The Whitaker Corporation

Amp LLC

Stephen P Lawruk

Kerry Joseph Stakem

Richard V Spong

Mark F Jackson

Dallas E Schlegel

James A Hogan, Jr

John R Grosklos

A tool to attach a preassembled connector transversely on a ribbon cable. The tool has an upper portion and a lower portion which may be moved apart and together. The connector is disposed between the upper and lower portions and grasped by fingers extending from the respective upper and lower portions. The portions are moved apart to separate the members of the connector and to receive the ribbon cable between the members. The upper and lower portions are moved toward one another to join the members of the connector and to terminate the connector on the ribbon cable. A method of attaching the connector to the ribbon cable is disclosed.

Separating, terminating, assembling tool for electrical connector

A machine and method for attaching a plurality of preassembled connectors to a length of ribbon cable. The machine has at least one separating module in which the connectors are disposed in a selected orientation. Each connector is separated into a cover member and a connector housing member within the respective module. The modules are indexed and transferred to a press where the connector is terminated on the length of ribbon cable. A preassembled connector is disposed in a lead module and is terminated on the first end of the length of ribbon cable. The ribbon cable, with the attached spaced apart connectors, is cut to a desired length and tested electrically.

Machine for attaching preassembled connectors to ribbon cable

A shorting bar (100) for simultaneously terminating a connector (20) to a multi-conductor cable and shorting together terminals 26 of the connector (20). The shorting bar (100) includes a termination edge (150) at an end thereof adjacent the housing (24) and a contact region (180) spaced from the terminating edge (150) a distance similar to a length between an inside floor (25) of the housing (24) and a length of terminals (26) of the connector (20). The contact region (180) is formed from an electrically conducting material. When a terminating force is applied, the shorting bar (100) is displaced toward the housing (24) until the termination edge (150) impacts the inside floor (25) of the housing (24) and terminates the terminals (26) of the connector (20) to the multi-connector cable (C). When the termination edge (150) is in contact with the housing (24), the contact region (180) contacts each of the terminals (26) of the connector (20), shorting the terminals (26) together. A continuity test can then be performed.

Cable harness connector termination and testing apparatus

A crimp height adjusting mechanism in a machine for crimping terminals onto the ends of conductors of flexible flat cables. The adjusting mechanism is interposed between the movable crimping die and its drive mechanism and effects changes in crimp height by varying its length. The adjusting mechanism utilizes a sliding wedge block that causes a followed member to extend or recede a desired amount. An adjusting screw controls the sliding movement of the wedge so that very precise changes in crimp height can be achieved.

Machining for attaching terminals to conductors

A pick-up head (20) for a robot (2), comprises a body (28) having a plate (30) for attachment to the Z-axis shaft (18) of the robot (2). Two pick-up arms (34), pivotally attached to the body (2) each carry a riveting tool (26). The tools (26) are driven through a working stroke by a piston and cylinder drive unit (52) on the body (2), against the action of return springs (82). The tools (26) are inserted by the robot (2) lowering the pick-up head (20), into rivets at the ends of the leading electrical connector (25') at a pick-up station (21) and are arranged to be releasably secured to the rivets to allow the robot (2) to transfer the connector (24') to a circuit board (19) and to insert projecting ends of the rivets into holes in the board (10). The drive unit (52) is then actuated to cause the tools (26) to expand the projecting ends of the rivets, the tools (26) are released from the rivets, and the pick-up head (20) is raised by the robot (2). The pick-up arms (34) can be pivoted towards or away from each other and then fixed in a given angular position to allow for connector length.

Growing community of inventors

Middletown, PA, United States of America

Stephen P Lawruk