DENVER BRADEN
Pilots at Jason Ln, San Marcos, CA

6294747, Sep 25, 2001

May 23, 2000

9/578787

Donald Liu - San Diego CA
Denver Braden - San Marcos CA
Romulo V. de Vera - San Diego CA
Malcolm Vincent Hawkes - Escondido CA

Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. - Portland OR

B07C 5344

209574

This invention is a visual inspection machine for a surface mount passive component (chip) made up of a rotating circular loader wheel inclined to the horizontal and including an upper exposed wheel surface against which an inventory of chips is placed for loading and a rim in which a plurality of cavities, of a size and shape to accept a single chip therein in an upright position, are formed, each cavity defined by a pair of spaced-apart cavity side walls, a rear cavity wall, and having a corner chamfer leading down thereinto from the wheel surface located on the side wail of the cavity in the direction of rotation of the loader wheel, a first vacuum station connected to the loader wheel for providing vacuum power in each cavity for retaining each chip in a cavity for a first inspection, a first inspection station, external the loader wheel, for viewing a first side surface of the chip during its location in the cavity on the loader wheel, a transfer wheel defined by an outer marginal edge, the wheel arranged planar to the loader wheel and in coordinated juxtaposed movement therewith for receiving the chips from the cavities in the loader wheel to the outer marginal edge of the transfer wheel for subsequent movement therewith, a second inspection station, external the transfer wheel, for viewing other external surfaces of the chips during their movement on the transfer wheel, computer/processor for tracking the positions of the chips that have passed and failed inspection by the first and the second inspection station, first removal means for ejecting chips that have failed inspection from the outer marginal edge of the transfer wheel for capture at a location, and a second removal station for removing chips that have passed inspection from the outer marginal edge of the transfer wheel for capture at another location.

5863331, Jan 26, 1999

Jan 31, 1997

8/792492

Denver Braden - San Marcos CA
Romulo V. DeVera - San Diego CA

B05C 106, B05C 108

118261

A machine for terminating a computer chip with one or more stripes of a solderable paste, comprising a feed plate wheel defined by an outer marginal edge and having an upper exposed plate surface inclined to the horizontal against which an inventory of 3-dimensional chips is placed for loading, at least one narrow groove formed in the exposed plate surface directed outwardly toward the marginal edge wall and arranged to pass through the inventory and receive therein at least one of the chips in restricted orientation, a transfer cavity defined by enclosed side walls and a floor depending from the groove inboard the outer marginal edge for receipt therein of a chip from the groove in fixed orientation, the outer marginal edge wall having an aperture formed therethrough for transferring the chip from the cavity and, a transport device for urging the chip in a specific fixed orientation from the cavity outward through the aperture in a direction different than the direction from which the chip entered the cavity.

5540317, Jul 30, 1996

Jan 17, 1995

8/373445

Denver Braden - San Marcos CA
David M. Brooks - Vista CA
Romulo V. DeVera - San Diego CA

Chipstar, Inc. - San Marcos CA

B65G 4714

198393

In a capacitor chip processing apparatus, including a rotating loading wheel mounted on a spindle and carrying an inventory of chips, passageways formed in the wheel for receipt of chips from the inventory in controlled alignment, a belt containing resilient masks and having chip receiving holes brought into registration with the passageways, and motor-driven loading pins to advance, during the loading cycle, to push the chips from the passageways into the holes, a subassembly machine to detect and correct chip misalignment in the passageways, containing a load cell in communication with the loading pins and arranged to measure the resistance to pin travel as the pins come in contact with the chips in the passageways, a computer apparatus to compare the measured real time resistance to pin travel with a set resistance value from a list of absolute values or empirical studies, and a controller apparatus, activated by the computer apparatus, to control the motor-driven loading pins and the loading wheel in a remedial program to cure the misalignment of the chip in the passageway.

5673799, Oct 7, 1997

Jun 5, 1995

8/464310

Denver Braden - San Marcos CA

Chip Star Inc. - San Marcos CA

B07C 5344, G01R 3102

209574

A method of continuously testing and sorting large quantities of capacitor chips, including the steps of loading the chips into identical rows of aligned positions in a rotatable member, simultaneously and sequentially rotating the member to advance the chips past a plurality of testing stations and past subsequent sorting stations, each station successively aligned momentarily with each row of the aligned chips, simultaneously and sequentially conducting a plurality of sequential electrical testing to the chips as they are rotated from test station to test station and classifying them in a plurality of ranges of values at the last test station, and at each subsequent sorting station, sequentially collecting chips belonging in one of the ranges of values until all the chips are collected before the rotating member returns for reloading.

5226382, Jul 13, 1993

May 20, 1991

7/702309

Denver Braden - San Marcos CA

B05C 310, B05C 318, B05C 320, B05C 1300

118406

Apparatus for automatically metalizing the terminal ends of monolithic capacitor chips, which includes an endless conveying tape having formed therein a plurality of first apertures, a plurality of thin, resilient masks, each adapted for receipt in one of the apertures, in co-planar, fixed registration therewith, each mask having at least one second aperture formed therethrough of a size and shape to compliantly receive a chip therein, in an orientation whereby the contact surfaces extend outward from both sides of the tape, a way to for load the masks with a plurality of chips including a cylindrical wall having formed therethrough at least one orifice for registration with the second aperture in the mask, the cylindrical wall adapted for rotation through an inventory of the chips for introduction of the chips into the orifice in transverse specific alignment with their contact surfaces extending outward from the cylindrical wall orifices, a way to accurately move the chip-loaded orifices into registration with the second apertures in the masks, a way to transfer the chips from the orifices into the second apertures along a rectilinear path therebetween, a way to pass the contact surfaces of the chips through an inventory of end-termination paste, and, a way to dry the paste and expel the chips from the mask to prepare the masks to receive a new inventory of chips as the endless conveying tape proceeds to repeat its circuit.

5944897, Aug 31, 1999

Oct 6, 1997

8/944329

Denver Braden - San Marcos CA

Chip Star, Inc. - San Marcos CA

B05C 2100

118600

An improved chip termination or application wheel for applying a layer of silver paste to the edge or end of a chip including a wheel that is defined by a broad circumferential surface, for contact with the chip, the surface containing an increased surface area for accepting a larger amount of termination paste for transfer to the edge of a chip.

4753061, Jun 28, 1988

Jun 20, 1986

6/876801

Denver Braden - San Marcos CA
Donald A. Bistline - Vista CA

Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. - Portland OR

B65B 1150

53471

A method of loading chip components orientation-specific into a carrier tape that itself comprises a narrow strip of diaphanous material having a series of depressions embossed therein comprising the steps of moving a series of open-ended recesses, sized and shaped to receive a single chip component in a specific orientation, upwardly through a loose mass of chip components at a speed that is continually interrupted with real time pauses and ultimately transferring the chip components into conjunctive registry with the tape embossments and an apparatus therefor.