Abstract: A crimping apparatus or machine is disclosed in which electrical contacts of any one of a variety of conformations are fed from a receptacle or reservoir which holds a supply of contacts of selected conformation. The contacts are fed seriatim from the receptacle and are oriented and advanced to a crimping mechanism where each contact is selectively crimped to the end of an electrical cable. The receptacle includes a vibratory container which can be supplied with a plurality of contacts in a random array and the container is vibrated whereas the contacts are fed outwardly from the container along a helical path leading from the bottom of the container to an orienting mechanism. The orienting mechanism includes a downwardly inclined ramp connected to the container to be oscillated therewith so that the contacts move down the ramp one at a time due to vibration and gravity toward an advancing mechanism. The advancing mechanism is selectively actuatable and feeds the contacts seriatim to a crimping mechanism.

Abstract: A hand tool is disclosed for assembling or terminating an electrical cable to a terminal connector or the like which has a receptacle portion for receiving the cable. The hand tool includes a pair of hand operated opposing jaws for movement toward and away from each other. One of the jaws of the tool has a relatively rigid bearing plate defining a bearing surface facing the opposing jaw for engaging the terminal connector. The opposing jaw has a stuffer blade for engaging the cable and driving the cable into the receptacle portion of the connector. A resiliently yieldable backing member is sandwiched between the bearing plate and the one jaw to provide yielding movement therebetween to accommodate variable sized terminal connectors positioned between the jaws and to prevent damage to the electrical cable due to possible excessve pressure being applied when the cable is assembled to the connector.