Application for terminals in strip form

An applicator for crimping terminals onto the ends of wires, said applicator being intended to be mounted on a bench press or the like, said applicator comprising:

• frame means, a crimping site in said frame means, a ram contained in said frame means, guide means for guiding said ram along a first path of reciprocation from a retracted position to an extended position, said ram having a leading end and having a movable crimping die on said leading end, said crimping die being located at said crimping site when said ram is in said extended position,
• an anvil for supporting a terminal during crimping thereof, said anvil being slidably mounted on said frame means for reciprocatory movement along a second path between an extended position and a retracted position, said anvil being at said crimping site when in said extended position and being located at a terminal loading site when in said retracted position and,
• actuating means for moving said anvil from said retracted position to said extended position and for concomitantly moving said ram from said retracted position to said extended position, said actuating means including timing means which ensures arrival of said anvil means at said crimping site prior to arrival of said crimping die at said crimping site,
• terminal strip feeding means for feeding a strip of said terminals to said anvil, when said anvil is in said retracted position at said terminal loading site thereby to position the leading terminal of said strip on said anvil, and shearing means for shearing said leading terminal from said strip prior to movement of said anvil to said crimping site whereby,
• upon locating the end portion of a wire in said applicator with said end portion substantially at said crimping site and with the axis of said wire extending parallel to said second path, and upon loading a terminal on said anvil, and upon movement of said ram and said anvil towards said crimping site, said wire will be positioned in said terminal and said terminal will be crimped onto said wire.