Patent ID: 8056218

Claim:
Crimping apparatus for crimping a tubular protective metal sleeve ( 6 ) concentrically about the junction between a plug connector ( 4 ) and a shielded cable ( 5 ), comprising: (a) a fixed tubular support shaft ( 22 ) having a first end adapted to receive coaxially one end of the plug connector, said support shaft having a longitudinal axis; (b) first annular die means ( 9 ) arranged colinearly of said support shaft to receive one end of the sleeve arranged concentrically about the plug; (c) second annular die means ( 10 ) arranged longitudinally of said support shaft to receive the other end of the sleeve arranged concentrically about the adjacent portion of the cable, said first and second die means being relatively longitudinally spaced and angularly offset to effect different crimping operations on opposite ends of the sleeve; (d) operating means ( 11 ) operable in a given direction from a retracted position to a crimping position for operating said first and second die means, thereby to crimp opposite ends of the sleeve to the plug connector and to the shielded cable, respectively; and (e) support means supporting said support shaft in a horizontal position, said support means including: (1) a base ( 1 ); and (2) a vertical pedestal ( 13 ) having a lower end connected with said base, and an upper end connected with said support shaft; (f) each of said first and second annular die means including: (1) an annular die member ( 26 , 27 ) colinearly arranged relative to said support shaft, said die member having a die face ( 26 a , 27 a ) normal to said support shaft longitudinal axis; (2) a plurality of radially-arranged crimping bars ( 19 , 20 ) mounted for axial sliding displacement on said die face between outward retracted and inward crimping positions relative to said support shaft longitudinal axis, respectively; (3) first spring means ( 21 ) biasing said crimping bars radially outwardly toward said retracted positions; (4) cam means ( 15 , 16 ) for displacing said crimping bars from their said retracted positions toward their said crimping positions; and (5) operating means ( 11 ) for operating said cam means to displace said crimping bars toward their crimping positions.