GB2039806A - Automatic apparatus for preparing electrical conductors - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine prepares automatically bundles of electric conductor or wire segments by plugging one or both ends thereof into one or more boxes, e.g. connectors. The machine comprises a succession of operating stations B to K for example, control means adapted to send control orders to each of said stations and monitoring means for making said stations operational at the desired times. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Automatic apparatus for preparing electrical conductors The invention relates to a machine capable of preparing in a completely automatic way a series of electric wire or conductor segments, identical to each other or different, in particular from a series of electric conductor reels and of plugging into at least one box one or both ends of each of these prepared segments.

Machines are known which carry out automatically certain operations for preparing wire or conductor segments and plugging-in machines, manual operations being in general necessary between several of these machines so as to carry out all the preparing and piugging-in operations. Furthermore, most of these machines can only carry out some operations on electrical conductors-or segments of such conductors which are identical to each other.

On the contrary, the machine of the invention carries out automatically and with great reliability, all these operations with conductor segments of identical or different nature and length, which lowers the cost price and increases the possibilities.

The invention provides then an automatic machine for preparing a series of electrical wire or conductor segments and plugging into at least one box at least one end of each of these prepared segments, characterized by the fact that it comprises in combination a succession of operating stations for preparing, from rolls or drums of electric conductors or electric conductor segments, identical or different in length and/or section, a series of segments, prepared according to the needs, of different electric conductors and for plugging into atleast one box at least one end of each of these prepared segments, control means adapted to send control orders to each of said stations so as to initiate each of the elementary operations thereof and monitoring means for making operational, among said control means, only those which are required for the elementary operations to be carried out in the stations to be effectively used for the predetermined series of electric conductor segments during processing, at the moment when at least one conductor appears in front of the station, said monitoring means being furthermore adapted to determine the degree of the elementary operations which present different degrees according to the series of segments being processed.

Said stations may comprise all or some of the following stations: a) on the one hand - station for unwinding wires or conductors from reels or drums, - station for checking the completeness of the conductors, this station detecting extra thickness and lack of insulation, - station for straightening wires or conductors, - station for braking these latter, - station for guiding the entrance thereof, - station for marking some wires or conductors, - station for selecting wires or conductors, - station for cutting these latter into segments, - station for modifying the length of some of the wire or conductor segments, - station for cutting the middle of the conductor segments; and b) on the other hand, operating on wire or conductor segments of the same or different lengths, in particular at one or both ends of these segments: - stations for stripping one or both ends of the conductor segments, - stations for stripping zones other than the ends, - stations for checking the stripping, - stations for fitting end-pieces on one end of the conductor segments, - stations for crimping contact elements on one or both ends of the conductor segments, - stations for crimping contact elements for pairing of wires or splicing, - stations for soldering contact elements, - stations for tinning the ends of conductor segments, - stations for callipering tinned ends, - stations for hammering out end-pieces, - stations for moulding end-pieces, - stations for marking ends, - stations for automatic snap-fitting into a box, - stations for regrouping wires by means of collars, ribbons or split or spiralled tubes; this list being in no wise limitative and the order of the stations being able to be different.

Advantageously, a machine according to the invention may process two wires at a time.

These stations operating by means of a conductor segments may, in some cases, be divided into two successive series separated by a transfer device.

The general synchronisation of all the movements of the machine of the invention is provided by pulses forming control orders and delivered by a programmable automaton forming the monitoring means, the timing of this automaton being provided by means of blips supplied by a time base or clock which allows different timings to be obtained depending on the operations to be effected on a given series of electric conductors.

The invention will in any case be well understood with the complement of description which follows as well as the accompanying drawings, which complement and drawings are of course given solely by way of indication.

Fig. 1 shows schematically the whole of the machines of the invention, seen from the top.

Figs. 2a, 2b and 2c, once assembled along a-a and b-b, show an example of a so-called definition matrix.

Figs. 3a, 3b and 3c, once assembled along c-c and d-d, show a so-called programme matrix, the matrices of Figs. 2a, 2b, 2c and 3a, 3b, 3c being used for controlling the operation of the machine of Fig. 1 so as to obtain a given structure of bundles of electric conductors with one or more boxes.

According to the invention, and more particularly according to that one of its modes of application, as well as those embodiments of its different parts to which it seems preference should be given, desiring for example to construct an automatic machine for preparing electric wires or conductors and plugging them into at least one box, the following or similar is the way to set about it.

Reference is made first of all to Fig. 1 where it can be seen that the machine comprises a number of work stations, whose order is not critical, acting first of all on electric conductors then on segments, of well-defined (possibly different) lengths, of such conductors and finally on these segments and boxes, the machine being fed, on the one hand, with conductors from reels or drums A carried by an unwinding machine B and, on the other hand,with boxes by mearfs of distributing units C1 and C2, for example of the vibratory distributing type.

It may process series comprising a large number of conductors, up to thirteen conductors, having identical and/or different sections, natures and colours, by sectioning these latter into segments of identical and/or different lengths and by plugging one end or both ends of these segments, single or multiple, into one or more boxes having one or more rows of sockets or even having sockets distributed in any predetermined way.

The first station provided, in a machine according to a preferred embodiment of the invention after unwinding machine B which supplies the rest of the machine from reels or drums A (eight of which have been shown) of identical or different electric wires or conductors, properly stowed away in these drums - is a station D for checking the completeness of the conductors.

The purpose of this checking station D is to check that the wires or conductors to be processed by the machine comprise neither extra thicknesses, in particular knots, nor local absences of insulating material (extensions of stripped ends or strippings to give a dielectric defect) capable of damaging parts of the machine situated downstream of this station D.

When an electric conductor has one of these defects, the station or checking device D controls the stopping of the machine and sections this conductor so as to be able to separate the length in poor condition, this device may be of the mechanical, optical or pneumatic type for example.

Thus device D may comprise a roller, mounted on a pivoting arm and which rests on the wire, the movement of this roller measuring the extra thicknesses or the under-thicknesses of the conductor; in both cases the movement of the roller beyond a certain position causes a micro-contact to close which will cause a knife to be actuated whose cutting edge sections the wire.

Checking station D is followed by a straightening station E for the conductors or wires; this station is of a known type and it comprises rollers in a staggered arrangement placed one after the other, but working in orthogonal planes to each other. This station E may comprise for example two sets of five rollers for each of the conductors.

Then comes a station F for braking the conductors. In this station each one of these latter may be for example pass through two eyes serving as fixed guides and between which is located a base plate provided with a braking shoe. The station comprises flexible blades in number equal to the number of pairs of eyes, these blades being mounted on rotatably articulated shafts carrying at their ends a friction body for rubbing on the wire or conductor. Generally, several gradual application of the flexible blade on the wire may be provided so as to reach the desired braking. This braking is required, on the one hand, to offset the inertia of the wires and, on the other hand, to have well stretched wires (but not unduly stretched) during pulling by the cutting station which will be studied hereafter.

Behind braking station F is the entrance guiding station G which serves to regroup and guide in a minimum volume the conductors or wires which are to appear in the cutting station.

The device may also comprise a marking station H which marks the conductors, for example hot markings with an appropriate ribbon. In the embodiment illustrated, the marking station only marks one wire or conductor per bundle, but of course an embodiment could be provided comprising the marking of several wires. This device may be caused to operate on pairs of wires.

At I there is shown schematically the station for selecting conductors or wires. This station is for example of the type described in French patent application nO 78 27855 filed on 28th September, 1978 by the applicant for "Device for supplying a work station with a series of articles, particularly electric wires, in a predetermined order" and advantageously of the type described in the application for a first addition to said application 78 27855. this application for addition being filed on 18th January, 1978 under the number 79 01287.

According to these applications, the device for feeding a work station with a series of articles, particularly conductors or pair of conductors, in a predetermined order, is characterized by the fact that it comprises -- in conjunction with n article feeders and with a work station intended to receive a series Df articles each comprising up to n articles, in particular n conductors or n pairs of conductors having to reach it in a predetermined orders in combination, n mobile article holders, n moving means adapted to move each of these n article holders between a taking-up position in which it can take up an article from one of the n feeders and a delivery position, the delivery positions all being situated in the same limited zone, control means for actuating in a predetermined order each of these n moving means so that it moves the associated article holder from the taking-up position to the delivery position, then after a predetermined period of time, from the delivery position to the taking-up position and grasping means for taking up the articles appearing successively in said limited zones and supplying them to said work station. According to the addition, the moving means occupy a waiting position before their delivery position and the limited zone is formed by the delivery position common to all the moving means.

This device allows a large number of similar or different electric wires G or pairs of electric wires to be supplied in a predetermined order to subsequent work stations.

Behind selection stations I comes the cutting station J which comprises cutting means, for example of the dressmaker's scissors type, pneumatically actuated, these means cut only one wire or one pair of wires at a time, i.e. the one which has just been processed in station I for selecting the wires.

Then comes a station K for causing the length of the wire or conductor segments to vary. So as to be able to work on wires or conductors of different lengths, this station is provided for lengthening some of the wires, the adjustment being effected von the shortest wire of the bundle to be produced; the length variation station K allows several different lengths to be obtained. It processes a single wire or a single pair of wires at a time, the one which has just been "offered" by the wire selector I to a pulling system disposed at L. Station K operates on the reeving principle, i.e. that it bends in an S shape a more or less large length of the wire to be processed so as to lengthen this latter to a greater or lesser extent.

Reeving is obtained by advancing one or two guided carriages each carrying a roller, the amount of reeving, and so of extension of the wire, being regulated by varying the travel of the carriage; to control this travel a pneumatic jack may for example be used which actuates a slider. This slider for example may move in a squirrel cage having several bars on each of which a screw which may be secured against motion which serves as a stop for the slider and which regulates therefore the lengthening.

Thus wire or conductor segments are finally obtained available in a predetermined order, these segments h having been checked for regularity and all being similar or different in nature, section, colour and finally length (through length variation station K). These conductor segments are taken over by a transporter M which causes them to advance in the direction of arrow f while causing them to pass in front of a succession of stations disposed at the right and at the left of the transporter; these stations have the index 1 when they are at the left and the index 2 when they are at the right of transporter M.

The transporter comprises in fact two conveyors M1 and M2 one at the left and the other at the right. A succession of stations may advantageously be disposed along the transporter.

First of all two stations N1 and N2 for stripping one end of the conductor segments h; these stations each comprise a machine for stripping the ends of the wires; the possibility of stripping wires or conductors of different sections is provided for by means, for example, of a pneumatic jack having several coaxial stages which determine the amplitude of the approaching movement of the stripping blades depending on the section of the wire concerned.

Checking the stripping, i.e. checking the fact that the stripping has been effectively carried out in stations N, and N2, is carried out in stations P1 and P2, this check is effected for example by means of sensors which check the passage of an electric current through the end of which should be stripped; if the stripping has not been properly carried out in stations N1 or N2, detection station P1 or P2 causes a conductor to be automatically ejected the end(s) of which has or have not been correctly stripped.

Stations may also be provided for stripping conductor segments in a middle zone, stations for cutting segments through the middle and some or all of the other stations enumerated in the preamble.

The stations Q1 and Q2 are provided for automatically fitting end pieces (contractible insulating sleeves). These two stations automatically position end pieces on the ends of the wires which are to receive them. Each station is supplied by means of a sheath supplied in a larger length which is fed at the desired length to form an end piece. The cutting device is completed possibly by a pre-hammering out device and a positioning device, the purpose of the first one being to provide limited deformation of the sleeve by thermal impact to give it the geometry required for the positioning on the end of the wire, whereas the second device serves to position the sleeve forming the end piece on the crimped connection.

Crimping stations R1, R2 are formed by presses adapted to receive specific tools depending on the connections to be crimped.

Tinning stations may also be provided for passing certain ends or certain central portions of conductors (those provided in the programme) under a cascade of molten tin after previous cleaning under a cascade of an appropriate flux.

The following stations for hammering out the end pieces are for hammering out completely the sleeve or end-piece on the crimped connection, the hammering action being obtained for example by means of hot air obtained through a nozzle.

Of course the order of the different operations is not critical.

It will be noted that in the drawings, the pre-hammering, positioning, tinning and hammering stations have not been shown, these stations being able to be disposed along conveyors M1 and M2 or therebetween.

The successive stations may also be divided into two series and a transfer system may be provided between the two series for the conductor segments.

The final station along each conveyor is the station for automatically snap-fitting the ends of the electric conductors or wires into a box. These stations which receive the boxes through distributors Ct and C2 and which are shown at S1 and S2 are advantageously formed each one as described in French patent application filed on 25th October, 1 978 by the applicant under the national registration number 78 30352 for "A device for plugging ends of electric conductors or similar elements into a box".

In each of stations S" S2 there is provided in this case a device for plugging the ends of electric conductors or similar elements into a box, characterized by the fact that it comprises, in combination with a fixed supply corridor, adapted to feed a succession of suitably orientated boxes, and a transporter for the wires or conductors adapted to bring in a predetermined order a succession of conductors having at least one free end, with the free end of each successive conductor in a well.defined position;; - on the one hand, a box-carrier comprising means for receiving a box from the supply corridor and means for bringing this box in a predetermined succession of well-defined fixed positions, in each of which a well-defined recess or socket of said box occupies a fixed position in space, and means for releasing the box once it is provided with its conductors and --on the other hand, a unit for feeding and plugging in successive conductors or wires comprising grasping means adapted to grasp and release a conductor, means for bringing these grasping means opposite the conductor brought into position by said transporter, means for controlling the grasping of said conductor by said grasping means, means for bringing the grasping means with the conductor which they have grasped opposite said position fixed in space occupied by said welldefined recess of said box, means for moving said grasping means so as to plug said free end of the grasped conductor into said recess and to ensure the snap fitting of this end into the socket and means for releasing said conductor from said grasping means when these latter occupy a predetermined position.

After this description of the mechanical unit of the machine there will now be described by way of non limiting example the means for causing this machine to operate automatically.

The electric control is provided from an electronic programmable automaton of a known type.

It is first of all necessary to prepare the programming while noting, preferably on a sheet comprising the schematic representation of the different stations of the machine, the information required for carrying out the programming. Thus it will be necessary (see Figs. 2a-2b-2c placed end to end): a) to baptize the wires of the bundle concerned by numbering them wire nO 1, wire nO 2.... etc.

(or pairs of wires nO 1, nO 2 etc.); b) to choose the order of snap-fitting the wires into the box or boxes (a single box on the left or a single box on the right or else a box on the left and a box on the right, for example); c) to indicate the specific tools concerned relative to the snap fitting station, d) to state the vertical pitch of each box, in the case where this box comprises two rows of sockets, e) to state the horizontal pitch between socket (ford) and e), it has been assumed that the box comprises one or two rows of sockets; in the case where the sockets ared disposed unevenly or where the snap fitting device comprises rotational means, as in one embodiment of the above-mentioned patent application nO 78 30352, the value of the translational and rotational movement will be stated), f) to indicate if the length of the variator is to be used and in this case to state, for each of the wires or pairs of wires concerned, the extra length(s) which it is to have in relation to the basic minimum length, this latter will also have to be stated, i.e.BA, BB, BC.... BK the stops of the variator, g) to indicate the order in which the wires are presented to the wire selector of the type described in the above-mentioned patent application nO 78 27855 or its addition nO 79 01287 (it should be recalled that in the case of application nO 78 27855 the wires in odd-numbered rows -- nO 1, nO 3....

- are disposed on the left, the wires in even-numbered rows -- nO 2, nO 4.... - on the right and that if the last wire has an odd number it will be in the centre, for example; i.e. AA, AB, AC, AD, AF on the left, AH, AJ, AK, AL, AM, AN on the right and AG in the middle; this is not required in the selector of the addition); h) to indicate the active stations disposed on the conveyors, i.e. some or all of the following stations: - programmable strippers N1, N2 and stripping detectors Pa, P2 which are placed once and for all, for example in positions 6CG, 7CG, 7CD and 8CD (the letter G corresponding to the left-hand side and the letter D to the right hand-side): in some cases central statioris may be provided (cutting, stripping devices etc..); - the other stations may be placed in all the other positions from 1 CD to 20CD and from 1 OG to 20CG (taking into account of course technical requirements inherent to certain apparatus and the positions already taken up by the programmable strippers and the stripping detectors); one position out of two, i.e. the one indicated by hatched zones in Figs. 2a, 2b a,d 2c, comprises an "electric blip" socket; i) to state if a wire is to be marked.

When the operations have thus been defined which are to be effected in the different stations for the series of bundles of conductor or wire segments to be produced, a so-called definition matrix is established which will comprise, for each line, the number of wires in the bundle considered and in each column, for each of the two conveyors, the different functions to be provided for each of the wires of the bundle. Such a matrix is illustrated in the whole of Figs. 2a, 2b a,d 2c disposed end to end, by joining then up along aa and bb.

There will now be examined a particular example of a bundle of five wires or conductors with plugging into a single box which is on left-hand conveyor M1 side and with three end-pieces from the right hand conveyor M2: Socket

1 0.62 red length 1,100 mm wire no. 1 2 0.62 white length 1,100 mm wire no. 2 z conn.

3 0.62 blue length 1,200 mm marked wire no. 4 z conn.

4 12 violet length 1,200 mm wire no. 3 y conn.

5 12 white r length 1,000 mm wire no. 5 box conveyor Ml side Conveyor M2 side In this example: a) the last wire of the bundle is wire nO 5 which will serve to set the programmable electronic automaton to automatic 0; b) in the case of the wire selector of the above-mentioned patent application nO 78 27885, it will deliver the five wires in the following order:: -wire nO 1 in the first left-hand guide (AA) wire n0 2 in the first right-hand guide (AH) wire nO 3 in the second left-hand guide (AB) wire no 4 in the second right-hand guide (AJ) wire nO 5 which is a last wire having an uneven number, in the middle guide (AG); this order is no longer required in the case of the selector of the addition; c) wire nc 4 will be marked;; d) in the length variation station, two retractable stops will be adjusted, i.e. a stop at 100 mm (for wires which are 1,100 mm long, i.e. 100 mm more than the shortest wire nO 5 which is only 1,000 mm long) and a stop at 200 mm (for the wires which are to have at length of 1,200 mm, i.e. 200 mm more than wire nO 5 of minimum length): by naming these two stops at 100 and 200 mm respectively BA, BB; wire nO 1 (1,100 mm) will be lengthened because of stop BA, -wire nO 2 (1,100 mm) will be lengthened because of stop BA, wire nO 3 (1,200 mm) will be lengthened because of stop BB, - wire nO 4 (1,200 mm) will be lengthened because of stop BB, - wire nO 5 (1,000 mm) will not be lengthened at all, for it is the shortest of the five and it corresponds to the basic length of the automatic pulling of the machine; for stripping the ends on conveyor M, side, the section of the wires will be taken into account as follows: - wire nO 1: 0.62 -wire nO 2: 0.62 - wire n 3: 1 -wire n 4: 0.6 -wire n 5:1 e) the station for detecting the stripping will have to be active for the five wires on conveyor M side; f) for stripping the ends on conveyor M2 side, only certain stations are operating for: wire nO 1: not stripped because no crimped connection, -wire nO 2: section to be stripped 0.62 -wire nO 3: section to be stripped 12 wire nO 4: section to be stripped 0.62 wire nO 5: not stripped for no crimped connection; g) the stripping detection station on conveyor M2 side will only be active for wires nO, 2, nO 3 and nO 4 which alone are to be stripped; h) in position 8CG for example, a crimping station is provided supplied with x type connections or end-pieces, each of wires nO 1 to n0 5 having to receive such an x type connection; on the other hand, on conveyor M2 side there will be two crimping stations, one disposed at 9CD for y type connections to be applied to wire nO 3 and the other at position 12cud for crimping z type connections for wires nO 2 and nO 4.; i) on conveyor M2 side there is no box to be snap fitted therefore the transfer gripper of the snap fitting station situated on this side and which is provided in the automatic snap-fitting device in abovementioned patent application nO 78 30352, will only have to take the wires so that the movements of the wires leaving conveyors M1 and M2 are correct; this gripping will take place for each of wires nO 1 to nO 5; j) on the other hand, on conveyor M1 side, besides gripping, snap-fitting into a box will have to be provided; in the example chosen, the box only comprises one row of sockets which may be considered as forming fictitiously the lower row (in the case of another example with a box having two rows the lower row would be taken first and the upper row last); snap-fitting into each socket in the example chosen would have to be provided; k) for fixing the lateral movements of the box, by a pitch of a socket, the direction of advance or retreat for each wire must be provided for as well as the number of pitches to move; furthermore the number of the last wire snap-fitted must be specified so as to provide, after this snap-fitting, resetting of the snap-fitting device; thus, in the case of the particular example: wire nO 1 is snap-fitted into socket 1 with the box carrier in the rear stop position (no particular indication is given); -wire nO 2 must be snap-fitted into socket 2; therefore a dot (representing an order) must be put into the "box advance" column and another in column 1 for the "number of sockets to move" (for there is only a space of one socket in the advance direction between the first socket and the second); -wire nO 3 must be snap-fitted into socket 4 (this is used solely for showing the possibilities of the machine); a dot must then be put into the "box advance" column and another in column 2 for the "number of sockets to move" (for there is a space of two sockets in the advance direction between the second and the fourth sockets; -wire nO 4 is to be snap-fitted into socket 3; a dot must then be put into the "box retreat" column and another in column 1 for the "number of sockets to move" (for there is a space of one socket in the retreat direction between the fourth and the third sockets); -wire nO 5 is to be snap-fitted into socket 5; a dot should then be put into the "box advance column and another in column 2 for the "number of sockets to move" for there is a space of two sockets in the advance direction between the third and the fifth sockets; of course it will be specified that the snap-fitting is to take place for the five wires nO 1 to nO 5 on conveyor M1 side.

In the whole of Figs 2a, 2b and 2c there is shown by dots the operations to be effected for each of wires nO 1, nO 2, nO 3, nO 4 and nO 5 at each of the stations (for the stations disposed in the zone of conveyors M1 and M2, the positions of these stations are shown).

There should now be drawn up a so-called "programme" matrix which can be superimposed on the definition matrix, which allows the operating dots to be transferred without difficulty, when the programme matrix is made on a transparent paper sheet.

An example of a programme matrix corresponding to the definition matrix of Figs. 2a, 2b and 2c is shown in the set of Figs. 3a, 3b and 3c joined together along a line c-c and d-d.

in this set of Figs. 3an 3b and 3c, the horizontal lines correspond to the different conductors or wires. The first five lines correspond to wires nO 1, nO 2, nO 3, nO 4 and nO 5 and are numbered. On these five lines there is transferred the dots of the definition matrix of Figs. 2a, 2b, and 2c, as well as the different stations or positions. In Figs. 3a, 3b and 3c the broken lines represent the electric blips which, during operation, are emitted by the electronic automaton, the dots transferred to Figs. 3a, 3B and 3c corresponding to the electric signals which the wire (nO 1, nO 2, nO 3, nO 4, or nO 5) requires during processing at the corresponding station.

If we consider for example wire nO 1 (first line from the top), it can be seen that in the length variation station K (at F1) stop BA must be used and so a blip must be emitted by the automaton to obtain the desired extension of length.

Still for this wire nO 1, an electric blip will be provided at stripping station N1 (at F2), another blip at crimping station R2 (at F3) for positioning an x type connection on conveyor M2 side and a blip at the automatic snap-fitting station S1 (at F4), with simple grasping on conveyor M2 side. The same goes for the other wires nO 2, nO 3, nO 4, nO 5 of the bundle.

For each of the programme stations, we will examine one after the other each of the vertical lines corresponding to a station or a position and for each of the dots met with the required blip is taken and noted below the vertical line. The automaton will then have to send a succession of blips, the elementary time interval corresponding to the distance between two vertical lines depending on the general rhythm of the machine.

Considering Figs. 3a, 3b and 3c, the following remarks may be made: a) vertical line 1 is the row of the last wire of the bundle (this introduces into the programme the number of wires which each bundle comprises); thus, in Fig. 3a a dot is marked on line 1 opposite wire 5; b) vertical lines 26 to 71 (inclusive) as well as lines 106 and 107 correspond to stations which are relative to moving wires (stations at the level of conveyors M1 and M2 and mobile part of the automatic snap-fitting station); c) each wire is actually baptized at the moment when it is cut and the name it receives -- in fact a number -- serves to initiate certain operations, i.e. those which concern it during its travel in front of the different stations of the machine having the improvements of the invention;; d) the stations of this machine only begin to operate, at the beginning of a series of bundles when a wire sets of the corresponding operation by arriving opposite the considered station; there is no "useless" operation carried out while the machine is being supplied with wires; e) similarly at the end of a series, when the machine begins to produce the last bundle of the series, the electric blimps no longer regenerate the programme and only the blips continue to arrive which correspond to wires not yet finished. The result then is that the machine having the improvements of the invention is emptied, without rejection and without loss of conductors.

With the programme matrix of the set of Figs. 3a, 3b a,d 3c drawn up by transferring dots from the definition matrix (of the set of Figs. 2a, 2b and 2c) and indicating the electric blips, these blips are introduced by means of the control keyboard of the programmable automaton into the memory of the automaton which then contains information concerning the blips to emit relative to the bundle considered to be produced in series. The introduction of the blips into the memory takes place in the order of vertical line after vertical line (from line 1 to line 107) from left to right.

As soon as the programming of the automaton, for a given bundle, has been determined, work in series may begin on this bundle and recording may be established for storing the programme for a subsequent series.

Of course there has only been mentioned here in the programming of the machine the variable indications directly linked to the particular bundles to be manufactured in series, but other information of a general kind is necessary for the normal operation of the machine (such as that concerning end of travel of certain movements, the engaging or the disengaging of certain clutches or brakes, the safety micro-contacts).

it can'then be seen that the invention provides an automatic machine capable of preparing a succession of bundles each formed by electric conductor segments plugged into at least one box, by using a programmable automaton of a suitable type commercially available, e.g. of the type AP-144 sold by the firm SILEC, this machine providing steady manufacture at reduced cost and producing bundles of very varied types, the number of wire segments being able to vary, as well as the nature, the length, the section and the colour of the wires; furthermore, different types of boxes and of connections at the ends of the electric conductor segments may be provided.

As is evident and as it follows moreover already from what has gone before, the invention is in no wise limited to those of its modes of application and embodiments which have been more especially considered; it embraces, on the contrary, all variations thereof.

Claims (5)

1. An automatic machine for preparing a series of electric conductor or wire segments and for plugging into at least one box at least one end of these prepared segments, characterized by the fact that it comprises in combination a succession of operational stations for preparing from rolls or drums of electric conductor or electric conductor or segments, identical or different in length and/or in section, a series of segments, prepared according to the needs, of a different electric conductors and for plugging into at least one box at least one end of each of these prepared segments, control means adapted to send control orders to each of said stations so as to initiate each of the elementary operations thereof and monitoring means for making operational, among said control means, only those which are required for the elementary operations to be carried out in the stations to be effectively used for the predetermined series of electric conductor segments being processed, at the moment when at least one conductor appears before the station, said monitoring means being further adapted to determining the degree of the elementary operations which present different degrees depending on the series of segments being processed.

2. An automatic machine according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said stations may comprise all or a number of the following stations: a) on the one hand, - a station for unwinding wires or conductors from reels or drums, - a station for checking the completeness of the conductors, this station detecting extra thicknesses and lack of insulation, - a station for straightening wires or conductors, - a station for braking these latter, - a station for guiding the entrance of these latter, - a station for marking certain wires or conductors, - a station for selecting wires or conductors, - a station for cutting these latter into segments, - a station for causing the length of certain of the wire or conductor segments to be modified, - a station for cutting conductor segments in the middle, and b) on the other hand, operating on wire or conductor segments having the same length or different lengths, in particular at one or both ends of these segments, - stations for stripping one or both ends of the conductor segments, - stations for stripping segments in a zone other than the ends, - stations for checking the stripping, - stations for fitting end pieces te one end of the conductor segments, - stations for crimping contact elements on to one or both ends of the conductor segments, - stations for crimping contact elements for patring wires or for splicing, - stations for soldering contact elements, stations for tinning ends of conductor segments, - stations for callipering tinned ends, - stations for hammering out end-pieces, - stations for moulding end-pieces, - stations for marking ends, - stations for automatic snap-fitting into a box, - stations for regrouping wires by means of collars, ribbons or split or spiralled tubes, this list being in no wise limitative and the order of the stations being able to be different.

3. The machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that it can process two wires at a time.

4. The automatic machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said stations operating on segments are divided into two successive series separated by a transfer device.

5. The automatic machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the control means and the monitoring means comprise a programmable automaton which sends succession of pulses forming control orders to the different stations and a time base or clock which, determines the rhythm of operation and so the sending of said pulses by said programmable automaton.