US4228709A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Flat cable preparation tool assembly
Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
•
Filing: 1979-06-04
•
Granted: 1980-10-21
•
Expires: 1999-06-04
Abstract
Abstract A tool assembly for use with a prime mover, such as a bench press, to prepare a flat cable for its termination in a mass termination connector. The assembly includes upper and lower supports, at least one of which is adapted for attachment to the prime mover, for reciprocal movement relative to one another. The assembly further includes punch means carried by one of the supports, cutter means carried by one of the supports and selectively operable stop means for limiting relative movement of the supports. The punch means forms a series of windows in the cable insulation between adjacent conductors of the flat cable, the windows being aligned in a row extending transversely of the longitudinal direction of the cable. The cutter means severs the conductor of the flat cable adjacent the windows. The punch means extends further toward the support which does not carry the punch means than the cutter means extends toward the support which does not carry the cutter means. The supports are movable relative to one another between an open position wherein a flat cable disposed between the supports is not punched or cut and a closed position wherein the windows are punched and the conductors severed and through an intermediate position in which the cable is punched but the conductors are not cut. The stop means selectively limits relative movement of the supports to the intermediate position whereby a single tool assembly selectively prepares flat cables for either daisy chain connection or dead end connection.
Inventors
- 👤 Casimer M. Guzay, Jr.
- 👤 Jack E. Caveney
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 04:44
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G1/00; H02G1/005; H01; H01R; H01R12/00; H01R12/70; H01R12/77; H01R4/00; H01R4/24; H01R4/2416; H01R4/242; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49194; Y10T29/51; Y10T29/5136; Y10T29/5137; Y10T29/5139; Y10T29/514; Y10T29/5142; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/869; Y10T83/8821; Y10T83/8828; Y10T83/8831; Y10T83/8834; Y10T83/929; Y10T83/9411; Y10T83/9423; Y10T83/9428; Y10T83/9432
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
235 words
A tool assembly for use with a prime mover, such as a bench press, to prepare a flat cable for its termination in a mass termination connector, said assembly comprising: upper and lower supports, at least one of which is adapted for attachment to said prime mover, for reciprocal movement relative to one another; punch means carried by one of said supports for forming a series of windows in the flat cable insulation between adjacent conductors of the flat cable, said windows being aligned in a row extending transversely of the longitudinal direction of said cable; cutter means carried by one of said supports for severing the conductors of said flat cable adjacent said windows, said punch means extending further toward the support which does not carry the punch means than the cutter means extends toward the support which does not carry the cutter means, said supports being movable relative to one another between an open position wherein a flat cable disposed between said supports is not punched or cut and a closed position wherein said windows are punched and said conductors severed, through an intermediate position wherein said cable is punched but the conductors are not cut; said assembly further comprising selectively operable stop means for limiting relative movement of said supports to said intermediate position whereby a single tool assembly selectively prepares flat cables for either daisy chain connection or dead end connection.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
235 words
A tool assembly for use with a prime mover, such as a bench press, to prepare a flat cable for its termination in a mass termination connector, said assembly comprising: upper and lower supports, at least one of which is adapted for attachment to said prime mover, for reciprocal movement relative to one another; punch means carried by one of said supports for forming a series of windows in the flat cable insulation between adjacent conductors of the flat cable, said windows being aligned in a row extending transversely of the longitudinal direction of said cable; cutter means carried by one of said supports for severing the conductors of said flat cable adjacent said windows, said punch means extending further toward the support which does not carry the punch means than the cutter means extends toward the support which does not carry the cutter means, said supports being movable relative to one another between an open position wherein a flat cable disposed between said supports is not punched or cut and a closed position wherein said windows are punched and said conductors severed, through an intermediate position wherein said cable is punched but the conductors are not cut; said assembly further comprising selectively operable stop means for limiting relative movement of said supports to said intermediate position whereby a single tool assembly selectively prepares flat cables for either daisy chain connection or dead end connection.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connector includes a front wall, a back wall and a plurality of spaced barrier walls interconnecting said front and back walls and defining therewith an array of cavities for receiving metallic terminal elements, said windows having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said cable, said windows having lengths substantially at least twice the spacing between said front wall and said back wall of said connector.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said cutter means is positioned to sever the conductors substantially midway between the ends of the windows adjacent thereto whereby a flat cable is prepared for a pair of dead end connectors by a single stroke of said tool assembly.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper support carries said punch means and said cutter means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said lower support is stationary and supports said flat cable, said lower support comprising holding means for preventing said cable from moving with said upper support as said upper support moves toward said open position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprises a pair of spaced posts extending vertically from one of said upper and lower supports, and a pair of similarly spaced sleeves extending vertically from the other of said upper and lower supports for receiving said posts in close-fitting sliding telescopic relationship whereby said upper and lower supports are held in alignment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stop means comprises a stop carried by one of said supports and extending toward the other of said supports.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
83 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said stop means further comprises a slide assembly carried by the support which does not carry said stop, said slide assembly including an abutment movable between a first position wherein said abutment is aligned with said stop to limit relative movement of said supports to said intermediate position, and a second position wherein said abutment is out of alignment with said stop to permit relative movement of said supports to said closed position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein a plurality of regularly spaced parallel ribs extend from a surface of said flat cable, said lower support comprising a table having a plurality of spaced grooves for receiving ones of said plurality of ribs to align said cable with said punch means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said lower support further comprises a bridge structure extending over said table and defining therewith an opening for receiving said flat cable, said bridge structure holding said cable against movement with said upper support.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said punch means comprises a series of aligned punches.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said lower support includes a plate assembly for supporting said cable and having a series of punch-receiving apertures.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said lower support includes a chute underlying said plate assembly for receiving scrap and directing it away from said plate assembly.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
143 words
A tool assembly for preparing a flat cable for termination in a mass termination connector, said assembly being adapted for mounting on a bench press of the type having a bed and a ram which reciprocates relative to said bed, said tool assembly comprising: an upper support attached to said ram; a lower support for supporting said cable and positioned on said bed; a series of regularly spaced, aligned punches extending from said upper support for forming a series of windows in the flat cable insulation with one window between each adjacent pair of conductors; and a cutter means extending from said upper support and terminating short of said punch dies for severing each conductor between adjacent windows whereby the selective limitation of the stroke of said ram results in preparation of said cable for either daisy chain or, alternatively, dead end connection.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
143 words
A tool assembly for preparing a flat cable for termination in a mass termination connector, said assembly being adapted for mounting on a bench press of the type having a bed and a ram which reciprocates relative to said bed, said tool assembly comprising: an upper support attached to said ram; a lower support for supporting said cable and positioned on said bed; a series of regularly spaced, aligned punches extending from said upper support for forming a series of windows in the flat cable insulation with one window between each adjacent pair of conductors; and a cutter means extending from said upper support and terminating short of said punch dies for severing each conductor between adjacent windows whereby the selective limitation of the stroke of said ram results in preparation of said cable for either daisy chain or, alternatively, dead end connection.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
229 words
A tool assembly for use with a prime mover, such as a bench press, to prepare a flat cable for its termination in a mass termination connector, said assembly comprising: upper and lower supports, at least one of which is adapted for attachment to said prime mover, for reciprocal movement relative to one another; punch means carried by one of said supports for forming a series of windows in the flat cable insulation between adjacent conductors of the flat cable, said windows being aligned in a row extending transversely of the longitudinal direction of the cable; cutter means carried by one of said supports for severing the conductors of said flat cable adjacent said windows, said punch means having a position relative said cutter means wherein said punch means extends further toward the support which does not carry the punch means than the cutter means extends toward the support which does not carry the cutter means, said supports being movable relative to one another between an open position in which a flat cable disposed between said supports is not punched or cut and a closed position in which said windows are punched; and means for selectively preventing said cutter means from severing said conductors when said punch means forms said windows whereby a single tool assembly selectively prepares flat cables for either daisy chain connection or dead end connection.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
229 words
A tool assembly for use with a prime mover, such as a bench press, to prepare a flat cable for its termination in a mass termination connector, said assembly comprising: upper and lower supports, at least one of which is adapted for attachment to said prime mover, for reciprocal movement relative to one another; punch means carried by one of said supports for forming a series of windows in the flat cable insulation between adjacent conductors of the flat cable, said windows being aligned in a row extending transversely of the longitudinal direction of the cable; cutter means carried by one of said supports for severing the conductors of said flat cable adjacent said windows, said punch means having a position relative said cutter means wherein said punch means extends further toward the support which does not carry the punch means than the cutter means extends toward the support which does not carry the cutter means, said supports being movable relative to one another between an open position in which a flat cable disposed between said supports is not punched or cut and a closed position in which said windows are punched; and means for selectively preventing said cutter means from severing said conductors when said punch means forms said windows whereby a single tool assembly selectively prepares flat cables for either daisy chain connection or dead end connection.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
70 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said conductors are severed when said supports are in said closed position, said supports being movable through an intermediate position in which said cable is punched but the conductors are not cut, said means for selectively preventing said cutter means from severing said conductors comprising selectively operable stop means for limiting relative movement of said supports to said intermediate position.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
A tool assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said cutter means comprises a cutter blade and said punch means comprises a series of spaced punches, said blade being movable relative to said punches.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US516735A
Cited
US3812754A
Cited
US4075758A
Cited
US3924923A
Cited
US3956952A
Cited
US3938246A
Cited
US4046045A
Cited
US4130040A
Cited
US4130934A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-10-21 | 1984-04-21 | 1984-10-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-10-21 | 1988-04-21 | 1988-10-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-10-21 | 1992-04-21 | 1992-10-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |