US2365803A - Article assembling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 26, 1944.

E. G. CHAMBERS ETAL 2,365,303

ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOES m H EGY v WWL M W35 6 ER.

Dec. 26, 1944.

E. G. CHAMB ERS ETA 2,365,803 ARTICLE 7 AS SE MBLING' APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE/V TOES E. QCHHMBERS E. B. KLING GASEELEY BY I H ram/Zr 9 4- E. G. CHAMBERS ETAL ARTICLE ASSEMBLING AEPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 16, 1942 /NVEN7.'OE$ 6. (m/nuns E. B. Ku/va G. H. SEELEY A TOENEV Dec. 26, 1944.

'E. G. CHAMBERS HAL 3 3 ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APVPARATUS v 4 Sheefs-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 16, 1942 WWI/.

. YIIL B. Ku/va GA. 81:51.5) C/ X- ram/Ev Patented Dec. 26, 1944 ARTICLE ASSEIWBLING APPARATUS Edwin G. Chambers, Towson, and Ralph B. Kling, and George A. Seeley, Baltimore, Md., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application ()ctober'lfi, 1942, Serial No. 462,282

8 Claims.

This invention relates to article assembling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for assembling a metallic sealing and mounting element on a ceramic body.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple apparatus for expeditiously assembling parts to form an article.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, apparatus is provided for quickly assembling metallic sealing pans and, cork cushioning members to ceramic blocks, wherein a p urality of cooperating clamping blocks are resiliently connected to fixed and movable clamp actuators which are, in turn, positioned to be actuated by fluid pressure operated means to apply pressure to the sealing pan to bend it into clamping engagement with the ceramic block without damaging the block and wherein ceramic blocks of dilTerent lengths may be assembled with corresponding pans and insulators by selectively longitudinally extending grooves taken along the line 22 of Fig. l in the direcclamping elements without a sealing pan, cushion and ceramic blockpositioned on them;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l in the direction of thearrows showing a part of the control mechanism for the clamping blocks whereby they may be disabled when some sizes of ceramic blocks are having an insulator and pan attached to them in the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. l in the direction of the arrows and showing others of the control means for the clamping blocks set in position to' render the clamping. blocks associatedwith them operative;

Fig. 5 is an irregular transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of' Fig. 1

in the direction of the arrows and showing the clamping means in their operated position;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-45 of Fig. 1

in the'direction of the arrows showing a medium sized ceramic block in dot and dash lines placed in the apparatus preparatory to having a pan clamped to it;

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the article which is assembled in the apparatus, part being broken away to conserve space, and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the fluid pres sure circuit for actuating the apparatus.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several views, there is disclosed apparatus for attaching a sealing pan ll (Fig. '7) to the underside of a block l2 of ceramic material to seal the terminal ends of wires'from a cable I3 in a hollow l4 formed in the block I2. The block l2 has mounted on it terminal posts'l5-l 5, to which the wires (not shown) from the cable l3 are to be attached. Sincethe sealingpan H, which is made of sheet metal, is clamped'onto the block l2 there would be a possibility of the block being cracked if the metal pan l l contacted with the block during the assembly thereof and accordingly there is a cork cushion l6 interposed between the sealing pan and the block l2, which cushion is assembled with the sealing pan to the ceramicxblock 12. The block I2 is provided with ll-l'l, into which the edges of the pan H are bent in the apparatus constituting the present invention. In order that the .pan may be readily secured to the block I2, it is preliminarily bent to a substantially U-shaped configuration, as shown in Fig. 2, before being operated upon in the present apparatus. Furthermore, in the apparatus constituting the present invention, the upwardly extending sides of the pan I l are not only bent into clamping engagement with the block l2, but ad- J'acent the ends of the pan H the sides of it are bent over to secure the cork cushion IS in place and to prevent longitudinal movement of the block I! with respect to the pan H.

In the apparatus for performing" these operations there is. provided a table 20, having suitable legs or standards 2 l--2l for supporting it at any convenient height for an operator who is to operate the apparatus. The table Zil is provided with three apertures 22 23 and 24 adjacent its right edge (Fig. 1), through which extend a series of piston rods 25, 2G and 21, respectively, all of exactly the same construction and all extending downwardly to cylinders 28, 29 and 30 (Fig. 8) suitably positioned under the table and pivotally mounted, as shown at 3|, 32 and 33 so that the piston rod and cylinder may rock slightly as fluid is admitted to the cylinders to actuate the piston rods. It should be noted that the cylinders 28, 29 and 36 are of different sizes, since each of them will, in the operation of the apparatus, be utilized to apply a different amount of pressure to moving parts of the apparatus, as will be described hereinafter. The apparatus mounted upon the table 20 is designed 'to simultaneously clamp sealing pans onto two ceramic blocks 2 and is so constructed that the sealing pans of any one of three differentlengths may be readily assembled to correspondingly proportioned blocks l2. As seen most clearly in Fig. 1, the three piston rods 25, 26 and 21 have associated with them, actuator members 34 35 and 36, the size of which is generally proportional to the size of the cylinders 28, 29 and 36, shown in Fig. -8. The actuator members 34, 35 and 36 are each interconnected with their respective piston rod by linkage mechanism of exactly the same.

construction, only one of which will be described .in detail herein. The linkage mechanism interconnecting the piston rod 25 with the actuator 34 comprises a toggle 31 pivotally connected to the piston rod .at the upper end thereof by means of a pin 38 and also pivoted on a push rod 39 by means of a pin 4|). The push rod 39 is fixed to the actuator 34, and the toggle 31 is provided with a-notch 4|, which receives a roller 42 mounted on an extending portion 43 of a slidable bar 44. Thereafter, when the piston rod '25 is moved downwardly, the roller 42 will serve as an abutment about which "the toggle 31 will be rocked. This will result in the actuator 34 being moved to the left and in the bar 44 being drawn to the ri ht (Fig. 2).

The actuator 34 is slidable with respect to the table 20 and .is held in position with respect thereto by a T-shaped bracket 45, which is mounted on or formed integral with the bar 44 and the bar 44 extends under a block 46, suitably attached to the plate '26, the bar 44 being slidable in ways 41 formed in the table 20. From the foregoing it is believed to be apparent that when the piston 25 is'moved downwardly, the bar 44 will be moved to the right and the rod 39 will be moved to the left (Fig. 2), to carry the actuator 34 and .an actuator 48 mounted upon a block 49, which vis, in'turn, secured to the bar 44 toward each other. The actuator 48 hasattached to its right hand surface (Fig. 2), a .strip of soft rubber 56 and the actuator 34 carries a bar having on its left hand surface a similar strip 'of soft rubber 52.

Positioned in alignment with the strips 50 and 52 are two similar strips 53 and 54 mounted upon .a plate 55 secured to the block 46. Each of the strips of rubber 50 52, 53 and 54 has mounted :in abutting relation thereto a series of forming blocks 56 and 51, which will be urged to move relatively toward each other when the actuators 34 and 48 are moved toward each other. The

on pins 6| and are each urged to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by a leaf spring 62 fixed to the pawls 6|] and bearing against a stop pin 63. The pins 6| are ounted at opposite ends of the blocks 51 so that they will properly seat the pan in its transverse position with respect to the apparatus. The stop pins 63 are also mounted in the blocks 51 to properly position the pawls 60.

At the rear end of the apparatus, as viewed in Fig. 1, there is rovided a plate 64 having projections 6565 for locating two pans in the apparatus in position to receive a cork insulator l6 and ceramic block l2. The forward end of the pan is properly positioned by means of a pair of locating fingers 66 and 61 mounted on the ends of a pair of levers 68 and 69, respectively. The levers are mounted upon the upper ends of interposer members 10 and 1|, respectively, which are slidable in bearing portions 12 and 13 of the blocks 49 and 46, respectively. Each of the interposer members 1|) and 1| is provided with a shouder portion 15 and 16, which fits snugly in the bearing portions 12 and 13 and serves to hold the interposer member from being completely removed from its bearing due to the engagement of the upper surface of said shoulder with the actuator 48 and plate (Fig. 3).

When a sealing pan H and cork cushion I6- are to be assembled, the cork cushion is placed on the upper edges of the forming projection 58. .When the ceramic block I2 is pushed down into the sealing pan the cork cushion will be bent around to position between the three surfaces of the pan ii and the block I2. Then, when the piston 25 is moved downwardly, the forming blocks 56 and 51 will be resiliently urged to bend over the upper edges of the vertical portions of the sealing pan into the grooves |1 formed in the block |2. The block |2, in being positioned with respect to the sealing pan II and cork cushion I6,

is set into engagement with a stop 19 (Figs. 1 and 2) which locates it longitudinally and transversely and into engagement with a stop 86, which serves to locate the block transversely of its length. The stops 19 and 88 are so positioned that after the block has been forced down into the pan l|' manually, the upper surface of the block will, as seen most clearly in Figs. 2 and 5, be positioned below the under surface of the stops whereby when the apparatus is operated, the stops will not engage the ceramic block.

The portion of the apparatus described hereinbefore is that utilized for bending the upper edges of the sealing pan into the notches l1 and it will be understood that sealing pans II,

V cork cushion l6, and blocks l2 of three diflerforming blocks 56 and 51 have forming projec- Figs. 2 and 3. The locating pawls 60 are pivoted cut lengths may be assembled two at a time in the apparatus, three sections 8|, 82 and 83 being provided .in each half of the apparatus for as sembling blocks l2, pans II and cushions l6 .of three different lengths. The block I 2, as shown in Fig. 1, is the medium sized block, but it will be understood that a block which extends substantially the length of the section 8| might be assembled by properly setting up the apparatus or that a block the length of sections 8|, 82 and 83 might be assembled by a proper setting of the apparatus. If a block 01' substantially the length indicated by the section 6| is to be assembled, a lever 84 of exactly the same construction as the lever 69 may be set to position transversely of the apparatus, as the lever 69 is shown in Fig. 1, and in that case the lever 84 will serve the same purpose for a shorter length terminal assembly that th lever 69 serves Ior the medium sized assembly. Similarly, the lever 69 may be swung to a position similar to the position shown .for lever 84 if the longest or third size assembly is to be assembled in the apparatus. I

In addition to serving as a positioning means for the sealing pans. to be assembled with blocks I2,the lever. 84 serves, when in th position shown in Fig, 1, to hold the interposer member. 10 in its upper position, due to the fact that the downwardly extending locating fingers 66 and B'Iwill engagethe plate 55 and prevent the interposer member 18 from assuming its lowermost position. In otherwords, the interposer member will beheld in-the position shOWn in Fig. 3. .However, if the lever 84 is movedto position parallel with the lever 69 and a lever 85, similar to lever 68, is moved to position parallel with lever 68, the interposer members 86 and Blassociated with levers84 and 85 will be dropped to a position silmilar to that occupied by the interposer members 10 and II, as shown in Fig. 4, where they will block the movement of cammin-g blocks 88 and 89. With the apparatus arranged as shown in Fig. 1, that is, with the interposer members 86 and 81'held in their raised position and the interposer members 18 and II in their lower positions, the interposers l and H will blockthe movement of cam'ming'blocks 90 and 9I, respectively. The ca'mming blocks 99 and SI andthe camming blocks 88 and 89 are each provided with spring pressed plungers 92, which normally urge forming counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively, about the stop pins63, On which they are pivoted. The levers 93 and 94 carry rollers 91 and 98, respectively, at their lower ends for engaging the inner surfaces of-the camming blocks 99 and 9|, and, thus, if themoveiment of the camrr'iing blocks 90 and 9|. is blocked by their assoin their lowered plungers 92 will and 94 will be rocked about the stop pins 63, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5. It should be noted that the interposer members II and 86 are of exactly the same construction position, the spring pressed and that each of them blocks the movement of the rollers 91 and 98 will be forced to travel downwardly, and, accordingly, the levers 93 and 94 will be rocked to bring their adjacent forming ends down onto the upwardly extending ends of the sealing pan II to bend it to the position shown at 99 and I00 in Figs. 5 and 7. When the interposer members I0, TI, 88 or 8'! are in their upper position, the camniing blocks 88, 89, 90 and BI will be free to move and will not cause the forming levers 93 and 94 to operate. How" ever, theforming levers at the front and rear of the apparatus will operate each time their associate- d actuators 34 or 36 are operated since their rollers 9'! and 98 engage stationary blocks it!) and I23.

Thus the forming levers 93 and 94 act asselectively operable means for overforming portions of the sealing pan or metallic member I I beyond the ends of the ceramic member I2.

levers'93 and 94 to rock .ciated interposer members 10, H, 85 or 8? being be depressed and the levers 93 i It will be'understood that with the construction described hereinbefore, any one of three different lengths of terminal assemblies may be assembled in the apparatus by properly adjustin the levers 84, 85, 68 and 69 and that two similar assemblies may be formed in the apparatus at one time. When the levers 8,4 and 85 are set in their position extending transversely of the apparatus, only the cylinder 28 should be supplied with fluid under pressure and, accordingly, valves I04 and I05should be closed to prevent the flow of fluid tothe cylinders 29 and 30. However, if the apparatus is set up as shown in Fig. 1, the valves I04 and I05 should be opened and valves I06 and I 01 should be closed so that fluid under pressure will be supplied to the cylinders 28 and 29. If it is desired to assemble the longest terminal assembly capable of being assembled in the apparatus, valves I04, I05, I06 and I0! should all be opened and the levers B8 and 69 should be shifted to position parallel with the position shown for levers 85 and 86 in Fig. 1.

Fluid under pressure may be supplied to the apparatus'through a supply line I08 and through two hand-operatedvalves I09 and H9, both of. which must be held operated by the operator's hands in order to insure that the operator'will not get his hands caught in theapparatus. In addition to the valves I09 and M8 in the fluid supply line I08, there is provided a treadle actuated valve III, which must also be operated to supply the fluid under pressure to operate the cylinders 28, 29 and 30. This valve also controls the release of fluid from the cylinder after it has performed an assembling operation. While the apparatus has been described as one in which three-different lengths of terminal assemblies may be assembled, it will be understoodthat further sections might be added to'those shown at 8|, 82 and 83' for assembling more sizes of assemblies. However, in the operation of the apparatus as shown, an operator may select which ones of the three cylinders 28, 29 and 30 is to be operated, may

' set the valves as described hereinbefore, may set the levers 85, 8'6, 68 and 99 to correspond with the setting of the valves and thereb set the apparatus to assemble any one of the three sizes of assemblies, two at a time.-

What is claimed is:

1. An article assembling apparatus comprising a plurality of groupsof bending blocks, means individual to each group of blocks for resiliently supporting it, an'actuator for each of said means resiliently supporting a group of the bending blocks, means for supplying power to said actuators, and selectively operable means to control the supply of power to the actuators.

2. An article assembling apparatus comprising a plurality of fluid actuated devices, a common source of fluid under pressure, means selectively operable to direct said fluid under pressure to one or more of said fluid actuated devices, a series of forming members resiliently connected to each of the fluid actuated devices, a stationary block, and a series of forming members resiliently connected to said stationary block for oooperation with the first mentioned forming members to bend a metallic member into gripping engagement with a frangible member.

3. In an apparatus fOr simultaneously assembling two frangible members with two metallic members, a stationary block, a series of forming members supported by said block, resilient means the forming members and to adapt the apparatus said block, a. pair of oppositely movable actuators, a seriesv of forming members supported. by said actuators, resilient means interposed between the. forming members and the actuators, and a single. fluid actuated lever for imparting movement to said actuators to move them toward the station. my block and simultaneously bend thev metallic members into gripping. engagement. with the. frangible members.

4. In an apparatus for simultaneously assembling two frangible members with two metallic members, a stationary block, a series of forming members supported by said block, resilient means interposed between the forming members and said block, a pair of oppositely movable actuators, a series of forming members supported. by said actuators, resilient means interposed between the forming members and each of the actuators; a single fluid actuated lever for imparting movement to said actuators to move them toward the stationary block and simultaneously bend. the metallic members into. gripping engagement with the frangible members, and selectively operable means individual to each of said actuators for crimping the ends of said:- metallic members ad jacent the ends of the frangible members.

5. In an apparatus for assembling a metallic sealing panand a cork cushion on a ceramic block, a series of forming members extending longitudinally of said ceramic block, a pair of actuators one for each of a series of forming members, resilient means interposed between each of said actuators. and said forming. members associated with it, and fluid actuated means for imparting movement to one of. said actuators through the-resilient means to the iorming'members to apply a substantially equal pressure to each. ofsaidforming members to bend. the seal-- ing pan and cork cushion into gripping engagement with the ceramic block: without the ceramic block.

6. In an apparatus for assembling ceramic members with metallic members, a. series of re.- siliently mounted forming members, means for: imparting relative movement to said resiliently mounted forming members to form the metallic member into gripping engagement: with the co.- ramic member, and selectively operable: means for overforming portions of the metallic member beyond the ends of: the-ceramic. member.

7:. Inan apparatus for assembling cerami members with metallic members, a. series or resiliently mounted forming members, means. for imparting relative movement to said resiliently mounted forming members to form. the metallic member into gripping engagement with the cc.- ramic member, selectively operable; means. for overiorming portions ofthe metallic. member be yond the.- ends of the ceramic membenand inter poser members settable to cause predetermined ones of. said overforming members: to. operates 8. In an. apparatus for assembling; ceramic members: with metallic members, a. series of. re siliently mounted. forming members, means. for imparting relative movement. to said resiliently mounted forming members to form the metallic member into gripping engagement with the cc. ramic member, selectively operable means for overforming portionsv of. the metallic;v me'mber. beyond the ends of the ceramic member, interposer members settable. to cause predetermined; ones of said overforming members to. operate, and slide able. camming blocks cooperatingv with the interposer members, said interposer; members cooperating with said slidable camming blocks to effeet the actuation. of said overforming means.

RALlEI-I B. KL-ING. GEORGE A.v SEELEY.'. EDWIN G. CHAMBERS".

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