Automatic pairing machine for automotive cable with electronic control and torsion method

• US 6,286,563 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Servicios Condumex S.A. De C.V
• Original Assignee: Servicios Condumex S.A. De C.V
• Inventors: Espinoza, Alfonso Gomez, Mosqueda, Florencio Orozco, Camacho, Oscar Suarez
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Lowell A.
• Application Number:
  US09/460,101
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 140/115, 140/149
• US Class Current: 140/149
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/0207 Details; Auxiliary devices

Abstract

An automatic automotive cable braiding or pairing machine that does not require special foundation or anchoring for its mounting where in the design of its arrangements consisting of: clamp operated by a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator; a pneumatic-type pressing device or fastener that permits the torsion of cables in cut segments with constant pitches and operates with different gauges; and a tailstock element with terminal holders system that operates with an actuator; and sensor, protection and control electronic elements; and a torsion method.

Claims

1. An electrically controlled automatic pairing machine for automotive cable, comprising:

an elongated rigid bench housing having a metal cover platform, the platform having a left end and a right end, a pair of guide bars between the left end and the right end, the left end having an electric control panel, the right end having an electric bottom panel, and a shuttle motor, the shuttle motor providing longitudinal movement along the pair of guide bars to a shuttle located on the platform;

a first module on a left end of the housing having a hollow shaft accommodating a revolving clamping element operated by an actuator for fastening an end of a pair of cables and for applying torsion to cause pairing;

a second pressing module on the platform located between the clamping element and a tailstock, the pressing module having longitudinal movement along the pair of guide bars through the shuttle for maintaining parallelism of the pair of cable immediately before pairing and for protecting the tailstock from the applied torsion of the clamping element, keeping the torsion between the clamping element and the pressing module; and

,

a third module adjustable in any position along the platform, located opposite the clamping element on the same platform, comprising the tailstock, an electromechanical arrangement of a system of converging terminals, having terminal holders longitudinally moving along the pair of guide bars for fastening an opposite end of the pair of cables, individually compensating the torsion generated by the clamping element and, through a pneumatic actuator, keep the pair of cables under constant torsion and compensate for shrinking of the cables during the pairing process.

2. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the guide bars are located symmetrically lengthwise throughout the platform.

3. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the actuator is axially assembled on the hollow shaft through an opening coupling.

4. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the actuator closes the clamping element through an internal adjustable spring and opens the clamping element by pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical means.

5. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the hollow shaft is mounted on two bearings actuated by a set of pulley, a synchronized flat trapezoidal belt and a clamp motor for movement transmission.

6. The pairing machine of claim 1 further comprising an actuator axle on a center of the hollow shaft.

7. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the revolving speed of the clamping element and movement of the shuttle determines a pairing pitch of the cable.

8. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the pressing module is a C type structure with a main frame supported on an adjustable base, the base having a set of rolls displaced through a bearing and actuated by a pneumatic actuator for catching and fastening the pair of cables between them.

9. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the pressing module is mounted on the shuttle, the shuttle having wheels that move along the guide bars and actuated by the motor and a set of dented pulley to provide movement of the shuttle through a continuous timing belt.

10. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the shuttle has two basic positions, a home position next to the clamping element and an end positioned determined by a final position of the tailstock, both positions controlled by cams, a cam on an upper part of the shuttle to activate an end microswitch position and a cam at a back part of the shuttle to activate an electric element of a home microswitch sensor.

11. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the shuttle has a rubber bumper on a front of the shuttle.

12. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the tailstock has an L type structure fastened to a dragging plate on a track with slides that moves longitudinally along the platform.

13. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the tailstock has on an end opposite the terminal holders, a pneumatic actuator and an end run microswitch sensor.

14. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein a inotor on an upper end of the tailstock transmit movement to the terminal holders through a pulley arrangement on a belt.

15. The pairing machine of claim 14 wherein the motor induces movement to two universal joints through a triangular pulley arrangement.

16. The pairing machine of claim 15 wherein the universal joints have interchangeable terminal holders mounted outwardly and in converging arrangement where different types of terminals are inserted.

17. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein a pressure regulator adjusts the tension exerted by the tailstock.

18. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the electric control panel provides a process for controlling the movements and the electric protection of the shuttle, the clamping element, and the tailstock.

19. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the electric control panel has a right end and a left end, the right end containing dialogue switches including 6 pulsators, the left end having 4 pulsators, the pulsators used for operating and stopping the shuttle, the clamping element, and the tailstock.

20. The pairing machine of claim 1 wherein the terminal holders have a pair of grooved and interchangeable ends that must be fitted on the tailstock.

21. The pairing machine of claim 1 further comprising a rigid frame on the third module on which the tailstock slides to compensate for the shrinking of the paired cables.

22. The pairing machine of claim 1 further comprising a tailstock potentiometer to control the tailstock revolutions.

23. The pairing machine of claim 1 further comprising an indicator ring for constantly registering the maximum shrinking position of the cable.

24. A method of torsion for automotive cables in a braiding or pairing machine described in claim 1, comprising the steps of:

placing a shuttle at the left end of the pairing machine and actuating a HOME microswitch with a clamp and pressing device in an open position;

placing and fitting a pair of cables in the pairing machine from a tailstock and inserting one cable terminal in each terminal holder, leading each cable till an end of the clamp;

aligning ends of the cables on grooves on the inner faces of the clamp and actuating a push button CLOSE CLAMP after checking for correct insertion;

pushing a LOWER PRESSING DEVICE button and checking for fastening within the grooves or passage formed by a set of rolls;

pressing an INITIATE CYCLE press button to begin the simultaneous rotation of the clamp and terminal holders, the clamp rotating in opposite sense relative to the tailstock and to initiate movement of the shuttle towards the right;

actuating an END microswitch and stopping all motors when the shuttle coincides with the tailstock which at an instant later automatically releases the pressing device and the clamp;

removing the paired cables from a side of the tailstock; and

pressing RETURN shuttle to return the shuttle in its starting position thereby making the machine available for another pairing cycle.