Electric terminal carrier tape and method of manufacture

• US 3,920,121 A
• Filed: 04/13/1972
• Issued: 11/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James E. Miller
• Original Assignee: James E. Miller
• Inventors: Miller, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lesmes, George F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thibodeau, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US05/243,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 161/149,110,109,113,118,114 156/293,298 206/46ED,51,328,330 339/276SF 16/108
• US Class Current: 206/714
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24314 Slit or elongated

Abstract

A carrier tape for electric terminals and method of manufacture wherein a strip is deformed along one edge to conformably receive the heads of terminals with the ferrules extending beyond the strip edge, and means is provided for releasably securing the terminal heads to the strip.

Claims

1. A tape for carrying electric terminals which include noncircular enlarged head and reduced ferrule parts, said tape comprising a flexible strip of deformable material having a plurality of deformations formed in said tape along a side edge thereof, said deformations being embossed portions communicating with said tape side edge and specifically configured noncircular to receive therein conformably the terminal head parts with the respective ferrule parts extending laterally of the strip from the embossed portions beyond the side edge of said strip for assembly with a conductor, securing means extending along said strip to cover said embossed portions and said head parts for releasably securing said head parts to said strip, and feeding means on said strip for receiving a drive for feeding the strip with said terminals to an assembly location, said strip having cuts adjacent to said embossed portions to enable embossment without distorting the rectitude of said strip.

2. A tape according to claim 1, wherein embossed portions have a reduced dimension at said one side edge to reinforce retention of said head parts by said strip against lateral displacement.

3. A tape according to claim 1, said securing means comprising a flexible layer secured in overlying relation with said strip and head parts.

4. A tape according to claim 1, said feeding means comprising sprocket formations for feeding of said tape in a predetermined timed relation.

5. A tape according to claim 1, said embossed portions being defined by protrusions arranged to conformably engage said head parts and positively restrain the latter against swinging movement relative to said strip.

6. A tape according to claim 1, said embossed portions each being defined by a strip region contiguous to said strip side edge configured conformable to a terminal head part and offset in one direction from the plane of the strip to provide a terminal head part receiving pocket, said strip regions being offset no more than the thickness of the received terminal head parts to present the latter flush with or projecting beyond the plane of said strip, and said securing means comprising a covering adhesively secured to said strip and terminal head parts.