Methods and apparatus for terminating and interconnecting flat power cables

A method of terminating flat power cable having at least one flat conductor member with a terminal means for connecting the flat power cable to an electrical article, comprising the steps of:

• preparing an end section of said flat cable by punching therethrough a plurality of holes of selected diameter arrayed transversely thereacross proximate an end edge of said flat cable, exposing sheared edges of said at least one conductor defining walls of said holes;
• selecting a terminal means having a plate section and a contact section means, said plate section means including a like plurality of apertures therethrough having vertical side walls and having diameters substantially equal to said punched cable holes and identically arrayed with respect thereto, said contact section extending outwardly from said plate section means;
• placing said terminal plate section means parallel to and adjacent a major surface of said cable end section with said terminal apertures aligned with said punched cable holes defining insert-receiving hole arrangements, with said contact section means extending outwardly from said cable end section;
• inserting into each said insert-receiving hole arrangement a conductive insert member of low resistance having a diameter slightly less than the diameters of said terminal aperture and said punched cable hole and having a length longer than the thicknesses of said plate section means and said cable so that end sections of said insert can protrude outwardly from the outwardly facing surfaces of said terminal means and said cable end section at said hole arrangement, defining a stacked package;
• placing said stacked package in a punch region of a reciprocating ram press terminating apparatus and between upper and lower die assemblies thereof, said upper die assembly including a like plurality of upper coining punches and said lower die assembly including a like plurality of lower coining punches associated with said upper coining punches defining pairs of punches located across said punch region to correspond with said insert members of said stacked package disposed therebetween, all such that said insert end sections protrude outwardly from said stacked package;
• and
• staking said protruding end sections of said insert members with said upper and lower coining punches simultaneously, thereby enlarging said protruding insert end sections forming heads radially outwardly along and against said outwardly facing surfaces of said terminal means and said cable end section at said hole arrangements, and enlarging said diameters of said insert members within said hole arrangements tightly against said sheared conductor edges and vertical aperture side walls and forming gas-tight electrical connections therewith interconnecting said cable conductor and said terminal means, whereby said terminal means is terminated to said flat power cable.

An interconnection of conductor means of two flat power cables, comprising:

• a stack of selected sections of first and second flat cables one atop the other having respective arrays of holes punched therethrough, the holes of one thereof being vertically aligned with the holes of the other defining pairs of aligned holes;
• and
• insert members of low resistance copper disposed within respective said pairs of aligned holes and having end sections protruding outwardly from outwardly facing surfaces of said first and second flat cables,
• said insert end sections having been staked to enlarge said protruding insert end sections defining respective mechanical joints joining said selected cable sections, and to enlarge the diameters of said insert members within said pairs of aligned holes to tightly engage edge surfaces of the conductor means of said first and second flat cables defining gas-tight electrical connections between said insert members and said conductor means of said first and second flat cables.

A method of interconnecting two flat power cables each having a respective at least one flat conductor therein, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a selected section of a first said flat cable by punching therethrough a plurality of first holes of selected diameter arrayed transversely thereacross and exposing sheared edges of said at least one conductor defining walls of said first holes;
• preparing a selected section of a second said flat cable by punching therethrough a like plurality of second holes of like diameter identically arrayed transversely thereacross and exposing sheared edges of said at least one conductor defining walls of said second holes;
• placing said second cable selected section parallel to and adjacent a major surface of said first cable selected section with said second holes aligned with said first holes defining insert-receiving hole arrangements;
• inserting into each said insert-receiving hole arrangement a conductive insert member of low resistance having a diameter slightly less than the diameters of said first and second holes and having a length longer than the thicknesses of said first and second cables so that end sections of said insert can protrude outwardly from the outwardly facing surfaces of said first and second selected sections at said hole arrangement, defining a stacked package;
• placing said stacked package in a punch region of a reciprocating ram press terminating apparatus and between upper and lower die assemblies thereof, said upper die assembly including a like plurality of upper coining punches and said lower die assembly including a like plurality of lower coining punches associated with said upper coining punches defining pairs of punches located across said punch region to correspond with said insert members of said stacked package disposed therebetween, all such that said insert end sections protrude outwardly from said stacked package;
• and
• staking said protruding end sections of said insert members with said upper and lower coining punches simultaneously, thereby enlarging said protruding insert end sections forming heads radially outwardly along and against said outwardly facing surfaces of said first and second selected sections at said hole arrangements, and enlarging said diameters of said insert members within said hole arrangements tightly against said sheared conductor edges and forming gas-tight electrical connections therewith interconnecting said at least one conductor of said first cable and said at least one conductor of said second cable, whereby said first and second cables are interconnected.

Apparatus for either terminating a terminal to a flat power cable or interconnecting a pair of flat power cables, comprising:

• reciprocating ram press means having an upper die assembly reciprocally movable with respect to a lower die assembly;
• said upper die assembly including an array of upper punch members secured to and depending vertically beneath a ram portion of the apparatus, a pressure plate secured below said ram portion and including passageways through which extend respective said upper punch members, and vertical block members disposed on sides of said upper punch member array;
• said lower die assembly including an array of lower punch members secured to and extending vertically upwardly from a camming block disposed along a top surface of a support block and vertically movable upwardly from said support block, said lower punch members respectively associated with said upper punch members in punch pairs and precisely aligned therewith, a die block fixedly secured in said lower die assembly secured above said camming block and including passageways through which extend respective said lower punch members, vertical cam members spaced laterally from ends of said camming block and associated with and vertically aligned with said vertical block members of said upper die assembly and vertically movable within said lower die assembly, and horizontal cam members associated with said vertical cam members and respective ends of said camming block and movable along said top surface of said support block toward and away from said camming block;
• said vertical cam members having lower ends having 45.degree. angled surfaces engaged and slidably movable along cooperating 45.degree. angled surfaces of outer ends of said horizontal cam members, and inner ends of said horizontal cam members having 45.degree. angled surfaces engaged and slidably movable along cooperating 45.degree. angled surfaces of said respective ends of said camming block, all so that upon said vertical cam members being struck by said vertical blocks during the downward stroke of said upper die assembly said force is transmitted to said outer ends of said horizontal cam members to move them inwardly and against respective said ends of said camming block and thereby moving said camming block upwardly,
• whereby said pairs of upper and lower punch members are urged simultaneously against respective metal insert members disposed in respective hole arrangements through either a stacked package of at least a terminal means and a flat cable or a stacked package of at least two flat cables with insert ends protruding above and below said stacked package, which stacked package is placed in said punch region between said upper and lower die assemblies prior to actuation of the apparatus, to stake said protruding insert ends simultaneously to either terminate said terminal to said flat cable or to interconnect conductors of said two flat cables.