Patents by Inventor Steven A. Houser

Steven A. Houser 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).

  • Publication number: 20200076148
    Abstract: A cable preparation machine includes a frame forming a cable cutting zone and having a cable opening along a cable axis at the cable cutting zone receiving an end of a cable. The cable preparation machine includes a pulley assembly rotatably coupled to the frame about the cable axis, a drive assembly operably coupled to the pulley assembly to rotate the pulley assembly about the cable axis, and a blade assembly operably coupled to the pulley assembly and rotated with the pulley assembly about the cable axis. The blade assembly is configured for cutting an insulator from the end of the cable in a first cutting configuration when the cable is positioned in the cable opening and the blade assembly is configured for cutting a cable braid from the end of the cable in a second cutting configuration when the cable is positioned in the cable opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Michael Morris, Christopher John Gavlak, Gary Lee Deck
  • Patent number: 10581213
    Abstract: Crimp tooling includes an anvil and a wire crimper. The anvil includes a base and a tip with a cradle at the tip for supporting a terminal. The anvil has first and second anvil guide surfaces located relative to the cradle. The wire crimper has first and second legs on opposite sides of a crimp slot that receives the cradle and the terminal supported by the cradle. The wire crimper defines a crimp profile in the crimp slot configured to form the terminal during crimping. The first and second legs have first and second wire crimper guide surfaces, respectively. The first and second wire crimper guide surfaces are configured to engage the first and second anvil guide surfaces, respectively, to guide a position of the wire crimper relative to the anvil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignees: TE Connectivity Corporation, TE Connectivity Corporation GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Morris, Neil Deming, Michael Gerst, Matthew Steven Houser, Alois Conte
  • Publication number: 20200067289
    Abstract: A cable preparation machine includes a blade assembly having a plurality of arms and braid blades mounted to the corresponding arms. The arms and the braid blades are disposed about a cable opening configured to receive an end of a cable therein along a cable axis. The arms are movable relative to each other between retracted positions and advanced positions. The arms move the braid blades closer to each other within the cable opening as the arms are moved from the retracted positions to the advanced positions. The braid blades have edges configured to engage a cable braid of the cable. The braid blades are driven inward by the arms moving to the advanced positions to pinch the cable braid inward against an inner insulator of the cable and flare outward an end of the cable braid forward of the braid blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Gary Lee Deck, Michael Morris, Christopher John Gavlak
  • Patent number: 10522960
    Abstract: A method and system of monitoring crimp quality of a crimp terminal in a hydraulic crimping apparatus. The method includes: determining a pressure of a hydraulic fluid supplied to a hydraulic crimping head of the hydraulic crimping apparatus; determining a flow of the hydraulic fluid supplied to the hydraulic crimping head of the hydraulic crimping apparatus; and analyzing the pressure and the flow of the hydraulic fluid to determine if a crimp is defective or not defective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: TE Connectivity Corporation
    Inventors: Valerie Lynn Amsler, Miguel Alberto Berna-Inzua, Daniel Seabra Lopes, Matthew Steven Houser, Thomas Edward Palmer, Ian Matthias Barnes
  • Patent number: 10256612
    Abstract: A rotary stripping device for a wire includes a support panel having a wire opening configured to receive an end of the wire and a wire stripper mounted to the support panel. The wire stripper includes an actuating wheel and a blade wheel independently movable relative to the actuating wheel. The wheels have wire openings aligned with the wire opening of the support panel to receive the wire. The wire stripper has a stripper blade held by the blade wheel having a cutting edge configured to engage the wire. The wire stripper has an actuator associated with the actuating wheel operably coupled to the stripper blade to move the stripper blade. The actuator causes the stripper blade to move as the actuating wheel is moved relative to the blade wheel to move the cutting edge of the stripper blade relative to the wire opening in the blade wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Christopher John Karrasch
  • Patent number: 10193291
    Abstract: A rotary crimping tool assembly includes a tool housing defining a crimping chamber, and one or more crimp wheels within the crimping chamber. The crimping chamber is configured to receive the portion of the structure in proximity to the crimp wheel(s). The crimp wheel(s) are configured to be pressed into and rotated relative to the portion of the structure to form one or more crimps in the portion of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Robert Neil Mulfinger, John Louis McKibben, Kevin Michael Thackston, Lynn Robert Sipe, Marissa Jayne Feinman, David James Fabian
  • Patent number: 10181366
    Abstract: A tape dispensing tool includes a hub, a fixed holder arm, and an adjustable holder arm. The hub extends through a core of a roll of tape. The fixed holder arm extends from the hub along a first side of the roll of tape and has a fixed orientation relative to the hub. The fixed holder arm includes a first cradle configured to receive a cable bundle therein. The adjustable holder arm extends from the hub along an opposite, second side of the roll of tape. The adjustable holder arm includes a second cradle configured to receive the cable bundle therein. The adjustable holder arm has an adjustable position relative to the hub and the fixed holder arm to select an angular position of the second cradle relative to the first cradle for setting an overlap amount as the tape is applied to the cable bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Chadwick Alan Kerstetter, Christopher John Karrasch
  • Publication number: 20180323565
    Abstract: A method and system of monitoring crimp quality of a crimp terminal in a hydraulic crimping apparatus. The method includes: determining a pressure of a hydraulic fluid supplied to a hydraulic crimping head of the hydraulic crimping apparatus; determining a flow of the hydraulic fluid supplied to the hydraulic crimping head of the hydraulic crimping apparatus; and analyzing the pressure and the flow of the hydraulic fluid to determine if a crimp is defective or not defective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Valerie Lynn AMSLER, Miguel Alberto BERNA-INZUA, Daniel Seabra LOPES, Matthew Steven HOUSER, Thomas Edward PALMER, Ian Matthias BARNES
  • Publication number: 20180309254
    Abstract: Crimp tooling includes an anvil and a wire crimper. The anvil includes a base and a tip with a cradle at the tip for supporting a terminal. The anvil has first and second anvil guide surfaces located relative to the cradle. The wire crimper has first and second legs on opposite sides of a crimp slot that receives the cradle and the terminal supported by the cradle. The wire crimper defines a crimp profile in the crimp slot configured to form the terminal during crimping. The first and second legs have first and second wire crimper guide surfaces, respectively. The first and second wire crimper guide surfaces are configured to engage the first and second anvil guide surfaces, respectively, to guide a position of the wire crimper relative to the anvil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Morris, Neil Deming, Michael Gerst, Matthew Steven Houser, Alois Conte
  • Publication number: 20180090918
    Abstract: A rotary stripping device for a wire includes a support panel having a wire opening configured to receive an end of the wire and a wire stripper mounted to the support panel. The wire stripper includes an actuating wheel and a blade wheel independently movable relative to the actuating wheel. The wheels have wire openings aligned with the wire opening of the support panel to receive the wire. The wire stripper has a stripper blade held by the blade wheel having a cutting edge configured to engage the wire. The wire stripper has an actuator associated with the actuating wheel operably coupled to the stripper blade to move the stripper blade. The actuator causes the stripper blade to move as the actuating wheel is moved relative to the blade wheel to move the cutting edge of the stripper blade relative to the wire opening in the blade wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Christopher John Karrasch
  • Patent number: 9786416
    Abstract: A tape dispensing tool includes holder assembly and an applicator member. The holder assembly has a base portion and a retainer head that are spaced apart by a recess. A leader tape segment extends across the recess from a tape roll held by the base portion to the retainer head. The applicator member is moveably coupled to the holder assembly rearward of the leader tape segment. The applicator member includes a receiving surface and a pressing surface angled relative to one another. The cable bundle forces a proximal portion of the leader tape segment against the receiving surface as the cable bundle is received in the recess, which moves the applicator member. The movement of the applicator member causes the pressing surface to force a distal portion of the leader tape segment against the cable bundle to adhere the leader tape segment to the cable bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chadwick Alan Kerstetter, Matthew Steven Houser
  • Publication number: 20170278597
    Abstract: A tape dispensing tool includes a hub, a fixed holder arm, and an adjustable holder arm. The hub extends through a core of a roll of tape. The fixed holder arm extends from the hub along a first side of the roll of tape and has a fixed orientation relative to the hub. The fixed holder arm includes a first cradle configured to receive a cable bundle therein. The adjustable holder arm extends from the hub along an opposite, second side of the roll of tape. The adjustable holder arm includes a second cradle configured to receive the cable bundle therein. The adjustable holder arm has an adjustable position relative to the hub and the fixed holder arm to select an angular position of the second cradle relative to the first cradle for setting an overlap amount as the tape is applied to the cable bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Chadwick Alan Kerstetter, Christopher John Karrasch
  • Publication number: 20170278598
    Abstract: A tape dispensing tool includes holder assembly and an applicator member. The holder assembly has a base portion and a retainer head that are spaced apart by a recess. A leader tape segment extends across the recess from a tape roll held by the base portion to the retainer head. The applicator member is moveably coupled to the holder assembly rearward of the leader tape segment. The applicator member includes a receiving surface and a pressing surface angled relative to one another. The cable bundle forces a proximal portion of the leader tape segment against the receiving surface as the cable bundle is received in the recess, which moves the applicator member. The movement of the applicator member causes the pressing surface to force a distal portion of the leader tape segment against the cable bundle to adhere the leader tape segment to the cable bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Chadwick Alan Kerstetter, Matthew Steven Houser
  • Patent number: 9680275
    Abstract: A wire singulating device includes a stationary plate and a movable plate that define a wire funnel and a wire channel therebetween. The movable plate is movable relative to the stationary plate to control a width of the wire channel. The wire funnel receives a wire bundle that includes plural wires. The wire channel is below the wire funnel and receives the wires from the wire funnel through a top opening in the wire channel. The wire channel directs the wires one at a time to a take away zone below a bottom opening of the wire channel. A wire transfer member below the bottom opening of the wire channel has a slot that receives the wire in the take away zone. The wire transfer member moves relative to the stationary plate and the movable plate to separate the wire in the slot from the wire bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Matthew Steven Houser
  • Publication number: 20160104993
    Abstract: A method of crimping a structure may include positioning a portion of the structure to be crimped into a crimping chamber of a rotary crimping tool assembly, compressing one or more crimp wheels into the portion of the structure to be crimped, wherein the compressing includes forming one or more initial crimps into the portion of the structure, and rotating the crimp wheel(s) relative to the portion of the structure to form one or more full crimps in the portion of the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Robert Neil Mulfinger, John Louis McKibben, Kevin Michael Thackston, Lynn Robert Sipe, Marissa Jayne Feinman, David James Fabian
  • Publication number: 20160094002
    Abstract: A wire singulating device includes a stationary plate and a movable plate that define a wire funnel and a wire channel therebetween. The movable plate is movable relative to the stationary plate to control a width of the wire channel. The wire funnel receives a wire bundle that includes plural wires. The wire channel is below the wire funnel and receives the wires from the wire funnel through a top opening in the wire channel. The wire channel directs the wires one at a time to a take away zone below a bottom opening of the wire channel. A wire transfer member below the bottom opening of the wire channel has a slot that receives the wire in the take away zone. The wire transfer member moves relative to the stationary plate and the movable plate to separate the wire in the slot from the wire bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventor: Matthew Steven Houser
  • Patent number: 9209585
    Abstract: A crimping tool includes a frame holding first and second crimping dies within a crimping zone. The frame has an opening providing access to the crimping zone. A ram is coupled to the first die and is configured to drive the first die toward the second die. A swinging arm is rotatably coupled to the frame between an open position and a closed position. The swinging arm closes the opening in the frame when in the closed position. The swinging arm has a pivot end pivotably coupled to the frame and a distal end opposite to the pivot end. The distal end engages the frame when in the closed position. A biasing member coupled to the swinging arm to bias the swinging arm toward the closed position to close the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Eric Douglas Springston, II
  • Patent number: 8555933
    Abstract: A wire untwisting tool includes a housing having a wire gripping end, an actuation end and a cavity. A plunger is received in the cavity. The plunger is movable between a retracted position and an actuated position and includes a gripping head movable with the plunger between the retracted position and the actuated position. The gripping head is configured to hold the twisted pair of wires in the retracted position, wherein rotation of the housing in an untwisting direction untwists the wires. Optionally, the wire may be fixedly held remote from the gripping end, and the housing may be rotated about the location at which the wire is fixedly held.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Richard Lloyd Schaeffer
  • Patent number: 8438974
    Abstract: A pressing device includes a work head having a work head body holding a tool and a mating end. The pressing device includes an actuator having an actuator body holding a hydraulic pump that is operable to drive the tool. The actuator has a mating end. The pressing device includes an interconnect assembly including a hydraulic hose having first and second couplings at both ends of the hydraulic hose for mating with the mating ends of the actuator and the work head, respectively. The interconnect assembly is removable and the work head is configured to be directly coupled to the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: David Michael Stull, David Alan College, David Joseph Erb, Matthew Steven Houser
  • Patent number: 8316763
    Abstract: A pressing tool includes a tool body having a working end, an actuator held by the tool body and operated during a pressing operation, and a disabling device operable to stop the hydraulic actuator during the pressing operation, wherein the actuator is disabled and locked in a disabled position after the disabling device is operated. Optionally, the disabling device may be configured to be reset to a normal operation position by a key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Donald William Wright, David Michael Stull