High-speed integrated circuit handler

• US 4,128,174 A
• Filed: 02/28/1977
• Issued: 12/05/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swapp, Mavin C., Frisbie, Milo W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Application Number:
  US05/772,696
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 209/71, 209/72, 209/73, 209/74 R, 209/74 M, 209/81 R, 198/393, 198/397, 198/404, 198/408, 198/480, 198/481, 198/482, 198/803, 198/608
• US Class Current: 209/573
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/344 according to electric or electromagnetic properties sorting according to size measured electrically or electronically B07C5/08; material testing by magnetic means G01N24/00, G01N27/00, by electrical means G01N27/00; electrical measuring devices in general G01R; coin testing G07D5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/36 Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2893 Handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers G01R31/2867 takes precedence; handling semiconductor devices or wafers during manufacture or treatment H01L21/67
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

An apparatus for the high-speed handling of integrated circuit parts. The apparatus consists essentially of two parts, a test wheel and a sort wheel. It singulates parts from a reservoir of untested parts, moves the parts to electrical contacts for test, moves the tested part out of the contacts and sorts the part into the proper bin.

Claims

1. An apparatus for handling a series of individual parts for testing at a test fixture and sorting which comprises:

a first vertical wheel provided with slots disposed arounds its periphery for singulating said parts, presenting them for tests at said test fixture, and moving them away from said test fixture; and

a second horizontal wheel for sorting said parts into a plurality of selected categories, said second wheel being positioned below said first wheel and having holes provided about its periphery for accepting said parts dropped from said first wheel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first wheel is a low-mass wheel which rotates about a horizontal axis in discrete partial revolutions to allow said series of individual parts in continuous sequence to drop into said slots, to be rotated into position for test, and to be further rotated to drop into said second wheel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second wheel is a low-mass wheel which rotates about a vertical axis to position one of said holes above a predetermined sort track allowing said part contained in said hole to drop into said sort track.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first element and said second element work in concert so that in the time interval when said second element is sorting one of said individual parts said first element is singulating, presenting for test, testing, and moving away from the test fixture others of said individual parts.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said individual parts are integrated circuit parts packaged in dual-in-line packages.

6. An apparatus for handling a series of individual parts for testing at a test fixture and sorting which comprises:

a first vertical wheel provided with slots disposed about its periphery for singulating said parts, presenting them for testing at said test fixture, and moving them away from said test fixture; and

a second horizontal wheel for sorting said parts, said second wheel positioned below said first wheel and having holes provided about its periphery for accepting said parts from said first wheel, said second wheel being rotatable about a vertical axis to position one of said holes above a predetermined sort location, said part being held in said hole during said rotation by the forces of acceleration.