Abstract: A movable working head carries a pair of drive rollers, an insertion quill, and a routing nozzle that are manipulated so that a first terminal on one end of a wire is grasped between the rollers and inserted into the quill which is then inserted partly into a connector aperture. The rollers are rotated to drive the wire and terminal through the quill into an engaged position within the connector, terminal insertion is tested, and the insertion quill is replaced with the routing nozzle so that the working head can traverse a harness routing path with the rollers and nozzle sliding freely along the length of the wire towards its other end. Near the second end of the wire, the rollers grasp the second terminal pin, rotate with the pin 180.degree. about an axis parallel to the roller axes and are moved to insert this terminal pin into the insertion quill so that the working head may move the quill and rollers to a second connector.

Abstract: A wire harness is partly assembled by winding a number of wires on individual reels, fixing terminal pins to the wire ends, stacking the reels in the carousel support, upon which a multiple pin connector is mounted, and withdrawing individual wires for conection to the connector. A spindle extending through all wire reels is detachably connected to a support bar to enable the entire stack of reels with the wire thereon to be handled as a unitary assembly. The reels are stacked flat upon each other because the reel hubs are thicker to accommodate enlargement of reel peripheries as wire projects from the reels.

Abstract: A movable working head carries a pair of drive rollers, an insertion quill, and a routing nozzle that are manipulated so that a first terminal on one end of a wire is grasped between the rollers and inserted into the quill which is then inserted partly into a connector aperture. The rollers are rotated to drive the wire and terminal through the quill into an engaged position within the connector, terminal insertion is tested, and the insertion quill is replaced with the routing nozzle so that the working head can traverse a harness routing path with the rollers and nozzle sliding freely along the length of the wire towards its other end. Near the second end of the wire, the rollers grasp the second terminal pin, rotate with the pin 180.degree. about an axis parallel to the roller axes and are moved to insert this terminal pin into the insertion quill so that the working head may move the quill and rollers to a second connector.

Abstract: Electrically conductive wires, to be connected to multiple terminal connectors and assembled in a wire harness, are prepared for harness assembly by winding individual wires on a reel, cutting each wire to length with both ends of the wire protruding in aligned but opposite directions from the reel, transporting the reel and wound wire by grasping the protruding ends in conveyor mounted clamps, and presenting the wire ends to stripping and terminal attachment machines as the conveyor carries the reel mounted wire. Each piece of wire remains on its individual reel for storage and handling of stacks of reels, and for manipulation of the wire during its placement in a wire harness.

Abstract: A scanning laser beam is directed in a circular scanning pattern, perpendicular to the surface of a part that moves across the scan pattern. Reflected light received solely from part edges or other surface discontinuities is compared with a number of preselected threshold levels. When reflection intensity attains any one of the selected threshold levels, an event is triggered, and the beam position at the time of the event, together with the intensity level triggering the event, are recorded, so as to provide information limited to the part edges and other surface discontinuities.

Abstract: Three-dimensional information and a three-dimensional display of the surface of an object is provided by a scanning laser beam mounted on a high-speed rotating disc to repetitively scan across an object transported below the disc upon a moving carrier. Light reflected from the object surface back along the axis of the scanning beam is detected to indicate surface characteristics, such as reflection intensity. Positions of the projected beam in the course of its scanning rotation and of the carrier in the course of its transport motion are detected to generate signals that define the XY position of the scanning beam. Light of the projected energy beam, as reflected from the object at an angle to the beam axis, is imaged by a second lens upon a linear detector array, whereby the position of the image along the linear detector array will indicate elevation of the reflecting area along the axis of the projected beam.