Certain types of electronic components have two axial leads extending from opposite sides of the components as, for example, with resistors and diodes. To efficiently manufacture, package, and use these components, handling systems are required. The handling systems must orient the components with parallel leads and maintain the orientation. Otherwise, it may be necessary to untangle a loosely packed assemblage (haystack) of components at each processing stage.
In the case of components which are themselves paramagnetic or have paramagnetic leads and relatively light weight, handling systems have been devised using magnetic fields to suspend (levitate) and orient the components within the magnetic field. The components are suspended with parallel leads and advance maintaining this orientation from one position to another. Handling systems for components having a low weight to paramagnetism ratio are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,388,795; 3,537,580; 3,581,889; and 3,941,242. In these handling systems, the axial lead components are suspended between magnetic walls in a magnetic bin. They are then picked up by a wheel that has spaced magnetic stations for receiving the components. These prior art handling systems cannot be used with heavier components or with those that are only weakly magnetic.
Entirely different systems are required for handling nonmagnetic components. No use of the magnetic field can be made to orient the components or secure them to a spacing wheel. Each component must be individually secured at each stage to maintain orientation and spacing. These systems are necessarily complex and expensive.
Certain components, however, while insufficiently paramagnetic to be handled by the lead handling systems described, as for example in the above referenced patents, do have paramagnetic properties sufficient to enable their handling in systems according to this invention, which systems are much less complicated and expensive than those devised for nonmagnetic components.
It is an object according to this invention to provide a lead handling system for paramagnetic axial lead components that cannot be suspended in magnetic bins because of their low paramagnetism to weight ratio.