US3123199A

US3123199A - Article feeding device

Info

Publication number: US3123199A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-03

Description

March 1964 K. P. EASTERDAY ETAL 3,123,199

ARTICLE FEEDING DEVICE Filed May 17, 1960 KR5H5TE U/1 .ZJE/WHE'QQE'E'E' J7 TUFPNE'H United States Patent 3,123,199 ARTICLE FEEDING DEVICE Kenneth P. Easterday, Bethlehem, and Donald S.

Magargee, Center Valley, Pa., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y.,

a corporation of New York Filed May 17, 1960, Ser. No. 29,741 4 Claims. (Cl. 198-33) This invention relates to article feeding devices and particularly to a vibratory feed track for feeding articles, such as, wafers utilized in semi-conductor devices.

In the manufacture of semi-conductor devices, after the relatively small thin wafers are etched to a particular dimension, an operator feed the Wafers individually into a gaging machine. One of the problems encountered in feeding the wafers is that the operator must separate doubled-up wafers that tend to stick one on top of another. This operation requires not only the need of many operators but also results in the consumption of much time.

The principal object of this invention is a device for separating doubled-up articles and advancing them singularly along a given path.

According to the general features of this invention, a vibrator is connected to a feed track and normally uniform amplitude vibrations are imparted thereto causing the track to vibrate and advance the articles therealong. Periodically, a relatively high amplitude pulse issuperimposed on the low vibrations to jolt the articles apart from each other during their movement along the track to insure a single feed of the articles.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the feed track;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the feed track as seen from the plane of line 2-2 of FIG. :1 and the vibrator;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the feed track as seen from the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the feed track as seen along the plane of line 44 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the feed track as seen along the plane of line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the invention is incorporated in an article feeding device, generally referred to at 10. The device extends and leads into a machine 11, such as a gaging machine for measuring the thickness of Wafer-like articles, hereinafter referred to as wafers 9. However, it is to be understood at this time that the wafers and gaging machine for receiving the wafers are simply illustrative with respect to the use of the feeding device 10, as any other articles and feed receiving means can be utilized.

The feeding device 10 has a grooved feed track 12 commencing from a dish-like reservoir '13, located at one end of the device for receiving the wafers, and extends longitudinally the length of the device. The grooved track 12 starts with a round bottom, U-shaped crosssection at its entrance end 14 and changes progressively to a V-shaped slot at its exit end 15, the exit end leading into the gaging machine 11. A plurality of steps 16 extend along the bottom portion of the grooved track inclining upwardly from the entrance end 14 to aid in separating doubled-up wafers, as hereinafter described.

The feeding device 10* is mounted on a conventional type vibrating apparatus 20. 'From a source 21, low amplitude vibrating pulses are emit-ted to the vibrator 20 for imparting a vibratory movement to the device 10 causing the wafers to advance along the track. From a source 22, a relatively high amplitude vibrating pulse 3,123,199 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 is superimposed periodically on the low amplitude pulses causing the track to be jolted periodically to space the Wafers apart fnom each other during their movement along the track. Also, as a result of the high amplitude pulses, pairs of or doubled-up wafers are separated from each other due to the sudden jolt imparted thereto, especially when the doubled-up wafers strike the risers 23 of steps 16 in response to the high amplitude vibrations.

In operation, wafers are placed in the reservoir 13 and low amplitude vibrations, superimposed by periodic pulses of high amplitude, are imparted to the feeding device '10 to advance the wafers from the reservoir 13 along the track. The wafers are gradually lifted from a horizontal to a substantially vertical position for subsequent entry into the gaging machine by the change in contour of the grooved track 12. Chips and broken wafers advancing from the reservoir '13 drop through a plurality of apertures 24 located in the track slightly past the reservoir. In this manner, it is assured that only whole wafers advance along the track into the machine 11.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. -A feed device for feeding and separating small thin, fiat wafers from their normally resting horizontal position to a substantially vertical position into a machine, which comprises, a feed track having at the entrance end thereof a reservoir for receiving wafers to be fed along the track, the track having a substantially U-shaped groove communicating with the reservoir and progressively changing to a substantially V-shaped groove at the exit end of the track causing the wafers to be lifted from a horizontal to a predominately vertical position, at least one elevated step disposed along the bottom portion of the groove for separating doubled-up wafers, and vibratory means connected to the track for emitting normally uniform low amplitude vibrations for Vibrating the track to feed the wafers from the reservoir and advance the wafers along the groove in the track and relatively high amplitude vibrations superimposed periodically on the low vibrations for spacing the wafers being fed along the groove into the track.

2.. A device for feeding and separating small thin, fiat waters from their normally resting predominately horizontal orientation to a predominately ventical orientation into a machine which comprises a feed track for receiving the Wafers to be fed along the track and having a relatively wide, substantially U-shaped groove changing to a relatively narrow, substantially V-shaped groove at the exit end of the track for causing the wafers to be changed from a predominately horizontal orientation to a predominately vertical orientation, the track having at least one step disposed therein for separating doubled-up wafers, and vibratory means connected to the track for emitting normally uniform low amplitude vibrations for vibrating the track to advance the Wafers along the track and relatively high amplitude vibrations superimposed periodically on the low vibrations for spacing the articles from each other to facilitate the separation of the doubledup wafers.

'3. A device for feeding and separating small thin, flat wafers from their normally resting predominately horizontal orientation to a predominately vertical orientation into a machine which comprises a feed track having at the entrance end thereof a reservoir for receiving a sup ply of waters to be fed along the track, the track having a relatively wide, substantially U-shaped groove adjacent to the reservoir and progressively changing to a relatively narrow, substantially V-shapcd groove at the exit end of the track for causing the Wafers to be changed from a predominately horizontal orientation to a predominately vertical orientation, and vibratory means connected to the track for emitting normally uniform low amplitude vibrations for vibrating the track to advance the wafers along the track and relatively high amplitude vibrations superimposed periodically on the low vibrations for spacing the articles from each other to facilitate the separation of the doubled-upwafers.

4. A device for feeding small thin, fiat Wafers and discharging the wafers from the device in a substantially vertical orientation which comprises a feed track having a reservoir for receiving a supply of randomly oriented wafers to be fed along the track, the track having a relatively Wide groove communicating with the reservoir, the Walls of the groove converging towards the exit end thereof, the groove in the track being relatively narrow at the exit end of the track causing the Wafers to be oriented in a predominately vertical position as they are 4 discharged from the track, at least one step disposed along the bottom portion of the groove for separating doubledup Wafers, and vibratory means connected to the track for emitting vibrations at a predetermined rate for advancing the Wafers along the track and causing the discharge of oriented wafers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Mar. 3, 1930 OTHER REFERENCES AMI Product Digest, Micro Feeder Model EBR-0O (a), Afiiliated Mfgs. Inc., P. O. Box 211, Oldwick, N1, pub- 20 lished October 15, 1958.

UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 l23 l99 March 3 1964 Kenneth PQEastergday et all,

r It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column l line 27 before "amplitude" insert low Signed and sealed this 7th day of July 1964.

SEAL) ttest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER ERNEST W. SWIDER ttesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. A FEED DEVICE FOR FEEDING AND SEPARATING SMALL THIN, FLAT WAFERS FROM THEIR NORMALLY RESTING HORIZONTAL POSITION TO A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION INTO A MACHINE, WHICH COMPRISES, A FEED TRACK HAVING AT THE ENTRANCE END THEREOF A RESERVOIR FOR RECEIVING WAFERS TO BE FED ALONG THE TRACK, THE TRACK HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED GROOVE COMMUNICATING WITH THE RESERVOIR AND PROGRESSIVELY CHANGING TO A SUBSTANTIALLY V-SHAPED GROOVE AT THE EXIT END OF THE TRACK CAUSING THE WAFERS TO BE LIFTED FROM A HORIZONTAL TO A PREDOMINATELY VERTICAL POSITION, AT LEAST ONE ELEVATED STEP DISPOSED ALONG THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE GROOVE FOR SEPARATING DOUBLED-UP WAFERS, AND VIBRATORY MEANS CONNECTED TO THE TRACK FOR EMITTING NORMALLY UNIFORM LOW AMPLITUDE VIBRATIONS FOR VIBRATING THE TRACK TO FEED THE WAFERS FROM THE RESERVOIR AND ADVANCE THE WAFERS ALONG THE GROOVE IN THE TRACK AND RELATIVELY HIGH AMPLITUDE VIBRATIONS SUPERIMPOSED PERIODICALLY ON THE LOW VIBRATIONS FOR SPACING THE WAFERS BEING FED ALONG THE GROOVE INTO THE TRACK.