Semi-automatic wire processing apparatus

Abstract

Wire processing apparatus particularly adapted to perform operations on wires having a central conductor with multiple, coaxial covering layers. The apparatus includes an electronic memory for storing values commensurate with the lengths from a terminal end of the wire to the positions of cuts to be made through the plurality of coating layers, and a plurality of threaded shafts individually movable by manual manipulation of mechanical elements to control the depths of each cut. The threaded shafts are mounted upon a turret which is movable both rotationally and axially with respect to the wire being processed. The electronic memory is preferably adapted to receive inputs representing parameters of sequential steps in each of two processing operations, and to perform such operations alternately, upon different wire ends, upon successive actuations of the apparatus. A further feature of the apparatus is an arrangement permitting the force exerted on the wire by a pair of gripping members to remain substantially constant over a range of different wire diameters. A stepper motor is mechanically linked to the gripping members and is indexed from a fixed starting position by a selectively variable number of steps to bring the gripping members to the wire-engaging position.