Machine for assembling connector plates in terminal block

Claim 1

AN ASSEMBLY MACHINE FOR INSERTING CONNECTOR PLATES IN AN ELONGATED BLOCK HAVING SPACED APART OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SUPPORT SLOTS FOR RECEIVING CONNECTOR PLATES, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME, VERTICALLY MOVABLE SUPPORT MEANS FOR AN ELONGATED TERMINAL BLOCK, A CARRIAGE MEMBER HORIZONTALLY MOVABLE IN AND OUT OF SAID FRAME AND OVER SAID VERTICALLY MOVABLE SUPPORT MEANS SUPPORTING A TERMINAL BLOCK, SAID CARRIAGE HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED APART ARMS WITH SPACED APART OPPOSITELY DISPOSED RECEIVING MEANS FOR OPPOSITE ENDS OF A CONNECTOR PLATE, SAID SPACED APART RECEIVING MEANS IN THE ARMS HAVING LIKE SPACING TO THAT OF THE SLOTS IN THE TERMINAL BLOCK, RELEASABLE SUPPORT MEANS ON AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ARMS FOR MOVEMENT TO DROP A SUPPORTED END OF A CONNECTOR PLATE FROM SAID RECEIVING MEANS INTO A SLOT IN SAID BLOCK, AN INCLINED TROUGH ON SAID FRAME FOR RECEIVING A STOCK OF CONNECTOR PLATES TO BE INSERTED IN SAID CONNECTOR RECEIVING MEANS ON SAID ARMS OF THE CARRIAGE, SAID TROUGH HAVING ITS LOWER END PROXIMAL ABOVE SAID CARRIAGE AND FEED MEANS FOR FEEDING A CONNECTOR PLATE FROM SAID TROUGH INTO SAID RECEIVING MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE ARMS, WHEREBY SAID RECEIVING MEANS IN THE ARMS OF THE CARRIAGE ARE FILLED WITH CONNECTOR PLATES AS THE CARRIAGE MOVES OUT FROM THE FRAME, SAID TERMINAL BLOCK SUPPORT MEANS MOVING A TERMINAL BLOCK IN POSITION UNDER THE CONNECTOR PLATES IN SAID ARMS OF THE CARRIAGE FOR RECEIVING THE CONNECTOR PLATES THEREIN WHEN SAID RELEASABLE SUPPORT MEANS IS RELEASED.