Patent ID: 8235643

Claim:
A long axis component loader, comprising: a rotatable load plate having an outer peripheral edge and an upper surface, the upper surface inclined from a horizontal plane for supporting a plurality of elongate chips having a long axis; a plurality of slots on the upper surface and terminating at the outer edge of the load plate, each of the plurality of slots sized to receive at least one elongate chip lying with its long axis perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotatable load plate and lying with its long axis in parallel with a radius of the rotatable load plate; an outer wall conforming to the curvature of the outer edge of the load plate and mounted adjacent about at least a portion thereof; and a transfer slot extending axially from the upper surface of the load plate and into the load plate, each transfer slot on a radially-outer end of respective ones of the plurality of slots and terminating at the outer edge of the load plate, each transfer slot shaped so that an elongate chip descending into each transfer slot from a respective slot has a ninety degree rotation about the long axis.