US3104457A - Apparatus for assembling electrical contacts - Google Patents

Description

P 1963 P. H. BURROUGHS ETAL 3,104,457

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING ELECTRICAL CONTACTS Filed Aug. 9. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l Bfikfn E1558 INVENTORS AT ORNEY UGHS STON p 1963 P. HABURROUGHS ETAL ,1

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING ELECTRICAL. CONTACTS Filed Aug. 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PAUL H. BURROUGHS DONALD L. KINGSTON NTORS fl/Q/ AT ORNEY 3,104,457 APPARATUS FUR ASSELING ELECTRICAL CONTACTS Paul H. Burroughs, Beverly, and Donald L. Kingston, Marblehead, Mass, assign'ors to Sylvania Electric Products Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 9, 1961i, Ser. No. 53,332 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-203) This invention relates to a novel apparatus for inserting electrical contact elements into an aperture provided in a solid plate. More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus for inserting an insulated electrical contact member into an aperture in an electroluminescent lamp whereby electricity may be conducted to an electrode.

In the construction of an electroluminescent lamp a solid plate, usually prepared of metal, is used as a first electrode. A layer of light emitting material, including an electroluminescent phosphor, is fused to the first electrode. Above the layer of phosphor is a transparent conductive film which serves as the second electrode. By connecting these electrodes to a source of electricity, the phosphor is caused to emit light. In order to give stability to the lamp and protect the phosphor from the attack of humidity, a layer of transparent ceramic glaze is fused over the conductive film. To conduct electricity from the source to the second electrode, a small electrical contact element is inserted in an aperture provided in the lamp. This electrical contact element usually is a piece of tempered wire. In order to prevent shorting out across the first and second electrodes of the lamp, the electrical contact element is insulated about its middle just below the bend. This insulation not only inhibits the shorting out of the lamp, but also provides a biasing surface so that the contact may be firmly inserted in the aperture of the lamp. Suitable plastic or rubber may be utilized as this insulation. In practice, it is generally found that if the aperture is square and the insulation is also square, uniform insertion of the contact element will be insured. Furthermore, the insulation of the contact element is designed so that it is slightly tapered and ends in a biasing stop or flange. By this means, when the contact is inserted in the aperture, it will be firmly seated. The aperture usually is of a slightly smaller dimension than the insulating member.

Prior to this invention, it was generally the practice to manually grasp the electrical contact elements and then grasp the lamp. It was then seated by a manual operation in the aperture. The partially assembled unit was then inserted into a jig, a staking tool was actuated and the contact member firmly seated. These contact elements are quite small, usually less than three quarters of an inch high and about one eighth of an inch wide. Thus, they are quite diflicult to grasp manually, thereby increasing the amount of work required for their insertion. It is apparent that manual insertion is substantially slower and causes substantial delay in production. With the automatic transfer and staking of this invention, many of these problems are avoided.

In an effort to eliminate these manual operations, it was discovered that electrical contacts could be moved automatically from a large batch to an appropriate position in the lamp if the transfer device of this invention were used. Through the use of a batch feed the individual handling of the relatively small contact members can be avoided. When the appropriate jigs are used,the electrical contacts are always similarly positioned in all lamps produced. It is essential that the contact member be so placed since, in order to conduct electricity to the conductive film through this contact, it is necessary to reatent move a small portion of the insulating glaze coat, usually a spot less than /3 inch in diameter. The tip of the electrical contact element must be positioned in this spot; if it is positioned over the ceramic glaze, no electrical contact will be made and the lamp will not light.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means whereby an electrical contact element is automatically inserted in the same relative position in an aperture provide in an electroluminescent lamp.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a means for automatically inserting contact elements having an insulation member around the middle thereof in an electroluminescent lamp so that electrical contact is made.

It is a feature of this invention that all the electrical contact elements are inserted in exactly the same position in all of the lamps being prepared, and that all manual positioning is eliminated.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon the reading of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational View of the automatic electrical contact assembly device of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the electrical contact insertion assembly of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the assembly equipment.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-section of the transfer assembly taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-section of the transfer assembly taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 1.

In each of the figures of the drawings, similar numerical designations refer to similar elements of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, which is a detailed showing of the entire system, the vibrating table 1 is positioned behind the motor 5 which drives staking tool 9. The vibrating table 1 serves as a batch source of the electrical contact elements. The vibration in support assembly 2 transmitted to table 1 results in the gradual movement of the electrical contacts up a helical path 41 (as shown in FIGURE 3) to a rejector 4, which removes all of the contacts which are not in the proper position to be fed into the chute 8 whereby a uniform positioning therein is insured.

The staking tool assembly consists of motor 5, chuck 7 and staking tool'9.' The staking tool is actuated and travels down a vertical path into the channel formed by the jaws of the exit guide 26. When the staking tool 9 enters the channel, it engages the electrical contact and inserts it into the aperture of the lamp. The jaws are spaced apart to accommodate the end of the contact which will touch the open spot in the ceramic glaze. The Variac 36 controls the force with which the tool 9 strikes the electrical contact and the turn-screw 47 controls the depth of dwell of the tool. The motor 5 may be a solenoid and when the voltage is changed by adjusting the Variac 36, the staking tool 9, which is operatively associated with motor 5, will be driven with a different force.

The link 11 connects lever arm 13 and carrier arm 6. Lever arm 13 is pivotally mounted on pivot rod 31 which i s in pivot support 25 and lever support 42. The Web 23 is positioned at the intersection of lever arm 13 and lever support 42. This web is provided so that the interlock switch '21 is actuated when the lead edge 3-3 of carrier arm 6 is directly beneath the staking tool 9. By means of switch 21 the interlock arrangement prevents the accidental actuation of staking tool 9 and prevents it from damaging the lead edge 33 of the carrier arm 6. When the lead edge 33 is removed from the jaws of exit guide 26, the switch will again permit the downward .3 movement of the staking tool 9. Positioned on the carrier arm 6 is stop 28 which contacts adjustable stop 29. This contact prevents the movement of the lead edge 33 of the carrier arm 6 beyond the desired position in the channel formed by the pair of jaws 26 of the exit guide assembly. As will be noted in FIGURE 3, switch 21 is actuated and stop 28 is directly contacting adjustable stop 29 when the lead edge of carrier arm 6 is in the jaws of exit guide 26.

The remainder of the transfer assembly comprises the feeding section channel 35 whichintersects chute 8 and is operatively associated therewith for feeding contact elements from the chute to the feeding channel as shown in FIGURE 3. The shape of this channel generally conforms to the peripheral shape of the carrier arm 6. The contact elements are picked up by the lead edge 33 of carrier arm 6 and are moved from the first position at the intersection of chute 8 and feeding section 35 to the second position in the channel formed between the jaws 26 of the exit guides. When the lead edge 33 is withdrawn from the transfer channel 35 past the intersection of chute 3, the next electrical contact element is forced into position in the transfer channelby the Weight of the electrical contacts lined up in the chute. The cooperation of chute guide 37 and the horizontal surface at the end of the chute 8 prevents a binding of the electrical contacts as they move from the chute to the transfer channel. The transfer channel 35 is just slightly larger than the width of the electrical contact thus allowing only a single electrical contact element to pass into the channel at a given operation of carrier arm 6. The depth of channel 35 is sufficient to permit the free movement of the electrical contact element. A ridge 4-4 is provided on the side of the channel 35 to permit the biasing stop or flange surface of the contact element to slide along its length.

Positioned at the end of the transfer assembly is the exit guide means comprised of two substantially identical jaws 26 which cooperate to form a channel. These exit guide means grasp the electrical contact after it has been transferred by carrier arm 6 and hold it in a ready position for insertion into the aperture of the lamp by the staking tool. Spring means may be provided on the jaws, so that they are maintained at the appropriate separation, taking into consideration the width of the biasing stop surface of the contact and the force desired to be exerted by the staking tool.

As will be best-seen from FIGURES 4 and 5, the carrier arm 6 has lead edge 33 which has substantially the same shape as the electrical contact. By this means the electrical contact will move in a substantially vertical manner between the points where it is first contacted by the lead edge 33 as it comes from the chute 8 to the position where it is placed in the jaws 26 of the exit guide. In this manner, there will be no binding of the contact element in the transfer channel 35. As is seen, the chute 8 has recess therein to permit the free movement of the ends of the electrical contact. The end of the chute 8 substantially coincides with the sides of the transfer channel 3 5. By means of this coincidental relationship, the carrier arm 6 may freely move through the entire length of the exit guide provided by channel 35 and into the jaws 26. After the electrical contact element is firmly positioned in the jaws :of the exit guide assembly and after the lead edge 33 of carrier arm 6 is removed, the staking tool 9 is actuated, thereby striking the electrical contact which moves downwardly in a vertical direction through the entire length of the exit guide assembly to the aperture in the lamp. The staking tool is axially positioned 70 over the aperture formed by the jaws 26 of the exit guide assembly and is adapted to fit in this aperture. 1 Only a relatively small space is left between the end of jaws downwardly without touching the jig block 19. Further,

it permits easy removal of the assembled metal plate and electrical contact. The jig 17 is designed so that the aperture of the lamp 46 is always positioned directly be neath the staking tool 9.

In operation of this device the lamp 45 is inserted in A the jig block 17. The electrical contact moves down chute 8 and into the feeding section, where it is slidably positioned on ridge 44. The depression 45 is provided in channel to permit the electrical contact to pass freely over it. The lever arm 6 is moved, which causes the electrical contact to be transferred from the first position at the end of chute 8 to the second position in the jaws 26 of the exit guide which grasp fairly tightly but without sufiicient binding action to prevent the operation of the staking tool 9. After the lead edge 33 is withdrawn from the jaws 26 of the exit guide, the staking tool 9 is actuated. This causes the electrical contact to be driven into the aperture in the lamp 46, which is then removed from the jig assembly 17 and a new lamp inserted and the operation repeated.

The insertion of the lamp into the jig, the actuation of' the carrier arm 6, and the actuation of the staking tool 9 may be done manually or by suitable automatic device.

It is apparent that modifications in the above described system maybe made by those skilled in the art. It is my intent, however, to be limited in this invention only by the scope of the appended claims. 1

As our invention we claim: 1. Apparatus for inserting electrical contact elements into an aperture in a solid plate, said apparatus comprise ing: means for retaining a batch source of electrical contact elements disposed at the upper end of a sloping chute, said sloping chute being adapted to receive electrical contact elements from said batch source and deliver them to a feeding channel disposed at the lower end thereof; a pair of opposed, vertically elongated, spaced apart jaws afiixed to an end of said feeding channel, said jaws adapted to grasp and temporarily retain an electrical contact element. transferred from said chute along said channel; a carrier arm slidably supported within said feeding channel, said carrier arm adapted to effectuate said transfer from said. chute to said jaws and simultaneously retain additional electrical contact elements within said chute; a vertically elongated staking tool supported above the space formed by said jaws, said staking tool adapted to strike said electrical contact element temporarily retained therein and drive said element into said aperture; means to actuate said staking tool to strike said retained electrical contact element and thereby drive said element into said aperture;

cans for supporting all of the mechanisms aforesaid in a cooperative relationship. p

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further corn-' prising a means to retain said solid plate having an aper ture therein, said means being disposed beneath an exit guide means formed by said spaced-apart jaws, said exit guide means vertically extending to immediately above said means to retain said solid plate whereby said plate may be freely inserted and removed therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Heidergott Mar. 24, 1959

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR INSERTING ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTS INTO AN APERTURE IN A SOLID PLATE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: MEANS FOR RETAINING A BATCH SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTS DISPOSED AT THE UPPER END OF A SLOPING CHUTE, SAID SLOPING CHUTE BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTS FROM SAID BATCH SOURCE AND DELIVER THEM TO A FEEDING CHANNEL DISPOSED AT THE LOWER END THEREOF; A PAIR OF OPPOSED, VERTICALLY ELONGATED, SPACED APART JAWS AFFIXED TO AN END OF SAID FEEDING CHANNEL, SAID JAWS ADAPTED TO GRASP AND TEMPORARILY RETAIN AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENT TRANSFERRED FROM SAID CHUTE ALONG SAID CHANNEL; A CARRIER ARM SLIDABLY SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID FEEDING CHANNEL, SAID

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