Abstract: Wire carrier and loading apparatus for use with a robot-arm-manipulated wire routing tool in the fabrication of wire harnesses. The wire carrier assembly and associated drive assembly include means for jointly grasping the end of the wire as it is inserted into the wire carrier and winding the wire onto the spool of the carrier.

Abstract: A system for accepting conventional wire in bulk form, cutting the wire into predetermined lengths and preparing the ends of the wire for use in conventional wire harnesses is disclosed. More specifically, the system accepts as input data, in digital form, which fully describes each wire to be formed. Individual wires having the required length are cut from wire provided in bulk form. As each section of wire is measured and cut, it is stored in individual containers and the ends of each section is secured by a clamp. A transport system sequentially transports the stored wires to workstations where conventional wire preparation tasks such as stripping, marking and attachment of terminals are performed. After all wire preparation functions have been performed, the individual wires are removed from their containers and utilized in forming wire harnesses.

Abstract: An automated flexible manufacturing system for fabricating electrical cable harness assemblies. The system includes a wire preparation system in which the wires are cut to length, provided with the desired electrical terminations and marked for identification under the control of computing means to which wire harness data is fed. The prepared wires are transported to an automated cable harness assembly system which is also controlled from computing means to which the wire harness data is fed.

Abstract: Contact insertion and wire lay apparatus for manufacture of wire harnesses which provides for insertion of a contact affixed to the trailing end of a wire segment after wire lay. The invention provides for gripping a wire segment while the segment is caused to lay in a desired configuration. A pair of sets of tip jaws enable forward and trailing end contacts of the wire segment to be inserted into selected contact holding devices. In addition, the apparatus is arranged to facilitate lateral receipt and rejection of the wire segments.