Method and apparatus for assembling electrical connectors

Claim 2

In a method of assembling electrical connectors of the kind having a body defining a plurality of openings and a conductive contact mounted in each said opening, the method comprising the steps of: (a) serially feeding connector bodies to a mounting location, (b) advancing a strip of contacts stepwise to said mounting location, said strip of contacts having groups of contacts each corresponding in number and pitch to the openings in a said body, to register respective groups of contacts with respect to the openings in the respective connector bodies, (c) separating each registered group of contacts from the strip, and (d) inserting the separated contacts in the respective openings in a connector body, the improvement that the pitch of the contacts on the strip is less than the pitch of the openings in the connector bodies whereby the contacts of each group are interspersed with the contacts of at least one other group.

Claim 5

A method of assembling electrical connectors according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pitch of said contacts is half the pitch of the openings in said connector bodies.

Claim 6

A method of assembling electrical connectors according to claim 2 for assembling electrical connectors having two rows of said openings in said connector bodies, wherein the contacts of a first group of said contacts are aligned with and inserted into the openings of one of said rows of openings and the contacts of a second group of said contacts are aligned with and inserted into the openings of the other of said rows of openings.

Claim 7

A method of assembling electrical connectors according to claim 4 wherein said strip has a first series of contacts projecting in one direction and a second series of contacts projecting in the opposite direction, and each said connector body is first registered with respect to a group of contacts of said first series to receive those contacts in the openings of said one row at a first said mounting location, and said strip is then inverted and said connector body is registered with respect to a group of contacts of said second series to receive those contacts in the openings of said other row at a second said mounting location.

Claim 8

A method of assembling electrical connectors according to claim 4, wherein said strip has a first series of contacts projecting in one direction and a second series of contacts projecting in the opposite direction, and each said connector body is first registered with respect to a group of contacts of said first series to receive those contacts in the openings of said one row at a first said mounting location, and is then inverted and registered with respect to a group of contacts of said second series to receive those contacts in the openings of said other row at a second said mounting location.

Claim 9

A method of assembling electrical connectors according to claim 2, wherein said groups of contacts are initially registered with respect to said connector bodies with said contacts aligned longitudinally and misaligned transversely with the body openings, and are moved into full alignment with the body openings following separations of the contacts in the strip.

Claim 11

A method of assembling electrical connectors according to claim 2 further including the step of assembling a base member to each said connector body to clamp said contacts in said openings with the other ends of the contacts extending out of the body through the base.

Claim 12

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors of the kind having a connector body defining a plurality of openings and a conductive contact mounted in each opening, said apparatus comprising: (a) a mounting station operative to receive a plurality of connector bodies and contacts from a feeding means, (b) means for feeding connector bodies and a strip of contacts to said mounting station to register successive connector bodies with respect to successive groups of contacts on said strip, the contacts in each group corresponding in number and pitch to the openings in the connector bodies and the contacts on the strip having a pitch which is less than the pitch of said openings in the bodies whereby the contacts of each group are interspersed with the contacts of at least one other group, (c) means operatively associated with said strip feeding means for separating from said strip the contacts while the contacts are in said group registered with respect to said connector body by said feeding means at the mounting station whereby the contacts are adapted to be inserted in said openings located in said bodies, and (d) means operatively associated with said separating means for inserting said contacts into respective openings in the same connector body at the mounting station after said contacts have been separated from said strip by said separating means, said strip feeding means being adapted to effect different relative feed movements of said strip and said connector bodies depending whether the next group of contacts to be registered with respect to the next connector body was interspersed with the group of contacts inserted in the immediately preceding connector body.

Claim 13

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors of the kind having a connector body defining a plurality of openings and a conductive contact mounted in each opening, said apparatus comprising: (a) a mounting station operative to receive a plurality of connector bodies and contacts from a feeding means, (b) means for feeding connector bodies and a strip of contacts to said mounting station to register successive connector bodies with respect to successive groups of contacts on said strip, the contacts in each group corresponding in number and pitch to the openings in the connector bodies and the contacts on the strip having a pitch which is less than the pitch of said openings in the bodies whereby the contacts of each group are interspersed with the contacts of at least one other group, (c) means operatively associated with said strip feeding means for separating from said strip the contacts while the contacts are in said group registered with respect to said connector body by said feeding means at the mounting station whereby the contacts are adapted to be inserted in said openings located in said bodies, and (d) means operatively associated with said separating means for inserting said contacts into respective openings in the same connector body at the mounting station after said contacts have been separated from said strip by said separating means, said strip feeding means being adapted to effect different relative feed movements of said strip and said connector bodies depending whether the next group of contacts to be registered with respect to the next connector body was interspersed with the group of contacts inserted in the immediately preceding connector body.

Claim 14

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors of the kind having an insulating body defining a plurality of openings and a conductive contact mounted in each opening with one end thereof in the opening and the other end projecting out of the body, said apparatus comprising: (a) a mounting station operative to receive a plurality of connector bodies from a feeding means and a strip of contacts from an advancing means, (b) means for serially feeding connector bodies to said mounting station, (c) means for advancing a strip of contacts stepwise to said mounting station, said advancing means operative to position the contacts for insertion within the connector bodies, said strip of contacts forming groups which correspond in number and pitch to the openings in the connector bodies, to register successive said groups of contacts with respect to successive said connector bodies, said contacts on the strip having a pitch which is a whole number sub-multiple of the pitch of the openings in the connector bodies whereby the contacts of each group are interspersed with the contacts of at least one other group, (d) means operatively associated with said strip advancing means for separating from said strip the contacts while the contacts are in said group registered with respect to a said connector body by said advancing means at the mounting station whereby the contacts are adapted to be inserted in said openings located in said bodies, and (e) means operatively associated with said separating means for inserting the one ends of said separated contacts into respective openings in the said connector body at the mounting station after said contacts have been separated from said strip by said separating means, said strip advancing means being adapted to advance the strip for registering the next group of contacts with the next connector body by a first amount where the next group of contacts to be registered was interspersed with the group of contacts last registered with interspersed with the group of contacts last registered and separated and by a second amount larger than the first amount where the next group of contacts to be registered was alongside the group of contacts last registered and separated.

Claim 15

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors of the kind having an insulating body defining a plurality of openings and a conductive contact mounted in each opening with one end thereof in the opening and the other end projecting out of the body, said apparatus comprising: (a) a mounting station operative to receive a plurality of connector bodies from a feeding means and a strip of contacts from an advancing means, (b) means for serially feeding connector bodies to said mounting station, (c) means for advancing a strip of contacts stepwise to said mounting station, said advancing means operative to position the contacts for insertion within the connector bodies, said strip of contacts forming groups which correspond in number and pitch to the openings in the connector bodies, to register successive said groups of contacts with respect to successive said connector bodies, said contacts on the strip having a pitch which is a whole number sub-multiple of the pitch of the openings in the connector bodies whereby the contacts of each group are interspersed with the contacts of at least one other group, (d) means operatively associated with said strip advancing means for separating from said strip the contacts while the contacts are in said group registered with respect to a said connector body by said advancing means at the mounting station whereby the contacts are adapted to be inserted in said openings located in said bodies, and (e) means operatively associated with said separating means for inserting the one ends of said separated contacts into respective openings in the said connector body at the mounting station after said contacts have been separated from said strip by said separating means, said strip advancing means being adapted to advance the strip for registering the next group of contacts with the next connector body by a first amount where the next group of contacts to be registered was interspersed with the group of contacts last registered with interspersed with the group of contacts last registered and separated and by a second amount larger than the first amount where the next group of contacts to be registered was alongside the group of contacts last registered and separated.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 11 for assembling electrical connectors having two rows of said openings, in which said contact strip has a first series of contacts projecting in one direction and a second series of contacts projecting in the opposite direction, said apparatus including: a first said mounting station operative to receive a plurality of connector bodies and first contacts from said feeding means including first said separating means for separating the first contacts from said strip whereby these contacts are adapted to be inserted into certain of said openings and first said inserting means for inserting the first contacts in certain of said openings after they have been separated from said strip by said first separating means, a second said mounting station spaced from said first mounting station and operative to receive a plurality of connector bodies and second contacts from said feeding means and including second said separating means for separating the second contacts from said strip whereby these contacts are adapted to be inserted into certain of said openings and second said inserting means for inserting the second contacts in certain of said openings after they have been separated from said strip by said second separating means, said body feed means being adapted to feed said connector bodies to said first and second mounting stations in turn, and said strip advancing means being adapted to advance said strip to said first mounting station to register successive groups of contacts in said first series with the first rows of openings of successive said connector bodies at said first mounting station and further to advance said strip to said second mounting station to register at said second mounting station successive groups of contacts in said second series with the second rows of openings of successive said connector bodies which have previously received contacts in their first rows of openings at said first mounting station, said advancing means operative to position the contacts for insertion within the connector bodies.

Claim 17

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors according to claim 12, wherein said body feed means includes means for inverting said connector bodies as said bodies are moved between said first and second mounting stations, said inverting means adapted to position said first and second series of contacts for insertion within said connectors bodies.

Claim 18

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors according to claim 12, wherein said strip advancing means includes means for inverting said strip between said first and second mounting stations, said strip inverting means adapted to position said first and second series of contacts for insertion within said connector bodies.

Claim 19

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors according to claim 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14 wherein the pitch of said contacts on the strip is half the pitch of said openings in the connector bodies.

Claim 20

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors according to claim 11, 12, 13 or 14 wherein said body feed means is adapted to feed said bodies to a said mounting station in batches and said strip advancing means is adapted to register with respect thereto a number of said groups of contacts equal to the number of connector bodies in the batch, said separating means and inserting means being adapted to separate the contacts of all said groups simultaneously and to insert them in respective connector bodies simultaneously.

Claim 21

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors according to claim 11, 12 13 or 14 wherein said body feed means positions the connector bodies at a said mounting station out of tracking alignment with said strip of contacts, said separating means separates and displaces the contacts in a said group to line them up with the openings in the respective connector body of the mounting station, and said inserting means displaces the connector body towards said contacts so that the contacts are received in respective openings in the connector body.

Claim 22

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors according to claim 10 or 11, further including means located at a second station for attaching a base member to each said connector body to clamp the contacts in the body openings, said attaching means operating after said contacts are inserted within said connector bodies by said inserting means.

Claim 23

Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors according to claims 12, 13 or 14 wherein said strip advancing means further includes a drive member operative to engage and advance said contact strip by engaging regularly spaced holes located along a central ribbon of said contact strip, the ribbon having said first and second series of contacts attached along opposite sides respectively thereof.