APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS TO WIRES

1,249,755. Making electrical connections, jointing by stamping, shearing. AMP Inc. 16 April, 1970 [28 April, 1969], No. 18111/70. Headings B3A, B3Q and B3W. Apparatus for crimping a substantially U cross-section connector 2 to a wire comprises a crimping die, an anvil 50 having a connector supporting surface 54, means for moving the die and anvil relatively to one another and a cutter bar 60, 601 which enters a slot 62, 621 in the die to trim the wire before the die and anvil are brought into crimping relationship. The die comprises two jaws 26, 261 movable between open and closed positions, the slot extending in the direction of movement of the jaws. The connector is placed on the surface 54 and the wires 20, 22, of the pair to be connected are laid in the connector with their ends in the slots 62, 621. Handles 40, 401 are moved towards each other and as the jaws 26, 261 close, the cutter bars 60, 601, enter the slots thereby trimming the wire ends. Abutment surfaces 30, 301 on the jaws meet and surfaces 32, 321 form female die surfaces, which crimp the connector to the wires 20, 22 as a pin 46 reaches the top of a slot 48 to drive the anvil upwardly on continued closure of the handles. In an alternative embodiment two pairs of jaws 98, 102 and 981, 1021 are provided and are pneumatically operated. As a piston 162 is driven upwardly, a cam block 130 acts on toggle mechanisms 120, 124 and 1201, 1241 to close the jaws. The jaw 98 is connected to jaw 1021 by links 166, (1661) and links 164, (1641) interconnect jaws 981, 102, to provide simultaneous actuation thereof, Fig. 12 (not shown). As the piston continues to rise the lost motion in a coupling 157 is taken up and anvils 132, 1321 are driven upwardly, after the wires have been trimmed, to crimp the connectors as in the first embodiment. An alternative form of trimming device comprises cutter bars (190), (192) mounted on opposite sides of and at either end of an anvil (184). The bars enter slots (185), (193) in jaws (188), (186) respectively as they close in the initial part of the work cycle, Fig. 13 (not shown).