GB1140457A - Methods of and apparatus for interconnecting electrical components - Google Patents

Abstract

1,140,457. Making electrical circuits. ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES Ltd. 29 Sept., 1967 [13 Oct., 1966], No. 45746/66. Headings B3A and B3W. A method of interconnecting electrical components by connecting the components between two common conductors, so that the components are all initially connected in parallel, and subsequently removing unwanted parts of common conductors, includes the step of securing the components between two support strands each made up of a core of flexible relatively inextensible material coated with a heat-softenable coating by heat-sealing the component lead wires into the coating material prior to connecting the component lead wires to the common conductors. The components and a circuit identification pin (7) are initially placed in a jig trolley comprising a rectangular frame (1) mounted on two pairs of wheels and provided with a sear bar (6), which is engaged by dogs 11 on a conveyer chain 10. The sides of the frame are provided with slots into which are fitted the component lead wires so that they project on either side of the frame, Fig. 1 (not shown). On either side of the trolley a pair of plastic-coated strings 20 are sealed to the projecting lead wires between heat-sealing rollers 23 and the " ladder " of linked components is wound on to a spool 25, drawing along the trolley after the dog 11 is disengaged. Any component lead or circuit identification pin not lifted out by the rising ladder is removed from the trolley by a cam 28 and the trolley runs down a slope to be returned to the loading station. From the spool 25 which may merely be a device for lifting the " ladders " from the trolleys, the " ladder " is passed over a welding table where a nickel welding tape is welded to the component leads on either side of each component. Preferably the identification pins are not welded to the tapes. The resulting " bandolier " of components is taken up by a drum which has a slipping drive to stop movement during each welding operation and which may be a traction device to feed the " bandolier " to a punching station. A template 51 corresponding to the desired circuit is positioned under a press block 49 and the component leads are aligned with holes 43 of a female punch member 40. The press block 49 forces certain pins 44 in a male member 45 into the holes 43 thereby severing certain of the leads. Where there are holes 32 in the template, the pins 44 pass therethrough into holes 50 in the press block leaving the leads unsevered.