US3502317A - Clamp for retaining an elongated member - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1970 w, KILLERBY ET AL 3,502,317

CLAMP FOR RETAINING AN ELONGATED MEMBER Filed April 5, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Z/I/VENT'DRS LU. 5: /Lbs'qgq n. L. PEP/N q. .4. LUHT'SDN March 24, 1970 w, KlLLERBY ETAL 3,502,317

CLAMP FOR RETAINING AN ELONGATED MEMBER Filed April 5, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 24, 1970 w. E KILLERBY E L CLAMP FOR RETAINING AN ELONGATED MEMBER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 5. 1968 United States Patent O 3,502,317 CLAMP FOR RETAINING AN ELONGATED MEMBER Walter E. Killerby, Lowell, Albert L. Pepin, Methuen, and Richard J. Watson, Danvers, Mass., assignors to Western Electric Company Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 719,040 Int. Cl. B25b 1/20, 1/24, /16

US. Cl. 269-43 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a clamp for retaining an elongated member and, more particularly, to a clamp for retaining plural elongated members in predetermined arrays of members.

In operating on one or more elongated members, such as in the attachment of rows of lead wires to thin film circuits, it is generally necessary to retain the member or members positively during the operation. A clamping mechanism for so retaining elongated members ordinarily must be releasable and must be simply actuated and released, yet must positively retain the members without damage thereto. When wires or elongated members of small diameter are to be clamped, a critical requirement of the apparatus may involve the avoidance of any damage to the wires, such as scraping, denting, bending, crushing, twisting or severing thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention resides in new and improved apparatus for clamping an elongated member or members, such as an array of wires.

A simple, reliable apparatus of this type is provided, which apparatus positively retains wires clamped, while avoiding damage to the wires, by utilizing in the apparatus a flexible member and a rigid securing member cooperative to clamp a portion of a wire therebetween upon flexure of the flexible member. The rigid securing member constitutes a wall projecting from a plate adjacent an aperture through the plate. The aperture is positioned to house a portion of the Wire therein with another portion of the wire extending from the aperture adjacent the wall. The flexible member projects from the plate facing the wall at an opposite side of the aperture.

Plural apertures are utilized to define an array for housing rows of wires in predetermined positions corresponding to the array. Plural walls and flexible members are used for such rows of wires. Flexure of the flexible members is brought about by a clamping frame which is moved toward the plate. Located on the frame are plural camming surfaces positioned to engage portions of the flexible members so as to flex these portions toward the walls. The resiliency of the flexible members, which are moved into contact with the wires while each wire is contacting or almost in contact with the rigid walls, provides a cushioning effect. This prevents the application of damaging forces to the wires, while firmly clamping and retaining the wires between the flexible members and the walls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention for clamping a plurality of wires arranged in rows;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1 and showing a top plate and a frame forming part of the apparatus;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1 and respectively showing parts of the apparatus in an unclamped condition and in a clamped condition;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are end elevational views looking along the line 44 in FIG. 1 and showing portions of a mechanism for operating the apparatus between the unclamped and clamped conditions thereof, illustrating the portions in unclamped and clamped positions, respectively;

FIGS. 59 are cross-sectional views of a portion of the apparatus illustrating successive stages in the operation and use thereof; and

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a portion of an article which may be produced using the apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring first to FIG. 10 of the drawing, there is shown an article constituting a thin film circuit 11 with a number of lead wires 12 extending perpendicularly from the circuit. The lead wires are arrayed in two parallel rows.

An apparatus, illustrated in FIGS. 1-4B is employed in the manufacture of articles of the type shown in FIG. 10. This apparatus constitutes a fixture for clamping lead wires 12 in position arrayed in rows while several circuits 11 are placed over the wires and the wires are attached to the circuits, as shown in FIGS. 59. It is to be understood that other and different operations may, of course, be performed on wires retained in apparatus of this type.

The apparatus includes a top holder member 13 and a frame or base plate 14. The frame is a constituent of a clamping mechanism, movable toward member 13 from an unclamping position, illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 4A, 5, and 9, into a clamping position, illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3B, 4B, 6, 7, and 8.

The top member 13 includes a horizontally extending support plate 16 through which a number of rows of apertures 17 extend downwardly and from which several walls or posts 18 also extend downwardly. The walls 18 are positioned extending alongside the rows of apertures 17 such that each of the two opposite, downwardly extending wall surfaces 19 of a wall 18 borders One edge of a row of apertures 17. The apertures 17 are preferably circular, with a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of a lead wire 12, enabling each aperture to house a portion of a wire therein. When wires 12 are inserted downwardly into apertures 17, portions of the wires will project from the apertures beneath the bottom surface of the support plate 16. The projecting portions of the wires 12 extend parallel and adjacent to a wall surface 19.

Several resilient members 21 are mounted along the underside of the plate 16 close to the rows of apertures 17. Across each row of apertures from a bordering wall surface 19 is situated a downwardly extending portion or skirt 22 of a resilient member 21, with a clamping edge 23 of the portion 22 facing the wall surface 19 adjacent the row of apertures. As may be seen in FIGS. 6-8, the apparatus is so designed that the projecting portions of the wires 12 will be pressed and held between the clamping edges 23 and the wall surfaces 19 upon flexure of the downwardly extending portions of the resilient members 21.

As shown in FIG. 3A of the drawing, the resilient members 21 preferably constitute generally U-shaped channel members, opening downwardly and extending along and between inward edges of two adjacent rows of apertures 17. Each of the relilient members, thus, has two downwardly extending portions 22, two outwardly facing clamping edges 23, two inner edges 24, and a horizontal connecting portion 25. Alternatively, there could be twice as many resilient members, each constituting a flexible body extending generally downward opposite a wall surface 19 and not including any horizontal connecting portion. The resilient members 21 may be composed of a plastic material such as polytetrafluoroethylene, known by the trade name Teflon. Alternatively, the resilient members may be made of a silicone rubber or any other suitable flexible material. The resiliency of the material creates a cushioning effect, enabling clamping of the projecting portions of the lead wires 12 against the surfaces 19 of the walls 18 without scraping, denting, bending, or otherwise damaging the lead wires.

The frame 14 is a part of a mechanism which is to be moved toward the plate 16 to bear against the resilient members 21 for flexing these members in order to provide the clamping action described above. Forming a part of the frame 14 are a number of beveled camming surfaces 26. The camming surfaces constitute outwardly flared or tapered wall sections, each positioned in vertical alignment with one of the inner edges 24 of the resilient members 21. The frame preferably includes several cross-members 27 which are separated by openings or slots 27A. Each cross-member 27 is movable into a downwardly opening channel defined by the two inner edges 24 and the horizontal connecting portion 25 of the resilient member 21. As may be seen by comparing FIG. 3B with FIG. 3A and in FIGS. 5-9 of the drawing, upward movement of the frame 14 toward the plate 16 will cause the camming surfaces 26 first to contact the inner edges 24 of the resilient members 21 and then to push against these inner edges and force them outwardly. Thus, the downwardly extending portions 22 are flexed so as to move the clamping edges 23 toward the downwardly extending surfaces 19 of the walls 18. Downward movement of the frame 14 away from the plate 16, bringing the beveled camming surfaces 26 out of contact with the resilient members 21, will result in a return of the resilient members to their original, unflexed configurations.

An operating mechanism for moving the frame 14 vertically relative to the plate 16 is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4A, and 4B. A pair of end strips 28, 28 extend downwardly from the top member 13. Each of the two end strips has a pair of laterally spaced bores 29, 29 passing horizontally therethrough for housing therein a cam shaft 31. Each of the four cam shafts 31 has an eccentric cam 32 located at an inward end thereof, positioned inwardly of the adjacent end strip 28. Resting upon each of the four cams 32 is a shoulder portion 33 of the frame 14. Two shoulders 33 extend outwardly, one at each end of the frame and are held against the cams 32 by a number of springs 34. Each spring has one end located in a recess 36 in the frame 14 and an opposite end bearing against the underside of the top member 13. With this configuration, it will be clear that rotation of the cam shafts 31 will cause the frame 14 to move vertically with respect to the plate 16, as may be seen by comparing FIG. 4B with FIG. 4A.

Fixed to the outer ends of the four cam shafts 31 are four cranks 37, two positioned outwardly of each of the end strips 28. Pivotally mounted on each end strip 28 between the two cranks 37 associated therewith is a central stub shaft 38. Two links 39 extend along the outer surface of each end strip 28, each link being pinned at its opposed ends to a flange 40 on one of the two central shafts 38 and to one of the four cranks 37. The two links 39 associated with each end strip 28 are connected by pins 41 to the associated flange 40 with each link pinned adjacent a different one of two shoulders 42 on the central shaft. The shoulders 42 contact the links 39 in the unclamped position of the apparatus (FIG. 4A), wherein the shaft 38 is situated rotated counterclockwise by a substantial amount from the clamped position (FIG. 4B). Contact between the links 39 and the shoulders 42 bars further counterclockwise movement of the central stub shafts 38. Each of the shafts 38 has an outward end thereof shaped in the form of a head 44, engageable by any suitable tool such as a socket wrench or crank (not shown) for rotating the shaft 38.

In describing the operation of the apparatus, reference is made to FIGS. 5-9 which illustrate the use of the apparatus in producing articles of the type depicted in FIG. 10, i.e., thin film circuits 1.1 having perpendicularly extending lead wires 12. It is to be understood, however, that the apparatus or an obvious modification thereof may be used in any operation which involves the clamping of one or more wires, pins, rods, bars, or similar elongated members having circular or non-circular crosssections.

With the apparatus initially in the unclamped condition illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 4A, and 5, wires 12 are inserted into each of the apertures 17. The wires extend into the openings 27A between the cross-members 27. As shown in FIG. 5, the wires preferably have collars 46 formed near one end thereof. The wires 12 are placed with the collars resting on an upper surface of the plate 16. A first axial portion of each wire extends through and is housed in its respective aperture 17, while a second axial portion of the wire projects beneath the bottom surface of the plate 16. A first edge of the projecting portion of the wire is positioned contacting or adjacent a wall surface 19 and a second and opposed edge thereof is positioned facing a clamping edge 23 of a resilient member 21. A third axial wire portion, of short extent, projects upwardly above the collar 46.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 4A, 4B, and 6, a pair of socket wrenches or other tools are placed in engagement with the two heads 44 of the central stub shafts 38. The wrenches are then rotated simultaneously in opposite directions, each being turned clockwise in a clamping direction when looking axially inwardly toward the respective head 44. The flanges 40 are thereby rotated and the links 39 are driven outwardly with respect to the shaft 38 by the pins 4.1, as may be observed by comparing FIG. 4B with FIG. 4A. The cranks 37 thereby are pivoted outwardly, to rotate the cam shafts 31 and the cams 32. Rotation of the earns 32 moves the frame 14 toward the plate 16, due to lobe or lift portions of the cams pushing upwardly on the shoulders 33. The beveled camming surfaces 26, such as those on the cross-members 27, enter the downwardly facing channels between the inner edges 24 of the resilient members 21. The upwardly moving camming surfaces push on the downwardly extending portions 22 to force the clamping edges 23 toward the wall surfaces 19. The clamping edges 23 engage the lead wires 12 and the projecting axial portions of the lead wires are clamped so as to be secured firmly between these resilient clamping edges and the surfaces 19 of the walls 18. The resiliency of the clamping edges 23 provides a cushioning effect, preventing any damage to the lead wires 12 while they are clamped against the securing members, i.e., the rigid walls 18.

The external application of rotative force to the central shafts 38 through the heads 44 is ceased when, as shown in FIG. 4B, the earns 32 have been rotated past a centered position thereof. Thus, the central, highest lift portions of the earns 32 are located overcenter, i.e., positioned outwardly of a vertical line through the axis of the cam shaft 31. Initially, during the clockwise, clamping rotation of the central shafts 38, rotation wa resisted by several reaction forces. Such forces were present in the springs 34 being compressed and in the resilient members 21 being flexed, as well as in the weight of the frame 14 bearing downwardly on the cams 32 at the shoulders 33. Such reaction forces initially tended to rotate the cams 32 back inwardly, so as to drive the link 39 apart and, thus, to tend to rotate the flanges 40 and the central shafts 38 in a counterclockwise direction. However, forced rotation has now driven the earns 32 into the overcenter condition shown in FIG. 4B, in which the reaction forces now tend to further rotate the cams outwardly. The links 39 are, thus, moved to a fully outwardly extended position, i.e., that shown in FIG. 4B, whereupon the cams 32 can no longer be further rotated outwardly. The apparatus is now in a steady-state clamping condition. It can be unclarnped only by positive counterclockwise rotation of the central shafts 38 by turning the heads 44.

One or more thin film circuits 11 may now be placed over the upstanding portions of the wires 12 to rest on the collars 46, as shown in FIG. 6. Next, the leads are crimped, as in FIG. 7. The entire apparatus is then inverted and a mass soldering process takes place. The lead wires 12 are thereby firmly attached to the circuits 11, whereupon the apparatus may be again inverted to its original attitude, as shown in FIG. 8.

The heads 44 of the central stub shafts 38 are now rotated counterclockwise and the lift portions of the cams 32, thus, no longer engage the shoulders 33. The frame 14 moves downwardly under the influence of gravity and of the springs 34. The camming surfaces 26 of the frame 14 are withdrawn from the resilient members 21, which reassume their initial shape and position. The thin film circuit or circuits 11, may now be removed from the top member 13, for example, by a lifting rod 47 shown in FIG. 9. Removal of the circuit 11 withdraws the lead wires 12 from the apertures 17 in the plate 16. The counterclockwise rotation of the central shafts 38, meanwhile, will terminate when the links 39 again contact the shoulders 42.

The apparatus now being unloaded and in the initial condition, a new cycle of operation may begin.

It is to be understood that the above-described apparatus is simply illustrative of one embodiment of the invention. Other embodiments might use a single central shaft extending through the apparatus, rather than the two stub shafts 38, and/or might provide a handle fixed to the end of each central shaft and extending radially outwardly therefrom to obviate the need for a separate tool for rotating the central shaft. Additionally, the apparatus might be modified to retain one or more wires, pins, etc., in any array, such as in any number of rows or in non-linear patterns. Thus, for example, a circular or elliptical array of wires might be clamped about an outer wall of a suitably shaped post or other securing member, which would replace the wall 18, by one or more flexible members, such as a flexible skirt encircling the outer wall of the post, using appropriately configured camming surfaces on the frame 14. Moreover, the camming surfaces 26 on the frame 14 might be curved rather than beveled. Many other modifications may be made without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a clamp for retaining an elongated member:

a holder comprising a plate with an aperture extending in a transverse direction through said plate for housing a first axial portion of an elongated member therein and also comprising a substantially rigid wall extending outwardly from said plate in said transverse direction adjacent to said aperture for contacting a first edge of a second axial portion of the elongated member extending outwardly from said aperture;

flexible means mounted on said plate across said aperture from said wall and extending in said transverse direction generally parallel to said wall for contacting a second and opposed edge of the second axial portion of the elongated member extending outwardly from said aperture; and

means for flexing said flexible means toward said wall to retain said first and second edges of the elongated member therebetween.

2. In a clamp for retaining an elongated member, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said flexible means has one edge thereof most distant from said wall and said flexing means comprises:

means movable toward said plate and having a camming surface positioned to contact said one edge of said flexible means for forcing said flexible means against said second edge of the elongated member in said aperture.

3. In a fixture for holding a predetermined array of elongated members:

a support plate having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough arranged in said predetermined array for receiving elongated members with the extremities thereof projecting from the plate;

a wall having a surface thereof disposed along the configuration of said array and extending from one surface of said plate adjacent said apertures;

a resilient skirt abutting said one surface of said plate, and positioned across said apertures from said wall; and

means for forcing said skirt against said projecting extremities to press and hold said extremites against said wall.

4. In a clamp for retaining two rows of elongated members:

a plate having a pair of walls extending transversely therefrom, said plate also having two rows of apertures extending therethrough adjacent respective inward surfaces of said walls, said apertures being formed and positioned to house elongated members with portions thereof projecting from said plate along said inward surfaces of said walls;

resilient means mounted to said plate between and extending adjacent said rows of apertures, said resilient means including two outer clamping edges positioned facing said inward surfaces of said walls and movable toward said inward surfaces upon flex-ure of said resilient means, for retaining said projecting portions of the elongated members clamped between said inward surfaces of said walls and said outer clamping edges upon fiexure of said resilient means; and

means movable toward said plate and against said resilient means for flexing said resilient means to re- It)ain said projecting portions of the elongated memers.

5. In a clamp for holding two rows of elongated members, as set forth in claim 4:

said resilient means having a pair of inner edges defining a channel in said resilient means between said inner edges and opening away from said plate; and

said flexing means comprising means having two camming surfaces each aligned with one of said inner edges of said resilient means and movable into said channel for forcing apart said inner edges of said resilient means to flex said resilient means and move said outer clamping edges toward said inner surfaces of said walls.

6. In a fixture for holding a plurality of leads to be secured to an article:

a support member having a plurality of apertures therein arrayed to receive said leads with the extremities projecting from one face of said member;

a base plate having an opening formed therein of sufficient cross section dimension to receive the projecting extremities of the leads, said opening having a tapered wall section flared outwardly adjacent the extremities of the projecting leads;

a rigid, securing member protruding from said one face of said support member adjacent said array of apertures;

a resilient skirt attached to said one face of said support member spaced from said array of apertures and facing said securing member, said skirt overlying said tapered wall section; and

means for moving said base plate toward said support member to move said tapered wall section to engage and force said skirt inwardly to grip the leads against said securing member.

7. A fixture for retaining a plurality of wires in rows,

which comprises:

a holder including a plate and a plurality of walls extending in a transverse direction from said plate with each wall having two transversely extending surfaces defining opposite sides thereof, said plate having a row of apertures extending therethrough adjacent each of said transversely extending surfaces of each of said walls, each aperture having a siZe and position selected to house a first axial portion of a wire with a second axial portion of the wire projecting from said aperture substantially parallel to one transversely extending surface of one wall;

a plurality of flexible members each spaced from a row of apertures and also extending in said transverse direction away from said plate with each flexible member having a clamping edge located opposite a transversely extending surface of a wall and each flexible member having an inner edge located further away from said surface than said clamping edge;

means having a plurality of beveled surfaces and movable toward said plate with each beveled surface aligned to engage one of said flexible members transversely along said inner edge thereof for forcing said inner edges of said flexible members toward said transversely extending wall surfaces so as to move said clamping edges toward said opposite transversely extending surfaces of said wall and clamp the second axial portions of the wires therebetwcen; and

means mounted on said holder for moving said forcing means toward said plate.

8. A fixture for retaining a plurality of wires in rows as set forth in claim 7, wherein said moving means comprises:

cam means having central highest lift portions and rotatably mounted on said holder to move said central highest lift portions into engagement with said forcing means in a centered position of said cam means for applying a primary force to advance said forcing means toward said plate against a reaction force resisting said advance;

crank means connected to said cam means for rotating said cam means;

a rotatably mounted shaft;

link means connected between said shaft and said crank means and effective upon rotation of said shaft for moving said crank means to rotate said cam means toward and past said centered position so as .to apply said primary force and then direct said reaction force over said centered position to further rotate said cam means; and

means for rotating said shaft to rotate said cam means toward and past said centered position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1966 Fitzpatrick et al. 269-157 X 1/1967 Schneeman 269153 X ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner US. 01. X.R.I

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