Apparatus for splicing cables containing pairs of conductors

SWEDEN

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PUBLISHING LETTER NO 356 175 imci H 01 r 43/04

PATENTS AND REGISTRATION OFFICE

Patent Application. No. 3225 / 7θ Received on 11 IH 1970 Validity Day on 11 III 197θ

Ans. generally available on IX 197 °

Ans. laid out and the pamphlet published on 14 V 1975

Priority requested before &amp; on 14th III 1969 (USA, 80? 300)

AMP INCORPORATED, HARRISBURG, PENN. USA Inventor »GM Gurley, Clearwater, Fla. Agent: In Bergenstråhle

Electrical connector

When the ends of two telephone cables, of which were also one can include e.g. several thousand individual wires, shall be joined together, the cable ends being positioned adjacent and substantially axially aligned, a portion of the cable sheath is removed from each cable end to expose the individual wires in the cable. The wires in each cable are usually arranged in pairs, the wires of which are heaped for easy identification, each pair of wires usually comprising an earth conductor and a signal conductor.

It is common to connect the corresponding wires in a hopefully wound pair from each cable end by securing an electrical connector, e.g. may be U-shaped as seen in cross-section, around the wires to be connected, the connector having internal projections for penetrating the insulation of the wires to electrically connect the electrically conductive cores of the wires. The connectors can be pressed onto the wires by means of automatic pressing devices, which are driven from a power source, e.g. an electric motor. Such apparatus uses press jaws for pressing the connectors around the wires, which jacks require a motor of significant power to drive them through a compression stroke. Since telephone cables that are schooled together are often located in an uncomfortable place, e.g. in a manhole or at the top of a mast «Ilar post, the size and weight of the appliance should be as small as is practically possible.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference will be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing two cable ends and one apparatus disposed adjacent the cable ends for connecting individual pairs of wires in the cable ends. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus's wire connection mechanism. Fig. 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3. FIG. 5 is a section along the line VV in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the main axis of the apparatus. Figures 7- ^ are sections along lines VII-VII, VIII-VIII, respectively. IX-IX of Fig. 5, wherein the portions of the apparatus shown at the beginning of a working cycle of the apparatus, Figs. 8A and 8B are cross sections through the main shaft which show the parts of the apparatus in two different intermediate stages during its operating cycle. FIG. 9A and 9B are additional sections through the main shaft, showing the portions of the apparatus in two intermediate stages during the operation cycle of the apparatus. Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a detail of the apparatus. Figs. 11-15 are schematic fragmentary sections, partly in section, illustrating one side of the operation of the apparatus. Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing two pairs of wiring harnesses of the cable ends which have been electrically connected by means of an electrical connector across the apparatus. FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view illustrating one side of the manufacture of electrical connectors of Fig. 16. Figs. 18 and 19 are cross sections through the connector of Fig. 16, illustrating the manner in which the apparatus serves to connect the wires by means of the connector.

As shown in Fig. 1, two cable ends 8 and 10 are axially aligned with one another, a cable splitting apparatus 22 located between the cable ends and is supported with respect thereto as described below. The cable ends 8 and 10 comprise bundles 12 and 10, respectively. 14 of twisted pairs 4 and 2 respectively. 6 of insulated wires. The dangers 4 and 6 comprise conduit wires 20 and 22, 24 and 26. The bundles 12 and 14 are curved backwards along the cable ends and are attached to the cable ends by strip strips as shown. The apparatus provided for connection, by means of an electrical connector, described below, of the wires of each twisted pair 4 corresponding to wires of one of the twisted pairs 6 as described below is supported with respect to the cable ends 8 and 10 of a rod 16 extending parallel to the common end of the cable ends and secured to the cable ends by clamps 18 at each end of the rod 16,

The connector, which is designated 28, will now be described with reference to Figures 16-19. The connector 28 comprises two metallic connector members 30 and 32, each of which comprises a body portion 36, whose longitudinal edge portions 38 are bent upwardly, as shown in Figure 17, to reinforce the life 36. At each end of each life 36, a pair of ears 40 connected to the longitudinal edge portions 38 through necks 41. Each ear 40 has end portions 42 which have toothed edges 44 and are raised within the waist 36 so that corresponding edges 42 of the ears 40 in each pair are facing each other. The end portions 42 have upper (seen in FIGS. 17-19) edges 43 which converge toward the life 36. The edges 44 of each pair of opposing edges 44 are separated from each other by substantially less than the diameter of the electrically conductive core of a conductor wire in the twisted the pairs. A wire in a twisted pair can be pressed down between the opposing edges 44 of each pair of ears 40 so that the edges 44 penetrate the insulation of the conductor wire and engage the electrically conductive core of the wire to make good electrically conductive contact with the core, as shown in FIG. 19, wherein the ears 4θ are resiliently pressed apart to facilitate the entry of the guidewire as a result of the engagement of the thread with the edges 43 of the ears. Each pair of connector members 30 and 32 has a tubular insulating housing 34 which is made of a resilient plastic material and which can be manufactured in the form of a continuous extruded strand 46 (FIG. 17) and subsequently cut lengthwise. Each housing 34 comprises a bottom 48, side walls 50 and a middle partition 52 such that the housing delineates two parallel channels, each for tightly accommodating one of the connecting members 30 and 32. Inward extensions 54 and 56 extend from the side walls 50 and 50, respectively. partition 52, the free ends 58 of these extensions abutting one another in the middle of each of the channels bounded by the housing 34. The resilience of the material of housing 34 is such that the free ends 58 are normally pressed into engagement with each other but can be disassembled by pushing the lead wire between them by means of a thread insertion tool 60 or 62 forming part of the apparatus to place the thread in position. between the edges 44 of the ears 40, as shown in FIG. 19th

At a completed connection (Figs. 16 and 19) between the two twisted pairs 4, 6, the wire 20 of the pair 4 is electrically connected to the wire 24 of the pair 6, the wire 22 of the pair 4 being connected to the wire 26 of the pair 6. When the ears 40 being disassembled as a result of the insertion of a guidewire between them, the necks 41 which connect the ears to the life 36 as well as the edge portions 38 of the life are also deflected. The parts 42 of the ears 40 may also be arranged to resiliently be deflected as a result of the insertion of the lead wire, so that the ears act on the wire as opposed springs. The contact forces exerted by the connectors 30 and 32 against the electrically conductive cores of the conductor wires can be predetermined by selecting the spring characteristics of the material of which the connectors are formed, and also the dimensions of the necks 41 and portions 42.

The apparatus must now be described in detail. As best seen in Figures 2 and 5, the apparatus has a housing comprising side plates 64 and 66 which are spaced relative to each other by cross plates 63 and 70, and a frame plate 68 which extends substantially upwards and backwards from the cross plate 70. electric motor 72 for driving the apparatus is disposed between the side plates 64 and 66 below (seen in FIG. 5) the cross plate 70. The motor 72 has an output shaft 74 which extends through the cap plates 64 and is connected by a smaller sprocket 75 and a sprocket 76 to a larger sprocket 78 at the end of a main shaft 80. The ratio of sprocket wheels 75 to 78 is 4: 1. as a result of each full turn of the shaft 74, the shaft 80 is rotated 90 °. A start switch 73, when depressed, causes a one-revolution clutch (not shown) to turn on the shaft 74 to be driven a single lap and thus the shaft 80 is rotated a quarter turn.

Shaft 80 has end portions 84 and 84 * of smaller diameter than the remainder of shaft 80, which are supported in bearings 82 and 82 * in side plates 64 and 8, respectively. 66. Axially within its portions 84 and 84 ', the shaft has portions 86 and 86' of square cross section, between which is a cylindrical center portion 88 of circular cross section. U-shaped solid holders 90 and 90 'are mounted on portions 86 and 90, respectively. 86 'of shaft 80.

The remaining details of the apparatus on either side of portion 88 of shaft 80 are substantially identical and are provided with like reference numerals, except that the reference numerals of the portions on the right side (seen in FIG. 5) of the portion 88 carry a prime symbol. Only the parts on the left side (seen in Fig. 5) of the part 88 should be described in detail here.

As best seen in Figures 4 and 5, a wire carrier plate 92 is positioned on the portion 86 of shaft 80 adjacent and axially within retainer 90, plate 92 has a projection or chest 94 with a bore of square cross-section for receiving portion 86 of shaft 80, so that the plate 92 is wedged to the shaft 80. Arms 96a-96d extend radially outwardly from the axis of rotation of the plate 92, being angularly displaced from each other 90 ° about this axis. One side of each arm 96a-96d forms a rectangular shaped pocket 98 in which a wire holder 100 is secured by means of a fastener 101. Each wire holder 100, which is of resilient material, preferably a urethane or a neoprene rubber, has a slot 102 which extends parallel to plate 92 and is cut at right angles by a slot 104 having a wire receiving orifice. Backward from its orifice, slot 104 is of slightly smaller width than the total diameter of a lead wire to be joined, so that the wire can be driven into slot 104 to resiliently engage between its side walls.

A wire stopper assembly 106 disposed adjacent the plate 92 surrounds the projection or chest 94 spaced therefrom so that it is pivotal with respect thereto. The assembly 106 comprises four wire plug stations 107a - 107d.

A plate 108 has a square center aperture 110 around which are distributed circular apertures 112, the aperture 110 receiving the portion 86 of the shaft 80 so that the plate 108 is wedged on the shaft 80. One side of the plate 108 engages the free end of the projection. or chest 94, the other side of plate 108 engaging with portion 88 of shaft 80. Plate 80 has four arms 112a-112d, each of which is aligned with one of plate 92 arms 96a-96d. Shaft 80 is rotated by motor 72 in a clockwise direction (seen in Fig. 4). The edges of the arms

I12a-112d, the edges of which are directed in the rotational direction of the shaft 80, are aligned with the slots 104 in the wire holders 100 and have hole-cooled portions 114 to form guides for entering the wires into the apparatus. The plate 108 is separated from the plate 108 'by a distance substantially equal to the length of the portion 88 of the shaft 80, so that the plates 108 and 108' define a slot 109. As best seen in FIG. 9 is a connector arm 116 for free rotation on the portion 88 of shaft 80, the arm 116 being arcuate and extending into a slot 118 in the center plate 68 of the housing. The arm 116 has a rectangular shaped pocket 120 for receiving one of the connectors 28 with the connector abutting an end portion 130 having an edge 131 of a knife bar 126 so that the connector is retained in position between the arm 116 and the portion 130 as a result of its own suspension. The arm 116 has an ear 122 which is normally provided on the left (seen in FIG. 9) side of the portion 88. A spring 124 acts between the ear 122 and the housing to normally force the arm 116 in a counterclockwise direction (seen in FIG. 9). ).

The knife bar 126 is arranged in line with the arm 116 and has a width slightly smaller than the width of the slot 109. The bar 126 is fork-shaped at its lower end (seen in FIG. 9) to form parallel legs 128 which grip the arm 116 and having semicircular grooves which receive portion 88 of shaft 80. Rod 126 is held back counterclockwise (seen in FIG. 9) rotation about portion 88 past the position of FIG. 9 by engaging the legs 128 against an edge 129 of plate 68. A heel 121 towards the upper (seen in FIG. 9) end of the arm 116 abuts the rod 126 to hold it back against clockwise (seen in FIG. 9) rotational movement about the shaft 88 past the position of FIG. 9.

Each of the wire stopper stations 107a-107d comprises a wire divider means 132 and a wire stopper 134. The reference numerals of the means 132 and 134 and their associated parts have the same index as the stations to which they belong. As best seen in Fig. 10, the member 132 comprises parallel plates 136 and 137, which at their inner ends have apertures 138 for freely receiving a shaft 158. The outer ends of the plates 136 and 137 are bent laterally and are joined by a transverse projection 144 of the plate 136. The projection 144 and the outer end surface of the plate 137 form a surface 141 which slopes downward (seen in FIG. 10) from the outer end of plate 137 toward plate 136 and also inclined downwardly (seen in FIG. 10) from the distant (seen in FIG. 10) corner of surface 141 to the adjacent (seen in FIG. 10) the corner of the surface 141 so that the member 132 has a top or tip 148 which is used as described below for separating the threads of the twisted pairs. The plates 136 and 137 have at their inner ends the ears 140 which define aligned slots 142 for receiving a pin 155 on the stopper member 134 ·

The member 134 comprises a body portion capable of being received between plates 136 and 137 and 137 of the member 132, the main member having an aperture 150 for receiving a shaft 158 ​​on which member 134 is wedged by a cross-section rectangular pin 131 which engages a longitudinal slot in the shaft 158. Beside the opening 150 is an ear 152 with an opening 154 in which the pin 155 is disposed, the ends of the pin 155 extending past the member 134 on either side for receiving into the slots 142 of the member 132.

The upper (seen in FIG. 10) portion of the member 134 is fork-shaped to form two spaced end portions of greater width than the remainder of the member 134. These end portions form the tools 60 and 62, as mentioned above with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19. The free end surfaces 156 of the tools 60 and 62 are arcuate in cross-section to connect to the total or largest radius of the wires to be connected. The members 132 ooh 134 on each of the stations 107a-107d are assembled on the associated shaft 158 ​​with the main part of the member 134 between the plates 136 and 137 of the member 132 so that the tools 60 ooh 62 are located on each side of the transverse piece 144 of the member 132 .

The shaft 158 ​​has at one end a cross-sectional end portion 160 formed in one of the openings 162 of the plate 108, the other end 166 of the shaft 158 ​​extending through an opening 164 of the plate 92 and into an opening at one end of an arm 168. , which is fixed in the opening by means of a pin 169 (Fig. 7). The other end of the arm 168 has a cam follower roller 170 which engages a cain groove 172 in the plate 64. The cam groove 172 has contours 174 and 176 for controlling or controlling the movements of the rollers 170 and thus the angular positions of the shafts 158 to actuate the wire divider and stopper as described below.

At the beginning of a working cycle of the apparatus, the parts of the apparatus are located as shown in Figs. 2, 5, 7, 8 and 9. A lead wire pair 6a 'from the cable end 10 is arranged in the slot 104 of the arm 96a * and extends past the plate 108' as shown in Fig. 2 to project forward through the slot 109. The pair 6a * was inserted during the previous operating cycle of the apparatus and transferred to the position shown in Fig. 2 during this working cycle as described below.

The operator places a connector 28 in the recess 120 in the arm 116, so that the connector is resiliently positioned in the recess of the end portion 130 of the rod 126, and selects two twisted pairs 4a and 4d from the cable end 8 and inserts the pair 4a in the slot 104a of the arm 104. also inserts the thread pair 4d into the slot IO4 of the arm 96d. The operator then enters the pair 4a through the slot 109 so that the ends of the lead wires in the pair 4a extend forwardly from the slot 109 in a manner similar to the ends of the lead wires in the pair 6a 'between the arms 112a and 112a.¹.

The operator now presses the start button 73 to drive the shaft 80 a quarter turn. During the initial portion of rotation of shaft 80, the knife rod 126 remains stationary (Fig. 11), and the arms 112a and 112a¹ push the thread pairs 4 &amp; 6a * clockwise (seen in Fig. 9) until all the threads in these two pairs are gripped by the edge 131 of the rod 126 (Fig. 12). When the shaft 80 has rotated at an angle of about 70 °, the knife bar 126 is pushed through a small clockwise (seen in FIG. 9) arc until the right (seen in FIG. 9) the side of the portion 130 of the bar 126 moves toward the edge 178 of the plate 68 so that the clockwise movement of the bar 126 is stopped and so that upon further rotation of the plates 108 and 108 'the arms 112a and 112a · of these plates move past the portion 130 of the rod 126, so that the threads in both pairs 4a and 6a 'are cut off between the edge 131 of the knife rod 126 and the arms 112a and 112a' (FIG. 13). 9a, during the clockwise movement of the rod 126, the arm 116 is pushed against the action of the spring 124 in the same direction by the rod 126, which abuts the lug 121 on the arm 116.

As the knife rod 126 moves through its clockwise arc, the thread portions 132a and 132a 'move from the position of Fig. 8 to the position of Fig. 8A to separate and position the threads of each pair 4a and 6a' as shown. in line with the slots bounded by the ends 58 of the extensions 54 and 56 of the housing of the connector 28. Since the thread portions 132a and 132a 'are freely rotatable with respect to the shafts 158a and 12a respectively. 158a ', the rotation of these shafts also does not cause rotation of the wire parts. The wire parts are rotated by the engagement of. rollers 170b and 170b 'with the contours 176 of cam grooves 172 and 172', so that each arm 168b and 168b 'is pivoted to rotate its shaft 158b or 158b' a small arc. This movement of the shafts 158b and 158b 'causes the wire stopper means 134b and 134b' to be pivoted through the same arc, so that the action of these stopper means is transmitted by pins 155b and 155b 'to the wire members 132a and 132a'. Fig. 8A shows arm 168b with broken lines in the position just mentioned. Upon further rotation of the shaft 80, the contour 176 returns the thread portions to their initial position as shown in Fig. 8B

The wire stopper means 134a and 134a ', which are wedged on the shafts 158a, 158a', are rotated by the movement of the rollers 178a and 178a 'over the contour 174 of the cam grooves 172, as the tools 60 and 62 of the wire stopper means move against the wires and insert the wires into the connectors. As shown in Fig. 8B and Figs. 18 and 19, the stopper means 134a and 134a 'being retracted as rollers 170a and 170a' cross contours 174

The connector 128 is supported by the arm 116 during the plugging operation, the lever 116 in turn being held in position by the spring 124 · The lever 116 supports the connector 28 only against the insertion forces of the stopper means and does not support the connector against the force applied by the arms 112a and 112a 'during the threading operation. .

When the shaft 80 has turned 45 °, the conductor wires are cut off and inserted by the tools 60 and 62 in the connector 120 held in the pocket 116 of the arm 116 by the portion 130 of the knife bar 126. The ends of the arms 112a and 112a 'engage at this time with the connector 28 (Fig. 14) to push it and consequently the arm 116 through a further clockwise arc from the position of Figs. 9A and 14 to the position of Fig. 9B and 15. The knife bar 126 rests on an edge 178 of the plate 118. During this movement of the connector 28, its lower surface (seen in FIG. 9B) moves along the arcuate edges 180 of the two portions of the plate 68 on either side of the slot 118 so that the connector is gradually pushed out of the pocket 120 of the arm 116 and ejected from the apparatus. The arm 116 and the bar 126 are now returned to their initial positions under the action of the spring 124, the lug 121 of the arm 116 moving against the bar 126 so that the arm 116 and the bar 126 pivot together until the legs 128 of the bar 126 rest against the edge 129. of the plate 68, The ejection of the connector 28 occurs after the shaft 80 has rotated 90 °, so that the shaft 80 comes to rest after the reset of the arm 116 and the bar 126

At the end of the duty cycle, the thread pair 4d of the thread holder 100 on the arm 96d of the plate 92 has moved to the upper end of the apparatus, the ends of the threads of the pair 4d extending through the slot 109 between the arms 112d and 112d 'of the plates 108 and 108 * respectively. During the next operating cycle of the apparatus, the operator selects two pairs of wires from the cable end 10 and places one of these pairs in the arm holder 96d 'wire holder and the other pair in the arm holder 96c wire holder; which are directly in front of the operator. The pair of threads can be selected during rotation of the shaft 80 when the operator is otherwise free.

The connector described above has the advantage that only a newly coaxed low force is required for the insertion of the wires into the connector. Consequently, the engine 72 of the apparatus may be of low power, and it would e.g. be battery powered. The resilient action of the ears 40 and other parts of the connecting means 30 and 32 ensures an excellent connection between the wires to be connected.

A significant advantage of the apparatus described above is that the pairs of wires are cleaned and automatically connected simply after the stop button is pressed. Since the operator selects two pairs of wires at a time for each of the cable ends, he can also grip the two pairs in a single motion.