Abstract:
Crimping apparatus for crimping separate parts of a metal sleeve arranged concentrically about the junction between a shielded cable and a plug connector, including a pair of colinearly arranged annular crimping dies that are operable by an annular operating member arranged concentrically about the crimping dies, such that upon a single angular movement of the operating member in a given direction from a retracted position to a crimping position, one end of the sleeve is crimped to the plug in one desired manner, and the other end of the sleeve is crimped to the shielded cable in another desired manner.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    Crimping apparatus for crimping separate parts of a metal sleeve arranged concentrically about the junction between a shielded cable and a plug connector, such that upon a single angular movement of an annular operating member in a given direction about its longitudinal axis, one end of the sleeve is crimped to the plug in one manner, and the other end of the sleeve is crimped to the shielded cable in another manner. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Various models of crimping devices are well known in the electrical connector art, as shown, for example, by the prior U.S. patents to Schmode No. 6,997,028, Hetland et al No. 7,055,361, Heggemann et al No. 7,325,438, each assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. 
         [0005]    The present invention was developed to provide a crimping device that can be used especially for the crimping of cables, where the terminal segment of a shielded cable (or conductor) is to be crimped several times with at least one metal sleeve in the exposed area. The invention-based crimping device is designed to create at least two or more axially mutually offset crimping areas in only one work step. In this way, the time needed for crimping is kept at a minimum, and one can also make sure that the two crimping areas always have a constant interval from each other. 
         [0006]    Preferably, two or more axially mutually offset crimping dies are provided, which again, in a particularly preferred manner, are coupled together in a non-rotatable fashion. These crimping dies are of simple structure and preferably include crimping dies that are coupled together in a non-rotatable fashion and that in each case act upon radially displaceable crimping bars. 
         [0007]    Preferably, the crimping depth of at least one crimping die is made adjustable, and the crimping depth of the other crimping die is firmly preset in order to be able to make or process the various crimping depths and cable diameters. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for crimping separate parts of a protective metal sleeve arranged concentrically about the junction between a shielded cable and a plug connector, including a pair of colinearly arranged annular crimping dies that are operable by an annular operating member arranged concentrically about the crimping dies, such that upon a single movement of the operating member in a given direction, one end of the sleeve is crimped to the plug in one manner, and the other end of the sleeve is crimped to the shielded cable in another manner. 
         [0009]    According to another object of the invention, an annular operating member is journaled for angular displacement about a fixed support shaft such that upon a single angular displacement of the operating member from a retracted position to a crimping position, two annular cam members connected with the operating member displace two sets of radially arranged crimping rods axially inwardly to crimp separate parts of the metal sleeve in a desired distinctive manner to a plug and to a shielded cable connected with the plug, respectively. 
         [0010]    According to a more specific object of the invention, adjustable stop means limit the extent of angular displacement of the operating member, thereby to control the depth of crimp produced by at least on of the sets of crimping rods. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which: 
           [0012]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are left and right front perspective views, respectively, of the crimping apparatus of the present invention with the operating lever removed; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are front and side elevation views, respectively, of the apparatus of  FIGS. 1 and 2  with the operating lever attached; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3   c  is a sectional view taken along line c-c of  FIG. 3   a , and  FIG. 3   d  is an enlarged detailed view of the section indicated by the box outline in  FIG. 2   c;    
           [0015]      FIGS. 4   a - 4   c  are side elevation, front perspective, and rear perspective views, respectively, of a metal sleeve member arranged concentrically about the junction between a female plug and a shielded cable prior to the crimping operation, and FIGS.  5   a  and  5   b  are front and rear perspective views of the sleeve when crimped at opposite ends to the junction between the plug and the shielded cable; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  with one face plate removed, and 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a corresponding view with one of the die members and the associated crimping rods removed; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 8 and 9  are perspective views illustrating the apparatus of  FIG. 7  before and after the plug end of the cable is inserted into the insertion opening of the apparatus; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a rear view of the apparatus with certain pats broken away, and 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a front perspective view illustrating the operation of the two crimping die means; 
           [0021]      FIGS. 12   a  and  12   b  are front and detailed views, respectively, of the crimping apparatus second die means, with certain parts removed, when in the retracted loading condition, and  FIGS. 13   a  and  13   b  are corresponding views of the crimping apparatus when in the crimping condition; and 
           [0022]      FIGS. 14   a  and  14   b  are front and detailed views, respectively, of the crimping apparatus first die means, with certain parts removed, when in the retracted loading condition, and 
           [0023]      FIGS. 15   a  and  15   b  are corresponding views of the crimping apparatus when in the crimping condition. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    Referring first more particularly to  FIGS. 1-3 , the crimping apparatus  2  of the present invention includes a vertical fixed pedestal  13  that extends upwardly from the fixed base  1  and which supports an annular operating member  11  for angular displacement about a fixed horizontal longitudinal axis. The operating member contain a first threaded opening  12  for receiving a radially outwardly extending manually-operable operating lever  3 , as shown in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b . An annular outer face plate  30  is fastened to the operating member  11  by screws or bolts  31 , and an inner circular face plate  32  fastened to the operating member by screws or bolts  33 . An insertion opening  14  is provided along the longitudinal axis of the operating member for receiving the partially assembled arrangement of connector parts ( FIGS. 4   a - 4   c ) that are to be crimped together. The pedestal  13  contains a second threaded opening  46  for receiving crimping depth control means  47 , as will be described in greater detail below. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4   a - 4   c , a tubular protective metal sleeve  6  is arranged concentrically about the junction between a female plug connector  4  and the associated shielded cable  5 . According to a characterizing feature of the present invention, first die means  9  ( FIG. 3   d ) are provided for crimping one end of the tubular sleeve to the plug connector  4 , and second die means  10  are provided for crimping the other end of the sleeve to the shielded cable  5 . As shown in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , the end portion  7  that is crimped to the plug contains an annular bulge, and the end  8  that is crimped to the cable has a generally star-shaped cross-sectional configuration. 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3   c  and  3   d , the pedestal  13  carries a fixed horizontal support shaft  22  which contains a through bore for receiving at one end one end of the plug  4 . Mounted in fixed relation concentrically about the support shaft  22  is an annular first die member  26 . Roller bearing means  23  supports the annular operating member  11  for rotational angular displacement about the first die body  26 , and concentrically about the longitudinal axis of the support shaft  22 . The first die body  26  has a die face  26   a  ( FIG. 14   b ) which contains a plurality of radial slots in which are slidably mounted a set of first crimping rods  19 . A second die body  27  is fixed to the first die body and includes a second die face  27   a  ( FIG. 12   b ) containing a plurality of radial slots in which are slidably mounted a set of second crimping bars  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 3   d  and  14   b , the extent of axial sliding displacement of the first crimping bars  19  relative to the first die member  26  is limited as a result of fixed stop pins  60  that extend from the die face  26   a  into corresponding axially-extending slots  61  contained in the first crimping bars  19 . As best shown in  FIG. 3   d , when the plug  4  is inserted completely into the insertion opening  14 , the metal sleeve  6  is partially arranged at one end within the first die means  9  concentrically about the adjacent portion of the plug  4 . The other end of the sleeve  6  is arranged in the second die means  10  concentrically around the adjacent portion of the shielded cable  5 . 
         [0027]    The first and second die means include first and second annular cam members  15  and  16  arranged concentrically around the faces  26   a  and  27   a  of the first and second die members, respectively. These cam members are spaced by annular spacer ring  50  and are non-rotatably fastened to the operating member  11  for angular displacement therewith about the longitudinal axis of the support shaft  22 . The cam members include on their inner circumferences cam surfaces  15   a  and  16   a  arranged for abutting engagement by the outer ends of the associated crimping rods  19  and  20 , respectively. Helical compressions springs  21  ( FIG. 3   d ) react between the die members and offsets  19   a  and  20   a  of the associated crimping rods to bias the crimping rods radially outwardly in to engagement with the associated cam surfaces, respectively. 
       Operation 
       [0028]    Assume that the partially assembled connector arrangement of  FIGS. 4   a - 4   b  is inserted plug first into the introduction opening  14 . Upon angular displacement of the operating member  11  by lever  3  from its retracted position toward the crimping position, the first crimping rods  19  are displaced radially inwardly against the biasing force of springs  21  by the cam surface  15   a  from the retracted condition of  FIG. 15   b  toward the crimping condition of  FIG. 14   b , thereby forming the crimped portion  7  on the sleeve  6 , as shown in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b . Similarly, the cam surface  16   a  of the second cam member  16  displaces the second crimping rods  20  radially inwardly against the force of the biasing springs  21  from the retracted condition of  FIG. 12   b  toward the crimping condition of  FIG. 13   b . The operating member  11  is normally rotationally biased toward the retracted position by the reaction between leg  24   a  of the foxed torsion spring  24  ( FIGS. 3   c  and  10 ) and the pin  25  connected with the operating tool  11 , which pin extends through slot  44  contained in the pedestal  13 . 
         [0029]    According to another feature of the invention, in order to limit the degree of angular displacement of the operating member  11 , and consequently the depth of crimp, a stop screw  47  ( FIG. 10 ) having a knurled knob  48  is threadably mounted in a threaded opening  46  ( FIG. 1 ) contained in the pedestal  13 . Thus, by simple axial adjustment of the stop screw by rotation of the knob  48 , the end of the stop screw may be axially displaced for engagement with the pin  25  that is connected with the operating member  11 . The depth of the cable crimp  8  is thus influenced in a simple fashion via the actuation angle so that the stop represents a simple possibility of presetting the depth. The depth of the plug crimp  7 , on the other hand, is firmly preset. Variations of these settings are conceivable so that the crimping device can in a simple manner be used for the most varied cable diameters. 
         [0030]    While in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes the preferred forms and embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without deviating from the invention described above.