GB839881A - Method and apparatus for attaching electrical components to a circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

839,881. Attaching electrical components to circuit boards. GENERAL MILLS Inc. Dec. 13, 1956, No. 38063/56. Class 83 (2). Electric components 48, Fig. 2, are attached to a circuit board 86 which has narrow exposed conducting strips 172, Fig. 11, terminating in holes 30 in the board, by passing the component leads 42, 44 through the holes, engaging the sides of the projecting leads and bending them over at 112 in selectively adjustable directions into contact with the conducting strips. The bent-over leads are subsequently soldered to the strip by a soldering iron or by dipping. The circuit board 86 may have the circuit printed on its under surfaces or moulded or embedded in the board and is fed along guide rails 87, 89, Fig. 2, to the component inserter 43. The latter comprises a vertically slidable member 62 carrying a cam plate 68 whose cam surfaces 70, 72 co-operate with a pair of fingers 56, 58 pivoted on a body 60 and biased by a tension spring 78. The component 48 with axially extending leads is initially supported on anvil fingers 50, 52. The slide member 62 is actuated by a pneumatic motor and is first moved downwardly with the body 60 whereby the fingers 56, 58 engage the leads and bend them downwardly. The body 60 then engages a stop 84 but member 62 continues its downward movement whereby cam surfaces 70, 72 pivot the fingers 56, 58 inwardly to grip on the leads 42, 44. The anvil fingers 50, 52 and the stop 84 are then withdrawn and a pusher 100 pushes the component leads through the holes in the circuit board, Fig. 3 (not shown). Beneath the board are positioned a pair of crimping members 114, 116, Fig. 11, pivoted on support rods 122, 124 which are raised to engage the sides of the projecting leads and roll them against the conducting strips 172. Members 114, 116 are biased by tension springs 174, 176 and their support rods are clamped to a slotted plate 138 for adjustable spacing to suit the components. The rods are rotatable by finger knobs 140 for aligning the bending members 114, 116 in the direction which the leads are to be bent. Sleeves 126, 128 surrounding the support rods are adjustably clamped to a plate 154 connected by rods 150 to an actuating plate 164 mounted on a piston rod 186 slidable through a fixed bearing 202 and whose piston 185 is biased downwardly by a spring 192 and operates in a pneumatic cylinder 188. Bearing 202 carries a stop 162 working in a slot 160 in a plate 158 connected to support plate 138 which is biased upwardly by springs 166, 168. When the piston is raised plates 154, 138 and 164 first move in unison until bottom of groove 160 engages fixed stop 162. Plates 164, 154 continue to rise whereby sleeves 126, 128 move relatively to their support rods to engage shoulders on the crimping members 114, 116 and pivot them to press against and bend over the projecting leads. Upward movement of the sleeves is limited by plate 164 engaging spacers 169, 171. A series of component inserting and bending mechanisms may be positioned at stations along a circuit board conveyer. Specifications 784,276 and 802,658 are referred to.