GB1311697A - Manufacture of wire looms - Google Patents

Abstract

1311697 Cable harness C H CAMPFIELD 13 Oct 1971 [15 Oct 1970] 48958/70 Heading H2C [Also in Division H1] An apparatus for forming wire looms comprises reel holders 30 which feed respective wires through guide heads 31 on to conveyer belts 13, the guide heads being movably mounted on rails extending transversely of the belts so that the individual wires can be arranged into the required configuration. Each conveyer belt is formed of hingedly-attached links each having a pair of wire guide posts (28, Fig. 6, not shown), a wire clamp (23), a wire cutter (22) and, for operating the clamp and cutter, solenoids (25, 24, respectively) which are electrically connected via slidable contacts (26, Fig. 7, not shown) to conductor rails (19, 20, 21) divided into isolated sections. Fastening heads 34 are provided which apply adhesive tape at the points where wires meet; alternatively staples can be used as fastening means. A fastening system 40 applies adhesive tape to the free ends of the looms to hold apart the wires. After being cut by wire cutters 22 the looms are dipped in a tank 11 containing liquid adhesive which is then dried and set as the looms pass through an oven 12. Alternatively the looms may be cut after the constituent wires have passed through the tank and oven. The feeding, arranging and cutting of the wires are electrically controlled; alternatively hydraulic control means may be used.