Apparatus for inserting wires into terminals in an electrical connector

• US 3,886,641 A
• Filed: 06/14/1974
• Issued: 06/03/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Douglas Davis
• Original Assignee: John Douglas Davis
• Inventors: Davis, John Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Eager, Thomas H.
• Application Number:
  US05/479,380
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 29/23MW,23P,23J,23R,23H,23HT,628
• US Class Current: 29/56.6
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/01 for connecting unstripped conductors to contact members having insulation cutting edges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5177 and work-holder for assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53217 Means to simultaneously assemble multiple, independent conductors to terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53261 Means to align and advance work part

Abstract

Apparatus for inserting wires into terminals arranged in two parallel rows in an electrical connector comprises a connector holder, fixed insertion tool means, and movable insertion tool means, the holder being mounted on guide pins between the fixed and movable insertion tool means. The parts are normally resiliently biased apart but the connector holder and the movable insertion tool means are movable towards the fixed tool means. Wires are positioned, by means of integral positioning jigs, between the fixed tool means and the connector holder and between the movable tool means and the connector holder. Upon movement of the movable tool means and the connector holder towards the fixed tool means, the wires are inserted into the wire-receiving portions of the terminals.

Claims

1. Apparatus for moving conductors laterally of their axes in opposite directions towards each other and into the conductor-receiving portions of electrical contact terminals which are contained in a multi-contact electrical connector, said conductor-receiving portions being arranged in two side-by-side parallel rows which are on oppositely facing surfaces of said connector, said apparatus comprising:

fixed and movable insertion tool means, each of said tool means having conductor insertion means for inserting said conductors into said conductor-receiving portions, said insertion tool means being normally spaced apart with said conductor insertion means opposed to each other, connector holding means normally disposed between said tool means, said holding means being adapted to hold said connector in an orientation with said conductor-receiving portions opposed to said insertion tool means, guide means extending rectilinearly from said fixed insertion tool means to said movable insertion tool means, said movable insertion tool means and said connector holding means being in guiding engagement with said guide means, and resilient means interposed between said fixed insertion tool means and said connector holding means and between said connector holding means and said movable insertion tool means whereby, upon locating said conductors between said fixed insertion tool means and said connector holding means and between said connector holding means and said movable insertion tool means, and upon moving said movable insertion tool means towards said fixed insertion tool means, said movable insertion tool means moves said connector holding means towards said fixed insertion tool means and said conductor insertion means inserts said conductors into said conductor-receiving portions of said terminals.

2. Apparatus for inserting wires laterally of their axes in opposite directions towards each other and into the wire-receiving portions of electrical contact terminals which are contained in a multi-contact electrical connector, said wire-receiving portions being arranged in two side-by-side parallel rows which are on oppositely facing surfaces of said connector, said apparatus comprising:

fixed and movable tool holders, guide means extending between said tool holders, said movable tool holder being on said guide means and being movable from a remote position to a proximate position, with respect to said fixed tool holder, along a rectilinear path, a connector holder on said guide means between said fixed and movable tool holders, said connector holder being adapted to hold an electrical connector in an orientation with said rows extending normally of said rectilinear path and with said rows opposed to said tool holders, wire locating means on said connector holders for locating a plurality of wires in two substantially parallel planes on each side of said connector holder with the axes of said wires extending normally of said rectilinear path and normally of said rows of wire receiving portions and with one wire in alignment with each of said wire-receiving portions, resilient means between said connector holder and each of said tool holders, said resilient means normally maintaining said connector holder spaced from said fixed tool holder and maintaining said movable tool holder in said remote position, insertion tool means on said fixed and movable tool holders for inserting wires into said wire-receiving portions upon relative movement of said insertion tool means towards a connector mounted in said connector holding means, and actuator means for moving said movable tool holder along said path towards said fixed tool holder whereby, upon locating wires in said wire locating means, mounting a connector in said connector holder and actuating said actuator means, and connector holder and said movable tool holder are moved towards said fixed tool holder, and said wires are inserted into said wire-receiving portions of said terminals by said insertion tool means.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 said fixed and movable tool holders comprising a pair of elongated tool mounting blocks extending parallel to each other.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, said guide means comprising a pair of spaced-apart parallel guide rods, said connector holder and said movable tool holder being slidably mounted on said guide rods.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, said resilient means comprising helical springs surrounding said guide rods.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said wire locating means comprises first and second wire locating members disposed against oppositely facing sides of said connector holder, said wire-locating members having aligned slots therein for reception of said wires.

7. Apparatus for inserting wires into the conductor-receiving portions of contact terminals in a multicontact electrical connector, said wire-receiving portions being arranged in two parallel side-by-side rows and being adapted to receive wires upon movement of said wires laterally of their axes and into said conductor receiving portions, said rows being adapted to receive wires upon movement of said wires laterally of their axes, towards each other, and towards said housing, said apparatus comprising:

a fixed tool holder and a movable tool holder, said fixed and movable tool holders being normally in spaced apart opposed relationship, guide means extending rectilinearly between said fixed and movable tool holders, said movable tool holder being in engagement with said guide means, connector holding means disposed between said fixed and movable tool holders when said tool holders are spaced apart, said holding means being adapted to receive a connector in an orientation in which said rows of contact receiving portions extend normally of said path and said rows are opposed to said tool holders, said connector holding means being in engagement with said guide means, resilient means interposed between sAid connector holding means and each of said tool holders, said resilient means normally maintaining said connector holding means spaced from said fixed tool holder and maintaining said movable tool holder spaced from said connector holding means, actuating means for moving said movable tool holder towards said connector holding means and towards said fixed tool holder means with concomitant compression of said resilient means, wire locating jig means on said connector holding means for locating wires proximate to said contact receiving portions with the axes of said wires extending normally of said path and normally of said rows and, wire insertion means on each of said tool holders, said wire insertion means comprising insertion punches directed towards connector holding means and being effective, upon relative movement thereof towards said connector holding means, to insert wires into said wire-receiving portions, whereby, upon locating wires in said wire jig means, mounting a connector in said connector holding means and upon moving said movable tool holding means along said path towards said fixed tool holding means, said connector holding means is moved against said fixed tool holding means and said movable tool holding means moves against said connector holding means, and said wires are inserted into said wire receiving portions of said terminals.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including shearing means for trimming said conductors during movement of said conductors into said conductor-receiving portions of said contact terminals, said shearing means comprising a movable shearing edge on each of said insertion tool means and a fixed shearing edge extending beside each of said rows in a connector mounted in said connector holding means.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including shearing means for trimming said conductors during movement of said conductors into said conductor-receiving portions of said contact terminals, said shearing means comprising a movable shearing edge on each of said insertion tool means and a fixed shearing edge means extending beside each of said rows in a connector mounted in said connector holding means, said fixed shearing edge means being on said connector holder.