Patent GB-1528761-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for assembling a flexible sleeve to a lead
IPC: H02G1/14
Filed: 1975-01-16
Abstract: 1528761 Assembling apparatus RISTS WIRES & CABLES Ltd 19 Dec 1975 [16 Jan 1975] 1865/75 Heading H2E An apparatus is disclosed for assembling a flexible sleeve, e.g. an insulating sleeve 45, to a rod-like component, e.g. a terminated H.T. lead 44 of an ignition system. The embodiment (Figs. 1-4) includes a frame 11 with a base plate 12, side walls 13, 14 and end wall 15, a cam plate 16 and bush 17 and a top cover 18. A slide 20, with side walls 19, 24 abutting walls 13, 14 and having at its ends an end piece 22 and a sleeve carrier 23, is slidable from a rest position (Fig. 3) to an advanced position (Fig. 4). Posts 24 on walls 19, 21 engage slots 25 on walls 13, 14 respectively. The end plate 15 supports an air cylinder 26 which moves slide 20 through a piston 27, secured to a first slide block 28 riding on cam plate 16. Block 28 carries a mandrel 29 made of cylindrical parts 31 and 32; part 32 has an internal passage leading to a lubricant supply conduit 33; mandrel 29 is carried by slide block 35, which has posts 35a extending through slots 19, 21 on walls 19a, 21a respectively into slots 13a, 14a on walls 13, 14 respectively. Block 28 carries a pivoted latch member 36 which is spring biased to engage the slide block 35; a further latch 37 mounted on cam plate 16 is spring biased to engage the sleeve carrier 23, which is a metal block having a channel 23a for receiving a sleeve 45 to be assembled on to a lead 44 (Fig. 3); channel 23a is of reduced diameter at one end, remote from mandrel 29, and the wider end is closed by a stripper plate 38 secured to carrier 23, and having an aperture 39 through which mandrel 29 passes. A spring loaded ejector 41 is situated in channel 23a for ejecting the assembled sleeve and lead, and a lead guide 42 extends from the narrow end of the channel 23a. In operation, the apparatus is positioned along a conveyer, with its axis at right angles to the length of the conveyer which includes clamps 43 (Fig. 3) each supporting a lead 44, on which the sleeve 45 is to be assembled. The operation starts with the apparatus as shown in Figs. 1 and 3; a loading apparatus (not shown) loads a sleeve 45 into the carrier 23 immediately the piston 27 is returned from a previous operation, depressing ejector 41; arrival of a lead 44 causes the operation of cylinder 26 to advance piston 27. Thus the slide blocks 28 and 35 linked by latch 36 are moved towards their advanced position; slide 20 does not move since latch 37 links carrier 23 to cam plate 16. Posts 35a move along the slots 13a, 14a and 19a, 21a and the inner mandrel 32 enters channel 23a and sleeve 45 causing lubricating fluid to be discharged in the sleeve 45. Continued forward movement of blocks 35, 28 inserts the mandrel part 31 into the sleeve, expanding it, the mandrel holding ejector 41 and causing the clamp to be released. This movement causes movement of latch 36 relative to cam plate 16, so that it releases block 35 from block 28, and block 35 is arrested by engagement of posts 35a with the ends of slots 13a, 14a; a further latch 48 mounted on cam plate 16 engages block 35. Block 28 and outer mandrel 31 continue to move, mandrel 31 being inserted further into sleeve 45; slight movement of block 28, after the latch 48 has operated, operates latch 37 which releases carrier 23 and slide 20. The movement of the block 23 from its rest position (Fig. 3) to its advanced position (Fig. 4) causes the guide 42 to engage lead 44 and hold it stationary with respect to the apparatus so that the movement of carrier 23 and mandrel 29 inserts sleeve 45 on to lead 44. As the slide 20 and carrier 23 reach their fully advanced position a latch 51 engages end piece 22 of slide 20 retaining slide 20 and carrier 23 in the advanced position, which corresponds to the maximum stroke of cylinder 26. At this point the operation of the cylinder reverses moving block 28 back; mandrel 31 is also withdrawn from the sleeve, the plate 39 stripping the sleeve 45 from it. Withdrawal of the mandrel releases ejector 41, ejecting sleeve and lead from carrier 23. Block 28 in moving back depresses latches 48 and 51 to release block 35 and end piece 22 from cam plate 16, and operates latch 36 which again links blocks 35 and 28 which continue back towards their rest position, whence latch 37 again engages carrier 23. The apparatus is now ready for another operation. The mechanism for supplying the sleeves 45 to the carrier 23 (not shown) consists of a pair of vibratory feeders, supplying sleeves to a transfer wheel which has a plurality of clamps 43. In an alternative embodiment only the forward movement is effected by the air cylinder, the reverse being effected by a spring.