachment 74 and a pair of guide pins 75a and 75b received in the guide pin perforations (not shown) formed in the separate upwardly extending lugs 76 formed in the base plate 71. The adjustment plate 73 is capable of being fixed to the bracket 50 by a pair of spaced pins 77 capable of being received in similar holes of similar size ( not shown) formed in the bracket 50. An adjusting screw 78 is screwed into a bore (not shown) in one of the lugs 76 in the base plate 71, and rests against one edge of the trim plate. 73 for rotating in order to move the adjusting plate 73 relative to the base plate 71 and adjusting: the position of a roller 62 in a groove 63 or 64. The adjustment plate 73 is pushed by a spring 79 in a manner that the movement of the adjusting screw 78 in any direction will produce a positive movement of the plate 73 vis-a-vis the base plate 71. Referring to Figures 10 and 11, an ejector system 26 includes a manifold ejection 80 defining a plurality of holes 82 for coupling a plurality of ejection tubes 84. The holes 82 coincide with a set of trial seat slots 14 each time the ring is rotated by an increment. The components 2 are ejected from their seat grooves 14 by air jets of respective pneumatically operated valves 86 selectively. A plurality of valves 86 engage the respective holes 82 by a short passage 88 and are defined by a pressure manifold 80 which is placed on the inner side of the carrier wall 12. The outlet of each orifice 82 is aligned with a tube ejection 84. Due to the air and gravity jet, the ejected components 2 are forced from their test seat notches 14 to the respective tubes 84 and directed through the tubes to the respective sorting tanks (not shown). By this arrangement, a tester can selectively send a tested component down any of the tubes in accordance with its test results. Referring to Figures 7 and 10, the manipulator also includes a sensor to detect the components that were not ejected, as well as any debris that may be in the vacuum hole in the test seat of the carrier plate. The sensor includes a light source 90 above the path of the test seats and which illuminates downward toward each seat as they are placed under the light. Aligned with the light there is a through hole 92 defined by the stationary plate, and placed in the hole, or just below it there is a light detector 94. The test seats are graduated between the light and the detector. If a seat is empty, the detector will see the light shining through the notch of the test seat 14 and through the hole 92. If the notch in the test seat is still occupied, the light path will be blocked, which will indicate to the tester that is still in the notch a component or certain garbage. The seat can then be cleared manually or automatically, or the subsequent loading of that position may be omitted. The circular wall 12 is subject to serious stress because the ceramic components are extremely hard and brittle, and, when retained in an atypical position in the test seat grooves 14, tend to damage the wall 12, in the area around the notch, and can cause damage to the roller assemblies 54 as they pass through the test site. When this happens, the wall 12 is frequently damaged to the extent that the unit can be canalized and the wall repaired. The wall 12 itself is brittle and can not resist this distortion such as a ceramic component that is stuck in a notch in the test seat. Correspondingly, as shown in Figure 4, the marginal edges 88 are glued to the carrier plate 10 and the circular wall 12 to allow the disintegration of a damaged wall part 12 and / or the carrier plate 10 so that another can be placed replacement wall segment thereon and bolted or fixed with bolts in different locations 99 to the rest of the wall 12 and / or the plate 10 to make the repair without resorting to an entirely new plate or wall. Similarly, the roller assemblies 54 can be replaced if they are damaged by the passage of an atypical ceramic component 2 into the test seat groove 14 by passing a damaged carrier wall or plate. The foregoing description and the drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only, it being understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed modalities, but is intended to encompass any and all of the alternatives, equivalents, modifications and rearrangements of elements that they fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims (22)

CLAIMS:

1. A high-speed manipulator for receiving a lot of finely oriented parallelepiped-shaped ceramic components, each component of the type having at least one set of metal terminations placed on the opposite edges thereof, present the same in individual seats in controlled orientation for electrical parametric test, and classify them according to their test results, which comprises: a) a rotating feed wheel, mounted on a central arrow and defined by an external rim concentric with the axis of the central arrow , the wheel is inclined towards the horizontal and includes an upper surface where a lot of randomly oriented ceramic components are received; b) a plurality of radially pointed spaced apart extensions extending upwardly and outwardly on the surface of the upper wheel that terminate in component sized cavities formed in the wheel adjacent the outer rim and positioned to receive a single component therein; ceramic in specific orientation; c) a rotating carrier plate mounted flatly to, and spaced from, the feed wheel having an upwardly extending circular peripheral wall positioned in tangential proximity and peripheral speed synchronous with the feed wheel; d) the peripheral wall has formed therein a plurality of test seat notches in a separate arrangement and adjacent alignment with the cavities in the feed wheel, the notches of a size and shape as to receive a ceramic component in the same with their opposite terminals oriented inwards and outwards from the wall; e) a first vacuum pressure means for drawing the ceramic component radially from the cavity into the test seat slot and a second vacuum pressure means for retaining the component in the test seat slot during additional rotation of the carrier plate; f) a means for testing including at least one roller assembly positioned to contact the terminals of the ceramic components as they move in the test seat notches in the carrier plate; and g) means for separately ejecting the ceramic components from the test seat notches and transferring them to separate locations in accordance with their test results.

The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, wherein the parallelepiped-shaped ceramic components are further stopped because they have opposite faces, perpendicular to four relatively thinner edges wherein the terminals are placed on the opposite long thin lateral edges of the component between the shorter separated end edges.

3. The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, wherein the rotary feed wheel is inclined at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the horizontal.

The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of radially oriented spaced apart extensions extending upwardly and outwardly on the surface of the upper wheel of the feed wheel which are placed in juxtaposition uniformly around the flange .

The high-speed manipulator of claim 4, wherein each pair of adjacent enhancements define a groove that guides the ceramic components toward the outer rim of the feed wheel.

6. The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, wherein "the plurality of radially oriented, separate, upwardly and outwardly extending, upper wheel surface of the feed wheel is long enough to hold two or more aligned ceramic components, but narrow enough to admit them only laterally

7. The high speed manipulator of claim 2, wherein the component size cavities formed in the wheel adjacent to the outer flange and positioned to receive therein a single ceramic component in specific orientation, include an open side facing outwards, and the cavities each is placed to receive therein a ceramic component remaining on an end edge with a terminal edge facing the open side of the cavity of the open side of the notches of the test seat when a cavity and a test seat notch are aligned adjacently.

8. The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, further including a stationary peripheral wall surrounding the sides and bottom of the outer flange of the inclined feed wheel for retaining the ceramic components on the upper surface thereof. prevent them from spilling out of the top surface as the feed wheel rotates with a bunch of ceramic components loaded therein.

The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, wherein the spacing between the trial seat notch coincides with the spacing between the cavity of the carrier plate and the feed wheel are synchronously graded such that the pitch of graduation places a test seat notch in alignment with a cavity.

The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, wherein the first vacuum pressure means, for drawing the ceramic component radially from the cavity toward the notch in the test seat, comprises: a) a vacuum nozzle placed on the inward side of the carrier plate near the wall of the carrier plate; and, b) an orifice defined by the vacuum nozzle to communicate with a vacuum source, the orifice being smaller in total size than the ceremic component; c) the hole is positioned to attract a ceramic component from the cavity towards the test seat notch and not beyond it.

The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, wherein the second vacuum pressure means, for retaining the component in the trial seat slot during further rotation of the carrier plate, comprises: a) a vacuum plate stationary placed under the rotating carrier plate; b) the vacuum plate defines a vacuum channel circularly around it that runs under the wall from at least the transfer point, from the ceramic component from the cavity in said feed wheel to the seat notch test to the location where the medium ejects the ceramic component from the test seat notch; c) wherein the circular peripheral wall has formed therein a vacuum orifice, which communicates the vacuum channel with the test seat notch to apply vacuum pressure in order to retain the ceramic component oriented in the notch.

The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, wherein the means for testing a ceramic component includes at least one pair of opposed contactor modules wherein each module comprises: a) a mounting bracket; b) a non-electrically conductive bridge fixed to the bracket to retain a plurality of full sets; and, c) a roller guide frame fixed to the bracket.

13. A high-speed manipulator of claim 12 wherein each roller assembly comprises: a) a flexible, electrically conductive rod having first and second terminal ends wherein the first end thereof is clamped to the bridge and the second end has a bifurcation that extends from it; b) an electrical conductor extending from the first end of the rod to the medium for testing the ceramic components; and, c) a driver roller pivotally mounted on an axis hingedly supported at the branch electrically connected to the rod, the roller is inclined inwardly to conform to the passage of the terminals of the ceramic components with which it remains in contact.

The high-speed manipulator of claim 13, wherein the roller guide frame comprises: a) a frame bridge extending from the mounting bracket; b) a plurality of finger bars projecting from the bridge between which the rollers move as their rods flex; Yr c) a pair of boundary rods extending from the frame bridge in order to electrically isolate each roll.

The high-speed manipulator of claim 1 wherein the means for separately ejecting the ceramic components, from the test seat notches and transferring them to separate locations in accordance with their test results, comprises: a) a high pressure pneumatic ejection manifold defining a plurality of orifices positioned to match a set of trial seat notches each time the carrier plate is rotated by an increment; b) a plurality of ejection tubes, each defined by first and second separate terminal ends, wherein the first end of each tube is positioned on the opposite side of a test seat notch connected from a hole; c) a plurality of opening-closing air valves interposed in the manifold and the orifices and which are positioned to allow a high pressure air jet from the manifold through the valve, the orifice and the tube, during a command to dislocate a ceramic component from the test seat notch and move it through the tube; and, d) a plurality of sorting tanks connected to the tubes and placed to collect the ceramic components from the ejection means in accordance with the results of the tests.

16. The high-speed manipulator of claim 11, which also includes a sensor for detecting components and garbage that are not ejected from the notches of the test seat by the ejection means, the sensor comprises: a) a light source positioned above the path of the seat notches of test and placed to vibrate the light down towards each notch; b) the stationary vacuum plate forms a straight through hole for alignment with a test seat notch as it is graded together with the rotation of the carrier plate after passing through the ejection means; c) a light detector aligned with the light source 10 and the through hole after which the detector will detect any blockage of light passing from the source through the hole and into the detector caused by a ceramic component or debris; and, d) a security means to prevent blocking interfering with the operation of the manipulator.

17. A roller assembly to put an electrical component conteto ceramic miniature type 20 having at least one set of metal terminations placed on opposite edges thereof, presenting them in individual seats in controlled orientation for test electric parametric by means of the test comprising: ^ attl "" * • ** - ** - * t ^ ¡¡?? ? ^^. a) a flexible electrically conductive rod having first and second terminal ends where the first end thereof is clamped on the bridge and the second end has a bifurcation that 5 extends from it; b) an electrical conductor extending from the first end of the rod to the medium for testing the ceramic components; and, c) a driver roller pivotally mounted on a shaft hingedly supported at the fork and electrically connected to the rod, the roller being inclined inward to conform to the passage of the terminals of the ceramic components with which it is in contact .

18. The high-speed manipulator of claim 17 wherein the roller guide frame comprises: a) a frame bridge extending from the mounting bracket; B) a plurality of finger bars projecting from the bridge between which the rollers move as their rods flex; And, c) a pair of boundary rods extending from the frame bridge to electrically isolate each roller.

19. On the circular peripheral wall extending upwards of a rotating carrier plate, housed in a machine for temporarily mounting the ceramic components therein which are received from the cavities in a feeder wheel for electrical parametric test of subsequent classification according to their test results, a segment of the replacement wall that is defined by marginal edges to join in order to match the marginal edges on the carrier plate and which have formed therein a plurality of test seat notches in a separate arrangement for adjacent alignment with the cavities in the feed wheel, the notches being of a size and shape to receive a ceramic component therein with their opposite terminals oriented inwardly and outwardly from the wall.

The replacement wall segment of claim 19 wherein the replacement wall segment has formed therein a vacuum orifice, to communicate with a vacuum channel positioned in a stationary vacuum plate beneath the carrier plate and which contains a means for fixing the replacement wall segment to the rest of the carrier plate.

21. The high-speed manipulator of claim 12 which further includes a micro-adjustment device for making very small changes in the pitch, pressure and operation of the contactor module, the micro-adjustment device comprising: a) a base plate having a hole means formed therethrough to be fixed to the upper surface of the carrier plate; b) an adjustment plate placed adjacent to the base plate and held in sliding relation therewith; c) a pair of guide pins received in guide pin holes formed in separate upwardly extending lugs formed in the base plate; d) a pair of spaced pins capable of being received at a similar site spaced in holes of similar size formed in the bracket; and, e) an adjusting screw screwed into one of the lugs to rest against one edge of the adjustment plate in order to move the adjustment plate relative to the base plate and adjust the position of the contactor module in the carrier plate.

22. The high-speed manipulator of claim 1, further including a sensor for detecting components that were not ejected by said means in order to separately eject the ceramic components from the trial seat notches, comprising: a) a source luminous placed above the path of the trial seat notches and shining down towards each seat as they graduate under the light; b) a through hole aligned with the light as each test seat notch is graduated below; c) a light detector to detect light from the light source if the test seat notch is empty or not to detect light if the test seat notch is occupied; and, d) a means for clearing the test seat notch if it is detected that it is occupied when it must not be occupied to prevent damage to the carrier plate. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A high speed manipulator for receiving a lot of finely oriented parallelepiped ceramic components 5, each component is of the type having at least one set of metal terminations placed on the opposite edges thereof, presenting the same in individual seats , in controlled orientation for electrical parametric test, and classify 10 the same according to their test results, comprising a rotary feed wheel, mounted on a central arrow and defined by an external rim concentric with the axis of the central arrow, the wheel is inclined towards the horizontal and includes a The upper surface on which a plurality of randomly oriented ceramic components receive a plurality of radially oriented spaced apart extensions extending upwards and outwards on the surface of the upper wheel that terminates at 20 cavities of component size formed in the wheel adjacent to the outer rim and positioned to receive therein a single ceramic component in specific orientation, a rotating carrier plate mounted flat to and separate from the feed wheel having 25 a circular peripheral wall that extends upwards ÜsKf * a ^ 3 ^ • e¿a ^? I j ^ -'- - - • - ^ * ¿.. * * - «**. * ^,. ., .... ^. , -. .i. ^ .'- *, «= r..¿ ..-, .- J-placed in tangential adjacency and peripheral speed synchronous with the feed wheel, the peripheral wall has formed therein a plurality of notches of test seat in separate arrangement and adjacent alignment with the cavities in the feed wheel, notches of a size and shape to receive a ceramic component therein with their opposite terminals oriented inwardly and outwardly from the wall, the first vacuum pressure device for drawing the ceramic component radially from the cavity into the test seat groove and a second vacuum pressure device for retaining the component in the test seat groove during further rotation of the carrier plate , a test device that includes at least one roller assembly positioned to contact the terminals of the ceramic components as they move in the notches s of the test seat on the carrier plate, and a device for separately ejecting the ceramic components from the test seat notches and transferring them to separate locations according to their test results.