GB1008673A - A method of and apparatus for feeding individual components or feeding and connecting individual connectors from a strip - Google Patents

Abstract

1,008,673. Attaching connectors to conductors; breaking. AMP INCORPORATED. Aug. 4, 1964 [Aug. 1, 1963], No. 31500/64. Headings B3A and B3E. A method of feeding individual components' such as connectors from a strip of components joined in series, comprises feeding the strip along a feed track by feeding means movable along the track and engageable with a leading component of the strip, and engaging a next adjacent component with stop means thereby to shear the leading component from the strip and effect further forward movement thereof by the feeding means. Each connector 2, Fig. 15, has a web portion 4, and sidewalls 6 turned inwardly as at 8 so that the clip is adapted to embrace a post 12, Fig. 16. The metallic core 14 of a conductor 16 is clamped between the connector and the post and emerges from the connector at an outwardly cupped insulation support 10. An apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a portable manually-operated tool having inter-fitting housing members 18, 20. The outer housing 18 has a forward part of U-cross-section, comprising a top 22 and sidewalls 24, and a smaller rear part of rectangular cross-section comprising a top 32, sides 34 and bottom 36. The inner housing member 20 is of rectangular cross-section and slides in the forward part of the outer housing 18. It comprises a top 38, a bottom 42 and sides 40 which are extended to form a handle 44. A frame member 46 slides in the rectangular cross-section of the inner housing 20 and the outer housing 18 and extends from both ends of the housings. A channel-shaped projection 58 extends forwardly from the frame 46. A portion 54 is bent upwardly from the top 48 of the frame 46 and engages the rear end of the top 38 of the inner housing 20 so that when the inner housing is moved to the right, Fig. 5, the frame 46 is moved to the right relative to the outer housing 18. The rearward travel of the inner housing is limited by inwardly bent portions 56 of the outer housing. Between the sidewalls 62 of the projection 58 a block 64 is mounted by pins 68 and has a depending flange 66 which fits between the side-walls 50 of the frame 46. A guide channel 70 is formed in the block 64 to receive a plunger 72, the internal cross-section of which corresponds to the external cross-section of the connectors. A feed finger 76 is secured to the plunger and projects forwardly and downwardly to engage behind the insulation support 10 of the leading connector. Feeding of the connectors is controlled by a pair of stops 80, 82 mounted in the block 64. The front stop 80 has a rear-facing stop surface 114, is biased upwardly by a spring 86, and is movable downwardly by a lever 88, pivoted at 92 and operated by a pin 108 mounted in the outer housing 18. A second stop 82 which has a forwardly facing stop-face 118 passes through an aperture in the lever 88, is biased upwardly by a spring 87 and has a lost motion connection to the lever 88. A mandrel block 120 is also mounted between the sidewalls 62 of the projection 58 and has an upper T-shaped projection conforming to the internal cross-section of the connectors and ending in an undercut 134. An opening 124 is normally in alignment with an aperture 126 in the projection 58. The mandrel 120 extends over the forward end of the block 64 so that the leading clip can be pushed past the stop 80 and on to the T-shaped projection before it engages a wire inserted in the opening 124. A pair of resilient gripping fingers 140 are riveted to the sides of the mandrel 120. The plunger 72 extends through the frame member 46 to the rear of the tool and is attached to a block 144 secured to the outer housing 18 by screws 146 which pass through elongated slots in the frame member 46. A compression spring 150 acts between the block 144 and the block 64. Operation.-A length of connectors is pushed into the hollow plunger 72 until the leading connector is between the stops 80 and 82. An insulated wire is inserted through the aperture 126 into the opening 124 and the handles 26 and 44 squeezed together, so that the inner housing 20 and the frame member 46 move rearwardly. The feed finger 76 engages the leading connector and simultaneously the pin 108 rocks the lever 88 and lowers the stop 80. The pin 108 then moves past the end of the lever 88, and the spring raises the stop 80 which engages the next connector, so that the tensile stress fractures the neck between the first and second connectors. At the end of the movement produced by squeezing the handles the leading connector moves on to the mandrel 120 and past the opening 124, the leading end of the connector having forced the wire against the edges of a groove 132 in the mandrel, so that the insulation is cut, and dragged the wire out of the opening 124. While retaining his grip on the handles 26, 44, the operator pushes the tool against the terminal post 12 which enters between the fingers 140 and engages the undercut 134. The tool is then pushed against the post causing the housings 18, 20, the block 144 and the plunger 72 to move forward with respect to the frame 46, the mandrel 120 and the block 64, so that the plunger 72 pushes the connector off the mandrel and on to the terminal post. Specification 956,118 is referred to.