Molex Corporation

Thomas E Schneider

Jack F Funcik

Joseph T Tubbs

Joseph C Bennet

Joseph C Bennett

Kenneth L Kufner

Vito A Fusco

Clarence Kolanowski

Richard L Patterson

Disclosed is an apparatus for fabricating cable harness assemblies of the type wherein a plurality of mating pairs of electrical connector parts are terminated to a continous flat cable segment. Termination includes compressing a predetermined cable portion between a pair of connector parts, one of which has a plurality of insulation displacing terminals positioned therein. The connector parts are transported between loading stations and a termination station, by connector holders mounted on a pair of opposed rotatable indexing turrets. At least one of the connector holders is advanced inwardly toward the termination station, so as to bring the two connector parts together in compression, after a cable segment is located therebetween. Thereafter, the cable is advanced to bring another predetermined portion to the termination station, while the turrets are indexed to present a second pair of opposed mating parts to the termination station. Simultaneously therewith fresh connector parts are loaded into empty connector holder locations. Upon completion of a harness assembly, the turrets are rotated so as to present a pair of opposed cable cutting fixtures at the termination station, and upon a similar compression stroke, the cable harness is cut free for transport to a remote location.

Electrical harness fabrication apparatus

A method and apparatus for fabricating a plurality of electrical harnesses is disclosed. Each electrical harness includes at least one connector defined by a housing with insulation displacement type contacts loaded therein. The apparatus sequentially feeds sets of connectors to a first station wherein each set includes a plurality of housings joined together by integral, severable connecting tabs. Each set of connectors is then moved to a second station and wires are inserted into the aligned contacts. Additional functions such as drawing lengths of the wires, forming loops of differing magnitudes in the wires and removing insulation from the wires may also be performed by the apparatus. At the completion of the desired functions, the apparatus is actuated to remove the connecting tabs from between the housings thereby forming a plurality of individual harnesses. The individual harnesses are then ejected.

Electrical harness fabrication method and apparatus

A method and apparatus for making an electrical harness. The harness generally includes at least one connector having a housing with insulation displacement type contacts loaded therein. Each contact is connected to an insulation clad wire, said wires being of different lengths with different segments of insulation removed from the wire ends opposite the connector. The apparatus performs the functions of positioning a connector on a first station, holding the plurality of wires at a second station remote from the first station, moving the connector to the second station so that each contact is in alignment with each held wire, moving the connector toward the held wire so that each wire is simultaneously displaced into its corresponding contact, moving the connector back to the first station and simultaneously drawing a length of wire, forming loops of differing magnitudes in the wires, holding each wire at the second station at the end of each desired length, cutting the insulation of a predetermined segment on each end of each desired length at the second station, cutting all the wires held at the second station, imparting an axial force upon the cut lengths of wire to pull the wire lengths from the second station and strip the cut insulation segment from each end thereof, and ejecting the electrical harness from the first station.

Machine for making an electrical harness

Apparatus for electrical harness fabrication

A connector harness assembly machine which includes a wire preparation assembly for cutting and stripping a reel of wire to provide a plurality of unterminated cut and stripped wire leads of various lengths. The cut and stripped wire lead is then transported by means of a wire transport assembly to a plurality of stations comprising a wire termination assembly. The wire termination assembly includes a wire pickup station whereat the cut and stripped wire lead is picked up, an insulation strip test station including an insulation strip sensor to check whether insulation has been stripped from the wire, a crimp station including crimping means for crimping a terminal onto a wire lead, a terminal test station including a terminal sensor to determine whether a terminal has been properly crimped, a wire reject station including means for releasing an improperly prepared wire lead, and an insertion station where a terminated wire lead is inserted into a connector housing.

Connector harness assembly machine

A connector harness assembly machine includes a wire transport assembly which further includes a conveyor mounted on a conveyor track and having a plurality of wire carriers mounted thereon in spaced relationship with respect to one another. Each wire carrier releasably holds a wire lead in a generally horizontal disposition. The wire carrier is pivotable so that the wire carrier can change positions to carry the wire lead in a substantially vertical disposition for insertion into a housing. The wire transport assembly is driven by an intermittent drive. The harness fabrication assembly has wire grippers for gripping and inserting a wire lead held in the wire carrier upwardly into a connector housing held at the insertion station. Associated with the insertion station is a test probe mechanism to check whether a terminated wire lead has been properly inserted into a connector housing and reject means for rejecting a connector harness assembly which has an improperly inserted terminated wire lead. A housing indexing assembly holds a connector at the insertion station and indexes the connector after each insertion. In addition, the housing indexing assembly transports housings from a housing load station spaced from the insertion station to said insertion station. The housings are automatically fed to the housing load station, one at a time, by means of a housing feed assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Burbank, IL, United States of America

Thomas E Schneider