US3859708A

US3859708A - Crimping apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3859708A
Application number: US433377A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth John Keim; Dirk Landman
Original assignee: EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Current assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
Priority date: 1974-01-14
Filing date: 1974-01-14
Publication date: 1975-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 1992-01-14

Abstract

An automatic crimping apparatus is provided for applying electrical terminals on the end of a wire inserted in a crimp station comprising a crimp anvil mounted on a base, a crimp arm for mounting crimp tooling operatively connected to the base through a toggle linkage, a feed mechanism for supplying terminals to the crimping station in the form of a continuous strip, and a pneumatic control system wherein a four-way airpilot valve and first and second pressure-relief valves are used to sequence the drive mechanism for the crimp arm and feed mechanism.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Keim et al.

[ Jan. 14, 1975 CRIMPING APPARATUS 2,858,537 11/1958 Cootes 72/451 x Inventors: Kenneth J Keim Lewisberry; 3,064,706 11/1962 Ehmann 72/451 X Dirk Landman, Mechanicsburg, both of Przmary Exammer-Thomas H. Eager [73] Assignee: E. 1. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Jam 14, 1974 An automatic crimping apparatus is provided for applying electrical terminals on the end of a wire in- [21] Appl- Ive-14331377 serted in a crimp station comprising a crimp anvil mounted on a base, a crimp arm for mounting crimp 5 CL 29/203 DT, 29/203 DS, 72/451 tooling operatively connected to the base through a 51 Int. Cl Hlr 43/04, B21 j 9/18 toggle linkage, a feed mechanism for Supplying termi 5 Field f Search 29/203 DT 203 D303 R, nals to the crimping station in the form of a continu- 29/203 72/451 ous strip, and a pneumatic control system wherein a four-way air-pilot valve and first and second pressure- 5 References Cited relief valves are used to sequence the drive mecha- UNITED STATES PATENTS nism for the crimp arm and feed mechanism.

2,712,253 7/1955 Kontra, Sr. 81/367 X 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures I l 1 ll 1 56 Q 1 11 5a 54 7 324 222 220 e I V 1 J' |9| 1 1 3 ,2: 7 as 'i;/;/ 1 I60 52 l F Q9 1 l l '92 e a l Q 182 l 1 132 $32 32 A34 98 36 'j ;:i W 52 x I "139 ll; 29

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PILOT RH. Relief Hole BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to an apparatus for applying terminals to wire ends, and particularly relates to an apparatus for feeding terminals in a continuous strip to a crimping station and crimping the terminals on the ends of wires. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus having a pneumatically driven crimping arm and feed mechanism, and still more particularly the invention relates to an apparatus having a pneumatic control system for sequencing the operation of the crimp arm and feed mechanism for supplying terminals in the form of a continuous strip to the crimping station.

2. Description of the Prior Art Automatic terminal-applying apparatus are well known for crimping electrical terminals or connectors to the ends of wires. Generally, these automatic apparatus have employed a reciprocally driven ram, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,858,537, for engaging crimp tooling with the electrical terminals which are positioned in the form of a continuous strip on a crimp anvil, and a mechanical linkage to the reciprocating ram to sequence the crimping action of the ram and feeding of the terminals to the crimp station. Another press apparatus wherein a pair of elongated arms are pivoted immediate their ends to swage sleeves on a wire rope is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,706. A forming tool wherein one jaw or arm member is pivoted with respect ,to another jaw or arm member by a toggle linkage connected to the jaws is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,712,253.

The apparatus of the present invention providesfor automatically applying an electrical terminal to the end of a wire and for sequencing the feeding of terminals in the form of a continuous strip to a crimping station and the crimping of the terminals on ends of wires. Independent feeding and crimping drive mechanisms provide for smooth and accurate feed of the terminals in the form of a continuous strip to the crimping station and for positive crimping of the terminals on the end of a wire inserted in the crimping station. Additionally, the present invention provides an apparatus which is economically constructed yet rugged and extremely efficient in terms of crimping forces exerted and speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, an apparatus is provided for applying a terminal to the end-of a wire comprising:

crimp means connected to the base and a toolmounting block disposed thereon,

a crimp arm having one end pivotally connected to the base and a tool-mounting block on the other end of the arm,

first drive means connected to the crimp arm for crimping the terminal on the wire in the crimping station,

a feed track for supplying the terminals to the crimping station,

means for feeding the terminals along the feed track to the crimping station,

second drive means connected to the means for feeding the terminals, and

pneumatic control means for sequentially actuating the first drive means and the second drive means and simultaneously deactivating the first and second drive means.

In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, the first and second drive means comprise air cylinders, and the control means comprises a fourway air-pilot valve and first and second pressure-relief valves for sequentially actuating or extending the air cylinders and simultaneously deactuating or retracting the air cylinders. Additionally, in the preferred embodiment of the apparatus, the free end of the toggle links is connected to the base on an eccentric shaft for adjusting the travel of the crimp arm and the height of the crimp in applying the terminals to the end of a wire.

. Further, in a preferred embodiment of the apparatus,

the toggle linkage is over-driven, momentarily releasing the force applied to a crimp barrel on the terminal and. on the return stroke of the toggle linkage, reapplying the crimp force to the crimp barrel on the terminal, thus insuring uniform height of the crimp barrel on the terminal by double-crimping.

The present invention provides for automatically applying electrical terminals on the ends of wires at high production rates and exerts a crimp force equal to or greater than crimping apparatus using a reciprocating ram. Additionally, the apparatus of the present invention provides for accurately and positively positioning the electrical terminals at the crimping station and positive clearance of the crimp tooling from the crimping station before feeding a new terminal to the crimping station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 1A is a detailed view illustrating electrical terminals in the form of a continuous strip for use in the apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a control system of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A referred embodiment of an apparatus of the invention is described below with reference to the attached drawings wherein the same numerals are used throughout to identify the same element.

A base 10 having side members 12 with mounting flanges l4, upright sections 16 and a cross member 18 is provided for mounting the various component elements of the apparatusof the invention. A terminal supply reel bracket 20 is mounted on one side of the upright section 16 of one of the side members 12 of base 10. A shaft 22 is mounted on bracket 20 for loading a reel 25 of terminals 26 in the form of a continuous strip 27. A drag spring 28 is provided on bracket 20 for engaging aside flange on reel 25. A guide member 24 is mounted on bracket 20 for guiding the terminals to a feed-track assembly 29.

A crimp arm 30 having a yoke 32 at one end with shaft ways 34 is pivotally mounted on shaft 36 disposed in shaft ways 38 in upright section 16 of side members 12 of the base 10. Shaft 36 is secured by collars 40. A tool block 42 is provided on the free end of crimp arm 30 for mounting the crimp tooling. A shaft way 44 is machined in tool block 42 for receiving a shaft 46. Shaft 46 is connected to the free end of links 48 of toggle linkage 50. Links 52 of toggle linkage 50 connects at one end to a drive eye 54 of toggle linkage 50 and links 48 by pivot shaft 56 of the toggle linkage 50. Collars 58 are provided on the ends 'of the shaft 56. Eye link 54 of the toggle linkage 50 is connected to piston rod 60 of crimp-drive air cylinder 62. A jam nut 64 is threaded on piston rod 60 for adjusting and locking the length of the drive stroke of toggle linkage 50. Air cylinder 62 is pivotally mounted between upright section 16 of side members 12 of the base 10, with trunnion mounting pin 66 and cap screw 68. The end of links 52 of the toggle linkage 50 connects to shaft 72 journaled in shaft ways 76 in side members 12 of the base 10. Shaft 72 has two eccentric sections 74 which are received in the shaft ways 76. Saw cuts 84 are provided from the bottom of side members 12 to shaft ways 76, and cap screws 86 are thread-mounted spanning the saw cuts 84 for locking the eccentric sections 74 of shaft 72 in shaftways 76. Collar 80, having lever 82 for adjusting eccentric sections 74 of shaft 72 and collar 78 are mounted on the ends of shaft 72.

Feed-track member 90 having a grooved feed track 92 for supplying the terminals 26 in the form of a continuous strip to the crimping station is fixedly mounted between side member 12 of base 10. A drag plate 94 is spring-mounted on member 90 by shoulder screws 96 and springs 98.

A feed arm 100 is pivotally mounted on pivot pin 102, which is fixedly mounted on member 90. A spring 104 is connected between a pin 106 on member 90 and pin 108 on feed arm 100 over the center of pivot pin 102. An actuator pin 110 is fixedly mounted at one end of member 100 for engaging in slot' 112 of block 114 thread-mounted on piston rod 116 of feed drive air cylinder 118.'A jam nut 122 is thread-mounted on piston rod 116 for adjusting and locking the position of block 114. Air cylinder 118 is mounted with trunnion mounting pins 120 and cap screws 121 in brackets 123 on the underside of member 90. A feed finger 130 is pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 132 in feed arm 100. A torsion spring 134 is mounted on pin 132 to bias the feed finger in track 92 of member 90 for engaging the terminals 26 of the terminal strip 27. A stop screw 137 is thread-mounted in feed arm 100 and adjustably positioned and locked by jam nut 139. Stop member 136 is mounted on member 90 for engaging stop screw 137 and halting the forward travel of feed arm 100. Stop member 136 may be adjustably mounted to provide for different-length feedstrokes for different-length terminals. Similarly, stop member 135, stop screw 138 and jam nut 131 halt the rearward travel of feed arm 100.

Conventional tooling for crimping terminals having an insulation crimp barrel and a wire crimp barrel is mounted on the tool block 42 of crimp arm 30 and cross member 18 of base 10. Suitable upper tooling is mounted in tool block 42 with adapter 180 and includes a wire insulation barrel crimp tool 182 and wedge member 184 mounted in slot 185 for adjusting the height of the crimp of the insulation barrel on the terminal. A wire positioner and terminal ejector 186 is slideably mounted between the insulation barrel crimp tool 182 and a wire barrel crimp tool 192. A springloaded pin 189 is mounted in the tool block 42 for engaging wire positioner and ejector 186. Spring 190 is mounted on the pin 189 in the tool block 42. Pin cap 191 is mounted on the end of pin 189 at the top of the tool block 42. Upper cutoff tool 194 is mounted between the wire barrel crimp tool 192 and spacer 196 in the tooling block 42. The lower tooling mounted on I cross member 18 comprises an anvil holder 200 for mounting the crimp anvil 202 and anvil retainer 204. A wire stop member 206 is pivotally mounted on member 208, which is mounted on anvil holder 200. Spaced lower, front and

rear cutoff plates

210 and 212 are mounted on member behind anvil 202. A recess slot 214 is formed between the spaced

plates

210 and 212. An ejector contact element 220 is mounted on member 222, which is fixedly mounted'to ejector mount frame 224. Frame 224 is fixedly mounted on side members 12 of the base 10.

With particular reference to FIG. 3, a regulated air source 140 is provided for supplying air to the control system of the apparatus of the invention. Air is supplied by line 142 to a foot-actuated valve 144, which is connected to air-pilot port -4 of four-way air-pilot valve 150 by line 146 and to input port 150-1 of valve 150 by line 148. Output port 150-2 of valve 150 is connected to the forward ends of

air cylinders

62 and 118 through air line 152 and branch air line 154. Air line 158 connects output 150-3 of valve 150 to pressurerelief valve 162 and to the rear end of air cylinder 62 through branch air line 160. The relief port of valve 162 is connected to relief valve 166 by air line 164 and to the rear end of air cylinder 118 by branch air line 168. The relief port of valve 166 is connected to air pilot 150-5 of valve 150 by air line 172. Flow-control valves 156 are provided in

branch air lines

154 and 168 to the forward and rear ends of air cylinder 118. Relief pin holes 174 are provided in

air lines

164 and 172 and mufflers 176 are provided in discharge ports 150-6 and 150-7 of valve 150.

The operation of the apparatus of the invention may be readily understood with reference to the drawings and description below.

Electrical terminals 26 having a terminal on one end and an insulation crimp barrel and wire crimp barrel on the other end in the form of a continuous strip with a blank section connecting adjacent terminals are illus trated in detailed drawing 1A. The continuous strip 27 is fed from reel 25 around guide 24 to groove 92 in the feed track member 90. Drag plate 94 is manually pivoted upwards to thread the strip 27 under feed finger 130 and position a terminal 26 on a crimp anvil 202 at the crimping station. Drag plate 94 is released and the crimping station is ready to receive a wire with the insulation stripped from the end thereof. The wire end is manually inserted through the open insulation and wire crimp barrels of the terminal 26 until the wire end engages wire stop 206, which is positioned above the terminal 26. Foot switch valve 144 is actuated by an operator and air supplied to air-pilot 150-4 switches valve 150 to provide air from output port 150-3 to the rear end'of crimp drive air cylinder 62. Air cylinder 62 is extended, and piston rod 60 drives toggle linkage 50. Tool block 42 of crimp arm 30 is driven arcuately downward to engage the upper tooling with the terminal positioned on crimp anvil 202. The fork-shaped wire positioner 186 positions the wire in the center of the crimp barrels on the terminal and the insulation crimp tool 182 and wire crimp tool 192, respectively, crimp the insulation and wire crimp barrels of the terminal on the end of the wire. Upper cutoff tool 194 engages the blank portion of the strip 27 between lower front and

rear cutoff plates

210 and 212. The blankedout section of the strip falls in slot 214. Toggle linkage 48 is overdriven, i.e., the tooling is driven beyond top dead center so as to insure total crimp stroke is applied to the crimp barrels before air cylinder 62 is fully extended. When air cylinder 62 is fully extended, he crimp force is relieved on the crmp barrels, but the terminal is still securely held between the crimp tooling and the crimp anvil 202. When the crimp drive air cylinder 118 is fully extended, the first pressure-relief valve 162 opens, and air is supplied to rear end of feeddrive air cylinder 118 through one of the flow-control valves 156. The flow-control valve 156 regulates the rate at which cylinder 118 is extended. Block 114 having slot 112 mounted on piston rod 116 of air cylinder 118 starts forward. Slot 112 delays engagement of actuator pin 110 on feed member 100 and retraction of the feed finger 130. When slot 114 engages actuator pin 110, the feed arm 100 and feed finger 130 are retracted. Spring 104 over the center of pivot pin 102 shifts to above the center of the pivot and holds feed arm 100 and feed finger 130 in the fully retracted position. When feed-drive air cylinder 118 is fully extended, pressure-relief valve 166 opens, and air line 172 supplies air to air pilot 150-5 of valve 150 and switches the air supply to output port 150-2. Air is supplied from port 150-2 to the front end of the

air cylinders

62 and 118, and the pistons are retracted. Piston rod 60 connected to toggle linkage 50 is retracted, and the crimp tooling which was over-driven repeats the crimp action on the crimp barrels of the terminal 26, thus double-crimping the terminals to insure uniform crimp height and minimize any resilient expansion of the initial crimp. The toggle linkage 48 pivots the crimp arm 30, lifting the tool block 42 and crimp tooling mounted therein from the crimping station and clearing the crimping station for feeding of anoter terminal 26 of the terminal strip 27.

Terminal 26 having the wire end crimped therein is lifted by the crimp'tooling with tooling block 42 on crimp arm until pin cap 191 engages ejector stop 220 and pin 189 drives wire positioner and ejector 186 down to eject the crimped terminal from insulation and

wire crimp tools

182 and 192. The wire stop member 206 pivots upward as the crimped terminal is lifted from the anvil, and then it falls to its normal position when the crimped terminal is ejected from the crimping station.

Piston rod 116 of air cylinder 118 is retracted, and slot 112 in block 114 delays engagement of the actuator pin 110 on feed arm 100 until the crimp tooling has cleared the crimping station. Feed arm 100 drives the feed finger 130 forward when actuator pin 110 is engaged by the front of slot 112 in block 114. The feed finger 130 is spring-biased in engagement with the terminals 26 in the continuous strip 27 by spring 134 on pivot pin 132. The feed finger 130 advances the strip 27 until a new terminal 26 is accurately positioned on the crimp anvil 202 under the wire stop 206 at the crimping station. Stop screw 137 is precisely adjusted and locked by jarn nut 139 to accurately control the feed stroke of feed arm 100 so that the feed finger 130 accurately positions the terminals 26 on the crimp anvil 202 at the crimp station. Spring 104 is shifted below the center of pivot pin 102 when the feed arm 100 is advanced. Air cylinder 118 holds the feed arm forward and the feed finger securely holds the continuous strip 27 of terminals 26 in the feed track groove 92 and the new terminal on crimp anvil 202 at the crimping station.

With a new terminal 26 properly positioned on the crimp anvil 202, the apparatus is ready for receiving and crimping another wire in the terminal. On actuation of foot valve 144, the crimp and feed cycles, described above, are repeated to crimp another terminal on a wire inserted in the crimping station and position a new terminal 26 on the crimp anvil 202.

The apparatus of the invention can be readily adapted for applying various sizes and shaped electrical terminals having one or more crimp barrels to wires by changing the crimp tooling. The height of the crimp barrels on the wires may be readily and simply adjusted by releasing the cap screws 86 and rotating the eccentric sections 74 of shaft 72 with lever 82 and collar 80 on one side of the apparatus.

While the above description and attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, it is apparent that the other embodiments and modifications are equivalent and will be obvious to one skilled in the art; therefore, the invention is not to be limited except by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for applying terminals to the ends of wires comprising,

a base having a crimping station for receiving a terminal and a wire,

crimp means connected to said base and a tool mounting block disposed thereon,

first drive means connected to said crimp arm for crimping said terminal on said wire,

feed means for supplying terminals to said crimping station,

second drive means connected to said feed means,

and

control means for sequentially activating said first and second drive means and simultaneously deactivating said first and second drive means.

2. An apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein said first drive means additionally comprises a toggle linkage and at least one of the toggle links is connected to an eccentric shaft for adjusting the stroke of the crimp arm.

3. An apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a four-way air pilot valve and a pair of pressure relief valves, and said pressure relief valves are connected in series to an outlet port of said four-way air pilot valve and a relief port of one of said pressure relief valves is connected to an air pilot port of said four-way air pilot valve.

4. An apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein said feed means comprises a member having an actuator pin, and said second drive means comprises a drive member having a slot disposed therein for delaying engagement of said actuator pin by said drive means.

5. An apparatus for applying terminals on the ends of wires comprising,

a base having lower crimp tooling mounted thereon at a crimping station for receiving a terminal and an end of a wire,

a crimp arm having one end pivotally connected to said base and a tool block for mounting upper crimp tooling on the other end of said crimp arm,

a toggle linkage having a first link connected to said tool block on one end of said crimp arm and a second link connected to said base first pneumatic drive means connected to said toggle linkage for engaging said upper crimp tooling mounted on said crim arm with said lower tooling on said base and crimping the terminal on the end of the wire at said crimping station,

a feed track for supplying said terminals to said crimping station,

means for feeding said terminals along said feed track to said crimping station,

second pneumatic drive means for engaging said means for feeding terminals, and

pneumatic control means for sequentially activating the first and second drive means and simultaneously deactivating said first and second drive means.

6. An apparatus, as described in claim 5, wherein said toggle linkage is connected to said base through an eccentric shaft for adjusting the engagement of the upper and lower crimp tooling.

7. An apparatus, as recited in claim 5, wherein said control means comprises first and second pressure relief valves and the input port of said first relief valve is connected to said first drive means and the relief port of said first relief valve is connected to the input port of said second pressure relief valve and to said second drive means.

8. An apparatus, as recited in claim 7, wherein said control means additionally comprises a four-way air pilot valve and the relief port of said second relief valve is connected to an air pilot port of said pilot valve.

9. An apparatus, as recited in claim 5, wherein said means for feeding said terminals comprises a feed arm pivotally mounted on said feed track having a feed finger mounted on one end and a spring connected from said base to said feed arm over the center of the pivot point of said feed arm, and the other end of the feed arm is connected to said second drive means.

10. An apparatus, as recited in claim 9, wherein said second drive means comprises a drive member having a slot disposed therein for delaying engagement of said actuator pin on said feed arm.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PAHN'I N0 v j 0,708 0mm Jamar'y 1 1, 1976 amine 1 f-ieztnet11 John Veirn and Dirk Landman Jifffifil 'lhai exror appears m the above-wdentified patent and that said Letters Pater 1a erz as shown beiuw Column 6, line 3U, "arm should read --rrieans--.

.ii fignecl and sealed this 17th day of June 1975.

Attest:

C. IIARSHALL DAN? Commissioner of Patents Attestin Ii -f. Lice-r and Trademarks

Claims

1. An apparatus for applying terminals to the ends of wires comprising, a base having a crimping station for receiving a terminal and a wire, crimp means connected to said base and a tool mounting block disposed thereon, first drive means connected to said crimp arm for crimping said terminal on said wire, feed means for supplying terminals to said crimping station, second drive means connected to said feed means, and control means for sequentially activating said first and second drive means and simultaneously deactivating said first and second drive means.

5. An apparatus for applying terminals on the ends of wires comprising, a base having lower crimp tooling mounted thereon at a crimping station for receiving a terminal and an end of a wire, a crimp arm having one end pivotally connected to said base and a tool block for mounting upper crimp tooling on the other end of said crimp arm, a toggle linkage having a first link connected to said tool block on one end of said crimp arm and a second link connected to said base, first pneumatic drive means connected to said toggle linkage for engaging said upper crimp tooling mounted on said crim arm with said lower tooling on said base and crimping the terminal on the end of the wire at said crimping station, a feed track for supplying said terminals to said crimping station, means for feeding said terminals along said feed track to said crimping station, second pneumatic drive means for engaging said means for feeding terminals, and pneumatic control means for sequentially activating the first and second drive means and simultaneously deactivating said first and second drive means.