Patent Publication Number: US-6655547-B2

Title: Chip component take-in apparatus

Description:
This appln is a con&#39;t of Ser. No. 09/571,264 filed May 15, 5000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,095 which is a con&#39;t of Ser. No. 08/990,298 filed Dec. 15, 1997 U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,423. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a chip component take-in apparatus which prismatic chip components in a bulk state in a storage chamber are taken in one by one in a predetermined direction and are guided downward. The chip component take-in apparatus can be employed as a component take-in mechanism in a chip component feeding apparatus such as a bulk feeder. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A conventional chip component take-in apparatus of the above kind is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-232596. 
     The chip component take-in apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned publication is equipped with a housing box for storing a large number of chip components in a bulk state, a component take-in pipe inserted into the lower face of the housing box so that it is movable up and down, and a component conveying tube disposed inside the component take-in pipe. 
     In the chip component take-in apparatus, the chip components within the housing box are taken into the component take-in pipe one by one in the longitudinal direction of the chip component, by moving the component take-in pipe up and down. The chip components taken into the component take-in pipe are moved downward along the pipe by self-weight. 
     However, since the aforementioned conventional chip component take-in apparatus has been designed for taking in cylindrical chip components, it is very difficult to handle prismatic chip components such as those shown in FIGS.  2 ( a ) and  2 ( b ). 
     That is, in the case of the prismatic chip components shown in FIGS.  2 ( a ) and  2 ( b ), it is necessary to arrange in a proper posture the four side faces excluding the longitudinal end faces to take them in. The aforementioned apparatus, however, cannot perform the control of such a posture. 
     In order to perform the posture control, it is easily conceivable to set the cross sectional shape of the interior holes of the component take-in pipe and component conveying pipe with the end face shape of the chip component. However, in the aforementioned apparatus in which the component take-in pipe is moved up and down in the outside of the component conveying pipe, there is the possibility that the take-in operation will be frequently erred, because the probability that prismatic chip components are taken into the component take-in pipe is low. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a chip component take-in apparatus which is capable of taking in and guiding downward prismatic chip components one by one in a predetermined direction with stability and efficiency. 
     In carrying out our invention in one preferred mode, there is provided a chip component take-in apparatus comprising a chamber for storing prismatic chip components in a bulk state, two take-in members disposed under the chamber and movable relatively in a face contact state, and a passage provided between the two take-in members for taking in and guiding downward the chip components one by one in a predetermined direction by self-weight when the two take-in members are moved relatively in the face contact state. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description to follow taken in conjunction with the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view showing a chip component feeding apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIGS.  2 ( a ) and  2 ( b ) are perspective views showing chip components; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged vertical sectional view showing the chip component feeding apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIGS.  4 ( a ) and  4 ( b ) are partial sectional views showing the arrangement state of the guide member; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the take-in members and component guide shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged side view showing the chip component feeding apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged top view, partly broken away, showing the chip component feeding apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 8 is an operational explanatory view corresponding to FIG. 3; 
     FIGS.  9 ( a ) to  9 ( e ) are explanatory views showing components take-in action; 
     FIG. 10 is an operational explanatory view corresponding to FIG. 7; 
     FIGS.  11 ( a ) and  11 ( b ) are partial sectional views of the take-in members showing a modification of shape of the guide way; 
     FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the take-in members showing a modification of the take-in members; 
     FIGS.  13 ( a ) and  13 ( b ) are vertical sectional views of the take-in members showing a modification of movement of the take-in members; 
     FIGS.  14 ( a ) and  14 ( b ) are a vertical sectional view and a perspective view respectively of the take-in members showing a modification of shape of the take-in members; 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the take-in members showing another modification of shape of the take-in members; 
     FIG. 16 is a side view showing a chip component feeding apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 17 is a partial enlarged vertical sectional view showing the chip component feeding apparatus shown in FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 18 is a partial enlarged top view showing the chip component feeding apparatus shown in FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 19 is a partial exploded perspective view showing the take-in members and the pipe shown in FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 20 is a partial-perspective view showing the positional relationship of the pipe, component guide, and belt guide shown in FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 21 is a partial enlarged side view showing the chip component feeding apparatus shown in FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 22 is a partial enlarged top view, partly broken away, showing the chip component feeding apparatus shown in FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 23 is an operational explanatory view corresponding to FIG. 16; 
     FIGS.  24 ( a ) and  24 ( b ) are a partial enlarged vertical sectional view and an operational explanatory view showing the chip component feeding apparatus shown FIG. 16; 
     FIGS.  25 ( a ) to  25 ( d ) are explanatory views showing components take-in action; 
     FIG. 26 is an operational explanatory view corresponding to FIG. 22; 
     FIG.  27 ( a ) is a front view of the spacer showing a vibration application mechanism; 
     FIG.  27 ( b ) is a rear view showing the take-in member of the vibration application mechanism; 
     FIGS.  28 ( a ) and  28 ( b ) are operational explanatory views showing the vibration application mechanism shown in FIGS.  27 ( a ) and  27  ( b ); 
     FIGS.  29 ( a ) and  29 ( b ) are a front view showing the spacer and a rear view showing the take-in members of another vibration application mechanism; 
     FIGS.  30 ( a ) and  30 ( b ) are operational explanatory views showing the vibration application mechanism of FIGS.  29 ( a ) and  29 ( b ); 
     FIG.  31 ( a ) is a partial vertical sectional view of the take-in members showing modification of shape of the take-in member; 
     FIG.  31 ( b ) is a sectional view taken substantially along line b—b of FIG.  31 ( a ); 
     FIG. 32 is a partial vertical sectional view of the take-in member showing modification of the take-in member; 
     FIGS.  33 ( a ) and  33 ( b ) are partial front views of the take-in members showing a modification of shape of the upper end groove of the take-in member; and 
     FIGS.  34 ( a ) and  34 ( b ) are vertical sectional views showing a modification of movement of the take-in members. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  10 , there is shown a first embodiment of the present invention that is applied to a chip component feeding apparatus. 
     In the figures, reference numeral  1  denotes a frame,  2  a hopper,  3  a first take-in member,  4  a second take-in member,  5  a first component guide,  6  a second component guide,  7  a belt guide,  8  a belt,  9  a pair of front and rear pulleys,  10  a component stopper,  11  a take-in member up-and-down moving mechanism for moving the second take-in member  4  up and down,  12  a belt driving mechanism for intermittently moving the belt  8 , and  13  a component stopper displacement mechanism for reciprocating the component stopper  10  back and force. 
     The frame  1  fulfills a role of supporting constituent members to be described later. As shown in FIG. 1, on the lower face of the frame  1  there are provided two attaching pins  1   a  which are inserted into positioning holes provided in an other utensil (not shown). 
     The hopper  2 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, has side faces removably fixed on the frame  1 . This hopper  2  comprises a storage chamber  2   a,  a lid plate  2   b  for covering the upper opening of the storage chamber  2   a  so that the opening can be freely opened and closed, and a through hole  2   c  formed at the bottom of the storage chamber  2   a  for inserting take-in members. At least the front face of the hopper  2  is transparent so that the quantity of the components within the storage chamber  2   a  can be viewed from the outside. The cross sectional shape of the through hole  2   c  is substantially the same as that of the first and second take-in members  3  and  4  when their flat faces come into contact with each other. 
     The aforementioned storage chamber  2   a  is stored a large number of one kind of prismatic chip components P in a bulk state. The chip components P have a relation of length&gt;width&gt;height such as that shown in FIG.  2 ( a ). The chip components P are represented, for example, by chip capacitors, chip inductors, and chip resisters. The chip component P has external electrode and internal conductor, and can be attracted by a permanent magnet M to be described later. The chip components P stored within the storage chamber  2   a  are moved downward along the bottom inclination by self-weight when they are supplied. Of course, if the cross sectional shape of a vertical passage T to be described later is changed, a prismatic chip component P with a relation of length&gt;width=height such as that shown in FIG.  2 ( b ) can also be taken in. 
     The first take-in member  3 , as shown in FIGS. 1,  3  and  5 , forms a rectangular parallelepiped, which has a predetermined width, thickness, and length. This first take-in member  3  is fixed to the first component guide  5  at the lower end thereof, and is vertically inserted and disposed within the through hole  2   c  in a positional relationship such that the upper end of the first take-in member  3  becomes slightly lower than that of the through hole  2   c.  Also, in the flat face of the first take-in member  3  which contacts the flat face of the second take-in member  4 , a rectangular sectional shaped groove  3   a  with a predetermined width and depth is formed in the center of the width direction. Furthermore, in the upper end of the first take-in member  3 , a guideway  3   b  consisting of a curved face of about a quarter of a spherical face is formed, and the deepest portion of the guide way  3   b  is continuous to the upper end of the groove  3   a.    
     The second take-in member  4 , as shown in FIGS. 1,  3 , and  5 , forms a rectangular parallelepiped, which has the same width and thickness as the first take-in member  3  and a length shorter than the first take-in member  3 . This second take-in member  4  contacts the first component guide  5  at the lower end thereof, and is vertically inserted and disposed within the through hole  2   c  so as to be movable up and down in a positional relationship such that the upper end of the second take-in member  4  becomes slightly lower than the upper end of the first take-in member  3 . Also, in the flat face of the second take-in member  4  which contacts the flat face of the first take-in member  3 , a rectangular sectional shaped groove  4   a  with the same width and depth as the groove  3   a  of the first take-in member  3  is formed in the center of the width direction. Furthermore, in the upper end of the second take-in member  4 , a guide way  4   b  consisting of a curved face of about a quarter of a spherical face is formed, and the deepest portion of the guide way  4   b  is continuous to the upper end of the groove  4   a.    
     The grooves  3   a  and  4   a  formed in the first and second take-in members  3  and  4  constitute a vertical passage T in the state where the two flat faces of the take-in members  3  and  4  are in contact with each other. The cross sectional shape of the vertical passage T is similar to the end face shape of the chip component P. In the vertical passage T, prismatic chip components P can be taken in one by one in such a manner that the direction of the chip component P is turned in the longitudinal direction thereof and also one of the two widest faces the first take-in member  3  and the other faces the second take-in member  4 . The chip component P taken into the vertical passage T is moved downward along the vertical passage T by self-weight. Also, there is no special limit to the curvature of the curved face constituting the guide ways  3   b  and  4   b,  but in order to smoothly guide the chip component P within the storage chamber  2   a  toward the vertical passage T, it is preferable to have such a curvature value not as to stick any face of  6  faces of the chip component P. 
     The first component guide  5 , as shown in FIGS. 1,  3 , and  5 , is on the upper side of the belt  8 , and the side face is fixed to the frame  1 . This first component guide  5  has an interior curved passage  5   a,  which is continuous to the lower opening of the aforementioned vertical passage T and has a predetermined curvature at the passage center. This curved passage  5   a  has an angle range of a little under 90 degree when viewed from the side face, and the cross sectional shape is nearly equal to or slightly larger than that of the vertical passage T. That is, in the curved passage  5   a  the chip component P from the vertical passage T can be moved downward by self-weight, and the vertical posture of the chip component P can be changed to a nearly transverse posture when passed through the curved passage  5   a.  Also, the portion of the curved passage  5   a  near the belt  8  is cut out in parallel to the belt surface so that the chip component P can be smoothly discharged from the curved passage  5   a  to the belt  8 . 
     In addition, the first component guide  5  is provided with a vertical guide member  5   b  consisting of a rectangular sectional shaped thin plate. The lower end of the guide member  5   b  is fixed to the upper opening of the curved passage  5   a,  while the upper end is inserted and disposed within the groove  4   a  of the second take-in member  4 . This guide member  5   b  fulfills both a role of filling up the gap which occurs between the second take-in member  4  and the first component guide  5  when the second take-in member  4  rises and a role of guiding the chip component P in the vertical passage T downward. 
     FIGS.  4 ( a ) and  4 ( b ) show the arrangement state of the guide member  5   b.  In FIG.  4 ( a ) the guide member  5   b  is disposed so that the exterior face contacts the interior face of the groove  4   a.  In FIG.  4 ( b ) a recess  4   c  equivalent to the thickness of the guide member  5   b  is provided in the interior face of the groove  4   a,  and the guide member  5   b  is fitted into the recess  4   c.  Even in either case the thickness of the guide member  5   b  is thinner than the clearance between the vertical passage T and the chip component P. Also, the upper end of the guide member  5   b  is chamfered or rounded so that the chip component P is not caught by the upper end. 
     The second component guide member  6 , as shown in FIGS. 1,  3 ,  5 , and  7 , is on the upper side of the belt  8 , and the side face is fixed to the frame  1 . The lower face of the second component guide member  6  has a rectangular sectional shaped linear groove  6   a  which is continuous to the lower opening of the curved passage  5   a.  The opening of the linear groove  6   a  is closed by the upper face of the belt  8 , thereby forming a conveyor passage X along which chip component P are guided. The cross sectional shape of the conveyor passage X is nearly identical with that of the curved passage  5   a,  and the chip components P from the curved passage  5   a  can be conveyed forward in the longitudinally aligned state according to movement of the belt  8 . Also, in front of the front end of the linear groove  6   a,  a component take-out port  6   b  is formed for taking out the foremost chip component P to the outside. Furthermore, in the front side face of the linear groove  6   a,  a hole  6   c  is formed for inserting a component hold pin  13   f  to be described later. 
     The belt guide  7 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, is on the lower side of the belt  8 , and the side face is fixed to the frame  1 . The belt guide  7  has a linear groove  7   a  in the upper face, and the linear groove  7   a  has a predetermined width and depth slightly greater than the width and thickness of the belt  8 . The center in the width direction of the linear groove  7   a  is aligned with that of the linear groove  6   a  of the second component guide  6 . 
     The belt  8 , as shown in FIGS. 1,  3 , and  7 , comprises a non-magnetic and endless flat belt or timing belt formed from synthetic rubber or flexible resin. This belt  8  is wound on a pair of pulleys  9  supported by the frame  1  at the front and rear positions of the belt guide  7  so that the belt can be freely rotated. The lower face of the belt  8  is positioned within the linear groove  7   a  of the belt guide  7 , while the upper face of the belt  8  is contacted with the lower faces of the first and second component guides  5  and  6  by the winding tension of the belt  8  so that the belt is movable back and forth. 
     The component stopper  10 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, comprises a non-magnetic rectangular plate with the same thickness as the depth of the linear groove  6   a  of the second component guide  6 . This component stopper  10  is supported at one end thereof by a stopper support member  10   b  through a pin  10   a  and is rotatable parallel to the belt surface at the front side position of the linear groove  6   a.  Also, the component stopper  10  is urged in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 7 by a coil spring S 1  tensioned between the stopper  10  and the stopper support member  10   b.  The component stopper  10  ensures an expected component stopping position when one face thereof abuts the front end of the component take-out port  6   b  (see FIG.  10 ). Furthermore, at the position at which the component stopper  10  faces the foremost chip component P, a rare earth permanent magnet M in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped is provided so that either the N pole or the S pole contacts the foremost chip component P. In the illustration example, while the height of permanent magnet M is nearly equal to the thickness of the component stopper  10  and the width is greater than that of the chip component P, the height of permanent magnet M may be less than that of the component P and the width may also be less than that of the chip component P. 
     In the illustration example, one end of the stopper support member  10   b  for freely rotatably supporting the component stopper  10  is inserted into the front portion of the second component guide  6  through a pin  10   c  so as to be freely rotatable in a upward direction so that the chip component P within the conveyor passage X can be simply exhausted to the outside. The front portion of the stopper support member  10   b  engages a plate spring  10   d  provided on the front end of the second component guide  6 , thereby holding the component stopper  10  in a state parallel to the belt surface. Also, when the stopper support member  10   b  is disengaged from the plate spring  10   d  and rotated upward, the component stopper  10  can be separated from the belt  8 . That is, if the component stopper  10  is separated upward from the belt  8  by the upward rotation of the stopper support member  10   b,  the chip component P within the conveyor passage X can be exhausted from the front end to the outside. 
     The take-in member up-and-down moving mechanism  11 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, comprises a control lever  11   a,  a pin  11   b  for supporting the control lever  11   a  so that the control lever  11   a  can be freely rotated, a positioning stopper  11   c  for prescribing the rotation limiting position of the control lever  11   a,  and a coil spring S 2  for urging the control lever  11   a  in the clockwise direction of FIG.  3 . 
     The central portion of the control lever  11   a  is supported by the frame  1  through the support pin  11   b  so as to be freely rotatable, and the tip of the lever  11   a  is rotatably connected with the second take-in member  4 . This control lever  11   a  is rotatable up and down, and in the stand-by state, the lower end of the second take-in member  4  is pressed against the upper face of the first component guide  5  by the urging force of the coil spring S 2 . 
     In the take-in member up-and-down moving mechanism  11 , as shown in FIG. 8, when external force (indicated by a white arrow in FIG. 8) is applied to the end portion of the control lever  11   a,  then the control lever  11   a  is rotated on the pin  11   b  in the counterclockwise direction and the second take-in member  4  can be moved upward from its lowering position. Also, in the position shown in FIG. 8, when the force applied to the end portion of the control level  11   a  is released, the second take-in member  4  is moved downward from the rising position by the urging force of the coil spring S 2  and can be returned to the stand-by position shown in FIG.  3 . 
     The belt driving mechanism  12 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, comprises a control lever  12   a,  a relay lever  12   b  rotatably connected to the control lever  12   a,  a wheel actuation lever  12   c  rotatably connected to the relay lever  12   b  and rotatable on the same axis as the front pulley  9 , a ratchet  12   d  rotatably connected to the wheel actuation lever  12   c,  a ratchet wheel  12   e  fixed coaxially to the front pulley  9 , a positioning stopper  12   f  for prescribing the return position of the control lever  12   a,  a positioning stopper  12   g  for prescribing the rotation limiting position of the control lever  12   a,  a coil spring S 3  for urging the control lever  12   a  in a counterclockwise direction, and a coil spring S 4  for pressing the ratchet  12   d  against the valley portion of the ratchet wheel  12   e.    
     The central portion of the control lever  12   a  is supported by the frame  1  through a pin  12   h  so that the control lever  12   a  can be freely rotatable. This control lever  12   a  is rotatable in an up-and-down direction, and in the standby position, it abuts the positioning stopper  12   f  by the urging force of the coil spring S 3 . Also, on the circumference of the ratchet wheel  12   e,  valley portions and ridge portions are alternately provided at intervals of a predetermined angle pitch. 
     In the belt driving mechanism  12 , when external force (indicated by white arrow in FIG. 1) is applied to the end portion of the control lever  12   a,  then the control lever  12   a  is rotated in the clockwise direction and the wheel actuation lever  12   c  is rotated in the counterclockwise direction through the relay lever  12   b.  Next, when the ratchet wheel  12   e  engaged by the ratchet  12   d  of the wheel actuation lever  12   c  is rotated through a predetermined angle in the counterclockwise direction along with the front pulley  9 , the belt  8  is moved only a distance corresponding to the rotated angle. More particularly, the belt  8  can be advanced a predetermined distance longer than the length of the chip component P. Also, when the force applied to the end portion of the control lever  12   a  is released, the wheel actuation lever  12   c  is rotated to its original position through the relay lever  12   b  by the urging force of the coil spring S 3 , therefore the ratchet  12   d  of the wheel actuation lever  12   c  is moved into the adjacent valley portion in the clockwise direction. 
     The component stopper displacement mechanism  13 , as shown in FIGS. 1,  6 , and  7 , comprises a cam wheel  13   a  fixed coaxially to the front pulley  9 , a stopper actuation lever  13   c  rotatably supported on the side face of the frame  1  through a pin  13   b,  a coil spring S 5  for urging the stopper actuation lever  13   c  forward to press the actuating protrusion  13   c   1  against the circumferential face of the cam wheel  13   a,  a pin actuation lever  13   e  horizontal movably attached to the front portion of the second component guide  6  through a pin  13   d,  a coil spring S 6  for urging the pin actuation lever  13   e  in a clockwise direction of FIG. 7, a component hold pin  13   f  inserted in a hole  6   c  provided in the front side face of the linear groove  6   a,  and a coil spring S 7  for urging the component hold pin  13   f  outward. On the circumference of the cam wheel  13   a,  valley portions and ridge portions are alternately provided at the intervals of the same angle pitch as the ratchet wheel  12   e.  Also, a force relation of S 6 &gt;S 7  is set to the coil springs S 6  and S 7 . 
     At the stand-by position where the stopper actuation lever  13   c  is at its forward position, as shown in FIG. 6, the actuating protrusion  13   c   1  of the stopper actuation lever  13   c  is pressed against to one valley portion of the cam wheel  13   a  by the urging force of the coil spring S 5 . With this, as shown in FIG. 7, the pin actuation lever  13   e  is urged in the clockwise direction by the coil spring S 6 . The component hold pin  13   f  is inserted into the linear groove  6   a  against the urging force of the coil spring S 7 , and the second foremost chip component P is pressed against the inner face of the linear groove  6   a  and held at that position by the component hold pin  13   f.  Also, by the pressing force of the stopper actuation lever  13   c,  the component stopper  10  is displaced forward (component take-out position apart forward from component stopping position) against the urging force of the coil spring S 1 . The foremost chip component P is displaced forward along with the component stopper  10  while it is being attracted by the permanent magnet M, and is separated from the second chip component P. 
     In this component displacement mechanism  13 , in the process where the cam wheel  13   a  is intermittently rotated counterclockwise at intervals of a predetermined angle pitch along with the ratchet wheel  12   e  of the aforementioned belt driving mechanism  12 , the stopper actuation lever  13   c  is rotated rearward a predetermined angle from the stand-by position and is returned from the rearward rotated position to the stand-by position by the undulations of the valley and ridge portions of the cam wheel  13   a.    
     When the stopper actuation lever  13   c  is rotated rearward from the stand-by position, the component stopper  10  abuts the front end of the component take-out port  6   b  by the urging force of the coil spring S 1  and ensures the component stopping position, as shown in FIG.  10 . At the same time, the actuating protrusion  13   e   1  of the rear end of the pin actuation lever  13   e  is pushed inward against the urging force of the coil spring S 6  by the stopper actuation lever  13   c  and is rotated in the counterclockwise direction of FIG.  10 . Also, the component hold pin  13   f  is moved outward by the urging force of the coil spring S 7  and the holding of the second chip component P is released. As a result, the alignment conveyance of chip components P in the transverse passage T becomes possible. 
     The operation of the aforementioned chip component feeding apparatus will hereinafter be described. 
     When the foremost chip component P is taken out of the component take-out port  6   b  by means of a suction nozzle (not shown), the end portion of the control lever la of the take-in member up-and-down moving mechanism  11  and the end portion of the control lever  12   a  of the belt driving mechanism  12  are pushed at the same time by a portion of the suction nozzle or another drive unit. 
     In the state where the second take-in member  4  is at its lowering position, the upper end of the second take-in member  4  is at a lower position than the upper end of the first take-in member  3 , as shown in FIG.  3 . At this time, the distance between the upper ends of the first and second take-in members  3  and  4  is longer than the length of the component chip P, and a small quantity of chip components P have been taken into the stepped portion between the take-in members  3  and  4 . The chip components P within the stepped portion take various posture, however, as shown in FIGS.  9 ( a ) and  9 ( b ), for some chip components, the widest face is in face contact with the flat face of the first take-in member  3  exposed to the stepped portion. 
     Now, when the end portion of the control lever  11   a  of the take-in member up-and-down moving mechanism  11  is pushed, the second take-in member  4  is raised a predetermined stroke from the lowering position in the state where the second take-in member  4  is in face contact with the first take-in member  3 , as previously described. The upper end of the second take-in member  4  is slightly inserted into the storage chamber  2   a.    
     In the process where the second take-in member  4  linearly moves from the lowering position to the rising position, as shown in FIG. 8, the chip components P within the stepped portion are lifted upward and the chip components within the storage chamber  2   a  are subjected to a disentangling operation, by the second take-in member  4 . 
     Also, in the aforementioned process, the chip component P in face contact with the flat face of the first take-in member  3 , as shown in FIGS.  9 ( c ) and  9 ( d ), is gradually guided to the center by the guide way  4   b  of the second take-in member  4  being raised. Next, the direction of the chip component P is turned in the longitudinal direction thereof and is taken into the vertical passage T constituted by the grooves  3   a  and  4   a.  The chip component P in the longitudinal direction is moved downward along the vertical passage T by self weight. 
     In the state where the second take-in member  4  is at the rising position, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper end of the second take-in member  4  is at a higher position than that of the first take-in member  3 . At this time, the distance between the upper ends of the first and second take-in members  3  and  4  is longer than the length of the component chip P, and a small quantity of chip components P have been taken into the stepped portion between the take-in members  3  and  4 . Each of the chip components P within the stepped portion takes various posture, however, as shown in FIG.  9 ( e ), for some chip components, the widest face is in face contact with the flat face of the second take-in member  4  exposed to the stepped portion. 
     Now, when the pushing force applied to the end portion of the control lever  11   a  of the take-in member up-and-down moving mechanism  11  is released, the control lever is returned to the original position, as previously described. As a result, the second take-in member  4  is lowered a predetermined stroke from the rising position and returned to the original position by the return of the control lever  11   a,  in the state where the second take-in member  4  is in face contact with the first take-in member  3 . 
     In the process where the second take-in member  4  is moved from the rising position to the lowering position, as shown in FIG. 3, the entire stored chip components go down by the falling of the second take-in member  4 , and a small quantity of chip components P are again taken into the stepped portion between the first and second take-in members  3  and  4 . 
     Also, in the aforementioned process, the chip component P in face contact with the flat face of the second take-in member  4 , as with FIGS.  9 ( c ) and  9 ( d ), is gradually guided to the center by the guide way  3   b  of the first take-in member  3  being relatively raised. Next, the direction of the chip component P is turned in the longitudinal direction thereof and is taken into the vertical passage T constituted by the grooves  3   a  and  4   a.  The chip component P in the longitudinal direction is moved downward along the vertical passage T by self-weight. 
     Thus, the take-in operation of the chip component P into the vertical passage T constituted by the grooves  3   a  and  4   a  of the take-in members  3  and  4  is performed in both the rising process and the falling process of the second take-in member  4 . The prismatic chip components P are taken one by one into the vertical passage T in such a posture that the chip component P is in the longitudinal direction thereof and that one of the two opposite widest faces of the chip component faces the first take-in member  3  and the other faces the second take-in member  4 . 
     The chip components P, taken into the vertical passage T one by one in the longitudinal direction, are moved downward along the vertical passage T by self-weight while being guided by the guide member  5   b,  and go into the curved passage  5   a.  The chip components P within the curved passage  5   a  are moved downward along the curved passage  5   a  by self-weight according to the curvature of the curved passage  5   a,  and the vertical posture is changed to a nearly transverse posture. The foremost chip component P, after passed through the curved passage  5   a,  abuts the face of the belt  8  at the front face thereof, and the following chip components P in the longitudinal direction are aligned behind the foremost chip component P (see FIG.  3 ). 
     On the other hand, when the end portion of the control lever  12   a  of the belt driving mechanism  12  is pushed, the relay lever  12   b  and the wheel actuation lever  12   c  are rotated. Therefore, the ratchet wheel  12   e  engaged by the ratchet  12   d  is rotated a predetermined angle in the counterclockwise direction along with the front pulley  9 , and the belt  8  is moved forward a distance corresponding to the rotated angle. More particularly, the belt  8  is moved a longer distance than the length of the chip component P. 
     In the process where the belt  8  is moved forward a predetermined distance, the chip component P with the front end abutting the belt surface is pulled out forward by the frictional resistance between it and the belt  8  and lies on the belt  8 , and the front end of the next chip component P abuts the belt surface (see FIG.  8 ). 
     The intermittent movement of the belt  8  is repeated each time the control lever  12   a  is pushed, that is, each time the foremost chip component P is taken out of the component take-out port  6   b,  and consequently, the chip components P aligned within the curved passage  5   a  are pulled out forward in sequence. With this, a plurality of chip components P are aligned, while they are being subjected to an alignment operation by the linear groove  6   a  of the second component guide  6 . The chip components P in the aligned state are conveyed forward in correspondence with the intermittent movement of the belt  8 . 
     When the ratchet wheel  12   e  of the belt driving mechanism  12  is rotated with the front pulley  9  and the belt  8  is moved forward, the stopper actuation lever  13   c  is rotated rearward and then is returned from the rearward rotated position to the original position, by the cam wheel  13   a  of the component stopper displacement mechanism  13  rotated a predetermined angle in the same direction as the ratchet wheel  12   e.    
     When the route leading from the valley portion of the cam wheel  13   a  to the adjacent ridge portion in the clockwise direction is utilized and the stopper actuation lever  13   c  is rotated rearward, the component stopper  10  is displaced rearward by the urging force of the spring S 1 , as shown in FIG. 10, and then the end face of the component stopper  10  abuts the front end of the component take-out port  6   b,  thereby ensuring an expected component stopping position. That is, the chip components P in the longitudinal direction which are conveyed by the belt  8  are stopped and aligned without gaps at the position where the foremost chip component P abuts the component stopper  10 . The foremost chip component P is attracted to the component stopper  10  by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet M. Also, since the forward movement quantity of the belt  8  per once is longer than the length of the chip component P, the belt  8  alone advances slightly after component stop, making use of the sliding between the component and the belt. Therefore, even if a gap occurred between chip components within the conveyor passage X, the gap could be quickly absorbed. 
     Also, when the stopper actuation lever  13   c  is returned utilizing the route leading from the ridge portion of the cam wheel  13   a  to the adjacent valley in the clockwise direction, the inner end of the component hold pin  13   f  is projected into the linear groove  6   a  by the rotational return of the pin actuation lever  13   e  to the original position and the second foremost chip component P is held, as shown in FIG.  7 . At nearly the same time, the component stopper  10  is displaced forward and separated from the front end of the component take-out port  6   b,  and also the foremost chip component P attracted by the permanent magnet M is displaced forward with the component stopper  10  and is separated from the second chip component P. As a consequence, a space C is forcibly developed between the foremost chip component P and the second chip component P. 
     The operation of taking out the foremost chip component P by a suction nozzle or the like (not shown) is executed in the state where the component stopper  10  has been displaced forward and also the foremost chip component P has been separated completely from the second chip component P, as shown in FIG.  7 . Therefore, even in the case where the foremost chip component P and the second chip component P have been stuck together or caught with each other, for example, by the influence of humidity, they are easily separated from each other and the foremost chip component P can be taken out in a stable posture without interfering with the second chip component P. 
     Thus, according to the chip component feeding apparatus described in FIGS. 1 to  10 , the first and second take-in members  3  and  4  are relatively moved with respective flat face shield in face contact with each other. With the relative movement between the first and second take-in members  3  and  4 , the prismatic chip components P stored in a bulk state within the storage chamber  2   a  can be taken in one by one into the vertical passage T provided between the take-in members  3  and  4 , in such a posture that the chip component P is in the longitudinal direction thereof and that one of the two opposite widest faces of the chip component faces the first take-in member  3  and the other faces the second take-in member  4 . 
     In the aforementioned take-in mechanism, the probability that the prismatic chip component P is taken into the vertical passage T in a predetermined posture is high. Therefore, occurrence of taken-in error can be prevented and prismatic chip component P can be taken-in downward one by one in the longitudinal posture with stability and efficiency. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to  10 , while the guide ways  3   b  and  4   b  consisting of curved faces have been shown as examples, inclined face F such as that shown in FIG.  11 ( a ) or gap G such as that shown in FIG.  11 ( b ) may be provided in boundary portions between the guide way  3   b,    4   b  and the take-in groove  3   a,    4   a  in order to take the chip components P into the vertical passage T with a higher probability. When done like this, rotational force based on self-weights indicated by an allow in views is applied to the chip component P which attempts to stop at the boundary portion between the guide way and the groove, and consequently, that chip component P can be easily dropped into the vertical passage T. Of course, the aforementioned inclined face F and gap G may be provided partially or entirely on the boundary portion between the guide way and the groove. 
     Also, in the aforementioned embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to  10 , while the first and second take-in members  3  and  4  have been rectangular parallelepipeds, members having a semicircular shape in cross section and grooves  21   a  and  22   a  in respective flat faces may be employed as first and second take-in members  21  and  22 , as shown in FIG.  12 . In addition, as shown in the figure, if the maximum outlines of the guide ways  21   b  and  22   b  which are formed in the upper ends of the take-in members  21  and  22  are equal to those of the take-in members  21  and  22 , flat portions can also be omitted from the upper ends of the take-in members  21  and  22 . If done in this way, chip components P are prevented from staying on the upper ends of the take-in members  21  and  22  and also chip components being stored within the storage chamber  2   a  can be taken in to the very last chip component without waste. 
     Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to  10 , although only one take-in member  4  of the two take-in members has been moved up and down, the same component take-in operation as the aforementioned can be performed even when two take-in members  23  and  24  are alternately moved up and down, as shown in FIGS.  13 ( a ) and  13 ( b ). In order to alternately move the take-in members  23  and  24  up and down, a link mechanism for coupling them so that they are freely rotatable can be suitably utilized in the center between them as a mechanism for rotating them in opposite directions. In the figures, reference numerals  23   a  and  24   a  denote grooves formed in the contacting faces of the take-in members  23  and  24 , respectively. Reference numerals  23   b  and  24   b  denote guide ways formed in the upper ends of the take-in members  23  and  24 . If done like this, the up-and-down movements of the take-in members  23  and  24  can be reduced and therefore the height dimension of the apparatus can be reduced. 
     Moreover, in the aforementioned embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to  10 , although the first and second take-in members  3  and  4  have been rectangular parallelepipeds, one take-in member  25  may be a cylinder as shown in FIGS.  14 ( a ) and  14 ( b ). The take-in member  25  is formed with a circumferential groove  25   a.  The other take-in member  26  may be provided with a curved face having the same curvature as the circumferential face of the take-in member  25 . A rectangular sectional shaped groove  26   a  is formed in the lateral center of the curved face, and a guide way  26   b  consisting of a curved face of about a quarter of a spherical face is formed in the end portion of the groove  26   a.    
     The cylindrical take-in member  25  is disposed within the hole  2   c ′ of the hopper  2  so that it can be freely rotated, and a portion of the circumference face is exposed to the storage chamber  2   a.  Also, the stationary take-in member  26  is disposed within the hole  2   c  so that the upper end is inserted into the storage chamber  2   a  and also the curved face is in face contact with the circumferential face of the take-in member  25 . A similar ratchet mechanism as the belt driving mechanism  12  can be suitably utilized in order to rotate the rotatable take-in member  25  in a predetermined direction. The width of the groove  26   a  provided in the stationary take-in member  26  is slightly greater than the width dimension of the chip component P, and the depth of the groove  26   a  is slightly greater than the height of the chip component P. Although only the take-in groove  26   a  is shown, a vertical passage is formed in the take-in member  26  so that chip components P in the longitudinal direction are taken in one by one and moved downward by self-weight. 
     In the structure described above, when the cylindrical take-in member  25  is rotated intermittently or continuously in the clockwise direction of FIG.  14 ( a ), the chip components P in near ace contact with the circumferential face of the take-in member  25  will be guided gradually to the center by the guide way  26   b  of the take-in member  26  which relatively rotates in the opposite direction. The direction of the guided chip component P is turned in the longitudinal direction thereof and taken into the vertical passage. The chip component P in the longitudinal direction is moved downward along the vertical passage by self-weight. That is, since chip components can be taken in by rotation of the take-in member  25 , the height dimension of the apparatus can be reduced compared with the case where the take-in member is moved up and down. In addition, as shown in FIG. 15, if the aforementioned cylindrical take-in member  25  is formed with a rectangular sectional shaped circumferential groove  25   a  at the lateral center portion thereof, the direction of the chip component P which is taken into the vertical passage can be corrected by the circumferential groove  25   a.    
     FIGS. 16 to  26  show a second embodiment of the present invention that is applied to a chip component feeding apparatus. 
     In the figures, reference numeral  101  denotes a frame,  102  a first spacer,  103  a second spacer,  104  a transparent plate,  105  an opening and closing lid,  106  a first take-in member,  107  a second take-in member,  108  a vertical pipe,  109  a pipe holder,  110  a component guide,  111  a belt guide,  112  a belt,  113  a pair of front and rear pulleys,  114  a component stopper,  115  a stopper support member,  116  a control lever,  117  a take-in member actuation lever,  118  a belt driving lever,  119  a relay lever,  120  a wheel actuation lever,  121  an ratchet,  122  a ratchet wheel,  123  a cam wheel,  124  a stopper actuation lever,  125  a pin actuation lever, and  126  a component hold pin. 
     The frame  101  fulfills a role of supporting constituent members to be described later. As shown in FIG. 16, on the lower face of the frame  101  there are provided two attaching pins  101   a  which are inserted into positioning holes provided in an outside apparatus (not shown). 
     The first and second spacers  102  and  103  are fixed to the frame  101  along with the transparent plate  104  covering the faces of the spacers. The space, surrounded by the frame  101 , first spacer  102 , second spacer  103 , and transparent plate  104 , forms a storage chamber R with a predetermined width. The vertical sectional shape of the storage chamber R forms a pentagon. Also, on the upper opening of the storage chamber R the opening and closing lid  105  is attached so that it can freely be opened and closed. 
     The aforementioned storage chamber R is stored a large number of prismatic chip components P in a bulk state. The chip components P consist of one kind, and have a relation of length&gt;width&gt;height such as that shown in FIG.  2 ( a ). The chip components P are represented, for example, by chip capacitors, chip inductors, and chip resisters. The chip component P has external electrodes and internal conductors, and can be attracted by a permanent magnet M to be described later. The chip components P stored within the storage chamber R are moved downward along the bottom face inclination by self-weight when they are supplied. Of course, if the cross sectional shape of the vertical pipe  108  to be described later is changed, a chip component P with a relation of length&gt;width=height such as that shown in FIG.  2 ( b ) can also be taken in. 
     The first spacer  102 , as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, is equipped with an inclined face  102   a  constituting the bottom face of the storage chamber R and a vertical face  102   b  extending from the inclined face  102   a.  The vertical face  102   b  abuts the vertical face  103   b  of the second spacer  103 . Also, the center in the width direction of the inclined face  102   a  is formed with a rectangular sectional shaped groove  102   c.  The groove  102   c  has a width slightly greater than that of the chip component P and a depth slightly less than the height of the chip component P. Furthermore, the center in the width direction of the vertical face  102   b  is formed with a rectangular sectional shaped groove  102   d,  which houses the first take-in member  106  so that the member  106  can be moved up and down. 
     The second spacer  103 , as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, is equipped with an inclined face  103   a  constituting the bottom face of the storage chamber R and a vertical face  103   b  extending from the inclined face  103   a.  The vertical face  103   b  abuts the vertical face  102   b  of the first spacer  102 . Also, the center in the width direction of the inclined face  103   a  is formed with a similar groove  103   c  as the guide groove  102   c  of the first spacer  102 . Furthermore, the center in the width direction of the vertical face  103   b  is formed with a rectangular sectional shaped groove  103   d,  which houses the second take-in member  107  in a fixed state. 
     The first take-in member  106 , as shown in FIGS. 17 to  19 , has a width and a thickness slightly less than those of the groove  102   d  of the first spacer  102  and is housed in the groove  102   d  so as to be movable up and down. Also, the upper end of the first take-in member  106  is formed with an inclined face  106   a  of the same angle as the inclined face  102   a  of the first spacer  102 . Furthermore, the center in the width direction of the inclined face  106   a  is formed with a similar groove  106   b  as the guide groove  102   c  of the first spacer  102 . The center in the width direction of the flat face of the first take-in member  106  in face contact with the second take-in member  107  is formed with a rectangular sectional shaped groove  106   c.  The groove  106   c  has a width slightly greater than that of the vertical pipe  108  and a depth equivalent to ½ of the thickness of the vertical pipe  108  and is continuous to the groove  106   b  at an angle. In the lower end of the first take-in member  106  a flanged control rod  106   d  is vertically mounted. The control rod  106   d  is provided with a washer  106   e and a coil spring SP 1 . In the first take-in member  106 , the upper inclined face  106   a  rises from a stand-by position lower than the inclined face  102   a  of the first spacer  102  to a position higher than the inclined face  102   a  of the first spacer  102 , and falls from the rising position to the stand-by position. This operation is performed as one cycle. 
     The second take-in member  107 , as shown in FIGS. 17 to  19 , has a width and a thickness nearly equal to those of the groove  103   d  of the second spacer  103 , and is housed in the groove  103   d  in a fixed state. Also, the upper end of the second take-in member  107  is formed with an inclined face  107   a  of the same angle as the inclined face  103   a  of the second spacer  103 . Furthermore, the center in the width direction of the inclined face  107   a  is formed with a similar groove  107   b  as the guide groove  103   c  of the second spacer  103 . The aforementioned inclined face  107   a  and groove  107   b  are continuous to the inclined face  103   a  and groove  103   c  of the second spacer  103  without a difference in level. The center in the width direction of the flat face of the second take-in member  107  in face contact with the first take-in member  106  is formed with a rectangular sectional shaped groove  107   c.  The groove  107   c  has a width slightly greater than that of the vertical pipe  108  and a depth equivalent to ½ of the thickness of the vertical pipe  108  and is continuous to the groove  107   b  at an angle. 
     The grooves  106   c  and  107   c  formed in the first and second take-in members  106  and  107  constitute a vertical passage in the state where the two faces of the take-in members  106  and  107  are in face contact with each other. This vertical passage is employed to dispose the vertical pipe  108 , and the cross sectional shape is similar to that of the vertical pipe  108 . 
     In the illustrated example, the second take-in member  107  and the second spacer  103  have been separately constituted, however, in the case where the second spacer  103  is formed from metal having an excellent wear resisting property, the second take-in member  107  may be formed integrally with the second spacer  103  to omit the second take-in member  107 . 
     The vertical pipe  108  consists of a square pipe material with a thickness less than the thickness of chip component P. As shown in FIGS. 17 to  19 , the vertical pipe  108  is inserted into the passage formed by the mutual contacting faces of the first and second take-in members  106  and  107 , and the lower end portion is fixed to the second spacer  103  by the pipe holder  109  (see FIG.  20 ). The vertical pipe  108  has a length such that the lower end abuts the component guide  110  and also the upper end becomes slightly lower than the boundary line between the grooves  107   b  and  107   c  of the second take-in member  107 . The vertical pipe  108  also has a square interior hole similar to the end face shape of chip component P. In the vertical pipe  108  of the illustrated example, prismatic chip components P can be taken in one by one in such a manner that the direction of the chip component P is turned in the longitudinal direction thereof and also one of the two widest faces the first take-in member  106  and the other faces the second take-in member  107 . The chip component P taken into the vertical pipe  108  is moved downward along the vertical pipe  108  by self-weight. When the upper end of the interior hole of the vertical pipe  108  is chamfered or rounded (see FIG.  11 ), chip components P can be smoothly taken into the vertical pipe  108 . 
     The component guide  110 , as shown in FIGS. 17,  20 , and  22 , is on the upper side of the belt  112 . The component guide  110  is fixed to the frame  101  so that it contacts the lower face of the second spacer  103 . This component guide  110  has an interior curved passage  110   a,  which is continuous to the lower opening of the aforementioned vertical pipe  108  and has a predetermined curvature at the passage center. The lower face of the component guide  110  has a rectangular sectional shaped linear groove  110   b,  which is continuous to the curved passage  110   a  without a difference in level. This curved passage  110   a  has an angle range of a little under 90 degree when viewed from the side face, and the cross sectional shape is nearly equal to or slightly larger than that of the vertical pipe  108 . That is, in the curved passage  110   a,  the chip component P from the vertical pipe  108  can be moved downward by self-weight, and the vertical posture of the chip component P can be changed to a nearly transverse posture when passed through the curved passage  110   a.  Also, the portion of the curved passage  110   a  near the belt  112  is cut out in parallel to the belt surface so that the chip component P can be smoothly discharged from the curved passage  110   a  to the belt  112 . 
     On the other hand, the opening of the linear groove  110   b  is closed by the upper face of the belt  112 , thereby forming a conveyor passage Y along which chip component P are guided. The cross sectional shape of the conveyor passage Y is nearly identical with that of the curved passage  110   a,  and along the conveyor passage Y, the chip components P from the curved passage  110   a  can be conveyed forward in the longitudinally aligned state according to movement of the belt  112 . Also, in front of the front end of the linear groove  10   b,  a component take-out port  110   c  is formed for taking out the foremost chip component P to the outside. Furthermore, in the front side face of the linear groove  110   b,  a hole  110   d  is formed for inserting a component hold pin  126  to be described later. 
     The belt guide  111 , as shown in FIGS. 17,  20 , and  22 , is on the lower side of the belt  112 , and the side face is fixed to the frame  101 . The belt guide  111  has a linear groove  111   a  in the upper face, and the linear groove  111   a  has a width and depth slightly greater than the width and thickness of the belt  112 . The center in the width direction of the linear groove  111   a  is aligned with that of the linear groove  110   b  of the component guide  110 . 
     The belt  112 , as shown in FIGS. 16,  17 , and  20  to  22 , comprises a non-magnetic and endless flat belt or timing belt formed from synthetic rubber or flexible resin. This belt  112  is wound on a pair of pulleys  113  supported by the frame  101  at the front and rear positions of the belt guide  111  so that the belt can be freely rotated. The lower face of the belt  112  is positioned within the linear groove  111   a  of the belt guide  111 , while the upper face of the belt  112  is contacted with the lower face of the component guide  110  by the winding tension of the belt  112  so that the belt is movable back and forth. 
     The component stopper  114 , as shown in FIGS. 16,  21  and  22 , comprises a non-magnetic rectangular plate with the same thickness as the depth of the linear groove  10   b  of the component guide  110 . This component stopper  114  is supported at one end thereof by a stopper support member  115  through a pin  114   a  and is rotatable parallel to the belt surface at the front side position of the linear groove  110   b.  Also, the component stopper  114  is urged in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 22 by a coil spring SP 2  tensioned between the stopper  114  and the stopper support member  115 . The component stopper  114  ensures an expected component stopping position when one face thereof abuts the front end of the component take-out port  10   c  (see FIG.  26 ). Furthermore, at the position at which the component stopper  114  faces the foremost chip component P, a rare earth permanent magnet M in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped is provided so that either the N pole or the S pole contacts the foremost chip component P. In the illustration example, while the height of permanent magnet M is nearly equal to the thickness of the component stopper  114  and the width is greater than that of the chip component P, the height of permanent magnet M may be less than the thickness of the component stopper  114  and the width may also be less than that of the chip component P. 
     The stopper support member  115 , as shown in FIGS. 16,  21 , and  22 , is attached at one end thereof to the front portion of the component guide  110  through a pin  115   a  so as to be freely rotatable. The stopper support member  115  engages a plate spring  115   b  provided on the front end of the component guide  110 , thereby holding the component stopper  114  in a state parallel to the belt surface. Also, when the stopper support member  115  is disengaged from the plate spring  115   b  and is rotated upward along with the component stopper  114 , the component stopper  114  is separated from the belt  112 . With the upward rotation of the component stopper  114 , the chip component P within the conveyor passage Y can be exhausted from the front end to the outside. 
     The control lever  116 , as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, is supported by the frame  101  through a pin  116   a  so that the control lever  116  can be freely rotated. Thus, the control lever  116  is rotatable up and down. The return position of the control lever  116  is prescribed by a stopper  127  provided in the frame  101 . 
     The take-in member actuation lever  117 , as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, is provided under the control lever  116 . The take-in member actuation lever  117  is supported by the frame  101  through a pin  117   a  so that the lever  117  can be freely rotated. Thus, the take-in member actuation lever  117  is rotatable up and down. The take-in member actuation lever  117  is urged in a clockwise direction in FIG. 17 by a coil spring SP 3  tensioned between it and the control lever  116 , and one end of the actuation lever  117  abuts the lower face of the control lever  116 . The control lever  116  is also urged in the clockwise direction by the pushing force of the take-in member actuation lever  117 , and the upper face of the control lever  116  abuts the stopper  127 . Also, the rear end of the take-in member actuation lever  117  is provided with an engaging portion  117   b  having a rectangular sectional shaped cutout. The engaging portion  117   b  is inserted between the head portion of the control rod  106   d  and washer  106   e  of the first take-in member  106  through the cutout of the portion  117 . 
     In the illustrated example, the aforementioned control lever  116  and take-in member actuation lever  117  constitute a take-in member up-and-down moving mechanism for vertically moving the first take-in member  106  a predetermined stroke. 
     The belt driving lever  118 , as shown in FIG. 16, is supported by the frame  101  through the pin  116   a  common to the control lever  116  so that the mechanism  118  can be freely rotated up and down. This belt driving lever  118  is urged in a clockwise direction in FIG. 16 by a coil spring SP 4  tensioned between it and the belt guide  111 . One end of the belt driving lever  118  abuts a stopper  128 , thereby prescribing the return position of the belt driving lever  118 . Also, the position at which the rotation of the belt driving lever  118  is limited is prescribed by a stopper  129  provided in the belt guide  111 . 
     The belt driving lever  118  and the control lever  116  are opposed to each other at the respective control end portions through a coil spring SP 5 . Therefore, when downward force is applied to the end portion of the control lever  116 , this force can be transmitted to the end portion of the belt driving lever  118  through the coil spring SP 5 . 
     The stopper  127  of the control lever  116  is constituted by a circular plate and a screw for fixing the circular plate at an eccentric position. By changing the direction of the circular plate, the return position of the control lever  116  can be finely adjusted. Likewise, the stopper  129  of the belt driving lever  118  is constituted by a circular plate and a screw for fixing the circular plate at an eccentric position. By changing the direction of the circular plate, the rotation limiting position of the belt driving lever  118  can be finely adjusted. For example, when the direction of the circular plate of the stopper  127  is changed to lower so that the return position of the control lever  116  is lower than the position shown in FIG. 16, the stand-by position (lowering position) of the first take-in member  106  can be changed upward. Also, if the direction of the circular plate of the stopper  129  is changed to shift the rotation limiting position of the belt driving lever  118  to the right side of the position shown in FIG. 16, a belt feed quantity to be described later can be increased. 
     The wheel actuation lever  120 , as shown in FIGS. 16 and 21, is supported on the shaft of the front pulley  113  so that it is freely rotatable. The wheel actuation lever  120  is connected to the aforementioned belt lever  118  through the relay lever  119 . 
     The ratchet  121 , as shown in FIGS. 16 and 21, is supported on the wheel actuation lever  120  through a pin  121   a  so that the ratchet  121  is freely rotatable. The ratchet  121  is urged in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 21 by a coil spring SP 6  mounted on the pin  121   a,  and in the stand-by position, the outer end of the ratchet  121  engages one of the valley portions of the ratchet wheel  122 . 
     The ratchet wheel  122 , as shown in FIGS. 16 and 21, is fixed on the front pulley  113  or coaxially on the shaft of the front pulley  113  so that it can be rotated with the front pulley  113 . Also, on the circumference of the ratchet wheel  122 , valley portions and ridge portions are alternately provided at intervals of a predetermined angle pitch. 
     In the illustrated example, the aforementioned belt driving lever  118 , relay lever  119 , wheel actuation lever  120 , ratchet  121 , and ratchet wheel  122  as a whole constitute a belt driving mechanism which intermittently rotates the front pulley  113  at a predetermined angle. 
     The cam wheel  123 , as shown in FIGS. 16 and 21, is fixed on the front pulley  113  or coaxially on the shaft of the front pulley  113  so that it can be rotated with the front pulley  113 . On the circumference of the cam wheel  123 , valley portions and ridge portions are alternately provided at intervals of the same angle pitch as the aforementioned ratchet wheel  122 . 
     The stopper actuation lever  124 , as shown in FIGS. 16,  21  and  22 , is supported on the frame  101  through a pin  124   a  so that it can be freely rotatable. This stopper actuation lever  124  is rotatable in an up-and-down direction. The stopper actuation lever  124  is urged in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 21 by a coil spring SP 7  tensioned between it and the belt guide  111 . At the stand-by position, the actuating protrusion  124   b  of the stopper actuation lever  124  engages one of the valley portions of the cam wheel  123 , and consequently, the component stopper  114  is moved forward and held at a component take-out positions away from the front end of the component guide  110  (see FIG.  22 ). 
     The pin actuation lever  125 , as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, is attached to the front portion of the component guide  110  through a pin  125   a  so that it can be freely rotated. The pin actuation lever  125  is rotatable parallel to the face of the belt  112 . The pin actuation lever  125  is urged in a clockwise direction in FIG. 22 by a coil spring SP 8  tensioned between it and the component guide  110 . The pin actuation lever  125  has one end which abuts the component hold pin  126 , and at the stand-by position, the actuating protrusion  125   b  provided on the other end protrudes from the side face of the component guide  110 . 
     The component hold pin  126 , as shown in FIG. 22, is inserted in a through hole  110   e  of the component guide  110  through a coil spring SP 9  so that the pin  126  is movable. A force relation of SP 9 &lt;SP 8  has been set to the coil springs SP 8  and SP 9 . Therefore, at the stand-by position at which the pin actuation lever  125  is not pushed by the stopper actuation lever  124 , the component hold pin  126  is projected into the guide groove  110   b  by the pushing force of the pin actuation lever  125  and pushes the chip component P against the guide groove  110   b,  thereby holding the chip component P (see FIG.  22 ). 
     In the illustrated example, the aforementioned cam wheel  123 , stopper actuation lever  124 , pin actuation lever  125 , and component hold pin  126  as a whole constitute a component stopper displacement mechanism. The component stopper displacement mechanism rotates the component stopper  114  between the component take-out position and the component stopping position, and projects the component hold pin  126  into the guide groove  110   b  when the component stopper  114  is at the component take-out position. 
     The description is now provided of the operation of the aforementioned chip component feeding apparatus. 
     When the foremost chip component P is taken out of the component take-out port  110   c  by an suction nozzle or the like (not shown), the end portion of the control lever  116  is pushed downward by a portion of the suction nozzle or another drive unit as shown by a white arrow in FIG.  23 . 
     In the state where the first take-in member  106  is at its lowering position, the upper end inclined face  106   a  of the first take-in member  106  is at a lower position than the upper end inclined face  107   b  of the second take-in member  107 , as shown in FIG.  24 ( a ). At this time, a small quantity of chip components P is taken into the stepped portion between the take-in members  106  and  107 . 
     Now, when the end portion of the control lever  116  is pushed downward, the take-in member actuation lever  117  is rotated. By the rotation of the take-in member actuation lever  117 , the first take-in member  106  is raised by a predetermined stroke from the lowering position along the groove  102   d  of the first spacer  102 , in the state where the first take-in member  106  is in face contact with the second take-in member  107 . As shown in FIG.  24 ( b ), the upper end inclined face  106   a  of the first take-in member  106  projects above the inclined face  102   a  of the first spacer  102  and is slightly inserted into the storage chamber R. When the pushing force applied to the end portion of the control lever  116  is released, the take-in member actuation lever  117  is returned to the original position. Consequently, the first take-in member  106  is lowered by a predetermined stroke from the rising position and is returned to the position of FIG.  24 ( a ). 
     In the process where the first take-in member  106  is moved from the lowering position to the rising position, the chip components P within the stepped portion are lifted upward and the chip components within the storage chamber  2  are subjected to a disentangling operation, by the first take-in member  106 . Also, in the process where the first take-in member  106  is moved from the rising position to the lowering position, the entire stored chip components go down by the falling of the first take-in member  106 , and a small quantity of chip components P are again taken into the stepped portion between the first take-in member  106  and second take-in member  107 . 
     In the process where the first take-in member  106  rises or falls, the chip components P within the stepped portion or chip components P existing near the upper ends of the take-in members  106  and  107  take various positions. However, some chip components are taken into the upper end grooves  106   b  of the take-in member  106  and  107   b  of the take-in member  107  in an appropriate posture where one of the two widest faces is in contact with the bottom face of the groove  106   b  and  107   b.  Also, some chip components P are taken into the groove  106   c  of the raised first take-in member  106  in a same appropriate posture. 
     That is, as shown in FIG.  25 ( a ), when chip component P is positioned in an appropriate posture within the upper end groove  106   b  of the first take-in member  106  located in the lowering position, the chip component P falls into the upper end opening of the vertical pipe  108  and is taken into the vertical pipe  108 , while guided by the groove  106   b,  in the process where the first take-in member  106  rises, as shown in FIG.  25 ( b ). 
     Also, as shown in FIG.  25 ( c ), when chip component P is positioned within the upper end groove  107   b  of the second take-in member  107  in an appropriate posture, the chip component P falls into the upper end opening of the vertical pipe  108  and is taken into the vertical pipe  108 , while guided by the groove  107   b,  in the process where the first take-in member  106  rises or falls. 
     Furthermore, as shown in FIG.  25 ( d ), when chip component P is positioned within the vertical groove  106   c  of the first take-in member  106  located in the rising position in an appropriate posture, the chip component P falls into the upper end opening of the vertical pipe  108  and is taken into the vertical pipe  108 , while guided by the vertical groove  106   c,  in the process where the first take-in member  106  falls. 
     It is a matter of course that the chip component P can be taken into the vertical pipe  108  one by one at timing different from the aforementioned. Even in either case, prismatic chip component P is taken into the vertical pipe  108  one by one in such a posture that the chip component P is in the longitudinal direction thereof and that one of the two opposite widest faces of the chip component faces the first take-in member  106  and the other faces the second take-in member  107 . 
     The chip components P in the longitudinal direction, taken into the vertical pipe  108  in the aforementioned way, are moved downward along the vertical pipe  108  by self-weight in that posture and go into the curved passage  110   a,  as shown in FIG.  24 ( b ). The chip components P within the curved passage  110   a  are moved downward along the curved passage  110   a  by self-weight according to the curvature of the curved passage  110   a,  and the vertical posture is changed to a nearly transverse posture. The foremost chip component P, passes through the curved passage  110   a,  abuts the face of the belt  112  at the front end thereof, and the following chip components P are aligned in the longitudinal direction behind the foremost chip component. 
     On the other hand, when the end portion of the control lever  116  is pushed downward, the pushing force is also applied to the belt driving lever  118  on the lower side. Next, the relay lever  119  is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in FIG.  23  and therefore the wheel actuation lever  120  is rotated counterclockwise. Next, the ratchet wheel  122  engaged by the ratchet  121  is rotated in the same direction along with the front pulley  113 , and the belt  112  is moved forward a distance corresponding to the rotated angle. More particularly, the belt  112  is moved only a longer distance than the length of the chip component P. When the pushing force applied to the end portion of the control lever  116  is released, the belt driving lever  118 , relay lever  119 , and wheel actuation lever  120  is returned to the respective original positions without rotating the ratchet wheel  122  in the opposite direction. 
     In the process where the belt  112  is moved forward a predetermined distance, the chip component P with the front end abutting the belt surface is pulled out forward by the frictional resistance between it and the belt  112  and lies on the belt  112 , as shown in FIG.  24 ( b ), and the front end of the next chip component P abuts the belt surface. 
     The intermittent movement of the belt  112  is repeated each time the control lever  116  is pushed, that is, each time the foremost chip component P is taken out of the component take-out port  110   c,  and consequently, the chip components P aligned within the curved passage  110   a  are taken out forward in sequence. With this, chip components P are aligned, while they are subjected to an alignment operation by the linear groove  110   b  of the component guide  110 . The chip components P in the aligned state are conveyed forward in correspondence with the intermittent movement of the belt  112 . 
     On the other hand, when the front pulley  113  is rotated a predetermined angle simultaneously with the intermittent movement of the belt  112 , the cam wheel  123  is rotated in the same direction with the front pulley  113 . The undulation of the valley and ridge portions of the cam wheel  123  causes the stopper actuation lever  124  to rotate rearward and to return from the rearward rotated position to the original position. With this, the actuating protrusion  124   b  of the stopper actuation lever  124  engages the valley portion of the cam wheel  123  again. 
     When the stopper actuation lever  124  is rotated rearward by the route leading from the valley portion of the cam wheel  123  to the adjacent ridge portion in the clockwise direction, the actuating protrusion  125   b  of the pin actuation lever  125  is pushed inward by the rearward rotation of the stopper actuation lever  124 , as shown in FIG.  26 . The pin actuation lever  125  is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, and consequently, the component hold pin  126  is pulled out of the hole  110   d  by the urging force of the coil spring SP 9 . 
     At the same time, the pressing force of the stopper actuation lever  124  is released from the component stopper  114 . Therefore, the component stopper  114  is displaced rearward by the urging force of the spring SP 2  and then the rear face of the component stopper  114  abuts the front end of the component take-out port  110   c,  thereby ensuring an expected component stopping position. That is, the chip components P conveyed by the belt  112  are stopped and aligned in the longitudinal direction without gaps at the position where the foremost chip component P abuts the component stopper  114 . The foremost chip component P is attracted to the component stopper  114  by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet M. Also, since the forward movement quantity of the belt  112  per once is longer than the length of the chip component P, the belt  112  alone advances slightly after component stop, making use of the sliding between the component and the belt. Therefore, even if a gap occurs between chip components within the conveyor passage Y, the gap can be quickly absorbed. 
     Also, when the stopper actuation lever  124  is returned utilizing the route leading from the ridge portion of the cam wheel  123  to the adjacent valley portion in the clockwise direction, the pushing force of the stopper actuation lever  124  is released from the pin actuation lever  125 , as shown in FIG.  22 . The pin actuation lever  125  is rotated in the clockwise direction by the urging force of the coil spring SP 8 . The rotated pin actuation lever  125  causes the inner end of the component hold pin  126  to project into the linear groove  110   b,  and the second chip component P in that position is pressed against the inner face of the linear groove  110   b  and is held. 
     Nearly at the same time, the component stopper  114  is displaced forward and separated from the front end of the component take-out port  110   c  by the pushing force of the stopper actuation lever  124 , and also the foremost chip component P attracted by the permanent magnet M is displaced forward with the component stopper  114  and is separated from the second chip component P. Consequently, a space C is forcibly developed between the foremost chip component P and the second chip component P. 
     The operation of taking out the foremost chip component P by a suction nozzle or the like (not shown) is executed in the state where the component stopper  114  is displaced forward and also the foremost chip component P is separated completely from the second chip component P, as shown in FIG.  22 . Therefore, even in the case where the foremost chip component P and the second chip component P is stuck together or caught with each other, for example, by the influence of humidity, they are easily separated from each other and the foremost chip component P can be taken out in a stable posture without interfering with the second chip component P. 
     Thus, according to the chip component feeding apparatus described in FIGS. 16 to  26 , the first take-in member  106  and second take-in member  107  are relatively moved with respective flat faces held in face contact with each other. With the relative movement between the first take-in member  106  and second take-in member  107 , the prismatic chip components P stored in a bulk state within the storage chamber R can be taken in one by one into the vertical pipe  108  disposed in the vertical passage between the take-in members  106  and  107 , in such a posture that the chip component P is in the longitudinal direction thereof and that one of the two opposite widest faces of the chip component faces the second take-in member  107  and the other faces the first take-in member  106 . 
     In the aforementioned take-in mechanism, the probability that the prismatic chip component P is taken into the vertical pipe  108  in a predetermined posture is high. Therefore, an error in the take-in operation can be prevented, and prismatic chip components P can be taken in and guided downward one by one in the longitudinal posture with stability and efficiency. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 to  26 , although the first take-in member  106  has been moved up and down along the groove  102   d  of the first spacer  102 , the first take-in member  106  may be moved up and down, while applying microvibration to the member in the width direction. In such a case, chip components P can be prevented from staying on the first take-in member  106  and taken into the vertical pipe  108  more efficiently. 
     FIGS. 27 and 28 show an example of a vibration application mechanism. As shown in FIG.  27 ( a ), the width of the groove  102   d  of the first spacer  102  is increased by a quantity of vibration (2×L 1  in FIG.  28 ( a )), and a pair of opposed protrusions  102   e  are provided on the interior face of the groove  102   d.  Also, as shown in FIG.  27 ( b ), the back face of the first take-in member  106  is provided with a pair of opposed corrugated recesses (i.e., opposed recesses with corrugated faces)  106   f,  which in turn slide on the opposed protrusions  102   e.    
     When the aforementioned first take-in member  106  is moved upward along the groove  102   d  of the first spacer  102  from the lowering position of FIG.  28 ( a ), the first take-in member  106  is displaced right and left when the corrugate face of the corrugated recess  106   f  slides on the protrusion  102   e.  That is, the first take-in member  106  is moved along a locus such as that indicated by an arrow in FIG.  28 ( b ), thereby applying microvibration to the first take-in member  106 . Of course, same microvibration can be applied when the first take-in member  106  falls. When the aforementioned dimension of L 1  is set to less than the height of the chip component P, there is no possibility that the chip component P will be fitted into a gap corresponding to L 1 . 
     FIGS. 29 and 30 show another example of the vibration application mechanism. As shown in FIG.  29 ( a ), the width of the groove  102   d  of the first spacer  102  is increased by a quantity of vibration (2×L 2  in FIG.  30 ( a )), and a vibration pin  102   f  is provided in the center in the width direction of the groove  102   d.  Also, as shown in FIG.  28 ( b ), the back face of the first take-in member  106  is provided with a corrugated groove (i.e., groove with corrugated faces)  106   g,  which slides along the vibration pin  102   f.  In addition, in the first spacer  102 , spring loaded type movable spacers  102   g  for closing a gap corresponding to the aforementioned 2L are provided on the upper portion of the sliding groove  102   d  so that the spacers  102   g  contact the opposite faces of the first take-in member  106 . 
     When the aforementioned first take-in member  106  is moved upward along the groove  102   d  of the first spacer  102  from the lowering position of FIG.  30 ( a ), the first take-in member  106  is displaced right and left when the corrugate faces of the corrugated groove  106   g  slide on the vibration pin  102   f.  That is, the first take-in member  106  is moved along a locus such as that indicated by an arrow in FIG.  30 ( b ), thereby applying microvibration to the first take-in member  106 . Of course, similar microvibration can be applied when the first take-in member  106  falls. Since the gap in which the first take-in member  106  is displaced right and left can be absorbed by the movable spacer  102   g,  there is no possibility that the chip component P is fitted into the maximum gap corresponding to 2×L 2 . 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 to  26 , the inclined face  106   a  is provided on the upper end of the first take-in member  106 . However, in the case where there is the possibility that chip components P will stick to the flat portion other than the groove  106   b  of the inclined face  106   a  due to static electricity, the flat portion may be formed into a curved face  106   a   1 , such as that shown in FIGS.  31 ( a ) and  31 ( b ), in order to avoid the face contact between it and the chip component. Of course, the inclined faces of the second take-in member  107  and the first and second spacers may also be formed into similar curved faces. In addition, when some microscopic stepped portions or protrusions are provided on the inclined face, similar advantages are obtainable. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 to  26 , while the groove  106   b  with a constant inclined angle has been provided in the upper inclined face  106   a  of the first take-in member  106 , a stepped groove  106   b   1  may be provided as shown in FIG.  32 . In such a case, chip components P easily slide down the groove  106   b   1 , and consequently, chip components can be efficiently taken into the vertical pipe  108 . Of course, the guide grooves of the second take-in member  107  and the first and second spacers may also be provided with a similar stepped portion. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 to  26 , the boundary between the grooves  106   b  and  106   c  of the first take-in member  106  is perpendicular to the direction in which chip components are taken in. However, in the case where there is the possibility that the chip component P will stop at the aforementioned boundary, the bottom face of the groove  106   b   2  may be non-parallel to the upper inclined face  106   a  to incline the boundary line BL between the bottom face of the groove  106   b   2  and the bottom face of the groove  106   c,  as shown in FIG.  33 ( a ). Similarly, the bottom face of the groove  106   b   3  may have a twisted angle to incline the boundary line BL between the bottom face of the groove  106   b   3  and the bottom face of the groove  106   c,  as shown in FIG.  33 ( b ). In such cases, the chip component P which attempts to stop at the aforementioned boundary becomes unsteady and can be removed from the boundary by making use of the inclination, and consequently, chip components can be efficiently taken into the vertical pipe  108 . 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 to  26 , although only one take-in member  106  of the two take-in members has been moved up and down, the same component take-in operation as the aforementioned can be performed even when two take-in members  106  ad  107  are alternately moved up and down, as shown in FIGS.  34 ( a ) and  13 ( b ). In order to alternately move the take-in members  106  and  107  up and down, a link mechanism for coupling them so that they are freely rotatable can be suitably utilized in the center between them as a mechanism for rotating them in opposite directions. When done like this, the up-and-down movements of the take-in members  106  and  107  can be reduced and therefore the height dimension of the apparatus can be reduced. 
     In the aforementioned embodiments, although the curved passage  5   a  or curved passage  110   a  is provided to change the posture of the chip component P, it may be a vertical passage. Even when the chip component P from the vertical passage abuts the belt surface in a vertical posture, the chip component is pulled out of the passage by the advancing belt and lies on the advancing belt and, therefore, similar posture change can be performed. 
     In the aforementioned embodiments, although the transverse passage is formed by closing the opening of the linear groove  6   a  or  110   b  with the upper face of the belt, the present invention is not limited to the transverse passage. For example, the opening of the linear groove  6   a  or  110   b  may be closed to form a transverse passage by a stationary member. In this case, chip components can be conveyed by supplying air through the rear end of the transverse passage or by sucking in air at the front end.