US2343466A - Article forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 7,1944. E. L. MALHIOT ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 HTTOENE Y March 7, 1944.

5 1.. MALHIOT ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N VE' N TOE E L. MALH/OT 5 J/rM/V HTTOENEY March 7, 1944. MALHIOT ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 /NVEN7'O/E E L. MHLHIOT BY 6. 41 4 AM7 HTTOE/VB Patented Mar. 7, I944 UNITED. STATES PATENT GFFICE" I .m'rrcm romfi arrmrus Eugene L. Malhiot, Maywood, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company. Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicatlomMay 1, 1942, Serial No. 441,409

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an article formin apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for receiving a series of interconnected articles from a machine which interconnects-them continuously and cutting the interconnecting means to provide a selected length of interconnected articles.

In the manufacture of some types of telephone apparatus, it is the practice to connect a number of terminals of pieces of apparatus in multiple, that is, similar terminals, on adjacent switches. may all be wired together throughout a line of said switches. In the telephone equipment known as "step by step automatic exchange equipment, banks of switching devices are mounted adjacent one to another and the switches are each provided with a series of selectable contacts which, in the operation of the switch, may be connected to other pieces of apparatus in the telephone exchange. The practice heretofore has been to mount all of these switches on their framework and then to wire the terminal ends of the switch connectors to other apparatus or in multiple, where the switches are designed for such use. This operation was performed by stripping the insulation from wires at predetermined spaced intervals and manually soldering the stripped portion of the wire to the terminals of the switches. It has been proposed to form these connections in a suitable manner prior to assembling the contacts in their respective banks and, in effecting such method, the contacts mounted on insulators are fed to a machine which has a constant supply of strands of wire fed to it and the machine connects the continuous lengths of wires to the terminals of the contacts. These continuous lengths of wires with the terminals connected to them must then be cut to provide a group of interconnected switch assemblies.

vide a simple and eflicient, automatic apparatus for forming articles from a continuous length of material.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is provided for use in connection wth a machine for continuously attachmotor driven feeding device, which is controlled by the string of interconnected articles being fed 3 It is an object of the present invention to proto it by the article attaching means and which automatically feeds the interconnected articles on to a tiltable table. The apparatus is sewnnected that the feeding means for the interconnected articles is started in operation upon the receipt, by the apparatus, of a predetermined length of the strands or wires having the articles connected to them and the operation of thefeeding portion of the apparatus is interrupted when the feeding portion of the apparatus tends to draw the strands from the associated machine faster than the machine can supply them. The tiltable table is automatically tilted and returned to its normal position under control of the length of interconnected articles being fed, reaching a predetermined length, due to the engagement, by the forward end of a group of interconnected articles, with a switchcontrolling mechanism. The switch operable under control of the controlling mechanism initiates the tilting operation by first energizing a cut-oil knife which cuts a predetermined length of articles from the supply thereof and, when the cut-off mechanism operates to completely sever the length of interconnected articles from the supply, it closes a switch which controls the tilting table so that the cut-ofi length of interconnected articles will be tilted out onto a receiving table. The tilting table, upon reaching its tilted position, closes a switch, which restores the control circuits to normal position and initiates the return of the tilting table to normal position.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view on a relatively small scale of apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on the same scale as Fig. 1, showing the tpparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of a short length of the string of interconnected articles which are fed to the apparatus and sheared to predetermined lengths therein:

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate the various features of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a plan sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the :arrows' showing one of the control devices forcontrolling the feeding of the interconnected articles to the cut-oi! device and tilting table:

Fig. 6 is a plan sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows showing a second one of the con-.

trol devices for controlling the feeding of the interconnected articles to the cut-off mechanism and tiltable table;

Figs. '1, 3, 9 and 10 are transverse vertical sectional views on a relatively large scale, taken along the lines 1-1, 3-3, 3-3 and |3-|3 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing the feed roll drive mechanism. the knife which cuts the wires, the table tilting mechanism, and the switch controlled by the fed material; and

Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram showing the various switches which control operation of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several views, particular reference being had at this time to Fig. l, a processing machine is shown, designated generally by the numeral 23, and represented only diagrammatically, for feeding continuous lengths of wire having terminal assemblies attached to them to the apparatus comprising the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Thestrands of wire with the terminal assemblies attached to them are illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein wires 2|2| are shown attached to terminals 22-22. The terminals 22 are interconnected with the wires by solderless connections, a prong or prongs (not shown) being formed on each terminal and being forced through the insulation on the wires to engage the conductor covered by the insulation. In other apparatus (not shown herein and not pertinent to the present invention), the terminals 22-22 are suitably fixed to insulate 23-23 and two of the insulators 23 are pl one on each side of a spacing insulator 23. e machine 23 receives the insulators 23 wi the terminals 22 attached to them and with the spacing insulator 23 between them, and fixes the wires 2| to the terminals at predeterniined spaced points along the wires, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The wires are fed in a continuous length to the machine 23 by mechanism (not shown) and the machine 23 delivers the lengths of conductor with the terminal assemblies designated generally by the numeral 23 and comprising the hereinbefore described terminals 22 and insulators 23 and 23 to a machine embodying the present invention.

The machine of the present invention comprises a receiving portion, designated generally by the numeral 33, a feeding portion, designated generally by the numeral 3|, a cut-off mechanism, designated generally by the numeral 32, and a table section, designated generally by the numeral 33. The receiving portion of the apparatus comprises, as most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, a receiving comp ment 33, comprised of side walls 33 and 33 ving supporting angle members 31, 33, 33nd 33 at their front and rear ends for suitably supporting them. In addition, the receiving compartment 33 has front and rear walls 3| and 32 which are interposed between the side walls 33 and 33 and serve to space them one from the other and also serve to guide the lengths of wires 2| with the terminal assemblies 23 fixed to them in their passage through the receiving compartment. Portions of the side walls 33 and 33 are flared, as shown at 33 and 33 (Fig. 3) for guiding the material asitisfedfromthemachine23 intothe Positioned adjacent the bottom of the compartment :4 is a plate 4! fixed to a pivot bracket 33, which is, in turn, attached to a shaft 31 extending between and iournaled in the angle members 31 and 33.

Mounted on the front face of the side wall 33 (Pig. 4) is a Microswitch 3|, having an actuating plunger 32 extending in the path of an actuating lever 33, which is, in turn, fixed to the shaft 31. The pivot bracket 33 has a lever 33 fixed to it for receiving a threaded pin 33, on which a thumb nut 33 is threaded. The pin 33 is attached to a spring 31 and normally tends to rock the pivot bracket 33 in a counter-clockwise direction'to hold the actuating lever 33 out of engagement with the plunger 32. However, when a series of interconnected terminal members 23, connected by the wires 2|, are fed into the receiving compartment 33, a loop will be formed in the interconnected string of terminal assemblies and will bear against the plate 33, thereby to rock the shaft 31' clockwise (Fig. 4) against the action of the spring 31. As the shaft 31 rocks clockwise, it will carry the actuating lever 33 with it and depress the switch actuating plunger 32. The switch 3| initiates a cycle of operation oi a motor 33 and, when the switch 3| is closed upon depression of the plate 33, current will be supplied to the motor 33 to drive it.

A second switch 33 is also mounted on the face of the side wall 33 and carries its switch actuating plunger 3| in the path of a lever 32. The lever 32 is rotatable about a stud shaft 33 and is balanced by a spring 33 so that the weight of lever 32, a lever 33, to which lever 32 is connected, and a control arm 33, carried by the lever 33, will just maintain the plunger 3| in position to hold the switch 33 closed without exerting undue pressure on the plunger 3|. This arrangement is provided so that the string of interconnected articles, as indicated by the dot and dash lines 33, when drawn upwardly, will, upon applying a light pressure to the control arm 33, effect the opening of the switch 33. The switch 33, together with the switch 3|, serves to control the motor circuit for feeding the arti-. cles and, when the switch 33 is operated momentarily, the driving motors actuating circuit will be interrupted and will not be closed un- 30 til the switch 3| is again actuated, all as will be described more in detail in connection with the description of the operation of the apparatus and its associated control circuit.

The motor 33 is interconnected, by means of a suitable gear reducer 31, to drive a chain 33 (Figs. 1 and 7), which drives a sprocket wheel 33 mounted upon a shaft 13. The shaft 13 has fixed thereto, in addition to the sprocket 33, a gear 1| and a drive roller 12 (Figs. 1, 4 and '1) made of relatively soft rubber or other suitably resilient material. The shaft 13 is mounted in a framework 13 extending upwardly from a channel member 13, which extends the length of a main base plate 13, underneath which the motor 33 and gear reducer 31 are mounted, the main base member 13 being supported on suitable standards 13-13 (Fig. 1). Gear 1| meshes with and drives a gear 33, which is rotatable on a stud shaft 3|. The gear 33 has fixed to it a sprocket 32 for driving a chain 33, which extends upwardly and around a sprocket 33 liked to a shaft 33. The shaft 33 is iournalled in a U-shaped rocker assembly 33 and carries a feed roller 31, which cooperates with the drive roller receiving portion 33 of the present apparatus. 13 12, both of the rollers being driven. The rocker stud shaft I9 so that the rocker assembly may be rocked about the shafts and I0 to facilitate loading the string of interconnected articles into the feeding mechanism for feeding thereby.

Extending between side walls of the framework 10 is a guide member 00, which serves to guide articles to the rollers I2 and 01. At the right side of the rollers I2 and 01 (Fig. 4), there is provided a guiding tube 9| for guiding the string of interconnected articles-from the rollers to the cut-off mechanism 02. The cut-oif mechanism 02, as most clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 8, comprises a movable knife blade 02 and a fixed blade 00. The movable knife blade 92 is pivotally mounted on a stud shaft 00, which is mounted in a bracket 05 connected to the rear of framework I0. The left end (Fig. 8) of the movable knife blade 02 is interconnected, by means of a link 00, to the movable member 0'! of a solenoid 00, which is also mounted on the framework 10. the solenoid 00 is energized, the movable member 01 will be moved upwardly (Fig. 8) and will cause the movable knife blade, in cooperation with the fixed blade 00, to cut a length of interconnected articles from the string thereof being fed to the apparatus by the rollers I2 and 01. Mounted adjacent the movable knife blade 02, on the framework I0, is a switch 00 adapted to be actuated by a switch actuating member I00 fixed on the movable knife blade 02, after the knife blade has sheared a section of connected articles from the string thereof being fed to the apparatus.

As the string of interconnected articles, as indicated by the dotted line 00, is fed in the direction of the arrows (Figs. 1 and 4) by the rollers 12 and 01, the string of interconnected articles will pass the cuteofl mechanism 02 and will be directed to the table section 00, which is most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 4, 9 and 10. The table section of the apparatus comprises an end member I00 fixed to the channel member 10 and extending upwardly from the main base member 10. Extending between the and member I05 and the framework 10 are a pair of table side walls I00 and I01, which are supported by the framework "I0 and end member I00. 00- operating with the side walls I00 and Ill, to form a channel for receiving a series or string of interconnected members, is a tiltable table I00. The table I00 is provided with hinge brackets I00 When and H0 (Fig. 9) that are pivoted on the end member I05 and a blade supporting plate II I, respectively, to hinge the tiltable table for movement from the position shown in Fig. 9 under control of a cylinder II2. When a fluid under pressure is admitted to the upper end of the cylinder II2, a piston IIO will be moved'downwardly into the cylinder and will tilt the tiltable table I 00 from the position shown to a position where anything supported by the table will be slid from the table on to an apron I I0, the cylinder II2 being pivotally mounted at H0. Connected to the underside of the tiltable table I00 is a switch controlling bracket IIO, which, when the table is tilted, will engage the plunger III of switch H8. The apron I I4 is inclined so that a string of articles which have been disconnected from the supply thereof will slide oil. of the apron onto the main base member 15.

Adiustably mounted on the side walls I 00 and I0I is a knife controlling switch mechanism comprised of bridge. member III, which extends across the top of the two side walls I00 and I01,

and a pair of brackets I20 and I2I fixed to the opposite sides of the bridge member. The brackets I20 and I2I areequip d with set screws I22 and I20, respectively, which may be engaged with the side walls I00 and I" to position the assembly at any desired place along the length of the side walls. Pivoted in the brackets I20 and |2I is a shaft I24, which carries a lever I20 for clos ing a switch I20. The shaft I20 has set into it a vane I21, which may be actuated by the extending end of a string of interconnected articles and when so actuated, will rock the shaft I20 to close the switch I20. As most clearly shown in Fig. 1, switch I20 is interconnected with other parts of the control circuit by a flexible cable I20, which extends over a guide I20 and roller I to a take-up drum IOI so that the cable will remain taut when the vane I21 is placed anywhere along the table I00.

A better understanding of the invention may be had from the following brief description of the circuit connections between the various switches and other portions of the electrical apparatus to be described in connection with the mode of operation of the apparatus.

The apparatus is supplied with power from a current source I00 (Fig. 11), upon energization of a relay I0l. Suitably located on the frame of the apparatus are a start switch I02 and a stop switch I00. The stop switch I00 is normally closed and the start switch I02 is normally opened. Upon closure of the start switch I02, the apparatus will be conditioned for operation and as the string of connected articles, as indicated by the dot and dash lines 00, is fed from the processing machine 20, a loop of interconnected articles will be formed in the receiving compartment '00 and will extend downwardly until the loop contacts the plate 00, thereby to close switch 5| momentarily. It should be noted at this time that the motor 50 for driving the apparatus disclosed herein is arranged to feed the string of interconnected articles at a slightly faster rate of speed than they will be fed through and out of the processing machine 20 so that when the switch Si is closed momentarily, it will initiate operation of the motor 00 and the motor 00 will continue to run until it has taken up the slack in the string of interconnected articles and brought them into engagement with the control arm 00.

Again referring to Fig. 11, closure of the switch 5| will extend the circuit through start switch I02 and stop switch I00 to normally closed switch 00 operable under control of control arm 05. Since switch 00 is at this time closed, the circuit will extend through it to one side of the winding of the relay I3I, the other side of which is connected to the opposite line extending to the current source I00. Thus. relay "I will be momentarily energized upon the momentary closure of switch 5|. Relay IOI is provided with three contact closing armatures I00, I00 and I00. The armature I04 is connected to a point between the switch 0i and stop switch I00 so that, upon energization of the relay "I, it will lock energized through armature I00 and switch 00 to continue to supply operating current to the motor 00 through armatures I00 and I00 until switch 00 is opened. The lines leading from the armatures I00 and I00 to the motor are connected to the table tilting and knife operating portions of the circuit so that all the time that current is being supplied to the motor 00, this portion of the circult will have power connected to it.

the vane Ill and switch Ill, have been set in the proper position to determine the length of interconnected articles to be severed from the stringthereoffedfromthemachine Ilandthe starting switch It! of the apparatus has been closed, the motor ll, through the rollers 12 and 81, will feed the string of interconnected articles onto the tiltable table Ill until the ri ht end (Pigs. l, 2 and 4) of the string of interconnected articles engages the vane I21, thereby to shift the switch I" from the position shownin Fig. 11 to open its normally closed contact and close its normally open contact. In the condition shown in Fig. 11. a relay Ill, having contact closing armatures III, I, I and I, is held energized in the circuit from armatide III, through normally closed contact of switch I", normally closed switch II, the winding of the relay, and back to armature I". When switch I" shifts from the position shown, relay I will be held energized over the circuit from the armature III, through its holding armature Ill, and switch 00. Also, when switch I! shifts from the pomtion shown due to the actuation of vane I21, current, through armature I35, will be supplied through switch Ilt, normally open contact and armature. to the solenoid ll, thereby to actuate .the movable knife blade '2. As the knife blade I! complete; its cutting operation, the switch actuating member I" thereon will open switch I. to break the holding path to the relay Ill. As the relay Ill is de-energized, its normally closed contact will engage armature I42 and current will be supplied through closed armature Ill, operated switch I It, armature I42, to a solenoid I connected to a suitable valve system (not shown) for furnishing fluid under pressure to the upper end of the cylinder III. The cylinder H2 will thus draw the piston Ili downwardly to cause the table III to tilt, thereby discharging the cutoff length ,of intercon nected articles from the table onto the apron III. As soon as the table III! has tilted all the way down, it will, through its switch controlling bracket II, close switch I". Switch III will remain closed for a very short interval and, since the cutofl length of string of interconnected arti cles has been discharged from the table I", switch I! will return to normal and re-energize relay III through normally closed contacts of switches III and II. As soon as relay I" is reenergized, a circuit will be completed from. closed armature I38, through armature Ill, closed switch I", to a solenoid I for supplying fluid under pressure to-the lower end of the cylinder Ill, thereby to return the tilting table to its normal position, thus restoring the apparatus to normal. As soon as a new length of interconnected articles has been fed out on to the tilting table I", the switch I" will again be closed and re-initiate the cutting operation and table tilting operation to automatically feed predetermined lengths of interconnected articles out onto the main base member II as fast as the processing machine completes its operations.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for receiving a continuous length of interconnected articles fed thereto at a predetermined constant rate of speed and cutting it to predetermined lengths comprising means for feeding the continuous length, control means operable by said continuous length for controlling said feeding means, a table for receiving said continuous length from the feeding means, means intermediate the table and feeding means for severing a length of said interconnected articles from said continuous length, and means for tilting-the table to discharge said severed length therefrom, said control means including a switch operable by the length of interconnected articles when a surplus length of interconnected articles has been fed to the apparatus to interrupt operation of the feeding means, and a switch operable by the length of interconnected articles when the amount of material fed to the feeding means has been decreased by the feeding means taking up the material faster than it is supplied to the feeding means to initiate operation of the feeding means.

2. An apparatus for forming assemblies of wired together articles comprising means for receiving continuous lengths'of wires having articles attached at intervals therealong and means for cutting predetermined lengths from said continuous lengths comprising a table for receiving said predetermined length, a switch ad- Justably positioned with respect to said table and engageable by the end of a length of said wires fed onto the table and means controlled by said switch for cutting said wires, means controlled by said cutting means for tilting said table to discharge the predetermined lengths of wires from the table, and means controlled by said tilting means for restoring said table to untilted position.

3, An apparatus for receiving a continuous length of wired assemblies and cutting it to predetermined lengths comprising feeding means, a table for receiving said continuous length from the feeding means, a switch positioned for actuation by said length on the table, a cut-off mechanism controlled by said switch for cutting the length on the table from the continuous length, and means controlled by said cut-off mechanism for tilting said table to discharge the cut-oi! length from the table and automatically restore the table to untilted position.

4. The combination with a processing machine for delivering a length of material of a cut-oil mechanism including feed means driven to feed said length of material at a speed faster than it is received from the processing machine, a switch operable under control of the material for initiating operation of the feeding means, means for maintaining said feeding means in operation. a second switch operable by said material for interrupting operation of said feeding means, and means for cutting said material to predetermined lengths maintained operable by said means for maintaining the feeding mechanism operable.

5. In a cut to length apparatus, means for feeding a continuous length of material to said apparatus, a switch actuatable by said length of material, a table for receiving said length of material, means for tilting said table to discharge a length of said material therefrom, a cut-off mechanism operable under control of said switch for cutting the length of material from said continuous length and for controlling the tilting means, and means operable by the table when it is tilted for restoring the table to untilted posi- 6. In an apparatus for cutting predetermined lengths of material from a continuous length thereof comprising feeding means for feeding said continuous length of material, a tiltahle table for receiving a predetermined length of said material, a cut-oil mechanism operable upon the receipt by the table of a predetermined length of said material to out said predetermined length from the continuous length, means operable when said cut-oil mechanism completes its cutting-oi! operation to tilt said table, and means controlled by thetable for restoring the table to untilted position.

7. In a cut-oil mechanism for cutting predeter table, and a switch controlled by the table for initiating restoration of the table to untilted P sition.

8. In a cut-oil mechanism for cutting predetermined lengths of material from a continuous length thereof, a table for receiving a predetermined length of material, cooperating knife blades for cutting said predetermined length of material from a continuous length thereof, means for tilting said table to discharge said predetermined length of material therefrom, and a control circuit for the knife blades and table tiltin mechanism comprising a switch actuated upon receipt by the table of a predetermined length of material for initiating operation of said knife blades, a switch controlled by one of said knife blades for initiating the tilting of the table, and a switch controlled by the table for initiating restoration of the table to untilted position.

' EUGENE L. MALI-HOT.

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