Lead and solder preform assembly and method of making the same

Claim 1

Apparatus for making a lead and solder preform assembly comprising a lead wire having an end surface transverse to the length of the wire to be soldered to a terminal and a solder preform attached to and overlying said surface for providing the solder for making a soldered connection from said surface to said terminal and eliminating the need for handling individual solder preforms at the time of making the soldered connection comprising members cooperating to define a die cavity, one member being a punch, the other member having means for supporting a lead wire having an end surface transverse to the length of the wire to be soldered to a terminal and to which a solder preform is to be attached so said surface is presented in said cavity to the punch, said punch having first and second parts, the first part being stopped against the other member and having a first way leading to said surface and slidably receiving the second part, means for retracting the second part relative to the first part to provide a space in said first way between said parts, means for feeding a portion of solder into said space in the first way ahead of the second part comprising a second way in the first part transverse to said first way and in front of the second part in the retracted position of the second part, said second part upon closing against the other member impacting the solder against said surface to shape the solder into a preform and coldweld the same to said surface.