Apparatus for trimming and inserting wires

Claim 2

Apparatus for trimming the end portion of a wire and inserting the trimmed wire end into the wire receiving portion of an electrical contact terminal in an electrical connector, said connector having a plurality of electrical contact terminals therein arranged in at least one row, said apparatus comprising: frame means, a ram in said frame means, actuating means for moving said ram along a predetermined path from a retracted position to an extended position relative to said frame means, connector holding means on said frame means for holding said connector proximate to the end of said ram when said ram is in said extended position positioning means on said holding means for selectively positioning said connector relative to said ram selectively to locate each of said wire receiving portions of said terminals in alignment with said ram, stationary shear means on one side of said path intermediate the ends thereof, and conductor locating means for locating a conductor with its axis extending transversely of said path and between said stationary shear means and the leading end of said ram when said ram is in said retracted position whereby upon placement of said connector on said holding means and selectively positioning said connector with one of said wire receiving portions in alignment with said ram, and upon locating said wire by said locating means and moving said ram from said retracted position to said extended position, said conductor is pushed by said ram towards the one wire receiving portion, and upon movement of said wire past said stationary shear means, the end portion of said conductor is trimmed, and upon further movement of said ram towards said wire receiving portion, said wire is inserted into said wire receiving portion.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said positioning means comprises detent means.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein contact terminals are arranged in at least two parallel rows, said wire receiving portions of said terminals in each row facing in the opposite direction from the terminals of the other row, said detent means being adapted to enter the said wire receiving portion of a contact terminal in one of said rows thereby to align the wide receiving portion of a terminal in the other one of said rows with said ram.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frame means comprises a pistol-type frame, said apparatus being a hand tool.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said frame means comprises a barrel portion and a handle portion, said ram being slidably mounted in said barrel portion, said actuating means comprising a movable handle pivotally mounted on said frame means.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conductor locating means comprises a locating plate having an opening therein, said plate being on the opposite side of said path from said stationary shear.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said stationary shear comprises a shear plate having an opening therein, said opening in said shear plate being in alignment with said opening in said locating plate.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ram has a recess in the leading end thereof, said recess being adapted to receive said wire receiving portion of one of said terminals when said ram is in said extended position, and an inserting punch in said recess for engagement with a wire being inserted into one of said wire receiving portions.

Claim 10

A hand tool for trimming the end of a wire and inserting the trimmed wire end into the wire receiving portion of a terminal in a multi-contact electrical connector, said connector having two parallel rows of said terminals, each of said wire-receiving portions comprising a pair of spaced apart plate-like members, said plate-like members having wire-receiving sloTs therein which are in alignment with each other, said wire receiving portions of said terminals being oppositely directed in said two parallel rows, said apparatus comprising: frame means, a ram mounted in said frame means, means for moving said ram along a predetermined path from a retracted position in said frame means to an extended position relative to said frame means and for returning said ram to said retracted position, said ram having a leading end portion formed to engage a wire and insert said wire into the said wire receiving portion of one of said terminals, said leading end portion having a recess therein of a width sufficient to receive said spaced apart plate-like members of said terminal and having a wire inserting punch projecting centrally into said recess, said wire inserting punch being adapted to engage said wire and push said wire into said slots, a fixed shearing member disposed beside said predetermined path intermediate the ends thereof, means permitting positioning of said wire with its axis extending traversely of said predetermined path, past said fixed shearing member, and between said fixed shearing member and said end of said ram when said ram is in said retracted position, holding means on said frame means for holding said connector proximate to said end of said ram when said ram is in said extended position with said wire receiving portion of one of said terminals in one of said rows in alignment with said ram, and detent means on said holding means in alignment with said ram, said detent means being engageable with the wire-receiving portion of the terminal which is opposite to said one terminal in the second one of said rows.

Claim 11

A hand tool for trimming the end of a wire and inserting the trimmed wire end into the wire receiving portion of a terminal in a multi-contact electrical connector, said connector having two parallel rows of said terminals, each of said wire-receiving portions comprising a pair of spaced apart plate-like members, said plate-like members having wire-receiving sloTs therein which are in alignment with each other, said wire receiving portions of said terminals being oppositely directed in said two parallel rows, said apparatus comprising: frame means, a ram mounted in said frame means, means for moving said ram along a predetermined path from a retracted position in said frame means to an extended position relative to said frame means and for returning said ram to said retracted position, said ram having a leading end portion formed to engage a wire and insert said wire into the said wire receiving portion of one of said terminals, said leading end portion having a recess therein of a width sufficient to receive said spaced apart plate-like members of said terminal and having a wire inserting punch projecting centrally into said recess, said wire inserting punch being adapted to engage said wire and push said wire into said slots, a fixed shearing member disposed beside said predetermined path intermediate the ends thereof, means permitting positioning of said wire with its axis extending traversely of said predetermined path, past said fixed shearing member, and between said fixed shearing member and said end of said ram when said ram is in said retracted position, holding means on said frame means for holding said connector proximate to said end of said ram when said ram is in said extended position with said wire receiving portion of one of said terminals in one of said rows in alignment with said ram, and detent means on said holding means in alignment with said ram, said detent means being engageable with the wire-receiving portion of the terminal which is opposite to said one terminal in the second one of said rows.