Abstract: Apparatus for inserting components into a workpiece comprises a rotary disc cam having first and second communicating endless superposed, cam tracks for receiving a cam follower connected to a tool holder carrying a component insertion tool. Rotation of the disc cam drives to the tool through a component inserting stroke and a return stroke. Over tool driving lobes thereof, the cam tracks are offset from each other radially of the axis of rotation of the disc cam. The cam follower is carried by a slide in the tool holder, the slide being connected to a drive unit which is actuable selectively to move the slide between a first position in which the cam follower is engaged in one of the cam tracks and a second position in which it is engaged in the other. By virtue of the offset of the cam tracks, the component is inserted more deeply into workpiece in the second position of the slide than in the first.

Abstract: The apparatus is for terminating wires (W) to terminals (8) in a connector housing (4), for shearing from the housing (4), a cover (14) which is hinged thereto and for placing the cover (14) on the housing (4) to cover the connections. The connector housing (4) is conveyed by means of a first shuttle (50) to a cover shearing station (CS) at which the cover (14) is sheared from the housing (4) and is driven into a second shuttle (84). The first shuttle (50) is then moved to a terminating station (TS) at which wires are terminated to the terminals (8) by tooling (130) after which the second shuttle (84) is moved to the terminating station (TS) and the tooling (130) is operated to drive the severed cover (14) from the second shuttle (84) onto the connector housing (4).

Abstract: An electrical connector pick-up station for use, for example, with a pick and place robot having a pick-up head for picking up electrical connectors and for placing them on a circuit board, comprises a base, upon which is mounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis, a support frame for a magazine containing a supply of electrical connectors. A support surface for the magazine is provided nearest one end of the upper side of the frame and a connector locating comb is provided at the opposite end of the frame. Between the magazine support surface and the comb are ribs for guiding connectors from the magazine towards the comb. The ribs are spaced from the comb and the connectors are arranged to be guided between the ribs and the comb by guide slots in which terminal tails depending from the connectors engage.

Abstract: Apparatus (24) for feeding electrical connectors from slide packs (SP), to a pick and place robot (2), comprises an elevator (44) which is raised to pick the lowermost pack (SP') from a stack of packs (SP) in a magazine (36). The elevator (44) is then lowered into a connector feed position in which a ram (54) on a flexible chain (52) is run step by step through the pack (SP') on the elevator (44) to place each connector (C) in the pack (SP'), in turn, at a pick-up station (26) to be picked up by the robot (2). When the pack (SP') on the elevator (44) has been emptied of connectors (C), the elevator (44) is raised and the ram (54) is advanced in one stroke beneath pack (SP') on the elevator (44) and a latch (56) on the ram (54) rises to engage the end of the empty pack (SP') nearest to the pick-up station (26). The ram (54) is then retracted, in one stroke, to eject the empty pack (SP') from the apparatus (24).

Abstract: A pick-up head (20) for a robot (2), comprises a body (28) having a plate (30) for attachment to the Z-axis shaft (18) of the robot (2). Two pick-up arms (34), pivotally attached to the body (2) each carry a riveting tool (26). The tools (26) are driven through a working stroke by a piston and cylinder drive unit (52) on the body (2), against the action of return springs (82). The tools (26) are inserted by the robot (2) lowering the pick-up head (20), into rivets at the ends of the leading electrical connector (25') at a pick-up station (21) and are arranged to be releasably secured to the rivets to allow the robot (2) to transfer the connector (24') to a circuit board (19) and to insert projecting ends of the rivets into holes in the board (10). The drive unit (52) is then actuated to cause the tools (26) to expand the projecting ends of the rivets, the tools (26) are released from the rivets, and the pick-up head (20) is raised by the robot (2).

Abstract: Multicontact electrical connector comprises a connector housing which has one part that is movable in a perpendicular direction to the housing axis. The terminal receiving cavities extend through the movable part and through the relatively fixed part. When the movable part is in one position, the terminals can be inserted into the cavities. When the movable part is moved to another position, a shoulder is formed in each cavity which prevents removal of the terminals from the cavities. The two parts are each plastic moldings and can be assembled to each other in a simple assembly operation.

Abstract: The ultrasonic energy applied to a workpiece to be welded in an ultrasonic welding operation, over a predetermined welding time, is measured by processing the output of a load cell beneath the workpiece to produce a signal voltage for comparison with a predetermined reference voltage corresponding to the accumulated ultrasonic energy that should have been applied to the workpiece during said predetermined time to satisfactorily weld the workpiece. A one-shot timer is started at the commencement of the welding operation. If the comparison reveals that signal voltage has reached the reference voltage before the timer has run out, a success signal is generated to indicate the completion of the welding operation.

Abstract: Belt conveyor comprises first and second endless belts in side-by-side relationship which move in opposite directions. Articles such as connector housings are loaded onto the first belt at its first end and carried towards the second end of the first belt. The articles may be in either of two stable attitudes. A sorting guide extends transversely across the first belt and separates the articles in the second stable attitude from those in the first attitude, the articles in the second attitude being pushed onto the second belt. The articles pushed onto the second belt are carried to the first end of the second belt and transferred laterally to the first end of the first belt. The attitudes of the articles transferred are changed during transfer so that they are then in the first stable attitude.

Abstract: An electrical connector, especially for making connection to a fine, varnish insulated wire, comprises a terminal and a housing for receiving it. The wire is carried in slots in the housing. The terminal comprises a pair of wire gripping plates which are urged resiliently together in contiguous relationship. As the terminal is inserted into the housing, the plates are initially cammed apart by wedges in the housing so that the wire is received between the plates. Upon full insertion of the terminal, the wedges enter notches in the plates so that the latter resile to grip the wire the insulation of which is pierced by serrations on one of the plates. Frictional wear on the wire is thereby avoided.

Abstract: Electrical continuity between an electrical terminal and a metal core of an insulated electrical lead is tested for, by supplying substantially identical oscillatory signals to the arms of a two-arm bridge circuit, the arms of which are connected to respective inlets of a differential amplifier, the arms being grounded through capacitances and a ground plane existing in the vicinity of the lead. If there is electrical continuity between the terminal and said core, the capacitance between the core and the ground plane causes imbalance between the signal inputs that are applied by the bridge circuit to the differential amplifier to cause it to emit a continuity success signal.

Abstract: Wire jig intended for use in a wire processing machine comprises a plurality of wire clamps in side-by-side aligned positions forming a stack. The stack is supported on a frame and the individual clamps are movable laterally from the stack in a direction parallel to the axes of wires held in the stack. Each clamp has a first actuator engaging portion which is engageable by a first actuator for sliding the individual clamp from its aligned position to its extended position.

Abstract: An electrical connector pick-up station for use in feeding electrical connectors from a magazine into an electrical connector transfer nest, for transfer to a work station, comprises a cable supporting the magazine, a seat for the nest having guide rollers for guiding the nest onto the seat, and a feed ram which is movable under the base of the magazine to insert a connector into the nest. The ram is provided with an end for engaging the connector to insert it, and a guide plate extending beyond that end for guiding the connector into a predetermined position in the nest, in which position it is releasably latched in the nest. Where the connectors are provided with mating covers, the guide plate acts as a separator which extends between the connector and its cover so that these are inserted into the nest in properly spaced relationship.

Abstract: Apparatus for deploying end portions of an insulated signal wire and ground wires juxtaposed therewith, to locate said wire end portions in respective wire receiving channels of electrical contacts on opposite sides of an insulating electrical connector body, comprises means for combing out the wire end portions into parallel relationship, means for pushing back the insulation from the end portion of the signal wire and for splaying the wire end portions in opposite directions to locate them so as to straddle the connector body and means for wiping each wire end portion into a respective one of the wire receiving channels.

Abstract: Apparatus for clinching rivets on electrical connectors to the bottom of a circuit board, comprises a frame in which a shuttle for supporting the board is movable along a rectilinear horizontal path by means of a robot which places the connectors on the board. Two jaw carriages provided with rivet clinching jaws are mounted in the frame beneath the shuttle for movement towards and away from one another by means of cam tracks on the shuttle and cam follower rails on the jaw carriages. The cam tracks are so shaped that the clinching jaws will clinch the rivets where the connectors are placed on the board in longitudinally offset relationship according to the program of the robot. Each jaw carriage has a jaw drive unit thereon which is operated to open and close the jaws according to the robot program.

Abstract: An electrical connector pickup station for long electrical connectors, comprises an escapement assembly for receiving connectors from a gravity feed magazine and which is mounted above a base plate so as to be inclined in a vertical plane. A connector locating assembly, also mounted on the base plate, is pivotable and translatable between a first inclined position in alignment with the escapement assembly to receive a connector therefrom, and a second horizontal position in which the connector can be picked up from the locating assembly by the jaws of a robot or pick-and-place machine. A device is provided for securing the connector in the locating assembly during its movement.

Abstract: Apparatus for assembling electrical connectors to multi-conductor insulated cables, comprises a table which is movable along a first path past a fixed cable clamp, the table carrying a cable stripper assembly and a connector applicator assembly, which are independently movable on the table along paths perpendicular to the second path. The table and the two assemblies are arranged to be moved cyclically so that first a cable held by the cable clamp has the insulation stripped from an end portion thereof by the stripper assembly, whereafter a connector previously fed to the applicator is applied to the end of the cable. The stripper assembly may have cable shield slitting means and the applicator may have cable shield folding back means.

Abstract: A robot pick-up head for an electrical connector with a hollow rivet at each end, comprises a body for attachment to the Z axis shaft of a robot. In the body are a pair of spring loaded pins, one on each side of the Z axis, and between the pins, is a spring loaded vacuum block. The pins terminate in tapered spigots for insertion into the hollow rivets. When the connector is to be picked up, the spigots are inserted into the rivets with the full force of the robot so that if the rivets are initially canted with respect to the connector, the rivets are straightened. The vacuum block then engages the housing of the connector and is evacuated so that the connector is picked up as the robot shaft rises. The loading springs of the vacuum block are softer than those of the pins so that the connector housing is not damaged when it is engaged by the vacuum block.

Abstract: Electrical harnesses comprising wires having a multi-contact connector on one end and discrete terminals on the free ends of the wires are produced by feeding individual wires, cutting a lead from the fed wire, moving the cut ends laterally to terminating zones, and attaching a terminal to one cut end and connecting the other cut end to a terminal in a multi-contact connector. The process is then repeated until wires have been connected to all of the terminals in the connector. An apparatus is also described for carrying out the method.

Abstract: Apparatus for orienting elongate bodies, for example electrical connectors, comprises magazines for containing vertical stacks of the elongate bodies, escapement slides for releasing one body at a time from each magazine, as required, first and second slidable traps mounted beneath the escapement slides and having an advanced, body supporting position and a retracted body release position, and guide surfaces on the escapement slides for guiding each body as it falls from a magazine, so that it lies across both of the traps when they are in their body supporting position. A pair of receptacles are slidably mounted on a carriage beneath the traps so that either of these receptacles can be positioned to receive a body released by the traps. If one trap is first retracted, the body will fall into the receptacle in one vertical orientation and if the other trap is first retracted, the body will fall into the receptacle in the opposite vertical orientation.

Abstract: An insulating housing has therein a sealing ring having a central peripheral groove. An electrical terminal connected to an electrical lead can be inserted into the housing through a bore in a cap in the housing and through sealing. The cap can then be driven inwardly of the housing to compress the sealing ring and thus to collapse it, to cause the sealing ring to form a seal between the housing and the lead, the cap being retained in its inward position by the engagement of lugs on the cap in windows in the housing.