US3834016A

US3834016A - Method and apparatus for disposing unassembled insulating housings in a predetermined position for facilitating placement of articles such as electrical connecting devices within said housings

Info

Publication number: US3834016A
Application number: US00367908A
Authority: US
Inventors: P Loomis; J Morgan
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1973-06-07
Filing date: 1973-06-07
Publication date: 1974-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-10

Abstract

In an automatic lead making machine which, in succession, cuts an individual insulated electrical conductor lead wire to a desired length, strips the insulation from both ends of the conductor wire, applies an electrical terminal to one of the electrically-bared ends of the conductor wire, such as a receptacle-type of terminal, and applies an insulating housing to the terminated end of the conductor wire, a guide track defines a predetermined path along which a continuous succession of unassembled insulating housings are advanced in order to bring a leading housing of the housing succession to an end of the path which is located adjacent to a wire positioning mechanism of the automatic machine which is operative to position the terminated end of an individual conductor wire between a pair of pivotally, hingedly connected housing parts of the leading housing and adjacent to an assembly station of the automatic machine which is operative to assemble the leading housing to the terminated end of the individual conductor wire. The track is comprised by static camming surfaces which, as the housing succession is advanced along the path of the track, first of all, progressively pivotally move the housing parts of each housing relative to each other from an initial open position where the housing parts are disposed approximately 180 degrees from each other to a substantially closed position where the housing parts are disposed in a substantially flush relationship to each other, secondly, progressively maintain the housing parts of each housing in the substantially closed position, and, thirdly, progressively pivotally move the housing parts of each housing relative to each other from the substantially closed position to a partially open position where the housing parts of each housing of a leading group of housings are disposed at an approximately 90 degree angular relationship to each other whereby sufficient clearance is provided between the housing parts of the leading housing, now positioned at the end of the path defined by the track, for facilitating accurate placement of the terminated end of one of the conductor wires within the leading housing by moving the wire end along any of a variety of different approach paths to the leading housing.

Description

[ Sept. 10,1974

the conductor wire, such as a receptacletype of termi nal, and applies an insulating housing to the termi- METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPOSING UNASSEMBLED INSULATING HOUSINGS IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION FOR FACILITATING nated end of the conductor wire, a guide track defines a predetermined path along which a continuous suc- PLACEMENT OF ARTICLES SUCH AS cession of unassembled insulating housings are ad- ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICES vanced 1n order to brmg a leadmg houslng of the hous- WITHIN S AID HOUSINGS mg succession to an end of the path which 1s located adjacent to a wire positioning mechanism of the auto- [75] Inventors: Phillip Eugene Loomis, Harrisburg; matic machine which is operative to position the ter- Joe Pierce Morgan, Camp Hill, both minated end of an individual conductor wire between of Pa.

a pair of pivotally, hingedly connected housing parts of the leading housing and adjacent to an assembly station of the automatic machine which is operative to [73] Assignee: AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

Filed:

June 7, 1973 assemble the leading housing to the terminated end of the individual conductor wire. The track is comprised [21] Appl' 367908 by static camming surfaces which, as the housing succession is advanced along the path of the track, first of all, progressively pivotally move the housing parts of each housing relative to each other from an initial open position where the housing parts are disposed approximately 180 degrees from each other to a sub- 96 R2 T 0M7 w 9 3 M 0 3 9 1112A 2T0 ,D DO oo 3 3 6 0 2 1 /2 .00 9 2 29 R 9 -l3 9 A M 2 0 H .H 3 9 6 2 w 4 2 2 W H a m m m mm m an n S a m s cm U mm H H 5 55 .I. [I

stantially closed position where the housing parts are disposed in a substantially flush relationship to each [56] References Cited other, secondly, progressively maintain the housing UNITED STATES PATENTS parts of each housing in the substantially closed position, and, thirdly, progressively pivotally move the 3,380,140 4/1968 29/203 DT 3,416,212 12/1968 Busler et al. 29 203 DT housmg Parts of each housmg felatlve to each other from the substantially closed position to a partially Primary Examiner charles Lanham open position where the housing parts of each housing Assistant C Crane of a leading group of housmgs are disposed at an ap- Atmmey, Agent or Firm wmiam l Keating; proximately 90 degree angular relationship to each Frederick Rating; Jay L Seitchik other whereby sufficient clearance is provided between the housing parts of the leading housing, now 57] ABSTRACT positioned at the end of the path defined by the track, In an automatic lead making machine which, in for facllltatmg accurate placement of the terminated cession, cuts an individual insulated electrical conducfigfi gf g; 32:?f iggfifiggii fgg; 22 52235 tor lead wire to a desired len th, stri s the insulation from both ends of the conduct or wiref applies an elecof dlfferent approach paths to the leadmg housmg' trical terminal to one of the electrically-bared ends of I 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PAIENTED 3f? 1 01974 3; 84. O l 6 SHIN 1 OF PATENTEDSEP 1 man SHEEI 3 BF 5 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPOSING UNASSEMBLED INSULATING HOUSINGS IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION FOR FACILITATING PLACEMENT OF ARTICLES SUCH AS ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICES WITHIN SAID HOUSINGS CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Reference is hereby made to the following copending U.S. applications dealing with related subject matter and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

1. Housings For Electrical Connecting Devices And Methods Of Assembling Housings To Connecting Devices by James Pritulsky et al., U.S. Ser. No. 255,666, filed May 18, 1972.

2. Method And Apparatus For Successively Positioning Unassembled Insulating Housings At An Assembly Station Between Assembly Tools For Successive Assembly Of Said Housings To Articles Such As Electrical Connecting Devices by Phillip Eugene Loomis et al., U.S. Ser. No. 368,159, filed concurrently with the instant application.

3. Method And Apparatus For Positioning An End Of A Bendable Wire-Like Article At A Predetermined Location On Another Article by James Woodrow Hammond et al., U.S. Ser. No. 367,916, filed concurrently with the instant application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field Of The Invention The present invention relates generally to an automatic lead making machine which, in succession, cuts an individual insulated electrical conductor lead wire to a desired length, strips the insulation from both ends of the conductor wire, applies an electrical terminal to one of the electrically-bated ends of the conductor wire, such as a receptacle-type of terminal, and applies an insulating housing to the terminated end around the terminal and an adjacent portion of the insulation of the conductor wire to provide a highly satisfactory insulated electrical connecting device, such as a postinsulated, pre-terminated, receptacle-type of electrical connecting device, at high production rates.

More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for successively disposing two housing parts of unassembled insulating housings in, preferably, an approximately 90 displacement from each other for facilitating accurate placement of articles, such as the above-mentioned receptacletype of terminals crimped on conductor wires, within the unassembled housings by moving individual devices along any of a variety of different approach paths to the leading housing of a succession of the housings, which method and apparatus when incorporated into the above-mentioned automatic machine facilitates the production of the above-mentioned highly satisfactory insulated electrical connecting devices at high rates by the automatic machine.

2. Description Of The Prior Art 1 One commonly used type of electrical terminal is a receptacle having a ferrule portion which is crimped onto a conductor wire. The receptacle is adapted to receive a generally rectangular tab on a mating conductor to which the wire is to be connected. Terminals of this general type are often used in appliance and automotive wiring for the reason that they accept a standard type of rectangular tab which is widely used in industry. Under some circumstances, it is desirable to insulate terminals of this type, particularly, where a shock hazard or the danger of a short circuit exists. Terminals of this type are relatively inexpensive so that the means used for insulating the terminals and the cost of applying the insulating means to the terminals must also be relatively low.

In the manner of insulating terminals of this type, one common practice has been to utilize an insulating housing having two hingedly connected housing parts.

Various methods have been proposed and utilized heretofore in the application of the aforementioned type of insulating housing to the receptacle type of terminal crimped on the end of the conductor wire.

One general method is disclosed and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,380,140 and 3,416,212 and involves the progressive, partial folding of one of the two hingedly connected and mateable housing parts of the insulating housing toward the other, placing the terminated end of the wire having the receptacle-type of terminal crimped thereon into the partially folded housing, and then completing the closing and assembly of the housing parts together about the terminated end of the wire. As disclosed in the aforementioned patents, the housings to be applied by this method were manufactured in a succession wherein the housings are disposed in a side-by-side relationship and connected at one end to a common carrier strip or tape with the two housing parts of each housing being disposed in an open position in which the housing parts are displaced approximately apart.

In copending patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 255,666, cross-reference being made thereto hereinabove, there is disclosed a succession of insulating housings in the form of a continuous strip of housings in spaced-apart, side-by-side relationship where adjacent housings in the strip between the two housing parts thereof are connected to each other by a central connecting strip which functions as a hinge between the two housing parts and also interconnects corresponding housing parts of adjacent housings so that the leading housing of the strip can be assembled to the terminated end of the conductor wire. The method of applying the housings as disclosed by the aforementioned application involves fully closing together the respective two housing parts of each of the housings prior to arrival of the housings at the assembly station and then allowing the housing parts of the leading housing to slightly open at the assembly station whereupon the terminated end of the conductor wire is placed between the housing parts and after which the housing parts are assembled together about the terminated end of the wire.

The apparatus disclosed by the aforementioned patent application for carrying out the disclosed method is believed to be satisfactory for its intended purpose, that being as a semi-automatic bench type of applicator in that the terminated ends of conductor wires are intended to be hand fed by an operator along a front end approach path into and between the slightly open housing parts of the leading housing at the assembly station. Particularly, the step of pre-closing the housing parts of each housing prior to its arrival at the assembly station is advantageous in that the plastic material forming the hinge, by having a resiliently deformable character which tends to resist the closing action, may more as suredly be folded about a desired bend axis, such as defined by a V-shaped notch in the underside of the material, at the assembly station if the natural resiliency of the material in the area of this axis is weakened by manipulative steps occurring prior to arrival of the housing at the assembly station, which steps may advantageously be more precisely controlled along the path of advancement of the succession of housings than at the assembly station. Also, the apparatus applies housings at reasonable production costs since it is capable of making from 1,500 to 2,000 housing applications per hour.

However, the required hand feeding of the terminated ends of the conductor wires to the applicator appears to inherently limit the possibility of achieving any further increases in production rates above this range and thus limits the possibility of further reductions in the cost of applying the housings. Further, the slightly open position of the two housing parts of the leading housing at the assembly station, wherein one housing part is disposed between the assembly tools and in a generally transverse relationship to the path of movement of the tools and the other housing part is disposed obliquely across the path of movement of the tools and at an approximately to 45 angular displacement from the one housing part, while providing the housing parts in a desirable final position, between the assembly tools and across the path of movement of the tools, for the subsequent assembly step, substantially limits the choices between possible approach paths along which the terminated wire may be fed to one choice, that being the front end feed path disclosed in the aforementioned patent application. Furthermore, difficulty will be encountered in trying to design apparatus which will automatically feed the terminated ends of the wires between the housing parts, when the housing parts are in their sightly open position, irrespective of the direction of feed relative to the housing, at production rates above the aforementioned range.

The aforementioned limitations and difficulties of the semi-automatic bench type of applicator apparatus disclosed by the aforementioned patent application are substantially overcome by the automatic lead making machine disclosed in the instant application. The automatic nature of the subject machine, and the substantially higher production rates achieved thereby, are, in part, accomplished by its incorporation of the method and apparatus of the present invention. The inventions disclosed by the second and third copending patent applications crossreferenced above, and filed concurrently with the instant application, each relate to method and apparatus incorporated into the disclosed automatic lead making machine which further contribute to the automatic nature of the machine and the substantially higher production rates achieved thereby.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a method and apparatus for manipulating the hingedly connected housing parts of individual unassembled housings in a succession thereof at the assembly station of the aforementioned automatic machine in a manner which facilitates the automatic application of the housings to electrical connecting devices, such as receptacle-type of terminals crimped on conductor wires, at high rates of production, such as in the region of 3,000 applications per hour.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for disposing the housing parts of each housing in a leading group of the housings in the succession thereof at an approximately angular displacement with respect to each other which allows rapid and unobstructed automatic placement of such electrical devices within the leading housing along any of a variety of approach paths.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved in a preferred embodiment thereof wherein method and apparatus incorporated into the aforementioned automatic lead making machine achieve successive disposing of unassembled insulating housings, which each have a complementary pair of pivotally, hingedly connected housing parts, in a predetermined position in which the housing parts are angularly displaced approximately 90 from each other for facilitating rapid and unobstructed placement of electrical connecting devices, such as receptacle-type of terminals crimped on conductor wires, within the leading one of the unassembled housings by an article positioning mechanism also incorporated into the automatic machine. In order to dispose the housings in the predetermined position, a guide track is provided which defines a predetermined path which at an end thereof is disposed adjacent to the article positioning mechanism. A feeding mechanism is provided which is operable to advance the succession of unassembled housings along the path defined by the guide track and intermittently arrest the advancement of the succession of housings.

The guide track, first of all, progressively pivotally moves the housing parts of each housing relative to each other from an initial open position where the housing parts are disposed approximately from each other to a substantially closed position where the housing parts are disposed in a substantially flush relationship to each other as each housing is advanced by the feeding mechanism through a first zone of the predetermined path defined by the guide track which is located remote from the article positioning mechanism.

Next, the guide track maintains the housing parts of each housing in the substantially closed condition as each housing is advanced by the feeding mechanism through a second zone of the predetermined path defined by the guide track which is located adjacent to the first zone, but less remote from the article positioning mechanism than the first zone, in order to weaken the natural resiliency of the material interconnecting the housing parts of each housing which tends to bias each housing to the open position and thereby facilitate subsequent relative pivotal movement of the housing parts to their desired approximately 90 degree angular relationship.

Following next, the guide track progressively pivotally moves the housing parts of each housing relative to each other from the substantially closed position to a partially open position where the housing parts are disposed at the approximately 90 degree angular relationship to each other as each housing is advanced by the feeding mechanism through a third zone of the predetermined path defined by the guide track which is located between the second zone and the article positioning mechanism.

Finally, the guide track retains a leading group of successive unassembled housings of the succession of housings in the partially open position at the end of each intermittent advancement, and at the beginning of each intermittent arrest of the advancement, of the succession of housings to dispose a leading unassembled housing of the leading group of housings proximate to the article positioning mechanism with the housing parts being disposed at the approximately 90 angular displacement from each other, whereby sufficient clearance is provided between the housing parts of .the leading housing for accurate placement of one of the electrical connecting devices within the leading housing by moving the device along any of a variety of different approach paths to the leading housing. The preferred approach path is a side feed path which is aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of relative pivotal movement of the housing parts and along which the device may be moved by an article conveyor and then positioned into an aligned, spaced relationship with one of the housing parts by the article positioning mechanism without contact with, or interference from, the other of the housing parts.

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

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the course of the following detailed description reference will be frequently made to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic lead making machine, for terminating an electrical connecting device, such as a receptacle-type of terminal, to a pre-cut and pre-stripped conductor wire and then for applying an insulating housing to the connecting device, into which the method and apparatus of the present invention have been incorporated;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the portion of the automatic machine of FIG. 1 incorporating the present invention, illustrating the preferred form of the apparatus of the invention for disposing unassembled insulating housings in the desired predetermined position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary end view of the portion of the automatic machine shown in FIG. 2, also illustrating the leading housing of the succession of housings in the desired predetermined position prior to placement of the terminated end of the conductor lead wire within the housing;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan view of a substantial portion of the guide track of the apparatus of the invention shown in complete form in perspective in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the preferred form of the unassembled housings in the succession thereof;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a receptacle-type of electrical terminal crimped on an electrically-bared end of an insulated electrical conductor lead wire to which one of the housings of FIG. 5 is to be assembled; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the terminated lead wire of FIG. 6 having an individual insulating housing assembled thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in greater detail to the various figures of the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, there is shown at 10 in FIG. 1 an automatic lead making machine which incorporates the preferred form of the method and apparatus of the present invention.

During each operating cycle of the machine 10, an insulated electrical connecting device 12 (see FIG. 7) is produced having an electrical terminal 14, for example, a receptacle-type of terminal, crimped on an electricallybared end of an insulated electrical conductor lead wire 16 (see FIG. 6) and an individual insulating housing 18 (see FIG. 5) assembled to the terminated end of the wire 16 about the terminal 14 and an adjacent portion of the insulated conductor wire 16.

Each of the housings 18 are comprised by a pair of

housing parts

18a, 18b, made of deformable, bondable plastic material, which are preferably complementarily shaped to accept the profile of the terminal 14 therebetween when the

parts

18a, 18b are closed about the terminal 14. Further, each of the housings 18 are interconnected together to form a succession of housings 18 by a deformable web having a notch 18d formed in its longitudinal mid-line. The notch 18d defines a bendline within the web 18c about which the

parts

18a, 18b will hingedly and pivotally move with respect to each other. Each of the webs 180, in the preferred form shown in FIG. 5, includes end portions 18e which each respectively interconnect complementary pair of

housing parts

18a, 18b of individual housings 18. Further, each of the webs 18c includes side portions 18f which merge with each of the end portions 182 of adjacent housings 18, and are preferably, but do not necessarily need to be, connected to each other along the notch 18d. The side portions could be separate from each other along the notch 18d. Alternatively, side portions 18f could be formed so as to interconnect corresponding

housing parts

18a, 18b of adjacent housings 18 at respective locations disposed anywhere outwardly toward the free ends of the

housing parts

18a, 18b so as not to merge with each of the end portions 18e of adjacent housings 18, but instead directly with the adjacent corresponding housing parts themselves. A more detailed description of the housings 18 is set forth in aforementioned copending patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 255,666, which description is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

In the machine 10, the initial steps toward the production of the connecting device 12 are taken by conventional apparatus located at a first station, generally designated 20 (only partially shown in outline form in FIG. 1). This apparatus is of a type which is operative, during each operating cycle of the machine 10, to feed wire from an endless source such as a reel, to cut the lead wire 16 to a desired length from the leading end of the endlessly fed wire, and to strip insulation from the trailing end of the lead wire and from the leading end of the fed wire. A detailed description of an apparatus which suitably performs the above-described operations is set forth in US. Pat. Nos. 2,680,394 and 2,929,284. Also, a suitable commercially available apparatus is known as the Artos CS9AT.

The conductor wire 16 produced during each operating cycle of the machine by the apparatus at the first station 20 is delivered to one of the spaced apart wire grippers 22 of a conveyor, generally designated 24. The conveyor 24, being of the type disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,583,055, advances leftwardly on its upperside as viewed in FIG. 1 so that, also during each operating cycle of the machine 10, the trailing electrically-bared end of one of the conductor wires 16 gripped in one of the grippers 22 is presented to a conventional crimping press 26 located at a second station, generally designated 28. The crimping press 26 shown in FIG. 1, which performs the next step toward the production of the connnecting device 12, is of a type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,398.

The advancement of conveyor 24 is arrested once during each operating cycle of the machine 10. Each advancement of conveyor 24, which precedes its arrest, brings one of the conductor wires 16 to the second station 28. During each period of arrest of conveyor 24, the bared end of the one of the conductor wires 16, located at the station 28, is positioned between a crimping die and an anvil of the press 26 by any suitable means such as, for example, a pair of positioning jaws as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,055. At approximately the same time, suitable feed apparatus associated with the press 26 positions a leading terminal 14 of an endless interconnected chain of terminals 30 on the anvil of the press 26 beneath the bared end of conductor wire 16. Then, the crimping die of the press 26 is actuated to crimp the terminal 14 to the end of the conductor wire 16.

The operations performed at the first and

second stations

20, 28, and by the conveyor 24, of the machine 10 need not be described in any more detail than that set forth hereinabove since, as stated above, the respective apparatuses carrying out these operations are conventional equipment and well known to those skilled in the art. Further, various patents have been cited which disclose apparatuses suitable to perform the operations described hereinabove at the desired high production rates. The operations performed at the first and

second stations

20, 28 form no part of the present invention which will be described in detail hereinbelow.

One of the conductor wires 16 now with terminal 14 crimped thereon is advanced to a third and final station of machine 10, an assembly station generally designated 32, where one of the insulating housings 18 will be assembled about the terminal 14.

Therefore, the final steps toward the production of the connecting device 12 are taken at the assembly station 32 where the method and apparatus of the instant invention, and the methods and apparatuses of the inventions disclosed by the second and third copending patent applications cross-referenced above, together operate to facilitate assembly of one of the housings 18 about one of the terminals 14 by providing the

housing parts

18a, 18b of a leading one of the housings 18 in a desired position between, and within the path of movement of, a pair of

ultrasonic bonding tools

34, 36 and by placing one of the terminals 14, which is crimped on one of the conductor wires 16, between the

housing parts

18a, 18b of the leading housing 18 as illustrated in FIG, 2.

As stated hereinbefore, the method and apparatus of the present invention achieves the disposing of the

housing parts

18a, 18b of each housing 18 in a leading group, generally designated 38 in FIG. 2, of the housings 18 in the succession thereof at an approximately angular displacement with respect to each other with a leading housing of the group being disposed in the path of the

bonding tools

34, 36 and having one housing part 18a disposed between the

tools

34, 36 in a generally horizontal relationship to the vertical path of the tools and the other housing part 18b disposed at an approximately vertical relationship to the one housing part 18a (see FIG. 3) whereby sufficient clearance is provided between the housing parts for placement of one of the terminals 14 on the one housing part 18a by, for example, the method and apparatus of the invention disclosed in detail by the third copending patent application cross-referenced above, which disclosure is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

At the assembly station 32, as more clearly shown in FIG. 2, a guide track 40 defines a predetermined path which at an end thereof, generally designated 42, is disposed proximate to an article positioning mechanism 44 and the pair of

bonding tools

34, 36. A feeding mechanism 46 has a finger 48 (see also FIG. 3) which, during each operating cycle of the machine 10, engages the web of one of the housings 18, advances the succession of housings 18 through a displacement along the path equal to the center-to-center distance between adjacent ones of the housings, and then, during a period of arrest in the advancement of the housing succession, retracts from the web 180 of the one housing 18 and engages the web 180 of the next succeeding housing 18. During retraction of the finger 48, an antibackup pawl 50 engages a side of one of the housings 18 to prevent the housing succession from springing back in a direction opposite to its direction of advancement and thereby maintain the leading housing 18 in its desired position between the

bonding tools

34, 36 at the path end 42. The feeding mechanism 46 utilized in the automatic machine 10 of the instant application is generally the same as the feeding mechanism described in the aforementioned copending application, U.S. Ser. No. 255,666, which disclosure is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

Turning now to FIG. 4, the succession of housings 18 is fed from an endless source, such as from reel 52 (see FIG. 1), into an entrance portion 54 of a first zone 56 of the guide track path, located remote from the article positioning mechanism 44, with each housing 18 being in an initial open position where the

housing parts

18a, 18b are disposed at an approximately 180 angular relationship relative to each other and with the web 180 interconnecting each pair of

housing parts

18a, 18b and also adjacent housings 18 being disposed in an unfolded condition. At the entrance portion 54 of the first zone 56 of the predetermined path, the guide track 40 includes a generally flat platform 58 which extends along and below the housing succession and supports one housing part 18a of each housing 18 as each housing 18 intermittently advances through the entrance portion 54 of the first zone 56. Also, the guide track 40 includes a camming bar 60 which extends in a helical fashion partially across, and along, the entrance portion 54 of the first zone 56 of the predetermined path and engages the other housing part 18b of each housing 18 and causes the other housing part 1812 to progressively pivotally move through an angular displacement substantially greater than 90 toward the one housing part 18a as each housing 18 advances through the entrance portion 54 of the first zone 56.

From the entrance portion 54 of the first zone 56, the succession of housings 18 next intermittently advance through an exit portion 62 of the first zone 56, through a second zone 64 of the path located adjacent to the first zone 56 but nearer to the article positioning mechanism 44 than the first zone 56, and then into an entrance portion 66 of a third zone 68 of the path located between the second zone 64 and the article positioning mechanism 44. A hollow track 70 of the guide track 40 which extends through the second zone 64 and the above-mentioned portions of the first and

third zones

56, 68 includes a pair of opposing lower and upper walls 72, 74 (see also FIG. 2) and a pair of opposing

side walls

76, 78 disposed respectively between the pair of walls 72, 74. In FIG. 4, the upper wall 74 is only partially shown (the rest of wall 74, if it had not been broken away, would be between the dotted line and the side walls 76, 78) in order that the succession of housings 18 and the manipulations thereof as the succession advances through the hollow track 70 may be clearly illustrated and understood.

The pair of opposing lower and upper walls 72, 74 respectively have opposing lower and

upper surfaces

80, 82 which confine the

housing parts

18a, 18b of each housing 18 therebetween in a facing relationship to each other as each housing advances along the guide track path within the hollow track 70. The pair of opposing lower and

upper surfaces

80, 82 respectively have first opposing

surface portions

84, 86 along one end portion of the hollow track 70 located at the exit portion 62 of the first zone 56 and disposed adjacent to the camming bar 60. The first opposing

surface portions

84, 86 respectively engage the

housing parts

18a, 18b of each housing 18 and, as each housing 18 is advanced relative thereto along the path, cause the other housing part 18b to continue its pivotal movement which was initiated by the camming bar 60 and thus to progressively pivotally move through an angular displacement substantially less than 90. Consequently, each housing 18 as it leaves the first zone 56, and enters the second zone 64, of the guide track path is disposed in a substantially closed position with the

housing parts

18a, 18b being disposed in a substantially flush relationship to each other and with the web 18c being disposed in a substantially folded condition about the bend axis defined by the notch 18d. The pair of opposing lower and

upper surfaces

80, 82 respectively further have second opposing surface portions 88, 90 along an intermediate portion of the hollow track 70 located at the second zone 64 and merging respectively from the first opposing

surface portions

84, 86. The second opposing surface portions 88, 90 respectively engage the

housing parts

18a, 18b of each housing 18 and, as each housing 18 isadvanced relative thereto through the second zone 64 of the path, maintain each housing 18 in the substantially closed position with the web 18c of each housing 18 being disposed in the folded condition whereby the natural resiliency of the plastic material of the web 18c along the bend axis defined by the notch is weakened which has the effect of facilitating subsequent pivotal movement of the other housing part 18b about the bend axis during assembly of the housing 18 to the terminal 14 and facilitating the disposition of the housing parts at the desired approximately 90 displacement prior to such assembly. The pair of opposing lower and

upper surfaces

80, 82 respectively still further have third opposing

surface portions

92, 94 along an opposite end portion of the hollow track located at the entrance portion 66 of the third zone 68 and merging respectively from the second opposing surface portions 88, 90. The third opposing

surface portions

92, 94 allow, as each housing 18 is advanced relative thereto along the path, progressive pivotal movement of the other housing part 18b of each housing 18 away from the one housing part 18a from the closed position through an angular displacement substantially less than toward a partially open position as may be caused by the natural resiliency of the web 180 of each housing 18 which causes the web 18c to unfold through substantially the same angular displacement toward its unfolded condition.

The housing succession is also confined between the opposing

side walls

76, 78 of the hollow track 70 as the succession advances along the path, and, since the hollow track 70 preferably has a curved shape, the wall 76 of the pair of opposing

side walls

76, 78 on the inside of the curve is engaged by the webs 18c interconnecting adjacent housings 18 in the housing succession as the succession advances along the path.

In order to achieve the above-described pivotal movements, or lack thereof, between the

housing parts

18a, 18b of each housing as the housing succession advances through the hollow track 70, it is readily apparent the lower wall 72 is generally fiat and the upper wall 74 flares away from it at both end portions of the track 70 such that the distance between the lower and

upper surfaces

80, 82 varies in going from the one end portion of the hollow track 70 to its opposite end portion. In particular, the distance between the first opposing

surface portions

84, 86 diminishes going in the direction of advancement of the housings 18 such that the one end portion of the track 70 tapers toward the second zone 64 of the path. The distance between the second opposing surface portions 88, 90 remains substantially constant throughout the second zone 64. Finally, the distance between the third opposing.

surface portions

92, 94 increases going in the direction of advancement of the housings 18 at the opposite end portion of the hollow track 70.

Referring again to FIG. 2, at an exit portion 96 of the third zone 68 of the guide track path, which portion 96 terminates at the path end 42, the guide track 40 includes a generally falt platform 98 which, in the preferred embodiment, is in the form of an extension of lower wall 72 of the hollow track 70. The platform 98 extends along and below the housing succession from the opposite end portion of the hollow track 70 to a position adjacent to bonding tool 36 and proximate to the article positioning mechanism 44. The platform 98 supports the one housing part 18a of each housing 18 as each housing 18 intermittently advances through the exit portion 96 of the third zone 68. Also, the guide track 40 includes a generally flat plate 100 which extends substantially coplanar with, and spaced above, the flat platform 98 and through the exit portion 96 of the third zone 68 also from the opposite end portion of the hollow track 70 to a portion adjacent to bonding tool 36 and proximate to the article positioning mechanism 44. The flat plate 100 and flat platform 98 together define a lower channel 102 within which the one housing part 18a of each housing 18 is confined as each housing 18 intermittently advances through the exit portion 96 of the third zone 68. The flat plate 100 also has a partially bevelled longitudinal marginal edge 104 (see FIG. 3) along which slide the webs 18c of each housing 18 as each housing 18 advances through the exit portion 96 of the third zone 68.

The guide track 40 further includes a camming bar 106 which extends in a helical fashion partially across, and partially along, the exit portion 96 of the third zone 68 of the predetermined path, and guide plate 108 which extends partially across and along the exit portion 96 in substantially the same fashion as, but spaced from, the camming bar 106. The guide plate 108, in the preferred embodiment, is in the form of an extension of the upper wall 74 of the hollow track 70. The camming bar 106 and the guide plate 108, which both extend from the opposite end portion of the hollow track 70, define an upper channel 110 within which the other housing part 18b of each housing 18 is confined upon entering the exit portion 96 of the third zone 68. Since the one housing part 18a is confined within the lower channel 102, which extends in a substantially linear direction along the path, as each housing 18 enters the exit portion 96 of the third zone 68, confinement of the other housing part 18b of each housing within the helically-configured upper channel 110 by its engagement with at least one of the camming bar 106 and the guide plate 108 causes the other housing part 18b to progressively pivotally move away from the one housing part 18a until the other housing part 18b is disposed at an approximately 90 angular relationship to the one housing part 18a with the webs 18c interconnecting the

housing parts

18a, 18b to each other and also interconnecting adjacent housings 18 being in a partially unfolded condition at an approximate right-angle configuration. The camming bar 106 and the guide plate 108, and thus the upper channel 110 defined thereby, terminate at a position along the exit portion 96 of the third zone 68 which is spaced from the path end 42 and the article positioning mechanism 44 such that the leading group 38 of housings 18 is located therebetween. However, the

housing parts

18a, 18b of each housing 18 in the leading group 38 will retain their desired 90 angular relationship to each other since corresponding ones of the

housing parts

18a, 18b of adjacent housings 18 in the leading group 38 are interconnected together by the webs 180 of the respective housings 18 and are further interconnected together to corresponding

housings parts

18a, 18b of the housings 18 in a next leading group 112 disposed successively adjacent to the leading group 38 whose other housing parts 18b are still within the upper channel 110. Therefore, both during the advancement, and initially during the arrest thereof, of the housing succession along the path, the disposition of the particular housings 18 within that part of the exit portion 96 of the third zone 68 along which the camming bar 106 and the guide plate 108 extend, which particular housings 18 have been designated as the next leading group 112, will control the disposition of the particular housings 18 designated as the leading group 38, because of the interconnections between the groups 38, 112 by webs 18c, and thus will control the disposition

ofthe housings parts

18a, 18b of the leading housing 18 positioned between the

bonding tools

34, 36. According, when the leading housing 18 of the succession becomes stationarily positioned between the

bonding tools

34, 36 at the end of an intermittent advancement of the housing succession and at the beginning of a period of arrest of the succession, its

housing parts

18a, 18b, as shown in FIG. 3, will be disposed in the angular relationship to each other which is the disposition found to be desirable for achieving rapid, accurate and unobstructed automatic placement of one of the terminals 14 being attached to one of the conductor wires 16 on the one housing part 18a of the leading housing 18 by moving the terminal 14 along any of a variety of different approach paths to the leading housing 18. The preferred one of the variety of different approach paths is a side feed variety of path relative to the

housing parts

18a, 18b of the leading housing which is aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of relative pivotal movement of the

housing parts

18a, 18b and along which the terminal 14 may be moved into an aligned relationship with the one housing part 18a without contact with, or interference from, the other housing part 18b by the method and apparatus of the invention disclosed by the third copending patent application cross-referenced above. However, the method and apparatus of the present invention is not so limited in its practical applications so as to be only useful in a machine which also utilizes the method and apparatus disclosed by the aforementioned third copending patent application cross-referenced above.

It is noted that, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide track 40 maintains the one housing part of each housing 18 throughout its advancement along the predetermined path substantially in a common plane and actually progressively pivotally moves the other housing part 18b toward and away from the one housing part throughout the advancement of each housing 18 along the path. However, alternatively, the other housing part 18b could be maintained in a common plane while the one housing part 180 is progressively pivotally moved toward and away from it without departing from the principles of the invention.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the apparatus described and that changes may be made in the steps of the method described and their order of accomplishment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred or exemplary embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of successively disposing unassembled insulating housings, which each have a complementary pair of housing parts, in a predetermined position in which said housing parts are angularly displaced approximately 90 from each other for facilitating accurate placement of articles such as electrical devices within said unassembled housings by an article positioning means, said each housing further having first deformable plastic material means interconnecting said housing parts in an end-to-end fashion at a complementary end of each of said housing parts, said first deformable means of said each unassembled housing being foldable and unfoldable about a predetermined bend axis which generally extends between said complementary interconnected ends of said housing parts of said each unassembled housing to allow relative pivotal movement of said housing parts toward and away from each other about said bend axis, said unassembled housings being arranged in side-by-side, spaced apart relationships to form a continuous succession of said unassembled housings wherein a portion of second deformable plastic material means being disposed on each of two opposing sides of said bend axis interconnects corresponding housing parts of adjacent unassembled housings in said succession of housings such that said relative pivotal movement of said housing parts of one of said unassembled housings about said axis toward and away from each other, as allowed by folding and unfolding of its said first deformable means, causes corresponding relative pivotal movement about said axis of said respective corresponding housing parts of housings adjacent thereto via said interconnections provided by said respective second deformable means between said one unassembled housing and said respective housings adjacent thereto, said first deformable means having a natural resiliency which tends to bias said material of said means toward an unfolded condition, said method comprising the steps of:

advancing said succession of unassembled housings along a predetermined path which at an end thereof is disposed proximate to said article positioning means and intermittently arresting said advancement of said succession of housings; progressively pivotally moving said housing parts of each housing in said succession of housings relative to each other from an initial open position where said housing parts are disposed at an approximately 180 angular relationship relative to each other with said first deformable means interconnecting said housing parts being disposed in an unfolded condition to a substantially closed position where said housing parts are disposed in a substantially flush relationship to each other with said first deformable means being disposed in a substantially folded condition about said bend axis as said each housing advances through a first zone of said path located remote from said article positioning means;

maintaining said housing parts of said each housing in said substantially closed position with said first deformable means being disposed in said folded condition as said each housing advances through a second zone of said path located adjacent to said first zone, but less remote from said article positioning means than said first zone, in order to weaken the natural resiliency of said material of said first deformable means along said bend axis and thereby facilitate subsequent relative pivotal movement of said housing parts about said bend axis and disposing of said housing parts at said approximate 90 angular displacement;

progressively pivotally moving said. housing parts of said each housing relative to each other from said substantially closed position to a partially open position where said' housing parts are disposed at said approximately 90 angular displacement from each other as said each housing advances through a third zone of said path located between said second zone and said article positioning means; and retaining a leading group of successive unassembled housings of said succession of housings in said partially open position at the end of each intermittent advancement, and at the beginning of each intermittent arrest of said advancement, of said succession of housings to dispose a leading unassembled housing of said leading groupof housings proximate to said article positioning means with said housing parts being disposed at said approximately angular displacement from each other,

whereby sufficient clearance is provided between said housing parts of said leading housing for accurate placement of one of said articles within said leading housing by moving said article along any of a variety of different approach paths to said leading housing.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein a preferred one of said variety of different approach paths is a side feed variety of path relative to said housing parts of said leading housing which is aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of relative pivotal movement of said housing parts and along which said article may be moved by said article positioning means into an aligned relationship with one of said housing parts without contact with, or interference from, the other of said housing parts.

3. Apparatus for successively disposing unassembled insulating housings, which each have a complementary pair of housing parts, in a predetermined position in which said housing parts are angularly displaced approximately 90 from each other for facilitating accurate placement of articles such as electrical devices within said unassembled housings by an article positioning means, said each housing further having first deformable plastic material means interconnecting said housing parts in an end-to-end fashion at a complementary end of each of said housing parts, said first deformable means of said each unassembled housing being foldable and unfoldable about a predetermined bend axis which generally extends between said complementary, interconnected ends of said housing parts of said each unassembled housing to allow relative pivotal movement of said housing parts toward and away from each other about said bend axis, said unassembled housings being arranged in side-by-side, spaced apart relationships to form a continuous succession of said unassembled housings wherein a portion of second deformable plastic material means being disposed on each of two opposing sides of said bend axis interconnects corresponding housing parts of adjacent unassembled housings in said succession of housings such that said relative pivotal movement of said housing parts of one of said unassembled housings about said axis toward and away from each other, as allowed by folding and unfolding of its said first deformable means, causes corresponding relative pivotal movement about said axis of said respective corresponding housing parts of said housings adjacent thereto via said interconnections provided by said respective second deformable means between said one unassembled housing and said respective housings adjacent thereto, said first deformable means having a natural resiliency which tends to bias said material of said means toward an unfolded condition, said apparatus comprising:

guide means defining a predetermined path which at an end thereof is disposed proximate to said article positioning means;

means for advancing said succession of unassembled housings along said predetermined path and for intermittently arresting said advancement of said succession of housings;

said guide means comprising means for progressively pivotally moving said housing parts of each housing in said succession of housings relative to each other from an initial open position where said housing parts are disposed at an approximately 180 angular relationship relative to each other with said first deformable means interconnecting said housing parts being disposed in an unfolded condition to a substantially closed position where said housing parts are disposed in a substantially flush relationship to each other with said first deformable means being disposed in a substantially folded condition about said bend axis as said each housing advances through a first zone of said path located remote from said article positioning means, said guide means further comprising means for maintaining said housing parts of said each housing in said substantially closed position with said first deformable means being disposed in said folded condition as said each housing advances through a second zone of said path located adjacent to said first zone, but less remote from said article positioning means than said first zone, in order to weaken the natural resiliency of said material of said first deformable means along said bend axis and thereby facilitate subsequent relative pivotal meovement of said housing parts about said bend axis and disposing of said housing parts at said approximate 90 angular displacement, said guide means still further comprising means for progressively pivotally moving said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other from said substantially closed position to a partially open position where said housing parts are disposed at an approximately 90 angular relationship to each other as said each housing advances through a third zone of said path located between said second zone and said article positioning means, and said guide means yet further comprising means for retaining a leading group of successive unassembled housings of said succession of housings in said partially open position at the end of each intermittent advancement, and at the beginning of each intermittent arrest of said advancement, of said succession of housings to dispose a leading unassembled housing of said leading group of housings proximate to said article positioning means with said housing parts being disposed at said approximately 90 angular displacement from each other,

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein a preferred one of said variety of different approach paths is a side feed variety of path relative to said housing parts of said leading housing which is aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of relative pivotal movement of said housing parts and along which said article may be moved by said article positioning means into an aligned relationship with one of said housing parts without contact with, or interference from, the other of said housing parts.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said guide means includes:

first static camming means disposed at an entrance portion of said first zone of said path of advancement of said succession of housings for engaging said housing parts of each unassembled housing which are initially disposed in said open position with said first deformable means interconnecting said housing parts being disposed in said unfolded condition and for progressively pivotally moving said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other, and toward their said substantially closed position, through an angular displacement substantially greater than with said first deformable means of said each housing being folded through substantially the same displacement toward its substantially folded condition as said each housing advances through said entrance portion of said first zone of said path; track means extending from out of an exit portion of said first zone, through said second zone, and into an entrance portion of said third zone, of said path of advancement of said succession of housings, said track means having a pair of opposing upper and lower surfaces for confining said housing parts of said each housing therebetween in a facing relationship to each other as said each housing advances along said path, said pair of opposing upper and lower surfaces respectively having first opposing surface portions along one end portion of said track means located at said exit portion of said first zone and disposed adjacent to said first camming means, said first opposing surface portions for engaging said housing parts of said each housing and for continuing progressively to pivotally move said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other through an angular displacement substantially less than 90 to their said substantially closed position with said first deformable means of said each housing continuing to be folded through substantially the same displacement to its substantially folded condition as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said first zone of said path, second opposing surface portions along an intermediate portion of said track means located at said second zone and merging respectively from said first opposing surface portions, said second opposing surface portions for engaging said housing parts of said each housing and for maintaining said housing parts of said each housing in said substantially closed position with said first deformable means of said each housing being disposed in said folded condition as said each housing advances through said second zone of said path in order to weaken the natural resiliency of said material of said first deformable means along said bend axis and thereby facilitate subsequent relative pivotal movement of said housing parts about said bend axis and disposing of said housing parts at said approximately 90 displacement, and third opposing surface portions along an opposite end portion of said track means located at said entrance portion of said third zone and merging respectively from said second opposing surface portions, said third opposing surface portions for allowing progressive pivotal movement of said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other from said substantially closed position, and toward their said partially open position, through an angular displacement substantially less than 90 as may be caused by said natural resiliency of said first deformable means of said each housing which causes said means to unfold through substantially the same angular displacement toward its unfolded condition as said each housing advances through said entrance portion of said third zone of said path, and a pair of opposing side surfaces disposed respectively between said pair of opposing upper and lower surfaces of said track means, at least one of said pair of side surfaces being for respectively engaging one of said first deformable means of said each housing and a complementary other opposing end of each of said housing parts of said each housing and said pair being for confining said housing parts of said each housing therebetween as said each housing advances along said path; and second static camming means disposed at an exit portion of said third zone of said path of advancement of said succession of housings and between said opposite end portion of said track means and said article positioning means, said second camming means for engaging said housing parts of said each housing, for continuing progressively to pivotally move said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other to their said partially open position with said first deformable means of each housing being unfolded to a condition which has substantially the same angular relationship as said housing parts in their said partially open position as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said third zone of said path, and for retaining said leading group of successive unassembled housings of said succession of housings in said partially open position at said end of each intermittent advancement, and at said beginning of each intermittent arrest of said advancement, of said succession of housings to dispose said leading unassembled housing proximate to said article positioning means with its said housing parts being disposed at said approximately 90 angular displacement from each other, whereby sufficient clearance is provided between said housing parts of said leading housing for accurate placement of said one of said articles within said leading housing by moving said article along any of a variety of different approach paths to said leading housing.

I 6. Apparatus as defined in claim wherein a preferred one of said variety of different approach paths is a side feed variety of path relative to said housing parts of said leading housing which is aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of relative pivotal movement of said housing parts and along which said article may be moved by said article positioning means into an aligned relationship with one of said housing parts without contact with, or interference from, the other of said housing parts.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein:

said guide means maintains one of said housing parts of said each housing throughout its advancement along said path substantially in a common plane and actually progressively pivotally moves the other of said housing parts of said each housing toward and away from its said one housing part throughout said advancement of said each housing along said path.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said second static camming means includes:

a generally flat platform which extends along and below said exit portion of said third zone of said path from said opposite end portion of said track means to a position proximate to said article positioning means for supporting said one housing part of said each housing thereon as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said third zone of said path;

a generally flat plate which extends substantially coplanarly with, and spaced above, said flat platform and through said exit portion of said third zone of said second path also from said opposite end portion of said track means to said position proximate to said article positioning means, said plate and said platform together defining a first channel therebetween within which to confine said one housing part of said each housing as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said third zone of said path, said plate having a longitudinal marginal edge located adjacent to said first deformable means of said each housing and along which said first deformable means slides as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said third zone of said path; and

camming means defining a pair of spaced-apart surfaces, which surfaces, in a similar helical fashion, extend partially across, and partially along, said exit portion of said third zone of said path and define a second channel therebetween for confining therein said other housing part of said each housing as its said one housing part is being confined within said first channel with at least one of said surfaces for engaging said other housing part for continuing the progressive pivotal movement of said other housing part of said each housing away from its said one housing part to dispose said other housing part at said approximately angular relationship to said one housing part as said one housing part of said each housing is being advanced within said first channel toward said article positioning means, said pair of surfaces terminating at a position along said exit portion of said third zone which is spaced from said article positioning means with said leading group of housings being located therebetween said position of termination of said pair of surfaces and said article positioning means, said pair of surfaces further for retaining said other housing parts of said leading group of housing in said 90 angular relationship to their corresponding said one housing parts of said leading group, both during said advancement, and initially during said arrest thereof,

, of said succcession of housings along said path, by

zone of said path; and

a camming bar which extends in a helical fashion partially across, and along, said entrance portion of said first zone of said path for engaging said other housing part of said each housing and for progres- 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said first static camming means includes another generally flat platform which extends along sively pivotally moving said other housing part of said each housing through said angular displacement substantially greater than 90 toward said one and below said entrance portion of said first zone of said path for supporting said one housing part of 10 said each housing thereon as said each housing advances through said entrance portion of said first housing part of said each housing as said each housing advances through said entrance portion of said first zone of said path.

Claims

1. A method of successively disposing unassembled insulating housings, which each have a complementary pair of housing parts, in a predetermined position in which said housing parts are angularly displaced approximately 90* from each other for facilitating accurate placement of articles such as electrical devices within said unassembled housings by an article positioning means, said each housing further having first deformable plastic material means interconnecting said housing parts in an end-to-end fashion at a complementary end of each of said housing parts, said first deformable means of said each unassembled housing being foldable and unfoldable about a predetermined bend axis which generally extends between said complementary interconnected ends of said housing parts of said each unassembled housing to allow relative pivotal movement of said housing parts toward and away from each other about said bend axis, said unassembled housings being arranged in side-byside, spaced apart relationships to form a continuous succession of said unassembled housings wherein a portion of second deformable plastic material means being disposed on each of two opposing sides of said bend axis interconnects corresponding housing parts of adjacent unassembled housings in said succession of housings such that said relative pivotal movement of said housing parts of one of said unassembled housings about said axis toward and away from each other, as allowed by folding and unfolding of its said first deformable means, causes corresponding relative pivotal movement about said axis of said respective corresponding housing parts of housings adjacent thereto via said interconnections provided by said respective second deformable means between said one unassembled housing and said respective housings adjacent thereto, said first deformable means having a natural resiliency which tends to bias said material of said means toward an unfolded condition, said method comprising the steps of: advancing said succession of unassembled housings along a predetermined path which at an end thereof is disposed proximate to said article positioning means and intermittently arresting said advancement of said succession of housings; progressively pivotally moving said housing parts of each housing in said succession of housings relative to each other from an initial open position where said housing parts are disposed at an approximately 180* angular relationship relative to each other with said first deformable means interconnecting said housing parts being disposed in an unfolded condition to a substantially closed position where said housing parts are disposed in a substantially flush relationship to each other with said first deformable means being disposed in a substantially folded condition about said bend axis as said each housing advances through a first zone of said path located remote from said article positioning means; maintaining said housing parts of said each housing in said substantially closed position with said first deformable means being disposed in said folded condition as said each housing advances through a second zone of said path located adjacent to said first zone, but less remote from said article positioning means than said first zone, in order to weaken the natural resiliency of said material of said first deformable means along said bend axis and thereby facilitate subsequent relative pivotal movement of said housing parts about saiD bend axis and disposing of said housing parts at said approximate 90* angular displacement; progressively pivotally moving said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other from said substantially closed position to a partially open position where said housing parts are disposed at said approximately 90* angular displacement from each other as said each housing advances through a third zone of said path located between said second zone and said article positioning means; and retaining a leading group of successive unassembled housings of said succession of housings in said partially open position at the end of each intermittent advancement, and at the beginning of each intermittent arrest of said advancement, of said succession of housings to dispose a leading unassembled housing of said leading group of housings proximate to said article positioning means with said housing parts being disposed at said approximately 90* angular displacement from each other, whereby sufficient clearance is provided between said housing parts of said leading housing for accurate placement of one of said articles within said leading housing by moving said article along any of a variety of different approach paths to said leading housing.

3. Apparatus for successively disposing unassembled insulating housings, which each have a complementary pair of housing parts, in a predetermined position in which said housing parts are angularly displaced approximately 90* from each other for facilitating accurate placement of articles such as electrical devices within said unassembled housings by an article positioning means, said each housing further having first deformable plastic material means interconnecting said housing parts in an end-to-end fashion at a complementary end of each of said housing parts, said first deformable means of said each unassembled housing being foldable and unfoldable about a predetermined bend axis which generally extends between said complementary, interconnected ends of said housing parts of said each unassembled housing to allow relative pivotal movement of said housing parts toward and away from each other about said bend axis, said unassembled housings being arranged in side-by-side, spaced apart relationships to form a continuous succession of said unassembled housings wherein a portion of second deformable plastic material means being disposed on each of two opposing sides of said bend axis interconnects corresponding housing parts of adjacent unassembled housings in said succession of housings such that said relative pivotal movement of said housing parts of one of said unassembled housings about said axis toward and away from each other, as allowed by folding and unfolding of its said first deformable means, causes corresponding relative pivotal movement about said axis of said respective corresponding housing parts of said housings adjacent thereto via said interconnections provided by said respective second deformable means between said one unassembled housing and said respective housings adjacent thereto, said first deformable means having a natural resiliency which tends to bias said material of said means toward an unfolded condition, said apparatus comprising: guide means defining a predetermined path which at an end thereof is disposed proximate to said article positioning means; means for advancing said succession of unassembled housings along said predetermined path and for intermittently arresting said advancement of said succession of housings; said guide means comprising means for progressively pivotally moving said housing parts of each housing in said succession of housings relative to each other from an initial open position where said housing parts are disposed at an approximately 180* angular relationship relative to each other with said first deformable means interconnecting said housing parts being disposed in an unfolded condition to a substantially closed position where said housing parts are disposed in a substantially flush relationship to each other with said first deformable means being disposed in a substantially folded condition about said bend axis as said each housing advances through a first zone of said path located remote from said article positioning means, said guide means further comprising means for maintaining said housing parts of said each housing in said substantially closed position with said first deformable means being disposed in said folded condition as said each housing advances through a second zone of said path located adjacent to said first zone, but less remote from said article positioning means than said first zone, in order to weaken the natural resiliency of said material of said first deformable means along said bend axis and thereby facilitate subsequent relative pivotal meovement of said housing parts about said bend axis and disposing of said housing parts at said approximate 90* angular displacement, said guide means still further comprising means for progressively pivotally moving said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other from said substantially closed position to a partially open position where said housing parts are disposed at an approximately 90* angular relationship to each other as said each housing advances through a third zone of said path located between said second zone and said article positioning means, and said guide means yet further comprising means for retaining a leading group of successive unassembled housings of said succession of housings in said partially open position at the end of each intermittent advancement, and at the beginning of each intermittent arrest of said advancement, of said succession of housings to dispose a leading unassembled housing of said leading group of housings proximate to said article positioning means with said housing parts being disposed at said approximately 90* angular displacement from each other, whereby sufficient clearance is provided between said housing parts of said leading housing for accurate placement of one of said articles within said leading housing by moving said article along any of a variety of different approach paths to said leading housing.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said guide means includes: first static camming means disposed at an entrance portion of said first zone of said path of advancement of said succession of housings for engaging said housing parts of each unassembled housing which are initially disposed in said open position with said first deformable means interconnecting said housing parts being disposed in said unfolded condition and for progressively pivotally moving said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other, and toward their said substantially closed position, through an angular displacement substantially greater than 90* with said first deformable means of said each hoUsing being folded through substantially the same displacement toward its substantially folded condition as said each housing advances through said entrance portion of said first zone of said path; track means extending from out of an exit portion of said first zone, through said second zone, and into an entrance portion of said third zone, of said path of advancement of said succession of housings, said track means having a pair of opposing upper and lower surfaces for confining said housing parts of said each housing therebetween in a facing relationship to each other as said each housing advances along said path, said pair of opposing upper and lower surfaces respectively having first opposing surface portions along one end portion of said track means located at said exit portion of said first zone and disposed adjacent to said first camming means, said first opposing surface portions for engaging said housing parts of said each housing and for continuing progressively to pivotally move said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other through an angular displacement substantially less than 90* to their said substantially closed position with said first deformable means of said each housing continuing to be folded through substantially the same displacement to its substantially folded condition as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said first zone of said path, second opposing surface portions along an intermediate portion of said track means located at said second zone and merging respectively from said first opposing surface portions, said second opposing surface portions for engaging said housing parts of said each housing and for maintaining said housing parts of said each housing in said substantially closed position with said first deformable means of said each housing being disposed in said folded condition as said each housing advances through said second zone of said path in order to weaken the natural resiliency of said material of said first deformable means along said bend axis and thereby facilitate subsequent relative pivotal movement of said housing parts about said bend axis and disposing of said housing parts at said approximately 90* displacement, and third opposing surface portions along an opposite end portion of said track means located at said entrance portion of said third zone and merging respectively from said second opposing surface portions, said third opposing surface portions for allowing progressive pivotal movement of said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other from said substantially closed position, and toward their said partially open position, through an angular displacement substantially less than 90* as may be caused by said natural resiliency of said first deformable means of said each housing which causes said means to unfold through substantially the same angular displacement toward its unfolded condition as said each housing advances through said entrance portion of said third zone of said path, and a pair of opposing side surfaces disposed respectively between said pair of opposing upper and lower surfaces of said track means, at least one of said pair of side surfaces being for respectively engaging one of said first deformable means of said each housing and a complementary other opposing end of each of said housing parts of said each housing and said pair being for confining said housing parts of said each housing therebetween as said each housing advances along said path; and second static camming means disposed at an exit portion of said third zone of said path of advancement of said succession of housings and between said opposite end portion of said track means and said article positioning means, said second camming means for engaging said housing parts of said each housing, for continuing progressively to pivotally move said housing parts of said each housing relative to each other to their said partially opEn position with said first deformable means of each housing being unfolded to a condition which has substantially the same angular relationship as said housing parts in their said partially open position as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said third zone of said path, and for retaining said leading group of successive unassembled housings of said succession of housings in said partially open position at said end of each intermittent advancement, and at said beginning of each intermittent arrest of said advancement, of said succession of housings to dispose said leading unassembled housing proximate to said article positioning means with its said housing parts being disposed at said approximately 90* angular displacement from each other, whereby sufficient clearance is provided between said housing parts of said leading housing for accurate placement of said one of said articles within said leading housing by moving said article along any of a variety of different approach paths to said leading housing.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein a preferred one of said variety of different approach paths is a side feed variety of path relative to said housing parts of said leading housing which is aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of relative pivotal movement of said housing parts and along which said article may be moved by said article positioning means into an aligned relationship with one of said housing parts without contact with, or interference from, the other of said housing parts.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein: said guide means maintains one of said housing parts of said each housing throughout its advancement along said path substantially in a common plane and actually progressively pivotally moves the other of said housing parts of said each housing toward and away from its said one housing part throughout said advancement of said each housing along said path.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said second static camming means includes: a generally flat platform which extends along and below said exit portion of said third zone of said path from said opposite end portion of said track means to a position proximate to said article positioning means for supporting said one housing part of said each housing thereon as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said third zone of said path; a generally flat plate which extends substantially coplanarly with, and spaced above, said flat platform and through said exit portion of said third zone of said second path also from said opposite end portion of said track means to said position proximate to said article positioning means, said plate and said platform together defining a first channel therebetween within which to confine said one housing part of said each housing as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said third zone of said path, said plate having a longitudinal marginal edge located adjacent to said first deformable means of said each housing and along which said first deformable means slides as said each housing advances through said exit portion of said third zone of said path; and camming means defining a pair of spaced-apart surfaces, which surfaces, in a similar helical fashion, extend partially across, and partially along, said exit portion of said third zone of said path and define a second channel therebetween for confining therein said other housing part of said each housing as its said one housing part is being confined within said first channel with at least one of said surfaces for engaging said other housing part for continuing the progressive pivotal movement of said other housing part of said each housing away from its said one housing part to dispose said other housing part at said approximately 90* angular relationship to said one housing part as said one housing part of said each housing is being advanced within said first channel toward said articLe positioning means, said pair of surfaces terminating at a position along said exit portion of said third zone which is spaced from said article positioning means with said leading group of housings being located therebetween said position of termination of said pair of surfaces and said article positioning means, said pair of surfaces further for retaining said other housing parts of said leading group of housing in said 90* angular relationship to their corresponding said one housing parts of said leading group, both during said advancement, and initially during said arrest thereof, of said succcession of housings along said path, by its engagement with a next leading group of housings in said succession of housings, disposed adjacent to said leading group, being progressively pivotally moved by said camming means.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said first static camming means includes another generally flat platform which extends along and below said entrance portion of said first zone of said path for supporting said one housing part of said each housing thereon as said each housing advances through said entrance portion of said first zone of said path; and a camming bar which extends in a helical fashion partially across, and along, said entrance portion of said first zone of said path for engaging said other housing part of said each housing and for progressively pivotally moving said other housing part of said each housing through said angular displacement substantially greater than 90* toward said one housing part of said each housing as said each housing advances through said entrance portion of said first zone of said path.