Methods of and apparatus for conveying, testing and sorting articles and straightening their leads

摘要

In making electronic components, it is usually necessary to test and sort the components in accordance with their characteristics. In carrying out such operations, the components are guided along a first portion of a path tangential to a rotatable member having notches spaced in the periphery thereof. The rotatable member is moved to engage one notch with each component to support such component and to space it from the other components in accordance with the spacing of the notches. The rotatable member controllably moves the articles along a second portion of a path adjacent the first portion. The rotatable member is then stopped and the leads of each supported component are straightened. The components are then fed to another rotatable member and controllably moved to a testing facility. While the other rotatable member is stopped, the leads of each component are engaged by contacts of the testing facility to determine certain characteristics of each component. Finally, each component is sorted in accordance with its characteristics.