Electrical harness fabricating apparatus

Improved apparatus for terminating the leading ends of a plurality of wires to a like plurality of terminals in a linear array and inserting the terminated leads into a linear array of cavities in a connector housing, said apparatus being of the type having an operating zone having a terminating station therein, an insertion station where terminated ends are inserted into a connector housing, and a reciprocable wire delivery shuttle having telescoping wire guide tubes and releasable wire gripping means thereon, characterized in that

• said shuttle is reciprocable on a first path from said operating zone to a point remote therefrom, said shuttle being reciprocable on a second path from said insertion station to said point remote from said operating zone, said first path and said second path being colinear along part of their lengths proximate to said remote point, said paths diverging obliquely as they approach the respective stations, whereby,
• said shuttle positions said leading ends for terminating at said terminating station, retreats therefrom along said first path without passing through said insertion station, and advances along said second path to insert the terminated ends into said cavities in said connector housing.