Wave soldering electrical connections

Claim 1

The method of mechanically soldering an electrical terminal connection carried by a workpiece comprising flowing a bed of heated molten solder over colevel spaced weirs and providing therebetween at a constant level in opposite directions from the center of an elongated laterally confined substantial area at a uniform level over colevel spaced weirs of restricted width at a predetermined depth, progressively passing solder accepting terminals on a workpiece in a horizontal plane within said depth across one weir in an upstream direction into and through said center and downstream out of said molten solder across the other weir in said horizontal plane, and directing a blast of air towards said other weir and the terminal connections as they progressively leave the molten solder across said other weir to scavenge back to the molten solder the excess molten solder thereon, and hardening the solder bond on the terminals while cooling the workpiece and the atmosphere above the molten solder around the workpiece.

Claim 2

The method of mechanically soldering an electrical terminal connection carried by a workpiece comprising flowing a bed of heated molten solder over colevel spaced weirs and providing therebetween at a constant level in opposite directions from the center of an elongated laterally confined substantial area at a uniform level over colevel spaced weirs of restricted width at a predetermined depth, progressively passing solder accepting terminals on a workpiece in a horizontal plane within said depth across one weir in an upstream direction into and through said center and downstream out of said molten solder across the other weir in said horizontal plane, and directing a blast of air towards said other weir and the terminal connections as they progressively leave the molten solder across said other weir to scavenge back to the molten solder the excess molten solder thereon, and hardening the solder bond on the terminals while cooling the workpiece and the atmosphere above the molten solder around the workpiece.

Claim 3

The method of soldering a mechanical connection between connector terminals on a workpiece and insulated wire mechanically connected thereto including, successively moving the connection through a flux bath and progressively and horizontally through a horizontally elongated bi-directionally flowing solder bath spaced from the workpiece, burning off the insulation in the solder bath and solder bonding the connection in said solder bath, and scavenging excess solder from the solder bonded connection back to the molten solder and cooling the workpiece by a blast of air directed towards the bath and space between said bath and workpiece as the bonded connections progressively leave the solder bath.

Claim 4

The method of soldering a mechanical connection between connector terminals on a workpiece and insulated wire mechanically connected thereto including, successively moving the connection through a flux bath and progressively and horizontally through a horizontally elongated bi-directionally flowing solder bath spaced from the workpiece, burning off the insulation in the solder bath and solder bonding the connection in said solder bath, and scavenging excess solder from the solder bonded connection back to the molten solder and cooling the workpiece by a blast of air directed towards the bath and space between said bath and workpiece as the bonded connections progressively leave the solder bath.

Claim 10

The method of solder bonding mechanically associated parts including the step of passing laterally through two oppositely flowing spillways of molten solder and through flowing molten solder intermediate the spillways the lower end of a thin wall sleeve rivet connector terminal depending from a board spaced above said molten flowing solder providing an air gap with wires extending therethrough at least one of which is insulated and removing the insulation below the rivet to bare the wires, directing an upwardly flowing current of heated molten solder into contact with said depending terminal, and, solder bonding and setting the connections to close the lower opening of the terminal with solder to provide substantial electrical conductivity between the wires through the solder.

Claim 11

The method of solder bonding mechanically associated parts including the step of passing laterally through two oppositely flowing spillways of molten solder and through flowing molten solder intermediate the spillways the lower end of a thin wall sleeve rivet connector terminal depending from a board spaced above said molten flowing solder providing an air gap with wires extending therethrough at least one of which is insulated and removing the insulation below the rivet to bare the wires, directing an upwardly flowing current of heated molten solder into contact with said depending terminal, and, solder bonding and setting the connections to close the lower opening of the terminal with solder to provide substantial electrical conductivity between the wires through the solder.

Claim 12

The method of solder bonding insulated connector wire ends disposed in a depending thin wall sleeve rivet connector terminal having a sharp edge depending from a support including the steps of passing the terminal and wire ends laterally through a body of molten solder flowing in one direction with the support spaced from the solder, vaporizing the insulation and tinning the wire ends and connector without overspread of the solder, passing the tinned wire ends and terminal through a body of molten solder spaced from the support and flowing in another direction to fill the lower end of the sleeve terminal with solder as an electrical conductor between the wires, and blasting the soldered parts laterally thereto with air as they leave the body of molten solder to scavenge excess solder from the soldered parts and drive it back into the body without splatter for reheating and recirculation.

Claim 13

The method of solder bonding insulated connector wire ends disposed in a depending thin wall sleeve rivet connector terminal having a sharp edge depending from a support including the steps of passing the terminal and wire ends laterally through a body of molten solder flowing in one direction with the support spaced from the solder, vaporizing the insulation and tinning the wire ends and connector without overspread of the solder, passing the tinned wire ends and terminal through a body of molten solder spaced from the support and flowing in another direction to fill the lower end of the sleeve terminal with solder as an electrical conductor between the wires, and blasting the soldered parts laterally thereto with air as they leave the body of molten solder to scavenge excess solder from the soldered parts and drive it back into the body without splatter for reheating and recirculation.

Claim 14

The method of solder bonding mechanically associated connections having insulated wire and extending from a dielectric body including the steps of heating and raising molten solder from a reservoir centrally between and to a level above two spaced weirs, confining the molten solder to flow horizontally elongated distances in opposite directions to the weirs over which the molten solder spills back to the reservoir, successively moving the connections colevel with that of the molten solder and in depending relation through a flux bath and unindirectionally over one weir through the flowing solder with an air gap between the body and molten solder, burning off the insulation, vaporizing the flux and removing dross and debris back to the reservoir with solder flowing in one direction, solder bonding and setting the connections with the molten solder flowing in the other direction, cooling said body and scavenging excess solder from the bonded connections as the connections exit from the solder over the other weir coincident with a timed blast of air directed at the space between the body and molten solder.

Claim 15

The method of solder bonding mechanically associated connections having insulated wire and extending from a dielectric body including the steps of heating and raising molten solder from a reservoir centrally between and to a level above two spaced weirs, confining the molten solder to flow horizontally elongated distances in opposite directions to the weirs over which the molten solder spills back to the reservoir, successively moving the connections colevel with that of the molten solder and in depending relation through a flux bath and unindirectionally over one weir through the flowing solder with an air gap between the body and molten solder, burning off the insulation, vaporizing the flux and removing dross and debris back to the reservoir with solder flowing in one direction, solder bonding and setting the connections with the molten solder flowing in the other direction, cooling said body and scavenging excess solder from the bonded connections as the connections exit from the solder over the other weir coincident with a timed blast of air directed at the space between the body and molten solder.