Apparatus for orienting, feeding and crimping insulated terminal connectors

Claim 1

IN A VIBRATORY DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY FEEDING AND ORIENTING INSULATED TERMINAL CONNECTORS OF THE WIRE BARREL APERTURED TONGUE TYPE COMPRISING AN ANNULAR HOPPER IN WHICH A QUANTITY OF SEPARATE INSULATED TERMINAL CONNECTORS ARE ADAPTED TO BE DEPOSITED, A SPIRAL PERIPHERAL TRACKWAY EXTENDING FROM THE FLOOR OF SAID HOPPER SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE TOP EDGE THEREOF, MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID HOPPER TO ELEVATE A SERIES OF TERMINAL CONNECTORS THEREIN ONTO AND ALONG SAID SPIRAL TRACKWAY, MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID HOPPER INCLUDING MEANS COACTABLE WITH SAID TRACKWAY ADAPTED FOR CAUSING ALL TERMINAL CONNECTORS WHICH ARE ADVANCED WITH THEIR TONGUE PORTIONS UPPERMOST, TO FALL TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOPPER, A SECOND MEANS COACTABLE WITH SAID TRACKWAY ADAPTED FOR ORIENTING ALL TERMINAL CONNECTORS ADVANCING WITH THEIR TONGUE PORTIONS LOWERMOST, INTO POSITION WITH THEIR WIRE BARREL ENDS FOREMOST, A DISCHARGE GATE SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENT WITH THE TOP EDGE OF SAID HOPPER, AND A THIRD MEANS LOCATED BETWEEN SAID DISCHARGE GATE