US3142209A

US3142209A - Tool locator

Info

Publication number: US3142209A
Application number: US83288A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry W Demler
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1961-01-17
Filing date: 1961-01-17
Publication date: 1964-07-28
Anticipated expiration: 1981-07-28

Description

H. W. DEMLER July 28, 1964 TOOL LOCATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1961 \Al- DEMLER July 28, 1964 H. w. DEMLER TOOL LOCATOR Filed Jan. 17, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. HENR? \J. DENLER y 28, 1964 H. w. DEMLER 3,142,209

TOOL LOCATOR Filed Jan. 17, 1961 3 Sheets sheet 3 INVENTOR. HENRY \AI. DcnLER United States. Patent .0

3,142,209 TOOL LOCATOR Henry W. Demler, Lebanon, Pa, assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Jan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,288 3 Ciairns. (Cl. 811-415) In the art of making electrical connections by means of crimping a ferrule onto a wire, it is frequently necessary to employ a hand tool for performing this operation. It is also frequently necessary to make a plurality of crimps along the surface of the ferrule. Particularly in utility work, high tension lines, etc., where fairly large cables are employed, it is useful to be able to automatically make a number of these connections without having to physically relocate the tool.

The present invention has, as an object, the provision of a device whereby a hand tool may be located on a ferrule-type connector and a plurality of strokes taken to make a number of crirnps, whereby each time a crimp is made the tool will automatically move to the next position to make the succeeding crimp. Not only is the operator saved the trouble of trying to realign the tool, but the automatic feature causes each crimp to be located in exactly the right place. This avoids the difficulty of the crimps being made too close together or too far apart which might be deleterious.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a device of the type described which is simple and may be easily added to a hand tool without any significant changes in the structure of the tool or complicating the operation of the tool.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled inthe art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a perspective view of a device embodying the principles of this invention as shown;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a device similar to FIGURE 1 as secured to a tool;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the device of FIGURE 1 taken along plane 3-3;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the device of FIGURE 1 taken along plane 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the jaws of the tool in closed position and the locating means sliding along the connector;

FIGURE 6 is a view taken along plane 6-6 of FIG- URE 4 showing a side sectional view of the device;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 showing the device in closed position; and

FIGURE 8 is an exploded view of the device of FIG- URE 1.

As shown in the drawings, a crimping tool, particularly suitable for adoption of the current invention, includes a pair of

jaws

10 and 12 which are pivotable and actuated by handles 14 and 16. Opening and closing the handles 14 and 16 cause the

jaws

10 and 12 to rock back and forth toward or away from each other so that dies 18 and 20 disposed on the jaws are brought into and out of engagement. The locator of the device is generally in dicated by numeral 24. It comprises a block-like body 3,142,209. Patented July 28, 1964 member 26 having

slots

28, 30 and 32 cut out of each of three sides. The slot 32 is adapted to fit against a bar 34 on the side of the tool for retaining the locator in position. A pair of

set screw holes

36 and 38 in the bottom of the slot permit the set screws to secure the locator to the tool. An opening 40 is drilled through the block so that it intersects the slot 28. A cam 42 with an opening 44 therein is adapted to fit into the slot 28 with the opening 44 matching the opening 40. A rod 46 is adapted to fit into the opening 40 in the block and the matched opening in the cam 42. The cam 42 is fixedly secured to the rod 46, although the rod is adapted to rotate with respect to the block. A lever 50 is secured to the bottom end of the rod 46. The lever also has a cam surface 52 on one side thereof. As shown in the drawings (FIGURE 2), when the device is secured to the tool the cam surface 52 of the lever 50 bears against one side of the jaws of the tool.

' The slot 30 in the block 26 comprises a sliding track for the locator traveling means.

Ears

54 and 56 are formed by the slot 30. These ears have U-shaped openings 58 and 6%) respectively, formed in their outer surfaces. The

slots

58 and 60 are aligned longitudinally and adapted to receive a circular ferrule-type connector. A pair of

holes

62 and 64 in the car 54 is also aligned with a pair of

holes

66 and 68 in the car 56. These holes are adapted to hold

guide rods

70 and 72. A pair of

compression springs

74 and 76 are adapted to slip over the outside of the

guide rods

70 and 72 and bear against the inner surface of the ear 54. A traveling block 78 is substantially the same shape as the

ears

54 and 56, and has a corresponding opening 80 and a pair of

holes

82 and 84.

' A pair of

clips

86 and 88 are employed as the ferrule grasping members. These clips are made of a resilient, thin-metal stamping, such as spring steel, and have an opening 90 with a horizontal slot 92 cut at right angles thereto to form a pair of

wings

94 and 96. The back portion of the clip is curled around so that it will fit over its respective block. The

wings

94 and 96 are spaced a distance slightly less than the diameter of the ferrule. One of these clips fits over the outer face of the block 78, and the other clip fits on the outer face of the ear 56. Appropriate slots 97 and 98 are cut into the front end of the face of the block 78 to accommodate the spring clip. In assembly, the clip 86 is fitted onto the front of the block 78 and the clip 88 is fitted onto the ear 56 of block 26. The

springs

74 and 76 are fitted onto the

rods

70 and 72 and the block 78 is also fitted onto these rods by reason of the rods projecting through the

apertures

82 and 84 in the block 7 8. These apertures may be counterbored to accommodate one end of the

springs

74, 76. The

rods

70 and 72 are slipped into the

apertures

62 and 64 in the ear 54. The block 78 is then fitted into place and the

rods

70 and 72 project through the

apertures

82 and 84 in the block 78 and are threaded into the

apertures

66 and 68 in the car 56. It is noted that the block 78 is free to travel along

rods

70, 72, in the slot 30, but rearward travel of the block causes compression of the

springs

74 and 76.

A cover plate 106 fits over the surface of the block 26 in proximity to the ear 54. This cover plate has three sides, 102, 104, which are at right angles to the surface side 1416. A U-shaped opening 108 in the upper end of the side 106 matches the opening 58 in the ear 54. A pair of

apertures

109 and 110 in the lower end of the

sides

102 and 104 respectively, are adapted to contain pivot pins which project therethrough and are inserted into the opening 112 in the bottom side of the block 26. It is thus seen that the cover plate is pivoted relative to the block 26. The other end of the surfaces 102 and 1134 also contain apertures 113 and 114 respectively. A pair of

links

116 and 118 are adapted to have one end secured to each of these apertures. The opposite ends of the link are secured to the two apertures in the block 78. All of these links are made with pivoted connections.

Operation When it is desired to crimp a ferrule-type connector in the tool, the ferrule is placed between the jaws of the tool and held in place by the

clip members

86 and 88. The handles of the tool 14 and 16 are brought together so that the dies 18 and 20 make the crimp. As the dies are closed, operation of the tool members and 12 causes the link 50 to be cammed by the tool member 10 in a rotated position. This link rotates the rod 46 and, in turn, rotates the cam 42. The cam 42 bears against the cover plate 100 and causes it to move backwardly.

Rearward pivoting of the cover plate 100 which is connected by

links

116 and 118 to the block 78 causes the block 78 to be moved rearwardly, carrying the clip 86 with it. This is accomplished by riding on the

rods

70 and 72 and causes compression of the

springs

74 and 76. The clip member 86 has

ears

94 and 96 which cam outward slightly. This permits the block 78 to move in one direction quite easily, but resists motion in the opposite direction. When the full stroke has been achieved, relaxation of the tool causes the cam to move inwardly again and the spring members move the block 26 relative to the block 78. The entire tool has a tendency to move 1ongitudinally one length along the connector which is stationarily disposed between high tension lines that are to be interconnected so that the tool is now ready for the next crimp. In this motion, the clip 86 grabs the ferrule by means of the

wings

94 and 96, thus permitting the other clip 88 to slide longitudinally along the ferrule. Of course, the connector can be moved relative to the tool by the present invention when the connector is not stationarily disposed.

Thus, a tool is provided which accomplishes a step-bystep traverse of the ferrule during the crimping operation. Each stroke of the crimping tool causes the connector or tool to relocate itself in a direction and a degree necessary for properly making the next crimp.

I claim:

1. A device adapted to be secured to a scissors-type tool having an opening stroke and a closing stroke, said tool being adapted to crimp electrical connectors, said device comprising: a body member, a spring-pressed moving block slidably secured to said body member, cam means pivotally secured to said body member and operatively connected to said spring-pressed moving block, flexible connector-gripping clip means provided on said body member and on said spring-pressed moving block adapted to frictionally engage an electrical connector, and means connected to said cam means for moving said springpressed moving block relative to said body member in one direction by one stroke of the tool, and for moving the spring-pressed moving block relative to the body member in the other direction by the other stroke of the tool, one of said clip means being flexed and slidable along the connector during one stroke of the tool, the other of said clip means being flexed and slidable along the connector during the other stroke of the tool.

2. A tool for crimping electrical connectors, said tool having a pair of dies secured in pivoted jaws, handles secured to said jaws for causing movement to said jaws to pivot between an open position and a closed position, and means for locating said tool in relation to an electrical connector, said locating means comprising a body member secured to said tool, said body member having an opening therein adapted to receive the electrical connector, clip means on said body member including a fixed means and a spring-biased means, said fixed means and said spring-biased means each including resilient material having flexible ears which frictionally engage said electrical connector, said spring-biased means of said clip means being movable relative to said fixed means and operating means connected to said spring-biased means and operated by the jaws of the tool for causing said spring-biased means to move relative to said fixed means, the flexible ears of said spring-biased means being slidable along the connector during movement of the jaws in one direction, the flexible ears of said fixed means being slidable along the connector during movement of the jaws in the other direction.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said operating means includes cam means pivotally secured in said body member and operatively connected to said spring-biased means, lever means connected to said pivotal cam means and including a cam surface bearing against one of said jaws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,059,338 Bammer Apr. 22, 1913 1,506,138 Sehrt Aug. 26, 1924 2,086,400 Brenizer July 6, 1937 2,213,566 Mair et a1 Sept. 3, 1940 2,254,416 Burns Sept. 2, 1941 2,454,875 Hyde Nov. 30, 1948 2,514,554 Nowelsky July 11, 1950 2,548,320 Pearson Apr. 10, 1951 2,612,932 Vinson Oct. 7, 1952 2,633,193 Thompson Mar. 31, 1953 2,692,384 Pollock Oct. 26, 1954 2,727,236 Klumpp Dec. 20, 1955 2,812,676 Brown Nov. 12, 1957 2,953.290 Kostenko et al Sept. 20, 1960