US3329002A

US3329002A - Terminal crimping and transferring apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3329002A
Application number: US423565A
Authority: US
Inventors: Schwalm Glendon Henry
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1965-01-05
Filing date: 1965-01-05
Publication date: 1967-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-04
Also published as: GB1068730A; FR1462716A; NL6516894A; DE1465242A1; DE1465242B2

Description

July 4, 1967 G. H. SCHWALM 3,

v TERMI NAL CRIMPING AND TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1965 a Sheets-Sheet 1 July 4, 1967 G. H. SCHWALM 3,329,002

I TERMINAL GRIMPING AND TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,329,002 TERMINAL CRIMPING AND TRANSFERRING APPARATUS July 4, 1967 e. H. SCHWALM Filed Jan. 5, 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 4, 1967 G. H. SCHWALM 3,329,002

TERMINAL CRIMPING AND TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 4, 1967 G. H. SCHWALM 3,329,002

TERMINAL CRIMPING AND TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 4, 1967 TERMINAL CRIMPING AND TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 G. H. SCHWALM 3,329,002

United States Patent Ofilice 3,329,002 TERMINAL CRIMPING AND TRANSFERRIN APPARATUS Glendon Henry Schwalm, Harrisburg, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Jan. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 423,565 Claims. (Cl. 72-416) This invention relates to apparatus for crimping a terminal onto the end of a wire and for transferring the wire from the crimping station to a second station for a subsequent operation.

The US. patent to Kerns, 3,071,174, discloses an apparatus for crimping a terminal onto a wire and having a transfer device which grips the wire in the crimping station and transfers it to an adjacent station for a subsequent operation. In this Kerns patent, the subsequent operation takes the form of a molding operation in which insulating material is molded around the terminal. The present invention relates to apparatus of the general type shown in the Kern's patent having an improved transferring device.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for crimping a terminal onto a wire and transferring the wire to a location beside the crimping station for a secondary operation. It is a further object to provide a transferring device for wire or the like having improved means for clamping the wire. A still further object is the provision of a semi-automatic or automatic machine having two work stations, a transferring device for transferring the work piece from the first station to the second station, means for automatically crimping the work piece at the first station, means for performing an assembling operation at the second station, and means for ejecting the work piece from the transferring device at the second station.

These and other objects are achieved in a preferred embodiment of the invention comprising a press having a crimping station for crimping terminals onto the ends of wires and an assembling station beside the crimping station for assembling insulating housings to the individual terminals. The individual wires are gripped at the crimping station by means of a square plate mounted for rotation in its own plane about an axis extending between the crimping station and the assembling station. This plate has a clamping means adjacent to each of its corners, each clamping means comprising a notch extending through the plate and a slidable jaw which is resiliently biased towards one side of the notch. These slidable jaws each have an extension which projects beyond an adjacent side of the plate when the clamps are closed, the arrangement being such that the clamps may be opened by pushing the extension inwardly towards the adjacent side of the plate. Each clamp may be held in its open position by means of a latch which is engageable with the slidable jaw Patented July 4, 1967 In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a wire having a terminal crimped onto its end;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a housing of a type adapted to be assembled to the terminal of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary frontal view showing a transferring device in accordance with the invention and parts of a crimping and assembling apparatus in conjunction with which the transferring device is used, the parts being shown in FIGURE 3 in the positions they occupy at the beginning of the operating cycle;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the positions of the parts after a terminal has been crimped onto a wire and prior to indexing of the trans ferring device;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken along the lines 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the positions of the parts after indexing of the transferring device and during the assembling operation;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary plan view showing the transfer mechanism and the feeding mechanism for feeding insulating housings to the assembling station;

FIGURE 7A is a fragmentary side view taken along the lines 7-7 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view, with some parts exploded, of the transfer mechanism in accordance with I the invention; and

and which is located on the same side of the plate as its associated clamp. These latching devices are resiliently biased into engagement with the slidable jaws when the jaws are in their retracted position, the arrangement being such that any one of the latches can be disengaged from its associated jaw by the application of pressure thereto. The preferred form of apparatus in accordance with the invention is provided with means for engaging the latch of each jaw at the crimping station during the crimping operation thereby to disengage the latch and to clamp the wire between the slidable jaw and one side of the associated notch. Means are provided at the assembling station for engaging the extension of the slidable jaw of each clamp to disengage the jaw from the gripped work piece and release the work piece after the assembling operation has been completed.

FIGURES 9 and 10 are sectional views showing one of the clamping mechanisms of the transferring device, FIG- URE 9 showing the positions of the parts when the clamp is open and FIGURE 10 showing the positions of the parts when the clamp is closed.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 and 2, the present invention is intended to apply an insulating housing member 6 to a terminal 4 which has been crimped onto the end of the wire 2. Housings of this type can be assembled to terminals by merely moving the housing axially onto the terminal. It is common practice to provide a detent device such as a struck out lance 3 in the terminal which engages a suitable shoulder in the housing to retain the terminal and housing in assembled relationship. The present invention thus provides a crimping means at a first station, A, (FIGURES 3 and 7) for crimping the terminal onto the wire, assembling means at a second stat-ion, B, for assembling the housing 6 to the terminal 4, a transfer device for gripping the wire at station A, transferring it to station B, and means for ejecting the wire after the housing has been assembled to the terminal.

It should be mentioned at this point that the embodiment of the invention described below will ordinarily be utilized in conjunction with an apparatus of the general type fully described in US. Patent 3,071,174 and comprising a crimping press and a transferring mechanism. Accordingly, only these parts of the press structure and the assembling mechanism which are necessary for an understanding of the present invention are described in detail.

The disclosed embodiment of the invention comprises a base plate 8 which is ordinarily mounted on the press platen 9, a crimping die 10, which is mounted on the press ram, and an anvil 12 suitably mounted on base plate 8. A strip of terminals 4 is fed along an upper surface of a support block 14 between a pair of

guide rails

16, 18 to position the leading terminal of the strip on the anvil 12. In operation of devices of this type, the wire is positioned by the operator between the die 10 and the anvil 12 and is crimped onto the leading terminal of the strip when the die moves downwardly towards the anvil. This leading terminal is severed from the strip during the crimping operation by a suitable shearing blade movable with the die 10.

During each cycle of the press, a housing 6 is applied to a terminal 4 at the assembling station B. The housings may be fed to the assembling station by any suitable feeding means, the disclosed embodiment of the invention including a housing feed mechanism 19 comprising a block having guide rails 22 thereon which define a path for the housings. The feeding is carried out by means of a pair of

reciprocable feed pawls

24, 26 which advance the row of housings in a manner such that the leading or frontmost housing is pushed onto the terminal 4. Feed assembly 19 may be actuated in any suitable manner as by separate piston-cylinder (not shown) and is guided along its path of reciprocation by means of a g-ib 20 secured to the plate 8.

Since the terminal 4" at assembling station B must be accurately aligned with the housing to which it is being assembled, it is desirable to grip the end portion of the terminal by means of a pair of gripping fingers 28 (FIG- URES 3-6). These fingers are pivotally mounted at their ends as shown at 30 on parallel spaced-apart axes on a slide block 34. Slide block 34 is slidably mounted on a guide member 35 which is secured to a bracket 37 on the base plate 8. The fingers 28 and the slide block 34 are moved towards and away from the assembling station B by means of a control rod 36 coupled at 38 to a piston rod 40 extending from a pneumatic piston-cylinder 42. Guide rod 36 extends slidably through an opening 44 in the block member and through an opening in a boss 45 extending from the block 34 and disposed between the fingers 28. At its forward end, rod 36 is pivotally connectedby means of a pin 46 to a pair of links 48, each of which is pivotally connected to one of the fingers 28. A collar 50-is provided on the rod 36 and a spring 52 is interposed between the collar 50 and the boss 45.

The arrangement is such that upon rightward movement of the piston rod 40 and the control rod 36, the slide member 34 is also moved rightwardly from the position of FIGURE 3 to the position of FIGURE 6. During such initial movement of the control rod, fingers 28 remain open by virtue of the fact that spring 52 is relatively stiff. When the slide member 34 reaches the limit of its rightward movement, the rod continues to move rightwardly compressing the spring 52 and closing the fingers as shown in FIGURE 6. The notched ends 54 of these fingers thus embrace the terminal 4' and hold it firmly and accurately in alignment with the, leading housing to which it is to be assembled.

Referring now to FIGURES 8, 9, and the transfer device in accordance with the present invention comprises a square plate 56 mounted for rotation about a shaft 58. Plate 56 is provided with a clamping means on each of its sides 60, .62, 64, 66 adjacent to each of the corners 68 of the plate. Since these clamping devices are identical to each other, a description of one will suffice for all. Each clamping device thus comprises a notch 70 extending through the plate adjacent to the associated corner and a slidable jaw member 72 mounted in the notch. This jaw has an elongated base section 74 which is slidably mounted in arecess 76 in the face of the plate and is resiliently biased outwardly by means of a "spring 78. The clamping devices are thus in a normally closed condition under the. influence of the spring 78. It should be noted that when one of the clamping devices is in closed condition, the base portion 74 of the slidable jaw 72 projects beyond the adjacent side of the plate, note the clamp in the upper right-hand corner of FIGURE 8. The base portion 74 of the slidable jaw of this clamping device projects beyond the surface of the adjacent side 66 of the plate. It will be apparent that the jaws can be opened by pushing the projecting portion of the base 74 inwardly against the compression of the spring 78 until this projecting portion is flush with the adjacent side of the plate.

The clamping devices on the plate 56 can be latched in their opened conditions by means of a latch arm 80 pivotally mounted on a pin 82. Latch arm 80 is disposed in a recess 84 in the side of the plate and is biased by means of a spring 86 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG- URES 9 and 10) in a manner such that the hooked end 88 of the latch arm will engage a projection 90 on the associated sliding jaw. When a clamping means is latched in open position, as shown in FIGURE 9, the

springs

86 and 78 oppose each other to prevent release of the sliding jaw and closing of the clamp. The clamping means shown in FIGURES 9 and 10 can thus be opened by pressing on the left-hand end of the lever to raise the hook portion 88 of the lever out of engagement with the projection of the sliding jaw. When this lever is released, the sliding jaw moves rightwardly under influence of the spring 78 to clamp the wire as shown.

During operation of the device, the clamps will be in their open condition when each corner arrives at the crimping station A. The operator positions the wire within the notch 70 and actuates the press to initiate the crimping cycle. A rod 94 is mounted on the press ram and is movable with the die 10 so that as the ram moves downwardly, this rod engages the left-hand side of the lever 80 disposed at the crimping station thus disengaging the lever from the slidable jaw to bring about closing of the clamp.

Each clamp is opened at the assembling station B after a housing has been assembled to the terminal located at the station B. Opening of the clamp is brought about in the disclosed embodiment by means of a bell crank 122 having a roller 124 on one of its arms. The other arm of this bell crank is pivotally connected to the piston rod 126 of a pneumatic piston-cylinder 128, the arrangement being such that upon rightward movement of the piston rod in FIGURE 7A, the roller 124 moves along an arcuate path towards the projecting portion of the slide member at station B and pushes the projecting portion downwardly. Bell crank 122 may be pivotally connected to a bracket 130 extending from a support block 132 mounted on the gib 20.

A suitable means for indexing the plate 56 is provided in the form of a ratchet plate 96 secured to the face plate 92 of the transfer mechanism. Ratchet plate 96 has four teeth 98 extending from its sides for engagement with a pawl 102 provided on the end of an oscillable arm on the shaft 58. Arm 100 is pivotally connected at 104 to a block 106 on the end of a piston rod 108 of a pistoncylinder 110. The arrangement is such that upon rightward movement of this piston rod from the position of FIGURE 4, the pawl 102 pulls the lowermost one of the teeth 98 rightwardly thereby to rotate the plate 96 in a counterclockwise direction about the pin 58 as shown in FIGURE 6.

The ratchet plate 96 is stopped from further movement after it has rotated throughan angle of 90 by means of a lever 112 .pivoted to base member 8 at 114. A spring 116 connected to the lower end of the lever 112 biases this member in a clockwise direction about its axis. A shoulder 118 is provided on the upper end of lever 112 for engagement with the tooth 98 disposed on the lefthand side of plate 96, this shoulder functioning to prevent rotary movement of the plate 96 on the plate 56 beyond an angular displacement of 90.

A finger 120 extends obliquely from the upper end of the lever 112 and functions as an ejector for knocking the wire from the clamping mechanism in the upper lefthand corner of the plate 56. Ejection takes place when piston rod 108 moves leftwardly from the position of FIGURE 3 and engages the lever 112 causing it to swing in a counterclockwise are about its axis 114. Such movement of lever 112 causes the shoulder 118 to be disengaged from the adjacent tooth 98 and also causes the finger 120 to eject the wire in the upper left-hand clamping means of the transfer device.

The operation of the disclosed embodiment of the invention is as follows. At the beginning of the operating cycle, the parts will be in the positions shown in FIG- URE 3 with the clamping means disposed at stations A and B both being in opened condition. The operator first positions the wire in the notch 70 at station A and closes a suitable control switch (not specifically shown) to actuate the press ram and move the crimping die towards the crimping anvil. The wire in the notch is then crimped to a terminal on the anvil and the clamping means in station A is closed when the rod 94 engages the lever 80 to release the slidable jaw 72. After the crimping operation has been completed, the crimping die and rod 94 return to their initial or raised positions and air is supplied to the piston-cylinder 110 to move the piston rod 108 leftwardly (FIGURE 4). During this portion of the cycle, the arm 100 is swung in a clockwise direction until the pawl 102 engages the lowermost one of the teeth 98 on the plate 96. The clockwise swinging motion of the arm 100 has the efiect of swinging the lever 112 in a counterclockwise direction about its pivotal axis 114 when the lower end of arm 100 engages the lever 112. When the lever 112 is swung in a'counterclockwise direction, the finger 120 on the upper end of the lever ejects the wire in the notch at station B which remains in this notch from the previous cycle. The completed lead falls beside the transfer device and can be removed at any convenient time.

Piston rod 108 is then moved rightwardly in FIGURE 4 causing the pawl 102 to index the transfer mechanism through an angle of 90 so that the parts will be positioned as shown in FIGURE 6. The piston-cylinder 110 can thus be of the double acting type and suitable arrangements can be made to supply compressed air to its left-hand side to cause the rightward movement of the piston rod 108.

Indexing of the transfer mechanism has the result of positioning the previously crimped terminal and Wire at station B for the assembling operation. Immediately after indexing, compressed air is supplied to piston-cylinder 42 to cause rightward movement of the piston rod 40 and control rod 36. As a result of such movement of the piston rod, the fingers 28 are moved rightwardly and closed into gripping engagement with the terminal at station B. Fingers 28 remain in their closed condition with the terminal at station B until the leading housing of the row of housings is fed partially onto the terminal. Thereafter, the fingers are opened and the leading housing is fed the rest of the way onto the terminal at station B. It will be apparent from an inspection of FIGURE 7 that the fingers 28 must be opened after the housing has been fed partially onto the terminal in station B in order to permit this housing to be moved over the entire length of the terminal.

'1: will be understood that suitable controls can be provided for bringing about the desired sequence of operat-ions and particularly, the actuation of the piston-

cylinders

110, 42 to produce the sequence of steps recited above. These controls, for example, can take the form of microswitches actuated by the ram to which the crimping die 10 is attached.

A salient advantage of the invention is that the individual clamps on the transfer device are positive in their operation and are capable of holding the wire firmly and securely. A wide placement area is provided for the wire being positioned between the crimping dies by the operator. It should also be noted that the precise timing of the apparatus can be readily controlled by shortening or lengthening the rod 94 so that the wire will be gripped and released at the desired times in the operating cycle.

I claim:

1. A plate having a clamping means on one side thereof, said clamping means being closable upon pressing on said one side and being openable upon pressing on a side adjacent to said one side, said clamping means comprising, a notch extending through said one side, a slidable jaw in said notch, resilient means biasing said jaw towards said adjacent side to close said clamping means, said slidable jaw having an extension projecting 'beyond said adjacent side when said clamping means is closed, a latch means on said one side engageable with said slidable jaw when said clamping means is open to hold said clamping means in open condition, said latch means being disengageable from said slidable jaw upon pressing on said one side thereby to close said clamping means, and said clamping means being openable upon pressing on said extension.

2. A plate having a clamping means on one side thereof, said clamping means being closable upon pressing on said one side and being openable upon pressing on a side adjacent to said one side, said clamping means comprising .a notch extending through said one side, a slidable jaw in said notch, resilient means biasing said jaw towards an adjacent side whereby an article in said notch is clamped between said slidable jaw and one side of said notch, said slidable jaw having an extension which projects beyond said adjacent side when said clamping means is closed, a latch means on said one side for retaining said slidable jaw in its retracted position against the force of said resilient means, said latch means being disengageable from said slidable jaw upon pressing on said one side to close said clamping means, and said clamping means being openable upon pressing on said extension to move said extension inwardly towards said adjacent side.

3. A plate having a clamping means on each side and adjacent to each corner thereof, said clamping means being closable upon pressing on the one side on which said clamping means is located and being openable upon pressing on the side adjacent to said one side, each of said clamping means comprising, :a notch extending through said one side and adjacent to said one corner and a slidable jaw in said notch, a first resilient means biasing said slidable jaw towards said corner to close said clamping means, said slidable jaw having an extension which projects beyond said adjacent side when said clamping means is closed, said clamping means being openable upon pressing said extension inwardly towards said adjacent side, and a latch means on said one side engageable with said slidable jaw when said jaw is in its retracted position and said clamping means is open, a second resilient means biasing said latch means into engagement with said slidable jaw to hold said jaw in its retracted position, said latch means being disengageable from said jaw upon pressing on said one side of said plate.

4. Transfer means for Wire or the like comprising, a square plate centrally mounted for rotation in its own plane, said plate having clamping means on each side and adjacent to each corner thereof, said clamping means being closable upon pressing on the one side on which said clamping means is located and being openable upon pressing on the side adjacent to said one side, each of said clamping means comprising, a notch extending through said one side and adjacent to said one corner and a slidable jaw in said notch, a first resilient means biasing said slidable jaw towards said corner whereby said clamp is closed, said slidable jaw having an extension which projects beyond said adjacent side when said clamping means is closed, said clamping means being openable upon pressing said extension inwardly towards said adjacent side, and a latch means on said one side engageable with said slidable jaw when said jaw is in its retracted position and said clamping means is open, a second resilient means biasing said latch means into engagement with said slidable jaw whereby said first and second resilient means function to hold said jaw in its retracted position, said latch means being disengageable from said jaw upon pressing on said one side of said plate, means for indexing said plate, clamp closing means beside said plate at a first station for engaging each of said latch means when each side of said plate is positioned adjacent to said first station, and means beside said plate at a second station for engaging said extensions thereby to open each of said clamp- 7 ing means when each side is positioned adjacent to said second station.

5. Apparatus for crimping connectors onto the ends of wires at a first station and transferring said wires to a second station for a subsequent operation comprising, a crimping die and a crimping anvil, said die being movable relatively towards and away from said anvil, said die and anvil constituting said first station, said second station being disposed beside said first station, a plate mounted for rotation in its own plane on an axis extending between said first station and said second station, said plate having clamping means on each side and associated with each corner thereof, each of said clamping means comprising, a notch extending through said one side and adjacent to said one corner and a slidable jaw in said notch, a first resilient means biasing said slidable jaw towards said one corner whereby said clamp is closed, said slidable jaw having an extension which projects beyond the side adjacent to said one side and said associated corner, each clamping means being openable upon pressing said extension inwardly towards said adjacent side, a

latch means on said one side engageable with said slidable jaw when said jaw is in its retracted position and said clamping means is open, a second resilient means biasing said latch means into engagement with said slidable jaw whereby said first and second resilient means function to hold said jaw in its retracted position, said latch means being disengageable from said jaw upon pressing on said one side of said plate, means at said first station for engaging said latch means thereby to close said clamping means concomitantly with crimping of said terminal, and means at said second station for pressing on said extension concomitantly with performance of said subsequent operation thereby to open each of said clamping means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,071,174 1/1961 Kerns 29-203 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

R. D. G'REFE, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A PLATE HAVING A CLAMPING MEANS ON ONE SIDE THEREOF, SAID CLAMPING MEANS BEING CLOSABLE UPON PRESSING ON SAID ONE SIDE AND BEING OPENABLE UPON PRESSING ON A SIDE ADJACENT TO SAID ONE SIDE, SAID CLAMPING MEANS COMPRISING, A NOTCH EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ONE SIDE, A SLIDABLE JAW IN SAID NOTCH, RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID JAW TOWARDS SAID ADJACENT SIDE TO CLOSE SAID CLAMPING MEANS, SAID SLIDABLE JAW HAVING AN EXTENSION PROJECTING BEYOND SAID ADJACENT SIDE WHEN SAID CLAMPING MEANS IS CLOSED, A LATCH MEANS ON SAID ONE SIDE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SLIDABLE JAW WHEN SAID CLAMPING MEANS IS OPEN TO HOLD SAID CLAMPING MEANS IN OPEN CONDITION, SAID LATCH MEANS BEING DISENGAGEABLE FROM SAID SLIDABLE JAW UPON PRESSING ON SAID ON SIDE THEREBY TO CLOSE SAID CLAMPING MEANS, AND SAID CLAMPING MEANS BEING OPENABLE UPON PRESSING ON SAID EXTENSION.