Abstract: In apparatus for the manufacture of mineral insulated cable by a continuous process in which the tubular sheath is formed by bending and seam welding travelling metal strip, and insulating powder is fed through a powder delivery tube into the sheath while the latter is travelling vertically downwards, the conductor wires are introduced into the sheath down the outside of the powder delivery tube through guide means which may include, for a wire adjacent to the seam, a tube having an aperture in its wall adjacent to the weld area. Excess heat is removed from the weld area by either a wire or an air gap adjacent to the weld. When the sheath is formed of an oxidizable metal such as copper, means are provided for delivering a continuous stream of rare gas to the underside of the weld area. Various configurations of the powder/wire delivery system are described.

Abstract: A stepped combination apparatus comprises transferring means for moving a bundle of component wires arranged in plural rows and plural lines in the longitudinal direction; pushing means for pushing the component wires to the line direction to put out a component wire at the opposite side; shifting means for shifting the component wire which is put out by the pushing means, to the other row; and stepped-bending means for stepped-bending the component wire which is put out. The operation time can be significantly shortened and a U-shape bundle of component wires can be treated by the apparatus.

Abstract: A radiation absorbing cone (34) affixed to an infrared pyrometer (31) has a pair of lateral apertures (36--36) therein through which a continuously moving heated wire (11) passes. The cone (34) blocks stray ambient radiation while substantially eliminating any reflected radiation from the wire (11) from impinging on the pyrometer (31) to provide an accurate and repeatable measurement of the wire temperature.

Abstract: The disclosure is of a grooved drum carrying an insulating strip, to which is secured a plurality of turns of an insulated wire wound helically on the drum. Inside the drum is mounted a longitudinal shaft which carries a series of spaced-apart cutting blades, and means are provided for moving the shaft by increments longitudinally to position the cutting blades behind different groups of wires. At each position, the knife assembly is rotated and the blades cut a group of spaced-apart wires which are joined together to provide a plurality of groups of wires.

Abstract: Apparatus for efficiently producing a wire fin tube for heat transfer which comprises fin-forming means for shaping a plurality of wires to a wavy shape, said fin-forming means including a pair of gears; means for guiding the wavy wires in an upstanding state including guide plates spaced apart a selected distance; means for feeding a revolving tube in a crossing direction, to the wavy wires so that the wires can be wound on the tube; means for controlling the operative speed relation of the fin forming means and the tube feeding means so that the wavy wires may be helically wound on the tube under a moderate tension so as to maintain the upstanding state and the same pitch as the distance of the guiding means; and means for welding the wire fins to the tube.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying connector terminals to a plurality of leads including tensioning means capable of individually tensioning the leads with a predetermined tension, while being gripped and advanced by clamping means for advancing the leads into a terminal. Also, the clamping means may define a forward end which carries a wire guide plate which, in turn, is adapted to be longitudinally slidable back and forth in the direction of advancement, and is spring-biased into an outward position. The leads pass through apertures of the guide plate for precise positioning, relative to the terminal or terminals. The guide plate is thus retractable to permit the free ends of the leads to project into the terminal. Also, a lead-lengthening probe may be provided.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for hot rolling and treating rod first by depositing the rod in spread-out ring form on a moving conveyor, then gathering it into a relatively loose somewhat offset bundle and thereafter subjecting it to batch treatments among which are conventional annealing, and/or coating and baking as well as new forms of annealing not heretofor practiced.

Abstract: A covered wire wrapping tool comprising a covered wire-cutting and cover-stripping device for cutting an elongated continuous covered wire into covered wires of a predetermined length and for stripping covers from a leading and trailing end portions of a severed covered wire, and a wrapping bit device including a single bit having therein an eccentric groove into which the cover-stripped leading and trailing end portions formed by the covered wire-cutting and cover-stripping device are successively loaded. The bit with the cover-stripped leading or trailing end portion loaded in the eccentric groove is rotated to wrap and connect the cover-stripped leading or trailing end portion about and to a terminal of an electrical component.

Abstract: Pipe cleaners comprising a plurality of short pieces of threads as active elements are formed in machines arranged in pairs. Threads are wound in helices around two rigid wires, which are advanced adjacent and parallel to each other and each belong to a different one of the machines of the pair. The turns of the helices are severed between the wires in such a way that two pieces of thread are formed of each turn. Half of the thread pieces are secured to each wire by approaching one additional wire to each of the firstmentioned wires and twisting the wires pairwise for clamping the thread pieces between the wires of each pair and for forming two pipe cleaner strings, which are subsequently cut into individual pipe cleaners.The common parts of the machines of a pair comprise thread bobbins, thread winding means, thread severing means and means for guiding the thread helices forming wires.

Abstract: An apparatus for the manufacture of a hose structure incorporating an embedded ground conductor comprising shortening a loosely braided bundle of fine conductor wire in the axial direction by compressing the bundle between two pairs of friction rollers rotating at different speeds. The wires are spread in a direction transversely of the bundle axis and flattened to form a ribbon type conductor that is laid on an uncured extruded tube, along the tube axis, and covered over with a textile wrapping and an elastomeric extrusion. Open steam curing of the structure results in a hose showing no appearance of an embedded conductor wire.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device mounting element embodying a wire fan-out wherein the ends of a plurality of insulated wires are supported in a spatial parallel arrangement of columns and rows between two spaced apertured die elements, the spacing of the wires is reduced at a first location between the die elements while maintaining the spatial arrangement of columns and rows, forming an enclosure about the wire portions positioned adjacent one of the die elements and the location where the spacing of the wires is reduced, injecting an organic hardenable resin material into the enclosure thereby encapsulating the wires positioned within, severing the wires, and removing the die.

Abstract: A rolling mill structure is provided especially for wire and like products having a continuously operating casting unit providing a cast metal strand and a rolling mill receiving the strand, the rolling mill being installed on a sliding carriage that is capable of moving in and counter to the direction of rolling at a velocity (V.sub.W) between zero and approximately the maximum velocity (V.sub.G) of the casting strand emerging from the casting arrangement.

Abstract: A fixing device for shaping lead wires of a radial type electronic component which extend outwardly in a direction parallel to each other from the main body of the component into a shape similar to the wires of an axial type electronic component which extend outwardly in opposite directions from each other and for successively fixing the electronic components with the thus shaped lead wires onto tape-like holders for feeding the same into a known automatic inserting machine for use in making a printed circuit assembly.

Abstract: An improved annular cutting die for shaving the surface from metal rods or base, having four facets in the outer annular cutting surface thereof.

Abstract: Cable lengths are prepared for extruding a plug at the end in that the lengths are stepwise moved through stations, in which each cable length is turned and oriented as to its leads; the lead ends are stripped, tinplated and shaped in sequential stations followed by connecting preassembled contact prongs to the lead ends. The plug body is then extruded around the prong-lead connections. The lead orientation is electro-optically servo-controlled and the prong to lead connection is made by a funnel for threading the leads into the hollow prongs followed by squeezing the prongs to fasten the leads thereto.

Abstract: At least two flat co-planar supports are arranged at the outer periphery of a circular fixed table. A plurality of ancillary devices are disposed around the table and a winding mechanism including an even number of winding spindles extending to the supports, is arranged generally below the table. The supports are displaceable around the table independently of each other, and each support includes as many stations as there are winding spindles. All the spindles are operated simultaneously.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously and automatically molding sockets onto an insulated flexible single pole cable comprising a deflecting mechanism for forming a series of bights in the cable, and a transfer guide for transferring the bights to a pair of spaced apart circular supports. The supports are rotated about a common axis and the various steps involved in making the sockets are performed at each bight as the two supports are intermittently rotated.