US3361251A - Mounting for electrical terminals and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 2, 1968 o sso 3,361,251

MOUNTING FOR ELECTRICAL TBRMiNALs AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed July 22, 1966 United States Patent 3,361,251 MOUNTING FOR ELECTRICAL TERMINALS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Billy E. Olsson, New Cumberland, Pa., assiguor to Vaco Products Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed July 22, 1966, Ser. No. 567,239 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-56) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A deformable strip serves as a mounting and feed belt carrying a plurality of individual connector terminals secured thereon to extend laterally therefrom. Each of the illustrated connector terminals has a fiat end portion provided with an aperture and a tubular barrel portion extending laterally from the strip. The strip is provided with an aperture for each terminal position for registry with but smaller than the terminal aperture. The strip is embossed to form an annular stub through the terminal aperture, the stub then being flared to prevent escape of the terminal. Finally, the strip is embossed to provide ab'utments oppositely flanking outer edges of the terminal in a triangularly spaced relationship with the stub.

This invention relates to a belt mounting for individual electrical terminals for facilitating the securement of a conductor to each terminal, and is particularly concerned with a means and method of mounting the terminals in stable but easily removable relation upon a flat strip.

In accordance with my invention, a plurality of electri' cal terminals each having a fiat apert'ured end portion and a tubular barrel are positioned in predetermined position and in uniformly spaced relationship on a flat strip of deformable material, with the barrel of each terminal accessible for receiving one end of a conductor. Each terminal has its flat end portion seated on the flat strip, and the strip is embossed to extend a portion thereof through the aperture of each terminal to prevent lateral translational movement of the terminal relative to the strip. Thereafter, the portion of the strip projecting through the aperture is deformed by pressure applied in the opposite direction to cause the outer end of said portion of the strip to overlap the edge portion of the terminal defining its aperture, thus holding the terminal captive upon the strip.

Concurrently with the initial deformation of the strip, or subsequent thereto, other portions of the strip are deformed to provide guide projections in laterally abutting engagement with opposite edges of each terminal to hold the terminals against rotational movement about an axis through its aperture. The projections are so located relative to the aperture of the terminal that the members supporting the terminal against movement relative to the strip are spaced in triangular relationship.

Thus, a simplified belt mounting is provided for holding each terminal in proper position as the belt is advanced through a crimping station where a conductor is fitted and secured within the barrel of each terminal.

The overlap of the embossed portion of the strip relative to the terminal is sufiicient to hold the terminal against accidental displacement in a direction normal to the plane of the strip, but is easily releasable upon application of pressure in the proper direction to permit removal of the terminal and conductor from the strip.

Numerous advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings illustrating the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a strip of deformable material with a plurality of electrical terminals mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the strip and terminals at different stages of assembly;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and showing deformation of the strip in one direction to emboss a stub portion of the strip through the aperture in the terminal; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional View taken in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and showing the final assembly of the strip and terminal.

In the drawings, an electrical terminal 11 comprises a flat end portion 12 provided with an aperture 13 and a tubular barrel 14 extending from the fiat end portion. The barrel 14 is adapted to receive one end of a conductor (not shown) and is thereafter crimped inwardly to hold the conductor firmly in place.

For the mounting belt, a strip 15 of deformable material, such as thin metal or plastic, for example, 0.010 inch thick cold rolled steel, is provided with a plurality of uniformly spaced apertures 16, each having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the apertures 13. The strip is also provided with a pair of slits 17 and 18 positioned in triangular relationship to each aperture 16. The aperture 16 and the slits 17, 18 may be formed in a single punching operation or the slits may be formed concurrently with a staking operation referred to hereinafter. The location of the slits is selected with reference to the shape of the flat end portion 12 of the terminal. When a terminal 11 is in proper position on the strip, as hereinafter described, the slits of each pair are substantially coincident with opposite edges of the tapered section of the flat end portion 12 of the terminal.

Each terminal is mounted on the strip 15 by seating its flat end portion on the top surface of the strip with its aperture 13 axially aligned with an aperture 16 of the strip. The tubular barrel 14 of the terminal extends laterally outwardly from one longitudinal edge of the strip. An embossing punch 19 (FIG. 3) presses the edge portions of the strip bordering the aperture 16 through the aperture 13 to form an integrally upstanding stub 21 projecting through and above the flat end portion 12. The stub 21 has an outer diameter equal to the diameter of the aperture 13. The engagement of the stub 21 with the aperture 13 is sufficient to prevent lateral movement of the terminal 11 relative to the strip 15.

After the integral stub 21 has been for-med, and the punch 19 has been retracted, a staking punch 22 (FIG. 4) is moved into the upper end of the stub 21 in a direction opposite the direction in which the embossing punch 19 was moved to form the stub. The staking punch 22 is tapered, as indicated at 23, to flare or flange the outer end of the stub 21 outwardly to overlap the edge of the terminal bordering the aperture 13, as indicated at 24. The overlapping engagement of the flared stub 21 with the terminal 11 is sufficient to prevent accidental displacement of the terminal in a direction normal to the plane of the strip 15, but is not strong enough to resist removal of the terminal from the strip by substantial force applied to the members in the proper direction.

The portions of the strip 15 outwardly of the slits 17 and 18 are embossed simultaneously with the staking of the stub 21, or previously thereto, to form guide projections 25 and 26 which are disposed in abutting engagement with opposite edges of the terminal 11 to hold the terminal against rotational movement about an axis through its aperture. The projections 25 and 26 are located in a triangular relationship to the stub 21 and are free of any overlapping engagement with the terminal 11 but being immediately adjacent the terminal edges are effective to prevent rotation of the terminal about the stub 21.

The belt mounting of this invention is seen to be inexpensive and convenient to fabricate on a continuous mass production basis. Each stub 21, in addition to cooperating With the projections 25 and 26 to hold the terminal in an accurately determined stable relation during processing through an automotive crimping station, serves a dual function in also serving as a feed hole for registering the advance of the belt through the crimping station.

The three point contact established with each terminal achieves the desired positioning stability without requiring extreme mechanical overlap between the strip and each of the terminals so that ultimate freeing of each terminal is facilitated. In addition, the barrel portion 14 of each terminal, which is to be engaged in the actual crimping operation, is free of any overlapping strip portions and this affords easier access of the crimping punches to the barrel.

Although I have described the invention in considerable detail, it Will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details of structure may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact structure described.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a fiat strip and a plurality of electrical terminals mounted thereon, each of said terminals comprising a flat end portion seated on one surface of said strip and a barrel portion extending outwardly of one longitudinal edge of said strip, said flat end portion having an aperture, spaced means on said strip and each projecting through a separate one of said apertures, each of said means holding a separate one of said terminals against lateral translational movement and against movement normal to the plane of said strip, and a plurality of pairs of guide projections on said strip and extending from said one surface, each of said pair of projections abutting the opposite edges of a corresponding one of said terminals to hold the same against rotational movement about an axis through its aperture.

2. The combination recited in claim 1, in which said d spaced means comprises a tubular stub for each of said terminals, and said stub and projections for each terminal are disposed in triangularly space-d relationship.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 in which said stubs and projections are integral with said strip and said projections provide only sidewise abutting engagement with said terminals.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 in which each of said stubs flares outwardly to overlap the edge portion of the adjacent terminal defining the aperture through which it extends, the overlapping engagement of said stubs relative to said terminal permitting separation of said terminal from said strip by pressure applied against said terminal in a direction normal to the plane of said strip.

5. The method of securing an electrical terminal on a strip of deformable material, said terminal having a fiat end portion provided with an aperture, said method comprising the steps of forming an aperture in said strip of less diameter than said terminal aperture, positioning the flat portion of said terminal on said strip to register said strip aperture with said terminal aperture and locate strip portions that border said strip apertue in alignment with said teminal aperture, pressing in one direction against said strip portions to form an annular stub in the presence of the terminal and extending through said terminal aperture, pressing in an opposite direction against the free end of said stub to flare it outwardly over the edge portion of said terminal bordering said terminal aperture, and embossing portions of said strip in said one direction to provide projections disposed in laterally abutting engagement with opposite edges of said terminal.

6. The method recited in claim 5 wherein said embossing step is etfected at locations to provide said projections in a triangular relationship With the axis of said stub.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,815,124 12/1957 Pellier 206- JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

THERON E. CONDON, Examiner.

J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner.

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