Patent GB-1379723-A (GB)
Title: Electrical lead making apparatus
IPC: H01R43/055
Filed: 1973-04-19
Abstract: 1379723 Jointing by stamping; making electrical leads AMP CORP 19 April 1973 [1 May 1972] 18979/73 Headings B3A and B3Q  Electrical leads are made in a machine comprising a press having a plurality of crimping die sets and means for selectively positioning any one of the sets in alignment with the press-ram. In the embodiment the machine comprises two presses 20, 22, Fig. 1, one (22) for crimping a terminal to the leading end of wire 52 and the other (20) for crimping a terminal to the trailing end of a lead 60 severed from the wire. Each press has these die sets 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 to which strips of different terminals are fed from reels 30a-30c, 30<SP>1</SP>a-30c and the machine is controlled by a tape mechanism 32 so that leads having a variety of terminals may be produced. Each press has its die sets 100-104, Fig. 2, located side-by-side in slots 141 in a slide 134 which is movable, through a plate 140 and a bell-crank lever 145, by pneumatic cylinders 156, 166 to engage the desired set with the ram 116, 117, Fig. 3, of the press. A projection on the ram of the die-set engages a recess 188 in the press-ram, and an abutment piece 190 between the rams may be indexed to position one of the flats 197 against the press-ram 116, the flats being at different heights to permit adjustment of the depth of crimp and an index pin 192 being provided on the abutment piece 190.  Die-sets; terminal feed.-The die-set ram 182 is guided between side plates (170, 172), Fig. 7 (not shown), by keys 184 on the plates and carries dies 200, 202 for crimping the conductor and insulation of a terminal, and a blade 206 for severing the terminal from a strip. Shear blocks 210, 212 and an anvil are located opposite the dies and blade 206. The strip of terminals is advanced beneath a spring-pressed, leverreleasable drag plate 220 by a finger 234 which is operated by a lever 280 mounted on a pivot 284. One end of the lever 280 is connected to a slide 260 which is operated by a cam 236 on the ram 182, the cam displacing a slide 240 connected to the slide 260 by a lever 252 which turns about a pivot 262 which is adjustable by a screw 272 to vary the position of the feed stroke. A triangular plate 288 carrying the pivot 284 may be turned about its own piovt 290 by a screw 298 to vary the position of pivot 284 and thus the length of feed of the finger 234. Known means (not shown) are provided for ensuring that the leading terminal is in position before cyclic operation of the press. Operation; wire feed.-The machine also includes a reel 50, Fig. 1, a wire feeding and measuring unit 14, wire transfer arms 16, 18, means 19 for severing a lead length and stripping insulation from the severed ends, and a belt conveyer 64 for transferring finished leads 60 to a discharge trough 70. Wire is drawn from the reel 50 by unit 14, severed and stripped while clamped to the transfer arms 16, 18 which then pivot to the broken-line position (Fig. 1) to place the stripped ends of wire in terminals in the presses 20, 22. Thus a terminal is crimped to the leading end of the wire 52 and to the trailing end of a lead 58 having a terminal crimped to its leading end in a preceding operation. The finished lead is ejected between the belts 62, e.g. by a pneumatically operated finger, and the arms 16, 18 returned into alignment for the next feed step.