TERMINAL MACHINE AND METHOD OF TERMINATING LEAD WIRES

• US 3,793,503 A
• Filed: 09/19/1972
• Issued: 02/19/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samuel Warner
• Original Assignee: Samuel Warner
• Inventors: Warner, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Reynolds, Bruce A.
• Application Number:
  US05/290,344
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 219/106,148,149,152,103,78,86,91,79,159,160,161 29/23D,23DT,628,629
• US Class Current: 219/106
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/0482 combined with contact member manufacturing mechanism

Abstract

A system for electrically terminating two or more insulated or uninsulated wires comprising forming a terminal about the wires with a ram and die cavity, withdrawing the ram and die and engaging the terminal with a pair of electrodes to fuse the same under pressure and heat.

Claims

1. A terminal fusing apparatus having a frame and comprising a pair of electrodes, a die plate having an open die cavity to receive two or more wires when in an operating position relative to said frame, a ram means aligned with the die cavity for carrying a U-shaped portion of terminal material toward said cavity with the legs of the U-shaped portion extending toward the forming surface of the die cavity and including a ram to drive the legs into said cavity to engage the forming surface of said cavity to form the terminal about the wires, and means to withdraw said ram means and die plate away from the die cavity operating position after the terminal is formed about the wires but before application of electrode current, and means for moving the electrodes to the operating position of the die cavity after said ram means and die plate are withdrawn to apply heat, current and pressure to the terminal and enclosed wires thereby bonding the contacting surfaces thereof.

2. An apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the ram means and die plate are aligned and are movable in a common plane, and the electrodes being aligned through the operating position of the die cavity and are movable in said common plane, and said electrodes being spaced from each other on opposite sides of the operating position of the die cavity.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the electrodes are movable along a path generally perpendicular to the travel path of said die plate.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ram means and die cavity are shaped to form the terminal and enclosed lead configuration in a profile elongated in a direction aligned with the electrode movement path and the terminal contact surfaces of the electrodes are shaped to press the terminal and wires into a configuration elongated generally perpendicular to the first menTioned direction of elongation.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein means are provided to move the electrodes toward each other to a predetermined spacing to permit a portion of the softened terminal to extend into the inter-electrode space thereby to increase the pressure on the enclosed wires and inner surfaces of the terminal.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the electrode contacting surfaces are shaped to press the terminal and wire configuration to a progressively narrower dimension relative to the distance from at least one of the open ends of the terminal.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 further comprising cutter means for trimming lead portions extending beyond the back plane of the die cavity and said electrode contacting surfaces being shaped to press the terminal with the narrow dimension nearer the terminal end thereof.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the contacting electrode surfaces are shaped to press the terminal and wire configuration in the central region of the terminal and to permit the ends of the terminal to remain flared at both ends thereof.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 comprising a guide fixed to the frame and having a notch to index and support the wires relative to the die cavity operating position.