Patent ID: 6796160
Filing Date: 2004-09-28
Classification: B25B,B25H,H01R,Y10T

Abstract:
A crimping and cutting apparatus having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis an upper end and a lower end, said apparatus being for crimping elongated member having a material longitudinal axis, and comprising:a) a housing section with a cylinder and piston assembly aligned with the longitudinal axis and having a longitudinally aligned drive member connected to, and extending outwardly from the piston for up and down movement parallel to said longitudinal axis; b) a die assembly located at a lower location relative to said cylinder and piston assembly and having an operating region which comprises crimping and cutting regions, and comprising: i. a first die member mounted to said housing above said operating region for up and down linear travel and comprising a first downwardly facing crimping surface at said crimping region and a first downwardly facing cutting surface at said cutting region, said first crimping surface and said first cutting surface being spaced laterally from one another in a direction generally along said lateral axis, said first die member being connected to a lower end portion of said cylinder and piston assembly member to cause the first die member to move linearly in upwardly and downward directions parallel to the longitudinal axis; ii. a second die member located in said housing at a stationary location below the operating region fixedly mounted to the housing section and comprising a second upwardly facing crimping surface at said crimping region, and second upwardly facing cutting surface at said cutting region, c) said first and second crimping surfaces, and said first and second cutting surfaces being positioned opposite one another and located so that as the cylinder and piston assembly moves the first die member toward the operating region, the first and second crimping surfaces come into a crimping position relative to one another to be able to perform a crimping operation, and the first and second cutting surfaces come into a cutting position relative to one another to be able to perform a cutting operation, said second crimping surface and said second cutting surface being spaced laterally from one another in a direction generally parallel to the lateral axis and positioned so as to be aligned with, respectively, the first crimping surface and the first cutting surface, with the die members, housing and cylinder and piston assembly being arranged to constrain the up and down movement of the first die member parallel to said longitudinal axis to maintain the first and second crimping surface in longitudinal alignment with one another and the first and second cutting surfaces in longitudinal alignment with one another; d) said apparatus being arranged with an operating access opening connecting to said operating region, whereby a member to be crimped and/or cut is able to be moved along the lateral axis with the member longitudinal axis extending transverse to both the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis through said access opening into the operating region to either the crimping region or the cutting region to be crimped or cut, respectively, and can be both crimped and cut in separate crimping and cutting operations while remaining in said operating region.