Artos Engineering Company

Other

Artos Engineering

Autos Engineering Co.

Kenneth A Wollermann

Ragnar Gudmestad

David M Bueschel

Terry R Kroening

John H Olsen, Ii

John E Conrardy

A method for calibrating a crimping press for crimping terminals on an electrical conductor. A master tool is positioned in a test crimping press and the press is operated to crimp a test bar to a desired crimp height. During the process of crimping the test bar to the desired crimp height, a standard force profile is generated. The standard force profile is recorded in a control unit. The master tool is transferred to a crimping press to be calibrated. Once the master tool is in place, the crimping press is operated until the crimping press creates a crimp height on the test bar equal to the desired crimp height. During the crimping process that results in the desired crimp height, an actual force profile is determined for the crimping press being calibrated. The actual force profile is compared to the standard force profile and the actual force profile is adjusted by an offset factor such that the adjusted force profile replicates the standard force profile. The calculated offset factor is then used to standardize the output of the load sensor such that an ideal force profile can be used during operation of the crimping press to perform crimp quality monitoring without additional calibration.

Method of calibrating a crimping press

The invention is directed to a wire cutting and stripping and terminal attaching apparatus and, in particular to an improved wire positioning mechanism for positioning the stripped end of an insulated wire in an open barrel terminal. After the insulated wire is cut and a slug of insulation is removed from the end of the wire, a gripper rotates the wire so that the bare or stripped end of the wire is located above an open barrel terminal supported on a lower die of a terminal attaching unit. An upper die is movable on the terminal attaching unit in a direction toward and away from the lower die to crimp the terminal on the stripped end of the wire. The wire positioning mechanism includes a positioning member which is mounted on the upper die and arranged to contact the gripper and push the stripped end of the wire downwardly into the open barrel terminal before the upper die operates to crimp the terminal. A power operated mechanism, such as a fluid cylinder, is connected to the wire positioning member and can move the wire positioning member to an inoperative position when the terminal attaching unit is employed to attach close barrel terminals.

Wire positioning mechanism for a terminal attaching apparatus

A device is provided for gathering, cutting and stripping insulated wire. The device includes first and second cutterhead assemblies. Each cutterhead assembly includes a central cutting knife and a pair of stripping blades spaced laterally on either side of the cutting knife. A drive system moves the cutting knives in a direction toward each other to cause the cutting knives to cut the wire to a predetermined length and moves the stripping blades in a direction toward each other to cause the stripping blades to sever the insulation on the wires. A positioning head assembly located upstream of the cutterhead assemblies positions the insulated wire between the cutting knives on each cutterhead assembly for cutting and stripping. Wire gathering elements gather the wire positioned between the cutterhead assemblies such that the wire may be found by another handling device downstream of the cutterhead assemblies. The wire gathering device also acts to wipe away the stripped insulation from the stripping blades after stripping of the wire.

Device for gathering, cutting and stripping insulated wire

An apparatus for crimping terminals on an electrical conductor including a novel mechanism for adjusting the crimp or shut height. An anvil is secured to a supporting structure and a ram is mounted for reciprocating movement on the supporting structure in a direction toward and away from the anvil. The anvil and the ram carry cooperating die members which act to crimp the terminal on a conductor which is positioned between the anvil and the ram. The ram is moved in reciprocating movement by a toggle mechanism which interconnects the ram and the supporting structure, and the toggle mechanism is movable between an under-center open position, an on-center crimping position and an over-center open position. The location of the pivotal connection of the toggle mechanism to the supporting structure can be adjusted to selectively vary the spacing between the die members when the toggle mechanism is in the on-center position to thereby adjust the crimp height.

Apparatus for crimping terminals on an electrical conductor

A laser positioning system for a wire cutting and stripping apparatus. Insulated wire having an outer layer of frayable insulation is fed in a downstream path in increments of length by a feeding and measuring unit. A wire burning unit is located upstream of the feeding and measuring unit and includes two pair of cooperating heated dies, which serve to burn a pair of short lengths of the insulation and provides spaced areas of exposed bare wire. A cutting and stripping unit is located downstream of the burning unit and includes a pair of cooperating cutting blades and two pair of cooperating stripping blades which are located on either side of the cutting blades. A laser sensing unit is disposed adjacent the cutting and stripping unit, and generates a laser beam curtain that senses a change in diameter of the wire. When an exposed wire area intersects the laser curtain, an electrical signal is generated and the signal is fed to a controller which commands the feeding mechanism to move the wire axially to precisely position the exposed wire areas in precise registry with the cutting and stripping unit.

Laser positioning system for wire cutting and stripping apparatus

A blade for cutting insulation from an insulated electrical conductor. The blade includes first and second opposed surfaces interconnected by an end. The end has an opening extending at a compound angle toward the interior of the blade. The opening is defined by a first pair of cutting edges converging at an angle less than 90.degree. toward the interior of the blade member and a second pair of cutting edges intersecting the first pair of cutting edges and converging toward the interior of the blade at a second non-parallel angle greater than the first angle. The blade is capable of maximizing the portion of the insulation that is cut from various size insulated conductors.

Universal stripping blade

An improved apparatus for cutting and stripping insulated wire. The apparatus includes a pair of cutting and stripping units which are mounted on a supporting structure in opposed relation and each cutting and stripping unit includes a central cutting knife and a pair of stripping knives, spaced laterally on opposite sides of the cutting knife. The insulated wire is fed between the cutting and stripping units and when a predetermined length of wire has been fed, the cutting units are moved toward each other in a first stroke of movement to cause the cutting knives to cut a length of wire. The wire and the cut length are then moved axially away from each other by gripping units in a first stroke of movement to position the cut end of the wire and the end of the cut length between the cutting knives and the respective stripping knives. The cutting and stripping units are then moved toward each other in a second stroke of movement to cut the insulation, and the gripping units are subsequently moved in a direction away from each other in a second stroke of movement to strip the insulation from the cut end of the wire and from the cut length. A mechanism is provided for adjusting the first stroke of movement of the gripping units to adjust the strip length and a second adjusting mechanism is included to adjust the stripping stroke of the cutting and stripping units to accommodate different gauges of wire.

Adjustable wire cutting and stripping apparatus

A programmable wire stripper is provided for cutting and stripping selectively variable length insulation portions from the end of wire segments presented at a workstation. The stripper includes a base frame mounted in fixed relation to the workstation and a carriage mounted on the base frame for movement toward and away from the workstation by a first drive. A turret is mounted on the carriage for movement relative thereto. The turret has a plurality of individual mounting positions and an insulation cutting mechanism is mounted on the turret at each of the mounting positions for movement between open noncutting and closed cutting positions. A second drive is provided for moving the turret to place any selected mounting position and its associated cutting mechanism at the workstation. A first actuator is provided to effect closing of the cutting mechanism. A gripper is provided on the carriage and movable between open nongripping and closed gripping positions and a second actuator is provided for effecting movement of the gripper between the open and closed positions. A third actuator is provided on the carriage for moving the gripper toward and away from the workstation.

Apparatus for cutting, conveying and programmably stripping wire segments

Wire processing apparatus comprises a wire selector/feed mechanism for feeding a selected one of a plurality of different wire strands lengthwise into a wire insertion mechanism which then presents a wire segment severed by a wire cutter mechanism laterally to the infeed ends of a pair of laterally spaced apart conveyor units of a conveyor mechanism. Each conveyor unit comprises a support frame on which a conveyor belt assembly is mounted. The conveyor belt assembly is adjustably positionable on the support frame to enable wire segment end portions of desired length to project from the conveyor belt assembly. The wire selector/feed mechanism comprises a wire selector device including a pair of spaced apart rotatable plates having pairs of aligned holes for releasably supporting the wire strands. The wire selector/feed mechanism further comprises a wire feed device located between the plates which receives and feeds a selected strand to a passage in the wire insertion mechanism defined by a pair of elongated resilient blades. Two (inboard and outboard) pushbars in the wire insertion mechanism, each independently operable by a separate pushbar actuator acting through a mechanical linkage, extend and retract to laterally move wire in the passage into the conveyor mechanism. The inboard pushbar also operates the wire cutter mechanism. The outboard pushbar actuator also operates a blade separator member. The pushbar actuator can operate in different modes to provide standard-length or extra-long wire segments.

Wire processing apparatus having pushbar and conveyor mechanisms

A programmable apparatus for automatically stripping insulation from a wire end being conveyed by a wire conveyor, thereby leaving a portion of exposed conductor. This apparatus includes an insulation cutting mechanism for transversely cutting the insulation. The cutting mechanism includes opposed blades having facing cutting surfaces, at least one of those blades being movable toward the other by a blade closure device. To effect stripping, the cutting mechanism is moved away from the wire end after the cut is made. The apparatus includes a stepper motor for adjusting for the size of the wire and the thickness of the insulation. Another stepper motor is provided to control the length of the stripped portion. As the cutting mechanism is moved, a blade holder holds the cutting blades in position. A slider rod is connected to the holder and slidably engaged in a support frame connected to the conveyor. A cam is connected to the slider rod by a first cam follower and rotatably connected to the support frame for moving the slider and thus the blade holder to any one of a number of predetermined positions as required to effect stripping of the wire end. Finally, a prime mover is provided for rotating the cam respective to the support frame, thus actuating the stripping mechanism. A stop latch is provided for stopping the rotation of the cam at a predetermined zero position of the cam rotation.

Adjustable wire stripping apparatus

A mechanism for retaining tools in the spindle of a machine tool and for ejecting the tools for removal from the spindle. The mechanism is adapted to operate with standard cutting tool holders having a retention knob extending rearwardly and axially. The tool holder is retained in the spindle by a set of locking pins that extend radially through the spindle in a single plane in position to engage the inner side of the knob. A set of release pins of similar construction extend radially through the spindle in another plane in position to engage the outer side of the knob for ejecting the tool holder from its seat in the spindle. A cylindrical cam is slidably disposed about the spindle for axial movement by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure. When the cylindrical cam is moved in one direction it actuates the locking pins inwardly into locking engagement with the retention knob on the tool holders. A shifting of the cylindrical cam in the opposite direction serves to release the locking pins and actuate the release pins to force them inwardly for engaging the retention knob on its outer side to eject the tool holder and its associated cutter from the spindle.

Growing community of inventors

Mukwonago, WI, United States of America

Kenneth A Wollermann