Methods and apparatus for terminating and interconnecting flat power

Abstract

A terminal is terminated onto the end of a flat power cable by punching a plurality of holes through an end section of the cable and its conductor means, placing a plate section of the terminal over or under the punched cable end section so that apertures through the plate section are vertically aligned with the punched holes, solid copper inserts are placed in the aligned hole arrangements, and the insert ends protrude above and below the top and bottom surfaces of the stacked package and are staked by punches to enlarge the insert ends into heads securing the package together and enlarging the diameter of the inserts to tightly fill the holes and apertures forming a plurality of gas-tight electrical connections. A pair of terminals is similarly securable to respective conductors of a dual conductor cable. Support members can be formed of strips of cable cut from the end thereof and having holes punched therein, which are placed along the top and bottom of the stacked package prior to staking the insert ends. A tap cable can be interconnected to a main cable, either in a parallel tap or a T-tap, or two cables spliced together, by similarly punching holes through both cables and inserting inserts therethrough and staking them, without using a terminal. Apparatus containing the punches includes a series of cams in the lower die assembly to move both upper and lower punches simultaneously against the insert ends by a single downstroke of the upper die assembly.