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: Apparatus for connecting electrical connectors to a flat multi-conductor cable comprises a work table on which are arranged a connector orienting assembly for placing electrical connectors at loading locations in different selected vertical and lengthwise orientations, a press for connecting the connectors to the cable by forcing the cable conductors into conductor receiving portions of terminals of the connectors, an assembly for feeding the cable intermittently through the press, a shuttle for receiving connectors from the loading locations and being movable intermittently along a path extending between the orienting assembly and the press, rams for loading connectors from the loading locations into the shuttle and an insertion assembly for driving the connectors from the shuttle into the press.

Abstract: Machine for interconnecting wire-in-slot type terminals in connectors mounted on a panel board utilizes a wire feed roll, rotatable insertion tooling, and an X-Y table. Wire is fed vertically through a rotation housing past wire inserters mounted above an aperture in a rotary plate. Wires are positioned for termination by wire feeding and movement of the X-Y table on which the panel board is mounted. Independently pivotable idler wheels cooperate with the feed roll to engage one or two wires. Insertion is effected by downward movement of the rotation housing which drives the inserters through the aperture in the rotary plate. The rotation housing is moved by pivoting a yoke with a variable pivot point to change limits of travel and therefore insertion depth. The plate, inserters, and rotation housing may be rotated to four orthogonal orientations to insert wires in terminals having like orientations.