Patent ID: 8636136

Claim:
An apparatus for conveying a plurality of parts and applying said parts to a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a rotation means defining a rotation axis, said rotation means having a first direction of rotation about said rotation axis such that said plurality of parts can be applied to said substrate; a plurality of transfer arms each having a longitudinal transfer arm axis, a proximal end and a distal end, said plurality of transfer arms being attached to said rotation means in a radial pattern about said rotation means each of said proximal ends of said transfer arms being attached to said rotation means in such a manner that said longitudinal transfer arm axis is offset from said rotation axis by a transfer arm offset distance; and a plurality of transfer pucks adapted to convey said parts to said substrate, each of said transfer pucks having a longitudinal puck axis and a lateral puck axis which intersect at a center point on each of said plurality of transfer pucks, said distal ends of said transfer arms being attached to said transfer pucks at a location which is offset from said center point by a transfer puck offset distance, each of said transfer pucks has a leading edge and a leading radius and a trailing edge and trailing radius wherein said trailing radius of one transfer puck is substantially equal to the leading radius of an adjacent transfer puck, each of said transfer pucks being configured to pivot about said longitudinal transfer arm axis so that each of said transfer pucks is pivotal between a first position wherein said transfer pucks are oriented to receive said parts and second position wherein said transfer pucks are oriented to apply said parts to said substrate.