Method and apparatus for varying the relative length of a plurality of leads by forming bights in selected leads

Claim 1

A method of varying the lengths of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus including a template having a plurality of grooves having spaced apart first and second portions; positioning said sections of said plurality of leads in said plurality of grooves with the sections extending between said first and second portionS and with the held portion of said leads being disposed adjacent to the second portion of said grooves; and varying the overall length of said sections of selected leads by engaging an intermediate portion of said sections of said selected leads and forming a bight in said intermediate portion between the first and second portions of the grooves while maintaining the sections in said first portions of the grooves.

Claim 2

A method of varying the lengths of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus including a template having a plurality of grooves having spaced apart first and second portions; positioning said sections of said plurality of leads in said plurality of grooves with the sections extending between said first and second portionS and with the held portion of said leads being disposed adjacent to the second portion of said grooves; and varying the overall length of said sections of selected leads by engaging an intermediate portion of said sections of said selected leads and forming a bight in said intermediate portion between the first and second portions of the grooves while maintaining the sections in said first portions of the grooves.

Claim 3

A method of varying the length of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising the steps of: providing a template having a plurality of spaced apart grooves extending the length of the template, each groove being capable of receiving only one lead; positioning said sections of said plurality of leads in said plurality of grooves with the held portion of said leads being disposed adjacent one end of said template; moving an intermediate portion of said sections of selected leads out of their associated grooves to form a bight in said sections while maintaining other portions of said sections of said selected leads within said grooves; and trimming the end sections of the leads in substantially a common plane at a location adjacent the other end of said template.

Claim 4

A method of varying the length of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising the steps of: providing a template having a plurality of spaced apart grooves extending the length of the template, each groove being capable of receiving only one lead; positioning said sections of said plurality of leads in said plurality of grooves with the held portion of said leads being disposed adjacent one end of said template; moving an intermediate portion of said sections of selected leads out of their associated grooves to form a bight in said sections while maintaining other portions of said sections of said selected leads within said grooves; and trimming the end sections of the leads in substantially a common plane at a location adjacent the other end of said template.

Claim 5

A method of varying the lengths of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus including a template having a generally planar surface in which a plurality of grooves are formed, each groove being able to accomodate only one lead and each groove having spaced apart first and second portions; positioning said sections of a plurality of leads in said plurality of grooves with said sections extending between said first and second portions of said grooves, and with said held portion of the leads being disposed adjacent to said second portion of said grooves; moving an intermediate portion of said sections of selected leads out of the associated groove at an angle to the plane of said template to form a bight in said sections while maintaining other portions of said sections within said grooves; and subsequently trimming said sections adjacent to said first portion of the grooves to vary the lengths of said sections of said plurality of leads.

Claim 6

A method of varying the lengths of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus including a template having a generally planar surface in which a plurality of grooves are formed, each groove being able to accomodate only one lead and each groove having spaced apart first and second portions; positioning said sections of a plurality of leads in said plurality of grooves with said sections extending between said first and second portions of said grooves, and with said held portion of the leads being disposed adjacent to said second portion of said grooves; moving an intermediate portion of said sections of selected leads out of the associated groove at an angle to the plane of said template to form a bight in said sections while maintaining other portions of said sections within said grooves; and subsequently trimming said sections adjacent to said first portion of the grooves to vary the lengths of said sections of said plurality of leads.

Claim 10

A method of varying the length of a plurality of leads having free end sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus including a template having a primary groove and a plurality of secondary grooves emanating from said primary groove, each secondary groove being able to accomodate only one lead and each secondary groove having a first portion spaced away from said primary groove; positioning the held portion of said leads in said primary groove with the freE end sections overlying that portion of the template which contains the secondary grooves; applying a compressive force to said free end sections and moving the compressive force from said primary groove to the first portion of the secondary groove to force said free end sections of the leads into the secondary groove; and moving an intermediate portion of the free end sections of selected leads out of said secondary groove to form a bight therein while maintaining other portions of said free end sections of the selected leads in said secondary grooves at positions adjacent said first portion and said primary groove whereby the length of the free end sections of the selected leads between the primary groove and the first portion of the secondary grooves are increased relative to the length of the free end sections of those leads which have not been selected.

Claim 11

A method of varying the length of a plurality of leads having free end sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus including a template having a primary groove and a plurality of secondary grooves emanating from said primary groove, each secondary groove being able to accomodate only one lead and each secondary groove having a first portion spaced away from said primary groove; positioning the held portion of said leads in said primary groove with the freE end sections overlying that portion of the template which contains the secondary grooves; applying a compressive force to said free end sections and moving the compressive force from said primary groove to the first portion of the secondary groove to force said free end sections of the leads into the secondary groove; and moving an intermediate portion of the free end sections of selected leads out of said secondary groove to form a bight therein while maintaining other portions of said free end sections of the selected leads in said secondary grooves at positions adjacent said first portion and said primary groove whereby the length of the free end sections of the selected leads between the primary groove and the first portion of the secondary grooves are increased relative to the length of the free end sections of those leads which have not been selected.

Claim 14

An apparatus for varying the lengths of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising: template means having a plurality of grooves, each of said plurality of grooves having first and second spaced apart portions, and each groove being able to accomodate only one lead; means operable to position said sections of a plurality of leads in said plurality of grooves with said sections extending between said first and second portions of the grooves; and means associated with said template means and operable to vary the overall length of said sections of selected leads between said first and second portions of selected grooves.

Claim 15

An apparatus for varying the lengths of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, comprising: template means having a plurality of grooves, each of said plurality of grooves having first and second spaced apart portions, and each groove being able to accomodate only one lead; means operable to position said sections of a plurality of leads in said plurality of grooves with said sections extending between said first and second portions of the grooves; and means associated with said template means and operable to vary the overall length of said sections of selected leads between said first and second portions of selected grooves.

Claim 18

An apparatus for varying the lengths of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, said apparatus comprising: a frame; template means supported by said frame, said template means having a planar surface having a plurality of grooves formed in said planar surface, each of said grooves having spaced apart first and second portions; means carried by said frame operable to position said sections of said leads in said grooves; means mounted on said frame operable to engage an intermediate portion of selected leads while disposed in said grooves at a position betwen said first and second portions and to move said intermediate portion of said leads out of said grooves to form a bight therein to vary the length of said selected leads relative to the non-selected leads; and means mounted on the frame operable to trim the ends of said sections adjacent said first portion of said grooves.

Claim 19

An apparatus for varying the lengths of a plurality of leads having sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, said apparatus comprising: a frame; template means supported by said frame, said template means having a planar surface having a plurality of grooves formed in said planar surface, each of said grooves having spaced apart first and second portions; means carried by said frame operable to position said sections of said leads in said grooves; means mounted on said frame operable to engage an intermediate portion of selected leads while disposed in said grooves at a position betwen said first and second portions and to move said intermediate portion of said leads out of said grooves to form a bight therein to vary the length of said selected leads relative to the non-selected leads; and means mounted on the frame operable to trim the ends of said sections adjacent said first portion of said grooves.

Claim 22

An apparatus for varying the length of a plurality of leads having free end sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, said apparatus comprising: a frame; template means mounted on said frame, said template means having a surface provided with a primary groove and a plurality of secondary grooves emanating from the primary groove, each of said secondary grooves being of a size able to accomodate only one lead and having a first portion spaced away from said primary groove, said template means further being provided with aperture means which intersect said secondary grooves at a location spaced between said first portion of the secondary grooves and said primary groove; means mounted on said frame and operable to clamp the held portion of said plurality of leads within said primary groove with the free end sections overlying said secondary grooves; means mounted on said frame and movable relative to said template to progressively force said free end sections into said secondary grooves, said means moving from said primary groove towards said first portion of said secondary grooves; and a plurality of means mounted on said frame and selectively operable to move through said aperture means to engage said free end sections of selected leads and to form bights in said free end sections to thereby increase the length of said free end sections of selected leads between said primary grooves and the first portions of said secondary grooves.

Claim 23

An apparatus for varying the length of a plurality of leads having free end sections which extend away from a portion of the leads which are held in fixed relationship to each other, said apparatus comprising: a frame; template means mounted on said frame, said template means having a surface provided with a primary groove and a plurality of secondary grooves emanating from the primary groove, each of said secondary grooves being of a size able to accomodate only one lead and having a first portion spaced away from said primary groove, said template means further being provided with aperture means which intersect said secondary grooves at a location spaced between said first portion of the secondary grooves and said primary groove; means mounted on said frame and operable to clamp the held portion of said plurality of leads within said primary groove with the free end sections overlying said secondary grooves; means mounted on said frame and movable relative to said template to progressively force said free end sections into said secondary grooves, said means moving from said primary groove towards said first portion of said secondary grooves; and a plurality of means mounted on said frame and selectively operable to move through said aperture means to engage said free end sections of selected leads and to form bights in said free end sections to thereby increase the length of said free end sections of selected leads between said primary grooves and the first portions of said secondary grooves.