Wire identifying and terminating apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for identifying individual wires (20) of a group of randomly ordered wires (20) and terminating the identical wires (20) in selected terminals (24A or 24B) of an electrical connector (24) comprising a wire feeding mechanism (2) for feeding the groups of wires (20) arranged as a single row to a wire transporting wheel (4) adapted to trap an individual wire (20) at its periphery and mounted for axial rotation past the wire feeding mechanism (2) thereby to transport individual wires (20) one-by-one from the wire feeding mechanism (2) to an escapement (8); means (6) to sense the identity of an individual wire; a wire terminating mechanism (22) including means to mount an electrical connector (24) having a row of terminals (24A or 24B) opposite a wire terminating ram (34A or 34B); and, a wire transfer (10) mechanism for transferring a wire (20) from the escapement to the wire terminating mechanism (22) characterized in that, the mounting means (22A) is arranged to mount the connector (22) with the row of terminals (24A or 24B) and the wire group extending axially from one side of the wire transporting wheel (4), the wire terminating ram (34A or 34B) being arranged for indexing movement relatively along the terminal row (24A or 24B) into alignment with respective terminals in response to the identity of an individual wire (20) and the transfer mechanism (22) being arranged to transfer the individual wire (20) in the axial direction from the escapement (8) into alignment with the terminating ram (34A or 34B).

Claim 3

Apparatus according to Claim 1 characterised in that, the wire transporting wheel (4) is arranged to rotate in either direction away from the feeding mechanism (2) to direct an individual wire (20) towards a selected one of two rows of terminals (24A or 24B) on respective opposite sides of the connector (24) in response to the identity of the individual wire (20).

Claim 4

Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterised in that, the transfer mechanism (10) includes a pair of rollers (10A and 10B) extending in parallel relation between the escapement (8) and the terminating mechanism (22), and arranged to rotate in opposite senses to grip and transfer a wire (20) from the escapement (8) to the terminating mechanism (22).

Claim 5

Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 characterised in that, the escapement (8) includes a wire receiving slot (8A) extending radially from the periphery of the wheel (4) and the transfer mechanism (10) includes an arm (10P) mounted to reciprocate in the axial direction past the slot (8A) into engagement with the wire (20) to transfer the wire (20) to the wire terminating mechanism (22).

Claim 6

Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the escapement (8) includes a finger (8B) arranged to draw a wire (20) along the slot away from the wheel (4) during operation of the transfer mechanism (10).

Claim 7

Apparatus having a wire-activated, inserting mechanism (22), indexing means for indexing said inserting mechanism serially in turn with a respective row of electrical terminals (24A or 24B) in an electrical connector half (24), a frame (18), a transporting mechanism (4) for grasping single wires (20) individually, in turn, from a random, serial array of color-coded wires (20) in a cable sheath (20A), a drive mechanism (4C) for pivoting said transporting mechanism (4), a sensor (6) for receiving an electrical identity signal carried by an individual wire (20), an escapement mechanism (8) in said frame (18) into which an individual wire (20) is transferred by the pivoting of said transporting mechanism (4), and a transferring mechanism (10) for transferring an individual wire (20) from said escapement mechanism (8) to one of a plurality of color-coded positions, characterised in that, said color-coded positions are defined by rows of terminals (24A or 24B) in an electrical connector half (24) extending from the same side of the transporting mechanism (4) as said array of wires (20, said transporting mechanism (4) is pivotal in a first direction for diverting an individual wire (20) toward one row of terminals (24A ·or 24B), said transporting mechanism (4) is pivotal in a second direction diverting an individual wire (20) toward another row of terminals (24A or 24B), and said transferring mechanism (10) conveys an individual wire (20) outwardly of said escapement mechanism (8) and into said inserting mechanism (22) positioned at a selected terminal (24A or 24B) of a selected row of terminals (24A or 24B) to insert the individual wire (20) into the selected terminal (24A or 24B).

Claim 8

Apparatus having a wire-activated, inserting mechanism (22), indexing means for indexing said inserting mechanism serially in turn with a respective row of electrical terminals (24A or 24B) in an electrical connector half (24), a frame (18), a transporting mechanism (4) for grasping single wires (20) individually, in turn, from a random, serial array of color-coded wires (20) in a cable sheath (20A), a drive mechanism (4C) for pivoting said transporting mechanism (4), a sensor (6) for receiving an electrical identity signal carried by an individual wire (20), an escapement mechanism (8) in said frame (18) into which an individual wire (20) is transferred by the pivoting of said transporting mechanism (4), and a transferring mechanism (10) for transferring an individual wire (20) from said escapement mechanism (8) to one of a plurality of color-coded positions, characterised in that, said color-coded positions are defined by rows of terminals (24A or 24B) in an electrical connector half (24) extending from the same side of the transporting mechanism (4) as said array of wires (20, said transporting mechanism (4) is pivotal in a first direction for diverting an individual wire (20) toward one row of terminals (24A ·or 24B), said transporting mechanism (4) is pivotal in a second direction diverting an individual wire (20) toward another row of terminals (24A or 24B), and said transferring mechanism (10) conveys an individual wire (20) outwardly of said escapement mechanism (8) and into said inserting mechanism (22) positioned at a selected terminal (24A or 24B) of a selected row of terminals (24A or 24B) to insert the individual wire (20) into the selected terminal (24A or 24B).