US3777349A

US3777349A - Terminal applicator

Info

Publication number: US3777349A
Application number: US00139522A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Barnes
Original assignee: EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Current assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
Priority date: 1971-05-03
Filing date: 1971-05-03
Publication date: 1973-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-11

Abstract

A terminal applicator for simultaneously mounting a plurality of terminals on a circuit board in a desired pattern includes a number of terminal gripping fingers extendable linearly from a pick-up position where each finger engages one of a number of regularly spaced terminals to a staking position where the terminals are held in a pattern different from their pattern at the pick-up position and staked to a circuit board. The axes of movement of the fingers are non parallel but lie in a common plane.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Barnes Dec. 11, 1973 TERMINAL APPLICATOR 3,524,240 8/1970 Walker et al 29/203 B [75] Inventor: Ronald B. Barnes, Camp Hill, Pa. Primary Examiner ,rhomas H- Eager [73] Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Attorney-Thomas Hooker Company, Wilmington, Del. 22 Filed: May 3, 1971 [571 ABSTRACT v A terminal applicator for simultaneously mounting a [2!] App! 139522 plurality of terminals on a circuit board in a desired pattern includes a number of terminal gripping fingers [52] US. Cl 29/203 B extendable linearly from a pick-up position where [51] Int. Cl. H05k 13/04 each finger engages one of a number of regularly [58] Field of Search 29/203 B, 203 DT, spaced terminals to a staking position where the termi- 29/203 8, 203 R, 203 P, 626, 203 D nals are held in a pattern different from their pattern at the pick-up position and staked to a circuit board. [56] References Cited The axes of movement of the fingers are non parallel UNITED STATES PATENTS but he in a common P 3,429,039 2/1969 Berg 29/626 10 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures IPATENTEUDEE n ma SHEET 10F 8 INVENTOR.

onald B. Barnes Thomas Hooker,

H is Attornew PATENTEDUEC 11 I975 SHEET 2 OF 8 INVENTOR. Ronald B. Barnes Thomas Hooker,

His AHIOTYIQL PATENTEU DEC 1] I975 SHEET 3 BF 8 INVENTOR. Ronald B. Barnes Qvm Thomas Hooker, His Arrorncu .tlll. LFJ JKT Q PMFNIEHuum mm 3.777.349

SHEET no? 8 Ronald B. Barnes BY 35 Thomas Hooker,

His ArtoYneLj PATENTED UEC1 1 I973 SHEET 5 OF 8 K m N E W P Ronald B. Barnes Thomas Hookev,

His Attorney.)

Pmmninum 11 mm 3.7 77,349

v sums 0F 8 2 56 MW/m:

INVENTOR. Ronald. E). Barnes BY Thomas Hookev,

His A't'tOTnfiLi PATENTEDUEEH 191s 3L777L349 SHEET 7 BF 8 I INVENTOR.

Ronald B. Bavnes BY Thomas Hooker, His AfiOYYlfiLi PAIENTEDDEB H ms 3.777.349 SHEET 8 [1F 8 Ronald B. Barnes BY Thomas Hooker,

His AH'QYYILi TERMINAL APPLICATOR The invention relates to an apparatus for mounting a number of terminals supplied on a carrier strip on a circuit board in a given pattern. Terminal gripping fingers are movable from a pick-up location to a staking location. When the fingers are in the pick-up location a terminal strip is fed to locate a terminal between the jaws of each finger. The jaws then close around the terminal prior to severing of the terminal from the carrier strip and the fingers are extended linearly along non parallel axes lying in a common plane for a distance sufficient to locate the terminals in the desired pattern. The terminals are held by the fingers in the pattern and a circuit board is then moved toward the fingers to stake the terminals to the circuit board. The invention is an improvement over Berg U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,039 for Apparatus and Method for Inserting Groups of Lead Wires in a Circuit board."

In the present apparatus it is possible to pick up terminals spaced at regular intervals along a carrier strip and then transport the terminals along a linear path from the pick-up location a given distance so that the terminals are then oriented in a desired pattern. Because the terminals are picked up and transported linearly to the staking position the terminals are held in the same relative orientation in the staking position as they were in the pick-up position thereby facilitating staking of the terminals to the circuit board.

In the disclosed apparatus the terminals are generally tubular. The transport fingers grip the terminals while the terminals are vertically oriented and then transport the terminals linearly ina horizontal direction so that in the staking position the terminals are also held vertically. A horizontal circuit board may then be raised to position the exposed terminal portions in circuit board holes for staking.

Afterthe terminals are fed to the pick-up location and clamped by the fingers, the terminal strip is moved toward a fixed knife to sever the held terminals from the strip. The cutting movement is achieved by pivoting the entire feed mechanism about a fixed point in order to rotate the strip past the knife edge. A single cam feeds the terminal strip, releases the fingers to clamp the terminals and pivots the feed mechanism to sever the clamped terminals.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, of which there are eight sheets.

IN THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the terminal applicator in the start position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the applicator in the staking position with the fingers extended;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view taken in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged and partially broken away plan view of the apparatus after feeding the terminals to the pick-up location;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 illustrating the terminal clamping and cut-off operations;

FIGS. 9, l0 and 11 are partially broken away views of one of the fingers illustrated in the operation thereof;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the relation between one of the fingers and a finger cam bar;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the pick-up location;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the pick-up location including the operation of the terminal cut-off;

FIG. 15 is a partially broken away view indicating the operation of the cam bar in holding the jaws of each finger open;

FIG. 16 is a schematic indicating the pneumatic circuitry of the apparatus; and

FIG. 17 is a schematic indicating the electrical circuitry of the apparatus.

Terminal applicator 10 includes a fixed base suitably mounted on support 14. Block 16 is secured to the upper surface of plate 12 and is provided with a cover plate 18 which extends outwardly past the edge of block 16 toward side 20 of the plate 12 and past plate end 21. Feed and cut-off assembly plate 22 rests on the top of plate 12 beneath cover plate 18 and is journalled on vertical pin 24 extending into

plates

12 and 18 for pivotal movement about the pin.

A number of elongate terminal transport fingers 26 are confined within grooves formed in block 16 as indicated in FIG. 1 to permit axial movement of the fingers. While the longitudinal axes, of the fingers 26 lie in a common plane, the axes are not parallel so that the fingers diverge somewhat. Each finger end 28 is secured to the piston rod 30 of air cylinder 32 so that extension or retraction of the cylinders 32 move the fingers along their respective longitudinal axes indicated at 34 in FIG. 1.

The orientation of the finger axes 34 is determined by the requirement that when air cylinders 32 are retracted to move the ends 36 of the fingers back to the pick-up location 38, the ends must be uniformly spaced from each other in order to pick up terminals uniformly spaced along a carrier strip. When the air cylinders 32 are extended to move the finger lead ends 36 to the mounting position indicated generally at 40; finger ends 36 must be positioned in a proper pattern so the terminals held thereby may be mounted on the circuit board. The angular orientation of the finger axes 34 is required in order to move the terminals from the regular spacing at the pick-up location to the desired spacing at the mounting location. The geometry of finger stop 42 also assists in accurately locating the fingers in the mounting location as willbe described later herein. Because of the required orientation of the finger axes 34, some of the air cylinders 32 may have to be positioned above or below other of the air cylinders 32 so that while the finger axes 34 lie within a common plane, the axes of the air cylinders 32 do not necessarily lie within a plane.

As indicated in FIGS. 9 thru 11, each finger 26 includes a rod 44 the free end 28 of which is secured to the piston rod 30 in air cylinder 32. Jaw 46 is fixedly mounted on the other end of rod 44 and includes a terminal gripping projection 48 which extends downwardly from the free end thereof. A relatively movable jaw 50 located above jaw 46 has a terminal gripping projection 52 at the free end thereof which extends downwardly adjacentgripping projection 48 of jaw 46.

Rod 44 extends through a bore 54 in the other end of jaw 50 and spring 56 on rod 44 is confined between the two jaws to bias the

terminal gripping projections

48 and 52 toward each other. As indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8 the

terminal gripping surfaces

58 and 60 of

projections

48 and 52 are recessed in order to facilitate holding of the terminals.

Finger cam bar 62 is confined within a recess 64 between the top of block 26 and cover plate 18 and extends laterally across the fingers 26. A cam follower 66 is secured to the end of bar 62 adjacent feed and cut-off plate 22 and the other end of the bar. extends beyond the edge of plate 18. Spring 68 is connected between the pin on the free end of bar 62 and a pin on plate 18 and biases the bar toward the plate 26. Bar 62 includes a cam shoulder 70 and recess 72 for each finger 26.

Each finger jaw 50 includes a stop 74 on the end adjacent cam bar 62. When the finger air cylinders 32 are retracted and the cam bar 62 is positioned as in FIGS. 1 and 15, each shoulder 70 is located in the path of a stop 74 so that the jaws 50 cannot be withdrawn with the remainder of the finger 26. The air cylinders overcome the force of springs 56 so that jaws 46 are withdrawn and the terminal

gripping portions

48 and 52 are opened as indicated in FIG. 10. Movement of the cam bar 62 against the action of spring 68 moves shoulders 70 away from stops 74 to permit springs 56 to move jaws 50 toward the air cylinders thereby closing the

terminal gripping portions

48 and 52 to attain the position of FIG. 11. y

A recess 76 is formed in the top of each jaw 50 adjacent the terminal gripping ends thereof. Bar 78 is pivotally mounted on top of plate 18 on pin 80 and includes a lateral or T-shaped head 82 which is located above finger recesses 76 when the fingers are in the position of FIG. 10. A spring (not shown) biases head 82 toward the recess so that when each finger is in proper location the head falls into the recesses thereby rotating the bar 78 to bring the free end thereof into engagement with the trigger 86 of microswitch 88 to close the switch.

Feed and cut-off plate 22 includes a feed mechanism for moving a number of terminals 90 on a carrier strip 92 to the pick-up location 38. The terminals and carrier strip are illustrated best in FIG. 13. Each terminal 90 includes a generally cylindrical body 94 with annular ridge 96 formed in the middle of the body. Adjacent the carrier strip 92 bodies 94 are tapered inwardly to form rounded tips 98 which facilitate positioning the end of the terminals in circuit board holes. The terminals are connected to the carrier strip 92 by severable tabs 100. Pilot holes 102 are formed at regular intervals along the length of strip 92 and are used to facilitate feeding of the strip and terminals.

Terminal strip feed path 104 extends along the edge of plate 22 adjacent edge 20 of plate 12, around corner 106 adjacent pin 24 and along a narrow extension 108 of plate 22 past the pick-up location 38. The feed path includes a groove for confining carrier strip 92 with the terminals 90 extending above the groove. The terminal strip is fed along path 104 in the direction indicated by arrow 110 with the terminals 90 being severed from the strip at the pick-up location 38 and the remaining carrier strip 92 extending into guide 112 for suitable disposal.

The terminal feed includes a yoke l 14 pivotally mounted on pin 24 and having a spring biased feed finger 116 located on a portion thereof outwardly of the feed path 104. Movement of the yoke about pin 24 moves the feed finger 116 along the feed path for feeding of the terminal strip. The feed finger 116 extends through an opening in the recess for the terminal strip so that it engages holes 102 to feed the strip. A spring 118 biases the feed finger against the strip to hold the feed finger in the appropriate hole 102.

One end of a feed bar 120 is pivotally secured to yoke 114 at pin 122 and the other end of the bar extends through a hole formed in stop plate 124 mounted on plate 22. Spring 126 is confined between a stop 128 on bar 120 adjacent the yoke and stop 124 to bias the yoke so that the feed finger is located downstream with regard to the feed path 104. Stop nuts 130 on the free end of bar 120 engage the stop 124 to limit the pivotal movement of the yoke during terminal feeding as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The yoke also carries cam follower 132 which is engagable with cam surface 134 of main cam 136 mounted on plate 22. A groove 138 is formed on the upper surface of plate 22 and a ridge on the bottom of the cam 136 is confined within the groove so that the cam is movable back and forth along the groove. Air cylinder 140 is secured to plate 22 at the end thereof away from yoke 114 and includes a piston rod 142 which is attached to cam 136 so that the cylinder moves the cam back and forth along groove 138. Fixed roller 144 is mounted on pin 146 between plate 18 and base 12 adjacent cam 136. Spring 148 extends from pin 150 in base 12 to bracket 152 on the end of plate 22 below cylinder 140. Stop bar 154 is secured to plate 22 adjacent bracket 152, extends through a hole in stop 156 mounted on base 20 and carries stop nuts 158. As illustrated in FIG. 1, spring 148 rotates plate 22 about pin 24 until stop nuts 158 engage stop 156. In this position the cam 136 is extended and roller 144 is spaced from flat cam surface 160. Retraction of the air cylinder 140 moves cam 136 away from pin 24 so that roller 144 engages rise surface 162 and then flat cam surface 164 thereby rotating plate 22.

When the cam 136 is extended as in FIG. 1, the cam bar 62 is moved toward edge 20 of plate 12 by spring 66 until stop 166 engages the edge of plate 18. In this position the follower 66 is free of cam 136. Retraction of air cylinder 140 moves the cam into engagement with the follower so that the follower rides up rise surface 168 and on to flat 160, as illustrated in FIG. 6, thus moving the cam bar away from edge 20 and releasing the jaws 50 so that the terminals in the pick-up location are clamped between

finger gripping projections

48 and 52.

Opening 170 is formed in plate 18 above the pick-up location 38 to permit the end of bar 78 carrying head 82 to engage the upper surfaces of jaws 50. A pair of support bars 172 are mounted on top of plate 18 and extend therefrom outwardly past opening 170. Stop block 42 is secured to the ends of bars 172 and extends down into the path of extension of fingers 26, as indicated in FIG. 1. The lead ends of the jaws 50 are bevelled to form sharp vertical edges 174 so that when the fingers are extended the edges fit within the vertical grooves 176 formed in block 42. The axis of extension of fingers 26 is determined so that each finger passes over a pick-up location of a terminal 90 on strip 92 and then extends over the desired terminal mounting location. Each groove 176 of stop lock 42 is located on an axis of a finger at the position required in order to locate the terminal gripped between the jaws so that the terminal is in the mounting location. Thus by adjustment of the stop lock and the angular orientation of the individual feed fingers, it is possible to pick up terminals from a carrier strip and then feed the same so that they are located in a given pattern for mounting on a circuit board.

A suitable circuit board feed 178 is provided to position board 180 in a location beneath the ends of fingers 26 when extended. The circuit board is biased against the top of slots 182 in brackets 184 by spring backed pins 186 so that the circuit board holes 188 are located in axial alignment with the terminals 90 held in the extended jaws. Staking anvils 190 are located below holes 188. Means 192, such as an air cylinder, is provided for moving circuit board feed 178 upwardly toward the terminals 90 to stake the terminals to the board.

Normally open microswitch 194 is positioned above feed 178 so that when the feed is raised to the staking position and the terminals are staked to board 180, the feed engages the trigger of the switch to close the same. Normally open microswitch 196 is located beneath the feed 178 and is closed when the feed is lowered away from'the fingers 26.

FIG. 16 schematically illustrates the pneumatic circuitry of apparatus 10. The pressure leads of each finger air cylinder 32, only one of which is illustrated in FIG. 16, are connected to two way solenoid controlled valve 198 having

control solenoids

200 and 202. Lead 204 connects the valve 198 to pressure fluid source 206. Valve lead 208 is vented.

The pressure fluid source is connected by lead 210 to two way solenoid controlled valve 212 which controls extension and retraction of the cut-off air cylinder 140. Valve 212 is controlled by

solenoids

214 and 216. Valve lead 218 is vented.

Air cylinder 192 is also connected to pressure fluid source 206 through a two way solenoid controlled valve 220 having

solenoids

222 and 224.

FIG. 17 schematically illustrates the electrical circuitry of the apparatus.

Leads

226 and 228 are connected to power source 230 through on-off switch 232. Each valve solenoid is connected between the

leads

226 and 228 by a normally open microswitch as indicated. Operator controlled start switch 234 is in series with retraction solenoid 216 of valve 212. Normally open microswitch 236, illustrated in FIG. 3, is in series with extension solenoid 202 of valve 198; normally open microswitch 88 is in series with extension solenoid 222 of valve 220; normally open microswitch 194 is in series with retraction solenoid 224 of valve 220; normally open microswitch 196 is in series with extension solenoid 214 of valve 212; and normally open microswitch 238 is in series with retraction solenoid 200 of valve 198.

OPERATION OF THE APPARATUS FIG. 1 illustrates the apparatus in the start position. Cylinder 140 is extended so that the cam 136 has rotated yoke 114 upstream relative to terminal feed path 104 to position the end of feed finger 116 for engagement with a hole 102 in strip 92 upstream from the five lead terminals to be fed to the pick-up area 38. In this extended position of the cam both fixed roller 144 and follower 66 on cam bar 62 are free of the cam so that spring 148 holds stop nuts 158 against stop 156 and spring 68 holds cam stop 166 against plate 18 to position the shoulders 70 above fingers 26.

Air cylinders 32 are retracted whereby the fingers 26 are also retracted with stops 74 engaging the'cam bar shoulders 70 whereby the

terminal gripping projections

48 and 52 are held open to either side of the feed path at the pick-up location 38. This position is illustrated in FIG. 10. Cylinder 192 is retracted so that the circuit board feed 178 is positioned below the block 142 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

With on-off switch 232 closed, the solenoid controlled

valves

198, 212 and 220 connected to pressure fluid source 206, and a circuit board in proper location in feed 178, the operator initiates the cycle by closing operator controlled normally open switch 234 to energize solenoid 216 thereby shifting valve 212 to retract the cut-off and feed cylinder 140. As the cam 136 is retracted spring 126 maintains contact between roller 132 and cam surface 134 to thereby rotate the yoke and move the feed finger downstream until stop nuts 130 engage stop 124. In this position the five lead terminals have been fed to the pick-up location 38 with the vertical axes of the terminals lying on the longitudinal axes along which the fingers 26 are extended. FIG. 13 illustrates the terminals in the pick-up location.

As the cam 136 is retracted the follower 66 of cam bar 62 engages rise surface 168 thereby moving the cam bar so that the finger stops 74 fall off shoulders 70 and into recesses 72 permitting springs 56 to bias the clamping

projections

48 and 52 together. The stops 74 fall off the shoulders 70 after the completion of the terminal feed so that the terminals are fully fed and are in a position to be clamped between the fingers as in FIG. 11 when the clamping projections close.

Immediately following clamping of the terminals in the pick-up location between the projections of

jaws

46 and 50, continued retraction of the cam 136 brings the rise surface 162 into engagement with fixed roller 144 thereby pivoting the plate 22 about pin 24 so that the feed path 104 at the pick-up location is pivoted beneath the edge of fixed cut-off knife 240 to thereby sever the terminals held by the fingers from carrier strip 92. The cutoff operation is illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8 and 14. In FIG. 14 the position of the feed path 104 at the time when the terminals are fed to the pick-up location is indicated in dotted lines and the position of the feed path following rotating of plate 22 to sever the terminals from the carrier strip 92 is indicated in solid lines.

When the cam 136 is fully retracted the head 242 of the bolt used to secure piston rod 142 to cam 136 engages the trigger of normally closed microswitch 236 to close the same and thereby momentarily energize solenoid 202 of valve 198 so that the valve is shifted and the finger air cylinders 32 are extended. Extension of cylinders 32 moves the jaws of each finger 26 with a terminal held clamped between the

projection portions

48 and 52 thereof from the pick-up location along finger axes 34 until each finger seats in a recess 176 in block 42. With the fingers in this position the terminals held thereby are located in alignment with circuit board holes 188 in board 180. The finger edges 174 are tightly fitted in grooves 176 to assure that the terminal is held on the finger axis, thus eliminating any possible lateral movement of the terminals due to play or looseness of the fingers in the guide slots formed in block 16.

Full extension of the cylinders 26 brings the recesses 76 in the top of jaws 50 in a line thereby allowing the head 82 of bar 78 to fall into the recesses so that the bar end 84 closes normally open microswitch 88. This position is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6.

Closing of microswitch 88 energizes solenoid 222 of valve 220 to extend air cylinder 192 and thereby raise the circuit board support 178. As the support is raised the circuit board holes 188 are moved up to surround the exposed lead portions of terminals 90. Taper 98 facilitates movement of the board about the terminals.

Continued upward movement of support 178 seats thecircuit board against the ridges 96 to prevent further movement of the board so that continued extension of air cylinder 192 collapses the spring backed pins 186 and raises anvils 190 so that they engage and outwardly flare the portions of the terminals 90 on the bottom side of the circuit board. When the staking operation has been completed, support 178 trips normally open microswitch 194 to energize solenoid 224, shift valve 220 and retract air cylinder 192 thereby lowering the support 178 back to the rest position. When the support reaches this position it trips normally open microswitch 196.

As the terminal support 178 is lowered, the staked terminals on board 180 are pulled from between the

projections

48 and 52 of

finger jaws

46 and 50. When the support is bottomed the circuit board may be removed therefrom and a new circuit board may be positioned as illustrated.

Closing of microswitch 196 energizes solenoid 214 to shift valve 212 thereby extending air cylinder 140 and returning the cam to the start position of FIG. 1. As the cam is extended the follower 66 of cam bar 62 falls from surface 168 so that the shoulders 70 are again positioned in the path of retraction of fingers 26, fixed roller 144 falls down surface 162 to permit spring 148 to return plate 22 to to the start position where the feed path 104 is free of the knife 240 and the follower 132 of yoke 144 re-engages rise surface 134 so that the yoke is pivoted to move the feed finger back upstream past the terminals to be fed to the pick-up location during the next cycle of operation. When the cam 136 is fully extended, bolt head 242 engages the trigger of normally open microswitch 238 to close the same thereby energizing solenoid 200 to shift valve 198 and retract cylinders 32 and fingers 26. As the fingers are retracted stops 74 engage shoulders 70 to spread the

gripping projections

48 and 52 to either side of the feed path as in FIG. to permit feeding of terminals during the next cycle. The retraction of cylinders 32 is limited by stops (not illustrated) on piston rods 30. Extension of the fingers 26 completes the cycle of operation of applicator 10.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Apparatus for mounting a number of terminals in a desired pattern on a circuit board or the like comprising feed means for moving a terminal strip with terminals thereon to position a number of terminals in pickup locations, a plurality of fingers each including a pair of jaws for gripping terminals, means for severing said terminals from said carrier strip, means for separating said jaws during feeding of the carrier strip to permit positioning of terminals in the pick-up locations between said jaws and for closing said jaws after feeding of the strip and prior to severing of the terminals from the strip whereby the terminals are held in the jaws when severed from the strip, means for linearly moving each finger and the terminal held thereby in a given direction along a plane from the pick-up location of one of said terminals to a circuit board mounting position where the terminals are held in a pattern different than their pattern on the terminal strip, and means for mounting said terminals on a circuit board in such pattern.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said feed means includes a plate movably mounted on said apparatus, a terminal strip feed path on said plate extending to said pick-up locations, means for moving said terminal strip along said path, and wherein said cut-off means includes a fixed cutoff knife extending along said feed path at the pick-up locations and means for moving said plate to move the feed path at the pick-up locations past the cutting edge of the knife thereby severing the terminals from the strip.

3. Apparatus as in-claim 2 wherein said means for moving the terminal strip along said path includes a feed finger engageable with the terminal strip, spring means biasing said finger in a downstream direction along said feed path to feed said strip and cam means operable to overcome said spring means and move said feed finger upstream relative to said feed path, said cam means also including a plate moving cam surface, and a cam follower on said apparatus engageable with said cam surface whereby engagement between said cam surface and cam follower moves said plate to sever said terminals from the strip.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein each finger includes drive means for moving the finger from the terminal pick-up position to the terminal mounting position, a first jaw secured to said drive means, a second jaw movably mounted on said first jaw and spring means biasing said jaws together for clamping a terminal therebetween, and said apparatus includes means for overcoming the spring means of each finger to hold the jaws apart when adjacent the pick-up location so that the jaws of each finger are located on opposite sides of the feed track to permit feeding of the terminals to the pick-up location, such cam means being operable to release said springs to permit closing of the jaws to clamp the terminals between the jaws prior to severing of the terminals from the carrier strip.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 including stop means located in the path of movement of the fingers away from the pick-up locations for determining the maximum tinger movement away therefrom.

6. Apparatus for orienting a number of terminals in a desired pattern for mounting on a circuit board or like comprising a base, a plurality of fingers mounted on said base with each finger including a pair of relatively movable jaws and means for biasing said jaws together, finger drive means for extending each of said fingers in a given direction away from a pick-up location and for returning said fingers to the pick-up location, stop means for limiting extension of said fingers away from said pick-up position, a cam operable to engage said fingers during return movement to the pickup locations to overcome said spring and thereby hold said jaws apart when the fingers are in the pick-up position, a plate pivotally mounted to said base, a terminal strip feed path formed in said plate and extending to said pick-up location, terminal feed means for indexing a terminal strip along said feed path to position a number of terminals in the pick-up location with a terminal positioned between the open jaws of each finger, a cutoff knife on said base extending past the terminals in the pick-up position, and means for releasing said finger cam means to permit closing of said jaws about the terminals in the pick-up position, and means for pivoting said plate relative to said base following clamping of the terminals between said jaws to move the feed path beneath said knife and sever the clamped terminals from the carrier strip, whereby said terminals are moved from said pick-up positions to a given pattern determined by said directions and the locations of said stops.

7. Apparatus for orienting a number of terminals in a desired pattern for mounting on a circuit board or like comprising a base, a plurality of fingers mounted on said base with each finger including a pair of relatively movable jaws and means for biasing said jaws together, finger drive means for extending each of said fingers in a given direction along a plane away from a pick-up location and for returning said fingers to the pick-up location, stop means for limiting extension of said fingers away from said pick-up position, a cam operable to engage said fingers during return movement to the pick-up locations to overcome said spring and thereby hold said jaws apart when the fingers are in the pick-up position, feed means for positioning a terminal in each pick-up position between the open finger jaws, and means for releasing said finger cam means to permit closing of said jaws about the terminals in the pickup position, whereby said terminals are moved from said pick-up positions to a given pattern determined by said directions and the locations of said stops.

8. A terminal feed and cut-off device for use in a terminal applicator having means for attaching terminals severed from a carrier strip on a circuit board or like substrate comprising a plate movably mounted on said applicator with a terminal feed path therein extending therealong to a cut-off position, feed means for feeding a carrier strip with terminals attached thereto along said path to said cut-off position, a cam movably mounted on said plate, means for moving said cam relative to said plate, a knife on said applicator adjacent said cut-off position, a fixed cam follower on said applicator operatively engageable with said cam to move said plate so that at the cut-off location the feed path is moved past the cutting edge of the knife, an operative connection between said cam and said feed means so that during a single movement of the cam said feed means moves said carrier strip along said path to feed a terminal to the cut-off position and immediately subsequent to feeding of the terminal engagement between said cam and said follower moves the plate relative to the applicator to sever the terminal from the carrier strip.

9. A device as in claim 8 wherein said feed means comprises a feed finger engageable with the terminal strip, spring means biasing said finger downstream relative to the feed path and a cam follower engageable with a surface of said cam for moving said feed finger upstream relative to the carrier strip and for controlling downstream movement of said finger.

10. A device as in claim 8 wherein said plate is pivotally mounted on said applicator.

Claims

1. Apparatus for mounting a number of terminals in a desired pattern on a circuit board or the like comprising feed means for moving a terminal strip with terminals thereon to position a number of terminals in pick-up locations, a plurality of fingers each including a pair of jaws for gripping terminals, means for severing said terminals from said carrier strip, means for separating said jaws during feeding of the carrier strip to permit positioning of terminals in the pick-up locations between said jaws and for closing said jaws after feeding of the strip and prior to severing of the terminals from the strip whereby the terminals are held in the jaws when severed from the strip, means for linearly moving each finger and the terminal held thereby in a given direction along a plane from the pick-up location of one of said terminals to a circuit board mounting position where the terminals are held in a pattern different than their pattern on the terminal strip, and means for mounting said terminals on a circuit board in such pattern.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said means for moving the terminal strip along said path includes a feed finger engageable with the terminal strip, spring means biasing said finger in a downstream direction along said feed path to feed said strip and cam means operable to overcome said spring means and move said feed finger upstream relative to said feed path, said cam means also including a plate moving cam surface, and a cam follower on said apparatus engageable with said cam surface whereby engagement between said cam surface and cam follower moves said plate to sever said terminals from the strip.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 including stop means located in the path of movement of the fingers away from the pick-up locations for determining the maximum finger movement away therefrom.

6. Apparatus for orienting a number of terminals in a desired pattern for mounting on a circuit board or like comprising a base, a plurality of fingers mounted on said base with each finger including a pair of relatively movaBle jaws and means for biasing said jaws together, finger drive means for extending each of said fingers in a given direction away from a pick-up location and for returning said fingers to the pick-up location, stop means for limiting extension of said fingers away from said pick-up position, a cam operable to engage said fingers during return movement to the pick-up locations to overcome said spring and thereby hold said jaws apart when the fingers are in the pick-up position, a plate pivotally mounted to said base, a terminal strip feed path formed in said plate and extending to said pick-up location, terminal feed means for indexing a terminal strip along said feed path to position a number of terminals in the pick-up location with a terminal positioned between the open jaws of each finger, a cutoff knife on said base extending past the terminals in the pick-up position, and means for releasing said finger cam means to permit closing of said jaws about the terminals in the pick-up position, and means for pivoting said plate relative to said base following clamping of the terminals between said jaws to move the feed path beneath said knife and sever the clamped terminals from the carrier strip, whereby said terminals are moved from said pick-up positions to a given pattern determined by said directions and the locations of said stops.

7. Apparatus for orienting a number of terminals in a desired pattern for mounting on a circuit board or like comprising a base, a plurality of fingers mounted on said base with each finger including a pair of relatively movable jaws and means for biasing said jaws together, finger drive means for extending each of said fingers in a given direction along a plane away from a pick-up location and for returning said fingers to the pick-up location, stop means for limiting extension of said fingers away from said pick-up position, a cam operable to engage said fingers during return movement to the pick-up locations to overcome said spring and thereby hold said jaws apart when the fingers are in the pick-up position, feed means for positioning a terminal in each pick-up position between the open finger jaws, and means for releasing said finger cam means to permit closing of said jaws about the terminals in the pick-up position, whereby said terminals are moved from said pick-up positions to a given pattern determined by said directions and the locations of said stops.