Cable finishing apparatus

Arranged along a cable path of travel is a first cable guide, a pair of retractable transport rolls, a second cable guide, and a cable gripper unit possessing actuatable grippers. The gripper unit is pivotable throughout a predetermined pivot angle about a pivot axis arranged perpendicular to the cable path of travel and into a cable fitting or processing position. There is also provided a cutter unit. All of these components are arranged in succession in the feed or travel direction of the cable as it moves along the cable path of travel. The pivot axis of the gripper unit is arranged between the end of the first cable guide and the clamping point or nip of the pair of transport rolls. The cable fitting or processing position encloses with the cable path of travel an angle of approximately 90.degree.. The pivot axis piercingly extends through the cable path of travel. The drive arrangement for the gripper unit contains a control for controlling the velocity of movement of the gripper unit throughout the pivot angle thereof, so that such travels with an approximately sinusoidal velocity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a new and improved cable finishing 
apparatus or machine. 
Generally speaking, the cable finishing apparatus or machine of the present 
development is of the type comprising a first cable guide arranged along a 
cable path of travel or pathway, a pair of transport rolls arranged 
following the first cable guide along the cable path of travel, and a 
second cable guide as well as a cable gripper unit possessing actuatable 
grippers or gripper elements. The gripper unit can be pivoted about an 
axis into a cable finishing or processing position, the pivot axis for the 
gripper unit being arranged essentially perpendicular to the cable path of 
travel. Furthermore, there is provided a cutter unit or device which is 
arranged along the cable path of travel following the grippers of the 
cable gripper unit. 
Cable finishing machines, among other things, serve for the automatic 
fabrication of cable sections or lengths which are freed or bared of 
insulation at their ends and equipped with a cable socket, connector lug, 
cable shoe or the like. The cable shoe press, which automatically infeeds 
cable shoes or the like, mounts such at the wire end of the cable freed of 
the electrical insulation and presses such into operative connection 
therewith. This cable shoe press is arranged externally of the cable path 
of travel. In order to be able to bring the end of the cable which is 
bared of the electrical insulation into the so-called fitting or 
processing position by means of the cable gripper unit, it is necessary to 
bend the cable out of its cable path of travel. On the other hand, the 
cable equipped with the cable shoe or the like must be further transported 
along the cable path of travel. Due to the bending or flexing of the cable 
there frequently is formed thereat a permanent kink or bend which hinders 
the further transport of the cable and which can lead to disturbances in 
the automatic operation of the cable finishing machine. This danger 
becomes increasingly greater as the cable is subjected to greater bending 
actions, in order to be able to place the end of the cable freed of the 
insulation into the fitting position. On the other hand, it is desirable 
to arrange the cable shoe press, for reasons of providing unobstructed 
access thereto, as far as possible from the cable path of travel. With a 
given pivot radius of the gripper unit this spacing becomes that much 
greater the closer that the angle enclosed between the fitting or 
processing position and the cable path of travel approaches 90.degree.. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind it is a primary object of the present 
invention to provide a new and improved construction of cable finishing 
machine which is not afflicted with the aforementioned drawbacks and 
limitations. 
Another and more specific object of the present invention is directed to a 
new and improved construction of cable finishing apparatus or machine 
which enables bending of the cable into a fitting or processing position 
through a large pivot angle. 
Still a further significant object of the present invention is concerned 
with a new and improved construction of cable finishing machine which is 
relatively simple in design, extremely reliable in operation, not readily 
subject to breakdown or malfunction, provides for a protective processing 
of the cables, and requires very little maintenance and servicing. 
Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, 
which will become more readily apparent as the description proceedes, the 
cable finishing apparatus or machine of the present development is 
manifested by the features that the pivot axis of the gripper unit extends 
between an end of the first cable guide and the nip or clamping point of 
the pair of transport rolls, and at least one of the pair of transport 
rolls can be retracted away from and extended towards the cable path of 
travel. 
Due to the aforementioned measures there is available for the formation of 
the arc or bent portion in the cable also that cable section which 
normally is located between the pair of transport rolls or rollers. On the 
other hand, the unguided length of the cable section which emanates from 
the transport rolls and which is further transported by a pushing action, 
does not experience any enlargement notwithstanding the large bending 
radius.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Describing now the drawings, it is to be understood that only enough of the 
construction of the cable finishing apparatus or machine has been depicted 
therein as needed for those skilled in the art to readily understand the 
underlying principles and concepts of the present development while 
simplifying the illustration of the drawings. Turning attention now to 
FIGS. 1 and 2, there has been depicted therein a cable path of travel or 
pathway 1 which extends through the cable finishing apparatus or machine. 
Arranged along the cable path of travel or pathway 1 are the operating 
systems or components of the cable finishing apparatus. It will be 
observed that a cable 2, containing a cable end 3 from which there has 
been bared or removed the electrical insulation, extends through the cable 
path of travel 1 and is retained in such path of travel by means of a 
first cable guide or guide device 4 constituted by a tube-like sleeve 4a 
having an outfeed or delivery end 4b. Viewed in the direction of transport 
or travel of the cable 2 there follows at the first cable guide or guide 
device 4 a pair of displaceable transport rolls or rollers 5 which can be 
continuously driven by any suitable drive, as the same has been merely 
schematically indicated by reference character 30 in FIG. 1. Moreover, in 
such FIG. 1 these transport rolls 5 have been shown, with respect to the 
cable path of travel 1, retracted to both sides thereof. These transport 
rolls 5 can be retracted away from and again moved towards the cable path 
of travel 1 by means of any suitable guide devices or guides 32. 
Continuing, it will be observed that a cable gripper unit or device, 
generally indicated by reference numeral 6, follows the pair of transport 
rolls 5 in the direction of movement of the cable 2. This gripper unit or 
device 6 comprises an axially moveable gripper or gripper structure 7 
composed of the gripper jaws or elements 7a which can be moved towards and 
away from one another in order to clamp therebetween the cable 2 or the 
like and to release the same at the appropriate time. Additionally, in 
order to axially displace the gripper structure 7 composed of the pair of 
gripper elements 7a and specifically to retract the same away from the 
cutters 9 and 10 of a conventional cutter device, generally indicated by 
reference numeral 34, during such time as the electrical insulation is to 
be removed from the cable end, such as the cable end 3 shown in the 
arrangement of FIG. 1, there is provided a suitable drive 36. 
Additionally, there is also provided a second cable guide or guide device 
8 which, similar to the first cable guide 4, likewise contains a tube-like 
sleeve member or sleeve 8a. By further referring to FIG. 2 it will be 
observed that the pairwise arranged cutters or knives 9 and 10 of the 
cutter unit or device 34, which serve to cut the cable and to remove the 
electrical insulation therefrom, have been shown in their retracted 
position. 
In accordance with the invention, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment 
the cable gripper unit 6 is pivotably mounted for pivotable movement about 
a pivot axis 12 which piercingly extends perpendicular to and through the 
cable path of travel 1, as best seen by referring to FIGS. 1 and 2. This 
pivot axis 12 extends between the cable outfeed end 4b of the sleeve or 
sleeve member 4a of the first cable guide 4 and a nip or clamping location 
11 of the transport rolls 5 and which has been particularly indicated in 
FIG. 2. The cable gripper unit or device 6 is thus pivotable through a 
pivot angle 13 into a fitting or processing position 14 (FIG. 2), and this 
pivot angle, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, amounts to 
approximately 90.degree.. At the finishing position 14 there is 
operatively associated any suitable and therefore not particularly 
illustrated but conventional cable shoe press or the like by means of 
which there can be placed onto the cable end 3, which is freed of the 
electrical insulation, a cable shoe or equivalent structure and such then 
pressed firmly into contact with and anchored to such exposed cable end 3. 
Due to the positioning of the pivot axis 12 forwardly or upstream of the 
clamping point or nip 11 and by virtue of the retractable arrangement of 
the transport rolls 5, it is possible for the cable section or portion 
which is located between these transport rolls 5 to participate in the 
bending of the cable and in the formation of an arc having a bending 
radius 15 (FIG. 2) which is thus comparatively large. Accordingly, there 
is not present any danger of kinking or otherwise undesirably flexing the 
cable 2. Following the return of the cable gripper unit or device 6 from 
the phantom line depicted finishing position of FIG. 2 into the full line 
illustrated starting position located along the cable path of travel 1 it 
is possible to further transport the thus processed cable 2 without any 
difficulties. 
Instead of designing both transport rolls 5 so as to be retractable, it 
also would be possible to accomplish release of the cable by means of a 
single retractable transport roll or roller. 
The invention also enables reducing the times which are needed in order to 
pivot or rock the cable gripper unit 6 between both of the end or terminal 
positions depicted in FIG. 2 in phantom and full lines, respectively. In 
terms of fabricating finished cables such times constitute unproductive or 
dead-times. With a constant angular velocity of the pivotal movement there 
would have to be reckoned with a prolongation of the dead-time if, as has 
been illustrated in the exemplary embodiment, the finishing location is 
arranged at an angle of 90.degree. with respect to the cable path of 
travel or pathway 1. The solution of this objective is accomplished in 
that the drive of the gripper unit 6 is provided with a control which 
controls the velocity of movement of the pivotable gripper unit 6 
throughout its pivot angle 13, as will now be described with reference to 
FIGS. 3 and 4. 
In the exemplary embodiment of the drive for the cable gripper unit 6, as 
depicted in FIG. 3, such is mounted to be pivotable about a pivot pin or 
shaft 17, the axis of which coincides with the pivot axis 12. Pivotably 
mounted upon the pivot pin 17 is a support 18 which carries both the 
gripper structure 7 composed of the pair of gripper elements 7a as well as 
also the second cable guide or guide device 8, which has not been 
particularly depicted in FIG. 3. At the side of the support 18 which is 
located opposite to the pivot axis 12 this support or support member 18 is 
provided with a cam structure or section 19, here shown in the form of a 
substantially linear groove or slot 19a. A lever member 21, which is 
pivotable about a pivot pin 20, engages by means of a roller 22 
constituting a cam follower in the cam structure or section 19. At the 
lever or lever member 21 there engages at the hinge connection location 23 
the piston rod 24 of a piston-and-cylinder unit 25 which, in turn, is 
pivotably mounted at pivot location 26. 
Upon actuation of the gripper drive constituted by the piston-and-cylinder 
unit 25 with any suitable pressurized fluid medium, for instance 
compressed air, the lever member 21 is pivoted by the piston rod 24 out of 
its full-line depicted starting position, where it bears against or 
contacts a stop or impact member 27, until such lever member 21 is 
ultimately stopped by impacting against a second stop or impact member 28, 
as shown for the position of the lever member 21 depicted in phantom lines 
in FIG. 3. The position of the second stop or impact member 28 is selected 
such that due to the engagement of the cam follower or roll 22 in the 
slot-like cam structure 19 the support 18 is pivoted through an angle of 
approximately 90.degree.. This angle corresponds to the lowering angle of 
the lever member 21 as it moves between the first stop or impact member 27 
and the second stop or impact member 28. The gripper unit 6 is then 
located in the fitting or processing position 14, shown in phantom lines 
in FIGS. 2 and 3. A renewed actuation of the piston-and-cylinder unit 25 
in the sense of retracting or inwardly thrusting the piston rod 24 
accordingly causes a pivoting of the cable gripper unit 6 back into the 
starting position where such gripper unit 6 is located along the cable 
path of travel 1. During this operation the lever member 21 impacts 
against the stop or impact member 27. During such time as the cable 
gripper unit 6 moves between the two possible end or terminal positions 
thereof, defined by the movement of the lever member 21 between its two 
terminal positions where the same abuts against the respective stop or 
impact members 27 and 28, it will be seen that the roll or roller 22 and 
equally the lever member 21 move along a circular arc or curved travel 
path 40. In the one terminal position where the lever member 21 abuts 
against the stop or impact member 27 the lengthwise extending axis 42 of 
the cam structure 19 extends approximately tangentially to this circular 
arc 40 described by the pivotal movement of the lever member 21 and such 
lengthwise extending axis 42 of the cam structure 19 likewise extends 
approximately tangentially to such circular arc 40 when the lever member 
21 assumes the other phantom line end position of FIG. 3. 
From the illustration of FIGS. 3 and 4 it will be understood that pivoting 
of the lever member 21 out of its full-line depicted starting position 
only gradually causes a pivoting of the support or support member 18. The 
lever member 21 has an increasing effect upon the position of the support 
member 28 the more pronounced the pivotal movement of such lever member 21 
approaches an angle of 45.degree. in relation to its starting position. 
However, if the lever member 21 exceeds a pivot angle of 45.degree. and 
approaches the second stop or impact member 28, then its effect upon the 
position of the support member 18 again decreases. It should be mentioned 
that the piston rod 24, upon actuation of the piston-and-cylinder unit 26, 
apart from the starting acceleration moves with approximately constant 
velocity, and this velocity course or pattern is identically transmitted 
to the course or pattern of the angular velocity of the lever member 21. 
Due to the arrangement and extent of the linear cam structure 19 
constituted by the slot or recess 19a, such that its lengthwise axis 29 
pierces the pivot axis 12 and encloses with the lever member 21 in the one 
starting or end position as well as in the other end position thereof an 
angle of approximately 90.degree., the course of the angular velocity of 
the gripper unit 6 assumes an approximately sinusoidal configuration as 
shown in FIG. 4. The movement of the lever member 21, and thus the gripper 
unit 6, can be accomplished by any suitable control 38 which powers the 
piston-and-cylinder unit 25, so as to obtain the velocity pattern depicted 
in FIG. 4, wherein the velocity is plotted along the ordinate and the 
displacement or travel distance of the gripper unit along the abscissa. 
Furthermore, it will be observed that the velocity continuously increases 
starting from a velocity value null until reaching a maximum along the 
displacement path at the center thereof, i.e. upon reaching one-half of 
the pivot angle of the gripper unit, and thereafter during the second half 
of the displacement path continues to continuously decrease, and at the 
same time with the accomplishment of the full displacement path of the 
gripper unit 6, i.e. the pivot angle 13 thereof, there is also again 
attained the velocity value of null. The gripper unit 6 is thus only 
gradually accelerated and decelerated, as the case may be. An abrupt 
acceleration and deceleration only is present at the piston rod 24 and the 
lever member 21, the mass of which is low. At these components there is 
permissible a high velocity and accordingly a pronounced acceleration and 
deceleration. It is possible to move within a very short time interval 
through the pivot angle 13 of the gripper unit 6 even if the size thereof 
is increased and independent of the mass of the gripper unit, and 
accordingly, it is equally possible to maintain extremely brief the 
corresponding dead-time. 
While there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the 
invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not 
limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced 
within the scope of the following claims. Accordingly,