US2778097A - Strip of taper pin connectors - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 22, 1957 Q. BERG 2,778,097

STRIP 0F TAPER PIN CONNECTORS Filed March 24, 1950 United States Patent STRIP 0F TAPER PIN CONNECTORS Quentin Berg, New Cumberland, Pa., assignor to Aircraft-Marine Products Inc., Harrisburg, Pa.

Application March 24, 1950, Serial No. 151,795

3 Claims. (Cl. 29-1935) This invention relates to applicators for applying plugin connectors to wire leads and particularly to an improved connector strip suitable for use with such applicators. Wire leads, each having at each end a plug-in connector, especially of the smaller or pin type sizes, are used extensively, for example, in making the required numerous electrical connections in complicated, electrically-operated tabulating machines or the like, a comparatively large number of such leads being usually required for a single machine.

To facilitate the inserting of such connectors into the appropriate terminal sockets and the establishment of good electrical connections, it is important that the entering end of each plug or pin be substantially perfectly smooth and preferably rounded. Formerly such pins or plugs were made upon screw machines and a ferrule, attached to one end of the pin or plug, was used to connect the pin to the bared end of the lead wire. It is likewise important that the pin portions converge uniformly from the ferrule to the socket entering end of the pin.

One object of the present invention is to make such plugs or pins, with integral insulation piercing ferrules, by stamping up out of sheet metal the pin ends of the connectors being shaped into substantially as satisfactory final operative form as with those made by screw machines. Another object of the invention is to so make such plugs or pins that they can be supplied integrally connected in strips with the ferrule ends left open upon one side to receive the ends of the lead wires and thus facilitate the assembling of the leads and the insulation piercing or contact making action, and with the opposite shaped ends satisfactorily smooth for their intended use after severing from the strip. It is also an object to so design the converging or taper pin forming portions of these connectors and the strip that they can be satisfactorily applied without deformation by applicator machines used to complete the attachment of the pins or plugs to lead wires.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved connector strip in which the connectors are so integrally connected endwise as to facilitate presenting them in wire end receiving position in the applicator machine, a further object of the invention being the provision of means for insuring a substantially smooth socket: entering end on the taper pin or plug after the connector has been severed from the succeeding connector of the strip.

Other objects, important features and advantages of the invention, to which reference has not specifically been made hereinabove will appear hereinafter when the following description and claims are considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a perspective view, somewhat enlarged, of the novel connector strip of the present invention showing the plug or pin portion uniformly converging or tapering from ferrule to the end or tip;

Figure 2 is a view showing one of the finished connectors after it has been applied to the unstripped end 2,778,097 Patented Jan. 22, 1957 of an insulated lead wire and been detached from the partially completed connector strip;

Figure 3 is a perspective detail of the essential operative elements of the applicator;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the mechanism shown in Figure 3, with the parts in the positions which they assume just before the connector is applied to the lead wire, and with parts broken away;

Figure 5 is a sectional detail on the same section as Figure 4, but showing the position of the parts at a later stage of their operation just as the connector applying operation is completed;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section showing the connector end wiping die which cooperates with the shear plate, and

Figure 7 is a view of a contact socket ferrule and of a connector about to be inserted in the socket, the purpose of this view being to illustrate the importance of providing the connector with a smooth socket entering end.

As just pointed out in the description of Figure 7, it is important that the taper pin connectors 2 which are to be applied to the circuit completing lead wires 4 have the socket-entering end 6 smooth and preferably rounded, as shown in Figure 7, or conical, so that there will be no excrescence on this end which might interfere with its easy insertion into the socket. Such sockets 9, in one important use as shown, are mounted in panels of insulation 8 and are usually provided with connector guiding troughs 10 on the end of the metal ferrules 9 which are open at the top and spread laterally at 11. If the end 6 of the connector 2 be not substantially smooth, any excrescence or roughness may catch upon the end edge 10 and interfere with the proper insertion of the connector 2 into the socket.

To facilitate rapid application of the connectors 2 to the lead wires 4, the connectors are preferably formed in a continuous strip such as shown in Figure 1 in which the pin end of one connector is integrally connected to the ferrule end of the next connector throughout the strip, these connectors being stamped up from sheet metal, the lateral edges of the pin forming portions of the blank strip being shaped to form in the meeting of said shaped edges a pin uniformly converging from end to end thereof, and the pin ends being substantially completed, as shown, except for the integral connecting short strip 12 which connects the center of the pin end of one connector to the ferrule of the next, the strip 12 being integral also with the ferrule of the next connector. In shaping the socket entering end 6 of the connector in the manufacture of the connector strip, it will be seen that this end has been rounded over on all sides into approximately its finished condition except for this connecting strip 12 which projects from the rounded over tip of the pin, in this case from a point substantially opposite the tapering meeting edges 1414 in the blank. This strip must, therefore, be severed both from the tip of the connector being applied and from the ferrule of the next connector in the process of applying the counector to the lead wire 4.

To facilitate the application of the ferrule end 16 of the connector upon the end of the lead wire 4 and the forming of a good electrical connection between the connector and the lead wire, the ferrule end 16 of the connector, as shown in Figures 1 and 3 is left open on top, that is, the edges 14 of the ferrule part of the connector are left upstanding or even flared out, and then crimped down after the wire is inserted to meet and form the completed ferrule,

In order to make a suitable electric connection between the connector and the insulated lead wire, insulation piercing teeth 18 are punched up on the inner face of the ferrule 16 into such. a position that they will engage these' figures. by this applicator in timedrelation:

eiss and pierce the insulation of the unstripped endof-the lead wire 4 and thus he forced into good electrical contact with the lead wire when the upturned edges 14' of are ferrule-are-curleii dowii intomeeting relation-to'each other and the ferrule- 266 is 'crimp'edinto gripping rel-a- 't 1o'n -to the'l'e'adwire end. Not only do the insulation piercing teeth 18 insure the desired goodelect'rical' conn'ectionl jetweenthe c'onnector and the lead' wire, but, When the ferruleiscrimped' into gripping relation, these teeth ls-also increase the mechanical engagement (i. e. the pull-outstrength) of the connection;

A= novelapplicat'oris illustratedin Figures 3-6 inclusivefor appl-yingthe connectors of the present invention to theken'ds of the lead wires successively inserted int-he respective ferrules of the successive connectors, as they aresuccessivelypresentedin the end position shown in There are'essentiallytour steps carried out (11) The strip of connectors 2 1'6 is first fed forward-between the guide plates 19 until the end connector -111 the position shown in Figure 3, just beyond that shown in Figure 4.

(2) fhe press head (not shown) moves down carrying the crimping die 24, the shear plate 34) and the pusher plate 42. As plate 36' moves down the inner edges of the part '34 guide or cam the connecting strip 14 into accurately centered positionwith respect to the forming notch 48. At the same time the backs of these curved portions 34 (as shown inFigure 4) engage the end edges of t'he ferrule 16 and cam them back to a precise positionifor shearing oif the strip 12.

- 3) Further movement of the press head brings the shear plate 30 at the end of recess 36 into contact with the strip-12; and at about the same instant the crimping die -24: engages the ferrulexportion 14' of the connector 2.

4 As the shear plate 3!) begins to shear through the strip 12, the pusher 42 engages thetip of pin 2 andthus shears strip-12 at the tip 6 of pin 2, the strip 12 being -thu's put under tension'as it is pushed down over the edge of the anvil shear plate 44. At this same time the crimping dies 22 and 24 are engaging the ferrule 16 more and moretightly.

5) When the shearing of strip 12 is complete, one piece'58' thereof being pushed out between shear anvil 26 and anvil 44 and another piece 46 being" pushed up into the recess-.54 of plate 42 from which it is blown out, the ferrule 16-has become sufficiently engaged-in the crimping dies22--4 to resist longitudinal movement.

(6-) Finalmovement of the: press completes the crimping of the ferrule, with some longitudinal extrusion of its metal. Boththis extrusion and the swinging of the pin andfwhile the ferrule end-16 of the connector is held in the ferr-ule crimping dies the connecting strip 12 between itvand thenext connector is punched out in two pieces, one end of this section being sheared close to the endof the ferrule of the next connector and the other end being cut otf close to the end 6 of the pin part of the con- Hector which is being applied. Following the punching out of the connectingstrip 12, the sheared end 6 is subje'cted to a frictional Wiping or burnishing step to insure the smoothing down of any portion of the connector that may still'have been left attached to the end 6 after the shearing operation.

The connector strip is fed, by any suitable feeding mechanism, ferrule end first, so that the: ferrules of the successive connectors of the connector strip are brought fsuccessively into crimping relation to lower and upper crimping 'dies' -zz and 24. When the ferrule is inzcrimp 4 ingrelation to the dies ZZand-M the end of thenext ferrule of the strip will bepressed against the rear face of the shearing plate 30 by a spring detent 31 engaging one of the connectors 2 in the strip being fed. Thus the shearing is accurately related to the end edge of ferrule 16. A punch opening 28 shaped to receive cooperating shear plate 30 serves as a precision guide for the shear plate.

The plate 30, as shown, has an opening 32 that straddles the strip llbefore shearing off and punching out a portion thereof, the lower part of the slot in the punch 30 being somewhat wider: than thestrip of connectors; while the narrow part 36 of the slot accurately fits the connecting strip 12. As shown particularly in Figure 5, the shearing off of the strip 12 leaves a straight edge on a round.

With the connector still held by the crimping dies 22 and 24', the operation of'the pusher plate 42' forces the end '6 of theconnector down over the face of plate 44 and into the forming no-tc'h lfifivith such endwise pressure that the part of strip 12 still attached-tome end 6 is forged into the tip 6 conforming to theshape of the notch 48. In the embodiment shown, the bottom edge ofthe pusher fi is at about 92"" with its face thus 'malcing it approximately tangent to the surface of the pin 2 which it contacts-Q The wiping action as thetip 6 is-pushed down into notch 48, insuresthe smooth rounded surface on end 6 of the connector. The opening 52 between the intu'rned edges allows such liow'of metal as may be necessary when any part o'f-the strip 12 that maystill remain attached to the connector end is-for'ge'd into the tip.

Topr'ovide for the discharge'ofthe' pieces 46 sheared off from the successive pin ends 6' the-sizingpunch 42 is P ovidedon it'srear face with a recess 54 into whichthese pieces 46 maybe received and from which they are discharged laterally, e. g.,--by an airiblas't.

It willbe understood that-:the operations of the shear plate-30- andof the pusher plate 42 need-notbe a distinct or marked succession, but maybe substantially simult-aneous.

I claim:

1. A-t'ap'er pin-type connectorfor use in strip form in aconnector applying machine comprising a pin .portion and a ferrule forming portion integral therewith, said' ferrule forn'iing portion-being a L l-shaped channel with a pair of upstanding ears having sides substantially parallel to the longitudinal axislof said strip, said pin portion being shaped up from sheet metal with the pin portion having tapering edges abutting to form an elongated tapered tubular pinwhich linearlyconvergesfrom the-ferrule-forming portion-to the socket-entering end of the pin, and a sh'orhnarrow connecting portion of sa d strip integrally-extending from thevpin end to aferruleforming-end of the adjacentconnectorfor integrally. joining like connectors in a strip ofsuch connectors, the short connecting portion extendingsfrom said pin end-lying opposite the sideof the pinaxis from the abutting: edgesof ,the sheet metal forming said pin.

2. A-taper pin connector substantially as set forth in claim 1' wherein the leading edges of said tubular pin at said socket-entering-end converge inwardlytoward the longitudinalaxis of the pin: to defines rounded nose for the pin at said socketentering .end.

3. A taper pin connector substantially as set forth in claim 1-.whereinsaidconnecting-portion of said strip ex- .tends longitudinally fromzsaidkpin end and inwardly toward the va xis .of said elongated tubular pin portion.

ReferencesGited in the-file ofthis patent UNITED PATENTS 40therfireferucszpn ifollbwing page) UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,446,198 Socke Aug. 3, 1948 8 1905 2,494,137 Martines Ian. '10, 1950 33 giggi g2: 1906 2,562,702 David et a1. J ly 31, 1951 1,5071916 Granat "1:11:11: Sept. 9, 1924 2,631,213 Martin 1953 1,976,929 E1110: Oct. 16, 1934 5 FOREIGN PATENTS 5155i??? 5352i2215733331.?23' 3% 1312 1031* Great Britain 2,427,176 Aldeen Sept. 9, 1947

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