US3734992A - Method for insulating wire terminations - Google Patents

Abstract

A COLD CRIMP SLEEVE APPLICATOR IS FED WITH A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF SLEEVE MATERIAL DIRECTED AGAINST A STOP AT A CUTTING STATION FROM WHICH THE CUT LENGTH IS TRANSFERRED LATERALLY TO A CRIMPING STATION, THE CRIMPINGDIES AND THE SHEAR BLADE BEING OPERATED SIMULTANEOUSLY. A FURTHER TRANSFER DEVICE IS PROVIDED FOR MOVING THE TRANSFERRED CIT LENGTH OF SLEEVE INTO THE CRIMPING DIES FROM A FIRST TRANSFER PATH AND THIS DEVICE HAS A STOP DESIGNED TO LOCATE THE LEADING END OF A TERMINAL IN PREDETERMIED POSITON WITHIN THE COLD CRIMP SLEEVE.

Description

May 22, 1973 c. MASINO ETAL 3,734,992

METHOD FOR INSULATING WIRE TERMINATIONS Orizinal Filed Jan. 29, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR CARLO MASINO PAOLO 6| LARDINO May 22, 1973 c. MASINO ET AL 3,734,992

METHOD FOR INSULATING WIRE TERMINATIONS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 T F165 Q INVENTOR CARLO MASINO PAOLO GILARDI 1973 c. MASINO ET AL 3,734,992

METHOD FOR INSULATING WIRE TERMINATIONS Criminal Filed Jan. 29, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I NVENTOR CARLO MASINO PA GI ARD BY XKQAL United States Patent Oflice 3,734,992 METHOD FOR INSULATING WIRE TERMINATIONS Carlo Masino and Paolo Gilardino, Turin, Italy, assignors to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

Original application Jan. 29, 1969, Ser. No. 794,882, now abandoned. Divided and this application Apr. 8, 1970, Ser. No. 29,343

Claims priority, application Italy, Jan. 31, 1968, 12,254/ 68 Int. Cl. HOlb 19/00; H02g 15/00 US. Cl. 264159 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a division of Ser. No. 794,882 filed Jan. 29, 1969, now abandoned.

This invention relates to improved method and means for insulating wire terminations by the cold-crimp sleeve technique.

This technique concerns the securing of a sleeve of insulation about a terminal at the end of a conductor wire by deforming the insulating sleeve in a cold state about the terminal. Suitable plastic insulating material for the purpose is generally hard relative to conventional insulating boots which are often used for a similar purpose. It has previously been proposed to employ a machine to effect the cold-crimping operation, but difficulty has been experienced in feeding the sleeves to the crimping dies at a usefully fast rate. According to one method, short lengths of sleeves are cut from a sleeve length and then fed to the crimping device through a vibratory or bowl feed, but difiiculty is experienced in ensuring precise orientation of a sleeve length with the dies and the connector terminal to be received unless a slow rate of operation is maintained.

According to the present invention a continuous sleeve length is fed to a cutting and measuring station at which an end length of sleeve is cut from the continuous length, the end length is then transferred laterally from the cutting station into alignment with a crimping station, feeding means for the sleeve being operated to position a further length of sleeve in the cutting station and transfer the first cut length into the crimping station, operation of a ram for crimping the first length of sleeve about a wire termination effecting a cutting operation at the cutting station.

The invention includes a method of insulating a wire termination by the cold-crimp sleeve technique, which comprises feeding a continuous length of insulating sleeve to a cutting and measuring station at which an end length of sleeve is cut from the continuous length, the end length then being transferred laterally from the cutting and measuring station into alignment with the crimping station, feeding means being then operated to transfer the cut length into the crimping station, and a wire termination being inserted into the cut length at the crimp ing station to an extent limited by a stop provided by the feeding means, whereafter a ram is operated to cold crimp the cut length to the wire termination.

3,734,992 Patented May 22, 1973 The invention further includes a crimping machine for cold-crimping lengths of insulating sleeve about wire terminations by the cold crimp sleeve technique, in which a feed device is arranged for step-by-step feeding of a continuous length of cold-crimp sleeve material through a feed passageway, a slot extending transversely of the feed passageway for access of a cutting device for cutting the sleeve at the slot, a first transfer device being arranged for transferring a cut length of sleeve from the passageway laterally into alignment with a crimping device and a second transfer device being arranged to advance the cut length of sleeve axially to the crimping device, the second transfer device providing a wire termination stop for obturating the trailing end of the cut length at the crimping device.

The invention moreover includes a crimping machine comprising a feed device for step-by-step feeding of a continuous length of cold-crimp sleeve material through a feed passageway, the slot extending transversely of the feed passageway for access of a cutting device for cuting the sleeve at the slot, and a transfer device for transferring a cut length of sleeve from the passageway laterally to a crimping device.

An object of the invention is to provide a crimping machine' for cold-crimping cut lengths of a sleeve having cold-crimping characteristics onto electrical terminals.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a crimping machine which cuts the sleeve to provide an insulating sleeve ready to be transferred to a position in alignment with crimping dies while an insulating sleeve is being crimped onto an electrical terminal.

A further object is to provide a crimping machine wherein a transfer device is used to transfer a cut length of sleeve into a crimping area whereat crimping dies cold-crimp the cut length of sleeve onto an electrical terminal.

An additional object is the provision that the transfer device defines a stop whereby the electrical terminal is positioned properly within the cut length of sleeve so that proper insulation thereof is effected.

A still further object is to provide a method of coldcrimping an insulating sleeve onto an electrical terminal and the wire to which the electrical terminal is terminated.

Still an adlitional object is the provision of an electrical terminal terminated to an end of an electrical wire and an insulating sleeve cold-crimped thereonto to completely insulate the terminated end of the wire to provide an electrical connector assembly.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying partly diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective and exploded view of a typical wire termination and an insulating sleeve for cold-crimping about the termination;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the termination and sleeve of FIG. 1 being subjected to a cold-crimping operation;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the insulated termination resulting from the operation of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. is a fragmentary, partly cross-sectional and elevational view of a machine for effecting insulation of a wire termination by cold-crimping short lengths of insulating sleeve supplied to the machine as a continuous length, the section being taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the machine of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, partly cross-sectional view of the machine taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the machine taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 10--10 of FIG. 6.

In FIG. 1 an electrical connector tab receptacle 1 is shown crimped to an insulated wire 2 and disposed adjacent a length of insulating sleeve 3 suitable for coldcrimping to the connector. The receptacle 1 is adapted at its forward end releasably to receive a tab in wellknown manner to effect electrical connection. At its rear end, the receptacle has a wire-crimp section 4 and an insulation support section 5 which are secured respectively to the wire core and the insulation of an end portion of the insulated conductor wire 2, the wire crimp 4 being of smaller cross-sectional area than the insulation support section 5 and than the forward receptacle portion. Such connectors are generally applied to wires in an automatic machine supplied with connectors in strip form resulting in wires terminated with connectors in the manner shown in FIG. 1. It is often desirable to extend the insulation of the conductor around the connector receptacle and for such purpose the connector receptacle is disposed within a sleeve of insulating material 3 within which, as shown in FIG. 2, it is a free sliding fit, the sleeve being longer than the connector. Suitably, in the case of a receptacle of the kind shown, the sleeve is of oval or flattened cross-section approximating to the peripheral cross-sectional contour of the receptacle portion of the connector. It will be understood, however, that the insulating technique is equally applicable to other forms of connector and such other forms as may require a sleeve of a different cross-sectional shape than the sleeve shown.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connector receptatcle 1 is positioned with its forward end short of one end of the sleeve 3 and with the insulation support 5 spaced inwardly of the other end by a substantial distance so that a length of the insulated conductor 2 penetrates the sleeve 3. The sleeve 3 is then cold-crimped at zone A, around the wire crimp section 4 and zone B, rearwardly of the insulation support 5 and around the insulated conductor wire 2, as shown in FIG. 3, by suitable die sets 6 and 7. The dies compress and cold work the sleeve material to reduce the cross-sectional area of the sleeve at the zones A and B to provide an electrical connector assembly. At the zone A, the sleeve is reduced in cross-section to project into a recess between the receptacle portion and the insulation support section, and it may be a relatively tight fit around the wire crimp section 4. At the zone B, the sleeve may be reduced to a lesser extent, loosely to embrace the wire insulation and shield the insulation support 5 from access.

The crimped zones A and B serve to secure the sleeve 3 to the receptacle 1 against inadvertent removal without constraining the proper functioning of the receptacle.

The machine for preparing sleeves 3 of appropriate length from a continuous length of sleeve material and applying individual lengths 3 about connectors comprises a machine frame 10 supporting a driving device, not shown, for a press ram 11 reciprocable vertically as seen in FIG. 5. The lower end of the ram 11 carries a pair of dies 12, 13 engageable with complementary dies 12', 13' mounted on the frame 10 for cold-crimping a sleeve about a connector in the manner described in connection with FIGS. 2 to 4. The ram 11 also carries a shear blade 14 4 remote from the dies 12 and 13 as seen in FIGS. 5 and 7 and reciprocable vertically with ram 11 in a slot 15 seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, and defined between blocks 16 and 17 secured to the frame 10. The blocks 16 and 17 are formed with respective aligned passageways 18, 19 of uniform cross-section for the passage of insulating sleeve 20 fed by a reciprocable feed block 21 disposed on a side of block 17 remote from slot 15. The passageways 18, 19 have a cross-section corresponding to the crosssection periphery of the sleeve material 20 and within which the sleeve is a sliding fit. A spring plunger 22 is arranged transversely of bore 19 to engage the sleeve on its upper side with suflicient force to allow feeding of the sleeve 21 towards block 16 under the force of the feed block 21 but to resist withdrawal of the sleeve or non-feeding movement of the block 21, to be described.

The feed block 21 is reciprocable on a guide bar 23 secured to block .17 and extending parallel to passageways 18, 19. The block 21 is driven by a piston and cylinder device 24 and is formed with a passageway 25 aligned with passageways 18, 19, and through which the sleeve material 20 is arranged to pass. As seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, two jaw members 26 are slidably disposed within passageway 25 in guideways which converge in a direction away from block 17. The jaw members are biased down the guideways by springs 26a to clamp the sleeve 20 with light pressure. On withdrawal movement to the right, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, of block 21, friction of the jaw members 26 on the sleeve resists their movement so that the jaw members tend to diverge, being driven up the inclined guideways and the sleeve being held by the spring clamp 22 of block 17, until the jaw members release the sleeve and move to the right with block 21. On reverse movement, the jaw members are driven together by wedge action of the guideways to clamp the sleeve tightly until the clamp 22 is overcome and the sleeve is fed into bore 18. The sleeve material 20 is supplied from a reel mounted on the frame 10 but not shown.

The passageways 18, 19 are, as seen in FIG. 5, disposed at the same level as the lower dies 12', 13, but the passageway 18 is disposed laterally of these dies, and between the dies and the shear blade 14. The passageway 18 is closed, at the end remote from block 17 by a stop member 27. As seen in FIG. 7, the passageway 18 communicates at one side with a slot 28 of equal height and of Width equal to the length of passageway 18, i.e. the thickness of the block 16. The slot extends towards the crimping dies 12, 12' and 13, 13' so that a length of sleeve can be moved laterally from passageway 18 through slot 28 into alignment with the dies 12, 12 and 13, 13'. The slot 28 at its end remote from passageway 18 is closed by a stop shoulder 29. A piston and cylinder device 30 supported by the frame 10 has a ram driving a transfer head 31 aligned with and slidable in slot 28 for trans ferring the sleeve lengths from the passageway 18 to the stop 29 in alignment with the dies 12, 12 and 13, 13. Adjacent the stop shoulder 29, the upper side of the slot 28 is open and a sprung arm 32 projects through the opening releasably to clamp the sleeve lengths in position pending their transfer to the dies.

A transfer plunger 33, seen most clearly in FIG. 9, is provided for transferring lengths of sleeve from the end of slot 28 and beneath arm 32. The plunger 33 is secured to the reciprocable feed block 21 and extends slidably through a bore 33a in block 17 to terminate in an end portion 34 of reduced cross-section corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of the sleeve material. The end portion 34 at its tip is shouldered at 35 to present a short length insertable within the end of the sleeve material. The end portion 34 at its tip is shouldered at 35 to present a short length insertable within the end of the sleeve material. 0n full forward feeding movement of block 21 to the position of FIG. 9, a length 3 of sleeve 20 is transferred from the slot 28 to bridge the dies 12', 13' with part of the sleeve remaining beneath the hold-down arm 32. A further hold-down arm 36 is positioned between the dies 12, 13 to guide the sleeve length and hold it in correct orientation at the dies as shown in FIG. 10.

In operation, the continuous length of sleeve 20 is positioned with an end portion passing through the feed block 21 to penetrate the passageway 19 of block 17 and passageway 18 of block 16, the end of the sleeve 20 abutting the stop 27. To effect this positioning, the ram 11, with upper dies 12, 13 and shear blade 14, is elevated to free the slot 15 between passageways 18 and 19 for passage of the sleeve, the feed block 21 is in its forward position as shown in FIG. 5, and the transfer head 31 in its withdrawn position of FIG. 7. The ram 11 is lowered to the FIG. position, the cutting edge of the shear blade 14 severing the sleeve 20 at the slot 15. The ram 11 is then elevated to withdraw the blade 14 from the slot, and the feed block 21 is withdrawn to the right in FIG. 5, the jaw members releasing from the sleeve 20 which is held in the block 17 by clamp 22. Withdrawal of block 21 also effects withdrawal of plunger 34 from the slot 28 to free the slot for transfer of the sheared end length 3 of sleeve 20.

The piston and cylinder device 30 is operated to drive the transfer head 31 to the right as seen in FIG. 7, to transfer the sheared length 3 of sleeve through slot 28 from the broken line position C to the full-line position D, i.e. from the passageway 18 to a position aligned with the dies 12, 13 and the plunger 33, 34. The transfer head is then withdrawn to the FIG. 7 condition, the sleeve length being retained in position D by hold-down arm 32 and the piston and cylinder 24 operated to advance the feed block 21 to the FIG. 5 condition and feed a further length of sleeve into the passageway 18 until the end abuts the stop 27. The feed block 21 is suitably adapted to overfeed by a short length to ensure that the sleeve end abuts the stop 27 and causes a small amount of slip at the jaw members 26 to ensure constant lengths of sleeves being cut by the shear blade 14.

On feeding movement of block 21, the plunger 33, 34 is moved through block 17 to transfer the cut sleeve length 3 to the position shown in FIG. 9 with an end of the cut length 3 overlying the die 13' and the other end being disposed beneath the hold-down arm 32, the sleeve bridging the die 12.

A connector crimped to a wire is manually inserted into the exposed open end of sleeve 3 above die 13' to the position generally shown in FIG. 2. The shouldered tip 35 of plunger 33, 34 serves as a stop to position the leading end of the connector short of the end of the sleeve length 3. At this condition, the ram 11 is lowered to mate the dies 12, 13 with complementary dies 12', 13' and cold-crimp the sleeve portion about the connector and Wire generally as described in connection with FIG. 3. The shear blade 14 simultaneously severs the continuous sleeve length 20 in the slot 15 so that the machine is ready for a further cycle of operation in the manner described.

On elevation of the ram to repeat this cycle, the connector with the sleeve length 3 is released from the dies 12, 13 for manual withdrawal.

While in the embodiment disclosed the plunger 33, 34 at its shouldered tip 35 is arranged to act as a stop to position the leading end of the connector short of the end of sleeve length 3, the shouldered tip 35 may be altered to position the leading end at any desired position. For example, the tip of the plunger may be recessed to allow the leading end of the connector to project forwardly of the sleeve length or it may terminate flush with the end of the sleeve length to locate the leading end of the connector at that position.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiment of the invention, 'which is shown and described herein, is intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

The invention is claimed in accordance with the following:

1. A method of insulating a wire termination by the cold-crimp sleeve technique, which comprises feeding a continuous length of tubular insulating sleeve of coldcrimpable material against a stop at a cutting and measuring station, cutting an end length of sleeve from the continuous length at a predetermined distance from the stop, transferring the cut end length laterally from the cutting and measuring station into alignment with a crimping station spaced sidewardly from the continuous length of insulating sleeve, feeding the cut length into the crimping station and simultaneously feeding the continuous length of sleeve towards the stop, inserting a Wire termination into the cut length at the crimping station to an extent limited by a stop, and crimping the cut length to the wire termination.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of cutting the continous length of insulating sleeve at the cutting and measuring station simultaneously with the crimping of the cut length to the wire termination.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,361,138 1/1968 Metzinger et al. 931 C X 3,436,006 4/1969 Cole 264-23 3,506,411 4/1970 Robins 29-433 X 3,537,167 11/1970 Lawson 29-203 3,547,334 12/1970 Gwyn, Jr 29630 C 3,562,904 2/1971 Lau et al 18-005 RICHARD J. HERBS-T, Primary Examiner R. W. CHURCH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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