Claims
- 1. In a machine for making electrical leads having a frame, a wire cutting and stripping unit attached to said frame, and a terminating unit attached to said frame,
- a wire handling mechanism for feeding electrical wire with respect to said wire cutting and stripping unit and for positioning an end of said wire with respect to both said wire stripping unit and said terminating unit comprising:
- (a) a platform coupled to said frame, said platform having a wire feed mechanism and a wire outlet through which said wire is fed upon actuation of said feed mechanism, said platform being pivotable with respect to said frame between a first position wherein said wire outlet is adjacent said wire stripping unit and a second position wherein said wire outlet is adjacent said terminating unit;
- (b) an outer shaft attached to said platform having a longitudinal axis and a hole through said shaft substantially parallel to said axis, said outer shaft arranged to pivot with respect to said frame and thereby pivot said platform between said first and second positions;
- (c) an inner shaft extending through said hole, and upon rotation thereof with respect to said platform, arranged to effect said actuation of said feed mechanism;
- (d) a single actuator attached to said frame;
- (e) a coupling mechanism coupling said single actuator to both said outer shaft and said inner shaft and arranged to selectively either rotate said inner shaft with respect to said platform while holding said outer shaft stationary with respect to said frame or to pivot said outer shaft with respect to said frame while holding said inner shaft stationary with respect to said platform.
- 2. The machine according to claim 1 wherein said wire feed mechanism includes a feed wheel having a peripheral surface in driving engagement with said wire, said feed wheel arranged to rotate when said inner shaft rotates.
- 3. The machine according to claim 2 wherein said wire feed mechanism includes a pressure roller arranged to rotate when said feed wheel rotates, said pressure roller arranged to press said wire against said peripheral surface of said feed wheel during said feeding of said wire.
- 4. The machine according to claim 3 wherein said pressure roller is drivingly coupled to said inner shaft.
- 5. The machine according to claim 3 wherein said wire feed mechanism includes an idler roller adjacent both said pressure roller and said feed wheel, and a belt extending around a pulley attached to said pressure roller, a portion of a pulley attached to said feed wheel, and said idler roller, said belt being driven by said pulley attached to said feed wheel and said pulley attached to said pressure roller being driven by said belt.
- 6. The machine according to claim 1 wherein said outer shaft has a first end attached to said platform and a second opposite end in driven engagement with said coupling mechanism.
- 7. The machine according to claim 1 wherein said coupling mechanism attaches said inner and outer shafts together so that said motor rotates both said inner and outer shafts when effecting said pivoting of said platform with respect to said frame.
- 8. The machine according to claim 1 wherein said coupling mechanism comprises:
- (a) a first gear rigidly attached to said inner shaft in driven engagement with said motor;
- (b) an arm rigidly attached to said outer shaft;
- (c) a second gear rigidly attached to said frame concentric with said first gear;
- (d) third and fourth gears journaled for rotation in said arm, said third gear in meshing engagement with said first gear and said fourth gear in meshing engagement with said second gear; and
- (e) a clutch mechanism for selectively holding only said third gear stationary with respect to said arm or holding only said fourth gear stationary with respect to said arm.
- 9. The machine according to claim 8 wherein said clutch mechanism comprises a linear actuator having an armature that moves parallel to said inner shaft, said third and fourth gears journaled for rotation on said armature.
- 10. The machine according to claim 9 wherein said linear actuator is an air cylinder having a piston rod and said armature is said piston rod.
- 11. The machine according to claim 10 including a first pair of clutch pads on opposite sides of said third gear and a second pair of clutch pads on opposite sides of said fourth gear, arranged so that when said air cylinder is actuated in one direction said third gear is prevented from turning by its respective pair of clutch pads while said fourth gear is free to turn, and when said air cylinder is actuated in the other direction said fourth gear is prevented from turning by its respective pair of clutch pads while the third gear is free to turn.
- 12. The machine according to claim 11 wherein each of said first and second clutch pads has a hole therethrough and wherein said piston rod has a first portion extending from a first side of said air cylinder and a second portion extending from a second side of said air cylinder opposite said first side, said first portion extending through said first pair of clutch pads and said third gear and said second portion extending through said second pair of clutch pads and said fourth gear.
- 13. The machine according to claim 12 including first and second abutting members attached to said first and second portions of said piston rod, respectively, and arranged so that when said piston rod moves in one direction said first abutting member engages one of said first pair of clutch pads and forces it against said third gear, and when said piston rod moves in the opposite direction said second abutting member engages one of said second pair of clutch pads and forces it against said fourth gear.
- 14. The machine according to claim 13 wherein each of said first and second abutting members comprises a flat washer and a screw extending through said flat washer and into engagement with a threaded hole in said piston rod.
- 15. The machine according to claim 1 wherein said wire feed mechanism includes
- a feed wheel having a peripheral surface in driving engagement with said wire, said feed wheel arranged to rotate when said inner shaft rotates, and
- a pressure roller arranged to rotate when said feed wheel rotates, said pressure roller arranged to press said wire against said peripheral surface of said feed wheel during said feeding of said wire,
- wherein said pressure roller is drivingly coupled to said inner shaft and said wire is in engagement with an angular portion of said peripheral surface of over about 40 degrees.
- 16. The machine according to claim 15 wherein said angular portion is between about 70 degrees and about 110 degrees.
- 17. In a machine for making electrical leads having a frame, a wire cutting and stripping unit attached to said frame, and a terminating unit attached to said frame,
- a wire handling mechanism for feeding electrical wire and for moving an end of said wire to a first position with respect to said wire stripping unit and a second position with respect to said terminating unit comprising:
- (a) a platform coupled to said frame, a wire feed mechanism attached to said platform, said platform being pivotable between said first and second positions;
- (b) a hollow outer shaft attached to said platform and arranged to pivot with respect to said frame;
- (c) an inner shaft extending through said hollow outer shaft, and upon rotation thereof with respect to said platform, arranged to operate said feed mechanism;
- (d) a single actuator attached to said frame;
- (e) a coupling mechanism coupling said single actuator to both said outer shaft and said inner shaft and arranged to selectively either rotate said inner shaft with respect to said platform while holding said outer shaft stationary with respect to said frame or to pivot said outer shaft with respect to said frame while holding said inner shaft stationary with respect to said platform.
- 18. The machine according to claim 17 wherein said outer shaft has a first end attached to said platform and a second opposite end in driven engagement with said coupling mechanism.
- 19. The machine according to claim 17 wherein said coupling mechanism attaches said inner and outer shafts together so that said single actuator rotates both said inner and outer shafts when effecting said pivoting of said platform with respect to said frame.
- 20. The machine according to claim 17 wherein said single actuator is a motor and said coupling mechanism comprises:
- (a) a first gear rigidly attached to said inner shaft in driven engagement with said motor;
- (b) an arm rigidly attached to said outer shaft and arranged to pivot therewith;
- (d) a second gear journaled for rotation and coupled to said arm, said second gear in meshing engagement with said first gear; and
- (e) a coupling unit for selectively:
- holding only said second gear stationary with respect to said first gear while permitting said arm to pivot; or
- holding only said arm stationary with respect to said frame while permitting said second gear to rotate with respect to said first gear.
- 21. The machine according to claim 20 wherein said coupling unit includes an air cylinder attached to said arm and having a piston rod, said second gear journaled for rotation on said piston rod, a clutch pad between said arm and said second gear and arranged so that when said piston rod is moved on one direction said second gear is prevented from rotating.
- 22. The machine according to claim 20 wherein said arm includes at least two features associated therewith, and including a plunger member coupled to said frame and selectively movable to a locked position in engagement with one of said at least two features for preventing rotation of said outer shaft, and an unlocked position away therefrom.
- 23. The machine according to claim 22 including a first linear actuator arranged to move said plunger member to both said locked position and to said unlocked position.
- 24. The machine according to claim 23 wherein said coupling unit includes a clutch mechanism comprising a second linear actuator having an armature that moves parallel to said inner shaft, said second gear journaled for rotation on said armature.
- 25. The machine according to claim 24 wherein said second linear actuator is an air cylinder having a piston rod and said armature is said piston rod.
Parent Case Info
This application is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 08/707,166 filed Aug. 30, 1996, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 365 137 |
Apr 1990 |
EPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
International Search Report, Applicant's reference No. 16696 PCT, International Application No. PCT/US 97/ 14809, International Filing Date: Aug. 22, 1997. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
707166 |
Aug 1996 |
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