Impact tool

Claim 2

A tool adapted for terminating wires in bifurcated terminals comprising a head for contacting said wires, a plunger on which said head is mounted for moving said head with respect to said terminals, and an impact mechanism for impacting said plunger to thereby apply forces to said head to terminate said wires characterized in that said impact mechanism includes: a hammer having an internal passageway therethrough to receive said plunger therein, said plunger includes a flange thereabout and said passageway includes a shoulder around the periphery thereof adapted to impact said flange; a power spring surrounding substantially the entire length of said hammer for imparting a force to said hammer for impacting said plunger; and a return spring about said plunger within said passageway for returning said plunger to an initial position after said impacting.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flange and said shoulder have conically tapered mating surfaces whereby the tendency of said flange to deflect when said hammer impacts said plungEr is reduced.

Claim 4

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said head includes: a holder mounted on said plunger; an insert detachably mounted in said holder and including a body adapted for insertion over said bifurcated terminals, and fingers extending from said body to contact said wires in said terminals, said fingers being responsive to said impacting of said plunger for seating said wires in said terminals.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said body includes first and second substantially parallel sides separated by a groove into which said terminals fit when said body is inserted over said terminals, said fingers comprise opposing pairs of said fingers extending from said sides into said groove whereby a respective said wire is contacted on both sides of said terminal.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 further including cutting means associated with each of said fingers along one of said sides, said cutting means being adapted for severing said wires whereby said wires can be seated in said terminals and trimmed along one of said sides of said terminals in response to said hammer impacting said plunger.

Claim 7

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said body includes ten each of said fingers and said cutting means whereby five pairs of said wires can be seated and trimmed simultaneously.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said insert includes ten of said fingers whereby five pairs of said wires can be seated simultaneously.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said head further includes an energy absorbing pad mounted between said insert and said holder for absorbing excessive energy imparted to said plunger by said impacting.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said pad comprises neoprene rubber.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a housing having first and second end caps in in which said impact mechanism is mounted with said plunger extending from an opening in said second end cap; said hammer comprising a substantially cylindrical hammer having a first flange around a first end thereof adjacent said second end cap; said power spring extends between said first flange and said first end cap with said hammer substantially surrounded thereby; trigger means in said hammer extending into said passageway for blocking movement of said plunger through said hammer when a force is applied to said handle to thereby compress said power spring and for releasing said plunger when said power spring is substantially compressed whereby said power spring moves said hammer to impact said plunger; and said passageway includes a second shoulder therein; said return spring being mounted about said plunger between said second shoulder and said flange so that said return spring is compressed when said plunger is released by said trigger means.

Claim 12

A tool adapted for uses such as terminating wires in bifurcated terminals comprising an impact mechanism having a plunger for transmitting forces, a hammer for impacting said plunger to impart forces thereto, a power spring for driving said hammer against said plunger when said power spring is released from a compressed state, trigger means for controlling the compression of said power spring from an initial state to said compressed state and releasing said power spring from said compressed state, and a return spring for returning said tool to said initial state, characterized in that: said power spring surrounds substantially the entire length of said hammer; said hammer includes an internal passage therethrough in which a portion of said plunger is received; and said return spring surrounds said portion of said plunger within said passage.

Claim 13

A tool adapted for uses such as terminating wires in bifurcated terminals comprising an impact mechanism having a plunger for transmitting forces, a hammer for impacting said plunger to impart forces thereto, a power spring for driving said hammer against said plunger when said power spring is released from a compressed state, trigger means for controlling the compression of said power spring from an initial state to said compressed state and releasing said power spring from said compressed state, and a return spring for returning said tool to said initial state, characterized in that: said power spring surrounds substantially the entire length of said hammer; said hammer includes an internal passage therethrough in which a portion of said plunger is received; and said return spring surrounds said portion of said plunger within said passage.