A method and apparatus is provided for attaching a plurality of two-piece connectors of varying configuration to a specified length of multi-conductor cable at precise locations along the length of the cable and in any sequence of connector attachment. A device is provided for storing and downwardly advancing a precise length of cable, cutting one end of the cable at a cutter station, and locating the cable between a connector assembly station where a pair of connector halfs are automatically attached to the cable at a precise, predetermined location. The cable is then laterally moved to one or more connector assembly stations where one or more additional connectors are attached to the cable. The cable is then moved back to the cutter station where the cable is cut flush against the top of the last connector to be attached to the cable. All drive and movement functions of the apparatus are controlled by a pre-programmed microprocessor.
A cable connecting machine which includes a base member (1); a first cable retainer (E) provided on said base member for holding a first cable in place; a second cable retainer (F) provided on said base member for holding a second cable on top of said first cable; a pair of cable pressure elements (28, 29) provided on said first cable retainer such that they are vertically adjustable; a lock device (G) provided on said base member for locking said second cable retainer; and an operation mechanism (H) provided on said base member for simultaneously releasing said lock device and said first and second cable retainers.
Electrical connector attachment tooling for attaching an electrical connector to a flat, multiconductor cable includes leaf springs, cam-actuated gripping means for locating and retaining the connector in proper relationship to the cable.
A method and apparatus for making electrical harnesses of flat cable (30) terminated at respective opposite ends in electrical connectors (13) with individual conductors electrically connected to corresponding contacts of rows of contacts in conductor-receiving faces of the connectors (13). The flat cable (30) is fed longitudinally along a path extending towards a terminating station adjacent the feed path (12) along which the contact rows extend and a loop is formed in a leading end with the plane of the cable (30) and the loop axis extending perpendicularly to the contact rows and conductor-receiving faces. The leading and trailing ends of the cable loop are then rotated in opposite senses through 90.degree. to extend parallel to the plane of the conductor-receiving faces of the connectors (13) with individual conductors aligned with respective contacts and terminated therein. The apparatus includes a cable end slitting mechanism (35), eye forming mechanism (32), loop forming mechanism (37) and transfer mechanism (39).
An electromagnetically actuated gas valve (5) for gas engines (4) includes a valve seat (13) that has at least one flow-through opening (14) and a corresponding sealing plate (15), with the sealing plate being movably arranged and guided essentially perpendicularly relative to the valve seat (13), with barrier surfaces (16) and discharge openings (17). The sealing plate (15) is loaded against the valve seat (13) by means of a return spring (25) and can be lifted for the purpose of opening it via a solenoid (21). In order to allow for the secure sealing and easy switchability even in the presence of the effect of the combustion chamber pressure, the sealing plate (15) is arranged on the discharge side of the valve seat (13) and connected by means of a stamp (29), which extends through the valve seat (13), with the anchor plate (28) of the solenoid (21). A Venturi tube meter (38) is arranged on the discharge side after the sealing plate (15) for the purpose of calibrating the flow-through correction value and for suppressing any dispersions due to manufacturing variations with regard to the effective flow cross-section, and the cross-section of the Venturi tube meter (38) is smaller than the sum of the effective flow-through cross-sections between valve seat (13) and opened sealing plate (15).
The present invention is an apparatus for and method of aligning the terminals of a group of connectors in side by side abutting relationship with tooling for terminating wires to the terminals thereof. The group of connectors is placed in a track with the first connector against a stop. A plurality of vertically reciprocal guide blades are arranged adjacent the track and are moved upwardly, one at a time, the first engaging the first connector and positioning it relative to the termination tooling followed by subsequent blades engaging the other connectors. These subsequent engagements occur one at a time in sequential order with increasing distance from the stop. When all connectors are positioned by engaging guide blades, wires are terminated to the connector terminals and the guide blades moved out of engagement so that the completed connector assembly can be removed and the process repeated.
