Amp LLC

Edward A Bianchi

Daniel T Adlon

George D Reuss

Neil F College

John H Huber

David H Gutter

Dallas E Schlegel

Edger Wilmot Forney, Jr

A tool comprises clamping members spaced from each other on a plate that clampingly engage a coaxial cable. Drill guide members hingedly connected together are latchably secured together onto the plate and they include opposing holes centrally disposed relative to the clamped cable to enable a drill bit to pass therethrough to drill opposed openings through the jacket and shielding and into the dielectric sheathing around the center conductor, whereafter the drill bit and drill guide members are removed. A housing of the coaxial connector containing stationary and movable signal probes is mounted on the plate to position the signal probes relative to the drilled holes whereafter the signal probes are moved into electrical connection with the center conductor and ground conductor members penetrate the jacket and electrically connect with the shielding.

Tool for preparing coaxial cable and for positioning and connection of

An electrical connector pick-up station for use, for example, with a pick and place robot having a pick-up head for picking up electrical connectors and for placing them on a circuit board, comprises a base, upon which is mounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis, a support frame for a magazine containing a supply of electrical connectors. A support surface for the magazine is provided nearest one end of the upper side of the frame and a connector locating comb is provided at the opposite end of the frame. Between the magazine support surface and the comb are ribs for guiding connectors from the magazine towards the comb. The ribs are spaced from the comb and the connectors are arranged to be guided between the ribs and the comb by guide slots in which terminal tails depending from the connectors engage. For loading the comb with connectors, the frame is tilted to a position in which the magazine is above the comb so that connectors from the magazine slide from the magazine and between the ribs to engage between the teeth of the comb whereby clamps are operated to hold the connectors whilst the frame is lowered to a horizontal pick-up position in which the connectors can be picked up by the robot pick-up head and in which position the clamps release the connectors.

Electrical connector pick-up station

An electrical connector pick-up station for use in feeding electrical connectors from a magazine into an electrical connector transfer nest, for transfer to a work station, comprises a cable supporting the magazine, a seat for the nest having guide rollers for guiding the nest onto the seat, and a feed ram which is movable under the base of the magazine to insert a connector into the nest. The ram is provided with an end for engaging the connector to insert it, and a guide plate extending beyond that end for guiding the connector into a predetermined position in the nest, in which position it is releasably latched in the nest. Where the connectors are provided with mating covers, the guide plate acts as a separator which extends between the connector and its cover so that these are inserted into the nest in properly spaced relationship.

A cable severing station for severing a flat cable at a position adjacent to electrical connectors to which the cable has been terminated, comprises a cable gripping unit having cable grippers which can be moved between an open position to allow the cable with the connectors thereon to be fed therethrough and a closed cable gripping position; and a cutting second unit for gripping the cable and the connectors and for severing the cable at positions close to the connectors. The cable is first fed through the grippers of the cable gripping unit when these are in an open position, and the cable cutting unit is then moved into the cable gripping unit to carry out the cable severing operations. Where, in mixed lead making operations, sections of cable are to be slugged out from between two connectors which project from the same side of the cable and from between two connectors which project from opposite sides of the cable, a cable cutting unit is provided for each of these severing operations, these units being movable alternatively into the cable gripping unit.

Cable severing station

In an assembly for connecting electrical connectors to flat multi-conductor cable, an arm of a robot is provided with a connector transfer nest into which a connector can be fed at a connector feed station, for transfer by the robot to a press through which the cable has been fed. The nest is inserted into the press by the robot so that the cable extends through the nest and the press is then operated to actuate means in the nest to force conductor receiving portions of terminals in the connector through the cable to receive the cable conductors. The robot is then operated to withdraw the nest from the press leaving the connector on the cable and the cable is fed forward to allow the robot to apply a further connector thereto and so on. Means may be provided for severing the cable with the connectors thereon to provide separate electrical harnesses.

Assembly for connecting electrical connectors to flat multiconductor

An electrical connector transfer nest for use in transferring an electrical connector from a connector pick-up station to a work station, comprises a frame in which are slidably mounted, a pair of plungers, one of these having means for releasably retaining a connector thereon. The nest is arranged to receive a flat cable between the plungers, so that by moving the plungers towards one another, against the action of a return spring, conductor receiving portions of terminals of the connector can be forced through the cable to receive the conductors. Means are provided for releasing the connector from the nest, after it has been terminated to the cable and as the plungers are moved apart by the return spring. The other plunger may be arranged, releasably to receive, a cover for the connector, the cover having means for stuffing the cable conductors into the wire receiving portions of the terminals.

Electrical connector transfer nest

Apparatus for separating individual conductors of a ribbon cable comprises a pair of rollers having annular teeth which intermesh to split the cable as the rollers are moved together. The cable is clamped in a stationary frame and the rollers are mounted for rotation in a carriage which moves linearly in the frame to separate the conductors along a length of the cable.

Ribbon cable splitter

A tool comprises clamping members that clampingly engage a coaxial cable. Drill blocks are secured together onto a plate to which the clamping members are secured and they include opposing holes centrally disposed relative to the clamped cable to enable a drill to pass therethrough to drill opposed openings through the jacket and shielding and into the dielectric sheathing around the center conductor, whereafter the drill blocks are removed. A housing of the coaxial connector containing stationary and movable signal probes is mounted on the plate to position the signal probes relative to the drilled holes whereafter the moveable signal probe is moved into electrical connection with the center conductor and ground conductor members penetrate the jacket and electrically connect with the shielding.

Method and tool for preparing coaxial cable and for positioning coaxial

A coaxial cable tap having two opposed probes, having a stepped profile, comprising a conical forward tip, and a smaller dimensioned axial segment contiguously joined to the base of the conical tip by an integral step. One of the probes is spring loaded and the other is stationary, with the stationary probe achieving the electrical contact, and the spring loaded probe maintaining appropriate counter force upon the cable center conductor.

Coaxial cable tap

The disclosure relates to an assembly of electrical contacts with a center conductor and a ground conductor on a coaxial cable, the assembly including further a one-piece housing having two parts hinged to each other for closure together, thereby terminating the conductors to the contacts and providing an enclosure for the terminated conductors. The contacts protrude from the housing for pluggable connection into apertures of a printed circuit board.

Point-to-point miniature coax connector

A coaxial cable connector comprising first and second matable housing means each having a semi-cylindrical channel formed therein which coincide when the housing means are mated to form one full cylindrical channel in which the cable is retained. A center conductor probe and a braid tap extend out of the semi-cylindrical channel of said first housing means to penetrate the cable as the housing means are mated. The braid tap comprises a pair of prongs secured to a common plate. The prongs penetrate the braid and, as the housing means are fully mated, the metal supporting plate bends to rotate the prongs towards each other to grip the braid therebetween. A spring loaded back-up probe is advanced from the semi-cylindrical channel in said second housing means after mating of the housing means to penetrate the cable and press against the center conductor thereof opposite the contact point of the center conductor probe.

Growing community of inventors

Hummelstown, PA, United States of America

Edward A Bianchi