Apparatus and method for forming wires on a wire-receiving member

• US 3,907,007 A
• Filed: 01/23/1974
• Issued: 09/23/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Billy H. Hobbs, Gary P. Krahmer, Virgil W. Wood
• Inventors: Hobbs, Billy H., Krahmer, Gary P., Wood, Virgil W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Lowell A.
• Application Number:
  US05/436,017
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 140/92.1,93 29/2A,23B,23MW,241 317/122 214/1,1.1 226/92,110 254/134.3,134.5
• US Class Current: 140/93.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/01245 using a layout board
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5177 and work-holder for assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors

Abstract

Apparatus for automatically forming wires on a wire-receiving member, such as in the manufacture of harness-type cable, includes a bank of wiring heads, one for each wire or set of wires, and through which the wires extend from respective tensioning devices and supply reels. The wiring heads are releasably mounted on respective seats and a wire positioning device is mounted for movement in X, Y and Z directions. At the start of a cable forming operation, end portions of the wires which extend through the wiring heads are anchored against movement. The wire positioning device, under the direction of a controller, then attaches itself to a selected one of the wiring heads, removes the wiring head from its seat, lays out wire through the wiring head on a cable forming board, including the securing of the wire to an anchor member on the cable forming board at the beginning and completion of the run, returns the wiring head to its seat, and detaches itself from the wiring head. This sequence of operations is repeated by the wire positioning device with the other wiring heads and their associated wires, selectively, until the layout of the cable has been completed.

Claims

1. Apparatus for forming wires in sequence on a wire-receiving member having an array of wiring points defined thereon, utilizing wires mounted on a plurality of respective wire supplies, which comprises:

a a plurality of wiring guides releasably mounted on respective seats and each capable of having at least one wire fed therethrough from a respective one of the wires supplies as said wiring guide is moved through the wiring points on the wire-receiving member in a wire forming operation, said wiring guides being separately movable through the wiring points on the wire-receiving member relative to and independently of each other and the wire supplies;

a wire positioning device movable relative to the wire-receiving member independently of the wire supplies and said wiring guides;

means for releasably attaching a preselected one of said wiring guides to said wire positioning device when said wire positioning device is moved adjacent said wiring guide; and

means for moving said wire positioning device adjacent a preselected one of said wiring guides to attach said wire positioning device to said preselected wiring guide, for then moving said wire positioning device and said attached wiring guide through preselected ones of the wiring points on the wirereceiving member relative to and independently of the wire supplies and said wiring guides remaining on the seats to form the wire through the preselected wiring points in a predetermined pattern, and to return said wiring guide to its respective seat when a wiring operation has been completed.

2. selecting one of the wiring heads and moving the head from an initial position in the bank of wiring heads through preselected ones of the wiring points on the wire-receiving member relative to and independently of other ones of the wiring heads and the wire supply for that wiring head, to lay a respective anchored wire through the preselected ones of the wiring points in a predetermined pattern;

3. Apparatus for forming wires in sequence on a wire-receiving member, as recited in claim 2, in which:

said wire anchoring means includes a row of anchoring members on the wire-receiving member adjacent said wiring guides.

4. repeating steps (2) and (3) with other ones of the wiring heads until a number of the wires have been laid out on the wire-receiving member in a predetermined pattern;

and

5. anchoring a portion of the laid wire to the wire-receiving member;

6. Apparatus for forming wires in sequence on a wire-receiving member, as recited in claim 1, in which:

said means for releasably attaching said wiring guides to said wire positioning device is a mechanical positive-type locking mechanism.

7. severing the laid wire between the wiring head and the latter anchored portion of the wire;

and

8. Apparatus for forming wires in sequence on a wire-receiving member, as recited in claim 7, in which:

said magnetic means are independent permanent magnets; and

said means for releasably attaching said wiring guides to said wire positioning device comprises cooperable second ferromagnetic means and electromagnetic means, the magnetic attraction between said second ferromagnetic means and said electromagnetic means when said electromagnetic means is energized being greater than the magnetic attraction between each of said permanent magnets and said first ferromagnetic means.

9. Apparatus for forming wires in sequence on a wire-receiving member, as recited in claim 1, which further comprises:

means for positively advancing each wire through its respective wiring head during a wire laying operation.

10. Apparatus for forming wires in sequence on a wire-receiving member, as recited in claim 1, which further comprises:

a table for supporting the wire-receiving member; and

means for mounting said wire supplies in fixed positions relative to said table and said wire positioning device.

11. A system for forming harness-type cable on a cable forming board having wire locating members projecting therefrom in an X-Y coordinate grid system, utilizing wires mounted on a plurality of respective wire supplies, which comprises:

a support table for the cable forming board;

a plurality of seats on said support table;

a plurality of wiring guides releasably mounted on respective ones of said seats and each capable of having at least one wire extended through and beyond said wiring guide, from a respective one of the wire supplies, said wiring guides being separately movable over the cable forming board relative to and independently of each other and the wire supplies;

first anchor means fixedly mounted on said support table for anchoring portions of the wires extended beyond said wiring guides against movement;

second anchor means fixedly mounted on the cable forming board for anchoring portions of the wires to the cable forming board;

a wire positioning device movable in X, Y and Z directions relative to the cable forming board and said wire anchoring means independently of the wire supplies and said wiring guides;

means for releasably attaching a preselected one of said wiring guides to said wire positioning device when said wire positioning device is moved adjacent said wiring guide for removal of said wiring guide from its respective seat; and

means for moving said wire positioning device adjacent a preselected one of said wiring guides to attach said wire positioning device to said wiring guide by said releasable attaching means, for moving said wire positioning device and said attached wiring guide over the cable forming board relative to and independently of the wire supplies and said wiring guides remaining on the seats so as to pull the wire extending through said attached wiring guide from its respective wire supply and to form the wire between and about preselected ones of the wire locating members on the cable forming board in a predetermined pattern, for moving the wire positioning device and said attached wiring guide to secure the wire to said second wire anchoring means on the cable formIng board, and to return said wiring guide to its respective seat after the wire has been secured to said second wire anchoring means at the completion of a wiring operation.

12. A system for forming harness-type cable as recited in claim 11, in which:

said means for releasably attaching each of said wiring guides to said wire positioning device includes a locking pin on said wire positioning device movable into an aperture in said wiring guide.

13. A system for forming harness-type cable as recited in claim 11, which further comprises:

sets of cooperable ferromagnetic means and magnetic means on respective ones of said seats and said wiring guides for releasably retaining said wiring guides on said seats.

14. A system for forming harness-type cable as recited in claim 13, in which:

said magnetic means are independent permanent magnets; and

said means for releasably attaching said wiring guides to said wire positioning device comprises second ferromagnetic means on each of said wiring guides and electromagnetic means on said wire positioning device, the magnetic attraction between each of said second ferromagnetic means and said electromagnetic means when said electromagnetic means is energized being greater than the magnetic attraction produced between each of said permanent magnets and said first ferromagnetic means.

15. In an apparatus for forming a cable harness on a cable board having an array of projecting pins, utilizing a plurality of wire supplies:

a frame having a plurality of seats;

a plurality of wiring heads resting in said seats, each of said wiring heads having a guide through which a wire can be projected from a respective one of said wire supplies, with said wiring heads being separately movable over the cable board relative to and independently of each other and said wire supplies;

means for anchoring leading end portions of the wires projecting from the guides;

a drive head movable relative to the cable board independently of said wiring heads and said wire supplies and having a device for selectively coupling one of said wiring heads to said drive head;

means for actuating said coupling device to couple said drive head to selected ones of said wiring heads; and

means for moving said drive head to move each coupled wiring head and guide over the cable board relative to and independently of said wire supplies and said wiring heads remaining on the seats along a path to lay each of the anchored wires between and about said projecting pins on the cable board and then moving each wiring head back to its respective seat, to form a cable harness.

16. In an apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein:

each of said seats includes a pin for supporting the associated wiring head and magnetic means for retaining said wiring head on said support pin.

17. Apparatus for forming wires in sequence on a wire-receiving member having an array of wiring points defined thereon, utilizing wires mounted on a plurality of respective wire supplies, which comprises:

a plurality of wiring guides through each of which at least one wire can be fed from a respective one of the wire supplies as said wiring guide is moved through the wiring points on the wire-receiving member in a wire forming operation, each of said wiring guides being movable through the wiring points relative to and independently of its respective wire supply;

a wire positioning device movable relative to the wirereceiving member independently of the wire supplies and said wiring guides;

means for releasably attaching preselected ones of said wiring guides to said wire positioning device in sequence; and

means for moving said wire positioning device and each of said attached wiring guides through preselected ones of the wiring points on the wire-receiving member relative to and independently of the wire supplies to form the wire through the preselected wiring points in a predetermined pattern.

18. Apparatus for formiNg wires in sequence on a wire-receiving member, as recited in claim 17, in which:

each of said wiring guides is attachable to said wire positioning device by said releasable attaching means for movement with said wire positioning device as an integral unit;

said wiring guides project toward the wire-receiving member such that an end of each wiring guide can direct a wire emanating therefrom toward the wire-receiving member in the forming of the wire; and

said means for moving said wire positioning device and each attached wiring guide can move said wire positioning device and attached wiring guide as an integral unit toward the wirereceiving member to position the wire emanating end of said wiring guide closely adjacent the wire-receiving member during a wire forming operation.

19. In an apparatus for laying diverse runs of wires over a wiring frame having an array of wiring points defined thereon, utilizing a plurality of sources of wire;

a plurality of wiring heads having guides through each of which at least one wire can be fed from a respective one of the sources of wire as said guide is moved through the wiring points on the wiring frame in a wire laying operation, said wiring heads and guides being movable through the wiring points relative to and independently of the sources of wire;

a drive head movable relative to the wiring frame independently of the sources of wire and said wiring heads and having means for selectively coupling said drive head to one of said wiring heads; and

means for moving said drive head and each coupled wiring head through the wiring points on the wiring frame relative to and independently of the sources of wire to move said guide of said coupled wiring head closely adjacent the wiring frame to lay runs of the wire through the wiring points in a predetermined pattern.

20. In an apparatus as deined in claim 19:

means for positively feeding the wire being layed by the movement of the coupled drive and wiring heads.

21. In an apparatus as defined in claim 19:

means responsive to the tension in the layed wire exceeding a predetermined value for interrupting further movement of said drive head.

22. In an apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein:

said coupling means includes an electromagnet for effecting a coupling between said drive head and a selected one of said wiring heads.

23. In a method of manipulating a bank of wiring heads to lay wires extending from respective wire supplies and emanating from the heads in an array of wiring points defined on a wire-receiving member, the steps of:

24. A method of forming wires in any array of wiring points defined on a wire-receiving member, which comprises the steps of:

25. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein:

the leading end portion of each wire initially is anchored at a position removed from the wire-receiving member and then anchored to the wire-receiving member prior to laying the wire on the wire-receiving member; and

the wire subsequently is severed between the thus anchored portions thereof.