US1743364A - Apparatus for assembling articles - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1930. A. s. LISS 1,743,364

I APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING ARTICLES Filed Oct. 9. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 M m1 I 50 /5 1 i} /M69 H 1 69 I 7a W 68 I Q? I Auyus/ 5 1/33 l my Jan. 14, 1930. A. s. LISS 1,743,364

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING ARTICLES Filed Oct- 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4070576135 W My Jan. 14, 1930. A. s. uss

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING ARTICLES I Wm? 4 mw WM 4 W Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUGUST STANLEY LISS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COM- IPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING ARTICLES Application filed October 9, 1926. Serial No. 140,543.

This invention relates to apparatus for assembling articles, and more particularly to an apparatus for attaching tips or terminals to strands or electrical conductors.

It is the practice in various electrical apparatus, such as telephone equipment, to provide flexible conductor cords comprising a plurality of separate cores made of strands of an electrical conductor and insulating material, such as braided textile material, surrounding the conductors, the Whole being enclosed in a textile braided sheath. The individual insulated cores generally extend for a predetermined distance from one end of the sheath and may be different lengths or of the same length and are usually provided with metallic tips which act as electrical terminals for the conductors. The tips are sometimes soldered upon the ends of the conductors after a part of the insulation has been removed, but in some instances a so-called solderless tip is employed which comprises a unitary metallic member which is designed to be firmly pressed around a conductor end to effect a contact with the core through prongs integral therewith, which pierce the insulation. In actual use in telephone equipment experience has proven that the tips upon the conductor ends, whether the latter are of unequal or equal length, must bear a predetermined spaced relation to each other, that is, in the case of the former with respect to the longitudinal distance between them, or be secured the same distance from the ends of the conductors in the case of the latter.

It is, therefore, the object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for attaching cord tips or terminals to strands or electrical conductors rapidly, accurately and securely while they are maintained in a predeterminedspaced relation with respect to each other.

In accordance with the general features of this invention as applied to an apparatus for attaching tips to the projecting conductor ends of telephone cords there is pro Ided in combination with a punch press of a usual type a pair of dies carried upon a reciprocal platen and fixed bed, respectively, of the press. Resiliently mounted means secured to normal position;

associated therewith first engage the conductor ends at opposite ends of the tip shanks, which draw the conductors taut whereby the insulation of the conductors is pierced by a plurality of upwardly projecting prongs formed upon the tips which are thus electriering of the platen. Yieldably mounted pads I cally connected with the cores of -the conductors. F urther descent of the platen forms the tips into a cylinder around the conductors, I

the excess conductor lengths projecting from the tip shanks being subsequently severed, and during the return of the apparatus to its normal position the severed excess conductor ends are automatically freed from the resilient retaining means. Gauging means carried by the apparatus facilitates the correct positioning by the operator of the conductor ends and the tips preparatory to their assembly.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the'accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through a movable platen and a bed of a punch press, showing an assembling apparatus embodying the features of this invention operatively attached thereto, the press andthe apparatus being shown in its normal position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing one of the resiliently mounted means for holding the flexible conductors;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on theline 3-3 of F ig. 1 through the cooperating dies, the parts being shown in an operated position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view on a reduced scale of that portion of the apparatus carried upon the bed ,of the press while in its Fig. 5 is an inverted view upon a reduced scale relative to Fig. 1 of the die and associated pads and knife carried by the platen of the press;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. at showing the position of the cooperating dies upon the completion of an assembling operation;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section on the line 77 of Fig. 4 showing the means for automatically ejecting the severed excess conductor ends, upon completion of the attaching operation from the retaining means, the slide being shown in an operated position;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of a partially formed conductor tip before the attaching thereof to a conductor end, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevation of one end of a telephone cord showing the projecting conductor ends thereof with tips attached by the apparatus of this invention.

As illustrated in the drawings the assembling apparatus embodying the features of this invention is operatively connected to a punch press which may be of any usual type. Since it is not essential to a complete understanding of the invention the punch press has not been illustrated, except those parts directly concerned with this invention, which consist of the following: A vertical reciprocal platen and a stationary bed 15 and 16, respectively, (Figs. 1 and 6) and a vertical reciprocal trip rod 17 (Fig. Fixed to the upper face of the press bed 16 as indicated at 18 is a bolster plate 19 provided with a horizontally extending slideway 20 upon which is mounted a carriage or slide 21 supporting a suitably shaped multi-die 22 the slideway being centered with respect to the platen 15 and adapted to permit the slide to be moved from its normal position as shown in Fig. 4 to an operative position under the platen. In the forward movement of the slide 21 to its normal position a pin 21 attached thereto engages the end face of a slot 25 provided in the bolster plate 19, while its movement to its operative position-is limited by the rear face thereof engaging a stop plate 26 secured to the upper face of the bolster plate 19 (Figs. 4 and 7). The head of the pin 24 acts as a bumper for the lower face of a supporting block 27 upon the downward movement of the platen 15, the supporting block carrying the conductor holding device, the forming die and conductor severing devices to be hereinafter described. Gib plates 29 secured to'the bolster plate 19 at each side of the slideway 20 and overlapping a shouldered surface of the slide 21 serve to guide and secure the slide upon the bolster plate. A double ended handle bar 30 (Fig. 4) attached to the forward end of the slide provides means whereby an operator may use both hands to move it to and from the press platen. Attached to the upper face of the slide 21 adjacent its rear face is a pair of upwardly projecting aligning pins 31 (Figs. 4 and 6), which enter openings 32 provided in the supporting block 27, one of the openings being shown in dotted outline (Fig. 6). The pins 31 in a manner well known in punch and die mechanism insure the correct aligning of the forming and severing devices with the multi-die 22 upon descent of the platen 15.

Secured. to the upper face'of the slide 21 upon its left side (Figs. 1 and 4) is a gauge plate 33 equipped with a plurality of upwardly extending pins 36 (Fig. 4) one of the pins being shown in vertical elevation in Fig. 1. The pins 36, as is clearly evident from Fig. 4, are staggered in their location upon the plate 33, the purpose of which will now be described. Referring to Fig. 9 which shows one end of a completed telephone cord 37, it will be noted that the two conductor ends thereof are of different length and provided at their extremities with metal tips 38. In the completed telephone cord it is desirable that the tips 38 bear a predetermined spaced relation to each other within fairly close limits, that is, with respect to the longitudinal distance between them. The purpose of the gauge plate and pins 33 and 36, respectively, is to insure and facilitate the correct positioning of the tips upon the conductor ends.

The operator in positioning the telephone cord 37 upon the plate 33 preparatory to the attaching of the tips 38, places the body of the cord upon the rear side of the left pin 36 and positions the longest conductor end between the two extreme right pins 36, drawing the body of the cord close up to the pins, thereafter looping it around the intermediate pin 36, the shorter conductor end engaging tl)ie rear side of the extreme right pin 36 (Fig. 4 lustrated in dotted outline in Fig. 4. The opposite end (not shown) of the cord is gen erally provided with two conductor ends of equal length and in attaching the tips 38 thereto the right end of the body of the cord is drawn up close to the left pin 36, the two conductor ends passing upon each side thereof, the other three pins 36 not serving any purpose in this particular operation. The gauge plate 33 at its left end is notched as indicated at 39 for the purpose of retaining the cord upon the plate 33, the notch being centered With respect to the left pin 36 and the multi-die 22.

Fixed in depressions formed in the upper face of the slide 21 is a pair of supporting locks 40, the die 22 being positioned therebetween in a depression disposed upon a higher plane (Fig. 1). Pivoted to each of the blocks 40, as indicated at 43, and centered with respect to a pair of pockets formed in the die 22 as clearly shown in Fig. 4 are two pairs of vertically extending pins 44, the upper end of the pins projecting above the up- This position of the cord is clearly ilper face bf the blocks 40 which lie flush with the upper face of the slide 21 (Fig. 1) The pins 44 are pivoted adjacent their lower ends and are free to turn about their pivots 43 for a suitable distance in either direction and parallel to the movement of the slide 21, they being mounted in openings sufliciently large to permit this movement. The pins 44' comprising each pair are normally urged at a point adjacent their upper ends toward each other b a flat U-shaped spring 45, the free arms of which are provided at their extreme ends and upon opposed sides with are shaped portions 46 which fit the periphery of the pins 44 (Fig. 2). The springs are. vertically supported in operative relation with their respective pair of pins 44 by being mounted in a slot 47 milled in from one side of each of the blocks 40. It will be apparent, due to the action of the springs .45, that the pins 44 comprising each pair will be normally rocked about their pivots 43 in opposite directions, and thus the upper end of each pair of pins 44, which are ball shaped, will be normally positioned relatively close together and thereby serve as resilient clips for retaining the conductor ends in a predetermined relation with the partially formed tips 38 positioned in the die 22. This operation will again be referred to in a general description of operation to follow.

Upon the tips 38 being attached to the conductor ends the excess conductor lengths projecting from the end of the tips are severed as will be described more fully hereinafter and are left clipped between the right two pair of pins36 (Fig. 4). The severed excess lengths of conductors are automatically ejected from the retaining pins 36 upon retraction of the slide 21 from itsoperative position to its normal osition by the following mechanism: Reciprocally mounted for vertical movement in the right block 40 (Fig. 4) upon each side of the two associated pairs of pins 36 and centered with respect to a line passing between the pins comprising each pair are ejector pins 50. The upper end face of the pins 50 are normally positioned flush with the upper face ofthe block 40-as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 7 .wherein the slide 21 has been moved to its operative position upon the bolster plate 19. The lower ends of the ejector pins 50 are attached to a block 51 resiliently mounted in a depression formed in the slide 21 below the block 40.

A compression spring 52 adjacent each end cams 55 ada ted to engage a cam block 56 fixed to the olster plate 19 within the slot 53. The cam block is provided with a pair of cam faces 57, the spacing therebetween being the same as the spacing between the cams 55. By providing the pair of springs 52 and a cam 55 adjacent each end of the block 51 and a pair of cam faces 57 correspondingly spaced it will be apparent as the slide 21 is moved toward the left (Fig. 7) that the block 51 with the ejector pins 50 will be moved upwardly without any binding thereof upon the walls of the depression within which it is mounted. As the pins 50 move upwardly they will engage the severed excess lengths of conductors and eject them from between the two pairs of pins 36 pivotally carried in the right block 40. Upon a movement of the slide 21 to its operative position the cams 55, due to their rounded upper left corners, are permitted to rock clockwise upon their lower ends engaging the cam block 56. Reciprocally mounted in the slide 21 between opposed vertical walls of the left hand block 40 and the die 22 (Figs. 1 and 4) is a yieldable pad 60 which normally proj ects above the upper face of the block 40 and serves as a gauge for the operator when placing the partially formed tips 38 in the die 22. A compression spring 61 mounted in a pocket formed in the slide 21 and bearing upwardly against a foot provided upon the pad 60 serves to hold it in its normal position, the foot engaging a lower face upon the block 40 acts as a stop to limit its upward movement.

The supporting block 27 carried by the platen 15 comprises a plurality of plates 62, 63 and 64 united by a plurality of screws 65, two of which are indicated in dotted outline (Fig. 5), the whole being attached to the platen 15 by the clamping of a shank 68 formed upon the upper face of the plate 62 to the platen by a plurality of bolts 69 (Fig. 1). Mounted in pairs upon the block 27 are resiliently mounted conductor holding pads 7 O, a pair for each conductor end to be tipped, in the present instance two (Figs. 1 and 5). As viewed in Fig. 1 the left pad 70 of each pair is disposed in vertical alignment with the gauge pad 60 carried by the slide 21 at the left end of the partially formed tip 38, while the right pad 70 is arranged above the bifurcated arms of the right end of the tip 38. As clearly shown in Fig. 8 the tips 38 are provided with a pair of upwardly projecting prongs 71 which in their assembled relation with the conductor ends as shown in Fig. 3 have pierced the insulation 72 and engaged the metal core 73 thereof. The pads 7 0, in the descent of the platen 15 first engage the conductor ends as described above, and cause the engagement of the prongs 71 with the core 73 and hold the conductors firmly during the subsequent operations. Reciproshank 68of the plate 62 and the upper face of the block 76, normally retains the block in the position shown in Fig. 1 and thereby through the pins 77 forces the pads downward against shoulders formed in the plate 64. Disposed between each pair of pads 70 is a tip forming punch or die 83 and a conductor shearing knife 84 which are clamped to the plate 64 by screws 85, one of which is indicated in Figs. 1 and 6, threaded into the plate 64. Y A reduced inner end of the screws '85 extends through a slot 86 formed in the right pad 70 (Fig. 1) to permit its movement in the operation of the apparatus. It is to be understood that the slot provided in the plate 64 within which the pads 70, die 83 and knife 84 are positioned is so shaped that the die 83 and knife 84 may be clamped against the left wall thereof (Fig. 1), the die straddling the 'leftpad ,70 and engaging the left wall of the slot and still permit the movement of the pads 70. The knives 84 are each independently adjustable upon the block 27 to compensate for wear by a mechanism now to be described,.which is similar with respect to each knife. Carried in a tapered slot 87 provided in the plate 62 is a wedge 90, the lower face of which engages the upper face of the knife 84 (Fig. 1). The right outer end of the wedge 90 is provided with a right angle extension 91', the upper end of which is bifurcated and straddles a shouldered portion of a screw 92 threaded into the plate 62, the screw 92 being provided with a head 93.

i It will be apparent that the knife may be adjusted without any portion of the apparatus being disassembled by merely loosening the clamping screw 85 and rotating the screw head 93 in the proper direction, the wedge 90 being moved laterally in the slot 87 ,toward the left and thereby moving the knife 84 downwardly. Upon the proper adjustment being given to the knife 84 it is reclamped by the screw 85. The vertical adjustment of the forming die 83 upon the plate 64 during the adjustment of the knife, as just described, is not disturbed due to it being held' in a fixed vertical position upon the plate by cooperating shouldered surfaces (not shown) formed upon the plate and die.

Pivotally attached to the upper face of the bolster plate 19 adjacent its rear edge (Fig. 4) is a safety lever 96 for preventlng the operation of the press before the rear vertical wall of the slide 21 has engaged the stop plate 26 upon the movement of the slide to its operative position. An arm 97 of the lever 96 normally engages the trip rod 17 directly under a lug 98 adjustably fixed to the rod 17 and is retained in this 'position by the force of a tension spring 99, opposite ends of which are attached to the bolster plate 19 and another arm 100 of the lever 96. The arm 100 is provided with an adjustable contact point in the form of a screw'101 which normally lies in the path of the rear vertical wall of the slide 21. Upon a movement of the slide 21 from'its normal position to its operative position as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, respectively, it will be evident that the lever 96 will be rocked clockwise, the arm 97 thereof being moved from its operative position with respect to the trip rod 17 and lug 98 and thereby permitting the operator to actuate the trip rod to cause the descent of the platen.

Secured to the bolster plate 19 as indicated at 104 is a stationary perforated guard 105 which extendsalong the left and front sides of the working area of the platen 15 and arranged to prevent injury to an operators hands, sufficient clearance being provided between the slide and the mechanism carried thereby and the lower edge of the guard to permit the slide to be freely moved to its operative osition.

Attac 16d to the bolster plate 19 is a receptacle106 for storing a supply of tips to be secured to the conductor ends.

The operation of the hereinbefore described apparatus is as follows: In Fig. 4 the apparatus is shown in its normal position or just after the completion of an operation and with the partially formed tips 38- shown in dotted outllne positioned in the pockets of the die 22, the left ends of the tips abutting the gauge pad 60 as hereinbefore described. Also the conductor ends of a telephone cord 37, shown in dotted outline, have been properly associated with the pins 36 fixed to the gauge plate 33 and clipped between the resiliently mounted pins 44 as fully described heretofore.

Starting at this position the operator grasps the handle bar 30 with both hands and moves the slide 21 rearward until it engages the stop plate 26, which movement, as hereinbefore described, rocks the arm 97 of the safety lever 96 from under the lug 98 of the trip rod 17, thereby permitting the actuation of the press clutch (not shown) in a well known manner and causing the descent of the platen 15. In

the movement of the platen 15 the resilient pads 70 first engage the conductor ends. forcing the prongs 71 into engagement with the metal cores 73 thereof and thereafter hold the conductor ends. In the further descent of the platen 15 the forming die 83 engages upturned portions 107 of the tips 38 as indicated in dotted outline (Fig. 3) and wraps them tightly in the form of a cylinder around the conductor ends. Substantially at the same instant as the forming of the tips around the conductors the shearing knife 84 severs the excess conductor lengths projecting from the tips and clipped between the. pins 44,

thus completing the attaching of the tips 38 to the conductor ends of the telephone cord 37, the platen 15 thereafter ascending to its normal position as shown in Fig. 1. The operator during the return of the platen 15 to its normal position retracts the slide 21 to its normal position (Fig. 4) and in so doing the ejector pins 50 in the manner hereinbefore described through the cooperation of the depending cams 55 carried by the slide and the stationary cam faces 57 are moved upwardly and thus eject the severed conductor lengths from between the resilient pins 44. Suitable means (not shown) may be employed for removing the severed conductor ends from the slide 21. Upon the removal by the operator of the telephone cord with the attached tips and the reloading of the slide, the operation of attaching tips is continued as just described.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on strands, a pair of relatively movable dies between which a partially formed terminal and a length of strand are positioned, pivotal pressure means associated with one of the dies for retaining the terminal and the length of strand in a predetermined assembled relation, and means for operating the dies to complete the forming of the terminal and attach it to the strand.

2. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on strands, a pair of relatively movable dies between which a partially formed terminal and a length of strand are positioned, pivotal resilient means operatively associated with one of the dies and with which the strand is gripped in a predetermined assembled relation with' the terminal, and means for operating the dies to complete the forming of the terminal and attach it to the strand.

3. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on strands, a pairof relatively movable dies between which a partially formed termi nal and a length of strand are positioned, pivotal resilient means operatively associated with one of the dies upon opposite sides thereof and between which the strand is gripped in a predetermined longitudinal and lateral assembled relation with the terminal, and means for operating the dies to complete the forming of the terminal and attach it to the strand.

4. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on strands, a pair of relatively movable dies between which a pair of partially formed terminals and a pair of separated strand lengths are positioned, means including pivotal-pressure elements associated with one of the dies'for longitudinally and laterally poposition of that portion of the strand to be assembled with the terminals relative to each other for causing the terminals to be assembled along the strands with a predetermined spaced relation, and means for operating the dies to attach the terminals to the strands.

6. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on strands. a pair of relatively movable dies between which a pair of partially formed terminals and separated lengths of strand are positioned, gauge means associated with one of the dies around which one of the strands is looped for causing the terminals to be assembled along the strands with a predetermined spaced relation. and means for operating the dies to attach the terminals to the strands.

7. In an apparatus for assembling termi nals on strands, a pair of relatively movable dies between which a pair of partially formed terminals and separated lengths of strands are positioned, gauge means associated with one of the dies for determining the longitudinal position of that portion of the strandsto' be assembled with the terminals relative to each other for causing the terminals to be assembled along the strands with a predetermined spaced relation, resilient means operatively associated with the latter die between which the strands are gripped in their gauged relation with the terminals, and means for operating the dies to attach the terminals to the strands.

8. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on strands. a pair of relatively movable dies between which a partially formed ter-v minal and an end of a strand are positioned, means including pivotal pressure elements associated with one of the dies for retaining is gripped in a predetermined longitudinal assembled relation with the terminal, an ex- 7 cess length of the strand ex ending from the prongs, means associated withone ofthe dies terminal, means carried by the other die for severing the free end of the strand, means for operating the dies to attach the'terminal to the strand end and to actuate said severing means to sever the free end thereof, and means for automatically ejecting-the severed free end of the strand from the resilient gripping means.

10. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on the ends of electrical conductors, a vertically movable die, a complementary die movable in a horizontal direction into and out of operative relation therewith for supporting a partially formed terminal and a length of conductor, pivotal ressure means carried by the last mentioned ie for grlp mg the strand in a predetermined longitu inal assembled relation with the terminal, and means for operating the dies to complete the forming of the terminal and. attach it to the conductor. a

11. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on the ends of electrical conductors, a vertically reciprocal die, a complementary die reciprocal in a horizontal direction into and out of operative relation therewith for supporting a pair of partially formed terminals and a pair of separated lengths of conductors, gauge means around which one of the conductors is looped associated with the latter die for determining the longitudinal position of that portion of the con uctors to be assembled with the terminals relative to each other for causing the terminals tov be assembled alongthe conductors with a predetermined spaced relation, resilient means operatively associated with the latter die upon opposite sides thereof and between which the conductors are gripped in a predetermined longitudinal and lateral assembled relation with the terminals, means. carried by the first die for severing the free ends of the strands,

means for operating the dies to attach the terminals to the conductor ends and for simultaneously actuating said severing means for severing the free ends thereof, and means for' automatically ejecting the severed free ends of the strands from the resilient gripping means upon return of the dies to their normal position.

12. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on insulated electrical conductors, a pair of relatively movable dies between which a partially formed terminal and a length of conductor are positioned, the terminal being provided with a plurality of projecting for retaining the terminal and the length of conductor in a predetermined longitudinal and lateral assembled relation, means operatively associated with one of the dies for cans ing the prongs to pierce the insulation of the conductor and engage the core thereof during the attaching of the terminal to the conductor,

and means for operating the dies to attach the terminal to the conductor.

13. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on a strand, a reciprocal die, a complementary die movable into and out of operative relation with said reciprocal die for supporting a partially formed terminal and'a length of conductor in a predetermined lon tudlnal assembled relation, a plurality of p1votal and stationary elements associated with the complementary die for accurately deter-, mining the position of the conductor with respect to the terminal, and means for operating the reciprocal die to cause its cooperation with the complementary die to complete the forming of the terminal and attach it to the conductor. a

14. In an apparatus for assembling terminalson a strand, a reciprocal die, a complementary die movable into and out of operative relationwith said reciprocal die for supporting a terminal and a length of conductor in a predetermined longitudinal assembled elements spaced at difi'erent positions on the complementary die for accurately determin ing the position of the conductor with respect to the terminal, and means for operating the reciprocaldie to cause its cooperation with the complementary die to form the terminal and attach it to the conductor.

I 15. In anapparatus for assembling termi nals on a strand, a reciprocal die, a complementary die reciprocal in a direction perpen- H dicular to the reciprocal die into and out of operative relation therewith, the first mentioned die supporting a partially formed terminal and a length of strand, nivotal pressure means carried by the last mentioned die for gripping the strand in a predetermined assembled relation with the terminal, means for causing relative movement between the dies to complete the forming ofthe terminal and attaching it to the strand, and means for preventing relative movement between the dies until said complementary die is in its extreme forward position. 16. In an apparatus for assembling terminals on strands, a pair of relatively movable dies between which a partially formed terminal and a length of strand are positioned, a pair of spring actuated elements carried by one of the dies at opposite points of the terminal for gripping the strand in a predetermined lateral assembled relation with the terminal, and means for operating-the dies to complete the forming of the terminal and at- AUGUST STANLEY LIS S.

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