Patent US4083452A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3766622A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3766622A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic apparatus for attaching wires to terminals
Assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
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Filing: 1972-03-01
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Granted: 1973-10-23
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Expires: 1992-03-01
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for inserting wires into wire-receiving portions of terminals in an electrical connector comprises wire severing and inserting means for trimming the wire end and inserting the trimmed end into wire receiving portion of a terminal. The connector, in which the terminals are contained, is held on a carriage which is indexed during each operating cycle so that each terminal is presented to the inserting means for reception of a wire.
Inventors
- 👤 R Brehm
- 👤 R Long
- 👤 W Over
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 04:07
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R43/00; H01R43/01; H01R43/015; H01R4/00; H01R4/24; H01R4/2416; H01R4/2445; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/51; Y10T29/5176; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/5313; Y10T29/532; Y10T29/53243
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
347 words
Apparatus for trimming the end of a conductor and inserting the trimmed end into the wire-receiving portion of a terminal in an electrical device such as an electrical connector, said electrical device having a plurality of said terminals therein with said conductor-receiving portions arranged in a row, said apparatus comprising: supporting means for supporting said electrical device in a predetermined position, indexing means for feeding said supporting means along a supporting means feed path which extends in the direction of said row, said indexing means being effective to feed said supporting means a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent terminal receiving portions in said row, conductor trimming and insertion ram means on side of said supporting means feed path, said trimming and insertion ram means being reciprocable along an insertion ram path towards and away from said supporting means, said insertion ram means being effective to trim a conductor extending between said ram means and said supporting means and insert the trimmed conductor into a conductor-receiving portion of one of said terminals, a conductor stop for locating a conductor with its axis extending transversely of said insertion ram feed path, said conductor stop normally extending transversely of said supporting means feed path and normally being in spaced relationship to an electrical device held on said supporting means, said stop being movable away from said path to permit movement of a conductor therepast and actuating means for actuating said ram means and said indexing means and for concomitantly moving said stop means form its normal position away from said path whereby, upon positioning a connector on said supporting means and upon locating a conductor against said stop means with its axis extending between said ram means and said supporting means and upon energizing said actuating means, said conductor is trimmed and inserted into the conductor-receiving portion of one of said terminals, and said stop means is thereafter moved from said supporting means feed path, and said supporting means is indexed to position the next adjacent conductor-receiving portion in said electrical device in alignment with said ram means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
347 words
Apparatus for trimming the end of a conductor and inserting the trimmed end into the wire-receiving portion of a terminal in an electrical device such as an electrical connector, said electrical device having a plurality of said terminals therein with said conductor-receiving portions arranged in a row, said apparatus comprising: supporting means for supporting said electrical device in a predetermined position, indexing means for feeding said supporting means along a supporting means feed path which extends in the direction of said row, said indexing means being effective to feed said supporting means a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent terminal receiving portions in said row, conductor trimming and insertion ram means on side of said supporting means feed path, said trimming and insertion ram means being reciprocable along an insertion ram path towards and away from said supporting means, said insertion ram means being effective to trim a conductor extending between said ram means and said supporting means and insert the trimmed conductor into a conductor-receiving portion of one of said terminals, a conductor stop for locating a conductor with its axis extending transversely of said insertion ram feed path, said conductor stop normally extending transversely of said supporting means feed path and normally being in spaced relationship to an electrical device held on said supporting means, said stop being movable away from said path to permit movement of a conductor therepast and actuating means for actuating said ram means and said indexing means and for concomitantly moving said stop means form its normal position away from said path whereby, upon positioning a connector on said supporting means and upon locating a conductor against said stop means with its axis extending between said ram means and said supporting means and upon energizing said actuating means, said conductor is trimmed and inserted into the conductor-receiving portion of one of said terminals, and said stop means is thereafter moved from said supporting means feed path, and said supporting means is indexed to position the next adjacent conductor-receiving portion in said electrical device in alignment with said ram means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including conductor clamping ram means, saId clamping ram means being reciprocable along a clamping ram path towards and away from said electrical device, said clamping ram path being beside said insertion ram path, said clamping ram means being effective to clamp said conductor during trimming thereof and insertion of said conductor into a conductor-receiving portion of said electrical device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 including a fixed shear member between said insertion ram means and said clamping ram means, said fixed shear member being cooperable with said insertion ram means to trim said conductor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
288 words
Apparatus for trimming the ends of each wire of a pair of wires and inserting the trimmed wire ends into wire-receiving means on an electrical connector or the like, said connector having two parallel rows of said wire receiving means, said wire receiving means of said two rows facing in opposite directions, said apparatus comprising: connector supporting means for supporting said connector in a predetermined position, first and second wire trimming and inserting rams, said rams being disposed on opposite sides of said supporting means and being reciprocable along first and second paths respectively towards and away from a connector supported on said supporting means, pair splitting and wire guide means disposed in alignment with said supporting means, said splitting and guide means being effective, upon movement therepast of a wire pair transversely of the axis of the pair, to split said pair and locate one wire of said pair in a predetermined position with its axis extending transversely of said first and second paths and between said rams and said connector supported on said supporting means, whereby, upon location of the wires of a pair in said predetermined positions and upon movement of said rams towards said supporting means, the end portions of said wires are trimmed and the trimmed wires ends are inserted into wire receiving means in said connector, and indexing means for indexing said supporting means along a third path a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent wire receiving means in said rows, said third path extending transversely of said first and second paths whereby after insertion of a pairs of wires into wire-receiving means on said connector, the next adjacent wire-receiving means are moved into alignment with said wire-trimming and inserting rams.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
288 words
Apparatus for trimming the ends of each wire of a pair of wires and inserting the trimmed wire ends into wire-receiving means on an electrical connector or the like, said connector having two parallel rows of said wire receiving means, said wire receiving means of said two rows facing in opposite directions, said apparatus comprising: connector supporting means for supporting said connector in a predetermined position, first and second wire trimming and inserting rams, said rams being disposed on opposite sides of said supporting means and being reciprocable along first and second paths respectively towards and away from a connector supported on said supporting means, pair splitting and wire guide means disposed in alignment with said supporting means, said splitting and guide means being effective, upon movement therepast of a wire pair transversely of the axis of the pair, to split said pair and locate one wire of said pair in a predetermined position with its axis extending transversely of said first and second paths and between said rams and said connector supported on said supporting means, whereby, upon location of the wires of a pair in said predetermined positions and upon movement of said rams towards said supporting means, the end portions of said wires are trimmed and the trimmed wires ends are inserted into wire receiving means in said connector, and indexing means for indexing said supporting means along a third path a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent wire receiving means in said rows, said third path extending transversely of said first and second paths whereby after insertion of a pairs of wires into wire-receiving means on said connector, the next adjacent wire-receiving means are moved into alignment with said wire-trimming and inserting rams.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including a pair of clamping rams, one of said clamping rams being beside each of said insertion rams, said clamping rams being movable with said insertion rams to clamp said wires during severing and insertion thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including wire stop means for locating said wires in said predetermined positions, said wire stop means normally extending transversely of said third path and in spaced relationship to a connector on said supporting means, said wire stop means being movable away from said third path to permit- movement of said wire therepast during indexing of said supporting means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said wire stop means comprises a pair of wire stops, each of said wire stops being associated with, and extending beside, one of said wire trimming and insertion rams, said stops being movable away from said third path with said trimming and insertion rams during movement of said insertion rams away from said connector.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
352 words
Apparatus for trimming the ends of each wire of a pair of wires and connecting the trimmed wires to the wire receiving portions of electrical terminals contained in an electrical device such as an electrical connector, said electrical device having two rows of wire-receiving portions on oppositely facing sides thereof, said apparatus comprising: supporting means for supporting said electrical device in a predetermined position, indexing means for indexing said supporting means in one direction along a supporting means feed path which extends in the direction of sAid rows a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent wire-receiving portions in said rows, first and second wire-trimming and inserting rams on two opposite sides of said supporting means feed path, said wire-trimming and inserting rams being reciprocable towards and away from said feed path, first and second fixed shear members, each of said shear members being beside one of said wire-trimming and inserting rams, first and second wire-stops on opposite sides of said path, said wire-stops normally extending across said path in spaced relationship to said supporting means, each of said stops being effective to locate a wire with its axis extending transversely of said feed path, past an electrical device on said supporting means and between said electrical device and one of said trimming and insertion rams and said electrical device, said wire stops being latrally movable away from said path to permit movement of wires therepast which have been connected to wire-receiving portions in said rows whereby, upon locating one wire of said pair on each side of said feed path and against stop means with each wire axis extending between an insertion ram and said support means thence between one of said fixed shear members and said support means, and upon movement of said rams towards said support means, said wires are trimmed and connected to wire-receiving portions of said terminals, and upon movement of said wire stops away from said path and indexing of said supporting means, said connector is moved along said path to locate adjacent wire-receiving portions of said terminals in alignment with said trimming and insertion rams.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
352 words
Apparatus for trimming the ends of each wire of a pair of wires and connecting the trimmed wires to the wire receiving portions of electrical terminals contained in an electrical device such as an electrical connector, said electrical device having two rows of wire-receiving portions on oppositely facing sides thereof, said apparatus comprising: supporting means for supporting said electrical device in a predetermined position, indexing means for indexing said supporting means in one direction along a supporting means feed path which extends in the direction of sAid rows a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent wire-receiving portions in said rows, first and second wire-trimming and inserting rams on two opposite sides of said supporting means feed path, said wire-trimming and inserting rams being reciprocable towards and away from said feed path, first and second fixed shear members, each of said shear members being beside one of said wire-trimming and inserting rams, first and second wire-stops on opposite sides of said path, said wire-stops normally extending across said path in spaced relationship to said supporting means, each of said stops being effective to locate a wire with its axis extending transversely of said feed path, past an electrical device on said supporting means and between said electrical device and one of said trimming and insertion rams and said electrical device, said wire stops being latrally movable away from said path to permit movement of wires therepast which have been connected to wire-receiving portions in said rows whereby, upon locating one wire of said pair on each side of said feed path and against stop means with each wire axis extending between an insertion ram and said support means thence between one of said fixed shear members and said support means, and upon movement of said rams towards said support means, said wires are trimmed and connected to wire-receiving portions of said terminals, and upon movement of said wire stops away from said path and indexing of said supporting means, said connector is moved along said path to locate adjacent wire-receiving portions of said terminals in alignment with said trimming and insertion rams.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
65 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 including electrical means for actuating said indexing means, said wire-trimming, and said inserting rams, and for controlling movement of said wire stops, and switch means for energizing said electrical means, said switch means comprising a pair of switches which are engageable by said wires to energize said electrical means when said wires are located against said wire stops.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 including static wire pair guide means, said guide means being aligned with said supporting means and having guide surfaces for guiding said wires towards said wire stops.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 including first and second clamping rams disposed beside said first and second wire-trimming and insertion rams respectively, said clamping rams being movable towards and away from said supporting means and being effective to clamp said wires during trimming and insertion thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3571890A
Cited
US3628202A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-10-22 | 1977-04-23 | 1977-10-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-10-22 | 1981-04-23 | 1981-10-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-10-22 | 1985-04-23 | 1985-10-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |