US 4,357,742 AGranted

Electric brush contact forming apparatus

AssigneeThe Bendix Corporation

InventorsCharles P. Fischer, Andrew A. Peterson, Edward J. Doi, Rodney W. Gossoo, Jan C. Mitrzyk, Sr.

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Abstract

An apparatus for forming brush contacts from spools of wire and holders for angular ended wire segments cut from said wires, has a wire feeding means for feeding spools thereof independently of each other, a cutting device for cutting segments from the wires and feeding the segments to a common collection point where the segments are loaded into the holders provided, and a crimping device for crimping the holder to retain the wires therein without causing flaring of the exposed ends. A checking station is provided to determine whether each brush contact contains the requisite number of wire segments and ejection means to eject defective contacts. The completed contacts are collected in such a manner as to prevent damage thereto.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An apparatus for continuous production of electrical brush contacts having a plurality of wire segments, with acute angular exposed ends, secured in holder, comprising:

(a) means for feeding a plurality of wires from a plurality of rolls of wire independently of each other;
(b) means for simultaneously cutting a section from each of said plurality of wires to form a plurality of wire segments having acute angular ends and feeding said wires to a common collection point;
(c) means for cradling a holder for said plurality of wire segments, the holder being releasably positioned within the cradling means for receipt of said wire segments from the common collection point;
(d) means for loading said plurality of wire segments in said holder, with a portion of said wire segments having acute angular ends exposed;
(e) means for crimping said holder to retain said plurality of wire segments therein while preventing flaring of said exposed portions of the wire segments relative to each other, to form an electrical brush contact;
(f) means for ejecting brush contacts from said cradling means comprising an ejection pin and superimposed collection means for said contacts;
and
(g) means for checking said contacts to determine whether a correct number of wire segments are present in said contacts prior to said contacts reaching said ejection means.

5 more elements

An apparatus for continuous production of electrical brush contacts having a plurality of wire segments, with acute angular exposed ends, secured in a holder, comprising:

(a) means for feeding a plurality of wires from a plurality of rolls of wire independently of each other, said feeding means having support means for said plurality of rolls, independently operated pairs of a motor driven roller and a cushioning roller for each of said wires, an electrical contact energized by contact of said wires for actuating each of said motor driven rollers, and a second electric contact for contact by said wires for deactuating each of said motor driven rollers, with a loop of each of said wires between said actuation means and deactuation means;
(b) means for simultaneously cutting a section from each of said plurality of wires to form a plurality of wire segments having acute angular ends and feeding said segments to a common collection point;
(c) means for cradling a holder, releasably positioned, in a vertical position, within the cradling means therefor, for receipt of said wire segments from the common collection point;
(d) means for loading said plurality of wire segments in said holder, with a portion of said wire segments having acute angular ends exposed;
and
(e) means for crimping said holder to retain said plurality of wire segments therein while preventing flaring of said exposed portions of wire segments relative to each other, having spaced fingers having arcuate inner ends, said fingers having two crimping surfaces, a lower crimp surface and a spaced recessed upper crimp surface, means for positioning the holder between said spaced fingers, and means for reciprocating said fingers toward each other to contact the holder and form a crimp therein, to form said electrical brush contacts.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.