Apparatus for crimping terminals on an electrical conductor

An apparatus for crimping a terminal to an electrical conductor, comprising a supporting structure, an anvil mounted on the supporting structure, a ram mounted for reciprocating movement on said supporting structure in a direction toward and away from said anvil, said anvil and said ram each carrying cooperating die members arranged to crimp a terminal on an electrical conductor as said ram moves toward said anvil, a toggle mechanism interconnecting said supporting structure and said ram and including a first toggle link and a second toggle link, first pivot means for pivotally connecting said first toggle link to said ram, second pivot means for pivotally connecting said second toggle link to the supporting structure, said first toggle link and said second toggle link being connected together at a third pivot means, reversible drive means pivotally connected to said first and second toggle links at said third pivot means, said toggle mechanism having a first under-center open position wherein said first and second toggle links are disposed at an acute angle to each other and said third pivot means is disposed on one side of an axis extending between said ram and said anvil and having an on-center crimping position where said toggle links are aligned and said third pivot means is located substantially on said axis and having an over-center open position wherein said first and second toggle links are at an acute angle with respect to each other and said third pivot means lies on the opposite side of said axis, operation of said drive means in one direction acting to move said toggle links from said under-center open position to said on-center crimping position to said over-center open position and operation of said drive means in the opposite direction moving said toggle links from said over-center open position to said on-center crimping position to said under-center open position, and adjusting means for adjusting the position of said second pivot means relative to said supporting structure to thereby adjust the spacing between said die members when said toggle links are in the on-center crimping position.