US3888105A

US3888105A - Toggle crimper

Info

Publication number: US3888105A
Application number: US406144A
Authority: US
Inventors: Silas E Bert
Original assignee: EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Current assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
Priority date: 1973-10-15
Filing date: 1973-10-15
Publication date: 1975-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-10

Abstract

A hand-operated tool is disclosed for crimping, as one example, terminal ferrules to electrical conductor wires. The crimper is constituted by a pair of handle members, one of which is relatively fixed in use and presents two parallel upper plates which are contoured at cutouts therein to provide a set of edge cam formations. The other and relatively movable handle member has an upper tubular, parallel-walled body affording an internal space of substantial height and width, which body mounts directly within its parallel sides a pair of like bodily shiftable cam plates; these also have special arm cutouts or formations. A multiple-arm toggle linkage unit disposed between said plates is straightened and collapsed as to two toggle pairs thereof in the operation of the tool, the arms of links of said unit being pivotally articulated by parallel, transversely extending pins. These pins extend through the sets of cam cutouts of both said plates and the body walls; and a progressive straightening and collapsing of the linkage is accomplished in two separate and distinct manual operations of the crimper in which the latter''s cam cutouts and pivot pins come into play. The tool is automatically restored to its original condition instantaneously upon release of the handle members following the second phase of the crimping operation.

Description

United States Patent June 10, 1975 Bert [54] TOGGLE CRIMPER Primary Examiner-C. W. Lanham 4 Assistant Examiner-M. J. Keenan [75] Inventor Silas E. Bert, Camp Hill, Pa. Attorney g or Firm Th0maS Hooker [73] Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours &

Company, Wilmington, Del. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Flled: 1973 A hand-operated tool is disclosed for crimping, as one 2 App| 40 144 example, terminal ferrules to electrical conductor wires. The crimper is constituted by a pair of handle members, one of which is relatively fixed in use and [52] US. Cl. 72/410; 72/451; 81/375 presents two parallel upper plates which are com [5 H '3 Cl 821d 37/12 toured at cutouts therein to provide a set of edge cam [58} F'eld M Search 72/410 45!; 29/203 formations. The other and relatively movable handle 29/203 HM? 816B 375 member has an upper tubular, parallel-walled body affording an internal space of substantial height and width, which body mounts directly within its parallel [56] References cued sides a pair of like bodily shiftable cam plates; these UNITED STATES PATENTS also have special arm cutouts or formations A multi- 2,174,152 9/1939 Curtiss 72 410 Plwrm gg linkage unit disposed between Said 2,481.435 9/!949 Meunier A t r 81/363 plates is straightened and collapsed as to two toggle 2,915,929 l2/l959 Demler 29/203 H pairs thereof in the operation of the tool, the arms of 2992576 7/1961 Evans et al. t 72/410 links of said unit being pivotally articulated by paral- 39293570 4/1962 29/203 H lel, transversely extending pins. These pins extend M01017 8/1963 Malkm 81/313 through the sets of cam cutouts of both said plates and 3'492'854 2/1970 Eppler 81/363 the body walls; and a progressive straightening and 3.564.956 2/1971 Landon .v 81/363 v 157L888 3/1971 Di Filippo 29/203 H collapsing of the linkage IS accomplished in tvvo sepa- 3688553 (M972 Demler 29/203 H rate and distinct manual operations of the crimper in 3,837,211 9 1974 Gress et at U 72/410 which the latter's Cam Cutouts and Pivot P Come FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Australia M 72/45! United Kingdom 81/363 into play. The tool is automatically restored to its original condition instantaneously upon release of the bandle members following the second phase of the crimping operation.

15 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUN I 0 I975 SHEET TOGGLE CRIMPER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The disclosed crimper finds many practical and valuable applications over and above the crimping of terminal conducting ferrules to electrical wiring which is instanced herein. Its novel arrangement of pivotally articulated toggle link pairs, operated as described in the abstract in a two-stroke or phase manner, lends itself for manual use in other related type operations in which the successive performance of steps is involved by which a usually tubular workpiece is converted as to form for a desired purpose.

2. Description of the Prior Art A search has revealed the following patents:

Demler, US. Pat. No. 3,534,583, Oct. 20, 1970 Demler, US. Pat. No. 2,800,042, July 23, 1957 Curtiss US. Pat. No. 2,174,152, Sept. 26, 1939 However, none of these discloses or particularly suggests a hand crimper or related-type hand tool in which successive series-oriented steps produce the desired result, whether involving the functioning of articulated linkage parts, or as otherwise operated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved crimper has the great advantage that it can be operated by one hand only throughout the functioning of its tooling, whatever the latter may be, in two quick strokes. In contrast, in conventional manual crimpers the handles of the tool are operated in one stroke to close their tooling in that single stroke, and the handles are widely opened at the outset, thus requiring two hands to close them.

In an application in which the illustrated crimper is presently in use, a ferrule is positioned between ram and anvil components of the tooling and the crimper handles are closed in a first stroke to partially close the tooling and clamp the ferrule between the anvil and ram. A conductor wire in then positioned within the clamped ferrule and the tooling is fully closed quickly in a second stroke to crimp the ferrule onto the wire. The two stroke operation represents a dual improvement over the prior art, over and above its ease and speed of operation as manipulated by one hand. Moreover, at the end of the first stroke the tooling is locked in its partially closed position, thus allowing the opening of the handles for the full second stroke without moving the tooling or releasing the ferrule being crimped from between the toolings ram and anvil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the crimper in its initial condition prior to the first crimping stroke or phase, as well as its condition at release of the operating handles following the second phase, the view generally indicating the relationship to one another of certain of the tool's cam plate and linkage pivot components;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view, partially broken away, of the crimper as viewed from the right of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the tool in transverse vertical section on a line corresponding to line 33 of FIG. 2, showing the relation of inner cam plate and toggle linkage components at the outset and completion of the crimping operation;

FIG. 4 is a similar vertical section on line 44 of FIG. 2, showing the relationship of outer operating plate components of the tool to transverse pivot pins of the toggle linkage, also at the outset and completion of the crimping operation;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views re spectively corresponding to those of FIGS. 3 and 4, depicting the relationship of the crimper components upon completion of a first operational manipulation of the crimper, in which one of its two pairs of pivotally articulated toggle links is straightened;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are also views in section corresponding to FIGS. 3 and 4, showing the linkage as a whole in a fully straightened condition as the second operational phase nears completion; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are corresponding sectional views showing the cam plate and linkage relationship at the instant said second phase is fully completed, and prior to release of the handles of the crimper and the latters attendant restoration to its initial condition.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the crimper of the invention, generally designated 10, in the full assembly of its major components to the extent that they enter into the improved sequencing action of the tool. These include a relatively movable operator handle 11 made up of a rigid stamping 12 of U-shaped cross-section which externally straddles and is strongly secured, as by riveting or welding, to a pair of identical stamped plates 13 appropriately held in parallelism. These extend upwardly in slidably overlapped relation to either side of a relatively fixed crimper body 14. The latter is in the main of flattened tubular cross-section, being comprised of a rigid sheet metal stamping bent to provide laterally spaced parallel side walls 15; these afford a vertically elongated and relatively wide box-like interior space in which vital operating plate and linkage parts of crimper 10 are received, as will be described. The lower portions of walls 15 are relieved and merge integrally in a fixed handle grip portion 16 extending well downwardly of body walls 15.

A tooling anvil support 18 is mounted rigidly atop said body, including a portion telescoped downwardly into the body and rivet-connected to its walls 15; while a tooling ram support 19 is mounted on a pair of vertically elongated posts 20 above the body 14 and its anvil part 18. These posts extend through bores in anvil support 18 and into the body, having fixed bottom connections at 21 to a rigid crossbar 22 which joins the inner lower ends of the posts. Coil springs 23 surround the respective posts 20 and act in compression between the top of anvil support 18 on body 14 and the bottom of ram support 19; and cylindrical rubber protective boots or sleeves 24 surround the respective coil springs 23 for external protection, flexing as the springs contract and expand.

Finally, as to the crimper-operatin g structure appearing in FIGS. 1 and 2, an elongated coil compression spring acts to bias handle members II and 16 away from one another, the spring 25 being piloted on a collapsible telescoped rod-type support 26 which extends between pivots at 27 on the respective handles.

Conventional crimper tooling contemplated to be incorporated as a sub-assembly in the tool 10 is not shown in detail in the drawings, although a ram compo nent 29 and an anvil component 30 are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in fixed association with the respective ram and anvil supports 19 and 18. Such ram and anvil sub-assembly as a whole will perform conventionally in operation. save as influenced by the stepped sequencing feature above referred to. Hence, and because the invention is concerned generally with the modification of workpieces of diverse specific nature. as mentioned in the Field, a detailed illustration of the tooling would only complicate the drawings. The supports 18, 19 and

components

29, 30 may be considered to represent the tooling.

Now, referring to FIGS. 3-10 inclusive in conjunction with FIGS. l and 2, upper portions of the side walls of the crimper body 14 are provided with like laterally registering rectangular openings 32 exposing a toggle linkage and plate actuator unit or sub-assembly, generally designated 33, operating between said walls; and in order to accommodate certain motions of this sub-assembly the body wall openings 32 are formed at their bottoms with central downwardly extending and transversely aligned recesses 34 (FIG. 3).

As best illustrated in FIG. 3 (and corresponding quasi-side elevational views) the anvil support 18 is connected to the post-connecting crossbar 22 by a double chain-type toggle linkage 36 including lower and upper toggle arms or

links

37, 38, respectively. Cam plates 39 of like rectangular outline and rounded at their corners are mounted on either side of the linkage 36, being received with sliding clearance in the rectangular openings 32 of body walls 15.

The upper toggle link 38 is pivotally connected at its top to the anvil support 18 by a cross pin 41 on which it pivots in operation, the pin being accommodated in a bottom recess 42 of the anvil member and the top of link 38 operating in a milled center bottom cavity 43 of the same member. The lower end of said toggle link carries a transverse pivot pin 44, by which it is articulated to a pair of like transversely registered toggle links 45, one on either side thereof, which in effect constitute a single upper intermediate link component of the toggle unit 36. The links 45 are in turn equipped at their lower ends with another transverse pivot pin 46, which pin affords the main pivotal axis on which the toggle linkage unit 36 operates as a whole.

FIG. 3 shows this pin as extending through vertically elongated slots 47 stamped or otherwise cut out in the side plates 39 of the linkage and plate unit or subassem bly 33, and also, as appears in FIG. 4, through correspondingly elongated and registering slots 48 stamped out in the plate portions 13 of operator handle 11. Split retainer clips 49 (FIG. 2) seat in grooves adjacent opposite ends of the main pivot pin 46 to maintain handle plates 13 in lateral assembly with the other handle body l4 and the latters internal plate and toggle sub assembly 33.

Links

38 and 45 constitute what will be referred to as an upper toggle pair of linkage 36.

A lower intermediate link or arm component 51 of that linkage 36 is disposed to operate slidably and piv otally between the links of arms 45, the link 51 having an upper pivotal mount on main pivot pin 46; and the lower portion of said link carries a transverse pivot pin 52. This pin serves to articulate the link 51 with the bottom arm component 37 of toggle linkage 36. Like link 45, said component is actually in the form of a pair of identical link parts, one on either side of link 51; and

this pair FMIICS a cross pin 54 which rests in an upwardly opening notch 55 in the post-coupling crossbar 22. It operates. as indicated above, in the elongated recess 34 of the body side walls 15 as linkage 36 is sequentially straightened and collapsed in a manner to be described.

Links

37 and 51 are hereinafter referred to as a lower toggle pair.

Also shown in FIG. 3 (and corresponding side elevational views) the side cam plates 39 of the operating sub-assembly 33 are identical in internal configuration as well as external contour. Each has, in addition to the central elongated slot 47 thereof, two like, generally triangular stamped openings or

cutouts

57 and 58 formed therein. These are at roughly diagonally opposed upper and lower areas of plates 39 and have rounded corners accommodating the cylindrical contours of the respective pivot pins 44 and 52 of linkage 39. An operational edge of each of the

cutouts

57, 58 is especially designated 59.

Finally, the upper identical plate parts 13 of operator handle 11 are specially contoured internally in a way appearing in FIG. 4 (and other side elevational views corresponding thereto). That is, each plate is provided, a bit beneath its main pivot-accommodating slot 48, with a relatively large cam cutout 60 into which the pivot pin 52 articulating

toggle links

51 and 37 extends. Cutout 60 is of a very generally lunate shape, defined at its top and bottom by upper and lower

arcuate edges

61 and 62 connected by laterally and upwardly

divergent edges

63 and 64.

Edges

61 and 64 are of primary significance at the initiation of the two phases of main operation of crimper 10.

A third cam cutout 65 in each plate 13 receives the pivot pin 54 of lower link 37 as the latter bottoms on the crossbar 22. Cutout 65 is contoured somewhat similarly to the cutout 60 just above it, in that it is outlined by mildly arcuate upper and

lower edges

66 and 67 connected by convergent end edges 68 and 69.

Finally, a topmost cam cutout 70 stamped in each plate 13 is specially contoured to provide endconnected upper and lower arcuate and concentric edge surfaces 71, 72 which are their right (FIG. 4) terminate in an upwardly offset extension bight portion 74; this serves as a keeper formation in one of the phases of the operation of crimper 10.

As in the case of the aperturing of the like side plates 39 of the toggle linkage and cam plate assembly 33, all of the contours of the

cam openings

60, 65 and 70 of plates 13 are terminally rounded in conformity with the radii of the

several pins

52, 54 and 44 respectively received therein.

In use, at the beginning of the two stroke cycle of operation ofthe crimper its handle 11 is in its FIG. I position as held open by spring 25, with the outer side plates 13 of the handle and the pair of inner cam plates 39 disposed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Both of the respective upper and lower toggle linkage pairs 38, 45 and 37, 51 are collapsed. The ferrule to be crimped is positioned within the open tooling, here represented by ram and

anvil parts

19, 29 and 18, 30. The handle 11 is now pivoted toward handle 16, bringing cam plate linkage assembly 33 and side plates 13 to the position of FIGS. 6 and 7, the plates 13 having been rotated about the axis of main pivot pin 46 of linkage 36. In this operation the edges 64 of the cutouts 60 of said plates first engage the pin 52 and move it to the left, per FIGS. 5 and 6, to the centerline of the crimper body 14. The

plates 39 are raised at the same time in openings 32 by pin 52 as it rides along beneath the cam surfaces or edges 59 of the lower cutouts 58 of said plates. This brings pin 52 to the lower left-hand corner of said cut outs (FIG. 5) and straightens the lower

toggle linkage pair

37, 51; as the result of which the latters pivot pin 54 drives the crossbar 22 downward. Accordingly, the rams support 19 is lowered in this first stroke phase of the crimper tools operation. As this stroke takes place the arcuate upper edges 71 of cam plate openings 70 are traversing to the left (FIG. 6) above the upper linkpivoting pin 44.

As the handles II and 16 are opened by spring 25 after the first stroke, said spring 25 holds said edges 7] downwardly against pin 44, and then causes the movable handle plates 13 to snap downwardly, with the result that the pin 44 is positioned in the lateral extensions 74 of the cutouts 70, as appears in FIG. 8, when the handles are fully opened.

Pin 44 is prevented from falling into these cutouts 70 during the first phase or stroke of the crimper by engagement ofthe other linkage pin 54 with the upper arcuate edges 66 of plate cutouts 65. By the same token, after said first closing stroke the pin 54 has been lowered sufficiently so that it no longer engages the edges of said cutouts 65, as appears in FIG. 10.

A first operational phase of the two-stage operation on or manipulation of a ferrule or other workpiece as located between the tooling parts of the device is now over; and the latter may be immediately manually operated again in its second phase or stroke, without removing the workpiece from its tooling, if in order or desired.

When the handles 11 and 16 are closed in the second stroke of crimper the lateral extensions 74 of cutouts 70 engage pin 44 to draw it toward but not fully to the right (FIG. 7) and straighten the upper linkage pair 38, 45 (and the linkage 36 as a whole), and thereby close the crimper tooling fully. This completes the crimping of the ferrule to the wire which has been inserted therein.

The transitory position is illustrated in FIG. 7, and it is to be noted in FIG. 8 that the motion of plate cutout 60 to the right in the second stage or stroke causes the upper edge 61 of cutout 60 to earn pin 52 downwardly. Consequently that pin, as engaged (FIG. 7) with the lower horizontal edge of the cutouts 58 of plates 39, drives said plates downward along with bottom link 37 and crossbar 22.

Continued closing of the handles carries the pivot pin 44 of the

upper linkage pair

38, 45 slightly past the vertical centerline of the plate structure as shown in FIG. 9, thus partially breaking said pair. Pin 44 has by then engaged to the right against the diagonal surface 59 of the upper cutouts 57 in cam plates 39, preparatory to forcing said plates down. The arcuate surfaces 71 of cutouts 70 concurrently engage pin 44 and force the same somewhat to the right as shown in FIGS. 9 and I0, beyond the centered position of FIGS. 7 and 8, thereby opening or breaking the lower toggle link pairs to a limited extent.

Release of the handles after the second stroke permits the springs 20 and to snap both of the toggle linkage pairs fully to broken condition and fully separate the tooling pairs. When the handles are fully opened, the crimper is returned to the position of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

What is claimed is:

l. A hand-operated device for performing an operation by tooling carried thereby on a work piece or other object, said device comprising a pair of operating handle members operatively connected and manually actuated for movement relative to one another in two distinct repeated strokes thereof, thus to effect said opera tion of said tooling on the work piece, and a mechani cal force-transmitting unit operated by said members, in two phases of action of the unit which correspond respectively to said two repeated strokes, to cause said tooling to perform its operation on said work piece, said force transmitting unit comprising a double linkage including a pair oftoggle linkage sets, means pivotally articulating said sets with one another. means successively actuated by said operating members in said repeated strokes thereof to alter the length of one of said pair of toggle linkage sets during a first phase of ac tion of said unit and to alter the length of the other of said pair of toggle linkage sets during a second phase of action of said unit.

2. The device of claim I, in which said successively actuated means of said unit comprises a bodily movable cam plate carried by one of said operating members and coacting with said linkage in the alters the length of one of said linkage sets.

3. The device of claim I, in which said successively actuated means of said unit comprises a pair of cam plates carried respectively by the operating members and coacting with said linkage in successively altering the length of said linkage at its respective linkage sets.

4. The device of claim 1, in which said forcetransmitting unit includes means holding the same in its condition following the first phase of operation and until a second phase is initiated by a second stroke movement of said handle members.

5. The device of claim 2, in which said forcetransmitting unit includes means holding the same in its condition following the first phase of operation and until a second phase is initiated by a second stroke movement of said handle members.

6. The device of claim 3, in which said forcetransmitting unit includes means holding the same in its condition following the first phase of operation and until a second phase is initiated by a second stroke movement of said handle members.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said last named means successively lengthens each of said pair of toggle linkage sets.

8. The device of claim 7, in which said unit operates to automatically collapse said linkage following said second phase of operation of said unit and said second acutation movement and release of the handle members.

9. The device of claim 7, in which said unit operates to automatically collapse said linkage following said second phase of operation of said unit and said second actuation movement and release of the handle members, and further comprising spring means returning said handle members to the position thereof preceding their first stroke.

10. A hand-operated device for performing successive operations by tooling carried thereby on a single workpiece or other object, said device comprising first and second operating handles pivotally connected to one another and manually actuated for relative movement in two successive distinct strokes thereof, and

means including a force-transmitting unit operated by said members, in phases of action of the unit which cor respond respectively to said respective strokes, to cause said tooling to perform its said successive operations on said object. said first handle having a first cam plate rigid therewith and the second handle having a second cam plate bodily shiftable thereon, said plates having pairs of transversely registering openings there through, a toggle linkage provided with a transverse pin received in one pair of said registering plate openings and pivotally articulating certain links of said linkage and said plates with one another. and further transverse pin means pivotally connecting other of the links with one another. said further pin means being received in and having camming engagement with other pairs of said transversely registering plate openings in the successive actuation of said handles in said distinct strokes.

11. The device of claim 10, in which said linkage is a double one comprised of link pairs pivotally connected to one another by said transverse pin at adjacent links thereof.

l2. The device of claim 10, in which said linkage is a double one comprised of link pairs pivotally connected to one another by said transverse pin at adjacent links thereof. end links of said pairs being pivotally connected respectively to operating components of said linkage.

13. The device of claim 10, in which there are a pair each of said first and second handle-carried cam plates, the plates of the first pair being in respective external side-to-side relation to the plates of the second pair and receiving ends to said transverse pin and pin means at said openings thereof.

14. The device of claim 11, in which there are a pair each of said first and second handle-carried cam plates, the plates of the first pair being in respective external side-to-side relation to the plates of the second pair and receiving ends to said transverse pin and pin means at said openings thereof.

IS. The device of claim 12. in which there are a pair each of said first and second handle-carried cam plates, the plates of the first pair being in respective external side-to-side relation to the plates of the second pair and receiving ends to said transverse pin and pin means at said openings thereof.

Claims

1. A hand-operated device for performing an operation by tooling carried thereby on a work piece or other object, said device comprising a pair of operating handle members operatively connected and manually actuated for movement relative to one another in two distinct repeated strokes thereof, thus to effect said operation of said tooling on the work piece, and a mechanical force-transmitting unit operated by said members, in two phases of action of the unit which correspond respectively to said two repeated strokes, to cause said tooling to perform its operation on said work piece, said force transmitting unit comprising a double linkage including a pair of toggle linkage sets, means pivotally articulatinG said sets with one another, means successively actuated by said operating members in said repeated strokes thereof to alter the length of one of said pair of toggle linkage sets during a first phase of action of said unit and to alter the length of the other of said pair of toggle linkage sets during a second phase of action of said unit.

2. The device of claim 1, in which said successively actuated means of said unit comprises a bodily movable cam plate carried by one of said operating members and coacting with said linkage in the alters the length of one of said linkage sets.

3. The device of claim 1, in which said successively actuated means of said unit comprises a pair of cam plates carried respectively by the operating members and coacting with said linkage in successively altering the length of said linkage at its respective linkage sets.

4. The device of claim 1, in which said force-transmitting unit includes means holding the same in its condition following the first phase of operation and until a second phase is initiated by a second stroke movement of said handle members.

5. The device of claim 2, in which said force-transmitting unit includes means holding the same in its condition following the first phase of operation and until a second phase is initiated by a second stroke movement of said handle members.

6. The device of claim 3, in which said force-transmitting unit includes means holding the same in its condition following the first phase of operation and until a second phase is initiated by a second stroke movement of said handle members.

10. A hand-operated device for performing successive operations by tooling carried thereby on a single workpiece or other object, said device comprising first and second operating handles pivotally connected to one another and manually actuated for relative movement in two successive distinct strokes thereof, and means including a force-transmitting unit operated by said members, in phases of action of the unit which correspond respectively to said respective strokes, to cause said tooling to perform its said successive operations on said object, said first handle having a first cam plate rigid therewith and the second handle having a second cam plate bodily shiftable thereon, said plates having pairs of transversely registering openings therethrough, a toggle linkage provided with a transverse pin received in one pair of said registering plate openings and pivotally articulating certain links of said linkage and said plates with one another, and further transverse pin means pivotally connecting other of the links with one another, said further pin means being received in and having camming engagement with other pairs of said transversely registering plate openings in the successive actuation of said handles in said distinct strokes.

12. The device of claim 10, in which said linkage is a double one comprised of link pairs pivotally connected to one another by said transverse pin at adjacent links thereof, end links of said pairs being pivotally connected respectively to operating components of said linkage.

15. The device of claim 12, in which there are a pair each of said first and second handle-carried cam plates, the plates of the first pair being in respective external side-to-side relation to the plates of the second pair and receiving ends to said transverse pin and pin means at said openings thereof.