US4242792A — Portable tool for mass termination connector

Claim 1

Independent Claim 201 words

A portable tool for simultaneously terminating a plurality of conductors in a connector positioned in a connector support which is mounted on a wiring board or the like, said connector comprising a housing defining a series of spaced wire-receiving cavities and a metallic terminal element having a wire-receiving portion disposed in each cavity, said conductors being positioned in alignment with said cavities, said tool comprising: means for detachably mounting said tool on said connector support; a ram which reciprocates relative said connector; an insertion assembly carried by said ram and including a plurality of wire insertion fingers for moving said conductors into said cavities; movable cutter means carried by said ram adjacent said dieset; and fixed cutter means underlying said conductors when said tool is mounted on said support, said movable and fixed cutter means cooperating to sever excess portions of said conductors substantially flush with a wall of said housing as said ram extends causing said wire-insertion fingers to move said conductors into said cavities where they are terminated in the wire-receiving portions of said terminal elements whereby a single tool can be used to terminate conductors in a plurality of connectors held at spaced locations on said wiring board.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 201 words

A portable tool for simultaneously terminating a plurality of conductors in a connector positioned in a connector support which is mounted on a wiring board or the like, said connector comprising a housing defining a series of spaced wire-receiving cavities and a metallic terminal element having a wire-receiving portion disposed in each cavity, said conductors being positioned in alignment with said cavities, said tool comprising: means for detachably mounting said tool on said connector support; a ram which reciprocates relative said connector; an insertion assembly carried by said ram and including a plurality of wire insertion fingers for moving said conductors into said cavities; movable cutter means carried by said ram adjacent said dieset; and fixed cutter means underlying said conductors when said tool is mounted on said support, said movable and fixed cutter means cooperating to sever excess portions of said conductors substantially flush with a wall of said housing as said ram extends causing said wire-insertion fingers to move said conductors into said cavities where they are terminated in the wire-receiving portions of said terminal elements whereby a single tool can be used to terminate conductors in a plurality of connectors held at spaced locations on said wiring board.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 67 words

A tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ram is elongate and has a longitudinal axis and wherein said connector has a wire-insertion direction, said mounting means comprises guide means for guiding said tool onto said connector support with the longitudinal axis of said ram inclined relative to said wire insertion direction and said tool moved toward said connector support substantially in said wire-insertion direction.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 93 words

A tool as set forth in claim 2 wherein said mounting means further comprises holding means for holding said tool mounted on said connector support with said ram axis parallel to said wire-insertion direction, said tool being movable on said connector support between a guided position wherein said longitudinal axis is inclined relative to said wire-insertion direction and said fixed cutter means is remote from said connector housing and a termination position wherein said ram axis is parallel to said wire-insertion direction and said fixed cutter means is disposed adjacent said housing wall.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 44 words

A tool as set forth in claim 3 wherein said housing support is elongate and has a pair of stacked lugs extending from each end thereof, said detachable mounting means comprising a frame including a pair of side plates for straddling said connector support.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

A tool as set forth in claim 4 wherein each side plate includes an aligned first slot, inclined with respect to said ram axis, for receiving said stacked lugs, said guide means comprising said slots.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 49 words

A tool as set forth in claim 5 in which each side plate includes a second slot adjoining said first slot for receiving the upper of the pair of stacked lugs, said second slots extending generally perpendicularly to said ram axis and said holding means comprising said second slots.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 27 words

A portable tool as set forth in claim 4 wherein said fixed cutter means comprises a cutter blade mounted on a reinforcing block joining said side plates.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 18 words

A portable tool as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a pneumatic cylinder for reciprocating said ram.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 32 words

A portable tool as set forth in claim 8 wherein said cylinder includes stacked bores and a piston disposed in each bore and mounted on a common shaft which carries said ram.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 29 words

A portable tool as set forth in claim 8 further comprising an interlock for preventing operation of said cylinder when said tool is not mounted on said connector support.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 39 words

A portable tool as set forth in claim 10 further comprising a pivotally mounted trigger for controlling operation of said pneumatic cylinder, said interlock comprising a deflectable lock preventing operation of said trigger when said tool is not mounted.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 43 words

A tool as set forth in claim 6 wherein each side plate includes a ledge which partially defines said second slot, said ledge underlying and reacting against the upper of said pair of stacked lugs as said ram extends to terminate the conductors.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 23 words

A tool as set forth in claim 6 wherein said holding means further comprises a detent carried by one of said side plates.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 22 words

A tool as set forth in claim 2 wherein said wire-insertion direction is substantially perpendicular to the surface of said wiring board.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 217 words

Apparatus for terminating conductors disposed on a wiring board, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of connector supports mounted on said board at the desired ends of a wiring bundle to be formed by said conductors, a connector held by each of said supports and comprising a housing defining an array of cavities with a self-stripping metallic terminal element disposed in each cavity, said connector comprising means for mechanically holding each conductor in alignment with a respective cavity prior to termination of said conductors, and a portable tool for terminating said conductors in said terminal elements and severing the excess portion of each conductor generally flush with a wall of said housing, said tool and each connector support comprising means for detachably mounting said tool on said connector support, said tool including: a ram which reciprocates relative to said connector, an insertion assembly carried by said ram including a plurality of wire insertion fingers for moving said conductors into said cavities, movable cutter means carried by said ram adjacent said insertion assembly, and fixed cutter means underlying said conductors when said tool is mounted on said support, said movable and fixed cutter means cooperating to sever excess portions of said conductors substantially flush with a wall of said housing as said conductors are terminated in said terminal elements.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 217 words

Apparatus for terminating conductors disposed on a wiring board, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of connector supports mounted on said board at the desired ends of a wiring bundle to be formed by said conductors, a connector held by each of said supports and comprising a housing defining an array of cavities with a self-stripping metallic terminal element disposed in each cavity, said connector comprising means for mechanically holding each conductor in alignment with a respective cavity prior to termination of said conductors, and a portable tool for terminating said conductors in said terminal elements and severing the excess portion of each conductor generally flush with a wall of said housing, said tool and each connector support comprising means for detachably mounting said tool on said connector support, said tool including: a ram which reciprocates relative to said connector, an insertion assembly carried by said ram including a plurality of wire insertion fingers for moving said conductors into said cavities, movable cutter means carried by said ram adjacent said insertion assembly, and fixed cutter means underlying said conductors when said tool is mounted on said support, said movable and fixed cutter means cooperating to sever excess portions of said conductors substantially flush with a wall of said housing as said conductors are terminated in said terminal elements.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 167 words

A method of terminating conductors disposed on a wiring board comprising the steps of: mounting connector supports on said board at locations corresponding to the desired ends of a wire bundle to be formed by said conductors; positioning a connector in each of said connector supports, said connector comprising a housing defining an array of cavities with a self-stripping metallic terminal element disposed in each cavity, said connector including means for mechanically holding a conductor in alignment with each cavity prior to the termination of the conductor in the cavity; placing various conductors in the holding means of the various connectors so that preselected conductors are held in alignment with predetermined cavities; sequentially detachably mounting a portable termination tool on each of said connector supports and operating said tool to cause termination of the conductors associated with the connector held by that connector support, said tool carrying movable cutter means and fixed cutter means which cooperate to sever the excess portion of conductors extending from a connector.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 167 words

A method of terminating conductors disposed on a wiring board comprising the steps of: mounting connector supports on said board at locations corresponding to the desired ends of a wire bundle to be formed by said conductors; positioning a connector in each of said connector supports, said connector comprising a housing defining an array of cavities with a self-stripping metallic terminal element disposed in each cavity, said connector including means for mechanically holding a conductor in alignment with each cavity prior to the termination of the conductor in the cavity; placing various conductors in the holding means of the various connectors so that preselected conductors are held in alignment with predetermined cavities; sequentially detachably mounting a portable termination tool on each of said connector supports and operating said tool to cause termination of the conductors associated with the connector held by that connector support, said tool carrying movable cutter means and fixed cutter means which cooperate to sever the excess portion of conductors extending from a connector.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1984-01-06	1984-07-07	1985-01-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1988-01-06	1988-07-07	1989-01-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1992-01-06	1992-07-07	1993-01-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Portable tool for mass termination connector

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