U.S. patent number 3,897,617 [Application Number 05/489,128] was granted by the patent office on 1975-08-05 for continuous wire wrap system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Universal Instruments Corporation. Invention is credited to Daniel W. Ackerman, James W. Paton, Philip A. Ragard.
United States Patent |
3,897,617 |
Ackerman , et al. |
August 5, 1975 |
Continuous wire wrap system
Abstract
An apparatus for automatically receiving a continuous supply of
insulated wire and converting it into predetermined lengths of wire
with both ends stripped and simultaneously feeding said lengths to
a termination wire wrap tool.
Inventors: |
Ackerman; Daniel W.
(Binghamton, NY), Paton; James W. (Johnson City, NY),
Ragard; Philip A. (Binghamton, NY) |
Assignee: |
Universal Instruments
Corporation (Binghamton, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
23942526 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/489,128 |
Filed: |
July 17, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
29/564.4;
29/564.6; 140/1; 140/93R; 81/9.51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02G
1/1248 (20130101); H05K 13/06 (20130101); Y10T
29/514 (20150115); Y10T 29/5142 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
H02G
1/12 (20060101); H05K 13/06 (20060101); H01R
043/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;29/23B,23DT,23D,23R
;81/9.5R,9.51 ;140/93,1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hall; Carl E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fidelman, Wolffe & Leitner
Claims
What is claimed:
1. An apparatus for preparing a continuous length of wire to be
automatically wrapped in sections from point to point continually
on a terminal board, said apparatus comprising means to sever said
wire into a first and second section and to strip the trailing end
of said first section and the leading end of said second section
adjacent the point of severance and first position control means to
control the position of the leading edge of said second section
comprising a rotary advance wheel able to rotate between two fixed
stops and a movable dog means to interrupt said movement between
said two fixed stops in one rotary direction, said first position
control means also functioning to supply said stripped leading end
to a wire wrap tool.
2. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said first position control
means includes movable pressure roller for selective engagement
with said rotary advance wheel.
3. The apparatus as in claim 1 including a second position control
means to control the position of the trailing edge of said first
section and supply said trailing edge to said wire wrap tool.
4. An apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said second position control
means comprises pivotally mounted jaw means adapted to grip said
second wire section and pull it from the severing and stripping
means, thereby stripping said trailing end and locating it on said
wire wrap tool.
5. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said jaw means comprises a
pivot member, means to pivot said member between two positions, a
pivotable jaw member on said pivot member, a static jaw member on
said pivot member and means to force said pivotable jaw member
against said static jaw member.
6. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the severing and stripping
means also includes a pair of block members, said block means being
normally biased together, power means to pull said blocks apart,
said blocks, when abutting, defining a wire receiving bore
therebetween and severing blade means and stripping blade means
associated with said block means and said power means.
7. An apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said block means has slot
means located near each extremity thereof and one near the center
thereof, said stripping blades being in the slot means at the
extremities and the severing blades being in the center slot
means.
8. An apparatus as in claim 7 and also including guide blades
located in said extremity slot means.
Description
This invention relates to an apparatus whereby the first and second
ends of a stripped length of wire can be automatically fed to a
wire termination tool.
Prior to the instant invention, most wire wrap apparatus has not
been able to function fully automatically, that is, an operator was
needed to aid in each or every other wrap.
The instant invention only requires an operator to initiate the
cycle, the remaining operation being fully automatic until a
complete circuit terminal board is wrapped.
A length of wire is fed into the stripper, which is then cycled and
the free wire end is pulled from the mechanism. This leaves the
continuous length of wire fed into the stripper with its end
stripped, ready to be presented to the wrap tool for the first
termination point.
For the first termination, the wire receiving slot in the wire wrap
tool is on the left, which is called 0.degree. orientation. The
wire is fed from the stripping mechanism a set distance. A pair of
jaws grab the wire and insure proper orientation thereof to the
wire wrap tool which is then cycled, capturing the wire. The tool
then lowers to the correct level over a pin. The wire supply has
has a low force resistance to feeding.
After a wrap, the head raises and the tool is stopped at
180.degree. orientation and is swung away from the line of feed a
predetermined distance. The table repositions and the wire is drawn
through the wire stripper. The wire is then clamped at the exit end
of the stripper and the stripper then cycles, preparing the second
end for wrapping and the first end of the next wire. The head
assembly then moves back in place and engages the second stripped
end of the wire. The tool is cycled closed and it lowers for the
termination wrap. When the head finishes, it comes back up in a
0.degree. orientation.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a fully
automated terminal wire wrap apparatus.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a unique
apparatus for implementing effective terminal wire wraps.
These and other objects of this invention will become readily
apparent when reference is had to the accompanying specification
and drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial side view, partially in section, of the
apparatus;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wire stripping and severing
mechanism;
FIGS. 5a-5c are partial plan sectional views showing the various
component interrelationships of the wire stripping and severing
mechanism;
FIGS. 6a-6c are end sectional views corresponding to FIGS.
5a-5c;
FIG. 7 is a front view of the wire wrap head;
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the wire wrap head;
FIG. 9 is a side view of the wire wrap head;
FIG. 10 is a partial sectional view of the wire wrap head; and
FIG. 11 is a front view of the various blades in the apparatus.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown the wire preparation
apparatus generally designated as 10. It consists of a planar base
11 having several subassemblies and components mounted thereon.
These subassemblies and components can be attached to the planar
base in any conventional manner, such as by machine screws, bolts
or by welding.
The mechanism for advancing the wire includes a rotary air cylinder
13 mounted on a plate 12. Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a
shaft 14 depending from cylinder 13. A feed wheel 15 is mounted for
rotation with shaft 14. Wheel 15 has a hub portion 16 and a reduced
flange portion 17. A keyway 18 in shaft 14 receives a key 19 which
receives a machine screw 20 in a hole (not shown) therein. As screw
20 is tightened, key 19 locks hub portion 16 to shaft 14.
Secured to feed wheel 15 by machine screws 23, 24 is a switch block
21. Block 21 has a projection 22 thereon which is adapted to engage
the contacts of two microswitches 38 and 42. Machine screws 24, 23
actually clamp wheel 15 between block 21 and member 25. Both block
21 and member 25 rotate with wheel 15 when it is activated by
rotary air cylinder 13. Member 25 has a projection 25' which is
adapted to engage projection portion 32 of dog 30. The bulk of
member 25 is adapted to engage stop blocks 26 and 27 (See FIG. 1).
The wheel 15 has three positions: (1) when member 25 enages stop
block 26, (2) when it engages stop block 27, and (3) when
projection 25' engages portion 32 of dog 30. Both blocks 26 and 27
are secured, such as by machine screws, to base member 28 which, in
turn, is mounted on base 11. A pivot pin 29 is fixed on member 28
and dog 30 pivots thereon. Dog 30 has an angled extension portion
31 with projection portion 32 on the end thereof. Another pin 33
connects dog 30 with clevis 34 which receives the threaded end of
piston rod 35 and is secured against relative rotation therewith by
nut 36. Piston rod 35 is connected to a piston inside of air
cylinder 37. As shown in FIG. 1, projection portion 32 is in the
arcuate path of portion 25' of member 25.
A microswitch 38 is mounted on plate 39 adjacent stop block 26. A
plunger 40 extends from switch 38 along with spring rider 41. The
microswitch 38 is of conventional construction. When member 25 is
in engagement with stop block 26, projection 22 of block 21 acts to
depress microswitch plunger 40. When member 25 abuts stop block 27,
projection 22 has ridden over and depressed spring rider 45 to
depress plunger 44 of microswitch 42 which is fixed on plate
43.
A pair of pressure wheels 46 and 47 are mounted for selective
engagement with wheel 15. The wheels 46, 47 have grooves 48, 49
respectively, and have pivots 50, 51 respectively, pivotally
securing them to one end of link 52. Link 52 is pivotally secured
by pivot pin 53 to lever 54. Lever 54 is pivotally mounted to base
11 by pin 55 and the other end thereof is secured to clevis 58.
Clevis 58 threadably receives the threaded end of piston shaft 61
of air cylinder 62. A nut 60 secures a contact member 59 (See FIGS.
1 and 2) to clevis 58. Member 59 and piston rod 61 travel between
points determined by threaded stops 72, 74 which are locked in
place on portions 70, 71 of block 69. The end of member 59 engages
plungers 67, 68 of microswitches 63, 64, respectively, which are
mounted on plates 65, 66.
Mounted adjacent member 12 and wheel 15 is wire stripping mechanism
80 shown in perspective in FIG. 4. It consists of two identical
facing blocks 81, 82 having a central bore 84 which is counterbored
as at 83. The blocks 81, 82 are constructed of one large block,
hole 83 drilled, and then the large block separated into tow. Block
81 has slots 85 and 87 therein which align with corresponding slots
in block 82. These slots accommodate double blades. A central slot
86 in block 81 is parallel to, but not aligned with, slot 86' in
block 82.
FIG. 11 shows the configuration of the blades located in wire
stripping mechanism 80. A pair of guide blades such as 89 are
located at each end of the mechanism. Each guide blade has a short
projection 90, a long projection 92, an indentation 91 and hole
93.
Mounted in the end slots adjacent the guide blades are a pair of
stripping blades such as 94. Each stripping blade has an edge 95, a
stripping notch 96 and aperture 97. Mounted in each of slots 86,
86' are a cutting blade such as 98 having a cutting edge 100 and
aperture 99.
Each stripping blade has a projecting stud thereon such as 132 (See
FIG. 5a) which is adapted to ride in slot enlargement 130, 131,
130' and 131'. As shown in FIG. 4, the apertures in the various
blades receive a bar 100 on one side of mechanism 80 and bar 120'
(FIG. 1) on the other side.
FIGS. 5a-5c and 6a-6c illustrate the three positions of the blocks
81, 82 and the various blades. In FIG. 5a, blocks 81 and 82 are
shown as abutting, the guide blades such as 89' touching, the
stripping blades such as 94' in stripping engagement so as to strip
the insulation from a wire in bore 83 and the cutting blades, such
as 98, 98', in severing relationship. In FIG. 6a, the blocks are
shown as having coaxial bores such as 133 within which a tension
spring 136 is secured by set screws 134, 135. In FIG. 6a, the
tension spring 136 is shown as having pulled the blocks 81, 82
together.
FIG. 5b shows blocks 81, 82 separated by means to be described. All
the blades are shown withdrawn in their respective slots in this
view. The projection 132 is at the extreme end of the enlargement
131' whereas in FIG. 6b, the spring is shown as stretched and the
bore separated.
FIG. 5c shows the blocks 81, 82 together but the blades in
non-engaged position. The projection 132 is in a position between
that of FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b. FIG. 6c shows the relationship of the
blocks in FIG. 5c with spring 136 acting to pull the blocks 81, 82
together.
These, then, are the three positions of the blocks and blades. In
FIG. 5a, the cutting position of the mechanism has not acted, in
FIG. 5b, the mechanism has acted through the apertures in the
blades to pull apart the blades and blocks. Note that the
projections on the stripper blades act against the back wall of the
slot enlargements to pull the blocks apart. In FIG. 5c, the
mechanism has moved inward slightly to allow engagement of the
blocks 81 and 82.
Referring to FIG. 1, 80' designates an additional slot cut in the
base 11 to allow the stripped wire portions to fall down through
the base when the blocks are in the position shown in FIG. 6b.
On one side of the mechanism 80 is a stripper clevis 103 having
extension members 101 and 102 which receive bar 100. One end
portion of the clevis rides between threaded stops 111, 113 secured
by nuts 110, 112 in wing members 108, 109 of adjustable stop block
107. The opposite end of the clevis rides between plungers 116 and
119 of microswitches 114, 117, respectively, mounted on plates 115,
118, respectively. A nut 104 locks clevis 103 to shaft 105 of air
cylinder 106. Clevis 120 has extending members 121, 122 receiving
bar 120' which travels between upright wing members of a stop block
123. A nut 124 secures the clevis to the threaded end of piston
shaft 125 of air cylinder 126.
Adjacent the exit of bore 84 is an aperture 140 through which the
wire wrap head descends to engage a terminal on the circuit
board.
An arm 141 is pivotally mounted to base 11 by pivot pin 142. It has
an extension member 143 which has bracket 144 thereon. Mounted on
bracket 144 is a small air cylinder 145 secured thereto by nut 146
on its threaded portion 147. The piston shaft extending therefrom
has a clevis 148 which is secured, via pivot pin 149 to gripper arm
150. The end of arm 150 is secured to member 143 by pivot pin 151.
A wire gripping projection 152 is adapted to cooperate with static
gripping projection 154 of arm 153. The gripping portions grip a
wire extending from bore 84 when cylinder 145 is activated.
The end of member 143 has a stud 155 thereon which rides in a slot
158 in pivot plate 157. Plate 157 is adapted to pivot on pin 156
and is secured at its corner, via pin 159, to clevis 160. Nut 162
secures the threaded end of piston rod 163 and a contact bar 161 to
clevis 160. Bar 161 rides between and engages fingers 167, 170 of
microswitches 165, 168, respectively, which are mounted on plates
166, 169, respectively. Piston rod 163 is connected to air cylinder
164. When cylinder 164 is activated, the pivot plate 157 swings and
so does arm 143. This brings the gripper portions 152, 154 adjacent
the end of bore 84. Cylinder 145 is activated to grip a wire
extending therefrom and return to their initial position upon
deactivation of cylinder 164. During this movement, the wire wrap
head has moved from the center of aperture 140 to point X on FIG.
1.
The total movement of the mechanism is approximately one sixteenth
of an inch, i.e., between the blade positions shown in FIGS. 5a and
5b. The blades move inwardly about one-thirty-second of an inch
from the position shown in FIG. 5b to that in FIG. 5c.
FIGS. 7-10 show the wire wrap head 200. While the head does not
form part of the invention, it will be briefly described. In FIG.
7, an air motor 201 is shown mounted by mount 202 on cover 204 of
housing 203.
An air cylinder 205 is mounted by nut 207 to bracket 206 which is
secured to housing 203. Nut 207 is theaded on extension portion 208
of cylinder 205.
Piston rod 209 extends from cylinder 205 and is adjustably secured
via nuts 210, 211 to upright portion 212 of cam bracket 213. Lower
housing portion 214 has guide support portion 215, the wrap bit B,
a rod 218 which moves upwardly through the action of an air
cylinder (not shown). A pair of links 216, 217 act to lift up the
wrap bit B upon upward movement of shaft 218.
The cam bracket 213 slides within slot 214 of housing 203. Within
housing 203 (FIG. 10) is enlarged portion 223 and hook portion 221
of cam bracket 213. A circular plate 220' is mounted within housing
203 and it has a central aperture 235. Within aperture 235 there is
an off center shaft member 238 which rotates about the center of
aperture 235. A cut-away portion 239 provides a notch 240. A pin
225 extends upwardly from plate 220' and is secured thereto by
portion 226. Pin 225 rides in slot 224 of portion 223.
A pair of dogs 227, 231, having notches 229, 233, respectively,
lugs 230, 234, respectively, are secured to plate 220' by pivot
pins 228, 232, respectively. Extending between pin pin 228 and lug
234 is tension spring 237 and extending between lug 230 and pin 232
is tension spring 236. The springs pull the dogs together. When cam
bracket 213 moves inwardly along pin 225, notches 240 and 233
disengage and shaft 238 rotates 180.degree. to allow the wrap bit
to reposition itself 180.degree.. This occurs when notch 240
engages in notch 229.
OPERATION
The blocks 81 and 82 are closed but the stripper blades are open as
shown in position 5c. The pressure wheels 46, 47 are opened, that
is, pulled away from wheel 15 by activation of cylinder 62. The
rotary cylinder 13 has member 25 abutting stop block 26.
The wire to be wrapped is manually fed between the feed and
pressure wheels and then through bore 84 of mechanism 80. The
stripper and cutting blades and then closed by air cylinders 106
and 123, cutting the wire and insulation as shown in FIG. 5a. Dog
portion 32 is moved inwardly by the action of cylinder 37 and the
rotary cylinder 13 moves counterclockwise (FIG. 1) to engage dog 32
with projection 25'. Since pressure wheels 46, 47 do not engage
wheels 15, the wire does not move. The pressure wheels 46, 47 are
then closed by deactivation of cylinder 62. The air pressure in
cylinder 13 is still on, thereby biasing the member 25 toward stop
block 27. Cylinder 37 is thus deactivated, thereby moving dog 32
outwardly and allowing rotation until member 25 engages block 27.
This will retract or move one end of the wire up in FIG. 1 so as to
strip one end of the wire approximately 1 inch. The cylinders 106
and 126 are then activated and blocks 81 and 82 are opened to the
position shown in FIG. 5b.
The bit is then cycled to prepare to wrap (it always wraps
clockwise) and the bit is at 0.degree.. All of the preceding steps
are preparation for automatic operation. The following describes
one operational cycle:
The cylinder 13 is then rotated clockwise to where member 25
engages stop block 26. The first piece of cut wire is discarded.
The rotation of cylinder 13 advances about 4 1/8 inches of wire.
The bit is then cycle closed.
The pressure wheels 46, 47 are then opened and dog 32 is moved to
its in position. The bit is cycled to wrap the one end of the wire
stripped in the precycle. The bit orientation is 180.degree. due to
rotation of shaft 238 by cylinder 205. The gun assembly 200 is then
shifted to point X. The cylinder 13 rotates until projection 25'
engages dog 32.
At this point, the table carrying the studs or terminals to be
wrapped is positioned. It should be noted that there is a 42-inch
roll of loose wire (not shown) to allow for this movement. The
42-inches allows for a maximum distance wrap, that is, from corner
to corner, diagonally. It should also be remembered that one
terminal at this point has already been wrapped. The cylinders 106
and 126 are then activated and the blades closed to the position
shown in FIG. 5a. This cuts the wire in the middle of mechanism 80
and cuts the insulation at either end. The pressure wheels 46, 47
are closed. Member 143 then is moved inwardly by activation of
cylinder 164 and then cylinder 145 is activated to enable gripping
portions 152, 154 to grip the wire. Member 143 is then moved back
to its initial position, thereby drawing out the wire and stripping
the second end of the process. Simultaneously, dog 32 is retracted
and cylinder 13 moves counter-clockwise to stop 27 to strip one end
of the next wire (as in the precycle). The gun assembly is then
shifted to wrap position at 180.degree. orientation. This lays the
stripped wire across the bit. The bit is then cycled closed, the
wire entrapped and the gripping jaws 152 and 154 opened. The bit
then descends, wraps and reorients to 0.degree.. The table is again
positioned for the next wrap and the whole sequence is started over
again.
While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown
and described, it will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the
art that many changes and modifications can be made without
departing from the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *