Abstract:
A method for use by telecommunications personnel to drive a wire termination tool which in turn seats the end of an insulated conductor into an insulation displacement terminal block. A steadily increasing force is applied by the hand of an operator to drive the wire termination tool, but without applying any abrupt force to the wire termination tool.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]      
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to making electrical wiring connections in telecommunication connector blocks or terminals.  
       PRIOR ART  
       [0003]     Prior Art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,852, No. 4,161,061 and No. 4,241,496, issued in 1980 and earlier years show a tool system that includes a hand-operated tool for creating an impact. The impact tool in turn drives a wire termination tool for first positioning a conductor wire within a connector, and which also carries a cutting blade for then cutting off a protruding end of the conductor wire. More specifically, the prior impact tools were adapted to select either a high level or a low level of impact to be delivered to the wire termination tool.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     Conductor wire and circuit board. Since before  1980  technicians installing telephone and data circuits have terminated the ends of insulated wires in circuit boards having connectors of the insulation displacement type. Connectors of that type have electrical contact members which form a pair of blade-like cutting edges occupying a common plane with a V-shaped space between them. When the end of an insulated conductor wire is pushed down between the blade-like members, their sharp cutting edges cut through the insulation and sufficiently into the metal that the circuit board contact is then in electrically conductive engagement with the conductor wire. At the same time, some insulation surrounding the contact area is purposely left in place to protect the contacts against moisture.  
         [0005]     Wire Termination Tool. It is standard practice to use a wire termination tool, which has a metal tool body that also carries a blade both for inserting the wire end between the connector contacts or alternatively for concurrently inserting the wire end between the connector contacts and cutting off a protruding end of the conductor wire. One standard type of such a wire termination tool is known as a “110 Blade”, and another standard type is known as a “66 Blade”. While those two types of tools are somewhat differently shaped to work with differently shaped connector panels, their function is essentially the same. The conductor wire to be attached to the connection panel is placed across the front of the 110 Blade or 66 Blade termination tool. The wire termination tool is then driven forward to insert the conductor wire between corresponding insulation displacement knife blade contacts and to seat the wire or to optimally seat the wire and concurrently cut off a protruding end of the wire.  
         [0006]     Impact Driver or Punch-Down Tool. It has also been standard industry practice to use a hand-operated impact driver or punch-down tool for driving either a 110 Blade or a 66 Blade. The hand-operated driver or impact tool has a housing for slidably receiving the termination tool. The termination tool, whether a 110 Blade, 66 Blade, or other industry standard type blade, is slidably mounted within or upon the driver. The punch-down or impact driver tool contains an internal spring which becomes compressed when the tradesman or technician applies hand force. A factory setting on the impact tool allows a selection to be made of either a high or a low level of impact force.  
         [0007]     Compression Spring Drive Action. A forward end of the conductor wire to be inserted into the connector panel is placed across the forward end of the wire termination tool. The forward or output end of the compression spring bears against the 110 Blade Tool, 66 Blade Termination Tool, or other industry standard termination tool. The technician or tradesman pushes the impact tool forward, and when the pre-set force level is reached a trigger associated with the spring then automatically releases the spring compression. The stored energy of the compression spring then drives the 110 or 66 Blade or other standard tool forward to insert the conductor wire into the connector of the circuit panel. At this time the technician or tradesman should be holding the impact tool steady, so as to achieve the exact impact for which the pre-set spring compression was selected. Typically, although not necessarily, the forward movement of the termination tool also concurrently cuts off a protruding end of the wire, by means of a cutting blade carried on the tool.  
         [0008]     Abrupt release. Thus according to standard practice a spring that is manually compressed to a predetermined level is abruptly released by a mechanical trigger to drive the termination tool. The release of the spring force and its resulting momentum will then drive the termination tool member forward to seat the conductor wire within the connector and also to cut off its protruding end.  
         [0009]     Optimum Contact. In the typical connectors of the insulation displacement type the pair of knife blades that achieve the electrical contact with a conductor wire inserted between them have certain characteristics. The blades are not entirely stiff and immobile, but are so constructed as to have a certain amount of spring action. Their configuration provides an optimum location where is it preferred to have the conductor lodge. This may be referred to as a “sweet spot”. But if a conductor wire is not inserted far enough to reach the “sweet spot” the electrical contact may be inferior. And if the conductor wire is pushed too far there may be significant damage to the connector or to the panel on which it is mounted. Desired product design is such that if a conductor is correctly inserted at the “sweet spot” it should be possible to remove that conductor and insert a different one, for dozens or perhaps hundreds of times, without damage to the connector panel. In some installations the conductor wire is electrically connected to the panel but does not need to be cut off, and remains an active electrical conductor in both directions from the connector panel.  
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0010]     Method. According to the present invention there is no abrupt force applied against the wire termination tool. I use an entirely different method of storing energy in the spring, and releasing its stored energy to seat the conductor wire within the connector. As before, a conductor wire to be attached to the connection panel is placed in front of and across the end of the termination tool. I also use a compression mechanism within a hand-operated driver to drive the wire termination tool forward. But my hand-operated driver generates a steadily increasing force rather than an abrupt impact. As the operator uses the force of his or her hand to increasingly compress the spring mechanism, the spring force continuously presses against the termination tool until the conductor is seated within the connector blades.  
         [0011]     Conductor Wire Insertion. The wire termination tool drives the conductor wire down between the knife blades of the circuit panel; causes the insulation displacement knife blades to cut through the insulation on the wire; and also causes those knife blades to cut into the metal enough to establish electrical contact. The level of compression force within the spring rises because of back resistance from the knife blades of the connector when the conductor is to be inserted between them. At the same time, more or less concurrently, the blade edge carried on the forward end of the wire termination tool cuts off an end portion of the conductor wire that protrudes beyond the connector.  
         [0012]     Operation Control. According to my method there are several different ways in which the operator or technician can determine and control the best time to stop applying the hand force. One way is to watch the conductor wire until its protruding end falls off, and then stop applying force. Another way is to use instrumentation that continuously indicates to the operator the level of force that is then being applied. A third way is to provide instrumentation that responds to a pre-set level of force to indicate to the operator that the desired pre-set force level has been reached.  
         [0013]     Apparatus. Apparatus to carry out my method includes a hand tool with a housing for slidably receiving a wire insert tool, and a spring mechanism that responds to continuously increasing pressure on the housing to compress the spring mechanism and therefore drive the wire insert tool forward. The apparatus may also include a means to measure and indicate the level of driving force achieved by the comprssion spring. I prefer to include an indicator electrically operated by a battery.  
         [0014]     Precise Cutting Blade. I prefer to use a cutting blade made of a good grade of tool steel, such as described in my prior copending patent application entitled WIRE END INSERT TOOL WITH REPLACEABLE CUTTING BLADE, Ser. No. 10/836,508 filed Apr. 29, 2004; and my prior copending United States application entitled WIRE END INSERT 66 TOOL WITH REPLACEABLE CUTTINGT BLADE, Ser. No. 11/117,049 filed Apr. 29, 2005. That new technology is expected to provide sharper cutting edges and permit greater precision in the operation of this kind of apparatus. The improved cutting action of the blade requires a lower amount of force to cut the protruding end of the conductor wire than has heretofore been required by the standard wire insert tools.  
         [0015]     Feasibility of Method. My method is feasible because an insulated conductor wire is usually composed of two materials; an outer polymer insulator and an inner diameter of copper, both of which are relatively soft and rather easy to cut. The connector block and its associated circuitry usually contain copper, thin plastic, and fiberglass materials that would be easily damaged, thus establishing a need for greater precision in inserting a conductor wire into the connector. 
     
    
     DRAWING SUMMARY  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a partially exploded elevation view of a tool system used for carrying out the method of my invention, including a transducer employed to provide a continuous readout of the spring force level; and also schematically showing the sequence of steps of the process;  
         [0017]      FIG. 1 ( a ) is a fragmentary view showing a conductor wire that is being seated within a pair of contact knives which have cut through the insulation and into the metal core;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is like  FIG. 1  except that the tool system contains an electrical switch to produce an output signal when a pre-set level of spring compression force is reached;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2 ( a ) is like  FIG. 1 ( a );  
         [0020]     FIGS.  3 ( a ),  3 ( b ), and  3 ( c ) show a build-up of the spring compression force over time, and how the compression force may change as the insulation on the conductor is being cut and the application of hand force is discontinued;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  includes a top plan view and a perspective view of the tool system of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view taken on line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4  showing the components of the tool system of  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken on the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4  showing internal construction of the hand-operated tool of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     FIGS.  1 ,  1 ( a ),  3 ( a ),  3 ( b ), and  3 ( c )  
       [0024]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the operator&#39;s hand  10  is shown grasping hand-operated driver  20  by means of surface  24  of its housing  22 . Wire insert tool  30  is an elongated tool member having a mounting block  32 , and a positioning and cutting end  34  for engaging an insulated conductor wire  40 . In accordance with the standard technology, hand-operated driver  20  has a receiving chamber, not specifically shown, for slidably receiving mounting block  32  of tool member  30 . Hand-operated driver  20  supports tool member  30  in longitudinally slidable relation therewith.  
         [0025]     A compression mechanism or spring  25  is received within the housing  22  of hand-operated driver  20  to drivingly engage the wire insert tool  30 . The insulated conductor wire  40  is placed across forward end  34  of wire insert tool  30  and underneath its cutting blade  35 . When the operator by hand  10  forces the driver  20  forward, the compression spring or mechanism  25  within the receiving chamber of the hand-operated driver  20  drivingly engages the tool member  30 . Continued pressure by the operator on housing  22  of driver  20  forces the compression spring  25  to raise its energy level while maintaining engagement of the spring with the wire insert tool member  30 . A battery  62 , shown only in  FIG. 5 , energizes transducer  60  to measure and indicate force level.  
         [0026]     As shown in  FIG. 1  the force transducer  60  has an electronic readout  65 . This provides a visual indication to the operator of the actual compression spring force level as hand force is being increased. This indication will enable the operator to more correctly and precisely control the process of wire insertion and/or wire cutting as the process proceeds.  
         [0027]     The invention makes it possible to continuously monitor the applied force level through the force transducer  60  with electronic readout  65 . When a desired force level has been reached or is closely approached the electronic circuits associated with the transducer  60  may make a sound, or generate a light or other signal signal or indicator. The monitoring apparatus may be pre-set to a desired force level so that the operator is alerted at exactly the optimum moment of time. The operator may also observe a protruding end of the conductor wire falling off, to then know to stop increasing the force he or she applies to the punch-down tool.  
         [0028]     As most clearly shown in  FIG. 1 ( a ), the insulated conductor wire  40  has a metal wire core  44  with insulation layers  46 ,  48 , above and below the core. The knife blades  50 ,  52  of an insulation displacing type connector receive the conductor  40  and cut through the respective insulation layers  46 ,  48 , while also biting into the metal core  44  sufficiently to create a good electrical connection. Cutting blade  35  carried on the forward end  34  of tool  30  is also partially shown in  FIG. 1 ( a ); and solely for convenience of illustration is shown in a position rotated ninety degrees about the axis of conductor  40 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 3 ( a ) indicates that there is an optimum level  80  of compression spring force for the optimum seating of conductor  40  in the connector. Spring force level  82  rises over time as the operator&#39;s hand continues to press housing  22 . As shown in  FIG. 3 ( b ) there may be a force level  84  which is below the optimum level  80 , which is reached before the knife blades  50 ,  52  cut through the insulation layers. There may then be a small drop in the spring force level. Then the continued application of force may raise the spring force level  82  all the way to the optimum level  80  as the conductor core  40  becomes seated within the “sweet spot” in the connector blades. At the same time, the protruding end of the wire  40  may be cut off.  
         [0030]      FIG. 3 ( c ) illustrates a possible situation in which hand pressure on the driver  20  has been continued too long, failing to stop the pressure at the optimum moment, so that spring force level  82  rises to a level  86  that is above the optimum level  80 . That excessive pressure may cause damage to the connector. The illustration of  FIG. 3 ( c ) may also represent a situation in which the parameters of the connector blades and an anvil associated with them are such that the conductor  40  must necessarily be inserted beyond the “sweet spot” in the connector blades before its core  40  can be cut off on the anvil, when that is part of the process.  
         [0031]     The present invention is primarily directed to the wire insertion process, which may not necessaily be accompanied by a cutting off of the inserted conductor wire. The illustrations of FIGS.  3 ( a ), ( b ), and ( c ) do not necessarily reflect operational results, but serve to indicate that precise control of the wire insertion operation is critical. Those diagrams are provided mainly to facilitate a discussion of the process.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     FIGS.  2 ,  2 ( a ),  4 ,  5 , and  6   
       [0032]     According to my invention my punch-down tool includes means for setting a pre-selected level of force, chosen from a wide range of force levels, at which the operator will be automatically signalled to terminate the application of hand force to the tool. The embodiment of  FIG. 1  provides a continuous readout on readout device  65  of the force level then being applied, to facilitate achieving the optimum insertion force level without damge to the The components of the tool system of  FIG. 2  are best seen in the exploded view of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0033]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , a small spring  70  whose movement is controlled by expansion of the spring mechanism  25  also bears against a bolt or screw  75 . The position of device  75  may be adjusted to correspond to a desired pre-set level of driving force. When the compression level in the compression spring mechanism  25  reaches the pre-set level the bolt or screw  75  then turns on LED actuation switch  72 , which in turn causes an LED  66  to become energized, which in turn drives a buzzer or sound generating signal device  68 . Thus, the tradesman or technician may advantageously adjust the operation of the driver  20  to match the particular physical paramaters of the circuit panel, connector knife blades, and conductor  40 , with which the tradesman or technician is dealing at the time.  
       COORDINATION OF FUNCTIONS  
       [0034]     Although one standard industry practice heretofore has included cutting off a protruding end of the inserted conductor wire at the same time that it is being seated in the connector, another and separate procedure could perhaps be employed for that purpose. In some installations the conductor wire is electrically connected to a connector panel but does not need to be cut off, and remains an active electrical conductor in both directions from the connector panel.  
         [0035]     In recent years the deregulation of the industry has allowed many manufacturers to make all of the relevant products the circuit panels, the insulated conductors attached to the panels, and the tools for accomplishing the attachment—to different technical standards. Due to differences in the standards of the products of different companies the previously established industry standards are no longer reliable. The present invention is mainly directed to obtaining precise results in the insertion of conductor wires into a circuit panel of the insulation displacement type. The force level required for cutting off the end of a conductor wire may be somewhat greater or somewhat less than the force level required to insert that wire between a pair of contact knives. If too low a spring compression level is used, the conductor wire may not become conductively seated to the full extent that is desired. If too high a compression level is used, there is a danger that the delicate mechanism of the connection panel circuit board may be damaged. Neither is desirable. For a particular connector and particular wire type the optimum force level that would be needed to seat the conductor wire properly within the contacts of the connector panel can be determined with reasonable accuracy. For a particular connector and particular wire type the force level that would be required to cut off the protruding wire end can also be determined with reasonable accuracy. Utilizing my new method, it is possible to coordinate those two functions in an efficient manner.  
         [0036]     If desired, my instrument system may be equipped to record the force levels actually reached when a cutting action occurred. In that manner, the tradesman or technician can more efficiently predict what will be required on the next step of the same job. A desired predetermined level of the output force may be programmed into the hand tool, and an audible, visual, or other indicating means may be provided to inform the tradesman or technician either when that level is being approached or when it has been reached.  
         [0037]     Although the presently preferred forms of my invention have been disclosed herein, it will be understood that other modifications should be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of my invention is to be judged only by the appended claims.