US3190319A

US3190319A - Adjustable crimping tool

Info

Publication number: US3190319A
Application number: US129857A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph C Collins; Walter S Gilmore
Original assignee: US Philips Corp
Current assignee: US Philips Corp; North American Philips Co Inc
Priority date: 1961-08-07
Filing date: 1961-08-07
Publication date: 1965-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-22

Description

June 22, 1965 J. c. COLLINS ETAL 3,190,319

ADJUSTABLE CRIMPING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1961 1 e 0 %/M Q w 4 WM m v 5 h 62 a a w 6 z FIG?) INVENTORS JOSEPH C COLLINS WALTER S. GILMORE FIG. 4

ATTOR NE June 22, 1965 J. c. COLLINS 'ETAL 3,190,319

ADJUSTABLE YCRIMPING T001.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7. 1961 FIG.5

IN VEN TORS COLLINS BY WALTER S. GILMORE JOSEPH 'ATT EY United States Patent 3,19%,3H ADEUSTABLE CRIMPING TQQL Joseph C. Collins, Providence, and Walter S. Gilmore, Riverside, KL, assignors, by mesne assignments, to North American Philips Qompany, Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 7, i951, Ser. No. 129,857 1 Claim. (Cl. 140-105) Our present invention relates to the crimping of electrical cord lead wires to connectors and more particularly to an adjustable tool for a power operated press.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a crimping tool which is adjustable to handle different sizes of wire and insulation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable crimping tool in which the adjustment can be made quickly and rapidly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable crimping tool which is simple in construction and in which the adjustment can be accurately made by an unskilled workman.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, our invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a crimping tool embodying our invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one of the adjusting members.

FIG. 4 is an exploded View of the adjustment mounting and assembly.

In the manufacture of electrical connectors, the electrical wires are connected to the ends of the connectors by crimping. In some connectors only the bare wire is connected. In others the insulation is also crimped. This is accomplished by a tool mounted in a power operated press which automatically feeds successive connectors to a crimping zone, The operator inserts the bare ends of the wires into the connectors and then the press bends or crimps the lugs over the bare wire and over the insulation. Different types of connectors are used and the wire varies in size. There is also a variation in the insulation. When switching from one size to another, the crimping tool must be changed, or an adjustment must be made in the heights of the tool to accommodate the new size. Since the variation may be no more than a few thousandths, such adjustments are diflicult to make. The pres ent invention is designed to provide a crimping tool having a simple adjustment which permits easy and rapid changes to be accurately made in either the conductor crimp, insulation crimp or both. The tool is designed for any desired number of adjustments.

Referring mor in detail to the drawings. The tool comprises a base it) which is normally mounted on the fixed bed of a power operated press. The upper portion of the tool 11 is normally attached to the vertical ram of the press. The crimping operations are performed by the tools 12 and 13. The inner tool 13 crimps the lugs around the bare wire and the outer tool 12 crimps the lugs around the insulation. Where no insulation is required, the tool 12 is omitted. Each tool 12 and 13 constitutes a plate which is bolted to the tool block 14 with a pair of horizontally aligned bolts shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The bolts 15 pass through aligned openings in the plates. For the purpose of making a vertical adjustment the tool plates 12 and 13 are provided with vertical slots 16 through which they are locked by the bolts 15. This 3,i%,3l9 Patented June 22, I965 permits sufiicient vertical movement in both tools when the bolts are loosened,

The adjustment assembly is mounted above the tools in the block 17. The front of the block 17 is recessed at 18 just above the tools 12 and 13 and the block is provided from the recessed portion inwardly with a bore 19. We now provide a shaft 20 having a central axial opening 21 extending inwardly from the rear end thereof. The shaft 20 is designed to fit snugly into the bore 19 but to extend short of the inner end of the bore. The outer end of the shaft 29 is provided with a reduced portion 22 on which the adjustment indicating member 23 is tightly mounted. The front end of the portion 22 is provided with a threaded opening 24 into which a finger engageable knob 25 is threaded.

The number of adjustments will depend on the different size wires being crimped in any particular plant. Since small variations can be handled by a single tool without adjustment, a large range of wire sizes can usually be handled with a half dozen adjustments. In the illustrated form the adjustment indicator is shown as a hexagon with six adjustments. This is for purposes of illustration only. If a square is used four adjustments can be made. A pentagon will make five adjustments, an octagon eight adjustments, etc. Regardless of the number of adjustments the construction and principals involved are identical with the illustration showing six adjustments. The adjustment member 23 is a perfect hexagon and is provided with a small opening 26 near one edge thereof in which a lock pin 27 is mounted and extends rear-wardly parallel to the shaft 29. We now provide a pair of hexagonal adjustment earns 28 and 29.

The cam 28 is provided with a central opening 30 designed to allow it to slide over the shaft 20 tightly and a small opening 31 which slides over the pin 27 to lock the cam against rotation relative to the shaft 20. The cam 28 constitutes the outer insulation crimp adjustment cam and is slipped over the shaft 29 against the plate 23. The cam 29 constitutes the inner conductor crimp adjustment cam and is slipped over the shaft 20 adjacent to cam '28. The front surface of the cam 29 is provided with a raised portion 32 which acts as a spacer to space the cams 28 and 29. Now referring to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the sides of the cam 28 illustrated therein are at different radii from the center. Cam 29 is similarly constructed. Viewing FIG. 3 the dotted line 33 is drawn concentric 'with the center of the opening 30. It will be seen that the six sides of the cam 28 vary in distance from the center. This variation constitutes the adjustment.

Now referring to FIG. 2, with the cams 28 and 29 slipped over the shaft 2i) and pin 27, the shaft 2% is inserted into the bore 19 and a coil spring 34 is positioned in the bore with its front end entering the opening 21 in the shaft. The spring 34 tends to push the shaft out of the bore 19. In this position the plate '23 and cams 28 and 2.9 will fill the recess 18 with the bottom surface of the cam 22% abutting the top edge of the tool 12 and the bottom surface of the cam 29 abutting the top edge of the tool 13. A look plate 35 is mounted to one side of the recess 18 and held in place by a bolt 36 passing through a horizontal slot 37. When the parts are assembled as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the bolt 36 is loosened and the plate 35 is moved to the right until it overlaps the plate 23 to hold the adjustment assembly in the position shown in FIG. 2 against the action of the spring 34.

In making an adjustment, the plate 35 is unlocked and moved to the left. The bolts 15 are loosened, loose-ning the tools 12 and 13. The spring 34 moves the shaft 2t} outwardly and the knob 25 is grasped to pull the plate 23 and cams 2S and 2-9 clear of the recess 18. The shaft 2% is now rotated until the desired side of the earns 28 and '29 are positioned at the bottom. The

plate 23 may have the sides numbered or mounted with wire sizes so that the adjustment can be made visually. Whichever. side is placed at the bottom governs the distance between the cen'ter'of the opening 30 and thetop of the tool 12. The shaft 20 is now pushedback against the action of the, spring 34 and the assembly is locked in place by the, plate 35. Both tools are .nowraised in the slots 1 6 until they'fi-rmly abut the bottom edges ofthe cams 28 and 29. The bolts are then tightened and the adjustment is completed. Thus by rotating the 1 front of the block 38 'is recessed at 40 just above the crimping tools which are exactly as shown in FIG. 2. We provide a shaft 41 having a central axial opening 43 extending inwardly from the rear end thereof. The shaft 41 is designed to fit snugly into: the bore 39 but to extend short of the inner end of the bore. spring 43 is positioned in the bore wit-h its front end entering the opening 42 in theshaf-t. tends to push the shaft out of the bore 39. 7

Referring particularly to FIG. 6 the shaft 41 has a four sided cam, the sides of which are arranged asset forth hereinabov-e so that no two sides are at thesame distance fronrt-h-e axis of the shaft. The outer end of the shaft 41 has a reduced diameter portion 45,'theoutermost end of which is knurled to provide a gripping surface for manual rotation of the shaft. The second cam 46 is mounted on a separate member and has six sides so that it is different in configuration fro-m the cam 44. This permits a greater number of adjustments" to be made for operating the outer crimping memberthan for operating the inner crimping member and is contrary to the apparatus of FIGS. 2 and 4 in which both of the cams have six sides. Adjacent tothe cam 46- is an adjustment indicating member 47 which indicates the face of the cam 46 that is in use. The cam 46 is rotated by means of a knurled extension 48 and the entire membero-n which the cam 46,, the adjustment indicating member 47, and the extension 48' are mounted is pro-1 vided with an innerbore 49. that slips over the reduced diameter portion 45 of the shaft 41 so that the Whole assembly fits together as shown in FIG. 5. Operation of the device of FIG. 5 is'exactly the same as that of the device of FIG. 2 with the exception that the inner cam 44 and the outer cam 46 are separately adjustable since there is no locking pin to join them together. 7

While we have illustrated an angular adjustment using square, hexag-ons, etc., acircular cam can be used which is eccentrically mounted andcalibnated. Such a cam could provide a large number of adjustments with a single shape. I

In some instances it may be desirable to adjust the wire and insulation crimps separately. where a small wire has a heavy, thick insulation. In such cases it may be desirable to have separate adjustments such as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this form A coil The spring '43 For example,

the block 38 is identical with the block 17 and is provided with the same bore 39 and front recess 40. However, the adjustment cams are constructed as shown in FIG. 6. The shaft 41 is recessed at the inner end 42 to receive the spring 43. .The inner cam 44, here illustrated as a square, is firmly mounted on the shaft 41 with a reduced portion 45, extending outwardly from the cam 44. The outer cam, 46 is for-med as part of an assembly having an annular outer plate portion 47 and a knurled portion 48 extending therefrom. A central opening 49 extends through the members 46, 4'7 and 48 and has a diameter slightly greater than the outside diarn'eterof the portion 45. V

In'assem'bly; the portion 45 is slipped into the bore 49 and extends outwand-ly therefromas shown in FIG. 5. The assembly is pushed into the bore 39 againstthe action of the spring '43 The assembly is locked in place in the same manner as the form shown in'FIG. 1. In making adjustments, when the assemblyis loosened, turning themem ber" 45 turns the cam 44 and; turning the member 48 turns the cam 46,- each independently ofthe other. As in the first form,-the cams 44-and 46 may be of any desired shape. I Other advantages of the present inventionwill be readily apparent toa person skilled in the art.

We claim? u A I An adjustable crimping tool adapted tobe mounted in. the reciprocating ram of a press, com-prising a block, a pair of plates mountedin the front of said block, the

bottom edges of said plates constituting crimping tools for thebare wire and insulation of aconductor, said plate mounting comprising a pair of horizontally spaced holts each extending through alignedve-rtical slots in said plates into .said block; a second block-above said first block, said second block having a recess above the upper edges of said plates, said second block having a, horizontal bore extending rearwardly from said 're- ,cess, a shaft mounted in said bore,. and cam means mount- ,ed on said shaft in said recess for vertically adjusting the position. of said plates, acoil spring in saidbore bearing against said shaft, and means for removably locking saidcam means in saidrecess against the action of said spring, said cam means. com ris n a polygonal indicating plate mounted at the front end of said shaft, a pair of polygonal plates mounted .on said shaft behind said indieatingplate, .a lock pin extending from said indicating plate throughsaid polygonal plates, the sides of said polygonal. plates varyingin distance from the centersthereof, the bottom. side of each polygonal plate I abutting the top edge of one of said crimping plates,

said removable locking means comprising a plate having an elongated slotreceiv-in-g a bolt for permitting move ment of said plate from loEcking'position to an unlocked position slidably mounted in the. front of said secondblock and extending over the .front. of said indicating plate in looking position.

References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES- PATENTS" 2,762,414 9/56 Demler 153 -1 3,015,020 12/61 Long 15-3- 1 3,051,213 8/ 62; :Batchel-ler 15-31 3,115,922 12/63 Straubel 153--1' CHARLES w; LAN-HAM, Primary Examiner. RICHARD A. WAHL, MICHAEL v. BRINDISI, I a Examiners.