Patent GB-1028533-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or related to the production of electrical conductors from cord wire
Inventor: ANDREN KARL HENRY
IPC: H01R43/052
Filed: 1963-04-10
Abstract: 1,028,533. Making electrical leads; jointing; shearing. ARTOS ENGINEERING CO. April 10, 1963, No. 14273/63. Headings B3A, B3Q and B3W. [Also in Division H2] A method of producing successive electrical conductors from continuous cord wire comprises intermittently advancing the wire a longitudinally predetermined distance beyond a zone, cutting successive lengths therefrom at the zone, bringing the opposite ends of each severed length into juxta-position, moving the successive severed lengths of wire away from the severing zone while opposite end portions thereof are gripped inwardly of their extreme ends, applying a terminal to each juxta-positioned end to complete the conductors and discharging them from the terminal attaching zone. Multiple strand flat section cord conductor material 9 is fed from a reel 8 through a drag block 285 and between spring-loaded driven pinch rollers 80, the drag block is moved away from the rollers against the cord feed direction and a clamping unit 231 swung down to grip the taut moving cord, the pinch rollers are opened and the unit advanced, with the cord therein, past one set of gripping jaws of a carrier 20 attached to an endless transversely mounted chain conveyer 14 and also past a cutting device 13. The pinch rollers are subsequently closed and the drag block advanced adjacent thereto. The rollers 80 are driven by a main shaft 41, a variable speed friction drive gear-box 50 and a one-way clutch 61. The fulcrumed levers 81 on which the rollers are mounted are actuated to momentarily open the nip thereof by a rotary cam 102 via a bellcrank 94 and connecting rods 90, 93. The clamping unit 231 comprises a body 252, a spring-biased forked clamping foot 255 cooperating with a plate 256 and slide members 257, 254 which are depressed by a cam 265 operated plunger 259 coacting with a spring 266 to impart pressure to the foot 255 against the cord 9 positioned on the foot 256. A spring- loaded latch 271 coacting with a transverse key 272 locks the members in the clamped position. The clamping unit is mounted on the outer end of a bifurcated shuttle arm 227 for oscillation with an attached pinion 232 carried on a member 230 and driven by a rack 242. The inner end of the arm 227 extends into a hollow shuttle 207 and carries a roller 180 coacting with a grooved bar 179. The rack 242 is slidable along a grooved plate 243 and supported by a bracket 244 on the arm 227 on which is mounted a spring loaded plunger 245 which coacts with a rack abutment 246 to force the gripper 231 against stops 240, 241 during reciprocation of the rack by a pin 247 thereon contacting the faces 198 of the drag link 208 which reciprocates the shuttle 207. The carriers 19, 20 are equispaced along the conveyer 14 which is intermittently advanced by a geneva drive mechanism 31 and comprise leading and trailing clamps 103, 104 interconnected by a frame 105 forming two separate parallel guideways which engage a guide bar 25 and are rigidly joined by a part 110. Each clamp comprises a fixed anvil 112 and a spring-loaded sliding jaw 113 which is depressed by a cam-operated pin 130 to effect clamping of the cord, the jaws being held closed by a spring-loaded wedge 123. The scissor type cutting device comprises a pair of knives 160, 162 mounted on bell cranks and spring-loaded in the open condition which are operated by a cam-operated shaft 168. A cable support 150 having a hook lifts the cord carried by the gripper 231 slightly above the anvil 112 of an approaching clamp 163 to ensure correct transfer of the cord thereon. The unit is driven in timed relationship by a multiple, cam-operated linkage 152. When the gripper 231 has reached the end of its travel the cord is gripped by the transfer unit jaws 103, the cord severed by the cutter 13, the gripper 231 swung and turned by the reverse motion of the rack and pinion 242, 232 to face the trailing clamp 104 and the bar 179 operated by racks 176 to actuate the roller 180 and swing one end of the arm 227 to cause the other end thereof to swing the trailing end of a cord length held by the gripper into the trailing clamp 104 whereupon the plunger 140 is actuated to close the jaws thereof and grip the cord. The jaws of the gripper are released by the action of a cam-operated plunger 277 in a block 278 acting upon a projection 273 of the latch 271 to release the slide 254. To ensure registration of the gripper 231 foot 255 with the clamp 104 a plate 294 carried by the arm 227 engages the block 278 during the transfer operation. The pinch rollers continue to feed the cord forwardly into a loop whilst the trailing end of the previous length is being transferred in readiness for the return of the gripper 232. The speed at which the loops 292 are formed and hence the conductor lengths may be adjusted by a hand wheel 58 which adjusts the friction drive assembly 50. Insulation slitting and stripping and terminal attaching and unloading units 21, 22 are carried at one end of the main table 30 and driven from a common shaft 302. The unit 21 comprises upper and lower blades 372, 374 mounted on slides 374, 375 driven by racks 378 and pinion 379 on one end of a spline shaft 380 journalled in a tube 381 attached to a slide support 376 slidable within bearings on the frame 386. The unit is cam and crank-operated and may be manually operated by hand wheel 301 to facilitate setting. In operation when a carrier is stationary the blades are closed to sever the insulation, part the wires, and if necessary cut them to different lengths and the unit moved bodily forward to remove the insulation therefrom. The carriers are subsequently successively intermittently advanced to terminal applying cam and crank operated press units 399, 400 in which terminals connected by webs in strip form are fed to the bared wire ends, crimped thereon between anvils 414 and severed from the strip in a known manner. Finally the carriers are indexed to a discharge and collector unit 22 which comprises a pair of parallel shafts 313, 314 oscillatable in opposite directions and axially movable by cam, crank and rack-and-pinion means and pick-up heads 315, 316 attached to the end of each shaft. The heads comprise a fixed anvil 317 and a spring-loaded gripper hook 319 held in the open position by a spring-loaded latch 323. In operation the pick-up 310 approaches the adjacent carrier 20, the heads 315, 316 are swung upwardly and outwardly to cause the conductor ends 16 to enter the gaps between the anvils 317 and hooks 319 and the latches 323 tripped by pins 326 thereon engaging the anvils 112 to release the hooks 319 on to the ends 16 whereupon the carrier clamps 103, 104 are released by a cam and crank operated release plunger 309 which presses the locking slides 123 to release the clamping pressure therefrom. The heads are subsequently retracted and rotated to remove the finished conductor from the carrier and transfer the ends 16 thereof past a spring- loaded latch 365 and into a pair of " V " arranged slots bounded by members 361, 362 from whence they drop into a suitable receiver. Each slot has a spring-loaded drag member therein. During the operation the hooks 319 enter wedge-shaped angular slots 363 in the members 361 and are forced to open and release the conductor ends 16. The latches 323 simultaneously re-engage the slots 325 in the hooks to re-set them in readiness for the next transfer sequence. Various types of metal terminals are shown in Figs. 30-37 (not shown). The conductor lengths may be up to 15 ft. in length.