US3412449A - Method and apparatus for making electrical connections - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for making electrical connections Download PDF

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Publication number
US3412449A
US3412449A US512888A US51288865A US3412449A US 3412449 A US3412449 A US 3412449A US 512888 A US512888 A US 512888A US 51288865 A US51288865 A US 51288865A US 3412449 A US3412449 A US 3412449A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
wire
opening
clip
mandrel
terminal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US512888A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jr John Roy Vickery
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
TE Connectivity Corp
Original Assignee
AMP Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by AMP Inc filed Critical AMP Inc
Priority to US512888A priority Critical patent/US3412449A/en
Priority to GB51039/66A priority patent/GB1100696A/en
Priority to NL666616615A priority patent/NL140371B/xx
Priority to FR85804A priority patent/FR1507384A/fr
Priority to DE1590065A priority patent/DE1590065C3/de
Priority to ES0334334A priority patent/ES334334A1/es
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3412449A publication Critical patent/US3412449A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H01R43/027—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for connecting conductors by clips
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/51—Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for metal shaping or assembling
    • Y10T29/5147—Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for metal shaping or assembling including composite tool
    • Y10T29/5148—Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for metal shaping or assembling including composite tool including severing means
    • Y10T29/515—Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for metal shaping or assembling including composite tool including severing means to trim electric component
    • Y10T29/5151—Means comprising hand-manipulatable implement
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/53—Means to assemble or disassemble
    • Y10T29/5313—Means to assemble electrical device
    • Y10T29/532—Conductor
    • Y10T29/53209—Terminal or connector
    • Y10T29/53213—Assembled to wire-type conductor
    • Y10T29/53222—Means comprising hand-manipulatable implement
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/53—Means to assemble or disassemble
    • Y10T29/5313—Means to assemble electrical device
    • Y10T29/532—Conductor
    • Y10T29/53209—Terminal or connector
    • Y10T29/53213—Assembled to wire-type conductor
    • Y10T29/53222—Means comprising hand-manipulatable implement
    • Y10T29/5323—Fastening by elastic joining

Definitions

  • a wire tucking means is provided beside the mandrel and is effective to form a bight in an intermediate portion of the wire and tuck the bight into the opening.
  • Severing means in the opening cuts the wire so that when tucking means is thereafter moved out of the opening, the cut end of a wire remains in the opening.
  • the clip moves against the wire and drags the wire end over the mandrel and onto the terminal post thereby to form a clip-type connection.
  • This invention relates to apparatus for making clip-type electrical connections between conductors and terminal posts.
  • connection When a connection is made with a hand tool, the operator must manually locate the end of the wire in the tool prior to actuating the clippushing means to form the connection.
  • the most commonly used automatic wire machine has a mechanism for locating the wire adjacent to the mandrel and in a position such that it will be picked up by the clip.
  • the present invention is specifically directed to an apparatus for making electrical connections in which the step of positioning the wire with respect to the mandrel is greatly simplified and can be carried out in a shorter time period than has been possible with previously available devices. It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for making clip-type electrical connections. A further object is to provide an apparatus in which the wire can be positioned relative to the mandrel of a clip-type electrical connecting apparatus rapidly and accurately. A further object is to provide an apparatus for making clip-type electrical connections which requires a minimum of operator skill. A still further object is to provide an apparatus having 3,412,449 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 an integral means for severing a conductor extending from a reel which has been previously attached to a first terminal post and which is to be attached to a second terminal post.
  • the apparatus used comprises a mandrel or clip guide having a wire-receiving opening therein intermediate its ends and a clip-pushing means for pushing a terminal clip over the mandrel and onto the post.
  • the apparatus is also provided with a wiretucking means which is movable into the opening and a wire guide extending parallel to the path of movement of the clip.
  • the wire guide has an outlet disposed adjacent to the opening in the mandrel so that a wire extending from this outlet will be inserted or tucked into the opening upon movement of the tucking means into the opening.
  • a suitable knife or other cutting means is provided in the opening so that when the wire is pushed against this knife, it will be severed in the plane of the cutting edge.
  • the end portion of the wire will extend from the opening of the guide tube and can be tucked into the opening so that it will be in a position to be picked up by the terminal clip upon actuation of the clip-moving means to make an electrical connection with a first terminal post. After this first connection is made, wire drawn from a supply reel through the guide tube to provide a length sufficient to reach to the second terminal post so that the Wire will extend from the guide tube and past the opening in the mandrel.
  • the tucking means is then actuated to form a bight in the wire which is pushed into the opening in the mandrel.
  • the wire is severed at the reverse bend of this bight and the tucking means is thereafter moved from the opening.
  • the wire extending rearwardly through the guide tube is carried from the opening by the tucking means leaving the end portion of the lead (formed during severing) extending into the opening.
  • the severed end of this :lead will be electrically connected to the second terminal post.
  • FIGURE 1 is a side view of one form of apparatus in accordance with the invention.
  • FIGURE 2 is a sectional side view on an enlarged scale of the front portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 showing the positions of the parts at the beginning of an operating cycle;
  • FIGURES 3-7 are views similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the positions of the parts at various successive stages of the operating cycle.
  • FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the clip guide or mandrel of the tool.
  • FIGURE 1 shows a hand tool 2 for making clip-type electrical connections of the general type disclosed in US. Patent Nos. 3,186,073 and 3,220,099.
  • the tool 2 differs from the tools in the foregoing US. patents in that it incorporates devices for the practice of the present invention. Since the structural features of this type of hand tool are now well-known to the art, only those features of the tool which are necessary for an understanding of the present invention will be described.
  • the tool 2 comprises an outer housing member 4 and an inner housing 6.
  • the outer housing 4 has a depending handle portion 8 while the inner housing 6 has a complementary depending handle portion 10 which is telescopically movable into the handle portion 8.
  • the outer housing 4 has a rectangular rearward extension 12 in which there is provided a stop screw 13 to limit the forward stroke of a clip-pushing member described below. The location of this stop screw is changeable in order to permit adjustment of the stroke limit.
  • a air of support plates are mounted against the depending sidewalls of the projecting portion 14 of the frame at the left-hand end thereof, the projecting portion 16 of one of these plates being shown in FIGURE 1.
  • the mandrel block 18 is mounted between the plates 16 and a relatively thin guide plate 20 is mounted centrally within the projection 14 to the right of the mandrel block.
  • a strip of terminal clips 22 is fed over the upper edge of this plate 20 and the leading clip of the strip is broken away from the next adjacent clip by means of a clip pusher 21 which is movable relatively over the head portion of the mandrel and beyond the end of this head portion.
  • a pair of levers 24 are pivotally mounted on the sides of the plate 20 on a pin 26.
  • the left-hand end of the lever 24 shown in the drawing has a finger 27 which is normally lodged against the leading clip of the strip to prevent accidental feeding of the strip.
  • This lever is swung through a slight counterclockwise are by means of a pin 30 extending between the sidewalls of the left-hand end of the outer housing 4. As explained in the above-identified Patent, 3,220,099, this pin moves relatively past a cam surface 32 on the lever 24 to lower the finger 27 and permit leftward movement of the clip.
  • the lever 24 is normally biased to the position shown in FIGURE 4 by a. wire spring 28 bearing against the underside of the lever. Rightward movement of the clip of strips is prevented when the clip pusher is retracted by means of outwardly struck tangs 34 on the upper edge of the plate 20.
  • the lever on the opposite side of the plate 20 is similar to the lever 24 shown and functions in the same manner as the lever 24.
  • the mandrel extends from the upper side of the mandrel block 18 and comprises a rib portion 38 and a head portion 40 the width of the head portion being substantially equal to, and slightly less than, the distance between the opposed sidewalls of the terminal clip being used.
  • An opening 42 extends downwardly through the head portion and the rib of the mandrel intermediate its ends so that the right-hand portion 400: of the mandrel head extends rightwardly from this opening as viewed in the drawing towards the left-hand end of the plate 20.
  • the leading clip can thus be pushed onto the right-hand end 40a of the mandrel, past and over the opening 42, and beyond the left-hand end of the mandrel head.
  • the opening 42 is relatively wide in the direction of the length of the mandrel head, its sides 44, 46 are cylindrical and the edges 48, 50 on the sides of the opening extend towards each other for a substantial distance beyond the cylindrical sidewalls 44, 46.
  • the reason for this construction is to assure that the terminal clip will move over the mandrel head from the portion 40a to the portion 40 thereof and will be supported while it is bridging the gap left by the opening.
  • a groove 47 is provided on the upper surface of the mandrel head portion 40 and slopes downwardly towards the opening 42 to provide a surface over which the wire core can be drawn while the electrical connection is being made as explained in the above-identified Patent 3,220,099.
  • a cutting blade 52 is mounted in the floor of the opening 42 and has a cutting edge 53 extending transversely across the opening, preferable at a slight angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel.
  • a wire-inserting or tucking mechanism generally indicated at 54 is mounted on the upper side of the housing projection 14 and comprises a first yoke 56 having depending legs 58 which straddle the projection 14 and are pivoted thereto as shown at 60.
  • An arm 62 extends forwardly from this yoke towards the left-hand end of the tool and has a rod 64 secured to its end. The length of this rod and the length of the arm are such that when the arm is swung about its pivotal axis 60 from the position of FIGURE 2 to the position of FIGURE 3, the rod will move into the opening 42 and against the edge 53 of the cutting blade 52.
  • a wire guide tube 68 is mounted beneath the arm 62 and has its right-hand end mounted in a second yoke 70 having legs 72 pivotally mounted on the previously identified screws 60.
  • the yoke 70 is straddled by the yoke 56 and is movable independently of this yoke 56 or with the yoke 56 as will become apparent as this explanation proceeds.
  • a relatively thin head portion 74 of the yoke 70 extends from the upper side of the yoke into a slot 76 in the arm 62.
  • An L-shaped latch member 78 is pivotally mounted in the slot 76 at the left-hand end thereof on a pin 80 and the right-hand edge 82 of this latch conforms to the adjacent edge "84 of the yoke head 74.
  • the arrangement is such that the two yokes 56, 70 can be latched to each other so that they will move in unison when the parts including the latch member 78 are in the positions of FIGURE 3.
  • the yoke 70 can be disengaged from the yoke 56 by merely moving the latch member 78 in a counterclockwise direction to the position of FIGURE 4.
  • a leaf spring 86 is provided on the underside of the arm 62 to bias this arm to the position of FIGURE 4 when the two yokes are not latched together, it being undertsood that the spring will be in a stressed condition when the two yokes are latched together as in FIGURE 3.
  • the parts will be in the positions shown in FIGURE 2 with the two yokes latched together and with the end 90 of a wire extending from the outlet of the guide tube 68 and alongside the rod 64 at the beginning of the operating cycle.
  • a first terminal post herein designated as the A post
  • the operator first swings the arm 62 downwardly to the position of FIGURE 3 thus moving the end portion 90 of the wire into the opening 42. He then swings the latch 78 in a counterclockwise direction disengaging the yoke 56 from the yoke 70. He then swings the arm 62 upwardly to the position of FIGURE 4.
  • the guide tube 68 will be held in its lowered position by a pair of spaced-apart spring clips 92 mounted on the upper surface of the housing projection 14. The operator can then position the end of the mandrel against the A post and operate the tool to connect the end portion of the wire 90 to this post. During such operation of the tool, the leading terminal clip will be moved over the portion 40a of the mandrel head, against the wire, over the portion 40 of the mandrel head, and onto the post and will drag the wire over the post until a connection, as shown at A in FIGURE 7, is achieved.
  • the lower end of the rod forms a bight in the wire end and pushes this bight into the opening 42 until the reversely turned end portion thereof is pressed against the cutting edge 53 of the knife at which time the wire will be severed as illustrated in FIGURE 6.
  • the operator t-hen swings the arm and the guide tube upwardly as a unit until they reach the position shown in FIGURE 7 and have been moved out of the way of the clip which will be applied to the B post.
  • the severed end of the 'wire extending from the A post will remain in the opening 42 and against the side 46 of the opening.
  • the wire is then in a position to be connected to the second terminal post upon actuation of the clip pushing device in the tool. After the wire has been thus connected, the parts are in their proper positions for the initiation of the next operating cycle.
  • An overall advantage is that the operation of positioning the wire in the mandrel opening is carried out by merely swinging the arm 62 about its pivotal axis and does not require the threading or insertion of the wire into a relatively small opening by the operator.
  • a further advantage is that the step of cutting the wire is combined 'wit-h the inserting or tucking step so that the operator need not interrupt his motions and use a separate cutting device as was the case with previous tools.
  • the practice of the invention is advantageous in that the wire is tucked or pushed into the opening by a relatively simple device which moves laterally with respect to the mandrel and to the mandrel opening.
  • a wire-inserting device of this type, and this wire-inserting method, is thus amenable to employment with automatic wiring machines since they involve relatively simple motions of the parts associated with the mandrel head.
  • a device for making clip-type electrical connections comprising, a mandrel for guiding individual clips along a predetermined path extending over said mandrel and onto a terminal post, clip moving means for moving a terminal clip along said path, a wire-receiving opening in said mandrel intermediate the ends thereof, a wire guide tube normally extending parallel to said path and towards said mandrel, said guide tube having an outlet adjacent to said wire-receiving opening, means for feeding wire through said guide tube and beyond said opening, wire-tucking means movable laterally of said path and into said opening for tucking a wire emergent from said guide tube into said opening, means in said opening for severing a wire tucked into said opening, and means for moving said guide tube laterally away from said path whereby, the leading end of a wire extending from a substantially endless source through said guide tube can be connected to a first terminal post upon actuation of said tucking means and positioning the end of said wire in said opening, and said wire can be
  • an apparatus for making clip-type electrical connections said apparatus being of the type comprising a clip guide having a wire-receiving opening therein and means for moving a terminal clip along a predetermined path extending over said guide, past said opening, and onto a terminal post, the improvement comprising, wiretucking means movable laterally with respect to said opening and into said opening thereby to tuck a wire extending parallel to said path into said opening, and severing means in said opening for severing said wire after tucking when an intermediate portion of said wire is tucked into said opening, said tucking means being operative to position the leading end of a wire in said opening preparatory to connecting said leading end to a first terminal post, said tucking means and said severing means being operative to tuck an intermediate portion of said wire into said opening and sever said intermediate portion preparatory to connecting said wire to a second terminal post.
  • a device as set forth in claim 2 including a wire guide normally extending parallel to said path and having an outlet adjacent to said opening, means for holding said wire guide with its outlet adjacent to said opening, and means for moving said wire guide laterally away from said opening.
  • Apparatus for securing a wire to a terminal member, said wire extending from a substantially endless source said apparatus comprising a guide member, a wire pick-up device movable along said guide member towards said terminal, said guide member having a recess therein for receiving said wire, wire supply and positioning means adjacent to said guide member, said wire positioning means including a tucking member for tucking a bight of wire into said recess, said positioning means being movable between a first position in which said wire is tucked into said recess and a second position beside said guide member, and cutting means in said recess for cutting said wire at said bight whereby, upon cutting of said wire at said bight and movement of said wire pick-up device, a cut end of said wire is carried towards said terminal.
  • said severing means comprises a cutting edge in said opening, said cutting edge being effective to out said wire and when said intermediate portion of said wire is forced against said edge by said tucking means.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Electrical Connectors (AREA)
  • Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
US512888A 1965-12-10 1965-12-10 Method and apparatus for making electrical connections Expired - Lifetime US3412449A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US512888A US3412449A (en) 1965-12-10 1965-12-10 Method and apparatus for making electrical connections
GB51039/66A GB1100696A (en) 1965-12-10 1966-11-15 Wire lead forming apparatus and method
NL666616615A NL140371B (nl) 1965-12-10 1966-11-25 Inrichting voor het vormen van draadgeleiders met einden ontdaan van isolatie uit een draadvoorraad praktisch zonder einde.
FR85804A FR1507384A (fr) 1965-12-10 1966-12-01 Pistolet pour relier un fil conducteur à une borne
DE1590065A DE1590065C3 (de) 1965-12-10 1966-12-07 Werkzeug zum Befestigen von Anschlußdrähten von einer Vorratsrolle aus
ES0334334A ES334334A1 (es) 1965-12-10 1966-12-09 Un aparato para formar terminales de cable.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US512888A US3412449A (en) 1965-12-10 1965-12-10 Method and apparatus for making electrical connections

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3412449A true US3412449A (en) 1968-11-26

Family

ID=24041035

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US512888A Expired - Lifetime US3412449A (en) 1965-12-10 1965-12-10 Method and apparatus for making electrical connections

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3412449A (de)
DE (1) DE1590065C3 (de)
ES (1) ES334334A1 (de)
FR (1) FR1507384A (de)
GB (1) GB1100696A (de)
NL (1) NL140371B (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4271573A (en) * 1978-03-31 1981-06-09 Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated Quick-connect interconnection system

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2845693A (en) * 1953-12-11 1958-08-05 Gen Motors Corp Method of manufacture of welded electrical terminals
US2958926A (en) * 1956-10-22 1960-11-08 Lenkurt Electric Co Inc Electrical circuit structure and method for manufacturing same
US3186073A (en) * 1964-02-12 1965-06-01 Amp Inc Tool for making electrical connections
US3191281A (en) * 1964-06-04 1965-06-29 Amp Inc Apparatus for making electrical connections
US3220099A (en) * 1964-12-17 1965-11-30 Amp Inc Apparatus for making electrical connections
US3239918A (en) * 1962-02-05 1966-03-15 Amp Inc Method of making an electrical connection

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2845693A (en) * 1953-12-11 1958-08-05 Gen Motors Corp Method of manufacture of welded electrical terminals
US2958926A (en) * 1956-10-22 1960-11-08 Lenkurt Electric Co Inc Electrical circuit structure and method for manufacturing same
US3239918A (en) * 1962-02-05 1966-03-15 Amp Inc Method of making an electrical connection
US3186073A (en) * 1964-02-12 1965-06-01 Amp Inc Tool for making electrical connections
US3191281A (en) * 1964-06-04 1965-06-29 Amp Inc Apparatus for making electrical connections
US3220099A (en) * 1964-12-17 1965-11-30 Amp Inc Apparatus for making electrical connections

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4271573A (en) * 1978-03-31 1981-06-09 Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated Quick-connect interconnection system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL140371B (nl) 1973-11-15
NL6616615A (de) 1967-06-12
GB1100696A (en) 1968-01-24
ES334334A1 (es) 1967-11-01
DE1590065C3 (de) 1974-10-31
DE1590065B2 (de) 1974-03-14
DE1590065A1 (de) 1970-05-14
FR1507384A (fr) 1967-12-29

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