FR2668312A1 - Methods and devices for automatically connecting ends of segments of conductor wires or of optical fibres to adapted receptacles of components using clamps of various types and for specific uses - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is methods and devices for automatically connecting ends of segments of conductor wires or of optical fibres to adapted receptacles of components using clamps of various types and for specific uses. A device according to the invention includes a conveyor (1) which has clamps at various end processing units. The loading unit (5) puts segments of wire in place in a first type of clamp (2). The units (4), (20) modify the ends for the purposes of connecting them. The unit (21) sorts the ends in the clamps in such a way as to arrange them in a preferred order for connection which is then done by one or more units (32). The invention uses clamps adapted to various operations, for holding a group of wires (72) or for holding components (34). One application is automatic manufacture of bundles of conductor wires.

Description

DESCRIPTION
Methods and devices for automatically connecting ends of sections of conductive wires or optical fibers to receptacles adapted from components using clamps of various types and specific uses.

 The present invention relates to methods and devices for automatically connecting ends of sections of conductive wires or optical fibers to suitable receptacles for components.

 The technical sector of the invention is that of the construction of automatic wiring machines.

 Patent application FR 86 16777 (RICARD Claude), filed on November 28, 1986 describes methods for automatically inserting into the cells of insulating boxes or onto conductive terminals, connection pieces which are crimped onto the ends of a batch of conductor wires coming out of an automatic wiring machine.

 French patent application FR 87 11391 (RICARD Claude) filed on August 7, 1987 and American patent 4,715,099 (YOSHIDA) of December 29, 1987 describe wiring machines in which several conductive wires are transported by clamps which are placed on a conveyor part of an automatic wiring machine, which clamps each hold one end of a section of wire.

The RICARD patent also describes the production of conveyors and grippers.

 French patent 83 18372 (ARTOS) describes another type of automatic machine and a connection device for simple beams shown in fig 7 to 11.

The patents cited above define wiring machines of the type in which:
-it is intermittently transferred a conveyor provided with grippers to grip and hold the ends of the conducting wires,
-on gripping, maintaining and intermittently transferring said ends along a certain transfer path by means of said clamps of said conveyor;
- optionally, by means of said pliers, some of said ends are presented to end processing units arranged laterally along said transfer path: loading unit, stripping unit, crimping unit, etc .;
-only modifying said ends by means of said end processing units.

 These machines are controlled by a programmable central computer. They automatically cut sections of wire whose length is determined by the program. They strip certain ends of these and they automatically carry out the crimping operations.

 These patents do not teach how to make wiring machines capable of making complex harnesses comprising a wide range of different connection pieces.

 The automatic insertion of two rigid male and female mechanical parts into each other are known in the field of assembly of mechanical parts.

 But in the case of wiring machines, these operations are different and become complex as soon as there are generally not two rigid mechanical parts but a set of flexible wires to be connected in a reduced space.

 The connection of the first wire is a delicate operation due to the reduced play but it is done in a perfectly known context.

 However, as soon as this first wire is connectorized, it becomes an obstacle for the automatic connection of the following ones and the annoyance increases for the connection of the following wires due to the overlapping of the wires already connectorized.

 I1 results in numerous collisions of the ends which causes operating interruptions due to ends which abut on the already inserted wires which blocks the automatic machine and reduces its productivity.

 In addition, the ends of the wires are generally provided with connection pieces usually crimped and during collisions on the wires already inserted it sometimes happens that these connection pieces are damaged, this decreases the level of quality.

This makes known automatic machines unreliable and limits their use to particular bundles in which there is no collision: parallel or very simple bundles using connectors with a single layer of contacts as in the patent
ARTOS cited above.

 These particular beams represent only a minority and the other beams, called complex beams, are not processed automatically.

 The solution to this problem proposed in the patent of RICARD Claude cited above is not effective in the case of harnesses which comprise a large variety of connection parts which is generally the case of complex harnesses of the automobile.

 it is also necessary to invent or improve methods or devices for performing certain essential operations such as, for example, the swapping of the wires or the arrangement of a set of ends in a given order.

 An object of the present invention is to provide means allowing the construction of automatic wiring machines for automatically connecting ends of sections of conductive wires or optical fibers to receptacles adapted to components whose productivity and level of quality are not reduced by end collisions on already connected wires.

 Another object of the present invention is to provide means allowing the construction of automatic wiring machines as above which make it possible to process complex beams.

 Another objective of the invention is to allow automatic connection of ends provided with the most diverse connection pieces.

A method according to the invention is of the known type according to which:
-on a intermittent conveyor provided with grippers to grip and hold said ends,
-on grasping, maintaining and intermittently transferring said ends along a certain transfer path by means of said clamps of said conveyor,
optionally, by means of said clamps, some of said ends are presented to end processing units arranged laterally along said transfer path,
-only modifying said ends by means of said end processing units.

 The objectives of the invention are achieved by a process in which clamps of various types and for specific uses are placed on said conveyor.

 Advantageously, some of the said clamps make it possible to grasp and hold several wires in a given order and in a reduced space.

 Advantageously, said clamps are separable from said conveyor and can be mechanically engaged thereon or mechanically withdrawn therefrom.

In addition, according to a preferential process:
- Said ends are presented to a permutation unit which is arranged laterally along said transfer path and the order of some of said ends is modified on said conveyor with said permutation unit;
- By means of said clamps, several of said ends are presented with at least one connection unit arranged laterally along said transfer path downstream of said permutation unit and which comprises means for taking a said end and connecting it to one said receptacles adapted from the component or components which it treats,
- And by means of said connection unit, some of said ends are taken from said clamps on said conveyor and they are connected to some of said receptacles in a predetermined manner, by taking them in an order which may be different from the order wherein said ends are brought to said connection unit.

 Advantageously, some of said clips make it possible to grasp and hold several wires in a given order and in a reduced space.

 Advantageously, in a method according to the invention for manufacturing beams, all the components of the same bundle branch are grouped together on one or more component clamps.

According to a method for increasing the performance of a permutation unit,
Other objectives specific to the realization of the permutation unit which is a subset of this complex invention are achieved by a process according to which certain wires are temporarily transferred to a waiting position in order to then take them up and put them away as well. in a predetermined order.

 Advantageously, said clamps are separable from said conveyor and can be mechanically engaged thereon or mechanically withdrawn therefrom.

 Advantageously, for the production of wiring harnesses and to allow automatic interconnection of several terminals of various electrical components and several cells of various connector housings with sections of conductive wires or optical fibers, several lateral arrangements are made along said transfer path. connection units.

 The object of the invention is achieved by means of clamps of various types and specific uses intended to automatically connect the ends of sections of conductive wires or optical fibers to suitable receptacles for components, transportable by a same conveyor separable from said conveyor and which can be engaged or removed mechanically from said conveyor, characterized in that they all have the same means of interface with said conveyor and an automatically readable inscription enabling their type to be known.

 A result of the present invention is the construction of wiring machines, in particular an automatic wiring machine, making it possible to automatically connect the ends of sections of conductive wires or optical fibers with terminals of an electrical component or with cells a connector box, which are out of order and allow the majority of the beams to be treated in this way; such machines are capable of automatically connecting the ends of sections of conductive wires or optical fibers with terminals of an electrical component or with cells of a connector box for making bundles comprising both connectors and components.

 This first result makes it possible to automatically make beams or interconnections and to avoid most interruptions of operation due to ends which abut on the wires already inserted.

 This first result also makes it possible to automatically produce beams or interconnections while avoiding the degradation of quality caused by the deterioration of the connection parts during the automatic connection following collisions of said connection parts on the wires already inserted.

 Another result of the invention is to allow automatic connection of ends provided with the most diverse connection pieces.

 There are two gripping members on the permutation unit, there is thus a temporary storage means and two ends are moved in a single backward movement, which takes less time than the two movements carried out consecutively.

These inventions also allow:
- to produce beams which require to connect more components simultaneously than a component clamp cannot carry;
- to better organize the groups of wires connected to the components of the same component clamp and to avoid any untimely knot or crossing between wires of different branches by grouping all the components of the same bundle branch on one or more component clamps.

 - to limit the number of boxes which must be presented simultaneously on a single or on several connection units, since it thus becomes possible to successively connect different boxes, thus reducing the number of necessary connection units and the number of components on the same component clamp, the cost of the wiring machine is reduced and its flexibility is increased.

 - to manufacture more complex beams and to automate numerous manual tasks by improving productivity and quality.

 The following description refers to the appended drawings which represent, without any limiting character, an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention and of clamps of various types intended to equip it.

 Figure 1 shows a partial perspective view of a device according to the invention.

 Figures 2 and 3 are a cross section and an elevational view of a loading clamp.

 Figures 4, 5 and 6 are respectively, a cross-sectional view of an end clamp, an elevational view of this clamp and the associated opening device and a bottom view of the base of said clamp.

 Figure 7 shows a preferred insertion order.

 FIG. 8 represents a bundle for which the manufacturing process is determined by way of example.

 Figures 9 and 10 are a top view and an elevational view of a device according to the invention in the process of manufacturing a beam.

 Figure 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a loading system.

 Figure 12 is a view of the lock system associated with a cut in the conveyor.

 Figures 13 and 14 are an elevational view and a top view of a group clamp.

 Figures 15 and Figure 16 show a front view and a cross section of an embodiment of a clamp-component according to the invention.

 Figure 17 shows in perspective an embodiment of the connection manipulator from a perspective.

 Figure 1 shows a partial perspective view of a device according to the invention.

 Figure 1 shows that the conveyor (1) is provided with clamps (2a), (2b), (2c), (2d) ... to grip and hold the ends like (3a), (3b), (3c) sections of wire like (4a) and (4b) and a wire is both an electrical conductor and an optical fiber.

 These grippers for transporting said ends along a certain transfer path are advantageously arranged on the conveyor at regular intervals.

 The computer has set up by means of the loading device various clamps (2a) and (2b) on the conveyor (1) as shown in FIG. 1.

 Figure 1 shows that some clamp locations like (53E) remain vacant and that some clamps like (2p) do not hold a wire end. Certain empty clamps are advantageously intended to be used to grip ends transferred by the permutation unit (21) from other clamps and certain vacant clamp locations are advantageously reserved for the placement of particular clamps of other types the one to grab and hold wire ends like pliers-component.

 This conveyor is intermittently transferred in equal steps which generally represent the interval between two grippers and in this case the end (3e) presented by the gripper (2e) to the end processing unit (4) is replaced by the next end (3d) so the stripping unit (4) can strip two consecutive ends; the conveyor thus translates all the clamps that it carries downstream.

 The transfer is carried out intermittently to allow the various units to perform under the control of the computer (15) predetermined and specific actions at the ends presented to them by the conveyor (1) also under the control of the computer, such as the placing ends of sections of wire of predetermined lengths in the pliers for the loading unit (5), such as the modification of the ends for the stripping unit (4) or the crimping unit (20), such as the changing the order of some of said ends on said conveyor for the permutation unit (21) and as the connection to some of the component receptacles in a predetermined manner for a connection unit such as (32).

 Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the unit (5) or loading unit which sets up sections of wire in the clamps. The wire (7) of the coil (8) flows on the deflection pulley (9), in a first tube (10) between two friction wheels (11) and (12) which sandwich it and finally in a second telescopic tube (14), the part (6) of which represents the retractable part.

 At the start of the positioning of the wire section (4a), the transfer is in the position shown but the clamp (2a), which is in the axis of the tube (14) whose coaxial and retractable tube (6) is retracted, and the clamp (2b) are empty.

 By means of opening means actuated by a jack (75) shown in FIG. 5 and not visible in FIG. 1, the programmable computer (15) opens these clamps and takes out the retractable tube (6) which slides between the open tongs of the pliers (2a).

 The computer starts the motors (13a) and (13b) whose movements are synchronized and which drive the friction wheels (11) and (12), and thus unwinds a certain length of wire which protrudes from the tube (6) then he controls the manipulator (16), the loading clamp (17) of which is open by means of the jack (30) in FIG. 2 and descends from the rest position (17a) to a first intermediate position (17b), by means of the jack (29), grasps the end of the protruding wire, rises in position (17a) then is moved by a rotation of 1800 around the axis of the motor (18) and a vertical translation which brings it into the second intermediate position (17c) and during all these movements it controls the wire unwinding motor (13a) and (13b) in order to supply the wire necessary to allow these movements and to unwind the predetermined length of the section.

 The loading clamp (17) maintains, between his fingers (51), the first end, called the downstream end, in position (17c) and between the open spouts (73) of the end clamp (2b). This end is gripped by said clamp (2b), the spouts (73a) and (73b) of which are closed by the computer which then controls the manipulator (16) to open the loading clamp and to bring it back into position (17a).

 The computer then controls the re-entry of the tube (6) into the tube (14), the closing of the pliers (2a) which grips the second end, then it controls the cutting pliers (19) which cuts the wire (7) to the retracted end of the tube (6) thus creating the second end (3a), called the upstream end, of the section and ends the positioning of the section of wire (4a) the ends of which are held by the clamps (2a) and (2b) with which the conveyor (1) is provided.

 The ends are transferred along a transfer path which is rectilinear in this nonlimiting example (a circular conveyor would generate a circular path) to be presented to various end processing units which are located along this transfer path.

 Figure 1 shows that said ends are thus presented to various end processing units (4) and (20) arranged laterally along said transfer path so as not to impede the transfer of the ends even if some parts of these units can come overhang the transfer as for example the gripping members of the permutation unit (21).

 The computer modifies in a predetermined manner said ends by means of said end processing units by stripping certain ends with the stripping unit (4), by crimping on certain ends connecting pieces with the crimping unit ( 20) as shown in FIG. 1, by way of nonlimiting example.

 In the particular case where the wire is an optical fiber, the processing units modify the ends by polishing them, by stripping them, by fitting ferrules therein.

 The computer transfers and then presents said ends to a permutation unit (21) which is arranged laterally along said transfer path as shown in FIG. 1.

 According to the advantageous embodiment of Figure 1, the ends are held horizontally and all the units are located transversely on the same side of the transfer path while the sections of son are located on the other side, but this arrangement does not is in no way limiting and according to another example of an equally advantageous embodiment, the ends would be held vertically and the sections would be hung down in alignment, this alternative solution is advantageous for maintaining the wire and limits the problems caused by waste created in the processing of the ends which do not fall into the units then located above.

 According to the advantageous embodiment of Figure 1, which is described above, the son sections are cut and placed in the clamps of the conveyor by the loading unit (5), then the ends are modified by other units such as the stripping unit (4), the crimping unit (20) or any other unit similarly arranged upstream of the permutation unit (21), the conveyor (1) thus transfers to the of the permutation of the modified ends.

 According to another embodiment of the invention, the sections of wire are cut and the ends are modified without using the conveyor (1) and the units represented in FIG. 1, for example manually, and the ends can then be presented manually or using a commercial manipulator provided for example with at least one loading clamp (17).

 As shown in Figure 1, the permutation unit changes the order of the ends on the conveyor. The order of the ends upstream of the permutation unit is such that the sections of wires are maintained one after the other; no end of a section is nested between the ends of another section as shown in Figure 1: sections (2a), (2b), (2c), (2d), (2e) and (2f ).

 As shown in Figure 1, in the presentation area of the ends to the permutation unit: clamps (2m), (2n), (20), (2p), (2q), (2r) and (2s) l 'order of ends has been changed. The downstream ends of the three sections: (4h), (4i) and (4j) were grouped in three consecutive clamps: (2t), (2u) and (2v). The ends are reordered.

 FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of this permutation unit (21): a first manipulator is provided with at least one gripping means, (22) and (23), and means making it possible to move it from one point to another of said conveyor.

 A first part of these displacement means is of the same type as that of the loading clamp (17): two jacks of the same type as (29) and which make it possible to lower the gripping means (22) and (23), from the same type as those of the loading clamp (17) at the level of the clamps (2m) and (2n) to which are associated individual opening means, device of the type (27) in FIG. 5, not visible in FIG. 1. The cylinders of the type (29) will advantageously be of the electric type to allow descending to various levels and thus storing several ends at different levels in a group clamp as shown in Figure (13).

 The second part of these means is of the screw-nut type, the motor (26) drives the endless screw (25) in rotation and the nut mounted on the mobile assembly (24) drives this assembly (24) in translation, guided by the slides (31), along the conveyor so that the gripping members move vertically from the transfer path.

 So that this first manipulator (21) can grasp with each of said gripping means (22), (23) an end held by one of the clamps of said conveyor, in the area of action is one of the clamps (2m) to (2s) then open said clamp and release said end of said clamp which becomes empty, then move and engage this end in another empty clamp of said conveyor.

 Thus according to Figure 1, under the control of the computer (15), this first manipulator (21) can pick up the end (3m) by means of the gripping member (22). For this, the computer opens and lowers the gripping member (22) in the low position to the position (22a), closes it by actuating the jack (30) in Figure 2 to grip the end (3m) held by the clamp ( 2m) of the conveyor, then opens said clamp (2m) and by raising the closed gripping member in the high position (22) releases said end of said clamp which becomes empty.

 This state of the action is that shown in FIG. 1.

 Then, according to this example, the computer moves the mobile assembly (24) which carries the gripping means (22), (23) by means of the worm (25), by actuating the motor (26) to bring the member (22) vertical to the empty clamp (2p). I1 then engages the end (3m) in this empty clamp of said conveyor by opening the clamp (2p) by means of the opening device which is associated with it, by lowering the gripping member in the low position, by closing the nozzles of the clamp (2p) on the end which is then gripped and held by this clamp (2p), by opening the gripping member and releasing it in the high position.

 If the clamp (2p) is a group clamp there is no need to control the opening because the wires are held by deformation, but the descent must be controlled at a predetermined level because the wires are stored at different levels as this is shown in Figures 13, 14.

 The transfer of this end being carried out, the computer can control in the same way the transfer of another end.

 I1 is advantageous to have two gripping members as shown in Figure 1, this allows to move two ends in a single movement back and forth, which takes less time than the two movements made consecutively.

 Another advantage is that one of the members can serve as a temporary storage means for one end, so if the end (3m) held by the clamp (2m) must be swapped with the end (30) held by the pliers (20), the computer can command the gripping member (22) to take the end (3m), order the gripping member (23) to take the end (30), order the 'gripper (22) to deposit the end (3m) in the clamp (20) and finally to deposit it in the clamp (2m).

 The use of several gripping means (22), (23) is advantageous because the movements are reduced which accelerates the action of the permutation unit.

 Figure 1 shows a wiring machine in which the computer transfers and presents by means of said clamps several of said ends reordered to at least one connection unit (32) arranged laterally along said transfer path downstream of said unit permutation (21) and which comprises means for picking up said end and connecting it to one of said suitable receptacles of the component or components which it processes, and under the control of the computer (15) by means of said unit of connection, some of said ends are taken from said clamps on said conveyor and they are connected to some of said receptacles in a predetermined manner, by removing them in an order which may be different from the order in which said ends are brought to said connection unit. FIG. 1 shows a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment according to which at least one second manipulator (32) said manipulator of connection is arranged laterally along the transfer path downstream of the first manipulator (21).

 FIG. 1 shows an advantageous variant of the method according to which several of the said second manipulators are disposed along the transfer, of which only the first has been shown in the partial view of FIG. FIG. 1. In the part not shown, the transfer (1 ) continues and a second said second manipulator is arranged like the first. This second second manipulator connects ends not connected by the first such as (3H).

 Advantageously, several connection units are arranged laterally along the said transfer path for making wiring harnesses and for automatically interconnecting several terminals of various electrical components and several cells of various connector housings with sections of conductive wires or of optical fibers. This configuration allows beams to be made which require more components to be connected simultaneously than a component clamp can carry. Another advantage of this solution is that the installation of several connection units makes it possible to better organize the groups of wires connected to the components of the same component clamp and to tend towards the solution which consists in using a component clamp by branch of bundle. This organization avoids any untimely knot or crossing between wires of different branches.

 Advantageously, beam manufacturing can be organized by grouping all the components of the same beam branch on one or more component clamps.

 According to a particular embodiment, this device according to the invention comprises a global control device which controls the operation of said connection units in such a way that an end corresponding to one particular of said connection units is presented by said conveyor to said particular connection unit in response to a first signal emitted by said global control device and said particular connection unit takes said end and connects it to a particular receptacle in response to a second signal emitted by said global control device, and so that the ends which do not correspond to said particular connection unit jump said particular connection unit.

According to a first advantageous embodiment, this global control device is incorporated in the form of software in the computer (15) which delivers said signals and according to a second embodiment, in addition to the preceding embodiment, a transmission network of the information and a controller on each of the connection units, for example a programmable controller of a known type, so that these controllers receive this information in an appropriate coded form and generate from it all or part of said signals according to an adapted program.

 According to FIG. 1, a second conveyor (33), of the known type with a toothed belt like the conveyor (1), conveys a set of clamps of the type for gripping and holding a component (34a), (34b), (34c), (34d) which are called component clamps.

 Figures 1, 15 and 16 show exemplary embodiments of the component clamps, the component clamp (34e) comprises a base (43d) whose face (43b) is provided with teeth forming two racks along axes parallel to X ′ X and Z'Z, Figure 6 shows an embodiment of the teeth of this base. These teeth can mesh as well with the teeth of the toothed belt (37) of the second conveyor (33) which with those of the toothed belt of the same type which is provided with the first conveyor (1).

 In the example of FIG. 1, the axis Z'Z is vertical, the axis Y'Y is horizontal and parallel to the first conveyor (1), and X'X is also horizontal. These three axes are perpendicular two by two.

 An operator manually engages, one after the other, various component grippers at the upstream end of the conveyor (33). For this he slides the base (43d) into the cutout (42) by engaging, in a vertical movement, the top of the teeth (43) of the base in the complementary shape of the toothed belt (37) formed by the hollow between two teeth , the detail of the identical complementary shapes of the base and of the belt is shown in FIG. 4. After a clamp (34) has been put in place, the conveyor transfers the clamp (34a) to (34b) which allows the operator to slide a second component clamp into place through the cutout (42) . This operation can advantageously be automated by means of a removable clip-on charger and a computer-controlled mechanism which sets them up one by one. Thus the operator only intervenes to change this charger in which several component clips are stacked.

 The motor (36) drives the toothed pinion (36a) which is integral with its axis and which meshes on the toothed belt (37) along the axis X'X.

This pinion and the belt appear in FIG. 1 through the opening (35) open in the conveyor (33). This belt is tensioned and is wound at its two ends on two wheels such as the wheel (38). The computer (15) controls this motor so as to move the toothed belt and the clamps which it drives until a clamp is transferred to the front end of this second conveyor at the level represented by the component clamp. (34d).

 According to the embodiment of Figure 1, the front end of the conveyor is open so that the clamp located at the front can come out.

 FIG. 1 represents an exemplary embodiment of the third manipulator (44) which is a manipulator of a known type with three degrees of freedom in translation along the three axes X'X, Y'Y and Z'Z which can be of the type with rack and pinion as shown diagrammatically, and a degree of freedom in rotation about an axis parallel to X'X.

The computer controls this third manipulator so as to grasp in the jaws (45a), (45b) which are empty the clamp transferred to the front end of the second conveyor at the level represented by the clamp-component (34d) then it controls the displacement of this third manipulator along the axis X'X in synchronism with the conveyor (33) while releasing the base (43) of the teeth of the belt (37). The control of the third manipulator is then only maintained to bring this component clamp in position (34e) of FIG. 1 by performing two translations along YY 'and X'X and one rotation by rotating the component clamp 90C around an axis parallel to
X'X so as to bring its base (43d) horizontally face (43) downwards
Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the manipulator (48) which can alternatively be a commercial manipulator: the jaws (48a) and (48b) are carried by a manipulator (48) which allows, under the control of the computer take one end from one of the pliers (2A), (2B), (2C), (2D) or (2E) and present it in a fixed position opposite the component clamp so that the axis of this end is parallel to the axis X'X.

 The component clamps shown in Figures 1, 15 and 16 have the function of gripping and holding at least one component so that the axes of the receptacles adapted to the components are directed along the axis X'X.

 The computer moves along the axes Y'Y and Z'Z the component (39) held by the component clamp (34e) to align the receptacle corresponding to the end held by the third manipulator (48) and then inserts this end by a movement along the axis X'X so as to insert and connect the end with the adapted receptacle brought opposite.

 Said receptacle is a predetermined receptacle as a function of the end and it is one of the adapted receptacles of the component or components placed in the field of action of said connection manipulator, that is to say, of one of the components held by the clamp (34e) itself held by the jaws (45a) and (45b).

 The computer then issues commands such as the jaws (48a) and (48b) release the end which has just been connected and the third manipulator moves back so as to be able to start a new end connection cycle after having advantageously folded the plugged wire down as will be discussed later.

 When the last end to be connected to the component or components carried by the component clamp (34e) held by the jaws (45a) and (45b) is connected, the computer commands the third manipulator to install the component clamp on the conveyor (1) by sliding the base (43d), in a movement along X'X, on the toothed belt conveyor (1) in the same way as it had been slid on the toothed belt conveyor (33) . The positioning of this component clamp is carried out through the cutout (42 ') in the location (53E) left free on the conveyor (1) by the computer.

For this purpose, the computer did not load clips at this location.

 Figure 12 shows in partial detail seen from the rear and in a section AA the clearance (42 ') made on the conveyor (1) at the clamp (2E) of Figure 1 for the establishment of the clamp -component on the conveyor. This clearance is identical to that (42) made in the conveyor (33).

 According to the example of this figure 12, the belt (37) has the same width as the side of the base (43d) whose base (43) is advantageously square. The base (43d) has a thickness such that it is trapped between the belt (37) and the parts (la) and (lb) of the conveyor.

 The cutout is located along the circulation path in which are trapped the bases which are driven by the active strand of the belt (37a) whose soft strand circulates in the lower part of the conveyor.

 A lock (52) is movable in translation. I1 is actuated by the jack (52 ') fixed on one side to the latch and the other to the conveyor and comes into position (52a) partially obscuring the light (42) and preventing the bases from coming out. The internal vertical edges of the cutout (lc) are chamfered to avoid jamming.

 In this nonlimiting exemplary embodiment of the invention, the conveyor (1) advantageously transports grippers of different types and advantageously in a method according to the invention, said grippers transported by said conveyor are of various types.

 The manipulator (48) shown in FIGS. 1 and 17 includes an additional device to prevent the already connected wires from interfering with the ends which continue to circulate on the conveyor. This device comprises a rod (58a) terminated by a cylindrical stop (58a). According to the embodiment of Figure 1, the wires already connected are held by the rod (58b) well above the ends which flow below so as not to hinder them. The stop (58a) prevents the wires from sliding when the manipulator (48) is moved along the Y'Y axis and the length of the rod (48b) is at least equal to the amplitude of this movement. When the last end has been inserted into the components carried by the component clamp (34e), the manipulator (44) is moved so that the connected wires pass over the manipulator (48).

 According to an advantageous embodiment the computer (15) controls the permutation unit so as to arrange the ends in an advantageous order which makes it possible to simplify the manipulator (48) by eliminating the displacement along the axis Y'Y and while keeping only a fixed displacement along the axis Z'Z which is then advantageously produced by a jack. The manipulator (48) is then of the same type as the manipulator (17) or (22).

 FIG. 17 represents an embodiment of the manipulator (48) from a perspective. The carriage (88) moves linearly along the rack (89) under the action of the motor (90). This carriage carries a bracket (91) provided with a rack (91a) which moves vertically under the action of the motor (92); the table (93) has a cutout to allow complete freedom of movement for the stem-rack assembly (91).

 The pliers which grips in its beaks (48a) and (48b) are of the same type as the pliers shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

 The rod (58b), terminated by the stop (58a) is fixed by the bracket (58c) on the table (93) which comes into place on the frame (94) of the connection unit (32); this rod is kept fixed at a level higher than that of the clamps which circulate on the conveyor (lb) so as to avoid any interference.

 A preferential connection order is a connection order such that when the ends are connected in such an order, the sections of wire which correspond to the ends already plugged in and which hang down, do not mask the cells remaining to be connected.

 In a device according to the invention which connects the ends in a preferential order it is advantageous to accentuate the downward curve which the threads naturally take up under the effect of their weight in order to clear the alveoli and a method according to the invention comprises means for bending the connected wires on the opposite side to that of the cells remaining to be connected. For example, when one end is plugged in, a manipulator slides in a downward movement, between the front face of the housing (39) and the manipulator (48), a brush or a part covered with a plastic element so as not to not injure the wires and move away before going up.

 FIG. 1 describes another advantageous embodiment for accentuating the curve, the case (39) is approached by the spouts (58a), (58b) covered with a plastic element, and possibly supplement this action by a downward movement of these nozzles which thus bend the wires on the opposite side to that of the cells remaining to be connected either down, and release the cells remaining to be connected and avoid any mechanical interference.

 Figure 7 shows an example of a preferential order knowing that the axis Z'Z is vertical and directed upwards. I1 should connect the ends in the order defined by the circuit B'B. The first end to be connected is therefore (58a) and the last (58t).

 The preferential order defined is not unique, more generally the various levels must be filled one after the other and, preferably, making the connections in one direction, that is to say in an order such that there is no need to connect one end between two ends already inserted at the same level.

By way of example, the bundle described in FIG. 8 comprises nine sections of wires which each connect a cell of the case (55) to a cell of the case (56) and by way of example according to an interconnection solution:
- the ends of the section (57a): downstream connected to the cell (55a) and upstream connected to the cell (56i),
- the ends of the section (57b): downstream connected to the cell (55b) and upstream connected to the cell (56h),
- the ends of the section (57c): downstream connected to the cell (55g) and upstream connected to the cell (56g),
- the ends of the section (57d): downstream connected to the cell (55c) and upstream connected to the cell (56c),
- the ends of the section (57e): downstream connected to the cell (55h) and upstream connected to the cell (56f),
- The ends of the section (57f): downstream connected to the cell (55d) and upstream connected to the cell (56b).

- the ends of the section (57g): downstream connected to the cell (55i) and upstream connected to the cell (56e),
- the ends of the section (57h): downstream connected to the cell (55e) and upstream connected to the cell (56a),
- the ends of the section (57i): downstream connected to the cell (55j) and upstream connected to the cell (56d).

 To connect in a preferential order the box (55), it is necessary, for example, to bring to the connection unit the downstream ends in the following advantageous connection order: (55a), (55b), (55c ), (55d), (55e), (55j), (55i), (55h) and (55g).

The computer program predetermined by the operator commands to manufacture the wires in the advantageous order in which the downstream ends which go to the housing (55) must be available in accordance with the advantageous connection order above, namely : (55a), (55b), (55c), (55d), (55e), (55j), (55i), (55h) and (55g) which will be the most upstream on the conveyor and section wires wires are cut and arranged on the transfer in the following order: (57a), (57b), (57d), (57f), (57h), (57i) (57g), (57e) and (57c) which will be the most upstream
The ends appear before the permutation unit in the following order: (57a) downstream, (57a) upstream, (57b) downstream, (57b) upstream, (57d) downstream, (57d) upstream, (57f) downstream , (57f) upstream, (57h) downstream, (57h) upstream, (57i) downstream, (57i) upstream, (57g) downstream, (57g) upstream, (57e) downstream, (57e) upstream, (57c) downstream and finally (57c) upstream which will be the most upstream.

 This order is advantageous for the case (55) but it is not optimum for the case (56) and to connect in a preferential order the case (56), it is necessary, for example, to bring to the unit of connection the ends in the following advantageous connection order: (56a), (56b), (56c), (56f), (56e) (56d), (56g), (56h) and (56i) what comes back to present the upstream ends in the following order: (57h), (57f), (57d), (57e), (57g), (57i), (57c), (57b), and finally (57a) which will be furthest upstream on the conveyor.

If the two boxes are held on the same clamp, the program predetermined by the operator can order to swap two by two the upstream ends to be connected to the box to obtain the advantageous order in which it is necessary to have the upstream ends which go on the case (56), in accordance with the advantageous order of connection above, without it being necessary to separate all of the ends which go on the case (55) from those which go on the case (56) either :
(57a) downstream, (57h) upstream, (57b) downstream, (57f) upstream, (57d) downstream, (57d) upstream, (57f) downstream, (57h) upstream, (57h) downstream, (57g) upstream, (57i) downstream, (57i) upstream, (57g) downstream, (57c) upstream, (57e) downstream, (57b) upstream, (57c) downstream and finally (57a) upstream.

If the two boxes are held on two separate grippers, the program predetermined by the operator can advantageously order placing on the conveyor nine empty grippers upstream of all of the sections and to which the nine will be transferred by the permutation unit ends to be connected to the housing (56) to obtain the advantageous order in which the upstream ends which go to the housing (56) must be arranged, in accordance with the advantageous order of connection above, and all of the ends which go to the housing (55) will thus be separated from those which go to the housing (56), the order after the permutation unit is as follows: downstream ends to be connected to the housing (56):
(57a), (57b), (57d), (57f), (57h), (57i), (57g), (57e), (57c), then all the upstream ends to be connected to the box (56):
(57h), (57f), (57d), (57e), (57g), (57i), (57c), (57b), and finally (57a) which will be furthest upstream on the conveyor
It should be noted that this second solution can also be used if the two boxes are held on the same clamp and in an advantageous variant of the method according to the invention, since the permutation time is generally shorter, it is brought to said permutation unit of empty pliers, some of said ends are grasped and removed in other pliers carrying ends, by means of the permutation unit and said withdrawn ends are displaced in some of said empty pliers.

 Another advantage of the invention is that it makes it possible to limit the number of boxes which must be presented simultaneously on a single or on several connection units, since it thus becomes possible to successively connect different boxes.

 This advantageously reduces the number of connection units required and the number of components on the same component clamp, the cost of the wiring machine is reduced and its flexibility is increased.

 I1 also results in a simplification of the connection units which no longer have to manage the order of insertion of the wires and thus, in an advantageous method according to the invention, some of the said ends are removed by means of the connection unit. said conveyor and they are stored in a predetermined manner in a box by removing them in an order which is always the order in which said ends are brought to said connection unit.

 According to a preferred embodiment, a method according to the invention comprises a control device which controls the operation of said permutation unit to reorder the ends in a preferential order for said connection unit.

The control device can advantageously be programmed and incorporated into the computer (15).

 Figures 9 and 10 show a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the permutation unit advantageously reorders all or part of the ends of the wires by storing them in group or group pliers, ie pliers which allow to grab and hold several wires in a given order and in a reduced space.

 The loading unit (5), the end processing units (20) are only shown in FIG. 10 while the permutation unit (21) and two connection units are symbolized at (32) and ( 32 '); it is advantageous to have on such equipment several loading units to obtain a variety of wires.

 At the upstream end of the conveyor (1) is arranged a device (60a) and at the downstream end a similar device (60b).

 In parallel to the conveyor (1) is a second accumulation conveyor (1 ') capable of transferring the same clamps as the first, which is of the known type with a friction band and whose displacement is opposite to the first, so that it brings the clamps from downstream to upstream.

 FIG. 11 schematically shows an embodiment of the two similar devices (60a) and (60b) of which only the location is shown schematically in FIG. 1 which allow the grippers to be transferred from one conveyor to the other.

 FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the device (60b) mainly consisting of a manipulator with square cycles and two degrees of freedom, provided with a clamp (61) which comes to grip the base (43) at the level of the foot ( 43a) of a clamp (2X), which removes this clamp through a cutout (42 ") in the conveyor according to a movement along the axis X'X, which descends it at the level of the conveyor (1 ') in position (61a), which transports and sets up the clamp on the conveyor (1 ') through the cutout (42 "') and returns empty to start the same cycle again. This manipulator can be a two-axis manipulator on the market or, as shown in FIG. 11, a carriage (80) movable along a rack (81) under the effect of the motor (79) driving a gear meshing on said rack. The jack (82) which is on board and which moves with the carriage (80) is advantageously of the electrical type in order to be able to stop in various intermediate positions and satisfy all the variants of devices close to (60b). The clamp (61) is advantageously made in the same way, so as to be able to grasp either the foot of an end clamp, a group clamp or a component clamp. Such a clamp (61) can be produced by juxtaposing two clamps and controlling the one which corresponds to the position of the foot of the clamp to be moved.

 FIG. 9 shows that the return conveyor (1 ′) of the storage type further comprises a stop device (64) which holds all the clamps stored on this conveyor and lets them pass only one by one towards the stop (63) on the computer control (15). This stop moves along the axis X'X blocks the clamp at the foot (42a). To let pass a clamp and only one the computer moves it back the time to let pass the foot of this clamp and engages it again to block the foot of the next clamp. This stop can be achieved by a simple jack, fixed on the conveyor and whose rod moves along the axis X'X to interfere with the foot of the clamp once out and do not interfere with the movement of the clamp once retracted .

 According to the embodiment of Figure 9 and Figure 10, the conveyors (65a) and (65b) are also provided with a stop (64). With regard to the conveyors (1 ′) and (65a), the computer can, according to a predetermined program, control a stop, for example according to FIGS. 9 and 10, release a clamp from the conveyor which is referenced on a fixed stop ( 63), grasp this clamp (2Y) by means of the clamp (61) of the device (60a) and release it by passing through all the conveyors which include clearances such as (42) on both sides along the axis X'X. With regard to the conveyor (65b), this conveyor is not intended to store grippers-component so that the loading device (60a) puts them in place on the conveyor (1); there is no fixed stop (63) and these component grippers are frictionally driven to the end of the conveyor (65b) from which they fall loose in a recovery tank (69). An operator collects these empty component clamps, places the adapted components in the cells and then stacks them in the loaders (40) or (40 ').

 According to another preferred embodiment, the conveyor (65b) has stops and allows, like the conveyor (65a), the positioning of the clamps-component on the conveyor (1). Along the transfer path, said component clamp is presented to an automatic component loading unit in a component clamp made for example by combining a vibrating bowl and a manipulator of known types, which automatically places the components in the cells. of said component clamp. In this solution, the connection unit takes the component clamp from the conveyor (1) instead of the conveyor (33).

 According to another variant which is a combination of means of the two previous embodiments, the automatic positioning of the components is carried out by an automatic component positioning unit which is located on a conveyor which joins the conveyor (65b) to the conveyors (33). This new conveyor is provided with loading devices of the type (60a) which transfer the grippers-component to conveyors such as (33).

 Figures 9 and 10 show the sorting device (66) which is a sub-assembly of the device (60a) in which the movement in vertical translation is eliminated. The stop (64a) is retractable to allow the clamps to continue on the conveyor (11), which need not be transferred to one of the conveyors (65a) or (65b).

 These Figures 9 and 10 show a device according to the invention which comprises, according to a preferred embodiment, clamps of various types and for specific use intended to automatically connect ends of sections of conductive wires or optical fibers to receptacles adapted to components, transportable by the same conveyor separable from said conveyor and which all have the same means of interface with said conveyor and an inscription readable automatically allowing to know their type.

 Along the conveyor (11) is arranged a device (68) for remote reading, for example of the bar code type, which reads the type of clamp (2Z) stopped by the stop (64b) and which transmits to the computer (15) a characteristic signal of this type. From this signal or this type of information, the computer can control the stop (64b) to allow the clamp (2Z) to come into abutment on the stop (63a) then activated, then retract this stop if the clamp must be transferred to the conveyor (11) or else transfer this clamp by means of a clamp (61) to the conveyors (65a) or (65b).

 Figure 9 shows the conveyors (65a) (65b) which are of the accumulation type and provided with a friction belt like the conveyor (11) and which bring the clamps upstream of the wiring machine and store these clamps thus sorted by the device (66).

 Figures 4, 5, 6 and 13 show an exemplary embodiment of such an interface means comprising a base (43d) provided with a double rack (43b), a foot (43a) on which is enters a bar code (43c) representing at least the type of clamp and advantageously its individual number. According to a preferred embodiment, a device according to the invention advantageously comprises clamps of various types and for specific use intended to automatically connect ends sections of conductive wires or optical fibers to receptacles adapted for components, transportable by a same conveyor separable from said conveyor and which can be engaged or removed mechanically from said conveyor and which all have the same means of interface with said conveyor and an inscription readable automatically allowing to know their type.

 Advantageously, a device according to the invention also comprises pliers of at least two different types and means for sorting said pliers according to their type.

 Figures 9 and 10 show an exemplary embodiment of the permutation unit (21 '). This unit consists of a first sub-assembly (21'a) which is of the same type as the permutation unit (21) and a sub-assembly (21'b) which is of the same type as the device (60b ).

 Thus, according to these same figures, after having removed the empty clamp (21) from the conveyor (1) and by means of a type clamp (60), the subassembly (21'b) transfers the empty clamp to the return conveyor (1 ') in the same way as the device (60b). The conveyor (1 ') carries a stop (64c) also controlled by the computer (15) so as to avoid collisions on the conveyor (1') between the grippers that the unit transfers (21 ') with those already present on the conveyor and transferred by other units or by the device (60b).

 According to a preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the conveyor (1) is produced by the juxtaposition of two conveyors placed in succession (la) and (lb) so that their notched belts allow the transfer of the grippers from to one another. Each of these conveyors is provided with its own motorization and can be moved independently of the other. Advantageously, the juxtaposition of the two conveyors (la) and (lb) is carried out opposite one of the last positions covered by the permutation unit and a gripper ejection device is associated with the downstream end of the first conveyor (la). According to the nonlimiting example represented in FIGS. 9 and 10, this allows, when a gripper has been ejected and according to an advantageous control mode, the computer (15) to move only the conveyor (la) so as to fill the empty location. Thus there are no unnecessary empty locations on the conveyor (lb) and the permutation unit (21 ') can transfer a large number of ends in the same group clamp independently of the number of clamps covered by the movement clamps (22) and (23).

 Figures 9 and 10 show an exemplary embodiment of the connection units (32). This unit consists of a first sub-assembly (32'a) which is of the same type as the permutation unit (32) and a sub-assembly (32'b) which is of the same type as the device (60b ).

 The sub-assembly (32'b) has, in addition to the device (60b), the possibility of holding the clamp in the intermediate position shown in FIG. 9 in (53'I), raised position so that the wire, or the wires if it is a group clamp, which it maintains does not interfere with the clamps transported by the conveyor (1).

This function can be performed by a known type of manipulator which moves the clamp under the control of the computer (15) or even, advantageously by a device such as that of FIG. 11 with which the clamp is transferred and maintained. end or group in position (53I) by moving the carriage (80) at the upper end (81a) of the rack and stopping the electric actuator (82) in an intermediate position.

 Thus, according to these same figures, after removing the clamp (2'I) from the conveyor (1) and using a type of clamp (60), the sub-assembly (32'b) transfers and maintains the clamp (21) in the raised, figured position, the time that the sub-assembly (32'b) picks up the end (31). The sub-assembly (32'a) then transfers the empty gripper to the return conveyor (1 ') in the same way as the device (60b). The conveyor (11) carries a stop (64d) also controlled by the computer (15) so as to avoid collisions on the conveyor (11) between the grippers transferred by the unit (32 ') with those already present on the conveyor and transferred by other units or by the device (60b).

 Advantageously, in a method according to the invention, means are associated with said connection unit and with said conveyor for removing at least one of said clamps from said conveyor and presenting it to the connection unit.

 Advantageously, said gripper is recycled without replacing it on said conveyor. Thus, while the connection unit connects the wire or wires present on the clamp removed from the transfer, the clamps which immediately follow upstream said removed clamp and which hold ends which are not to be connected by this connection unit can continue .

 According to another embodiment, the sub-assembly (32'b) does not have the clamp in an intermediate position and has only the function of ejecting and recycling the clamp emptied of its wire by the sub-assembly (31 'at). Advantageously, clamps discharged from their ends by the connection unit are removed from said conveyor.

 Figures 4, 5 and 6 show an embodiment of the end clamps and their opening system (27). Such a clamp comprises two spouts (73a), (73b) which hold the wire in collaboration with a piston (74a) inside a volume (83) produced by the intersection of the corresponding shapes of said spouts and piston. The spouts are closed under the action of the springs (73f), (73e) by pivoting around the axes (73d) and (73c); the piston is pushed up under the effect of the spring (74b).

 FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of the opening system (27) which comprises a part (77) movable on the axes (76) and moved by the jack (75). The end clamp has two studs (78) attached to the spouts. In the position shown in Figure 5, the opening system does not act on the clamp. When the jack (75) is actuated, the part (77) presses on the studs (78) and opens the nozzles.

 FIGS. 9 and 10 also show the succession of operations carried out to manufacture, the bundle shown in FIG. 8, during manufacture according to a continuous cycle.

These figures 9 and 10 show at the level of the marked zone (I), zone going from the clamp (2d ') to the group clamp (72w), the first phase of the manufacturing
the loading device (60a) has set up two group clamps (72v), (72w) and eighteen end clamps (2d ') to (2u');
the conveyor transfers these clamps in front of various units (5), (4) and (20) which set up the ends or which modify them;
-the end clamps hold the ends of the nine wires of the bundle set up by the loading unit; these wires are regularly arranged in pairs of consecutive pliers.

 the wires are arranged from upstream to downstream in the following order, opposite to the optimum order previously selected, according to the need for this particular embodiment: (57a), (57b), (57d), (57f ), (57h), (57i), (57g), (57e) and (57c) which will be furthest downstream.

These FIGS. 9 and 10 show at the level of the zone marked (II), zone going from the group clamp (72v) to the group clamp (72C), the second phase of manufacture:
the group clamps are arranged in the field of action of the transfer clamps (22) and (23) of the permutation unit (21 ');
-the most downstream end clamp is empty and it is being ejected by the sub-assembly (21'a) of this permutation unit towards the return circuit where it will be sorted for reuse, and so that a new end clamp can be brought into the same position to continue the transfer of the ends in the group clamps (72A) and (72B) by moving only the transfer (la) and therefore without moving these clamps. group.

-the nine upstream ends are all stacked in a set of staggered rods of the clamp (72B ') and the order from top to bottom, that is to say the order in which the ends will be unstacked, is the following: (57h), (57f), (57d), (57e), (57g), (57i), (57c), (57b), and finally (57a), this order is the preferential order of connection previously defined;
the nine upstream ends thus stacked in the group clamp (72B) join along the strand (71a) the five downstream ends already stacked in the group clamp (72A) and according to four dispersed wires the four downstream ends still individually held in end clips;
-only five of the nine downstream ends are stacked in a staggered rod set of the clamp (72A) and the order from top to bottom is as follows: (57h), (57i), (57g), ( 57e), (57c);
-the four remaining ends will be taken and stacked and by the permutation or transfer unit so that the order from the top to the bottom, once this phase is completed, ie the order in which the ends will be unstacked, as follows: (57a), (57b), (57d), (57f), (57h), (57i), (57g), (57e), (57c) this order is the preferred order connection defined above.

 The example has been chosen so as to explain a particular operation when placing the wires in the group clamps, given the limited length of the permutation unit and the field covered by its clamps.

 In the example shown, the first end to be stacked in the group clamp (72B) is the downstream end of the wire (57a); this end is held in the end clamp (2e ') which is furthest downstream, while the group clamp is furthest upstream and the distance between these clamps is nineteen steps; however, when the group clamp (72B) is in the position shown in FIG. 9, the permutation unit reaches at most the level of the clamp (72v), ie at a distance of thirteen steps.

 A first solution is to limit production to only the cases which the permutation unit can directly treat, but it is advantageous for the permutation unit to temporarily transfer certain wires to a waiting position to then take them up again and thus store them in a preferential order; this advantageous embodiment makes it possible to widen the field of action of the device according to the invention without increasing the area covered by the permutation unit.

 The group clamp (72B) is in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 which shows that a group clamp comprises three sets of storage rods: (L), (M) and (N).

According to an advantageous method, when the permutation unit does not have access to an end which it must stack below an end held by an end clamp which will be transferred to the ejection sub-assembly (21 'a) the computer commands the following sequence of operations:
-a-the permutation unit picks up and stacks said end in the set of rods (C),
-b-operation (a) is repeated as many times as necessary until the end to be stacked below arrives in the field of the permutation unit which takes it up and puts it in place in the sets of rods (A) and then the following sequence occurs::
-c-if the highest end stacked in the rods (C) must come immediately above the last end stacked in the rods (A), the permutation unit takes and transfers this end into the rods (A) and the continuous cycle in phase () below;
- otherwise it transfers it to the rods (B) and the phase (B)
resumes;
-d-computer 15 knows the preprogrammed transfer sequence and if there is another critical end which satisfies phase (c), ie which must come immediately above the last end stacked in the rods ( A), the computer commands the permutation unit to resume cycle c by taking the ends from the set of rods (B) or (C) which maintains said critical end and no longer systematically from the set of rods (C ) ;;
- otherwise the computer suspends the execution of this cycle and the permutation unit continues to stack the ends that it grasps on the transfer either until the turn of one of the ends stored in the rods comes ( B) or (C) and then the computer controls the execution of phase (d) either until the turn comes to an end which the permutation unit cannot grasp and then the computer commands to the permutation unit to transfer all the ends on the rods (B) to the rods (C) then to execute phase (a).

 According to another advantageous embodiment, the rods (B) and (C) or a multiplicity of such rods may not be integral with the group clamps.

 The solution according to which these rods are integral with the clamps is equally advantageous since the sequence of operation described in the above method must be carried out simultaneously as many times as there are group clamps to be treated simultaneously; the modularity of the group clamps and of the rods (B) and (C) correspond to the problem to be treated.

Figures 9 and 10 show at the level of the marked area (III), area going from the group clamp (72D) to the component clamp (34e) excluded, the third phase of the manufacturing:
-connection unit (40 ') is in the process of connecting, in the preferred order, the downstream ends held in the group clamp (72E) on the connector (39') fixed on the component clamp (34 '); the downstream ends remaining to be connected form the strand of wires ((71c) between the group clamps (72E) and (72F), and those already connected form the strand (71d) between the connector (39 ') and the group clamp (72F);
-after the insertion of the last end, under the control of the computer, the group clamp (72E) emptied is recycled and replaced by the clamp (72D), the conveyor is advanced two steps (the computer executing the actions corresponding to each of the steps by the various other units) and the connection unit (40 ') places the component clamp on the conveyor in the space left empty on the transfer;
-the connection unit (40 ") is in the process of connecting, in preferential order, the upstream ends held in the group clamp (72G) on the connector (39") fixed on the component clamp (34 ");;
-after the insertion of the last end, the group clamp (72G) is recycled and replaced by the clamp (FD '), the connection unit (40 ") places the clamp-component on the conveyor in the location left blank on transfer.

These figures 9 and 10 show at the level of the marked area (IV), area going from the component gripper (34e) to the end of the conveyor (lb), the fourth phase of the manufacturing:
-the bundle is finished it should be removed before the empty clamps are recycled;
- An operator intervenes in this area to collect the beams. When a bundle is finished and transferred to the downstream end of the conveyor (1), the computer suspends the operation of the wiring machine after having opened the end clamps (3) possibly located in this zone IV by means of the opening mechanisms (27) which are individually associated with them. After the operator has released all the pliers' wires, has removed all the components from the pliers-component which held them and thus has the finished bundle, he presses the button (62) to indicate to the computer that his intervention has ended. The computer then resumes sending the predetermined manufacturing orders programmed by the operator before the start of the current manufacturing cycle.

 In the embodiments of the invention described above, the ends presented to the permutation and connection units are each in a clamp. This has a drawback because the wire must be longer than the distance between two pliers and this distance is equal to the number of steps between the pliers.

 To avoid this drawback and expand the capacities of the wiring machine, some of the said clamps make it possible to grasp and hold several wires in a given order and in a reduced space.

Figures 13 and 14 show an embodiment, by way of nonlimiting example, of such a clamp comprising like the other clamps the same means of interface with said conveyor and an inscription readable automatically allowing to know their type
This type of clamp comprises a plate (69) in which a plurality of rods (70) are fixed. The rods are implanted along axes such as L'L, M'M and N'N which are themselves parallel to the teeth of the same direction on the underside (43b).

 The distance between the axes of the rods arranged on either side of the axes L'L, M'M and N'N is of the same order of magnitude as the diameter of one of the rods and less than the length represented by this diameter increased by the diameter of the wire of smaller diameter that it has to maintain. The distance between the two tangent lines, and the closest, to the two groups of rods is less than the length represented by the diameter of the wire with the smallest diameter it has to maintain.

 Maintaining the wire which is deformed to circulate alternately between the rods (70a), (70e), (70b), (70d) and (70c) is done by deformation.

 Advantageously, the top of the rods are cut according to a bevel inwards as shown in FIG. 13 so that a wire presented taut and along an axis such that L'L is guided by these bevels to be engaged and to move alternately between the staggered rods.

 Such a clamp is capable of holding wires of several diameters which must however remain in a diameter ratio of a few units for the flexible wires generally used or in a lower ratio if the wires are more rigid.

 Several wires thus admitted can be stacked vertically on the same row in staggered rows as (L), as (M) or as (N). The order of these threads is maintained because the threads cannot change levels and a multiplicity of threads are kept in a limited space.

 Such a clamp of the type for gripping and holding several ends of wires which comprises a set of rods staggered to hold the wires is a preferred device according to the invention.

 It should however be noted that the wires of the same row must be unstacked in the reverse order of their arrangement.

 These clamps are more specially adapted to the transfer zone which begins at the permutation unit and extends to the connection units and according to an advantageous embodiment the clamps of this type are introduced on the conveyor at the level of the unit permutation and withdrawn from this conveyor by the connection units.

 Advantageously, the permutation unit transfers some of said ends into pliers making it possible to grasp and hold several wires in a given order and in a reduced space.

 The permutation unit then has the function of storing the ends held two by two in two consecutive pliers of the type which makes it possible to grasp and hold several wires in a given order and in a reduced space.

 Figures 15 and Figure 16 show a front view and a cross section of an embodiment of a clamp-component according to the invention. In addition to the base (43d) and the base (43a), this consists of a flat rectangular plate or panel (84) comprising means for fixing each component in a well-defined position of said panel so that the adapted cells of the said components are perpendicular to said panel.

 Figures 15 and 16 show a preferred embodiment in which the means for fixing the components to the panel are cells (86) which pass through the panel (84) and which are open at their two ends.

 Figures 15 and 16 show a preferred embodiment in which the cells (86) all have the same dimension, for example a square whose side is greater than the largest dimension of the largest component. In this case, all of said clamps are identical and each component is placed in an adaptation socket (85) which comprises standard means for fixing to said clamp and the fixing means specific to said component.

 The shape detail (85a) of the adaptation socket is intended to absorb the thrust force existing during connection and which comes to bear on the front face of the panel (84), that is to say the face located on the side of the connection manipulator (48).

 The fixing means produced as a function of the component and generally made up simply of a simple elastic blade pressing on the component, are integral with this adaptation socket which also includes a cutout adapted to the shape of the component.

Preferably, the adaptation socket includes a cutout (85a) which opens right through and a shape detail (85b) which absorbs the force of insertion of the end into the component. Thus, access to the connection receptacles of the connector housings is not only possible on the side of the introduction of the ends into said receptacles but also on the opposite side of the receptacles.
which allows automatic testing of said connections.

 The components (39) carried on the same component clamp may advantageously be all the components of the same branch of a bundle and the adapted cells can be of various types such as (87a) which is a blind female cell, (87b) which is a male cell and (87c) which is a through cell of the connector (39c).

 Figures 18 and 19 show the permutation unit according to a partial perspective view of the invention.

 FIG. 18 shows an embodiment of the partial storage carried out modularly by means of pliers (72) carrying three sets of staggered rods.

 FIG. 19 shows an embodiment of the partial storage produced in a fixed manner (89). The carriage (24) has means including the jack (24 ') for moving along the axis X'X allowing the clamps (22) and (23) to transfer the wires into the rod device (89).

 The clamps (72) carrying a set of staggered rods.

Claims (10)

 1. Method for automatically connecting ends of sections of conductive wires or optical fibers to suitable receptacles for components, of the type in which:  -on a intermittent conveyor provided with grippers to grip and hold said ends,  -these ends are captured, maintained and intermittently transferred according to a certain transfer path by means of said clamps of said conveyor,  optionally, by means of said clamps, some of said ends are presented to end processing units arranged laterally along said transfer path,  -these ends are possibly modified by means of said end processing units,  characterized in that clamps of various types and specific uses are placed on said conveyor.  2 Method according to claim 1 characterized in that some of the said clamps make it possible to grasp and hold several wires in a given order and in a reduced space.  3. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said clamps are separable from said conveyor and can be mechanically engaged thereon or mechanically withdrawn therefrom.  4. Clamps of various types and specific use intended to automatically connect the ends of sections of conductive wires or optical fibers to suitable receptacles of components, transportable by the same conveyor separable from said conveyor and which can be engaged or removed mechanically from said conveyor characterized in that they all have the same means of interface with said conveyor and an automatically readable inscription allowing to know their type.  5. Pliers according to claim 4 of the type for gripping and holding several ends of wires, characterized in that it comprises a set of rods arranged in staggered rows to hold the wires.  6. Clamp according to claim 4 of the type for gripping and holding at least one component, characterized in that it comprises a flat rectangular panel comprising means for fixing each component in a well-determined position of said panel so that the cells adapted to the said components are perpendicular to said panel.  7. Clamp according to claim 6 characterized in that all of said clamps are identical and each component is placed in an adaptation socket which includes standard means for fixing to said clamp and the specific fixing means for said component.  8. Clamp according to any one of claims 6 and 7 characterized in that access to the connection receptacles of the connector housings is not only possible on the side of the introduction of the ends into said receptacles but also on the opposite side of said receptacles .  9. Pliers according to claim 5 characterized in that the distance between the axes of the rods arranged on either side is less than the length represented by the diameter of these rods increased by the diameter of the wire of smaller diameter than it has to maintain.  10. Pliers according to claim 5 characterized in that the rods are cut bevel inward.