US3026915A - Wire twister - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1962 c. H. JONES ETAL 3,026,915

WIRE TWISTER 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 1, 1958 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. CEc/L h. J'o/vEs BY V/cToR R.JTEN6ER ATTORNEYS March 27, 1962 c. H. JONES ETAL 3,026,915

WIRE TWISTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 1, 1958 INVENTOR. CECIL h. Jb/vsa BY l/ICTOR RJTENGER fimflolixw United States Fatent @fiice 3,026915 WIRE TWISTER Cecil H. Jones, Mankato, and Victor R. Stenger, Lake Crystal, Minm, assignors to Kato Engineering Company, Manlrato, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Oct. 1, 1958, Ser. No. 764,703 9 Claims. (Cl. 140-119) This invention relates generally to apparatus for twisting the ends of wires together, and although not limited thereto, the invention will find particular utility in electrical work, especially in the winding of motors and generators Where the ends of individual coils must be joined together.

One important object of the invention is to provide a wire twister that will first grip a plurality of Wire ends in a vise-like manner, and which will then forcibly twist these ends into a tight, compact unit or joint.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire twister that is capable of successively twisting wires of different sizes without the need of any adjustment on the part of the user. In other words if a group of wires is one gauge, the next group to be twisted need not be of the same diameter.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing character in which the twisting action automatically follows the wire gripping operation. By the same token, it is an aim of the invention to eifect an automatic release of the twisted wires when the twisting operation is terminated.

A still further object is to allow the operator to control the amount of torque being applied to the Wires during a twisting operation.

Still another object of the invention is to permit as many twists or turns to occur as are needed to effect a good joint.

Another object is to provide a wire twister that can be driven by various types of power equipment usually found in factories, such as'flexible shafts, drill motors, and the like.

Yet another object of large scale adoption thereof can be expected.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined .to the exact features shown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the direction of line 1-1 of FIGURE 2, the view showing our wire twister in actual use but devoid of any power drive or holding device;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction of line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG- URE 2, but depicting the wire gripping jaws in their release position;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of our wire twister as it appears in FIGURE 1, but with a flexible cable drive added;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of our wire twister together with a holding device therefor, a portion of the holding device being broken away;

the invention is that it is very, light in weightso that it can be handled readily by women operators, small so that it can be carried inordinary tool kits, and inexpensive to manufacture so that Efifihfliii Patented Mar. 27, 1962 FIGURE 6 is an end view taken from the right in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate a jaw control means of slightly modified construction.

Referring now in detail to- FIGURE 1, the apparatus there exemplifying our invention has been generally designated by the letter A and comprises an arbor in the form of a rotatable sleeve 10 internally threaded at 12 for attachment to a drive member. The opposite end of the sleeve 10 is formed with a radially directed flange 14 having peripherally attached thereto a cylindrical skirt 16. Thus, it will be discerned that the arbor is cup-shaped at its right end.

By means of pins 18 a pair of cooperable jaw members 20 are pivotally supported or carried on the radial flange 14, these jaw members having opposed wire gripping faces at 22. Although the respective reasons therefor will become clearer as the description progresses, the jaw members 20 are notched at their outer edges so as to form a cam engaging lobe at 24 and an abrupt shoulder stop at 26.

Circumscribing the skirt 16 is a cylindrical shell 28 having an inwardly directed radial flange 3!} which supports an integral wire guide 32, the wire guide being formed with a tapered bore or passage 34. A quarter section finishing ring 35, preferably of suitable plastic material, is press fitted onto the outer circumference of the guide 32. An annular retaining plate 36 is formed with a cylindrical skirt 38 innerjacent its outer periphery, this skirt being telescopically received in the left end of the shell 28. A pair of flat head screws 40 hold the shell 28 and plate 36 together as a unit. Through the agency of a collar 42, also of suitable plastic such as nylon a retaining ring and thrust bearing is furnished for the assemblage composed of the plate 36 and the shell 28 together with the flange 30 and guide 32. A screw 44- fixedly connects the collar 42 to the sleeve Ill of the together with the jaw members Ztl, are rotatable in unison relative to the shell 28 and its associated parts consisting of the flange 30, guide 32 and plate 36.

Mounted on the flange fill so as to be rotatable therewith .is a pair of cams 46. These cams are held fast by a pair of screws 48. Each cam has a flat side so as to be engageable with one of the lobes 24, and a second flat side 52 extending at right angles thereto which is 7 thereto so that free relative movement can result.

For the purpose of biasing the sleeve 10 in a rotative direction relative to the shell 28 so as to cause normal engagement of the shoulders 26 of the jaws Ztl with the sides of the cams 46, a flat spiral spring 54 is employed. The outer end of the spring 54 is looped so as to engage and be anchored by a pin 56 threaded into the plate 36, whereas the inner end of this spring merely projects into the bore of the sleeve 10 through a slot 58 provided for the express purpose of anchoring this particular end. Consequently, the biasing action supplied by the spring 54 is instrumental in normally moving the flange 14 and skirt 16 clockwise relative to both the shell 28 and its flange 39 so as to cause the jaw members 20 to engage the earns 46 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Such action effects a separation of the opposed gripping faces 22 as can be easily seen from an inspection of this figure.

Before describing a special holding device denoted generally by the letter B in FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be helpful at this time to explain how the wire twisting apparatus A functions. Therefore, attention is directed to FIGURE 4 where the wire twister A is shown with a flexible shaft or cable 60 drivingly attached thereto through the medium of a coupling member 62. The member 62 is permanently secured to the shaft or cable 60 and is threaded in order that it may engage the threads 12 of the sleeve 10 to provide a necessary driving connection. Freely encircling the cable 60 adjacent the coupling member 62 is a sleeve bearing 64 that may be held in the operators hand while the cable 60 is rotating therein. The bearing 64 is held captive by a retaining ring 66 and a pin 68 passing through the cable. It is believed that an understanding of this arrangement is facilitated by depicting the sleeve bearing 64 and the ring 66 in section.

Solely for the sake of illustration, we will assume that a portion of a motor stator 70 appears in FIGURE 4 having a plurality of wire ends 72a, 72b, 72c, and 72d which are to be connected by twisting prior to soldering. The wire ends 72a and 7211, as shown, and the wire ends 72c and 72d are about to be twisted.

With the operator holding the sleeve bearing 64 in his hand, it will be understood that the entire apparatus A is free to rotate relative thereto. At this stage the spring 54 eflects an opening or separation of the gripping faces 22 belonging to the jaws 20, owing to the biasing action already mentioned.

With the jaw members 20 open the wire ends 720 and 72d can be easily inserted between the jaws, the tapered bore 34 of the guide assisting in directing the wires. When inserted to the extent depicted in FIGURE 1, the operator manually brakes the shell 28 with his hand. In actual practice the shell 28 and the peripheral edge of the plate 36 would preferably be overlaid with wood (maple, for instance), plastic material, aluminum or the like in order to present a smooth surface to be frictionally engaged by ones palm.

From the direction of rotation indicated by the arrows in FIGURE 2, it can be appreciated that the above-mentioned braking action will produce a relative retardation of the cams 46 with respect to the jaws 20. This is by reason of the fact that the cams 46 are mounted on the flange 30, which is of course integral with said shell 28. Stated somewhat differently, the sleeve 10 and its associated flange 14 comprise one supporting means, this supporting means carrying the jaws 20, whereas the shell 28 and its associated flange 30 amount to a second supporting means that is rotatable or movable on said first supporting means.

At any rate, the cam edges 50 bear against the lobes 24, thereby urging the jaw members 20 from their open position of FIGURE 3 to their closed position of FIG- URE 2. The wire ends 720 and 72d having been inserted between the jaw faces 22, this course of events results in a tight clamping of said wire ends. Actually, the degree of clamping or gripping is readily controlled by the amount of braking force applied by the operator.

After the braking force has been applied so as to cause pivoting of the jaw members 20 toward each other, this braking force can be continued at an appropriate value until a suflicient number of twists has been imparted to the wire ends 72c and 72d. The operator is the sole judge of this. When the desired amount of twist has been realized, the operator simply relaxes his drag on the shell 28. Under the biasing action of the spring 54, the shell 28 literally catches up to the sleeve 10, having been angularly displaced in a clockwise direction (FIGURE 2) by the hereinbefore mentioned frictional drag. Although the pressural action being applied via the cams 46 is quickly removed, the engagement of the shoulders 26 by the cam sides 52 produces a positive opening action that assures return of the jaws 20 to the position depicted in FIGURE 3.

While the foregoing operation has been concerned with the direct application of braking pressure by a persons hand, it is within the purview of the invention to utilize the holding device B pictured in FIGURES 5 and 6 for applying an indirect braking action. From these views it can be seen that the body of the device B includes a handle grip 74 and an integral sleeve 76 for receiving the sleeve 10. Although the same collar 42 can be used, to avoid confusion a collar 78 is here employed, a set screw 80 holding this collar in place On the sleeve 10. In this way the entire apparatus A is free to rotate relative the holding device B.

The holding device B further includes an arcuate brake shoe 82 having a lining 84 of suitable material, such as plastic or asbestos. Through the agency of a clevis type end composed of a pair of cars 36 and a pin 33, the arm 89 of the shoe 82 is pivotally connected to the handle 74, the handle being recessed for the accommodation of these ears 86.

Projecting from the handle 74 is a pair of fixedly located cars '90. The ears 90 support a pivotal lever 92 through the medium of a pin 94. Integral with the lever 92 is a lobe 96 capable of bearing against the undp ide of the arm 89. The lever 92 is resiliently biased by a leaf spring 98 in a direction to cause the lobe 96 to assume a non-camming position. In this way the shoe 82 gravitationally falls away from the shell 28 with the consequence that no braking action is applied by the lining 84.

Having in mind the operation presented in conjunction with FIGURE 4, the use of our holding device B should be readily apparent. After removal of the collar 42 from the apparatus A as it appears in FIGURE 1, the sleeve 10 of the apparatus A is inserted in the sleeve 76 of the device B. Then, with the collar 78 in place as shown in FIGURE 5, the coupling 62 can be threaded into the sleeve 10. The sleeve 76 (FIGURE 5) takes the place of the sleeve 64 (FIGURE 4).

Although other drives are possible, we have in FIGURE 4 pictured a flexible shaft or cable 60 which we will now assume is rotated to cause rotation of the entire apparatus A. The wire ends 72c and 72d can be inserted just as previously described.

With the wire ends 720 and 72d disposed between the gripping faces 22 of the jaws 20, the operator then squeezes the lever 92 in trigger-like fashion. Such action cams the lobe 96 against the arm 89 to raise the brake shoe 82. Raising of the brake shoe 82 obviously effects engagement of the lining 84 with the shell 28 or whatever material circumferentially overlies this shell.

Until the lever 92 is actuated, it will be understood that the jaw members 20 remain in their separated condition (see FIGURE 3). No twisting of the wire ends 720 and 72d occurs until the jaws are pivoted into closed position (see FIGURE 2), which happens when the lever 92 is squeezed in the direction of the handle 74, as above explained. Also, release of the lever 92 efiects a con comitant release of the wire ends 72c and 72d, just as previously described, the only real difference being that in this instance the brake shoe 82 is used instead of the operator's hand.

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate a jaw control mechanism of slightly modified construction, wherein the shell or head 28 is enclosed within a hand compressible member, generally designated by the reference character 101. This member, as clearly shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, comprises a cylindrical skirt 102 bored to normally loosely fit over the shell or head 28; whereby the head 28 may normally freely rotate therein, when grasping the cylindrical member 101 in the hand. Hember 101 has a rear end wall 103 axially bored to slidably fit onto the elongated sleeve 10 of the twister body. Member 101 may be retained on sleeve 10 by such means as a collar 104, suitably fixed to sleeve 10, as by a pin, not shown.

To render the member 101 readily comprmsible by the operators hand, its cylindrical skirt .102 is circumferentially slitted at equi-spaced intervals around its cir cumference, as best indicated at 105 in FIGURE 8. To obtain the most eflicient frictional contact between member 28 and skirt 102 to assure proper functioning of the jaw members 20, the circumferential member 101 is preferably constructed of a suitable non-metallic material such as hard maple, plastic, etc.; although it may be constructed of other materials applicable for the purpose, if desired.

When the friction member 101 is utilized, the parts 82, 84 and 89 are, of course, dispensed with. The jaw members 20 are then actuated by manually compressing the slitted skirt 102 of the member 101 by the operators hand sufliciently to cause it to frictionally engage the periphery of the shell or member 28 to decrease the speed of said member, whereupon the jaws 20 are actuated to grip the wire terminals, as hereinbefore described.

In addition to serving as a means for retarding rotation of the head or shell 28, when causing the jaws 29 to function, the member 101 also protects the operators hand against callouses, or heat burns caused by the member 28 rapidly rotating in the operators hand when member 101 is not used.

It is to be understood that changes may be effected in details of construction, arrangement, operation and choice of materials without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A wire twister comprising a first rotatable member having a radially directed flange at one end, a pair of cooperating jaw members pivotally attached to one face of said flange, a second rotatable member having a radiaJly directed flange, a pair of cam elements fixed to one face of said second flange and positioned to engage portions of said jaw members to urge them into wire gripping positions when said rotatable members are rotated relative to one another, and spring means connected to said first and second rotatable members and normally biasing said second rotatable member into a position to cause said cam elements to urge said jaws into wire-releasing positions.

2. A wire twister comprising a sleeve having one end adapted for connection to a source of rotative power and having an outwardly directed radial flange at its other end, a pair of cooperable jaw members each having one end pivoted to said flange and having opposite free ends, a cylindrical shell encircling said outwardly directed flange and having an inwardly directed flange at one end, a pair of diametrically opposed cam elements secured to said inwardly directed flange and positioned to engage the free ends of said jaw members when said sleeve and shell are rotated relative to one another, and spring means connected to said sleeve and said shell and normally biasing said shell into a position to cause said cam. elements to engage and urge said jaws into wire releasing positions.

3. A wire twister in accordance with claim 2 including a circular cover plate aiiixed to the opposite end of said shell, said sleeve projecting through said cover plate.

4. A wire twister in accordance with claim 2 in which said spring is disposed between said cover plate and said outwardly directed flange.

5. A wire twister in accordance with claim 4 including a guide element having a tapered bore for directing a plurality of wire ends into position between said jaw member.

6. A wire twister in accordance with claim 4 including a holding device comprising a handle having a bearing sleeve atfixed to its upper end in which the said first sleeve is journaled for rotation, an arm pivotally mounted on said handle and carrying a brake shoe at its free end, and a lever also pivotally mounted to said handle having a cam portion engageable with said arm to urge said arm in a direction to move said brake shoe into braking en gagement with said cylindrical shell.

7. A wire twister comprising a first support means having a pair of co-acting jaws pivoted thereto for movement relative to each other, means for driving said support means, a second support means having spaced cam elements secured thereto for engaging and moving said jaws into wire gripping positions by relative rotary movement between said first and second support means, resilient means connecting first and second support means and normally urging said second support means in a direction to cause said cam elements to engage and open said jaws, and means whereby a braking force may be applied to said second support means to momentarily retard rotation thereof relative said first support means, thereby to cause said cam elements to engage and move said jaws into wire gripping positions.

8. A wire twister according to claim 7, wherein the outer member is provided at one end with an enlarged guide opening through which a plurality of wire strands may be inserted into said jaws.

9. A wire twister comprising a tubular member having an enlarged radial flange at one end concentric with the axis of said tubular member, means for coupling the opposite end of said tubular member to a source of power, a pair of jaws pivoted to said flange in diametrically opposed relation, a cylindrical housing fitting over and enclosing said flange and jaws, a pair of cam elements secured to said housing interiorly thereof and aligned with said jaws, spring means operatively connecting said tubular member to said housing and normally retaining said housing in a position to cause said cam elements to engage and open said jaws, and means whereby when a braking force is applied to said housing to momentarily retard rotation thereof relative to said tubular member, said cam elements are actuated to engage and move said jaws into wire-gripping positions, said spring means causing the housing to return to its normal jaw-opening position when the braking force is released therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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