The Boeing Company

Mark E Hulscher

Frederic P Berg

Apparatus and methods for inserting and retention testing an electrically conductive contact in an electrical connector. The method includes the following steps: manually partially inserting the contact into a hole formed inside the electrical connector; inserting the contact further into the hole by pushing the contact along an axis using an insertion tip that is aligned with the axis and that displaces in a first direction along the axis during inserting; and after inserting the contact further into the hole, testing retention of the contact inside the electrical connector by pushing the contact along the axis using a test probe that is aligned with the axis and that displaces in a second direction opposite to the first direction during retention testing. The force exerted by the test probe on the contact is less than a specified contact retention force. The method further includes generating an alert signal if the test probe displaces along the axis in the second direction by more than a specified distance during retention testing.

Apparatus and methods for contact insertion and retention testing

An apparatus for inserting and retention testing an electrically conductive contact in an electrical connector. The apparatus includes a connector holder, an insertion tip, an insertion tip displacement assembly, a test probe, and a test probe displacement assembly. The connector holder holds an electrical connector. The insertion tip contacts one end of a contact partially inserted in a hole in the electrical connector while providing clearance for a wire. The insertion tip displacement assembly displaces the insertion tip in a first direction along a first linear path to further insert the insertion tip in the hole in the electrical connector. The test probe contacts another end of the contact after the contact has been inserted further into the hole. The test probe displacement assembly displaces the test probe in a second direction (opposite to the first direction) along a second linear path which partially overlaps the first linear path.

Apparatus for contact insertion and retention testing

Self-contained, combined wrench and marking system, and method for installing a fitting and for automatically marking an installed fitting. The self-contained combined wrench and marking system has a wrench that may include a wrench head for rotating a fastener during a fastener tightening operation, a torque measuring mechanism for measuring a torque applied to the fastener during the fastener tightening operation, and an angle measuring mechanism for rotating the fastener to a preset angle during the fastener tightening operation. The self-contained combined wrench and marking system also has a marking system for automatically marking the fastener after the torque is applied to the fastener and after rotating the fastener to the preset angle.

Combined wrench and marking system

A feeding system for feeding blank contacts to a crimping device for crimping the contacts onto ends of lead wires. The contact feed system includes a bowl, and a scoop for removing contacts from the bowl. The scoop is preferably mounted on the end of a rotating arm so that the scoop describes the locus of a circumference of a vertical circle when the arm rotates. Contacts fall, under gravity, from the scoop, when it is near the apogee of travel, onto an angled chute that guides the contacts into a space between two parallel contact orienting rails. The contacts are stacked between the supporting contact orienting rails and a shuttle gate controlledly carries a single contact at a time into a drop tube that feeds the contact to a crimping device for crimping onto an end of a wire lead. In accordance with the invention, a plurality of the above-described feed systems may be connected through their respective drop tubes to a single crimping device, thereby allowing greater operator flexibility in changing from one type of specialized contact crimping to another.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Mark E Hulscher