Patent ID: 6938329

Claim:
A press apparatus for pressing a wire into an associated connector, the connector being carried on an elongated strip, the connector having an opening at a top thereof and being stored on the strip in a side-ways orientation, the connector being fed into the press on the strip, the press apparatus comprising: a feed path, the feed path having a reorienting section adapted to receive the connector on the strip in the side-ways orientation and to reorient the connector to position the opening of the connector in an upward orientation; a guide portion defining a conveyance path and a conveyance direction for the connector, the guide portion having opposing walls; a one-way feed assembly to feed the connector in the conveyance direction and to prevent reverse movement of the connector opposite the feed direction, the feed assembly including a retaining portion and a feed portion disposed opposite the retaining portion; a reciprocating press, the reciprocating press having a die operably connected thereto, the reciprocating press configured to reciprocate to move the die to press the wire into the connector when the wire is positioned above the connector opening; a linkage operably connecting the feed assembly and the reciprocating press wherein movement of the reciprocating press advances the connector along the conveyance path to position the connector opening below the die for pressing a wire into the opening; and a brake assembly having a plurality of teeth for releasably securing the connector in place under the die.