Artos Engineering Company

Robert O Dusel

Gerald E Blaha

Harold J Keene

James J Berres

Ragnar Gudmestad

A machine including apparatus for accurately measuring and inserting into the machine almost any desired predetermined length of insulated wire, a device for cutting the wire to that length and stripping the insulation from the ends of the wire, and apparatus for attaching a terminal to one or both of the stripped ends. The measuring apparatus includes a pair of belts each reeved about a pair of pulleys. From the measuring apparatus the wire passes through a flexible tube and through two linearly aligned grippers, separated by the cutting and stripping device. Once the wire is fed to the proper length, the two grippers grip the wire, and the wire is cut and stripped, creating a lead of the predetermined length. As the wire and lead are drawn back, the stripped ends may be inspected by an inspection device so as to ensure that they are properly cut and stripped before electrical terminals are applied. Each of the two grippers then rotates in the same direction, that is, both clockwise or both counterclockwise, to align the respective end of the wire and the lead with a respective terminal attaching machine. There an electrical terminal is attached to each end unless the inspection device has determined the particular stripped end to be not properly stripped. The gripping means then rotate back to align with each other again and the wire and lead are released.

Lead making machine

Apparatus is provided for repeatedly severing cable segments of desired lengths from a continuous strand of thick multi-conductor cable for stripping desired lengths of tough outer insulation sheath from the strand and segment ends, and for coiling the stripped segments. The apparatus comprises a cutter/stripper machine, a long-strip attachment mechanism, and a coiling mechanism. The cutter/stripper machine comprises an axially retractable/extendable wire guide tube into which the cable strand is fed while the tube is extended and a movable clamp grips the lead end of the strand. A stationary clamp grips the exposed portion of the strand when the tube retracts. A cutter/stripper head mechanism between the clamps severs the strand and scores the insulation sheath. The cutter/stripper mechanism and the movable clamp move away from the stationary clamp at different rates of speed to effect stripping, open to release the stripped cable segment, and then return to their starting positions. The long-strip attachment mechanism is optionally usable to completely strip extra-long lengths of sheath from the trailing end of the segment. The coiling mechanism is optionally usable to coil the stripped segments. A control system operates the cutter/stripper machine, the long-strip attachment mechanism and coiling mechanism in synchronism and employs a programmable electronic controller responsive to sensors in the cutter/stripper machine to control electric solenoid-operated pneumatic actuators in the apparatus.

Cutter/stripper/coiling apparatus for thick cable segments

A series of wire processing machines strip insulation from wire segment ends and attach electric terminals to the ends. A quality control device inspects each stripped end and sends signals which prevent the terminal attachment machine from operating upon the defective stripped end. The quality control device comprises an illuminated field at which the stripped end momentarily stops, an optical lens opposite the illuminated field for providing an optical image of the stripped end, and a converter for converting the optical image to an electronic image signal. Solid state electronic circuits compare the image signal to a reference signal, provide an error signal if the stripped end is defective and store the error signal in a memory circuit. The error signal, if present, is recalled from the memory at the appropriate time and converted to an output signal which prevents the downstream terminal attachment machine from operating on the defective wire end. The quality control device also feeds the electronic image signal to a video display monitor so the operator can see a visual display of each wire end. The reference signal (defining defect parameters) is programmed into the device by a human operator by means of a 'learn mode' whereby, if a sample stripped end with correct tolerance is viewed by the quality control device, the human operator issues a 'learn' command, which causes the quality control device to 'memorize' the correct image and use it as the reference signal for subsequent wire ends.

Wire processing apparatus having control means

A small, simple, accurate, low-cost wire cutting and stripping apparatus includes a wire feed mechanism which periodically feeds a measured length of an insulated wire strand to a wire cutter/stripper mechanism which clamps the wire strand, severs it and scores the insulation, axially separates the wire segment cut from the wire strand and strips the scored insulation during such axial separation. The wire feed mechanism is driven intermittently by a continuously rotating electric motor through an electrically-operated wire feed clutch/brake, the clutch mechanism of which engages in response to an electric signal from a timer switch (start wire feed) and which disengages in response to an electric signal from an electric wire measuring encoder (measure and stop wire feed). The wire cutter/stripper mechanism includes a stationary pair of separable clamps, a movable pair of separable bladed cutter/stripper heads and a movable pair of separable clamps. A barrel cam is periodically rotated for one revolution by the continuously rotating electric motor through a solenoid-operated one-revolution clutch in response to an electric signal from the encoder (wire feed stopped, make one cam revolution). The barrel cam has two cam tracks and drives two linkages. One (clamp/cut) linkage simultaneously closes (and subsequently simultaneously reopens) both pairs of clamps and the pair of cutter/stripper heads. The other (strip/return) linkage extends (and subsequently retracts) the movable pair of clamps and the movable pair of cutter/stripper heads so that the former moves a greater distance than the latter along the wire path.

Wire feeding, cutting and stripping apparatus having clutch-operated

A machine cuts elongated wire segments from a continuous wire strand. A belt type conveyor conveys each segment in incremental steps along a path, with the axis of each segment transverse thereto. The conveyor initially grips a segment near one end and presents it to a first terminal attachment machine on one side of the conveyor where a first terminal is attached. Then, separator devices cause the conveyor to temporarily release its grip on the wire segment to allow wire shifter devices, first, to axially shift the wire segment very rapidly a great distance so that the conveyor can regrip the wire segment near its other end and, secondly, to axially shift the wire segment slowly for a short distance to precisely position its opposite end in final position wherein a second terminal attachment machine on the other side of the conveyor attaches a second terminal to the opposite end. A control system comprises sensors for determining when the wire segment has been moved by the wire shifters. Each sensor comprises separable electrical contacts between which a wire segment is received and which bias closed to provide a control signal when the wire segment is withdrawn axially by a wire shifter device. The contacts of one sensor are movable near the conveyor to initially receive the drooping end of a wire segment and are movable away from the conveyor to ensure proper timing of contact closure.

Apparatus for axially shifting wire segments in belt type conveyor

A belt type conveyor is provided for conveying segments of wire cut from a continuous strand by a cutting machine to other wire processing machines, such as terminal attachment machines or the like. The conveyor comprises a pair of endless flexible belts supported one above the other by pulleys and guide rails so that the upper flight in the lower belt closely confronts the lower flight in the upper belt whereby wire segments entrapped between the flights are movable along the path of travel of the confronting flights. Each wire segment is disposed so that its axis is perpendicular to the path of travel of the flights and the ends of the segment extend beyond the sides of the flights so as to be accessible to the processing machines. A drive mechanism drives the confronting flights in steps or increments in the same direction and at the same speed. The belts and guide rails are constructed so that the confronting flights are biased toward each other to ensure a firm grip on the wire segments. A mechanism is provided to periodically separate the infeed ends of the confronting flights to enable insertion of a wire segment therebetween.

Cutter and belt type conveyor for wire segments

A belt type conveyor is provided for conveying segments of wire cut from a continuous strand by a cutting machine to other wire processing machines, such as terminal attachment machines or the like. The conveyor comprises a pair of endless flexible belts supported one above the other by pulleys and guide rails so that the upper flight in the lower belt closely confronts the lower flight in the upper belt whereby wire segments entrapped between the flights are movable along the path of travel of the confronting flights. Each wire segment is disposed so that its axis is perpendicular to the path of travel of the flights and the ends of the segment extend beyond the sides of the flights so as to be accessible to the processing machines. A drive mechanism drives the confronting flights in steps or increments in the same direction and at the same speed. The belts and guide rails are constructed so that the confronting flights are biased toward each other to ensure a firm grip on the wire segments. A mechanism is provided to periodically separate the infeed ends of the confronting flights to enable insertion of a wire segment therebetween. In one embodiment, a mechanism is provided to periodically separate the confronting flights at some location between the infeed and outfed ends thereof so as to enable a wire segment to be shifted axially relative to the confronting flights to suit the position of processing machines along the conveyor.

Belt type conveyor for conveying wire segments

Apparatus is provided for repeatedly cutting segments from a strand of wire or cable and for conveying them to work stations so that either or both ends can be processed to provide a partly or fully finished wire lead or cord. The apparatus comprises: a feed mechanism for moving the free end of the strand in incremental steps along a first path; inboard and outboard laterally spaced apart conveyor units for moving the segments in steps along a second path transverse to the first path, each unit comprising a pair of endless flexible belts having separable soft-faced confronting flights; a separator device for each conveyor unit to periodically separate and reclose the confronting flights; a set of periodically closable and reopenable wire guide members on each side of each conveyor unit and operable by the associated separator device; an independently openable elongated wire guide located between the conveyor units in alignment with the sets of wire guide members; a cutter located between the feed mechanism and the set of wire guide members on the outside of the inboard conveyor unit; and drive mechanisms and a programmable controller for operating the feed mechanism, the conveyor units and their associated separator devices and wire guides, and the cutter in synchronism.

Growing community of inventors

Brookfield, WI, United States of America

Robert O Dusel