摘要 |
A fully automatic device is provided for handling components-containing tubes and for feeding the components contained in these tubes into the input rail or "accumulator" of the loading area of a component processing equipment. Another fully automatic device which is very similar in structure to the above device is also provided for recovering the components from the output rail of the unloading area of the component processing equipment, and reinserting such components into their tubes. Both of these devices have a column holder mounted on a frame for receiving and holding a column of tubes stacked one above the other. A rotatable barrel having a conical shape and a horizontal axis supports a set of tube catching assemblies. A motor rotates the barrel to position successively each of the tube catching assemblies horizontally just in front of the bottom end of the column holder to pick up one of the tubes of the column holder, which is pushed forwards by a pusher mechanism, and then to move the catching assembly and tube held by the same up to a vertical, inclined position where the tube extend in line with the loading or unloading area of the equipment and can be emptied or filled up with components. An ejecting system pushes the emptied or filled tubes out of the barrel and into a chute. Such devices are very efficient and may easily handle up to 45,000 electronic components per hour. |