US2827941A

US2827941A - Crimping apparatus for applying a connector to a conductor

Info

Publication number: US2827941A
Application number: US503531A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert C Stoltz
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1955-04-25
Filing date: 1955-04-25
Publication date: 1958-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 1975-03-25
Also published as: NL206040A; GB798134A; NL94578C; BE547281A; CH349654A; DE1081096B; FR1147879A

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 25, 1958 H. c. STOLTZ CRIMP APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A c ECTOR TO A CONDUCTOR Filed April 25, 1955 INVENTOR. Herbert C. Stoltz BY I March 25, 1958 H. c. sToLTz 2,827,941

. CRIMPING APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A CONNECTOR TO A CONDUCTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25. 1955 IN V EN TOR.

Herberc c. stolt United States, Pate 1 0,

CRIMPING APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A CONNECTOR TO-A CONDUCTOR Herbert C. Stoltz, Palmyra, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, a corporation of New Jersey Application April 25, 1955, Serial No. 503,531

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 153-1) In the art of joining an electrical conductor to a connector it is particularly advantageous to provide a .pre

insulated connector and to secure the insulation; of the manufacturers employ varying amounts of insulation.

For example, the insulation diameter of a No. 8 wire will not necessarily be uniform but will vary according to the manufacturer.

Thus it is an object of this invention to provide a set of dies for crimping a pre-insulated connector to a conductor and in the same operation crimp the insulation of the connector tothe insulation of conductor whereby the insulation crimping means can be easily adjusted to accommodate conductor insulations of different outside diameters.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a set of insulation crimping dies that can easily be adjusted without removing the dies from the tool.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a set of insulation crimping dies that are so constructed as to permit the operator to know when the crimping dies are completely closed.

Other important features and objects of the invention to which reference has not been made hereinabove will appear hereinafter when the following description and claims are considered with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents a front viewof a preferred embodiment of the assembly.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view taken through II--II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cut-away perspective view showing the relationship of the adjusting means for the insulation crimping die.

Figure 4' is a view of the conductor crimping members, demonstrating the cut-away section of the flareplate.

Figure 5 is an exploded view of one of the indenting members.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 show the insulation crimping device in three positions of adjustment.

Figure 9 shows a pre-insulated terminal crimped onto an insulated electrical conductor. 7

Figure 10- shows a pre-insulated terminal prior to the crimping operation.

Figure 11 shows the position of the pre-insulated terminal and conductor positioned relative to the crimping assembly.

The device shown in the drawings is particularly useful in crimping an electrical connector of the type having an inner metal ferrule, surrounded by a plastic sheath, for example, the type shown in the patent to Watts, No. 2,410,321.

The assembly is placed in any well known crimping tool having a pair of jaws capable of being urged toward each other radially in relation to the connector to be crimped.

. Patented Mar. 25, 1958.

A preferred embodiment of the die assembly includes a first die member generally designated A and a second die member which is generally designated B.

Referring to the particular first die member A shown in the drawings, a seating member 10 is removably securedv to the tool. A supporting plate 12 is integral with the seating member 10, and at right angles thereto. The plate 12 supports the insulation crimping means 14 (see Figure 5). A connector receiving die 16 is integral with the die plate 12. A pair of flare plates 18 and 18' are positioned one on either side of the plate 16 so that the surfaces of the notched portions 20 are coextensive with the conductor die surfaces 21. The edges 22 of the flare plates seat on the supporting plate 12 so that the flare plates are parallel to the die 16.

The insulation crimping device 14 is generally plateshaped, as shown in Figure 5. A vertical projection 26 formsflone side of insulation crimping die 28. A graduated stepped portion 30 is provided in the opposite side of the crimping device 14 so that the projection 26 on each plate nests with the step 30 in the opposite plate to form a complete insulation crimping apparatus.

To provide for adjustment of the insulation crimping die a slot 32 having

steps

34, 36, 38, is fashioned in. the inner face of the plate 14 at the edge that seats on the supporting plate 12. An adjustment assembly has a able longitudinally through the openings.

re'ctangularly shaped shoulder 42 that may be positioned to adjust the position of the insulation crimping device 14. The pin 48 is adjustable longitudinally to position theassembly 40 so that one of the steps on the insulation crimping means will seat on the shoulder 42. Thus, the insulation crimping means can be adjusted by changing the position of the assembly relative to the insulation crimping plate.

Slotted holes 44 in the plate 14 accommodate screws 46. The slotted holes 44 are oversize to allow the plate 14 tobe moved toward or away from the supporting plate 12. Corresponding screw holes 47 and 47' are provided in the flare plates 18 and 18' and die plate 16 respectively. The screw holes 47 in the flare plate 18 are tapped to receive the threads on the outer surface of the screws.

Turning now to the assembly 40 (see Figure 5) the particular embodiment shown includes a cylindrical pin 48. and a rigidly secured rectangular member 42 at right angles thereto. One of the

steps

34, 36 or 38 seats on the rectangular member and the cylindrical member is used to longitudinally adjust the position of the assembly 40, thus adjusting the spacing of the insulation crimping members. A spring 52 surrounds oneend of the pin 48. The spring is. disposed between the rectangular shoulder 42 and the die plate 16 (see Figures 6-8). Marks 51 on the cylindrical member indicate the setting of the assembly.

In assembly (Figures 2 and 3) the

flare plates

18 and 18 are placed on either side of the die plate 16. The

notched edges 20 are aligned with the conductor-crimping die 21. The spring 52 is placed in the opening 23 of inner; flare plate 18, and one end of the pin 48 is placed longi tudinally through the spring 52. The opening 56 in the die plate 16 permits the passage of the pin 48 but not the spring 52 (Figure 2). Thus, the spring 52 seats against the inner face of the die plate 16 while the pin 48 moves longitudinally through the opening 56 in the plate 16. The inner flare plate 18 straddles the spring and pin at opening 23 (see Figures 2 and 5). The opening 58 in the outer flare plate 18 is aligned with the

openings

56 and 23 in the die plate and inner flare plate respectively, so that the cylindrical member 48 is mov- As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the insulation crimping die 14 is seated on the supporting plate 12 with the slot 32 adjacent the r 3 inner flare plate 18 so that one 46 pass through the screw holes and are threaded into the flare'plate '18 to hold the' flare plates and insulation crimping assembly-in proper alignment 7 i g The other indentingmember B is identical with the first indenting member A except for the shape of the conductor-crimping die. The conductor-crimping dies shown in the drawings are merely an illustrative emb odiment of the preferred form. It is obvious that dies of various shapes may be employed.

When assembled the members A and B are secured to opposing jaws of the crimping tool. An insulated connector barrel 60 is seated in the connector-crimping die 21 and the bare end 62 of the conductor 63 is placed therein, as shown-in Figure 11. The insulated skirt of the connector seats in the insulation crimping nest 28. The insulation on the conductor is so arranged as to eX- tend no further than the inner flare plate 18. When the tool jaws are closed the conductor crimping .dies co operate to crimp the conductor onto the ferrule portion 64 on the connector and the insulation crimping dies 28 cooperate to crimp the insulation skirt 66 of the connector onto the insulation of the conductor thus effectively crimping the terminal onto the'conductor as shown in Figure 9.

The flare plates act as tapering means between the conductor crimping dies 21 and the insulation crimping dies 28. This prevents the formation of a sharp corner on the connector insulation at the jun'ction'of the conductor insulation and the conductor crimp, see Figure 9. Such a precaution reduces the possibility of tearing the insulation on the connector.

Figure 4 shows a portion of the flare plate 18' broken away as at 59. This permits the operator to view the relationship of the conductor crimping dies16 when the tool is in closed position to make sure that the dies have bottomed and that the crimp is complete.

Figures 6 to 8 show the insulation crimping assembly in three different adjustments. Figure 6 shows the assembly with the maximum width A between the insulation crimping dies. In this position the shoulders 42 seat on steps 38. Figure 7 shows the intermediate adjustment B with the shoulders 42 seated on steps 36. Figure 8 shows an adjustment of the insulation crimping means with the minimum width C between the insulation crimping dies. The shoulders 42 are seated on the outermost steps 34.

When it is desired to change the setting of the insulation crimping plate from a wide to a narrower setting, the screws 46 are loosened to permit movement of the insulation crimping means 14 from the widest setting as shown in Figure 6 to the narrower setting of Figure 7. The pin member 48 is moved longitudinally by the action of the spring 52. Whereas the plate 14 formerly seated on step 38 it now seats on step 36 and the plate 14 is moved in a direction away from the support plate 12. The plate 14 of the other die may be shifted in a similar manner. Of course, an intermediate adjustment may be made by only changing the setting of one of the insulation crimping dies. The screws are then tightened to hold the parts in place. Since the plates 14 are moved of the

steps

34, 36 or 38 7 seats on the rectangular member 42. The screw members toward each other, the opening between them is decreased. Should it be desired to decrease the opening further the operation is repeated and the plates can be again shifted to so that they seat on the steps 34.

When the insulation crimping apparatus is assembled the spring 52 urges the rectangular member 50 outwardly and it is locked in the position shown in Figure 8. When it is desired to adjust the insulationcrimping dies from the narrowest setting as shown in Figure 8 to wider setting of Figure 7, the screws are loosened and the rectangular wedge 42 is urged inwardly against the action of spring 52 andthe housing is locked in place.

Since either of the insulation crimping dies can be moved to a new position independently of the other, six positions are available." However, theoretically any number of steps can be provided to allow a greater latitude of adjustments.

It is noted that thedescribed embodiment provides an adjusting means which is accessible from the front of the'insert so that it; is not necessary to remove the insert assembly from the tool to make such an adjustment.

1. An assembly for crimping an electrical connector onto an insulated conductor comprising a pair of spaced supporting plates, aconductor-crimping means associated with each plate, an'adjustable, insulation-crimping means associated with each plate, said insulation-crimping means comprising a pair of rectangular members having comple'm'entary, spaced die surfaces, a graduated stepped slot in each of the members and an adjusting member slidably positioned between each. supporting plate and one of the steps in the slot of the respective member, whereby the spacing between the die surfaces on the insulation-crimping means maybe adjusted by moving either of the rectangular members relative to its supporting plate and its adjusting member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein a flare plate is seated on the supporting plate on each side of the conductorcrimping meansand one of the flare plates has a recess in the vicinity of the crimping surfaces of the dies, whereby the'operator may observe the degree of closure of the dies. 3. A device as set forth in claim 1 including an outwardly extending pin on each adjusting member, each of said pins extending through an opening in its respective rectangular member, whereby the rectangular member may be adjusted by moving the pin.

4. The device as set forth in claim 3 including a releasable locking means holding each of the rectangular members in a predetermined position, and spring means resiliently urging the adjusting means toward one position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,359,083 Carlson' Sept. 26, 1944. 2,639,754 Macy May 26, 1953 2,692,422 Pierce Oct. 26, 1954 V FOREIGN PATENTS 567,145 Great Britain an Jan. 30, 1945