Machine for manufacturing button connector and method therefor

Claim 1

A machine for manufacturing button connectors, comprising: (a) a wire supply means (10) having a rotatable spool (12) for mounting and supplying wire, the wire passing through a first suspended counterweight (14) pivotally attached to said wire supply means (10), said spool (12) being motor-driven; (b) a knurling means (20) having a pair of rotatable knurling shafts (22) for knurling the wire pressing therebetween from said wire supply means (10); the knurled wire being guided to pass through a second suspended counterweight (24) attached to said knurling means (20), one of said knurling shafts (22) being motor-driven; (c) a revolving drum means (30) having a rotatable drum (32) thereon, said drum (32) having a pair of forks (34) longitudinally extending from one end thereof, said drum (32) having a central hollow portion (322), a respective hole (344) being disposed on each of said forks (34), the wire from said knurling means (20) being guided through said central hollow portion (322) and selectively guided through one of said holes (344), said drum (32) being motor-driven; (d) a spinning means (40) having a spinning arm (42), said spinning arm (42) having a first protruding needle (44) attached on one end thereof; (e) a cutter means (50) having a motor-driven rotatable stationary arm (52) and a cutter (54), said stationary arm (52) having a second protruding needle (56) attached on one end thereof, the wire passing said hole (342) of said revolving drum means (30) being wrappable around said second protruding needle (56) and said first protruding needle (44) of said spinning arm (40); (f) a gripping means (60) having an upper gripper (62) and a lower gripper (64) thereon for firmly gripping a segment of the wire; (g) a block plate means (70) having a horizontally protrudable block plate (72) thereon, said block plate (72) having a slot (722) for said first protruding needle (44) of said spinning arm (42) to pass through and a plane surface (724) for said cutter (54) to cut the wire abutting said plane surface (724); and (h) an ejection means (80) having an ejector (82) thereon for ejecting the wire wrapped around said needles (44, 56).

Claim 10

A method for producing button connectors comprising the steps of: (a) supplying wire to pass through a pair of knurling shafts (22); (b) providing a motor rotatable hollow drum (32); (c) guiding the wire through the motor rotatable hollow drum (32) and a hole (344) on one fork (34) of said drum (32); (d) gripping a free end of the wire with an upper gripper (62) and wrapping the wire around first and second protruding needles (44, 56) respectively disposed on a spinning arm (42) of a spinning means (40) and a stationary arm (52) of a cutter means (50), said needles (44, 56) being longitudinally parallel to each other; (e) revolving said drum (32) an integral and a half number of turns with respect to said needles (44, 56) and then actuating another gripper to also grip the wire; (f) spinning the wire wrapped around said needles (44, 56) by spinning said spinning arm (42) an integral number of turns with respect to said second protruding needle (56), such that the wire becomes substantially helical-shaped; (g) protruding a block plate (72) which has a plane surface (724) thereon for a cutter (54) to cut the wire abutting said plane surface; (h) ejecting the wire wrapped around as needles (44, 56) and releasing said upper gripper (62).

Claim 11

A method for producing button connectors comprising the steps of: (a) supplying wire to pass through a pair of knurling shafts (22); (b) providing a motor rotatable hollow drum (32); (c) guiding the wire through the motor rotatable hollow drum (32) and a hole (344) on one fork (34) of said drum (32); (d) gripping a free end of the wire with an upper gripper (62) and wrapping the wire around first and second protruding needles (44, 56) respectively disposed on a spinning arm (42) of a spinning means (40) and a stationary arm (52) of a cutter means (50), said needles (44, 56) being longitudinally parallel to each other; (e) revolving said drum (32) an integral and a half number of turns with respect to said needles (44, 56) and then actuating another gripper to also grip the wire; (f) spinning the wire wrapped around said needles (44, 56) by spinning said spinning arm (42) an integral number of turns with respect to said second protruding needle (56), such that the wire becomes substantially helical-shaped; (g) protruding a block plate (72) which has a plane surface (724) thereon for a cutter (54) to cut the wire abutting said plane surface; (h) ejecting the wire wrapped around as needles (44, 56) and releasing said upper gripper (62).