US3701298A

US3701298A - De-reeling apparatus for electrical components

Info

Publication number: US3701298A
Application number: US54926A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin G Heller; Donald Kelly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-07-15
Filing date: 1970-07-15
Publication date: 1972-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-31

Abstract

Electrical components having a wire lead extending from each end are arranged in taped strips with the leads spaced in like determined intervals. The arranged spacing of the leads from each other is customarily either two hundred thousandths of an inch, three-eighths of an inch or four hundred thousandths of an inch; however, other pitches may be used. In this invention a dereeling apparatus is provided for automatically feeding a taped strip of said electronic components with leads arranged in a determined spacing to an adjustable wire cutting mechanism whereby the leads are cut to a desired and selected length from the component body. After cutting the leads, the electrical components are delivered to a chute whereby they are fed in an aligned manner to other apparatus such as grouping, bending and/or counting mechanisms. One type of processing apparatus may be bending apparatus similar to that shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 8,192 filed Feb. 3, 1970 in the name of Martin G. Heller and Donald D. Kelly.

Description

United States Patent Heller et al.

[54] DE-REELING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS [72] Inventors: Martin G. Heller, 78 Warren Road, West Orange, NJ. 07052; Donald Kelly, 19 Mitchell Ave., Roseland, NJ. 07068 [22] Filed: July 15, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 54,926

[52] US. Cl ..83/23, 83/165, 83/411 R, 83/423, 83/443, 83/449, 83/925 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B26d 4/11 [58] Field of Search ..83/411 R, 410, 23, 165, 423, 83/433, 449, 649, 925 R; 221/30, 71

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 2,929,289 3/1960 Gorecki ..83/41l 3,421,284 1/1969 Zemek ..221/30 X 2,854,054 9/1958 Gross ..221/71 X 3,100,830 8/1963 Hagner ..227/85 X 3,057,528 10/1962 Cole et al ..22l/30 X Oct.31,1972

[57] ABSTRACT Electrical components having a wire lead extending from each end are arranged in taped strips with the leads spaced in like determined intervals. The arranged spacing of the leads from each other is customarily either two hundred thousandths of an inch, three-eighths of an inch or four hundred thousandths of an inch; however, other pitches may be used. In this invention a de-reeling apparatus is provided for automatically feeding a taped strip of said electronic components with leads arranged in a determined spacing to an adjustable wire cutting mechanism whereby the leads are cut to a desired and selected length from the component body. After cutting the leads, the electrical components are delivered to a chute whereby they are fed in an aligned manner to other apparatus such as grouping,

bending and/0r counting mechanisms. One type of processing apparatus may be bending apparatus similar to that shown in US. patent application Ser. No. 8,192 filed Feb. 3, 1970 in the name of Martin G. Heller and Donald D. Kelly.

Primary Examiner-games M. Meister 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Attorney-Ralph R. o erts I w """h )0 2 I4 Q 7 g I Q u l 4.1. I

HI 2 m 52 l l 11 "o "l m w |1|| 1| llml It? so I22 7/ I I l 2 us m P'A'TENTEDucr 31 m2 3. 701, 298

sum 1 OF 4 "lh I L A fi I a l HIWI n2 C] no 5O- r 4 :sm-lfi I22 1 HIIII 26 us i g f 7 2| 60 ll "Hi FIG. 1

INVENTOR.

MARTIN G. HELLER BY DONALD 0. KELLY AGENT PATENTEDumm m2 SHEET 2 BF 4 Wm "In "III" Wm I NVENTOR. MARTIN G.HELLER DONALD D. KELLY FIG.2

AGENT PATENTEU B I973 3.701.298

sum 3 or 4 HINT/W IN VENTOR.

MARTIN a. HELLER 1 y DONALD D. KELLY AGENT PATENTEU our 3 1 I972 SHEET t Of 4 DE-REELING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention With reference to the classification of art as established in the U.S. Patent Office, the art to which the present invention pertains is found generally in the class titled, Wire Working, and particularly in the subclass of combined machines, and the further subclass of wire cutting and straightening."

2. Description of the Prior Art The processing of electronic components having lead wires extending therefrom is shown in several U.S. patents among which are those for cutting and shaping of wire leads as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,078 to VOLLMER issuing Oct. 9, 1951 and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,758 to HALL issuing on Aug. 13, 1968. Other U.S. patents of note include U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,126 to GARTNER issuing on Jan. 12, 1965; U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,024 to ANDERSON issuing Dec. 3, 1968, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,907 to GALLAGHER issuing on July 3, 1962. The patent to Gallagher is included to show the state of the art as to adjustable slitting mechanism. In particular, the processing and shaping of the leads of electronic components as shown in HALL US. Pat. No. 3,396,758 are primarily adapted for transistors and the like in which electrical components having their leads extending from one end of the body are transported through cutting and shaping mechanism with the leads all extending one direction. Insofar as is known, except for the present invention, there is no known apparatus for automatically cutting to a selected length the leads from electronic components such as resistors, diodes and condensers. It is, of course, assumed that these componentshave one lead extending from each end and that they are arranged in a taped spaced array.

The development and rapidly expanding use of the many types of electrical apparatus has, on the whole, caused this equipment to be progressively much more sophisticated and has required that the electrical components used therein have their leads cut to a precise determined length. After cutting, the leads are often shaped into determined configurations for precise mounting in printed circuit boards and the like. Apparatus for the precise cutting to determined lengths of the leads of the components is necessary so that subsequent bending or shaping of the leads may be provided by equipment using bending die apparatus similar to that in U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,758 referred to above and in the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 8,192 of Feb. 3, 1970.

A de-reeler mechanism for the automatic cutting of the component leads to selected lengths is provided in this invention. Customarily these electrical components have their leads carried by tapes with the lead wires spaced on selected spacings such as two hundred thousandths, three-eighths and four hundred thousandths of an inch. The cuttingand feeding mechanism of this invention provided in this de-reeling apparatus accommodates components whose leads are so spaced without disassembly of the apparatus or damage to either the apparatus or components. This apparatus provides means for adjusting the cutting mechanism to any position within selected limits whereby the leads of the components are cut to any determined or desired length within the gross adjusting limitations of the cutting mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A de-reeling apparatus includes a support shaft upon which is removably mounted a reel of electrical components arranged in a tape strip. These components have their leads arranged in a parallel manner and conventionally at determined spacings of two hundred thousandths, three-eights or four hundred thousandths of an inch. Special other spacings, of course, can be accommodated, either with the same feeding arrangement or with special feeding wheels. These taped components are fed as a strip to and over a shaft carrying a pair of guide collars, then through a guide chute and thence to a pair of cutting mechanisms in which toothed wheels receive and carry the leads past cooperating knife blades. The tooth configuration in the wheel is made with a specific recess in which the rear wall of the recess is a portion of a radian and the other wall is spaced a determined distance forwardly and at a slope of about 45. These toothed wheels are carried upon a shaft driven at a determined speed by means of an electric motor and the like. Each cutting mechanism includes a knife and wheel arrangement carried by and on a block which is adjustably mounted on a guide shaft. On this shaft each cutting mechanism may be moved towards or from each other to provide selective cutting of the leads of the electrical components to a determined length. After cutting the leads of the components, the de-reeling sprocket wheels deliver the now loose electrical components with their extending leads cut to a detennined length to a receiving means which may be a zig-zag chute wherein the loose components are slowed to maintain an aligned arrangement to counting apparatus, bins or to other processing equipment.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a de-reeling apparatus for taped electrical components wherein said tapes are fed to a pair of adjustably and selectively spaced toothed cutting mechanisms whereat the leads are cut to a desired length after which they are delivered to receiving of further processing apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a de-reeling apparatus for electrical components wherein the feeding wheels have their toothed configurations spaced and contoured so as to accommodate any lead spacing of two hundred thousandths, three-eights or four hundred thousandths of an inch without alteration or damage to either the wheel or component lead.

INTENT OF THE DISCLOSURE Although the following disclosure offered for public dissemination is detailed to insure adequacy and aid in understanding of the invention, this is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how it may later be disguised by variations in form or additions or further improvements. The claims at the end hereof are intended as the chief aid toward this purpose, as it is these that meet the requirement of pointing out the parts, improvements or combinations in which the inventive concepts are found.

There has been chosen a specific embodiment of the de-reeling apparatus for feeding the leads of electrical components which are carried on determined spacings by tapes and also showing a preferred means for cutting the lead wires of said components to selected lengths when they are fed as a taped strip to the apparatus. This specific embodiment has been chosen for the purposes of illustration and description as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 represents a plan view of the de-reeling apparatus of this invention and looking downwardly thereon and showing the arrangement of the mechanism for feeding taped electrical components from a delivery reel to and over a guide bar and into the dereeling and lead cutting mechanism;

FIG. 2 represents, in an enlarged scale, a side view of the de-reeling apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents an enlarged, somewhat fragmentary plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, and showing the preferred arrangement of the essential components adapted for adjustably cutting the wire leads of taped electrical components;

FIG. 4 represents an enlarged plan view, partly in section, and showing a wire cutting mechanism as it is adjustably mounted upon a drive shaft and a guide shaft, and

FIG. 5 represents a side view, partly in section, and showing the wire cutting mechanism, this view being taken on the line 5-5 of FIGS. 3 and 4.

In the following description and in the claims various details will be identified by specific names for convenience; these names, however, are intended to be generic in their application. Corresponding reference characters refer to like members throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The drawings accompanying'and forming part of, this specification disclose certain details of construction for the purpose of explanation of the broader aspects of the invention, but it should be understood that structural details may be modified in various respects without departure from the concept and principles of the invention and that the invention may be incorporated in other structural forms than shown.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the de-reeling apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a plan and side view of the assembled apparatus wherein a base carries a back support member 12 upon which is mounted the feeding and cutting mechanism of the present invention. Front and

rear plates

13 and 14 form the side members of the frame disposed to carry the cutting and feeding section. Attached to side plate 14 is a support arm 16 which extends outwardly and upwardly until joined with a downwardly extending arm 18. The lower end of this arm is disposed to carry a reel 20, shown in phantom outline in FIG. 2, of electrical components such as resistors, condensers, diodes, and the like. These components have their leads carried in tapes in a spaced array. A shaft 21 is fixedly mounted on the lower end of arm 18 so as to extend at generally right angles to said arm. A pair of cones 22 is carried on shaft 21 and provides the journals upon which the reel is rotated. A

strip 23 of taped components is fed from the reel to and over a guide shaft 24 on which is adjustably mounted a pair of collars 25. These collars provide guide means for aligning the bodies of the components and also provide a support for the component leads as the tape is fed over the collars 25. From these collars the tape is fed to and under shaft 26 upon which is also adjustably mounted a pair of collars 27 like the collars on shaft 24. The strip is then fed to and between pairs of upper and

lower guides

30 and 32 carried in spaced array on

post

33 and 34. These posts are mounted on side plate 14 and are adapted to permit the guides to be adjustably positioned so as to act as side guides for the component bodies while supporting the wire leads of the tape as they are fed to and under a pair of upper deflector guides 38 and to and between a pair of adjustably cutting knives whereat the leads are trimmed to a determined length in mechanism to be hereinafter more fully described in conjunction with FIGS. 4 and 5.

After being cut to a determined length the now trimmed and separated electrical components are dropped into a receiving device which may be a pair of downwardly directed zig-zag guide strips which are shown as being carried by the downwardly angled support 12. These guide strips 40 and 42 are carried and adjustably disposed on the upright support 12 so that they provide a zig-zag track 44 in which the components, after being cut to length, are fed by gravity to other operations or storage. The zig-zag chute provides a guide means whereby the components are slowed in their descent so as to maintain their alignment as they slide down the chute. The chute may also act as a storage means as the trimmed components are received by other apparatus not shown. The chute is not necessary when the trimmed components are dropped into a box or container.

Referring now to the wire cutting mechanism shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 it is to be noted that as one looks downwardly upon the apparatus as in FIG. 3 the guides 30 lay in the same plane and above the guides 32 and are carried by supporting

posts

33 and 34 extending outwardly from the side frame 14. Nuts 45 and 46 are shown as retaining the guides to and on the

posts

33 and 34. The upper and lower guide strips 30 and 32 are spaced so as to just straddle and engage the ends of the body of the electrical components so as to maintain the components in a guided relationship after which they are fed to and between wire cutting mechanism as seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Upon rightand left-hand blocks 50 and 52 are carried like knives 54 arranged in rightand left-hand relationship. These knives are positioned and retained against the sides of the blocks by means of screws 56. A guide shaft 60 is fixedly mounted between the

side plate members

13 and 14, which plates are maintained in a spaced relationship be means of back member 62. The

blocks

50 and 52 have bores 64 formed therein which are sized so that they are slidable on the shaft 60. These blocks are adjustably retained in a selected clamped position on this shaft by means of thumb screws 66 as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

A drive shaft 70 is rotatably carried in

plates

13 and 14 and has a keyway 72 formed along one side of the shaft. This shaft is rotated as in FIG. 3 by means of a motor 76 which is connected to shaft 70 by a coupling 78. This shaft 70 as shown is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows, which as particularly seen in FIG. 5 is in a counterclockwise direction. Slidable on drive shaft 70 is a bushing 80 which is rotatably mounted in a sleeve bearing 82 which is preferably a press fit in a bore provided in block 52. This arrangement is best exemplified in FIGS. 4 and 5. This bearing 82 is just slightly longer than the thickness of block 52. Bushing 80 has a hex head 84 on one end and a threaded other end. A nut 86 is mounted on the threaded end of bushing 80 and is caused to engage and draw a toothed wire advancing wheel 90 tightly against the end of the bearing 82. This wheel 90 has a series of equally spaced notches 94 arranged around the periphery of the wheel with each notch having a rear face being a radian of the wheel. The notch is of a small depth of approximately one-eighth of an inch and extends forwardly about this amount to a forward slope at approximately 45 angle to the outer surface of the wheel 90. These notches 94 are arranged so that each rear face provides an abutting shoulder disposed to engage the wire lead of an electrical component. For wire lead spacings of two hundred thousandths, threeeighths and four hundred thousandths of an inch the notches 94 are spaced so that from one rear face to the rear face of a next notch there is a distance of approximately two hundred thousandths of an inch. From this same rear face to the forward slope of the next rearward notch the distance is at least three-eights of an inch. From one rear face to a second forward or rearward face the distance is approximately four hundred thousandths of an inch. If wire spacing or pitches other than the above-mentioned are provided specially notched wheels may be required. Even so, the cutting mechanism is provided with the length adjustment above-described.

Rotational drive from shaft 70 to wheel 90 is provided by means of a slot 96 formed in the wheel 90. This slot extends outwardly of bore 97 for a selected distance. A drive pin 98 is a light press fit in a slot 99 made in bushing 80, said pin being of a size so as to be a slip fit in slot 96 and a sliding fit in keyway 72 provided in shaft 70. This drive pin 98 in an assembled condition is retained by the tightened nut 86 on the outside and by the bushing 80 and bearing 82 on the inside. The trapped drive pin 98 becomes a drive dog insuring a positive drive means for wheel 90 while at the same time permitting the block 52 to be slid along shaft 70 while at the same time pin 98 is sliding in keyway 72.

USE AND OPERATION A reel of electrical components is rotatably carried on shaft 21 and is centered and aligned for feeding into the guide apparatus by means of cones 22 adjustably positioned on this shaft. Electrical components whose bodies 110 have wire leads 112 and 114 extending from each end of the bodies are maintained in a determined spaced relationship and alignment by means of

tapes

116 and 118. Conventionally these wire leads are sequentially spaced at occurrences or pitches of two hundred, three hundred seventy-five, and four hundred thousandths of an inch. From reel 20 the taped components as a strip 23 are brought to an over shaft 24 and the guide collars 25 adjustably mounted thereon. These collars are positioned so as to provide guide means for the bodies 110 of the components and also act as a redirecting support for the lead wires of the components. From shaft 24 the strip of components is fed to an under shaft 26 and collars 27 adjustably mounted thereon. These collars 27 in the manner of collars 25 provide guide means for the bodies of the components and also provide a path and guide for the wire leads. From shaft 26 and collar 27 the components are brought in way of and between upper and

lower guide plates

30 and 32. The vertically disposed space between the plates provide a guideway for the wire leads while at the same time the lateral spacing on

posts

33 and 34 provide shoulder guide means for the bodies 110 of the components as the strip of taped components is fed forwardly to and in way of the lead cutting mechanisms.

From upper and

lower guides

30 and 32 the strip 23 is brought in way of upper deflectors 38 from which the wire leads are fed in way of the toothed wheels 90. The wire lead of a component drops into a notch 94, and as the wheel 90 is rotated the wire lead is caused to be brought in way of the cutting blade 54, whereupon the wire, as it is retained by the notch 94, is neatly sheared by the cutting blade 54 as the notch passes thereby. Each of the wire leads 112 and 114 is severed at a determined position between the component body 110 and an

outer carrying tape

118 or 116. Through

passageways

121 and 122 in

blocks

50 and 52 are discharged the tape and attached severed excess wire ends remaining after the dereeling. As seen in FIG. 1 the tape 116 and the excess wire ends from leads 114 are fed through passageway 122 while at the same time tape 118 and the excess wire ends from leads 112 are fed through passageway 121. After passing through the passageways these scrap portions are discharged out the back of the machine. The trimmed electrical components with their leads cut to a determined length are discharged separately and in single file into the guideway 44 where they may be fed in a zig-zag path to other mechanism which is disposed to receive the now trimmed electrical component and to process these components by bending, shaping, accumulating by counting and the like. If the components are to be simply accumulated for later mounting in assemblies, the zig-zag chute need not be used and hence may be absent.

It is to be noted that the

blocks

50 and 52 are moved along guide shaft 60 to any desired position whereat the cutting line as established by the face of wheel 90 passing blade 54 also establishes the desired length of lead extending from the body 1 10 of the electrical components. Thumb screws 66 are then tightened to fix the

blocks

50 and 52 at the selected positions on shaft 60. When motor 76 is then actuated the shaft is rotated in the direction of the arrow as seen in FIG. 5. The notches 94 of the two cutting wheels are aligned so that when a

wire lead

112 or 114 is brought in way of the notch the wire lead of the component is pushed into the notch. This rotating wheel, as it moves the lead wire forwardly, pulls the taped strip 23 forwardly until the lead wires are cut. In the meantime, one or more subsequent components and their lead wires are engaged or are being engaged by following notches in the wheel so that as one lead wire is cut another lead wire is being moved forwardly. The cut lengths of leads extending from each side of the body is a matter of selection and is regulated by the positioning of

blocks

50 and 52 on the shaft 60.

The notches 94 are spaced and contoured on wheel 90 so that any taped strip of components whose lead wires are spaced at occurrences of two-tenths, threeeighths, or four-tenths of an inch may be fed to and through the de-reeling apparatus without a change in the wheels 90. Special spacing of wire leads may require toothed wheels having notches 94 spaced other than above-described. The desired length of lead wires is determined and by merely loosening thumb screws 66 and retightening after

blocks

50 and 52 have been removed to the desired position on shaft 60 the de-reeling of the taped components is accomplished. Speed controls and start and stop switches as well as other instruments may be mounted in and on a console box 150 as desired.

CONCLUSION Although the above description and drawings show and describe a preferred embodiment it is to be noted that instead of the gear motor 76 whose speed is adjusted to that desired for the de-reeling mechanism it is also contemplated this motor be eliminated and that other mechanisms whose power is derived from other operational apparatus may drive the drive shaft 70. For example, from cutting and shaping apparatus such as is shown in the above-identified US. Pat. No. 3,396,75 8, a ratchet mechanism, a solenoid or a pneumatic cylinder may be used to rotate shaft 70 in a manner which insures that the de-reeling operation is performed in precise synchronism with a lead forming operation or the like. lt is also to be noted that although the spacing of leads on tapes are most often at like spacing intervals, viz: all at two-tenths inch, or threeeights inch or four-tenths inch, it is also known to provide a taped strip of components wherein the spacing may have two or even all three of these spacings. The toothed advancing wheels 90 above-described, are disposed to accommodate any random selection of these spacings and to receive and feed these taped components to and through the adjustable cutting mechanisms. The components usually trimmed are for electrical circuits and the like, but of course, any component having a body portion and a wire lead extending from each end of the body and with the leads carried by tapes are disposed for de-reeling by the aboveidentified apparatus.

Terms such as left, right, up, down, bottom, top, front, back, in, out, clockwise, counterclockwise, and the like are applicable to the embodiment shown and described in conjunction with the drawings. These terms, as used, are merely for the purposes of description and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the de-reeling apparatus for cutting the wire leads of electronic components may be constructed or used.

The conception of the de-reeling apparatus and its many applications is not limited to the specific embodiment shown but departures therefrom may be made within the scope of the accompanying claims and without sacrificing its chief advantages and protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior art allows.

What is claimed is:

l. A de-reeling apparatus for cutting to like determined lengths the leads of electrical components and the like characterized in that they have like body lengths and have at least one wire lead extending from each end of a body, said leads being attached at their outer extremities to taped strips and spaced in like intervals, said de-reeling apparatus including: (a) means for delivering a supply strip of taped component members to said apparatus; (b) opposed parallel guide means adjustably spaced so as to receive the taped component members from the delivery source and to engage the wire leads between said opposed parallel guide means while these guide means engage both ends of the advancing component bodies to slidably retain the bodies so as to feed said taped components in a determined alignment and path as the components are fed to and through the opposed guide means; (c) a pair of lead wire cutting mechanisms each including a toothed advancing wheel carried and rotated by a drive shaft and a knife blade carried on a support block and disposed to mate with the toothed wheel so as to shear a lead of the guided component between said body and the outboard tape support of said lead as and when said lead is received into a toothed recess in said wheel and is brought in way of and past the cutting edge of the knife blade; (d) means to rotate the drive shaft and the toothed advancing wheels mounted thereon at a selected speed, and (f) means for singly discharging the now trimmed and separated component members from the toothed wheel.

2. A de-reeling apparatus as in claim 1 in which each wire cutting mechanism is carried by a block member which is slidable on and along a fixed support member said block member being releasably clamped to said support member to provide a desired cutting length to a wire lead.

3. A de-reeling apparatus as in claim 1 in which the drive shaft for rotating the toothed wheels has a longitudinal keyway formed therein and the toothed wheels are carried by and on a bushing slidable on the shaft and rotatably mounted in a bearing in said block member, and in which a drive pin is carried in and by the bushing with one end of the pin engaging a slot in the toothed wheel and the other end entering and slid ing in the keyway in the drive shaft.

4. A de-reeling apparatus as in claim 1 in which the toothed wheels have equally spaced notches on occurrences of two-hundred-thousandths of an inch spacing, said notch being of a small depth and of a width which is sufficient to receive in each notch leads spaced on two-tenths inch centers and in every other notch wire leads spaced on three-eights of an inch centers as well as those leads on four-tenths inches spacing.

5. A de-reeling apparatus as in claim 1 in which the opposed guide means are rail-like members which are carried on support posts and are adjustably mounted thereon with retaining means adapted to provide a determined spacing between guide rails said spacing accomodating like body lengths carried by the reel of components said spacing being changed to accomodate a different body length when found on another reel of like taped components.

6. A de-reeling apparatus as in claim 1 in which each of the lead wire cutting mechanisms include a wire guide having its guiding edge contoured so that when guide is in mounted condition the edge is in wire retaining close proximity to a portion of the periphery of the toothed advancing wheel the guiding edge engaging and retaining each advanced lead in the recess of the wheel as the lead is fed to and through the wire cutting mechanism.

7. A de-reeling apparatus as in claim 6 in which the guide rails are made so as to continue to retain and guide the bodies by their ends and opposed slides of the wire leads as the components are fed though the cutting mechanism and to a-discharge means.

8. A de-reeling apparatus and in claim 1 in which the wire cutting mechanisms are carried by blocks having integral means carried by said blocks for the discharge of the trimmed tape and attached surplus lead wire ends, each wire cutting mechanisms being selectively movable to a desired cutting position on a support bar carried by said apparatus.

9. A method for sequentially de-reeling and trimming to like determined lengths the wire leads of electrical components and the like as carried in taped strips and in a like spaced array, the method of de-reeling including the steps of: (a) supplying a strip of like taped components so as to permit a smooth delivery of the strip; (b) feeding said strip of taped components in a predetermined path; (c) guiding said taped strip by means of opposed parallel rail guide members adjustably spaced so as to slidably engage both of the ends of the like bodies of the component members carried in the advancing taped strip; (d) supporting said tape strip by spacing said opposed parallel rail guide members so as to slidably engage two sides of the lead wires of the components members; (e) advancing the tape strip into a pair of cutting mechanisms adjustably movable to removably secured desired wire cutting positions; (f) rotating a pair of toothed advancing wheels so as to receive and engage each wire lead of an electrical component in a notch in said wheel; (g) retaining the wire lead in said notches by a rail guide contoured and positioned adjacent a portion of the periphery of the toothed wheel; (h) advancing said lead while in said notch and in way of and past a cooperating cutting knife so as to shear cut the wire lead between said body and the tape strip to which the lead is attached, and (i) discharging the trimmed and separated component member.

10. The method of de-reeling electrical components as in claim 9 in which the like-spaced components are fed to toothed advancing wheels whose notches are spaced in two-hundred-thousandths of an inch centers with said notches having a width sufficient to permit entry into every other notch of wire leads spaced on three-eighths centers.

Claims

1. A de-reeling apparatus for cutting to like determined lengths the leads of electrical components and the like characterized in that they have like body lengths and have at least one wire lead extending from each end of a body, said leads being attached at their outer extremities to taped strips and spaced in like intervals, said de-reeling apparatus including: (a) means for delivering a supply strip of taped component members to said apparatus; (b) opposed parallel guide means adjustably spaced so as to receive the taped component members from the delivery source and to engage the wire leads between said opposed parallel guide means while these guide means engage both ends of the advancing component bodies to slidably retain the bodies so as to feed said taped components in a determined alignment and path as the components are fed to and through the opposed guide means; (c) a pair of lead wire cutting mechanisms each including a toothed advancing wheel carried and rotated by a drive shaft and a knife blade carried on a support block and disposed to mate with the toothed wheel so as to shear a lead of the guided component between said body and the outboard tape support of said lead as and when said lead is received into a toothed recess in said wheel and is brought in way of and past the cutting edge of the knife blade; (d) means to rotate the drive shaft and the toothed advancing wheels mounted thereon at a selected speed, and (f) means for singly discharging the now trimmed and separated component members from the toothed wheel.

3. A de-reeling apparatus as in claim 1 in which the drive shaft for rotating the toothed wheels has a longitudinal keyway formed therein and the toothed wheels are carried by and on a bushing slidable on the shaft and rotatably mounted in a bearing in said block member, and in which a drive pin is carried in and by the bushing with one end of the pin engaging a slot in the toothed wheel and the other end entering and sliding in the keyway in the drive shaft.

4. A de-reeling apparatus as in claim 1 in which the toothed wheels have equally spaced notches on occurrences of two-hundred-thousandths of an inch spacing, said notch being of a small depth and of a width which is sufficient to receive in each notch leads spaced on two-tenths inch centers and in every other notch wire leads spaced on three-eighths of an inch centers as well as those leads on four-tenths inches spacing.

7. A de-reeling apparatus as in claim 6 in which the guide rails are made so as to continue to retain and guide the bodies by their ends and opposed sides of the wire leads as the components are fed though the cutting mechanism and to a discharge means.