US2774130A

US2774130A - Insulation stripping applicator and methods of application

Info

Publication number: US2774130A
Application number: US351158A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl E Folkenroth
Original assignee: Aircraft Marine Products Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1953-04-27
Filing date: 1953-04-27
Publication date: 1956-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1973-12-18
Also published as: NL89469C; GB756496A; BE528394A; DE1057192B; DE1114234B; FR1097113A; CH330998A; NL185510B

Description

E. E. FOLKENROTH 2,774,130 INSULATION STRIPPING APPLICATOR AND METHODS OF APPLICATION Dec. 18, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27. 1955 INVENTOR, 151/94 A T/ 5; Ira/veer.

M m/W ATTORN 6:

Dec. 18, 1956 FOLKENROTH 2,774,130

INSULATION STRIPPING APPLICATOR AND METHODS OF APPLICATION Filed April 27. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z2 x 3 -29 29 I. I I i 1 -1 LL 0 /4 INVENTOR 3 a a I V M 62 5061 E 5LKNP0HV ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 18, 1956 E. E. FOLKENROTH 2,774,130

INSULATION STRIPPING APPLICATOR AND METHODS OF APPLICATION '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 27, 1953 INVENILOR [11/94 E. 5/. A zA/eon/ United States Patent INSULATION STRIPPING APPLICATOR AND METHODS OF APPLICATION Earl E. Foikenroth, Harrisburg, Pa., assignor to Aircraft- Marine Products Inc., Harrisburg, Pa. 7

Application April 27, 1953, Serial Nassinss 15 Claims. c1. 29-335 This invention is related to apparatus for applying electrical connectors to insulated wire and comprises a novel combination of means for stripping a portion of the insulation from an insulated wire and for pressurecrimping connectors onto such wires.

Electrical connectors with wire-engaging ferrule portions have for some time been applied to wires and conductors by compressing the ferrule portion and an insulation-stripped wire portion inserted therein between crimping dies which forge the assembly compactly together.

Automatic connector applying machines, such as disclosed and claimed in Carlson Patent No. 2,396,913, issued March 19, 1946, have been developed in many forms; they utilize continuous strips ofconnector-forrning' portions by severing portions from the strip and crimping them as connectors or terminals onto wires at rates measured in hundreds, or even thousands, of connections per hour.

There have been various production line arrangements of machines for pressure-applying connectors and machines which cut measured lengths of insulated wire from a reel and prepared the ends of the cut lengths for insertion into the connector-applying machines; there have been other, more complicated machines in which insulated wires were hated and connectors thereafter applied at the bared portions. All of these were complex, costly, and limited in application. Stranded wire conductors are in common use and demand; in the machines of the prior art it has happened too frequently that between the V Stripping operation and the connector applying operation a strand or two would be unintentionally bent or dislodged from parallelism with the main bundle of stripped strands with the result that the bent or dislodged strands would not be caught and crimped inside the connector barrel or ferrule. This gave two main sources of trouble: (1) the cn'mped connection would not be up to full strength or quality because of less metal inthe crimped cross section than the-dies had been adjusted to close upon and (2) the strand or two not caught in the crimp could cause short circuits and arcing when theequipment went into use. My invention provides a commercially feasible automatic machine having insulation-stripping means that operate automatically and substantially simultaneously with a connector crimping operation so as to overcome the disadvantages inherent in the prior art.

An object of this invention is to'provide simple, compact, and inexpensive apparatus for pressure-crimping electrical connectors onto insulated wire which obviates the preliminary operation :of stripping away' a portion of the insulation, and/or the use of elaborate insulationstripping apparatus. 1 accomplish this object by providing a novel combination of insulation-stripping means and connector crimping dies such that an insulated wire inserted into the apparatus is automatically and almost simultaneously bared of insulation and the bared portion positioned in or operably near the wire-engaging portion 2,774,130 Patented Dec. 18, 1956 of a connector and then promptly crimped therein to form a secure connection. Other objects consist of providing means to perform these steps which is adapted to use in a standard press means of ordinary power and which further may be completely operated by a single operating cycle of such press means. Another object is to provide apparatus which meets all of the above Objects and which further is readily adaptable to different press means, different types and sizes of wire, and diiferent electrical connectors. Another object is to accomplish all of the above objects in a fashion. which cooperates with the automatic connector feeding .and severing means in automatic connector-applying machines. A major objective resides inthe provision of a commercially feasible single-cycle stripper-cn'mper assembly containing a readily accessible wire gathering region and which will automatically and substantially instantaneously carryout a stripping and connector-applying operation whenever a wire is thrust into the wire gathering region. 'Yet other objects and novel advan-' tages will be in part pointed out as the description proceeds and in part will become apparent therefrom.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings I have shown and described a'preferred embodiment of my invention and suggested-various modifications thereof; but it is to be understood that these are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting ofthe invention but, on the contrary, are given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the artmayfully' understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner cator mounted in a preferred press means, adjacent parts I of the press means; beingshown' and other parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of theapplicator and press means as they are shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a back elevational view taken as indicated at 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken as indicated at 44 in Fig. 2; j

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken as .indicated at 55 in Fig. 1; l i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged expanded isometric view of my novel wire stripping means with other portions of the applicator omitted for clarity; L

Fig; 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken at the line.77 of Fig. 1;

'Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 7 but showing the parts as they would appearat the bottom dwell of a "crimping cycle of the press means;

Fig. 9 shows in side elevation a portion of a strip of connectors used in the-applicator; and

Fig. 10 shows a wire after insertion into the tgire gathering region of the machine with a connector'applied toits stripped end' These drawings illustrate different aspects of. a preferred form of my novel applicatoran assembly which, driven by adequate press means, applies a connector to an insulated wire after first stripping the insulation from the wire to give a consistently high quality, low-unit-cost connection. The applicator shown was adaptedto use on ewa tromthe crimping-area; I:

a standard series of commercially available automatic connector applying machines. These machines are powered by a compressed air cylinden'have readily interchangeable cn'mping dies, and a readily adjustable mechanisni for feeding a strip o'f con'neetors into the applicator; further disclosure of typical presses may be obtained by reference 'to the cop'ending applications of. Harold Ej Cootes, Serial'No. 65,645 and George J. Handel, Jr., SerialNo. 65,646fboth filed'December' 16; 1948.1 7

'The accompanying drawings include a showing of ad jacent' parts of the air press means disclosed in these ap "lower die illustratively consists of an anvil 18 having a crimping surface 20 which cooperates withthecrimping surfaceZZonthe upper die or'crirnper 24; The crimper'; 24 shown is of that type having a deep channel-like'cavity.

, whose side walls 'ZJare adapted to slide frictionally. alongplications, and Fig. 2 shows thefeed finger'112 and drag V plate 144 of the connector strip'feed mechanism on these 7 machines. "l

The strips of connectors used in these and other auto-V matic machines generally consistof individual connectors formed from a'contin'uous strip of sheet r'netais'tock' commonly with sma'll' joining portions of the stock left to hold the connectors together. In machines such as exemplified by Carlson Patent No. 2,396,913, the strip is fed the strip in the crimping area of the machine, between a .pair of opposed crimping dies, whereupon the end connector issevered from thestrip andc rim'ped onto" a wire." This automatic feeding, severing and crimpin'g of the 7 connectors permits the operator merelyto insert a wire a into aconnection-formingregion thus to start the power stroke of the machine; ]Where the connectors have 'chantubular ferrules, the die means and ferrules portions may 1 intermittently tolocate repeatedly the end connector'of gether, as is shown'in Fig. 8.;

the upturned side walls jof the channel-like' ferrule- 'forming portion '16 of the end connector Klhiand, with the crimping surface 22, to curl these side walls 39 over to gather'fa wire end, such as ,that of the'representative wire 32, in the ferrule channel, as'the crimper 24"moves down over the anvil 18. The final'movement of the downwardstroke of the ram 46 then presses the connector side walls 3fi' and the enclosedwire end compactly to-' n; Figs.r2, 7 and 8 there is shown'spaced behind the-Y crimper 24 a shear blade 34 which cooperates with shear edges on thefeed table 29 at thetop of plates 36 and 38' mounted on the bed 62 to cut awayfthe joining portion 15 (Fig 5) between the end connector 14av and the adjacent connector in the strip; thus severing the end connector 14h from the strip asthe rarn'46 moves downwardly and crimper 24 crimp'si'the 'connector ferrule 1i nel-like ferrule forming portionsfrather than completed;

be adapted so :to cooperatethaEthesides'of the lfer'rule channel scrape the sides' of a Icrimping-die'having sea V net-like cavity togather into the ferrule a'wireend merely placed betweenitSand -this die cavity. Thisfcooperation' is morelfully disclosed Macy-Patents Nos. 2,557,126

The applicator shown in the drawin gs 'is adapted for V usewith a:strip"12 of connectors l t-having channel-like ferruleforming portions =16; use of other connector wireengagingv portions Vwill' readily occur to" those'skilled in" Figs. 1 through sishow a machinepress means which includes a rugged casting 26 in which a ram fi-is constrained to'vertica l movement by guide .faces 48and 50 (seen Fig 2 of the casting 26and an end plate 52. VA

' jacent ,connector withoutlthe removal 'of a joining portion 40 anda wirefstripper assembly indicated generally"at? 42' (Figs; I and 12), the "wire'ielanip, bein'gifa'rr'ang'ed" to. grip and pull'fo'rward a wire 32'i' portion onto a wire. Shearing" bypressiinga i'end offth e'nd connectordownwardly away fromthe'supported ad 5 3 also be used, permitting riiore'lecono'mical useof: a strip sheetpmetall st0cfk,iasin theisftripshown in figure Mygpreferred torm of wre nigpin mechanismcon sists of a wire clar'nping" assembly indicated generally erted througli it} The f l V 1 gripping and pulling acer asitheram, Qde'scendsQjaS WiH; a r W be described in greater detail, to accomplish thestripping. T Thewire clamping assembly 40 consists of'a wire clamp pivot block 44 which is mounted by recessed bolts :54 to the ram 46, which bolts also'clan p'the crimper 24and the'shear blade 34iinrpla'ce on'the ram 46. A wireecl'amp' V a I pedestal on;the casting 26 forms a support" for an ad-' 'justahle, bed 62-. iupon which the lower parts of the appli- V cator assembly are mounteds In this preferred form of press means the parts normally occupy the relativepositions' shown in Figs-,li and '2 when the ram 46 is, at the 7 top of its stroke: Part snot shown, an'air cylinder, bell V crank, and toggle lirikidriv'e the ram 46ldownwardly to V wardthebed 62 when theeopleratonaetuates the machine.

Also as the ram-46 moves downwardly, strip-feed finger 'll2 ii(Fig. i2l) ;is-p withdrawn to thei right to engage the connector adjacent the end connector l igz currently being 7 'crimped.f Parts"noe shown-spring bias theifeed finger 112'downwardly and forwardly (to thel'ettin'Fi'g. 2), and f causevthis finger'ln to-droplhehind this next-connector and' t o index the 511113 121 forwards-one connector length when the w rarn'; 461 ascends after ,acrimping operation,- placing the next V connectoriin position, to'be' crimped.

Thelwithdrawal of the feed i ing er IlZisaccomplished by V a eanisurface on theram @46-which 'drivesa push rod} 1 fand. thus the feednie'chanis'm in the withdrawal movement. 1 A .drag plate" 144-(-Fig.f2);;is ;Spring loaded downwardly upon'the strip 12; preventing it frorn' sliglingjback cient forjthe, present application.

' pins 57 which ridefin earn 5101 55255111 lft fa'nd 'right side L V a cams-70 and 72frespectivelyg mounted on the press bed 7 holder 56 has a laterallytransverse'guideway 58, in which" two wire'clamp'jaws 64fand 661 are disposed; and is bifurq cated 'into a clevis having two arms 68 which jfit'over" theiends of pivot block 44am are pivotally held thereon by pivot pin 45. Extending laterally .outwardl from each 7,

side of wire clampjholder 516 at its lower endare follower V V lowers comprise outer itlat j suffaces fil d' posedhetwee The strip 12 is fl o held 7 V V assembly- 40' is' drivenfdownwardlj; the foIlower pins T j5 a guiding the clamp jaws 64and6 away from thecrirnping' dies Z4 and ls' while' cam sur faces w drivetheelamp jaws 5 V downwardly With the ramA5; mounted 'o'nia support block 73-which in turii'is' mounted 'onthe lbed 62,:whilethe' support block fi for the left sid cam-:is" also a holderl'for; the anVil -IS.i 5 I and;;pull it Figs; land 6f show h ow ascen jawsf64: a some; i their outer ends; formed 'into carhjffoliowersr lead facesrfi5 which slopejriwardly atarigle'spf about 4-5 The fla t surfacesf63 aridlleadfaces*nieet; at an angleiof about 3'5? tror nthe horizontal-L- and 12; ry V posed to engage-leadiaces 6S sass The wire cla ps 64 and'66fhaveopposed;wire g surfaces5 9fa r i fl 61;fThesesurfacesi are ads to j V V reinserted etherebetween fh' wrreclamp a -spring?! jaws andei jlj; are urgeddaterally apart-v by disposed between riejce ssedareas in the adjacent t-acesfof; r r 7 these jaws. As thera'm 46 descends,-the;entire wire 'clarnp 1 a 64 and 66 laterally together to grip a wire 32 inserted between them.

The wire-stripper assembly 42 includes a wire stripper guide block 76 mounted on the upper surface of the bed 62, left and right

wire stripper blades

78 and 80 slidably disposed in a stripper blade guideway 82 in the guide block 76, left and right stripper blade rocker arms 84 pivotally mounted to the guide block at 86, two follower rollers 88 on pivot pins 96 at the upper ends of rocker arms 84, and two stripper blade drive pins 92 extending from the lower end of arms 84 through short vertical slots 93 in

blades

78 and 80. The rollers 88 and the upper portions of arms 84 are urged together by a spring 91 between the pivots 90 of the two rollers 38, thus urging apart the two drive pins 92 and

stripper blades

78 and 80. The rollers 88 are thus abutted against the lower corners of the ram 46 (see Figs. 3 and 4) when the ram is at rest; spring 91 pulls the rollers partly around the corners and spaces them apart slightly less than the width of the ram 46 so that the descent of the ram causes the two rollers 88 to move laterally apart as the ram 46 passes between them; therollers 88' ride on the lateral faces of the ram 46 as it completes its descent. The rocker arms are thereby rotated about pivots 86 and the

stripper blades

78 and 80 are driven together by drive pins 92.

The stripper blades 73 and 86) have semicircular conical insulation cutting and stripping edges 77 (Figs. 5 and 6) and mating a'ngularly disposed wire guiding surfaces 79. These wire guiding surfaces '79 are arranged so that those on each blade overlap those of the other blade. When the

blades

78 and 80 are closed to their wire stripping position by the descent of the ram 46 the surfaces 79 guide the wire to be stripped into the desired position for proper stripping. The angular guiding surfaces 79 center each wire between the insulation cutting and stripping surfaces 77 as the

blades

78 and 80 are closed and minimize any likelihood that a strand of the metal conductor may be nicked or unintentionally removed during the stripping operation.

In many commercial applications it is desirable that the electrical connections be of a quality higher than would be apt to result where even a single fine strand of the conductor had been removed during the stripping operation. This is because the crimping dies are designed to function, and do function, to extremely fine tolerances and where a strand has been removed from the conductor in the region of the crimp there is less metal present in the crimped region than the crimping assembly was adjusted for and accordingly a correspondingly inferior crimp results. Where quality connections are desired a metal-sensing unit may be employed in combination with the stripper. Such a unit may operate on capacitance or magnetic flux principles whereby the presence of a strand of copper, for example, in the removal insulation sheath in passing through a region within the sensitivity of the unit will unbalance a circuit to stop the machine or give a visible or audible signal to an attendant indicating that the' conductor in the machine no longer has the proper cross section of conductive metal in the region of the'crimp.

By stripping and crimping in a single operationI eliminate any chance that a strand from a stripped end may be bent and of parallelism with the main bundle of strands to a position where it may miss the'ferrule portion or barrel of a later-applied connector or terminal; accidental bending back of a strand or two is bad not only because the optimum cn'mped connection cannot result but also because a loose strand or two projecting from the insulation sheath at the mouth of the terminal may cause serious electrical disturbances through short circuits, arcing, etc., later on when the equipment is in use; this dif iculty I overcome by my combined stripping and crimping operation which eliminates all opportunity for any strand to be unintentionally bent from parallelism with every other strand of the bundle. By combining a metal-sensing unit arranged to detect every piece of removed insulation which includes any of the electrical conductor I eliminate any chance of a low quality crimp because less than the total number of strands have been left by the stripper.

In the rest (upper) position of the ram, the elements are as shown in Figs. 1 through 7 and feed finger 112 has been pulled forward to locate properly the end connector 14a over the anvil 18 as described above. The

wire clamp jaws

64 and 66 are open and the stripper blades 78 and are being urged apart by

springs

67 and 91 respectively. The crimper 24 is so elevated that an insulated wire may be inserted between the gripping surfaces 59 and 61 of the

wire clamp jaws

64 and 66 through the channel-like cavity. of the crimper and between the

wire stripper blades

78 and 80. A wire stop 94 is advantageously disposed behind the

stripper blades

78 and 80 at a distance from their cutting edges 77 equal to the length of bare wire needed for a particular connection. With the inserted insulated wire 32 abutted against this stop a cycle of the press is started and the ram 46 begins todescend. Preferably this stop will be not shown on the drawing in order to simplify the show-- ing, but is mounted and related to the other parts shown in thesame way as is now ordinary in such sensitive switch controls in automatic machinery.

Theinitial descent of the ram 46 drives rollers 88 laterally outward and thus drives the insulation cutting edges 77 of the stripper ;

blades

78 and 80 through the insulation sheath 33 of the wire 32 as shownin Fig. 7 and maintains these edges 77 abutted together and slidably abutted against the conductive wire core as rollers 88 roll on the descending ram' 46. The wire clamp holder 56 is driven down by the ram 46. and guided longitudinally outwardly by follower pins 57 in cam slots 55, the initial descent also driving

cam followers

63 and 65 of the

wire clamp jaws

64 and 66 past the cam surfaces 71' of side earns 70 and 72, closing the

jaws

64 and 66 to grip the wire 32 between their surfaces 59 and 61. Thus the wire 32 is gripped and pulled away from and out of the

stripper'blades

78 and 80, leaving the thus severed end portion of the wire insulation 33 behind the stripper blades and bringing forward a Wire 32 with a baredend portion. This operation necessarily leaves every strand in parallelism in a compact bundle ready to be embraced as a unit by the ferrule or barrel of a connector. Meanwhile, the crimper 24 is also being driven toward'the anvil'18 as the wire 32 is being drawn through the crimping cavity side walls 28. V

The gripped wire 32 is pulled forward by the cam surfaces 55 until it clears the stripper assembly, at'which point the cam followers 57 are approximately at the bend in surfaces 55.

Further downward movement of the ram 46 causes wire clamp holder 56 to center the stripped end of the wire in' the terminal 14a. The side walls 28 of the crimper cavity are scraped by the side walls 30a of the end connector 14a .uponfurther descent'of the ram and the .ferrule portion .formed'by these side walls curls around the bared bundle of strands of the conductor.

The final travel, or bottoming, of the ram 46 compresses the parts togetherto form a secure connection as shown in Figs. 8 and 10.

As the ram rises, the wire with its newly attached 5 of the connector strip 12 are 7' t pushed away from the strip by shear blade 34 in cooperation with shear plate 36 and slug plate 38 during the crimping operation and are ejected through an opening 95 in bed 62 The stripped portions of 'wire'insulation fall through the opening 96in guide block 76 and may ultimately be blown out of the applicator by such means as'an air jet (not: shown) timed to release a blast of air after'the metal-sensing: if any, and as the ram ascends. Insuch-a fashion as thisth'e applicator is kept clearofwaste. From theforegoin'g it will belseen that wire stripping and crimping means made in accordance with the present invention is well adapted to'attain the ends andobjects hereinbefore set forth and to bef'economically' manu factured since theyare suitable for common production methods and are susceptible to a wide latitude of variations as may be desirable in adapting the invention'to different applications. a i V As various embodiments may be made of the above invention and as changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted. as illustrative and not in alirniting sense. I

I claim: t V l. Amachine for applying connectors to thefend of an insulated wire comprising wire insulation stripping'rneans and connector crimping mean's both disposed closely adjaeent int-a single operatingzone, operating 'ram means 7 positioned to engage the crimping means andactuate it:

'to crimpja connector positioned therein, means engaging 1 sa d ram with' said stripping means during a positive stroke of'sard ram before'the dies are driven into crimp} ingen'gagement with'a connectorQmeans to'feed a con- -nector'1nto;posit1on for crimping by said crimping means, mean to move a wire from thestripping'position to the crimping position and insert its stripped endinto a -connector disposed in said crimping means," means actuatedby said ram cooperate said wire moving means during the same operating strolr'e of the ram means, but

7 eafter' 'the wirestripping means has been operated and, t prior to the crimping of said connector. i a I 2; ln a machine for automatically applying an electrical connector onto the end of an insulated wire means for substantially simultaneously stripping the .insula'tionfrom a'base and ram structure having vi'nou 'itecl thereonwire insulation stripping means and connector crimping die means; operative means between said stripping and crimp ing means for operating said stripping means beforethe 'ling eachidownwar'd stroke offsaidram structure p "3. In a. machine for automatically crimpingv arf elsetrical connect'or .onto' the end ofla'n insulated wire the nema 8 sulated' wire, comprising press'm'eans; upper and lower" crimping dies adapted to be driven together to a crimping position and retracted to a rest positionby said press means;- stripping means to at least-partially sever the insulation sheath'of an'insulated wire inserted therein at a connector-accepting distance from the end of the wire and to remove the severed end portion of insulation when the remainder of the wire is pulled therefromgi t .clamp'm'eans to grip the wire, pull it away from said.

stripping means, and'p'lace the stripped end of the wire' in a connectorbetwe'en said crimping dies prior to the crimping action thereof, and to release said wire afterthe crimping'action of said crimping dies; and operating means for se'quentially actuating said stripping means,;

- clamp means and'criinping dies byone operating cycle of said press means. 7 r

t 5. Apparatus for applying. electrical connectors to in sulated' wire comprising press means, upperrand loweri crimping Idies adapted to be driven together to a crimping position and retracted to a rest position b yisaid press.

means; stripping means to at least partially 'sever, the insulation sheath of 'an insulatedtwire inserted therethrough at aconnector-accepting distanee from the end 7 of the Wire and to retain the severed endportionof insulationagai nst a tensile pull on the remainder of'the wire, clamprneans to grip the wire, pull it awayfrom'said stripping means, and place the stripped end of the wire 7 in a connector between said crimping dies prior to thecrimping action thereof, and to releasethe wire v after the crimping action of said crimping dies, and connector:

6. Apparatus for applying electrical eonnectors to ine; ts ulated wires comprising press means, a pair ofconnector-crimpingdies positioned to'be operably driven by said I press means, a wire stripper having wire-insulation cutting blades, a wire clamp having-wire-gripping jaws, said wire' clamp, said wire stripperand said dies being positioned the wire and crimping 'a connector thereon comprising f combination eta single operatin'g'zoneladaptdtoreceive therein the endofawire; a strip feeding means fortfeeding a stripbf connectors, oneiconnector length'at a-Itirne,

. into said gone; ram means positioned within said zoner,

for actuation in that order by said pressmeains, whereby said wire is, gripped by the clamp, titstinsulation': sheath a i *is cut by the stripper blades, the remainder. of tth'e Wire is. drawn by said wire clamp to remove said cut insula tion and to locate its stripped'end in a connector positioned I between said crimping dies and the dies :are :forced to-' gether for the crimping operation, and means to release a V said'wire clamp on the return stroke of said press mea'nsQ i 7.'fApparatus for applyingjelectricalconnectors to ini sulated wire comprisingfthe combinationgof a frame,

upper. and lower crimping diesmountedon said a frame;

at leastjo'ne"beingmovablet-withrespect to thedtlier, wirefc'lamp mean mounted in said'apparatus to one sidef of said dies, and a wire stripper mounted in said appara- V tus en the opposite side of said 'di'es from said jclarnp,

, saidclamp and said wire stripperieach havingat least crimping dics' operatively associated withtsaidrram-means t'o crimp the erid corine'ct'or' ofsaid stripj wire insulation stripping means positioned in said zone in operative relation with said'ram means so as to be actuated priorlto said crimping-dies in each cycle of operation; and wire 7 guidingmeans positioned withinsaidt Zone in operative relation with said ram means to movesaid wire fromfsaid wire strippingineans into the ferrul elof theend'connector {of a connector and compactedt'ther'ewith" a substan-r' tially solid mass n in the same stroke; I r

4. Apparatus for. applying electrical connectors toiintwo 'n irefengaging members atleastone fofwhich ismov a'ble toward the'other to' a wire-engaging positionand r t awaytherefrom; to an open; positiomfmeans-associated -withjmovable'onevofzsaid dies to 'actuate said'clainp and 7 said wire-stripper to. their respective wire-engaginglposi f; 1 'itions just before one die 'closesEwith the other andgto open said wire engaging members when saidt 'dies are separated, and carn means associated with'said dies to r move said wire clamp means away fromtsaid wire stripper after both are in wire iengaging positionbut before said dies are fullylclosed together, and'reciprocating a means driving said dies'and said connectedpartsL ofsaid strip upon actuation of said machine whereby'an 8} Apparatus for applyingelectrical connectors to in sulated'wire comprising press means hairinguppeiand lower die holders at least one of fwhich is reciprocable between a pressure applying position andarestpositionf upper'andlowercrimpingjdies mounted on :Sflidinpp'er and loweridie vholdersfrespectivelyyia' wire clamping gs a sembly, a wire stripping assembly, and a wire stop disposed between said upper and lower dieholders and adjacent said wire stripping-assembly; said wire clamping assembly having wire-gripping members forming a Wire-receiving aperture therebetween and said wire stripping assembly having insulation-stripping blades forming a wire-receiving aperture therebetween, said wire-gripping members and said insulation-stripping blades being movable between closed, wire-engaging position and open wire-releasing position; motion transmitting means between at least one of said die holders and said wire clamping and wire stripping assemblies to cause said wire-gripping members and said insulation-stripping blades to close on'and operably engage an insulated wire inserted through said wire-receiving apertures when said reciprocable die holder is moved to its pressureapplying position, and further motion transmitting means driven by at least one of said die holders to cause said wire clamping and wire-stripping assemblies to be moved farther apart relative to each other when said reciprocable die holder is moved to its pressure-applying position.

9. Apparatus for applying electrical connectors to insulated wire comprising the combination of upper and lower die holders having upper and lower crimping dies mounted respectively thereon; at least one of said die holders being movable with respect to the other enabling the dies to be driven together to a crimping position and retracted to a rest position, said dies having crimping surfaces which may thus be closed to a crimping position and retracted to leave a longitudinally directed aperture therebetween for receiving a wire and a connector; a wire stripper mounted on one of said die holders and having insulation stripping blades which are adapted to be closed to a wire-stripping position and opened to a rest position in which a wire-receiving aperture is left therebetween; a wire clamping assembly spaced from said stripper on the opposite side of said dies, said clamping assembly having wire gripping members which are adapted to be closed to a wire-gripping position and opened to a rest position in which a wire-receiving aperture is left therebetween; the wire-receiving apertures of said wire clamping assembly and wire stripper being longitudinally aligned with said die crimping surfaces in the rest position; means movably mounting said wire gripper in said apparatus with its wire-gripping members movable toward and away from said crimping dies longitudinally of said wire; cam means associated with One of said die holders and cam follower means on said wire clamping assembly to close said clamping assembly to wire-gripping position and to move said assembly away from said dies when said die holders are moved together to said crimping position; and second cam means mounted on the other of saidtdie holders and cam follower means connected to said wire stripping blades to close said blades to their wire stripping position when said die holders are moved toward their crimping position.

10. Apparatus for applying electrical connectors to insulated wire comprising the combination of press means; upper and lower die holders mounted on said press means, said die holders having upper and lower crimping dies mounted respectively thereon; at least one of said die holders being movable with respect to the other of said die holders enabling the dies to be driven together to a crimping position and retracted to a rest position by said press means, said dies having crimping surfaces which may thus be closed to a crimping position and retracted to leave a longitudinally directed wire and connector-receiving aperture therebetween; a wire stripper mounted on one of said die holders and disposed longitudinally to one side of said dies, said wire stripper having stripping blades which are adapted to be closed to a wire-stripping position and opened to a rest position in which a wire-receiving aperture is left therebetween; a

wire clamping assembly disposed longitudinally away from said stripper on the opposite side of said dies, said clamping assembly having wire gripping members which are adapted to be closed to a wire-gripping position and opened to a rest position in which a wire-receiving aperture is left therebetween; a wire stop disposed longitudinally beyond said wire-receiving aperture; the wire-receiving apertures of said wire clamping assembly and wire stripper in the rest position being arranged along a common line of insertion for the wire; said wire clamping assembly being movable vertically toward said lower die holderand laterally away from said dies; cam means mounted on one of said die holders and cam follower means mounted on said wire clamping assembly engaging said cam means to move said wire gripping members thus laterally away from said dies when said die holders are moved toward said crimping position; means on said upper die holder connecting it to said wire clamp to move it with said die holders toward said crimping position; second cam means and follower, one associated with said wire-gripping members and one with the die holders to close them to wire-gripping position when said die holders are moved to said crimping position; third cam means operatively associated with one of said die holders; follower means, operatively linked to said stripping blades to close said blades to their wire-stripping position when said die holders are moved together to said crimping position.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 which further comprises connector feeding means to place an electrical connector in position to be crimped onto a wire by said crimping dies during the cycle of operation of said press means.

12. In a machine for applying electrical connectors to the ends of insulated wires, the combination comprising a base plate portion, a ram structure mounted to move to and from a position adjacent said base plate portion, a pair of crimping dies mounted on said base plate portion and ram structure to crimp a connector and wire placed therebetween when said ram structure is brought 7 to its position adjacent said base plate portion, a pair of wire insulation stripping blades mounted on said base plate portion and each carrying thereon a cam follower roll adapted to engage said movably mounted ram structure to move said blades to and from an insulation severing position, a pair of wire gripping blocks mounted in a yoke on said ram structure on the opposite side of said dies from said insulation stripping blades, said blocks, dies and insulation stripping blades being longitudinally aligned to form a wire end receiving cavity, a pair of cam surfaces mounted on said base plate portion, a corresponding pair of cam follower rolls mounted on said yoke and adapted to engage said cam slots, a pair of cam surfaces mounted on said base plates to engage the ends of said Wire gripping blocks mounted in said yoke, said wire gripping blocks being forced together by said cam surfaces and moved longitudinally away from said wire stripping blades by said cam slots when said ram structure is moved downwardly adjacent said base plate whereby the end of a wire inserted in said wire-receiving cavity has the end portions'thereof stripped of insulation and placed between said dies during a single downward operating stroke of said ram structure.

13. A machine for applying electrical connectors as described in claim 12 including a substantially endless strip of connector blanks mounted on said frame structure and strip feeding means for positioning said connector blanks one at a time between said dies whereby a connector blank is formed into a connector about the stripped end of a wire inserted in said wire receiving thereof a plurality of angularly displaced faces adapted to interfit' with corresponding faces 011.1118 other blade portions, ,said faces. being oriented radially with respectto said cutting edge, thefa'ces of each blade portion bein'gf disposed at'an obtuse angle diverging in opposite directions f a 1 r 15, In a machine for automatically. applying an electrical connector onto the end of an' insulated Wire, means for substantially simultaneously stripping the insulation from the Wire andcrimping a connector thereon in a: single operating Z0116 including a press means having mounted thereon Wire insulation'stripping means and connector crimping die means operatiyemeans between said stripping and crimping'means for operating said stripping means before the crimping means is actuated in each cycle ofopera tion; and means'opera'tive in timed relationship in -said press' means' before actuation of said crimping means to shift'a Wire; relatively out of said stripping means and into a connector positioned hetween 5? said die means for crimping in said cycle of operationng References Cited inthe file of; this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS:

Macy I an. "17, "1 956 f