US 4,833,778 A · Wire processing apparatus and method

Abstract

A wire processing system, comprises: (a) structure to advance a wire of selected cross section generally endwise toward a primary station, the wire having a forward portion, (b) a wire deformer at the primary station to form at least one bend in the advancing wire, (c) a clamp at the primary station to clamp the forward portion of the wire that has passed the deformer, (d) a cutter to sever the wire after a selected length of wire has advanced past the cutter, whereby a wire section of predetermined length is formed, (e) and conveyor apparatus operable to grip the formed wire section and to convey that section along a generally longitudinally extending travel path away from the primary station after the clamp releases the wire, and with at least one end of the formed wire section presented laterally for processing, as for example insulation stripping and attachment of terminals to stripped wire ends. Wire sections of the same or different bend configuration may be controllably spaced on and by the conveyor apparatus.

Claims27

Dependent claims

The method of clustering wire sections, for attachment of terminations to ends of the sections, and employing multiple conveyors, that includes:

(a) operating a first conveyor to sequentially travel the wire sections in sequence in a longitudinal direction, with the ends of the sections presented laterally,
(b) receiving the sections, sequentially on a second conveyor, for subsequent travel,
(c) operating the second conveyor in such relation to the first conveyor that the wire sections are traveled with reduced spacing therebetween in the direction of said subsequent travel relative to spacing between wire sections traveled by the first conveyor.

In a wire processing system for processing a wire into sections for presentation to conveyor means, the combination comprising:

(a) first means to advance a wire generally endwise toward a primary station, the wire having a forward portion,
(b) wire deforming means at the primary station and operatively associated with the first means to form at least one bend in the advancing wire,
(c) clamp means at the primary station and operatively associated with deforming means to clamp said forward portion of the wire that has passed said deforming means,
(d) cutter means operatively associated with the clamp means to sever the wire after a selected length of wire has advanced past the cutter means, whereby a wire section of predetermined length is formed,
(e) and apparatus including a rotor at the primary station, said wire deforming means including at least one wire deforming element carried by the rotor, the rotor also carrying said cutter means and said clamp means for rotating the clamped wire about an axis defined by the rotor prior to severing of the wire by said cutter means.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wire processing apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Wire processing apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27