Methods and apparatus for preparing the terminated end of flat cable for connectorization

A method of separating at least two mutually disposed outer material layers from at least one separable inner material layer of a strip stock laminate of indefinite length, wherein the inner material layer has a significantly greater inherent resiliency than that of said outer material layers, said method comprising the steps of:

• confining at least an end region of the laminate such that only an end portion thereof of predetermined length is exposed;
• applying a first force against the major surface of one outer material layer end section, in a first direction, to effect a sharp, retainable bend, in at least the other outer material layer;
• releasing the first force from the one outer material layer end section so as to allow at least the one inner material layer to snap back to at least approximately the original position thereof, as a result of the greater inherent resiliency thereof, thereby also forcing the one outer material layer end section to snap back to at least approximately the original position thereof;
• applying a second force against the major surface of at least the one exposed inner material layer that was previously positioned adjacent the then bent-out other outer material layer, in a second direction, to effect a sharp, retainable bend, at a predetermined angle, in at least the one outer material layer end section, and
• releasing the second force from at least the one inner material layer so as to allow the latter to snap back to at least approximately the original position thereof, as a result of the greater inherent resiliency thereof, thus exposing the end sections of all of the separable material layers of the composite strip stock laminate so that subsequent work functions may be selectively performed thereon.

An apparatus for forming the terminated end of a flat cable of indefinite length with fold-back portions so as to facilitate the subsequent connectorization thereof, wherein the cable is of the type having two overlying/underlying arrays of laterally disposed conductors separated by a resilient insulative center film, with each array being secured directly to only the respectively adjacent one of two mutually disposed outer insulative films, and wherein the cable, as fabricated, further includes an aligned pair of resilient insulative isolating members respectively positioned on opposite sides of, and extending transversely across, the center film at each predetermined terminated end of the cable, said isolating members being of a material that will not adhere to the associated array of conductors and outer film, said apparatus including:

• positioning means including upper and lower channel-forming means for confining and controllably transporting a cable back and forth between first and second work stations, while an exposed end section of such a confined cable, of predetermined length, extends beyond two laterally disposed face portions of said upper and lower channel-forming means at the upstream end thereof;
• flare-out die means including a reciprocally driven die member located at said second work station, said die member having a laterally disposed cable end-receiving notch formed therein and a specially contoured outer cable wiping surface profile, said die member, in response to being reciprocally displaced in a direction perpendicular to the initial plane of an exposed end of a channel-confined cable, while being brought into periodic wiping contact therewith, cooperating with the forward face portions of said upper and lower channel-forming means to sequentially effect the bending of the two exposed end sections of the outer films, together with the coextensive arrays of conductor end portions respectively secured thereto, at sharp predetermined angles, and in different directions, relative to the initially coextensive center film end portion, and associated isolating members, which are also momentarily sequentially bent, in said different directions, but each time allowed to snap back to at least their approximate original positions, one time because of the presence of said die member notch, and
• reciprocally driven fold-back means located at said first work station for sharply folding back each previously outwardly bent outer film end section of a channel-confined cable, together with the array of exposed conductor end portions secured thereto, firmly against the adjacent portion of the outer film still remaining as part of the fabricated cable so as to facilitate the subsequent connectorization of the cable.

An apparatus for forming the terminated end of a flat cable of indefinite length with fold-back portions so as to facilitate the subsequent connectorization thereof, wherein the cable is of the type having two overlying/underlying arrays of laterally disposed conductors separated by a resilient insulative center film, with each array being secured directly to only the respectively adjacent one of two mutually disposed outer insulative films, and wherein the cable, as fabricated, further includes an aligned pair of resilient insulative isolating members respectively positioned on opposite sides of, and extending transversely across, the center film at each predetermined terminated end of the cable, said isolating members being of a material that will not adhere to the associated array of conductors and outer film, said apparatus including:

• cross-slide means, including a reciprocally driven cross-slide, for confining and actuably clamping within a channel thereof an end region of a cable after the terminated end thereof has been advanced a predetermined distance beyond the forward end of said channel, and for transferring such a clamped cable in a controlled manner back and forth between first and second work stations;
• guide block means positioned on the upstream side of said cross-slide channel, said guide block means including a cable-confining channel that is co-linear with said cross-slide channel, and extends laterally between said first and second work stations, said guide block means further having two mutually disposed forward face portions through which the terminated end of a cable is initially advanced, after having been first advanced through said cross-slide channel, so as to expose and end portion thereof, of predetermined length, prior to said cable being clamped in position by said cross-slide while positioned at said first work station;
• flare-out means including a reciprocally driven die member located at said second work station, said die member including a specially configured cable end-receiving notch and a plurality of associated outer cable-bending surfaces, all of which cooperate with said face portions of said guide block means, in response to said die member being reciprocally displaced back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the initial plane of an exposed end portion of a clamped cable, and while being brought into periodic bending contact therewith, to sequentially effect:
• (1) the bending of the entire exposed end portion of the cable in a first direction, which results in one outer film end section, together with the coextensive array of conductor end portions secured thereto, being bent at a sharp, retainable and predetermined angle;
• (2) the release of the remaining part of the previously exposed end portion of a clamped cable, the remaining part snapping back to at least approximately the original orientation thereof, as a result of the inherent resiliency of at least said center film end portion;
• (3) the bending of such remaining part of the exposed cable end portion in a second direction, which results in the other outer film section, together with the coextensive array of conductor end portions secured thereto, being bent at a sharp, retainable and predetermined angle, and (4) the release and subsequent snap-back of the remaining exposed center film end portion, together with at least the coextensive portions of the isolating members positioned on opposite sides thereof, to their original common orientation, and
• reciprocally driven fold-back means located at said first work station for sharply folding back each previously bent-out outer film end section of a clamped cable, together with the array of the then exposed conductor end portions secured thereto, firmly against the adjacent portion of the outer film still remaining as part of the fabricated cable so as to facilitate the subsequent connectorization of the cable.