Patent GB-879557-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in method and apparatus for joining electric conductors
Inventor: HIBBS DAVID ARTHUR
IPC: B23K1/00
Filed: 1959-12-17
Abstract: 879,557. Soldering shearing; work-holders. STANDARD TELEPHONES & CABLES Ltd. Dec. 17, 1959, No. 42882/59. Classes 83 (3) and 83 (4). In joining two lengths 45, 46 of electric conductor the ends of the lengths are brought into contact with an electrically conductive jointing medium which is supported by the ends and the conductors and medium are heated to cause the latter to flow and join the conductors in a lowresistance contact. An apparatus for brazing copper tape conductors 45, 46 for a submarine telephone cable comprises a base 1 carrying a block 36 slidably supporting a member 38 with a clamp 39, 49 for tape 45 and a block 37 with a clamp 40, 48 for tape 46. The block 37 and member 38 are connected to a source of current by leads 49, 50. A lever 51 pivoted to the base at 52 carries a rod 55 which enters and engages through a compression spring the member 38 and a carriage 10 carrying a magazine 7 for a strip of flux containing silver solder 8 is movable on the base at right angles to the direction of movement of member 38 and carries at its far end an electric motor driven milling cutter 14 and a tape setting block 15. A further carriage 17 movable on the base in the same direction as the carriage 10 by a lead screw 3 and handle 4 carries a fixed jaw 26 and a jaw 27 to grip the brazing strip, the jaw 27 being spring urged towards the fixed jaw and connected to a rod 28 engaged by the upper end of a pawl 31 pivoted to the fixed jaw. The other side of the pawl is engaged by a rod 34 engageable by a boss 58 on the rod 51. A shaft 23 spring biased towards the lower limb of the pawl 31 is provided in the carriage 17. A pair of cutters 57, 58 are pivoted to the carriage 17 and stops 20 are provided on each end of the carriage 17 to engage stops 19 on the carriage 10 so that the carriage 17 may move alone between the stops 19 but moves with the carriage 10 when the stops engage. In operation after a jointing operation, with no tapes in the clamps, with the brazing strip extending up to the cutters and with the lever 51 in the position JP on the bracket 54 and thus the pawl 31 rotated, the spring-pressed rod 23 holding the pawl and the jaw 27 away from the jaw 26, the lever 51 is moved to position WP to move the member 38 away from block 37 and the carriage 17 is moved rearwardly by handle 4. The carriage 17 at first moves alone so that strip 8 extends beyond the cutters and then the carriages move together, until the block 15 is between the members 38 and 37. The tapes are clamped so that their ends engage the block 15 and then the carriages are moved rearwardly to bring the milling cutter between the tapes to parallel their ends, Fig. 3. During this movement, a cam 21 is operated to withdraw the rod 23 allowing jaw 27 to grip the brazing strip. The carriage 17 is then moved forwardly relatively to the carriage 10 to draw a length of strip 8 from the magazine 7 and then with the carriage 10 to move the milling cutter and block 15 clear of the tapes until strip 8 is between the tapes. Lever 51 is moved to position JP to move tape 45 into contact with strip 8, the cutters are operated by squeezing their handles to leave a portion of the strip 8 between the tapes, Fig. 4, and current switched on to fuse the brazing strip portion.