Patents by Inventor Keith L. Nicholas

Keith L. Nicholas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9331447
    Abstract: A crimping apparatus includes a ram having crimp tooling for crimping a terminal to a wire during a crimp stroke and a force sensor detecting a crimp force during the crimp stroke. The crimping apparatus also includes a controller that monitors the crimp quality of a crimp based on a frequency profile of the crimp. Optionally, the controller may create the frequency profile based on a force profile using a frequency transform algorithm. The frequency transform algorithm may be a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: John D. Charlton, Keith L. Nicholas, Robert A. Dubler
  • Publication number: 20120137486
    Abstract: A crimping apparatus includes a ram having crimp tooling for crimping a terminal to a wire during a crimp stroke and a force sensor detecting a crimp force during the crimp stroke. The crimping apparatus also includes a controller that monitors the crimp quality of a crimp based on a frequency profile of the crimp. Optionally, the controller may create the frequency profile based on a force profile using a frequency transform algorithm. The frequency transform algorithm may be a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: JOHN D. CHARLTON, KEITH L. NICHOLAS, ROBERT A. DUBLER
  • Patent number: 6900610
    Abstract: The invention is a system for controlling the position of a movable member moved by a prime mover by monitoring the position of the movable member; generating position information based upon this monitoring; and controlling the prime mover based upon the position information by providing a counter force to the movable member substantially equal to an opposing force opposing the movement of the movable member. The invention may include a movable member, such as a ram used for fastening a terminal to a wire; a spring; a DC planetary gear motor for providing a force to the movable member opposing the spring; a position detector, such as an linear voltage displacement transducer, to detect the position of the movable member and generate position information; and a controller, which may include a logic board or microprocessor and memory, for controlling the force from the motor in response to the position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Gary L. Deck, Douglas S. Pfautz, Keith L. Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20040232871
    Abstract: The invention is a system for controlling the position of a movable member moved by a prime mover by monitoring the position of the movable member; generating position information based upon this monitoring; and controlling the prime mover based upon the position information by providing a counter force to the movable member substantially equal to an opposing force opposing the movement of the movable member. The invention may include a movable member, such as a ram used for fastening a terminal to a wire; a spring; a DC planetary gear motor for providing a force to the movable member opposing the spring; a position detector, such as an linear voltage displacement transducer, to detect the position of the movable member and generate position information; and a controller, which may include a logic board or microprocessor and memory, for controlling the force from the motor in response to the position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Gary L. Deck, Douglas S. Pfautz, Keith L. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 5115560
    Abstract: A machine for inserting terminals (12) into housings (10) on an electrical device (4) comprises an inserting apparatus (34) in combination with a turntable assembly (32). The turntable assembly comprises a main turntable (38) and a plurality of secondary turntables (40) on the main turntable. The secondary turntables (40) are individually rotatable with respect to the main turntable (38) so that an electrical device (4) mounted on a secondary turntable (40) can be reoriented thereby to permit a wide variety of insertion operations to be performed on the device, for example, where the terminals (12) must be inserted into housings (10) arranged in two or more rows. The secondary turntables can be rotated to position each row in alignment with the fixed insertion machine (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: David J. Erb, Keith L. Nicholas, Howard C. Phillips, John M. Wasilko