Abstract:
APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND DEPOSITING DISCRETE PORTIONS (STRAPS) OF FORMED, PREFERABLY PRETINNED MATERIAL AT A PREDETERMINED POSITION, SUCH AS ON A SUBSTRATE. AS DISCLOSED, THE APPARATUS INCLUDES A PAIR OF CONTIGUOUS FORMING AND DRIVE ROLLS HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPOSED, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLEMENTARY FORMS ADAPTED FOR RECEIVING AND FORMING THEREBETWEEN AT LEAST ONE CONTINUOUS STRIP OF MATERIAL WHICH IS SUPPLIED TO THE ROLLS ON A REEL TYPE SUPPLY DISPENSER. THE ROLLS FEED THE FORMED STRIP ONTO A TRAY, THE TRAY HAVING, AT ONE END THEREOF, A TERMINAL FIXED FIRST SHEAR END ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH A PERPENDICULARLY ORIENTED RECIPROCATING SHEAR BLADE, THE TERMINAL SHEAR END AND SHEAR BLADE OPERATING TO REMOVE THE DISCRETE PORTIONS OF THE STRIPS. THE SHEAR BLADE ALSO INCLUDES VACUUM HOLDING MEANS FOR RETAINING A DISCRETE PORTION (STRAP) UPON SHEAR OF THE STRIP, THE SHEAR MOVING PAST THE TERMINAL SHEAR END FOR DEPOSITING THE DISCRETE PORTION UPON SUBJACENT SUBSTRATES. THE APPARATUS ALSO INCLUDES A NOVEL DIMPLING PAD WHICH OPERATES ADJACENT TO THE SHEAR BLADE FOR PROVIDING AN INDENTATION IN THE STRIP PRIOR TO THE SHEARING OF THE STRIP, SO THAT THE STRAP NEXT TO BE SHEARED AND POSITIONED ON THE SUBSTRATE WILL HAVE DIMPLES THEREIN FOR LOCATION ON PROJECTIONS FROM THE SUBSTRATE.