Patent attributes
An automated wire feeder assembly to first repetitively receive a wire from a gripper of an automated processing tool and then load the wire into a hollow conduit coupled to the gripper of the automated tool. The wire feeder assembly includes belts that pivot between open and closed positions and each belt rotate to advance a wire into the conduit attached to the gripper of the automated tool. When the belts are in the open position the gripper of the automated tool places a free end of the wire into a wire guide. Pivoting the belts to the closed position engages the belts with the free end of the wire. Once the belt is engaged with the free end of the wire, rotating the belts advances the wire out of the wire feeder and into the gripper conduit.