APPARATUS TO VISUALLY IDENTIFY AND TEST WIRES IN A MULTI-WIRE CABLE

• US 3,699,438 A
• Filed: 08/21/1970
• Issued: 10/17/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Larry Joe Webb
• Original Assignee: Larry Joe Webb
• Inventors: Webb, Larry Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Strecker, Gerard R.
• Application Number:
  US05/065,762
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 324/51,54,66,73,133
• US Class Current: 324/66
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/60 Identification of wires in a multicore cable

Abstract

In a cable having the wires of one end prewired and the wires of the other end ready to be connected to another component, the system disclosed allows an operator to select any wire in the cable without prior marking. The system identifies the wire by clocking a counter until the circuit completed by the wire disables the counter. A readout interrogates the counter and identifies the placement of the wire to the operator. Each wire is tested for correct placement by comparison to a reference line into a logic gate for each wire of the cable and checking the sum of the outputs of the logic gates.

Claims

1. In a system for identifying and testing the placement of each free wire in a harness having one end prewired, the combination comprising:

a counter for generating count pulses according to the count in said counter;

means for connecting the wires of the prewired end of the harness such that each wire receives a particular count pulse;

sensing means for sensing the occurrence of a count pulse;

means for providing electrical connection between a free wire of the harness and said sensing means;

control means connected to said sensing means and said counter for disabling the counter when said sensing means senses a count pulse;

readout means for displaying a representation of the count of said counter;

second sensing means for checking each wire in said harness;

reference leads corresponding to each wire in the harness and connected between said counter and said second sensing means such that each of said reference leads and its corresponding harness wire both receive the same count pulse;

means for proving electrical connection between each placed, free wire of the harness and said second sensing means;

said second sensing means generating an error pulse when said second sensing means fails to sense a count pulse from both the reference lead and its corresponding harness wire and when said sensing means senses the concurrent occurrence of the count pulses from more than one harness wire; and

means for directing said error pulse to said control means to disable said counter.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for providing electrical connection between a free wire of the harness and said sensing means is a touch plate to which the free wires of the harness are electrically connected.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for providing electrical connection is a touch plate and the conductivity of the body of the human operator.

4. In a system for identifying and testing the placement of each wire in a harness having one end prewired, the combination comprising:

an oscillator generating electrical pulses;

a counter for counting said electrical pulses;

control means for controlling the transmission of said electrical pulses to said counter;

encoder means connected to said counter for directing the counted electrical pulses to each prewired wire in said harness according to the count in said counter;

comparator means for sensing the occurrence of said counted electrical pulse;

means for providing electrical connection between each free wire of the harness and said comparator;

means connected to said comparator for disabling said control means to stop the transmission of electrical pulses to said counter;

readout means for sensing the count of said counter and displaying said count;

a logic gate for each wire in the harness;

reference leads corresponding to each wire in the harness and connected between said encoder means and said logic gate such that each of said reference leads and its corresponding harness wire both receive the same count pulse;

means for providing electrical connection between each placed, free wire of the harness and said logic gate;

a summation logic gate connected to each of said logic gates;

said summation logic gate generating an error pulse when a clock pulse from said reference lead and its corresponding harness wire is not received concurrently by any of said logic gates and when the clock pulse is received concurrently by more than one logic gate; and

means for directing said error pulse to said control means to disable said counter.

5. In a system for identifying and testing the placement of each free wire in a harness having one end prewired, the combination comprising:

a counter for generating count pulses according to the count in said counter;

means for connecting the wires of the prewired end of the harness such that each wire receives a particular Count pulse;

sensing means for sensing the occurrence of a count pulse;

means for providing electrical connection between a free wire of the harness and said sensing means;

control means connected to said sensing means and said counter for disabling the counter when said sensing means senses a count pulse;

readout means for displaying a representation of the count of said counter;

reference leads corresponding to each wire in the harness and having one end connected to said counter such that each of said reference leads and its corresponding harness wire both receive the same count pulse;

second sensing means connected to each placed, free wire of the harness and to the second end of said reference leads for checking each wire in the harness against said reference lead by sensing the concurrent occurrence of said count pulse on each of said reference leads and its corresponding harness wires and by sensing the concurrent occurrence of said count pulse on more than one harness wire;

means for summing the concurrent occurrence of count pulses from each of said second sensing means and for generating an error pulse when said sensing means fails to sense a concurrence of count pulses from one of said reference leads and its corresponding harness wire and when said sensing means senses the concurrent occurrence of said count pulses on more than one harness wire; and

means for directing said error pulse to said control means to disable said counter.

6. A system for testing a harness comprising:

an oscillator generating electrical pulses;

a counter for counting said electrical pulses;

control means for controlling the transmission of said electrical pulses to said counter;

encoder means connected to said counter for directing the counted electrical pulses to one end of each wire in the harness according to the count in said counter;

a logic gate for each wire in the harness;

reference leads corresponding to each wire in the harness and connected between said encoder means and said logic gates such that each of said reference leads and its corresponding harness wire both receive the same count pulse;

means for providing electrical connection between the second end of each wire of the harness and said logic gate;

a summation logic gate connected to each of said logic gates;

said summation logic gate generating an error pulse when the counted electrical pulse from said reference lead and its corresponding harness wire is not received concurrently by any of said logic gates and when said logic gates receive the concurrent occurrence of the counted electrical pulses from more than one harness wire;

means for directing said error pulse from said summation logic gate to said control means to disable said counter; and

readout means for sensing the count of said counter and displaying said count.