Terminating apparatus

An apparatus is disclosed for terminating multi-conductor cable. A plurality of terminals are preloaded partially into a housing leaving their crimped terminating portions extending therefrom in such a position as they can be readily crimped connected to a cable. This allows for the terminals to be gang handled during the loading of the housing and yet be separated for individual termination on the cable. The cable can be crimped simultaneously to all of the terminals and the terminals fully inserted into the housing in subsequent operations. The terminal used with the subject apparatus includes an extra tine which serves alignment, stabilization, and cable positioning functions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. The Field Of The Invention 
The present invention relates to an apparatus for terminating 
multi-conductor flat flexible cable. 
2. The Prior Art 
It is heretofore been the practice to terminate multiconductor flat 
flexible cable by sequentially applying terminals to the conductors of the 
cable. The thus terminated cable is then applied to the connector housing 
requiring that each terminal be individually applied to the appropriate 
terminal passage in the housing. While this is very convenient for the 
sequential application of the terminals to the cable, it is almost 
necessary to have a hand loading operation to assure that the free 
floating terminals are applied to their correct passages. The present 
invention overcomes the difficulties of this known system by partially 
preloading the terminals into the passages to a position where their crimp 
portions extend from the housing where they can be subsequently crimp 
terminated to a multiconductor flat flexible cable and then fully inserted 
into the housing. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention concerns an, apparatus for terminating 
multi-conductor flat flexible cable and includes the steps of preloading a 
plurality of terminals into appropriate terminal passages in a housing 
only sufficiently far to insure their correct positioning therein while 
leaving their crimp terminating portions exposed. The cable to be 
terminated is applied to the exposed crimp terminating portions which are 
then crimp connected to the respective conductors of the cable. The thus 
terminated cable is then fully applied to the connector by driving all of 
the terminals completely into the housing. This can be readily 
accomplished since the terminals are all secured to the cable and are 
aligned in their respective passages in the housing. 
The apparatus for accomplishing the above termination method includes a 
terminal having a known mating portion and a known crimping portion with 
an intermediate portion including a tine initially extending at right 
angles to the longitudinal axis of the terminal. This tine serves as for 
stabilization of the terminal within the housing as well as cable and 
terminal alignment means. The tine is subsequently curled down during the 
crimping step to enable passage of the crimped terminal into its 
appropriate passageway in the housing. 
The apparatus for effecting the above termination method includes an 
applicator which simultaneously severs a carrier strip from a plurality of 
terminals which have been partially preloaded into a housing and crimp 
terminates the conductors of a flat flexible cable to the respective 
terminals extending from the housing. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to produce an improved 
apparatus for terminating the conductors of a multi-conductor flat 
flexible cable onto a plurality of terminals which have been partially 
preloaded into a housing. 
It is another object of the present invention to teach a method of 
terminating multi-conductor flat flexible cable by partially loading a 
plurality of terminals into a connector housing, then gang crimping the 
terminals to the respective conductors of a multi-conductor flat flexible 
cable and subsequently fully inserting the crimped terminals into the 
housing. 
It is another object of the present invention to produce an improved 
terminal having, in addition to a crimp portion and a mating portion, an 
intermediate tine which serves to align the terminal with respect to the 
housing, to stabilize the terminal in the housing and to position the 
cable with respect to the terminal prior to being crimped so as to be 
receivable within the housing. 
It is a further object of the present invention to produce a terminal and 
apparatus which can be readily and economically manufactured. 
The means for accomplishing the foregoing objects and other advantages of 
the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from 
the following detailed description taken with reference to the 
accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The applicator is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and includes a housing 12 having a 
work station 14 positioned beneath a ram 16 which is vertically driven by 
a pneumatic cylinder 18 through linkages 20. A feed path leads from a 
loading station 22 into the work station 14 and includes a trough 24 in 
which a connector housing holding jig 26 slides. The holding jig 26 has a 
connector housing supporting portion 25 and an adjacent crimp anvil 27. A 
carrier strip shear bar 28 forms the front wall of the trough 24 in the 
work station. The shear bar 28 is biased upwardly by springs 30 so that 
its upper surface 32 normally forms a continuation of the fixed inclined 
cable receiving member 34. Adjustable cable alignment members 36, 38 are 
positioned toward opposite ends of the member 34 which can have a fluted 
surface for alignment of the cable. A horizontal channel 40 is formed in 
the shear bar directed towards the trough 24. The ram 16 carries a crimp 
tool 42 and shear bar actuation extension 44. 
The subject terminal strip 46 can most clearly be seen in FIG. 6 including 
a plurality of terminals 48 extending from a carrier strip 50. It should 
be here noted that strips of the subject terminals can be stacked double, 
in the manner shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,095, so that the terminals will 
be on a closer center line spacing than would be possible to stamp them 
out from conventional stock. Each terminal has a mating portion 52 which 
is here shown as a receptacle of the type shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. Re 
26,646, Re 26,837, and 3,363,224 and a crimp portion 54 which is of the 
type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,402. Intermediate these two portions 
is a tine 56 which extends normal to the axis of the terminal and to one 
side of the body thereof. The function of this tine can best be seen from 
FIGS. 4 and 7 in which it will be noted that the tine 56 serves to align 
the terminal 48 with respect to the terminal passage 58 in housing 60 and 
prevent the initial full insertion of the terminal into the passage. It 
will also be noted from FIG. 4 that the tine 56 also serves as an abutment 
against which the cable 62 is placed prior to termination and thus assures 
the proper alignment of the cable with respect to the crimp portion 54 of 
the terminal. 
The crimping of the terminal on the cable can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 8 
with the crimp tool 42 effecting both a crimp of the crimp portion 54 
against crimp anvil 27 and a curling down of the tine 56 so that it will 
be free of the housing and allow full insertion of the terminal into the 
passage 58. Simultaneously with the crimping, the carrier strip 50 is 
sheared from the terminals 48 by the shear bar 26 being driven downward 
against springs 30 by actuation member 44. 
After the terminals have been crimped to the respective conductors of the 
cable, the cable is pushed forwardly to fully insert the terminals into 
the housing where lances 64 (see FIG. 9) engage to hold the terminals and 
cable in place. 
The present invention may be subject to many modifications and changes 
without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. 
The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as 
illustrative and not restrictive as to the scope of the invention.