US2858537A

US2858537A - Automatic terminal applying machine

Info

Publication number: US2858537A
Application number: US403715A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold E Cootes
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1948-12-16
Filing date: 1954-01-13
Publication date: 1958-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1975-11-04

Description

H. E. COOTES AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Nov. 4, 1958 Original Filed Dec. 16. 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS Nov. 4, 1958 H. E. COOTES 2,858,537

AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 w ll INVENTOR 60 Hal-"0MB Cooks 1W ATTORNEYS H. E. COQTES AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16. 1948 Nqv. 4, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR [fa/ 0MB. 60022 5 w.

) f A ORNEYS/ Nov. 4, 1958 H. E. COOTES AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16. 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNVENTOR H. E. COOTES 2,858,537

AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16, 1948 6 SheetsShe9t 5 Nov. 4, 1958 w W 4 G 1 2 w 0 7 2 0! @p 1 a Z M y 7 2 28 fi m A I b E 7 m m T- W vh/V l l|l w Q \g 00 W 1. Ww T m n 1 6 m m m J INVENTOR flafioh i'. Cooks A ORNEYS Nov. 4, 1958 H. E. COOTES AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 16, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR Harold l'Z Coozes A ORNEYS United States Patent AUTOMATIC TERMINAL APPLYING MACHINE Harold E. Cootes, Harrisburg, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, a corporation of New Jersey Original application December 16, 1948, Serial No. 65,645, now Patent No. 2,690,562, dated October 5, 1954. Divided and this application January 13, 1954, Serial No. 403,715

3 Claims. (Cl. 1177) This invention relates to a machine for automatically applying an electrical terminal or connector to a piece of wire. The machine includes a region of terminal application protected by a safety guard and is so constituted that when an operator inserts a wire through the guard into the region of terminal application and actuates a trigger, a preformed terminal blank from a supply of blanks carried in the machine is automatically and instantly applied to the wire to make a permanent and electrically efiicient connection therewith.

In the illustrative form of invention to be described herein the machine incorporates a reel of preformed electrical terminals integrally attached in end-to-end fashion. Each terminal includes an ordinary ring tongue and a ferrule-forming portion. The ferrule-forming portion embodies a trough-like base which, upon application, will embrace a wire, and an ear projecting upwardly on each side of the base presenting with the base a U-shaped cross section perpendicular to the ferrule axis. Upon application these ears are crimped into intimate contact with the wire. The strip of terminals per se is not a part of my invention but is broadly described and claimed in an application of William S. Watts filed December 14, 1943, Serial No. 514,214 now abandoned. Other modifications of preformed terminals useful for automatic application and other machines and modifications thereof than the one specifically described hereinafter embodying my invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

Various mechanisms have been proposed heretofore for performing the same general functions as my machines. Most of these have embodied a press of general applica tion modified to support crimping and feeding mechanisms. Some of these machines have been satisfactory, as where the demand of the user was for a huge number of identical terminals applied to an equally huge number of identical pieces of wire such that the machines could be elaborately set up and adjusted with full knowledge that the great number of terminals installed would reduce the cost per unit sufficiently to make the initial investment recoverable. In general, however, it has not been a simple matter to put these machines into operation or to change these machines to adapt them to applying a different kind of terminal to some other kind of wire. And there has long remained an unsupplied demand for a compact, relatively lightweight automatic machine which could easily be adapted to apply automatically any one of a considerable variety of electrical terminals or connectors.

A machine incorporating my invention supplies this demand and at the same time is so constructed and arranged that most of the parts in the organization can be inexpensively produced without requirements for close machining operations. The result is that my machines can be maintained in optimum condition by an ordinary mechanic superficially familiar with lightweight production machinery and without the help of a tool maker or setup man. All of the parts are readily assembled or disassembled and the only pieces which are subject to ice 2 appreciable wear may readily be obtained from stock and installed without delay. In addition, when changing a machine to enable it to install a different kind of terminal, the changes necessary can readily be accomplished simply by unbolting a few small parts, as will be described hereinafter, and by assembling from a stock of parts, in accordance with a simple set of instructions, a crimping and shearing assembly suitable for applying the terminals desired. These attributes are of particular importance when it is borne in mind that these machines find their primary utility in production rooms where electrical harnesses are being fabricated, electronic chassis wired, or the like, and where semi-skilled electrical assemblers are common but tool makers, setup men, and skilled machinists are, in elfect, unavailable except upon special prearrangement and then only at considerable expense. To have a machine operable, convertible from one terminal to another, and requiring no precise setup or adjustment means the difference between efficient operation on the one hand and endless delay and annoyance to all concerned on the other.

It is an object of my invention to provide a machine of the character described having to a notable extent the capabilities and characteristics set forth. A further objective is to provide a machine which overcomes certain disadvantages inherent in previous machines intended for performing the same general functions as my machine. A further objective is to provide a lightweight, low cost press in which a terminal feeding assembly and a terminal applying assembly can be installed and maintained by an ordinary mechanic. Another object is the provision of a press for applying terminals in which any one of several terminal feeding relationships may be selected and into which any one of several terminal applying assemblies may be installed all as a matter of mere routine. A further objective is to provide a simple and low cost press which can be adapted by an ordinary maintenance worker to applying any one of a large variety of electrical terminals. Another objective is to provide a terminal apply ing machine wherein only a few wearing parts are present and in which all of the wearing parts may readily be replaced without requiring the services of a skilled mechanic. A still further object resides in the provision of a feeding assembly wherein the length of feed may readily and accurately be adjusted. A yet further object is to provide an automatic terminal applying machine which is sufliciently lightweight to permit movement from place to place in a plant as needs arise, which does not require a large initial capital investment, and which can be so easily converted to use with any one of a wide variety of terminals as to render its use feasible on what have hereto-fore been considered as small lot production runs. Another objective is to provide a press and feed assembly for obtaining optimum utility and efficiency in applying terminals by means of terminal applicatorsof the type described in Patent No. 2,705,797, issued April 12, 1955 to George J. Handel, Jr. part be pointed out as the description proceeds and will in part become apparent therefrom.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, methods of operation and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified the contrary, are given for purposes of illustration in.

Other objects will. in

orderthat others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of an exemplary machine embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is-a frontelevation of the machine illustrated in Figure 1';

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the machine illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is asectional view taken on an enlarged scale along the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken onan enlarged scale along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line ,6-6 of Figure 3;

"Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view ofsome of the parts illustratedin Figure 4 shown at the completion of a crimping stroke;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of some of the parts illustrated in Figure 7 taken from the left as viewed in Figure 7;

Figure '9 an is exploded perspective view of those parts of the applicator assembly which are carried by the ram of the press;

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective viewof some of. the. parts of the applicator assembly which are carried by the bed of the press;

Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal stripper which forms a part of the applicator assembly; and

Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of a guard which forms a part of the applicator assembly.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate one embodiment of the invention in a machine consisting essentially of a press generally indicated at 20, a terminal feeding assembly generally indicated at 22, and a terminal applicator generally indicated at 24. The press includes a relatively rugged casting 26, the upper portions of which form .a pair of arbor mounts 28 and 29 in which is fixed an arbor 30. The arbor forms the pivot for a rocking bar 32, one end 34 of which is coupled tora piston rod 36 forming a part of a power unit; in the present embodiment the power unit takes the form of a pneumatically operated cylinder generally indicated at 38. The other arm 40 of the rocking bar carries a transversly disposed toggle pin 42 upon which is journaled a toggle link 44 (see Figure 3). The lower end of link 44 is pivotally pinned to the upper end of a ram 46. Ram 46 is constrained to vertical movement within the body of casting 26 with the aid of guide faces 48 and 50 and plate 5-2. For purposes of disassembly, inspection, or otherwise plate 52 may readily be removed by unscrewing machine screws 54.

In the illustrative form of press the parts normally occupy the relationship illustrated in Figure 1 wherein ram 46 is at the top of its stroke and the piston within cylinder 38 is at the bottom of the cylinder. The parts are returned to this position of rest by tension springs 56 which are spread between a yoke 58 retained on piston rod 36, and the bottom of the cylinder. When air under pressure is supplied to cylinder 38 its piston is forced upwardly carrying arm 34 with it and forcing arm 40 downwardly. The length of arm 34 compared with the length of arm 40, along with the toggle action of arm 40 and link 44, result in a great force multiplication which drives ram 46 downwardly with an even acceleration and deceleration. In addition, the power-advantage flowing frornthe toggle action makes itself felt principally through the final travel of the ram so that maximum power is available where it is most needed. Further, it will be observed that the toggle construction provides a definite downward limit beyond which the ram cannot travel. Thus the ram is driven to apoint of lowermost travel and there stops smoothly and evenly without vibration or any jarring force which might be transmitted through the frame.

Casting 26 is provided with a pedestal 60 underlying the ram (see also Figures 2, 4 and 5). Pedestal 60 forms a support for an adjustable bed 62 upon which part of the applicator assembly is mounted, as will be set forth hereinafter. As pointed out above, the bottom limit of movement of ram 46 is fixed, and in order to facilitate easy adjustments to the height of the region of terminal application, between the bottom of the ram and the top of the bed, I have provided a mechanism for raising or lowering the surface of bed 62 with respect to pedestal 60. Ordinarily bed 62 is clamped solidly and rigidly to pedestal 60 by a pair of

screws

64 and 66. In order to raise or lower bed 62 with respect to pedestal 60 it is necessary only to loosen

screws

64 and 66 and to apply adjustments to the height of the bed by turning an adjustment bolt 68. This is accomplished by mechanism now to be described.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, bed 62 incorporates interiorly thereof a pair of triangularly shaped blocks 70 and 71. Block 70 presents a downwardly-facing, sloping surface 72; block 71 presents an upwardly-facing, sloping surface 73. Bolt 68 is threaded through openings in pedestal 60 and carries in threaded engagement upon its central portion a double-acting wedge member 74. Member 74 presents an upwardly-facing, sloping surface 76 in face-to-face contact with surface 72 and a downwardlyfacing sloping surface 77 in face-to-face contact with surface 73.- ,As shown in Figure 4, if wedge member 74 is caused by bolt 68 to move to the right, the action-of the sloping

surfaces

76 and 72 will force bed 62 to move upwardly, where it can be clamped in place by

screws

64 and 66. Or if bolt 68 is so turned as to move wedge member 74 to the left, as viewed in Figure 4, the action of the sloping

surfaces

77 and 73 will force the height of bed 62 with respect to pedestal 60 to be lowered. Accordingly, when adjustments to the height of the region of terminal application between the surface of bed 62 and the bottom of ram 46 are desired, so as to accommodate the machine to a different size terminal applicator assembly, all that is necessary is to back off screws 64 and 66 and to cause the level of bed 62 positively to be raised or lowered by appropriate turning adjustments made to bolt 68. Thereafter the relationship between bed and pedestal may be fixed by tightening

screws

64 and 66. These operations can be performed by an ordinary workman equipped with a screw driver and wrench, and the relatively small movements of the blocks 70 and 71, caused by contact of their said slanting faces with the cooperating faces of the double acting wedge member 74, as the latter is moved in sliding engagement with said blocks by operation of the adjustment bolt 68, constitutes a delicate adjustment device of micrometer type.

Air is supplied to cylinder 38 by a conventional air supply system and with the use of any of several commercially available valve mechanisms which assures that the piston within the cylinder shall move its full stroke before the supply of air is shut off. By guarding against the possibility that the air supply may be shut off before the piston has moved through its full stroke, I thus make certain that the ram will be caused to move, upon every cycle, to the bottom of its stroke to complete a full crimping operation.

Ordinarily the cylinder and piston will cause the ram to make a rapid and complete downward stroke at the endof which the air supply is shut off and the springs 56 smoothly return the piston to the bottom of the cylinder as air is forced therefrom. In rare instances, as may occur if the applicator assembly should jam, the machine will stop abruptly in a cycle because the air suppliedto the cylinder-will not be able to drive the piston to the top of its stroke. Thus where, for any reason, the ram is prevented from reaching the bottom of its stroke the piston will simply stop moving at an intermediate point along its extent of travel and no serious damage will be done. An air supply pressure ranging in the order of 8-0 to 110 pounds per square inch will in general be adequate to cause the machine to perform all of its crimping and shearing operations, as will be developed more fully hereinafter, and yet will not be so great as to cause serious damage to the machine in those instances where something jams and the ram is not able to reach the bottom of its stroke. And at all times the operator will know that any regularly applied terminal has had the benefit of full crimping pressure. When the ram does not fully bottom the machine will stop abruptly without completing its cycle and the operator will know that the terminal then in the machine has not had full crimping pressure. When the machine does jam, it can easily be cleared by manually shutting off the air supply to permit the parts to return to their normal position ofrest. Thus the machine automatically precludes inadvertent or wilfully careless production of anything other than a fully crimped terminal. In the illustrative form and with an air supply of about 110 pounds pressure per square inch a ram action on the order of 8,000 pounds pressure may be achieved.

As will be developed more fully hereinafter my machine is so constituted that upon each downward stroke of the ram a terminal is separated from a strip of terminals and is crimped at the region of terminal application. In order to make sure that upon every stroke of the ram a terminal will be available at the region of terminal application and there so oriented as to be received and formed by the crimping dies, all as will be brought out later herein, 1 have provided a feeding assembly, heretofore indicated at 22, coordinated with the ram action in such fashion that upon every cycle it will present the end terminal of the series without fail in proper position for the next application. Feeding assembly 22 will now be described.

As shown in Figure 3 casting 26 carries a rearwardly extending bifurcated bracket 78. Between the two leaves of bracket 78 there is pivotally mounted a feed lever 80. In the illustrative form lever 80 is journaled upon a pin 82 extending through a pair of aligned openings 84 in the leaves of bracket 78. For reasons which will be amplified later in this description it is desirable that the length of the feeding operation performed by assembly 22 shall be readily adjustable and toward this end the leaves of bracket 78are also provided with aligned pairs of

openings

86, 88, 90 and 92; pin 82 may be inserted through any pair of the

openings

84, 86, 88, 90 and 92. Lever 80 itself carries a series of five pivot openings, one for each of the five pairs of openings in the leaves of bracket 78. The result of this arrangement is that regardless of which set of openings pin 82 may extend through. the general height of lever 80 with respect to bracket 78 does not change. The only change which flows from different settings of pin 82 is the location of the pivot point of lever 80 with respect to bracket 78.

Lever 80 at its top end forms a pivot support for a feed adjustment lever 94 pinned to the top of lever 80 by a pivot pin 96. Toward the bottom of adjustment lever 94 a pair of arms 98 extend inwardly, one on each side of the bottom of feed lever 80. The lowermost portion of feed adjustment lever 94 carries another pair of inwardly extending arms 100 with a pivot pin 102 extending therethrough. On the far end of pivot pin 102, as viewed in Figure 3, the right-hand end of a tension spring 104 is secured. The left-hand end of tension spring 104 is secured to a pin 106 set in casting 26. The action of spring 104 is always to urge the lower end of adjustment lever 94 to the left and in a clockwise direction with respect to pivot pin 96. The relationship of the lower end of lever 94 may be adjusted with respect to the lower end of lever 80 against the tension of spring 104 by the setting of an adjustment screw 108 threaded through lever 94 opposite arms 98 and extending therehetween to bear upon the lower end of feed lever 80. The setting of adjustment screw 108 may be locked by means of a locking collar 110 threaded upon the shank of adjustment screw 108 in a position to impose a jamming action upon the threads of screw 108 within lever 94.

Pin 102 forms a swinging pivot support for the upper end of feed finger 112, the lower left-hand end of which, as viewed in Figure 3, is disposed to execute a pushing action with respect to a series of terminals associated with and directed into the applicator, as will be described later. Whenever the end terminal of the series of terminals is applied to a wire and removed, finger 112 functions automatically in coordination with other movements forming a part of one cycle of operation to feed the series of terminals to the left, as viewed in Figure 3, so as to bring the next terminal of the series to the region of terminal application. It is important, of course, in order that the crimping and shearing operations shall accomplish their intended results, that the end terminal be fed not too far and yet far enough.

With a machine embodying my invention it is a simple matter, when adjusting the mechanism to perform a series of operations automatically, to set the end terminal manually in its correct position while the machine is at rest. Each strip of terminals incorporating the invention of the aforementioned Watts application is so constituted that every terminal presents an abutment which serves to receive measured pushing operations imposed upon the strip. If each pushing operation is of the correct length and if the end of the feed stroke is correctly limited, once the strip of terminals has been properly oriented in relation to the shearing and crimping operations, thereafter each feeding operation will successively locate the end terminal in its correct position for another terminal applying operation. In the present embodiment finger 112 is constantly urged in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3, by a spring 114 centered upon pin 102 and hearing at one end upon a lower portion of adjustment lever 94 and at its other end upon an intermediate portion of feed finger 112. Thus when feed finger 112 is carried to the right, its lower end rides over the abutment of the next terminal and at once assumes a position to push the next terminal to the left. In my machine, the extent to which the end of feed finger 112 pushes the strip of terminals to the left can be accurately and easily set while the machine is at rest by adjustments made to screw 108 against the pressure of spring 104, varying the spacing between the lower ends of adjustment lever 94 and feed lever 80.

In order to perform a feeding operation each time that a terminal is applied, I have provided a push rod 116 slidably disposed in a horizontal guideway formed in casting 26 adjacent to the path followed by ram 46. Ram 46 includes a cam surface 118 cut into one of its vertical sides in such position (see Figure 3) as to cause push rod 116 to move to the right in simple harmonic motion each time that the ram is bottomed. Each time push rod 116 is moved to the right the lower end of feed lever is caused to move to the right, counterclockwise with respect to pin 82, carrying with it adjustment lever 94. The result is that feed finger 112 is drawn to the right, the lower end of the finger riding over the next terminal of the series until it passes beyond the abutment of the next terminal.

The extent to which the lower end of feed finger 112 is moved to the right is not so critical as the precise limit to which it is moved on the left. The finger must be moved to the right far enough to ride over the abutment of the next terminal in the series and it may travel slight: ly beyond that point. For even though it does travel a little beyond the next rearward terminal abutment, it will pick up the next terminal on the return feeding stroke when it reaches the abutment and the overtravel will simply be lost motion. The length .of the feeding stroke desirable will depend, of course, upon the size and type of theindividual terminals in the strip and th spacing between terminals. For a lOng feeding stroke pin 82 should be positioned in holes 92; for a short stroke it should be positioned in holes 86; andfor-a stroke of intermediate length it should be adjusted in some set of intermediate holes. I have found that for most cases the feed finger can be caused to ride over the abutment of the next terminal in the series of terminals and not too far beyond merely by selecting some one of the five sets of holes in the leaves of bracket 78 for pin 82. In special cases, certain of the parts of the assembly may be replaced by special parts.

As shown in Figure l the machine incorporates a strip of terminals indicated at 128 connected in end-to-end fashion and carried upon a reel 122. The reel is supported by a horizontal arm 124 projecting from a post 126 (.see also Figure 3') carried by abracket 128 extending from casting 26. The leading end of strip 120' is brought downwardly from reel 122, around a flexible guide 130, below feeding assembly 22, and toward the region of terminal application centered in applicator 24. Reel 122 contains a considerable mass and in order to isolate it from successive jerks applied on strip .120 by feeding finger 112 I provide the guide 130 in the form of a resilient leaf spring which flexes through its inherent resilience to absorb the jerks imposed upon the stripby the feeding mechanism. The result is that the feeding mechanism is enabled regularly to advance the leading end of the strip into the region of application with rapid acceleration and deceleration without interferencecay sed by inertia effects which otherwise would begimposed by the relatively heavy mass carried upon reel 122. The flexing of guard 130 permits the leading end of the'strip to advance suddenly and causes the trailing endof the strip to uncoil from the reel gradually and evenly as the strip is consumed.

The leading end of strip 120 advances tothe region of application across the upper surface of platform 131 formed by the rearward portion of bed 62 (see also Figures 4, 6, 7 and The leading end of strip 120 is.supported from below by platform 131 and is prevented from moving sidewise on the surface of the platform, to the right or left as viewed-in Figure 5, by a pair of

guide plates

132 and 134. Guide plate 132 is provided witha pair of adjustment slots 136 and adjustment screws 138. Guide plate 134 similarly is provided with a pair of adjustment slots 140 and adjustment screws 142. By means of these pairs of slots and screws the positions of the guide plates upon the surface of platform 131 may be adjusted, laterally to the right or left as viewed in Figure 5, so as to form therebetween a guide channel of controllable width accurately fitted to the particular strip of terminals to be applied. For any given width of strip the guide plates are clamped upon the bed so as to present a channel directed into the region of application and through which the leading end of the strip of terminals loosely but accurately slides.

It is desirable that the leading end of strip 126) be firmly held against platform 131. Accordingly, I have provided a floating drag block 144 (see Figures 1 and 3) which overlies the terminal guide channel. Block 144 is retained in place by a pin 146 passing transversely through the block and upon which the block is loosely journaled. Pin 146 is rigidly carried in the upper end 148 of a bell crank lever 150; this lever is pivotally mounted upon a stud 152 set in bed 62. The lower end 154 of the bell crank lever projects downwardly to form a lifting handle by which block 144 may be lifted. Qrdinarily the weight of handle 154 acts by gravity ,to urge block 144 downwardly toward platform 131; for some types of strip it is well to reinforce this action with a spring. When the leading end of a strip of terminals is resting upon platform 131 between plates 1 32 and 134, the upwardly turned ferrule-forming ears of the strip will ordinarily extend above the surface of

plates

132 and 134 so that the bottom surface of drag block 144 will rest upon the ends of the upwardly projecting portions of the strip. Thus drag block 144, with the aid of the downward force supplied by'the weight of lever 154, -plus any spring force desirable, serves to maintain the advancing end of the strip firmlyseated in the guide channel. The friction upon the strip presented by the drag block and its related parts is sufficient to prevent the strip from moving backwardly upon the-return stroke of the feeding finger when it moves tothe right, as viewed in Figure 4, to ride over the next abutment of the adjacent terminal to the-rear.

The lowermost portion of feeding finger 1 12 is centered in the guide channel between

plates

132 and 134 and acts between drag block 144 and the region of terminal application. Asthe feeding mechanism causes the feeding finger to travel forwardly and rearwardly, the lower end of the feeding finger slides to and fro withinthe guide channel between theregion of application on its left (see Figure 4) and drag block 144. As pointed out above, when the correct feeding limit of finger 112 has been set by adjustment screw 108, and when a suitable length of feeding stroke has been selected with the aid ofadjustment pin 82, the lowermost portion of the feeding finger will ,ride;to and fro within the guiding channel .and.will pushagainst a terminalfeeding abutment on its forward stroketo advance the seriesof terminals with each cycle of the machine by an amount exactly equal to the distance between terminal abutments. And during the

feeding operations plates

132 and 134, with the aid of platform v131 and drag block 144, will continue to guide the advancing end of the'strip into its correct positioninthe region of application.

In the illustrative form the applicator contains die members-of the generaltype described and claimedin the applications of James C. Macy, Serial No. 679, 630 ,filed June 27, 1946, U. S. Patent No. 2,557,126 granted July 19, 1951 and Serial No. 717,842, filed December 23, 1946, now Patent No. 2,600,012, issued June 10, 1 952, The inventions embodied in the applicator per se described in the present specification are rnore fully set forth in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,705,797 to George]. Handel, Jr. Essentially the applicator embodies a series of elements selected from a stock of elements so as to build an assembly suited to the particular configurations of the illustrated strip 120. Some of these elementsare clamped to the lower end of ram 46 and others of them are supported upon bed 62. Figure 9 illustrates the subassembly carried by ram 46. It includes a shear blade 156, a spacer 158 and a erimper 160. The parts are fastened into the ram by means of screws 162 and 16 4 passing through aligned holes and threaded into the base of the ram.

As shown in Figure 10 the parts of the subassembly carried by bed 62 include a shear plate 166, spacers 168, a slug plate 170, an anvil 172, and an anvil bracket 174. Anvil 172 is screwed to bracket 174 by a screw 176. The parts of the subassembly are clamped in position in bed 62 by

screws

178 and 180.

The applicator assembly further includes (see Figure 11) a stripper plate 182 carried upon a stripper bracket 184 secured upon bed 62 by a screw 186. In addition, the assembly includes a guard plate 188 adjustably secured upon bed 62 by

screws

190 and 192 passing through a slot 194 in the plate.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 10 screws 138 (see Figure 6) thread into openings 194 in bed 6 2. Screws 142 are threaded into openings 19.6. Screw 178 threads into opening 198 and screw threads into opening 200. Screws and 192 thread into

openings

202 and 204 and screw 186 threads into opening206.

It will be appreciated that upon each cycle of'the machine a shearing and a crimping operation are performed. The end terminal is sheared from the series of terminals and it is crimped onto a wire oriented within the region assess? of application. In some instances, depending upon the character of the terminal to be fabricated, it is convenient to shear a slug from between the end terminal and the next terminal and where a slug is to be removed from the strip, slug plate 170 may also function as a shearing plate along with shear plate 166. In this instance shear blade 156 completes a severing operation against each of the

members

166 and 170. The width of the slug so removed will depend upon the width of blade 156 and the corresponding spacers 168.

As illustrated-in Figure 7, the central portion of shear plate 166, below its shearing edge, is obliquely relieved, as indicated at 207, so that in those instances where plate 166 is used in removing a slug a clearance space will be presented through which the slug may be ejected. As also illustrated in Figure 7, blade 156 is provided with a pair of heels 208 which at all times remain in sliding relationship within the subassembly clamped upon bed 62 and between spacers 168. Bed 62 is provided with a slot 210 into which the lower ends of heels 208 may pass when the ram bottoms and through which a slug may fall in those instances when a slug is sheared from between adjacent terminals. As shown in Figure a sloping surface 212 defined by suitable slots in block 70 and wedge member 74 is provided below slot 210 for diverting slugs outwardly from the machine through the slot .211 in bed 62 where they may be collected as scrap material. The purpose of stripper plate 182 is to dislodge those terminals which, after the ram bottoms, tend to stick in the female crimper. The purpose of guard plate 183 is to assure that the operator shall not inadvertently have a finger in the region of application when the ram bottoms. The slot 214 in plate 188 straddles the die portion 216 of anvil 172 and together slot 214 and the die surface aid in funneling the ends of the wires correctly into the region of application. Figure 4 illustrates that when the parts are at rest the leading terminal is in crimping position on the die surface of anvil 172.

As best shown in Figure 3, casting 26 is fitted with a counter 218 operated by a push rod 220 cooperating with a cam surface 222 out in ram 46. Thus, each time the cam bottoms the counter registers the neXt higher num ber. Such counters are generally well known in the art.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an automatic terminal applying machine made in accordance with the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth and to be economically instaled and operated since both the machine and its metb )ds of operation and use are suited to common productisn practices and are susceptible to a wide latitude of variations as may be desirable in adapting the invention to diiferent applications.

I claim:

1. A press construction including a ram constrained to reciprocatory movement along a path, means for driving said ram along said path, a bed toward which the rant is moved, a supporting structure in which said ram is constrained and providing supporting portions for said driving means and said bed, a vertically spaced pair of blocks connected to said bed and constrained to vertical sliding movement in said press construction, said blocks having respectively downwardly and upwardly sloping surfaces, a wedge-block disposed between said spaced blocks and presenting respectively upwardly and down- I wardly sloping surfaces in face-to-face contact with the respective sloping surfaces of said spaced blocks, and means for evenly moving said wedge-block laterally to effect vertical adjustment of said spaced blocks and said bed.

2. A press construction including a ram constrained to reciprocato-ry movement along a path, a toggle mechanism for driving said ram along said path, a bed toward which the ram is moved, a supporting structure in which said ram is constrained and providing supporting porfor said mechanism and said bed, a micrometertype adjustment assembly for said bed including a vertically spaced pair of blocks rigidly connected to said bed and constrained by said bed supporting portion to vertical sliding movement, said blocks having respectively downwardly and upwardly sloping surfaces, a wedgeblock disposed between said spaced blocks and presenting respectively upwardly and downwardly sloping surfaces in face-to-face contact with the respective sloping surfaces of said spaced blocks, and a fine adjustment screw mounted in said bed supporting portion and cooperative with said wedge-block for evenly moving said wedge-block laterally to effect vertical adjustment of said spaced blocks and bed.

3. A press construction for crimping the lead connector of an electrical connector strip to a wire disposed therein comprising a ram constrained to reciprocatory movement along a path, a bed toward which the ram is moved, crimping die means coupled to said ram and bed and operable thereby to crimp the lead connector, severing die means operable with said crimping die means to detach the link joining the lead connector to the strip, a supporting structure in which said ram is constrained and providing a supporting portion for said bed, a vertically spaced pair of blocks connected to said bed and constrained by said bed supporting portion to vertical sliding movement, said blocks having respectively downwardly and upwardly sloping surfaces, a wedge-block disposed between said spaced blocks and presenting respectively upwardly and downwardly sloping surfaces in face-to-face contact with the respective sloping surfaces of said spaced blocks, an adjustment screw mounted in said bed supporting portion and extending through a threaded bore in said wedge-block for evenly moving said wedge-block laterally to effect vertical adjustment of said spaced blocks and bed, a vertical slot in said wedgeblock opening to the exterior of said press construction, and a passageway in said bed leading from said severing dies and communicating with said slot for discharging from the press the detached connecting links of the strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,024,416 Allison Dec. 17, 1935 2,038,795 Klocke Apr. 28, 1936 2,091,961 Byerlein Sept. 7, 1937 2,116,922 Bleasdale May 10, 1938 2,133,161 Colbert Oct. 11, 1938 2,250,530 I-Iafecost July 29, 1941 2,321,788 Anderson June 15, 1943 2,408,379 Day Oct. 1, 1946 2,604,284 Arp July 22, 1952 2,687,308 Highberg Aug. 24, 1954