Appliance for picking up very small elements one by one

• US 4,401,236 A
• Filed: 03/16/1981
• Issued: 08/30/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michel Germaine
• Original Assignee: Michel Germaine
• Inventors: Germaine, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bartuska, F. J.
• Application Number:
  US06/244,236
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 221/211, 414/121, 414/416, 414/627, 294/64 R
• US Class Current: 221/211
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/042 using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1485 using suction or magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/91 incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers

Abstract

An apparatus for sequentially picking up small elements one at a time comprising a hollow needle having an opening near its free end, and a tube sliding over the needle in a rapid oscillating motion to dislodge unwanted elements clinging near the needle opening. The apparatus can move between a position in which the needle is connected to a vacuum source dips into a receptacle to pick up one of the elements contained in the receptacle and a position in which the needle is connected to a pressure source allows the element to drop to a reception position.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sequentially removing, one at a time, small sized elements from a receptacle containing a plurality of said elements, and for sequentially transfering said elements, one at a time, to a reception position, comprising a hollow needle having near its free end an opening with a cross-section smaller than the smallest dimension of the elements to be removed;

mounting and transferring means for lowering said needle into said receptacle and for withdrawing said needle from said receptacle and for sequentially transferring said elements, one at a time, to the reception position;

means for applying a vacuum in the needle when it enters the receptacle and during the transfer of the needle to the reception position and for suppressing the vacuum in the needle at the reception position;

a tube slidably mounted on the needle; and

means for imparting to said tube a linear oscillating motion along the needle axis to detach from the needle any elements held near the needle opening due to the vacuum effect, except for one element only which occupies the center position with respect to the needle opening.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 which is adapted for picking up spherical or approximately spherical elements, wherein said needle opening provides a passage along the longitudinal axis of the needle and said tube has an inside diameter exceeding the diameter of the elements to be picked up.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 which is adapted for picking up flat elements, wherein the needle has a lateral flat portion extending from the free end of the needle to a point above said free end and said opening is made in the side of the needle at the top of the said flat portion.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 which is adapted for picking up oblong elements, wherein the needle has, at a point above its free end, a lateral recess the depth and width of which diminish towards the free end of the needle, and said opening is made in the side of the needle, in the deepest and widest part of said recess.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said tube is slit on the side.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tube is pierced with lateral holes above its bottom end.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for imparting an oscillating motion to the tube comprises a support mounting above the needle capable of movement parallel to the axis of the needle, a crank drive for moving said support alternately along the axis of the needle and a bar coupled with said support and with said tube so as to extend parallel to the needle axis.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a tube support secured to said tube is slidably mounted on said bar and said bar has a bottom stop for said support.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a tube support secured to said tube is connected to said bar by two connecting rods linked together, one of said connecting rods being further linked on said support and the other of said connecting rods being linked on said bar by horizontal pins, one of these connecting rods being substantially vertical and the other in a position inclined to the vertical, a stop on said bar to prevent said other connecting rod from coming into alignment with said bar.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oscillating motion is of an amplitude such that the bottom end of the tube is positioned above the needle opening when the tube is at the highest point of displacement and is positioned below the needle opening when the tube is at the lowest point of displacement.

11. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said oscillating motion is of an amplitude such that the bottom end of the tube is positioned above the needle opening when the tube is at the highest point of displacement and is positioned below the needle opening when the tube is at the lowest point of displacement.

12. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said oscillating motion is of an amplitude such that the bottom end of the tube is positioned above the needle opening when the tube is at the highest point of displacement and is positioned below the needle opening when the tube is at the lowest point of displacement.

13. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said oscillating motion is of an amplitude such that the bottom end of the tube is positioned above the needle opening when the tube is at the highest point of displacement and is positioned below the needle opening when the tube is at the lowest point of displacement.

14. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said oscillating motion is of an amplitude such that the bottom end of the tube is positioned above the needle opening when the tube is at the highest point of displacement and is positioned below the needle opening when the tube is at the lowest point of displacement.

15. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said oscillating motion is of an amplitude such that the bottom end of the tube is positioned above the needle opening when the tube is at the highest point of displacement and is positioned below the needle opening when the tube is at the lowest point of displacement.

16. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said oscillating motion is of an amplitude such that the bottom end of the tube is positioned above the needle opening when the tube is at the highest point of displacement and is positioned below the needle opening when the tube is at the lowest point of displacement.

17. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said oscillating motion is of an amplitude such that the bottom end of the tube is positioned above the needle opening when the tube is at the highest point of displacement and is positioned below the needle opening when the tube is at the lowest point of displacement.

18. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said oscillating motion is of an amplitude such that the bottom end of the tube is positioned above the needle opening when the tube is at the highest point of displacement and is positioned below the needle opening when the tube is at the lowest point of displacement.