Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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4695
The invention relates to wire measuring and feeding
apparatus.
According to the invention wire measuring and
feed~ng apparatus comprises a first and a second serie~
of pulleys, the pulleys of each series being mounted for
rotation on respective common axes, the first and second
series of pulleys being mounted for translational
movem~nt relatively apart and together for a predetermined
distance in a direction transverse to their rotational
: 10 axes; drive means to effect the movement apart to draw
predetermined lengths of wires, when located around
opposite respective sides of the pulleys of each series,
from storage reels; and, an output nip comprising a series
of roller pairs, the rollers of each pair being individually
biased together to grip between them respective wires
drawn from the storage reels and operable by the drive
means to feed the predetermined lengths of wires from the
pulleys to an operating station during movement of the
pulleys togethar.
Examples of the invention will now be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a front perspective view with parts
`, broken away for clarity of a first example of wire
measuring and feeding apparatus according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the first
example of the apparatus with parts broken away for clarity;
Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the first
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example of the apparatus with parts broken away for clarity;
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of harness making
apparatus incorporating a second example of wire measuring
and eeding apparat~s accordiny to the present invention
S and generally similar to the first example;
Fiyure S is an enlarged fragmentary view of part of
the apparatus of Figure 4 showing means fo~ regulating the
wire measure;
Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse section of part
of Figure 4 and showing a wire output nip disposed between
the wire measuring apparatus and the harness making
apparatus;
Figure 7 is a fragmentary transverse section of a
wire clamp device located between an idler pulley and the
output nip of the apparatus of Figure 4;
Figure 8 is a sectional side elevation of the clamp
device of Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a partly sectional side elevation of a
wire locking nip disposed at the wire input end of the
apparatus as seen in Figure 4;
Figure 10 is a transverse view of the wire locking
nip of Figure 9; and,
Figure 11 is a diagram showing the operation of the
harness making apparatus.
The first examiple of apparatus (Figures 1 to 3)
comprises a generally rectangular frame having sidewalls 11
and 12 and top and bottom walls 13 and 14, respectively.
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Spaced parallel guide rods 15 and 16 extend from top to bottom frame walls
and two spaced cross-members 17 and 18 extend between the sidewalls.
First and second pulley blocks 20 and 21, are mounted for sliding
movement on the rods 15 and 16. The first pulley block carries a first and
third series of pulleys 22 and 23, respectively the pulleys of each series
being mounted for independent individual rotation on a common axis and the
second block carries a second series of pulleys 24 similarly mounted. The
blocks are linked by two chains 27, 28 which pass round idler gears 29 and
30 respectively mounted in the top and bottom walls. A double acting piston
and cylinder drive means 32 is fixed on the cross-members and operatively
engages the pulley block 21. A fourth and fifth series of pulleys 33 and 34
are each fixed for rotational movement on respective common axes on the side
walls 11 and 12, respectively. An output nip 35 comprises a series of
roller pairs, the rollers of each pair being individually spring biased
together to accommodate different wire sizes and is mounted on a block
extending from the sidewall 12. The nip is linked by a gear train 37 and a
ratchet or one-way clutch (not shown) to the chain 27.
In operation of the apparatus, a series of wires from storage reels
are looped around the pulleys as shown and located in the output nip. The
pulley blocks are adjacent the cross-member 17 as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Operation of the piston and cylin~er drive pushes block 21 away from
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the cross-member and block 20 is drawn a corresponding
distance by chain 28. The spreading of the blocks draws
a predetermined length of wires simultaneously from their
storage reels as the other ends of the wires are held by
the nips 35. Subsequent operation of the piston and
cylinder in the opposite sense draws the block 21 towards
; the cross-member 17 and similarly block 20 by chain 27.
At the same time, chain 27 drives output nip 35 through
gear train 37 at a rate appropriate to draw off the lengths
of wires corresponding to the lengths previously drawn from
the storage reels.
The above described apparatus is particularly suitable
for use with the harness making apparatus 102 shown in
, Figures 4 and 11 and described more fully in our
Canadian Application Serial No. 306,861 filed July 6, 1978
and to which attention is directed. In the apparatus, a head
91 holding one end of the wires 59 transverses from an
operating station 93 adjacent the nip 81 to a distal
station 94 drawing the wires from the nip, terminates that
end of the wires in a connector 98 and 99 at that station,
and returns to the station 93 adjacent the nip for a dwell
period in which measured lengths of wires 59 are fed by
.f the nip past or through the head to extend in slack
condition between the stations and terminated at their
other end in connectors 103, 100 at the adjacent station.
This arrangement enables wire harnesses of greater length
than the separation of the stations to be manufactured.
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The measuring part of the operative cycle may largely occur
during the return of the head from the distal to the
adjacent station reducing the dwell period facilitating
speed of operation of the apparatus.
In the second example of apparatus 41, Figures 4 to 10,
five pulley assemblies 43,44 are provided, two assemblies
43 mounted for movement together on an upper movable
pulley block 45 and three assemblies 44 on a lower movable
pulley block 46, enabling a reduction in the overall height
of the apparatus 41 in relation to the lengths of wires
measured compared with the first example. Means are
provided to alter the lengths of wires measured and, as
shown in Figure 5, the means may comprise a first micro-
switch 47 mounted on a stop block 48 mounted for movement
along a threaded column 49 adjacent the path of movement
of the upper pulley bloc]c 45 by handle 38. Towards the
~o
B end of the wire measur~ng step a cam ~on the upper block
engages the first micro-switch causing control circuitry
to xeduce the fluid supply to an operating cylillder to
retard the uppex block 45 and a lug Sl on the pulley block
subsequently engages the stop block 48 to prevent further
separation of the pulley blocks 45,46.
A second micro-switch 52 is mounted on the stop block
48 at a location spaced fxom tha first micro-switch and :~
engageable by a second cam 53 on the upper bloc]c 45
during a first stage of movement of the blocks 45,46
towards one another. The switch 52 is arranged to operate
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4695
control circuitry to cause a pause in block movement and in
wire feed, when a wire holding head has reached a second
terminating station and during return of the wire holding
head to a first terminating station, as described in our
C~al;a~ s~t~ o.~o~
patent applicationr~ th~ 6~e ~tc (~78~t where control
circuitry reactivates tlle operating piston to drive the
pulley blocks fully towards one another and the drive to
the output nip to complete the wire feed.
The output nip 81 ~Figure 6) comprises co-operating
roller assemblies 54,55 having individually rotatable
rollers 56,57. The individually rotatable rollers 57 of
the lower roller assembly 55 are connected for movement
together on a common shaft 60 by annular friction clutch
plates 39 located on the shaft between the individual
rollers. The clutch plates 39 transmit axial thrust but
permit slip of an individual roller in the event of
resistance from its associated wire 59 resulting from
complete feed of that wire. The individually rotatable
rollers 56 of the other, upper roller assembly 54 of the
output nip are each biased by an individual pneumatic
piston and cylinder assembly 58 towards the co-operating
roller thereby maintaining a nip pressure on the respective
wires 59 which is substantially independent of wire
diameter. The individual pistons and cylinders 58 are
located in staggered relation in a cylinder block assembly
40 to permit high density of pac]cing.
An idler pulley assembly 80, Figure 4, is located
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between the measuring device 41 and the output nip 81, to
guide wires to the nip 81. A wire clamp (Figures 7 and 8)
i5 located between the idler pulley assembly 80 and the
nip 81 and comprises a series of wixe engaging fingers 82
individually biased by springs 61 in housin~ 62 against
individual wires 59.
~ lin wire-locking piston and cylinder assemblies 83
are provided to advance the spring housing 62 against the
fingers 82 simultaneously, to clamp the wires 59 against
a bar 84 at the end of each wire feed operation to prevent
wires being pulled from the wire clamp or holding head 91
particularly during a wixe measuring operation.
A wire lockiny nip 8~, Figure 4, and shown in more
detail in Figures 9 and 10, is provided on the input side
: 15 of the wire measuring and feed apparatus 41 and comprises
an upper pulley assembly 86 movable against wires located
; in two lower pulley assemblies 87. The upper pulley
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assembly 86 comprises a series of lndividual pulleys 88
operated by respective triple ackion piston cylinder
devices 89 located in a cylinder block assembly 63 in
staggered relation. Control circui.try ~not sho~n) is
provided to operate the piston and cylinder devices in
three modes: to wlthdraw the upper pulley asse~bly 86 from
the lower pulley assembly 87 to permit initial location of
wires in the pulley assembly; to bias the upper pulley
assembly 86 towards the lower pulley assemblies 87 to
; provide a l~w pressure on the wires during wire measuring,
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preventing overrun otherwise caused by inertia of supply
reels; and, to provide a high pressure to lock the wires
during operation of the output nip 81 during the wire feed.
The apparatus described enables substantially equal,
predetermined, lengths of wires of different diameters to
be fed simultaneously to the operating stations. Any
xequirement for pulleys of different radii for wires of
different diameter is avoided and as any small difference
in wire ]engths initially drawn from the pulleys will be
accommodated by differential slip between the individual
output nips, the nips can be mounted on a common drive
shaft driven at a single speed. As the output nips are
isolated from the wire storage reels during the wire feed
the nips do not have to overcome the inertia of the storaye
reels avoiding slip and over-run and consequential errors
in lengths of wires fed. The nips are subject to less
~ tension during the wire feed operation... The individual
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free ~Y~hk~r of the pulleys facilitates free movement of
the individual wires during the wire measuring and
feeding operations. The relative positions of wires of
different diameters can be altered on the pulleys without
alteration to any part of the apparatus which can,
therefore, be used to make different wire harnesses.
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