US 4,631,823 A · Electrical harness manufacturing method and apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically making harnesses such as those used for electrically interconnecting a plurality of spaced-apart, separate connection points. Insulated wire is fed through a press position where terminals are attached to the wire conductor. The insulation is displaced from a portion of the wire where a terminal is to be attached, thereby baring the conductor. A terminal is brought adjacent the bared conductor from a supply of terminals and crimped to the conductor. A wire feeding mechanism advances the wire so that the section having a terminal crimped thereto is removed from the press position and a new portion is brought into the press position for the attachment of another terminal. The automatic process is repeated until a pre-determined number of terminals are attached to the conductor at which time the wire can be severed to complete the manufacture of the harness. The apparatus has a control means which is programmable so that one of a variety of harness configurations can be set up and manufactured repetitively. The control means also enables the apparatus to operate in different modes such as one-step, one-cycle or continuous-cycle.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A process for producing an electrical harness comprising a plurality of electrical terminals sequentially connected along a length of insulted wire comprising:

providing a work station for use in attaching a terminal to the underlying wire conductor;
sequentially positioning terminal devices in operative position relative to the work station;
axially pushing a predetermined length of insulated wire conductor in a desired direction past the work station from a source of said conductor;
cutting and holding back the insulation of the wire without severing the underlying conductor at a point adjacent the work station;
gripping and pulling the wire, insulation and conductor, a disired amount in said desired direction through the work station in response to the cutting and holding back of the insulation such that the wire insulation upstream of the cutting of the wire is axially displaced and held back by the cutting step to expose the underlying ire conductor at the work station;
and
attaching a terminal device to the exposed underlying wire conductor at said work station while said insulation is held back by said cutting step.

4 more elements

An apparatus for producing an electrical harness comprising a plurality of electrical terminals sequentially connected along a length of insulated wire comprising:

a work station for use in attaching a terminal to the underlying wire conductor;
means associated with said work station for sequentially positioning terminal devices in operative position relative to the work station;
pushing means operatively associated with said work station for axially pushing a predetermined length of insulated wire conductor in a desired direction past the work station from a source of said conductor;
cutting means operatively associated with said work station for cutting the insulation of the wire without severing the underlying wire conductor and for holding back the insulation during attachment of a terminal device to the underlying wire condutor;
gripping and pulling means operatively associated with the said work station and responsive to the movement of said cutting means toward the wire for gripping and pulling the wire, insulation and conductor, a desired amount in the said desired direction through said work station such that the wire insulation upstream of said cutting means is axially displaced and held back by said cutting means to expose the underlying wire conductor at said work station;
and
means at said work station for attaching a terminal device to the exposed underlying wire conductor while said insulation is held back by said cutting means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrical harness manufacturing method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Electrical harness manufacturing method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19