Molex Corporation

Thomas P Pellegrino

Peter Ingwersen

Hasmukh Shah

Steven F Wright

Henry Zielke

Eric J Stenstrom

Douglas L Heisner

Richard L Patterson

Lawrence M Kurek

Michael O'Sullivan

Paul Murphy

Joseph W Nelligan, Jr

Jack F Funcik

Anthony R Nugarus

Frank P Chmela

Clarence Kolanowski

Kevin J Urness

Eric P Bleuel

Robert A Suthard

Leonard J Lickus

Hans G Krause

Robert William Lucenta

Alejandro McConegly Cota

James C Cummings

An apparatus for preparing the free ends of individual wires of a multi-conductor cable is disclosed. The apparatus includes a wire nest for separating the individual wires into distinct multiple wire sets and each wire of the wire sets includes multiple conductive strands. A wire stripper is provided in alignment with the wire nest to grip outer insulative coverings of the wires in each set and strip a preselected length of the covering therefrom. A wire twister is provided generally adjacent the wire stripper to engage and twist the multiple strands of each wire and a trimming knife cuts the exposed, twisted wires after they have been twisted.

Wire end preparation apparatus and method

A machine for producing wire harnesses of the type having multiple connectors terminated to the wires of the harness, the connectors being arranged in serial order along the length of the wire harness and some of the connectors being of two-piece construction is disclosed. The machine includes a reciprocating carriage and a nest that retains a lead connector in place during termination and subsequent advancement of the harness wires. The carriage is received within a termination assembly which has different termination members for different connectors.

Wire harness termination apparatus for programmable connectors

A method is disclosed for terminating the metallic shield of a high speed cable, and including a terminating member used with the method. At least a portion of the outer jacket of the high speed cable is removed to expose a portion of the metallic shield of the cable. The cable is positioned on a conductive terminating member having an opening in registry with the exposed portion of the metallic shield. The shield is soldered to the terminating member through the opening.

System for terminating the shield of a high speed cable

A wire transferring assembly for a wire harness assembly machine has two adjoining termination stations. First connector elements are advanced in a reciprocating nest from a supply of connector elements into contact with wires extending from a positioning head and terminated thereto. After termination, to the wires, the connector elements are drawn away in the nest from the wire feed source and the wires are cut at their ends opposite the first connector elements. The cut wires are clamped onto a moveable clamping head and maintained in a preselected order while they are transferred to a second termination location, where a row of second connector elements are advanced into contact with the wire ends and terminated thereto.

Wire transfer and cutting assembly suitable for use with multiple wire

A wire harness-making machine for producing wire harnesses of the type in which multiple wires extend between opposing first and second electrical connector elements. The machine includes a feeding assembly which separates successive first wire connectors and a transfer nest which shuttles the first array of connectors from a first connector advancement track to a first termination station. Multiple wires are fed to the first termination station where first free ends thereof are terminated to the first connector. Once terminated to the multiple wires, the first connector is shuttled back to the first connector advancement track. The first connector is then advanced along a feedpath and a set of second free ends of the wires are transferred to a second termination station while maintaining the order of the wires. A second connector is advanced from a second feed track into the second termination station where it is terminated to the second wire free ends at the same time a succeeding first set of wire free ends is terminated at the first termination station.

Wire harness termination apparatus

A modular application tooling machine includes a base unit with a delivery station for electrical connectors, a intermittently operated connector feed drive system and a continuously operated work station drive system. Feed track modules define a connector feed track along which connectors are fed by pusher modules driven by the feed drive system. Work station modules powered on demand by the work station drive system carry out cycles of operation to perform operations on connectors in the feed track. One work station module terminates conductors into insulation displacement terminals of the electrical connectors and another work station module breaks off a carrier strip connected to the terminals.

Modular application tooling for electrical connectors

A termination machine for inserting wires into insulation displacement slots of terminals of an electrical connector. During each termination stroke, a connector locating member moves together with the termination blade to precisely position the connector for termination. A wire locator moves together with the termination blade and moves the wire into a guide slot in a template over the connector. When the blade, the wire and the connector are in precise alignment, the termination blade completes the termination stroke. A feed slide and pawl system moves the connector in steps equal to the terminal centerline spacing, and the feed stroke is selectively adjusted to skip voids where terminals are not to be terminated.

Method and apparatus for feeding and indexing a connector

Connector termination apparatus and method

An improved apparatus for terminating single conductors to an electrical connector having two rows of terminals, one on top of the other. The rows are staggered so that the terminals of one row are located between the terminals of the other row. An improved terminator is used to terminate wires to both upper and lower connector rows with an actuator of constant predetermined downward deflection. The apparatus also includes an improved index means for advancing a succession of terminals to a termination station.

Apparatus for improved harness manufacture

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a plurality of electrical harnesses in a single machine cycle. A push bar device spaces a plurality of connectors in a predetermined, spaced relation one to another at a first station. The plurality of connectors are moved in longitudinal alignment from a first station to a second station where the connectors are each terminated to wires, for example ribbon cables. The terminated connectors then are moved back toward the first station pulling the cables with the connectors and then the cables are cut at the second station at a predetermined length. A second plurality of connectors can be loaded in predetermined spaced relation at the second station and terminated to the cut cable ends to manufacture a plurality of double-ended harnesses in a single machine cycle.

Electrical harnesses

A method of polarizing a female pin conductor receiving connector and an apparatus for performing said method. The female connector has a plurality of pin receiving openings formed in the housing thereof so that a pin conductor may be received therethrough for mating with a terminal mounted inside the housing. The polarizing method comprises deforming a portion of the housing adjacent the pin receiving opening to define a deformed section whereby the opening is substantially closed by the deformed section to prevent a pin conductor from being received therethrough. The apparatus includes means for holding the connector in a given disposition and punch means having an end engageable with the housing for deforming and moving a portion thereof in order to close the opening.

Growing community of inventors

Lisle, IL, United States of America

Thomas P Pellegrino