Apparatus and method for feeding card edge connectors and connector magazines
First Claim
1. An electrical connector magazine feeder for feeding magazines have electrical connectors therein, the feeder comprising:
- worm gear means comprising at least two worm gears for holding and moving connector magazines therebetween, each worm gear comprising a center shaft and at least one helical flight extending therefrom;
means for holding a connector magazine received from said worm gear means for dispensing of individual connectors, said holding means comprising a gate means have a plate positioned under said flights of each of said worm flights and being mounted for lateral movement relative to a central feeding axis formed between said worm gears, each of said plates comprising a center aperture for passage of a portion of one of said center shafts therethrough and for operably receiving a keying portion from one of said worm gears, said keying portions and said center apertures cooperating to move said plates as said worm gears are rotated, said gate means having a first position for holding a connector magazine and a second position for allowing an empty connector magazine to be ejected from said holding means; and
means for operably moving said at least two worm gears and said gate means such that said worm gears can support connector magazines individually and can controllably advance connector magazines towards said holding means, and said gate means can be moved from said first position to said second position and back to said first position to allow an empty connector magazine to be ejected from said holding means for replacement with a new connector magazine from said worm gear means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robotic feeding mechanism for feeding electrical connectors. Connector magazines having a plurality of electrical connectors therein can be held in a magazine feeder which comprises at least two worm gears for holding and moving connector magazines therebetween. The magazine feeder also comprises gates for holding a connector magazine received from the worm gears for dispensing individual connectors and means for operably moving the worm gears and gates for controllably advancing connector magazines towards the gates and moving the gates to replace an empty magazine with a new magazine. The feeding mechanism also comprises a device for feeding and inverting individual electrical connectors comprising a sloped feed path; a gate for holding a row of connectors; means for holding the row of connectors while a leading connector is allowed to advance along the feed path; and a tipping ledge and curved guide for inverting the lead connector as it advanced along the feed path.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An electrical connector magazine feeder for feeding magazines have electrical connectors therein, the feeder comprising:
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worm gear means comprising at least two worm gears for holding and moving connector magazines therebetween, each worm gear comprising a center shaft and at least one helical flight extending therefrom; means for holding a connector magazine received from said worm gear means for dispensing of individual connectors, said holding means comprising a gate means have a plate positioned under said flights of each of said worm flights and being mounted for lateral movement relative to a central feeding axis formed between said worm gears, each of said plates comprising a center aperture for passage of a portion of one of said center shafts therethrough and for operably receiving a keying portion from one of said worm gears, said keying portions and said center apertures cooperating to move said plates as said worm gears are rotated, said gate means having a first position for holding a connector magazine and a second position for allowing an empty connector magazine to be ejected from said holding means; and means for operably moving said at least two worm gears and said gate means such that said worm gears can support connector magazines individually and can controllably advance connector magazines towards said holding means, and said gate means can be moved from said first position to said second position and back to said first position to allow an empty connector magazine to be ejected from said holding means for replacement with a new connector magazine from said worm gear means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for feeding objects comprising:
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a frame; two worm gears axially rotatably connected to said frame, said worm gears each having a flight section and forming a central feeding path between said worm gears for holding and moving objects through said path; two platform plates movably connected to said frame for reciprocating linear movement, each one of said plates being located under one of said worm gear flight sections and being operably moveable, at least partially, into and out of said central feeding path, each plate comprising a key receiving portion; means for axially rotating said two worm gears; and means for operably moving said two plates in response to predetermined axial rotation of said two worm gears including a moving key member connected to each one of said worm gears, said key members being cooperatable with said plate key receiving portions to move said plates into said central feeding path upon a first predetermined axial rotation of said worm gears, and to move said plates out of said central feeding path upon a second predetermined axial rotation of said worm gears.
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Specification