Gravity feed chute
US4508204A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 14, 1983 |
| Grant date | Apr 2, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 14, 2003 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05K13/043
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A chute for gravity feeding a plurality of like electrical components (1) to a pick-up station of a robotic controlled automatic assembly system comprises guide rails (2,3) down which components slide with their pins (13) extending between the rails. The rails are shaped to provide a downwardly inclined straight track (5) leading into a horizontal track (6) comprising the pick-up station from which the components are taken by the robot. The transition from the inclined track (approximately 30 degrees to the horizontal) to the straight track, although smooth, is quite abrupt and ensures that the next component is successfully fed from the inclined to the horizontal section of the chute each time its predecessor is removed from the pick-up station. Since the length of the horizontal track is such that only one component can be accommodated at a time, accurate positioning of the component in the pick-up station for access by the robot is guaranteed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.