WO1989004557A1

WO1989004557A1 - Apparatus for connecting electrical connectors to cable

Info

Publication number: WO1989004557A1
Application number: PCT/US1988/003202
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johannes Marinus Jacobus Den Otter
Original assignee: Amp Incorporated
Priority date: 1987-11-03
Filing date: 1988-09-19
Publication date: 1989-05-18
Also published as: DE3881512T2; DE3881512D1; EP0348448A1; GB8725682D0; EP0348448B1; JPH02502052A; KR890702298A

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a rotary jaw assembly (10) which is movable along a first axis (Y) between two rows of connectors (C1 and C2) and along a second axis (Z) to grasp a selected connector (C1 or C2) and then to retract, after which the jaw assembly (10) is rotatable about a third axis (X) to change the endwise orientation of the connector (C1 or C2) grasped by the assembly (10). This connector (C1 or C2) is then passed by a push rod (26) to a cover separating station (4) at which the cover (CO1 or CO2) is separated from the body (CB1 or CB2) of the connector (C1 or C2). Further push rods (36 and 38) transfer the connector body and the cover to a turntable (44) to rotate them about a vertical axis, and yet further push rods (46 and 48) transfer the connector and the cover to an application station (8) at which they are applied to a cable (FFC). Each connector (C1 or C2) can be thus applied to cable (FFC) in four different orientations.

Description

APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS TO CABLE This invention relates to apparatus for connecting to the conductors of a flat, multiconductor cable, electrical connectors having terminals provided with conductor 5 receiving portions, and especially concerns such apparatus for producing electrical harnesses each comprising a plurality of such connectors.

There is described in EP-A1-0196740, apparatus for connecting to the conductors of a flat, multiconductor 10 cable, electrical connectors having electrical terminals provided with cable conductor receiving portions, the apparatus comprising a press which is actuable to apply the connectors to the cable by inserting the cable conductors into said conductor receiving portions, means 15_. for feeding the cable intermittently through the press, and connector orienting means for supplying the connectors to the press in a plurality of different orientations and including a first connector receiving member which^' is rotatable to determine a first orientation of each 20 connector.

Although this known apparatus is capable of orienting connectors on the cable so that some project from one side of the cable and some from the other, and is also capable of applying the connectors to the cable in different 5 endwise orientations, the known apparatus, which comprises a robot adapted to perform some of the connector orienting operations and a multiplicity of associated stations around the robot, is, although it has proved to be most successful in use, of complicated construction and is, 0 therefore expensive to produce.

The present invention is intended to provide apparatus as defined in the second paragraph of this specification, but which is simpler and more compact than the known apparatus and is more economical ^"to manufacture. 5 According to the invention, the apparatus is characterized by first means for transferring each connector from said first connector receiving member when the connector has been oriented thereby, to a second connector receiving member which is rotatable to determine a second orientation of the connector; and by second means for transferring the connector from the second connector receiving member when the connector has been oriented thereby, to the press. The first connector receiving member may be in the form of a pair of rotatable jaws connected to a frame of the apparatus and being rotatable by a rotary air cylinder on the frame, the second connector receiving member being in the form of a simple turn table also mounted to the frame and having drive means on the frame. Both of the transferring means may be in the form of push rods. The jaws may be translatable transversely of a plurality of rows of electrical connectors fed in parallel relationship towards the jaws, to select a desired kind of connector for application to the cable.

Where the connectors are of the kind which comprise a connector body arranged to mate with a cover having conductor stuffing means for forcing the conductors into the wire receiving portions of the terminals, the connector bodies are supplied to the first connector receiving member with the covers partially mated therewith, a cover separating station being provided between the two connector receiving members for separating the covers from the connector bodies. In this case, the turntable is provided with a pair of parallel recesses, each for receiving either a connector body or a cover according to the angular position of the turntable the press comprising a pair of pusher plates, one disposed on either side of the cable and each arranged to receive either a connector body or a connector cover according to said angular position of the turntable. Cable severing means are provided for severing the cable when a required number of connectors have been applied thereto.

For a better understanding of the invention and to 5 show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view, shown partly in section, of a first electrical connector; 10 FIGURE 2 is a similar view to that of Figure 1, but showing a second and different electrical connector;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic, isometric, view of harness making apparatus for selectively applying to a flat multiconductor cable, electrical conductors according to 15 Figures 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of a first connector orienting station of the apparatus, taken in the direction of the arrow 5 in Figure 7, and showing parts of the

2₀ station in a first operating position;

FIGURE 6 is a similar view to that of Figure 5 but showing said parts of the orienting station in a second operating position;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the first connector 2₅ orienting station showing said parts in said first position;

FIGURE 8 is a similar view to that of Figure 7, but showing said parts in said second position;

FIGURE 9 is a view taken on the lines 9-9 of Figure 4

₃₀ illustrating a cover separating station of the apparatus,' and showing parts thereof in a first operating position; FIGURE 10 is a similar view to that of Figure 9 but showing parts of the cover separating station in a second operating position; FIGURE 11 is an isometric view illustrating a second connector orienting station of the apparatus and the transfer of a connector and its cover therefrom, to a connector application station of the apparatus; FIGURE 12 is a side view, shown partly in section, and with parts omitted, of the termination station;

FIGURE 13 is a top plan view of the termination station;

FIGURE 14 is a side view of the termination station showing parts thereof in a first operating position;

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary side view, shown partly in section, illustrating details of Figure 14 but showing said parts in a second operating position; and

FIGURE 16 is a similar view to that of Figure 15 but showing said parts in a third operating position. As shown in Figure 1, an elongate electrical connector Cl comprises a connector body CBl and a connector cover C01. In the body CBl are two rows of electrical terminals Tl each having a conductor receiving portion RP provided with a conductor receiving slot S.

Each terminal Tl has a tab T extending into a skirt SK of the body CBl for mating with a female electrical terminal (not shown) of a mating connector (not shown) inserted into the skirt SK. The cover COl has wire stuffer projections WP each for forcing the conductor of a multiconductor flat, flexible cab.le FFC (Figure 2) , into a respective slot S, as the cover COl is driven down, from the position in which it is shown, onto the connector body CBl. At each end of the body CBl, are two vertically spaced latching spurs LM and LM¹. Each upper (as seen in Figure 1) and smaller, spur LM engages in an opening 0 in a side arm of the cover COl to retain it releasably attached to the body CBl. When the cover COl is driven, down to cause the projections WP to force the conductors into the slots S, the lower (as seen in Figure 1) and larger, latch arm LM* engages in the opening O, fixedly to secure the cover COl to the body CBl. The connector Cl has opposite ends El and El• . Figure 2 shows a connector C2 having a connector body CB2 and a cover C02 which is identical to the cover COl. The body CB2 differs from the body CBl in that its terminals T2 have contact tails CT projecting below the body CB2 for reception in holes in a circuit board (not shown) , to be soldered to conductors thereon. The connector C2 has ends E2 and E2• . The apparatus and its operation will now be described in outline, with reference to Figure 3. The apparatus comprises a first connector orientating station 2, a connector cover separating station 4, a second connector orienting station 6, and a connector application station 8.

At the station 2, is a first connector receiving member in the form of a connector retaining jaw assembly 10 which is rotatable about a horizontal axis X between two angular positions spaced from each other by 180 degrees as determined by a harness making program of a control microprocessor (not shown) . The jaw assembly 10 is translatable, according to the program, along a first horizontal axis Y and a second horizontal axis Z extending at right angles to the axis Y and parallel to the axis X. The jaw assembly 10 comprises a jaw 12 which can be swung towards and away from a fixed jaw 14 about a horizontal axis K, parallel to the axis Y, between the open position in which the jaws 12 and 14 are shown in Figure 3, and a closed position in which a connector Cl or C2 to be received by the assembly 10 is enclosed between a flat surface 15 of the jaw 14 and the walls of a recess 16 in the jaw 12.

A row of first connectors Cl mounted on a length of adhesive tape ATI and a row of second connectors C2, parallel to, but spaced from, the row of connectors Cl, and mounted on a length of adhesive tape AT2 are arranged to be intermittently fed along guide tracks 18 and 20, respectively, from respective storage reels (not shown) by means of tape pulling rolls (not shown) beneath the jaw assembly 10, towards of the assembly 10, in accordance with the program.

Where the jaw assembly 10 is to pick up a connector Cl, in the course of the program, the assembly 10 is translated along the axis Y with the jaws 12 and 14 in an open position to place them opposite to the leading connector Cl on the tape ATI and the assembly 10 is advanced to its forward end position along the axis Y. The pulling rolls of the tape ATI are then actuated to draw the row of connectors Cl towards the assembly 10, the tape ATI passing over a nose 22 so that the leading connector Cl is pulled from the tape ATI and is thereby transferred to the surface 15 of the jaw 14 so as to lie between the jaws 14 and 16. The jaw 12 is then closed about the axis K to confine the connector Cl on the surface 15 and the assembly 10 is rotated about the axis X, if that is required by the program, to reverse the endwise orientation of connector Cl retained in assembly 10, so that the end El of the connector faces rightwardly (as seen in Figure 3) . The assembly 10 is now retracted to its rear end position along the axis Y and a push rod 26 is advanced in the direction of the arrow J in Figure 3 slidably to drive the connector Cl from between the jaws 12 and 14, and to transfer the connector to the station 4 so that its body CBl is slidably inserted into a nest 28 provided in a vertically movable connector body holder 30 of the station 4, which is arranged to be driven in vertical reciprocating motion. The holder 30 is then lowered so that the nest 28 is positioned in alignment with ejector fingers 32 at the station 4, which project from a cover separating tool 34, said fingers 32, being arranged in two pairs of superposed fingers 32 which straddle the holder 30. The tool 34 is now advanced in the direction of the arrow A to drive the cover COl of the connector Cl in the nest 28 away from its body CBl, as shown in full lines into a cover receiving nest (not shown) . Push rods 36 and 38 are now advanced in the direction of the arrow P in Figure 3 to transfer the body CBl in the nest 28, and the now separated cover COl, into respective grooves 40 and 42 in a second connector receiving member in the form of turntable 44 which is mounted at the station 6, for rotation about a vertical axis through 90 degrees in either sense as indicated by the arrow Q. Where the body CBl in the groove 40 is to be applied to the right hand (as seen in Figure 3) side of the tape FFC and the cover COl to the opposite side thereof, the turntable 44 is rotated to bring the end El' of the body CBl in the groove 40 into alignment with a first push rod 46^' and the corresponding end of the cover COl in the groove 42 into alignment with a second push rod 48. The push rods 46 and 48 are then advanced in the direction of the arrow R, that is to say at right angles to the direction of movement of the rods 26, 36 and 38, to transfer the body CBl into a nest 50 in a first applicator push plate 52 of a press 54 at the station 8, and the cover COl into a nest 56 in a second applicator push plate 58 of the press 54. The cable FFC which is intermittently advanced downwardly between the plates 52 and .58 by steps of predetermined length, and the plates ^'52 and 58 are advanced to drive the cover COl towards the body CBl, whereby the stuffer projections WP force respective conductors of the cable FFC into respective slots S of the terminals Tl of the body CBl and the spurs IL-M¹ engage in the openings O .When the number of connectors CBl and CB2 prescribed according to the harness-making program, has been applied to the cable FFC a cable-severing blade 60 is advanced in the direction of the arrow M to sever the cable FFC adjacent to the connector last applied thereto, in cooperation with a cable severing anvil 62.

Where a connector C2 is to be applied to the cable FFC, the assembly 10 at the station 2 is translated to a position in alignment with the leading connector C2 of the row of connectors C2 to receive it in the manner described above with reference to a connector Cl. Where the end El' or E2' of any leading connector Cl or C2 is to face rightwardly (as seen in Figure 3) , the assembly 10 is not rotated about the axis X when it has received the connector. Likewise, if a cover COl or C02 is to be applied to the right hand (as seen in Figure 3) side of the cable FFC, and the corresponding connector body CBl or CB2, as the case may be, is to be applied to the left hand side of the cable FFC, the turntable 44 is rotated to bring the connector body in alignment with the push rod 48 and the connector cover into alignment with the push rod 46. As will be apparent from the above description, the apparatus can selectively apply connectors Cl and C2 to the cable FFC at any desired position therealong, each in a selected one of four different orientations with respect to the cable FFC, that is to say with the cover on one side or the other, and with either end of the connector facing in a given direction, in accordance with the particular harness making program with which the microprocessor has been provided.

The push plate of the press 54, which carries the cover is always applied to the cable before the other push plate in order to avoid lateral displacement of the cable by the connector body.

The apparatus and its operation will now be described in greater detail with reference to Figures 4 to 16. As shown in Figure 4, the apparatus comprises a single frame generally referenced 64 to which the stations 2, 4, 6 and 8 are mounted.

As shown in Figures 5-8, a main block 67 of the assembly 10, of which block the jaw 14 is a part,- is connected to the piston rod 66 of a pneumatic piston and cylinder unit 68 for operating the jaw 12. An optical sensor 70 is provided in the block 67 for sensing the presence of a connector Cl or C2 in the assembly 10. The unit 68 is connected to the spindle of a motor 72 in the form of a rotary air cylinder for rotating the assembly 10. The motor 72 is fixed to a bracket 74 which is in turn secured, by way of a slide 75, to a horizontally shiftable subframe 76. The slide 75 is slidable in the direction of the Z-axis relative to the subframe 76. The subframe 76 is connected to a slide 78 mounted for horizontal sliding movement relative to the frame 64 on a slideway 80 (Figures 4 and 5) . ^■ The subframe 76 is fixed to the slide 78 by means of a fastening plate 82 on each side of the slide 78, and only one of which is shown. The assembly 10 is driven back and forth along the Z-axis by means of drive means (not shown) . An amplifier 77 for sensor 70 is provided on the subframe 76. The slide 78 is driven in horizontal reciprocating motion, to move the assembly 10 along the axis Y to select a connector Cl or C2 according to the program, by means of a rack and pinion drive system (not shown) in a housing 84 on the frame 64. The subframe 76 comprises a top plate 86 along a track, in which the push rod 26 is slidable by means of a piston and cylinder drive unit 88 fixed to a slide plate 96 of the subframe 76 and having a piston rod 90 secured to a bracket 92 on the push rod 26, to drive it through a working stroke to transfer a connector Cl or C2 from the assembly 10 to the station 4. The piston rod 66 is connected to the block 67 by way of a bracket 94, so that the drive unit 68 is vertically offset from the path of movement of the push rod 26. As shown in Figure 4, the tracks 18 and 20 are mounted to plates 98 projecting laterally from the frame 64 and to which are secured guard plates 100 for the rows of connectors Cl and C2 on the tracks 18 and 20. Figures 5 and 7 show the assembly 10 in its advanced position to receive a connector Cl and Figures 6 and 8 show the assembly 10 in its retracted position along the axis Z and as it is being rotated about the axis X.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the connector holder 30 is driven through a downward stroke to lower the nest 28 and through an upward return stroke to raise it, by means of a vertical piston and cylinder unit 102, also shown in Figure 4, the cover separating tool 34 and thus the ejector fingers 32 being driven by a horizontal piston and cylinder unit 104 which is shown in Figure 4. The unit 102 is mounted to the top of.an elongate slideway block 106 defining a vertical slideway 108 for the connector holder 30 which is fixedly attached to the piston rod 110 of the unit 102. The block 106 is mounted in a subframe 112 to the bottom plate 114 of which is secured a horizontal slideway block 116 defining slideways 117 for the fingers 32. One end of the unit 104 is mounted to the block 116, the other end of the unit 104 being mounted in the block 106. The piston rod 118 of the unit 104 is fixed to a bracket 120 which is attached to the ejector fingers 32 by means of pin and socket connections 122, only one of which is shown. The cover-receiving nest mentioned above with reference to Figure 3, and which is not shown therein, is referenced 124 in Figures 9 and 10. It comprises a triangular cross section top plate 126, the upper end of which is pivotally attached to the block 106 by means of a pivot pin 128, the lower face -130 of the plate 130, and the upper face of a bottom block 132 fixed to the plate 114, defining upper and lower walls, respectively, of the nest 124. A slide 134, which is slidable horizontally in the block 132, has an arm 136 which is slidable in the nest 124 and is urged by springs (not shown) inwardly of the nest 124 to assume a normal position in which the free end face 138 of the arm 136, which face has therein a cover-receiving recess 140 is substantially coincident with the inner vertical wall 142 of the plate 126, which face 142 is formed with a vertical cover-receiving channel 144 communicating with the slideway 108 and extending parallel thereto. Figure 9 shows the connector holder 30 in its raised position, with a connector Cl in the nest 28 with its cover COl engaged in the recess 144 and abutting the surface 142, the piston rod 118 being in an advanced position so that the fingers 32 are retracted. Figure 10 shows the connector holder 30 in its lowered position and after the piston rod 118 has been retracted to cause the ejector fingers 32 to advance and thereby to separate the cover COl from the connector body CBl, and to drive the cover COl into the recess 140 of the arm 136, driving the arm 136, and thus the slide 134 rightwardly (as seen in Figure 10) so that the cover COl is received in the nest 124 and is releasably held in position between the end face 138 and the ejector fingers 32. Should a cover COl or C02 jam in the nest 124, the plate 126 can be raised about the pivot pin 128 to allow the jammed cover to be removed from the nest 124. The push rods 36 and 38 are driven by a piston and cylinder unit 146 which, as shown in Figure 4, extends parallel to, and projects slightly to one side of, the unit 88. A guide track 148 communicates with the nest 28, in the lowered, Figure 10 position of the connector holder 30, a guide track 150 communicating with the space between the surface 138 of the arm 136 and the leading ends of the ejector fingers 32, when the ejector fingers 32 are in their Figure 10 position. When the piston rod of the unit 146, which is connected to the push rods 36 and 38, is advanced, these push the body and the cover from their Figure 10 positions in the station 4, along the tracks 148 and 150 respectively, and into the grooves 40 and 42 of the turntable 44.

The push rods 46 and 48 are driven by a horizontal piston and cylinder unit 152, to the piston rod 154 of which the rods 46 and 48 are connected, as shown in Figure 4. The turntable 44 is driven by a stepping motor 156 therebelow as indicated in broken lines in Figure 4. The push rods 46 and 48, run. in guide channels 158 and 160, respectively, formed in a top plate 163 of the station -6, in an opening in which plate 136, the turntable 44 is rotatable, as best seen in Figure 11, by means of its motor 156, which lies below the plate 163. When the turntable 44 has been rotated by its motor 156 to align the grooves 40 and 42 with the push rods 46 and 48, and thus with the guide channels 158 and 160, the grooves 40 and 42 are also aligned with respective connector body or connector cover guideways 162 and 164 formed in the plate 162 in alignment with the channels 158 and 160, each guideway 162 and 164 being cross-sectionally configured to receive either a connector body or its cover. The guideways 162 and 164 communicate with, and are aligned with, the nests 50 and 56, respectively, of the plates 52 and 58, respectively, at the station 8. When the piston rod 154 of the unit 152 is advanced, the push rods 46 and 48 drive the connector body and the connector cover in the grooves 40 and 42, along the guideways 162 and 164 and position them in their respective nests 50 and 56.

As shown in Figure 14, the connector application station 8 comprises a subframe 164 having a central harness receiving vertical channel 166 to a ^"base plate 168 of which are mounted on either side of the channel 166 a drive piston and cylinder unit 170 for the push plate 52 and a drive piston and cylinder unit 172 for the push plate 58. The piston rod 174 of each of these units is connected to one end of a link 176 by means of a pivot pin 178, the other end of the link 176 being pivotally connected by means of a pivot pin 180, to the respective push plate 52 or 58, near its end remote from the respective nest 50 or 56. The push plates 50 and 58 which have depending lugs 181 running in grooves 183 in push plate support brackets 182, on a top plate 184 of the subframe 164, are normally urged in a direction away from one another by springs 186 acting between the toggle links 176 and the brackets 182. In order to apply a connector body and a connector cover in the respective nests 50 and 56, to the cable FFC, the units 170 and 172 are actuated sequentially to advance their piston rods 174 to rotate the links 176 so as to drive the push plates 52 and 58 towards one another. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the drive unit for the push plate carrying the connector cover is first actuated so that the cable FFC is enclosed by the cover, the drive unit for the push plate carrying the connector body being actuated subsequently, to drive it into the cover.

As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the cable severing blade 60 which is mounted above the push plates 52 and 58, and which is slidable along a cross plate 188 mounted between side plates 190 of the subframe 164, is arranged to be driven towards and away from the anvil 62 by means of a piston and cylinder drive unit 192 having a piston rod 194 connected to the blade 60 by means of a linkage 196. The unit 192 is secured to a subframe 198 on the plate 188 from which extends centrally of the subframe 198, a vertical cable guide 200 aligned with the channel 166, for guiding the cable FFC between the blade 60 and anvil 62 and between the push plates 52 and 58. There projects laterally from the subframe 198, a cable feed stepping motor 202 (Figures 4 and 13) , the spindle of which is connected to the shaft 204 (Figure 12) of a driving gear wheel 206 which drives a further gear wheel 208 meshing with a gear wheel 210 fixed to a cable drive roll 212 having a shaft 214 and projecting through a slot 216 in the guide 200 to engage one side of the cable FFC extending therethrough. The shaft 214 of the roll 212 is mounted for rotation in one end of a bifurcated pusher lever 218, the other end of which is pivotally mounted to the subframe 198. Opposite to the roll 212 in the subframe 198, is mounted an idle roll _.220, also projecting into the slot 216 to engage the other side of the cable FFC. The roll 212 is urged against the cable FFC in driving relationship therewith, by the spring 222 which urges the lever 218 in a clockwise (as seen in Figure 12) sense, whereby the cable FFC is driven downwardly each time the motor 204 is run.

There are provided, sensors 224 (Figures 7 and 8) for monitoring the horizontal position of the slide 75, sensors 226 (Figures 9 and 10) for monitoring the vertical position of the connector holder 30, sensors 228 for monitoring the horizontal positions of the push rods 32, and sensors 230 for monitoring the horizontal positions of the push plates 52 and 58. These sensors as well as the sensor 70 and other sensors (not shown) for monitoring the positions of the other moving parts of the apparatus, serve for signalling the state of the parts concerned to the microprocessor which may be arranged to inhibit further operation of the apparatus in the event of any malfunction thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. Apparatus for connecting to the conductors of a flat, multiconductor cable (FFC) , electrical connectors (Cl and C2) having electrical terminals (Tl and T2) provided with cable conductor receiving portions (RP) , the apparatus comprising a press (54) which is actuable to apply said connectors to the cable (FFC) by inserting the cable conductors into said conductor receiving portions (RP) , means (202) for feeding the cable (FFC) intermittently through the press (54) , and connector ' orienting means (10 and 44) for supplying the connectors (Cl and C2) to the press (54) in a plurality of different orientations and including a first connector receiving member (10) which is rotatable to determine a first orientation of each connector (Cl and C2) ; characterized by first means (26, 36, 38) for transferring each connector (Cl and C2) from said first connector receiving member (10) when the connector (Cl or C2) has been oriented thereby, to a second connector receiving member (44) which is rotatable to determine a second orientation of the connector (Cl or C2) ; and by second means (46, 48) for transferring the connector (Cl or C2) from the second connector receiving member (44) , when the connector (Cl or C2) has been oriented thereby, to the press (54) .

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the.first connector receiving member is in the form of a pair of jaws (12 and 14) rotatably mounted to a frame (64) of the apparatus and being rotatable by drive means (72) on said frame (64) ; and in that the second connector receiving member is in the form of a turntable (44) also mounted for rotation to the frame (64) and having drive means (156) on the frame (64) , said jaws (12 and 14) being arranged for orienting the connectors (Cl or C2) endwise, and said turntable (44) serving to orient said connectors (Cl or C2) so that some project from one side of the cable (FFC) and some from the other when the connectors (Cl or C2) have been applied to the cable (FFC) by the press (54).

3. Apparatus according to 1 or 2, characterized in that said first connector-receiving member (10) is translatable transversely of a plurality of rows of different electrical connectors (Cl and C2) fed in parallel relationship towards the first connector receiving member (10) , to select a connector (Cl or C2) from any of said rows for application to the cable (FFC) .

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, for use with connectors (Cl and C2) each of which comprises a connector body (CBl or CB2) arranged to mate with a cover (COl or C02) having conductor stuffing means (WP) for forcing the conductors of the cable (FFC) into the wire receiving portions (RP) of the terminals (Tl and T2) ; characterized in that the connector bodies (CBl and CB2) are supplied to the first connector receiving member (10) with the covers (COl and C02) partially mated therewith, a cover separating station (4) being provided between the two connector-receiving members (10 and 44) for separating the covers (COl and C02) from the connector bodies (CBl and CB2) , the second connector-receiving member (44) having a pair of parallel recesses (40 and 42) each adapted to receive either a connector body (CBl or CB2) , or a cover (COl or C02) , as determined by the angular position of the second connector-receiving member (44) , the press (54) comprising a pair of connector applying members (52 and 58) one disposed on each side of the cable (FFC) and each arranged to receive either a connector body (CBl or CB2) , or a connector cover (COl or C02) , as determined by said angular position of the second connector receiving member (44) .

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the cover separating station (4) comprises a connector holder (30) mounted for reciprocating axial movement and having a first nest (28) , for receiving an electrical connector (Cl or C2) transferred from said first connector-receiving member (10) by a first transfer member (26) of said first transfer means (26, 36, 38), in a first axial position of said connector holder (30) , means (32) being provided for separating, in a second axial position of the connector holder (30) , the cover (COl or C02) from a connector (Cl or C2) in said first nest (26) and for moving the cover into a second nest (124) spaced from the connector holder (30) at right angles to its direction of movement, said recesses (40 and 42) in said second connector-receiving member (10) each being aligned with a respective one of said first and second nests (26 and 124) in a given angular position of said second connector-receiving member (44) for the transfer of the connector body (CBl or CB2) and the connector cover (COl or C02) by second transfer members (36 and 38) of said first transfer means (26, 36, 38) from their respective nests (26 and 124) into respective ones of the recesses (40 and 42) of the second connector-receiving member (44) .

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that said first transfer member is in the form of a push rod (26) having a drive unit (88) for advancing it to drive a connector (Cl or C2) in the first connector-receiving means (10) into said first nest (28) , in said first axial position of the connector holder (30) , said second transfer means comprising a first pair of push rods (36 and 38) having drive means (146) for advancing them to drive a connector body (CBl or CB2) in said first nest (28) and a connector cover (COl or C02) in said second nest (124) , each into a respective recess (40 or 42) of the second connector-receiving member (44) , said second transferring means comprising a second pair of push rods (46 and 48) having drive means (152) for advancing them to drive a connector body (CBl or CB2) in one recess (40 or 42) of the second connector-receiving member (44) and a connector cover (COl or C02) in the other recess (40 or 42) thereof each into a respective nest (50 or 56) of a respective one of said applicator members (52 and 58) .

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said cover separating means comprises a pair of ejector fingers (32) arranged to straddle said connector holder (30) in the second axial position thereof and having a drive unit (104) for advancing said fingers (32) to separate the cover (COl or C02) from the connector (Cl or C2) in said first nest (28) in said second axial position of the connector holder (30) and to drive said cover (COl or C02) against a spring-loaded arm (136) projecting into said second nest (124) to retract the arm (136) outwardly of that" nest (124) so as to align the cover (COl or C02) in the second nest (124) with the respective second transfer member (38).

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first connector-receiving member (10) is mounted to a slide (75) for driving the first connector-receiving member (10) towards and away from parallel rows of first and second connectors (Cl and C2) each mounted on a first length of adhesive tape (ATI or AT2) , said slide (75) being connected to a rotary air cylinder (72) for rotating the piston and cylinder drive unit (68) to rotate the first connector-receiving member (10) about the axis of said piston rod (66) , the rotary air cylinder (72) being connected to drive means (84) for translating it into alignment with a selected one of said rows of connectors (Cl and C2) , means being provided for advancing each length of tape (ATI and AT2) towards the first connector-receiving member (10) in an advanced position of the slide (75) to locate a connector (Cl or C2) of the respective row in the first connector-receiving member (10).

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the connector-applying members (50 and 58) of the press (54) are provided with discrete drive means (170 and 172) for selectively driving one of said applying members (52 and 58) towards the cable (FFC) before the other such member (52 or 58) .

10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cable feeding means comprises a stepping motor (202) drivingly coupled to a cable drive roll (212) by way of a gear train (204, 208) mounted on a spring-loaded arm (218) urging said drive roll (212) against the cable (FFC), frictionally to engage it between said drive roll (212) and an idle roll (220) on the other side of the cable (FFC) .

11. Apparatus for connecting to the conductors of a flat, multiconductor cable, electrical connectors having terminals provided with conductor-receiving portions, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.