In U . S . Patent Specification 4,428 , 114, there is described a harness making apparatus in which a row of connector parts are indexed along a feed path or guideway through a series of operating zones in each of which a wire holding head includes a device which forms a wire loop of desired length in a wire fed from a supply , severs the wire from the supply and terminates a leading and trailing end of the loop in terminals in the connector parts to form a harness . In practice, the wire holding heads form the loops on a side of the feed path remote from the wire supply to avoid entanglement during indexing of the connector parts along the feed path . Using the above-described apparatus , harnesses including wires of any desired length terminated at opposite ends in the connector parts can be progressively assembled during passage of the connector along the guideway.

However, for some applications , it is desirable to terminate the leading end of a wire in a terminal which is not in the row of connector parts.

According to the invention , the above-described apparatus is modified in that means are provided in the wire holding head operable alternatively to pilot a leading end of a wire into a loop-forming device or to guide the leading end of a wire to extend transversely away from the guideway to enable termination of the leading end in a terminal remote from the guideway path .

More particularly , the loop-forming device includes a semicircular loop-forming track and the head includes a straight track, the pilot means being operable to guide a leading end of a wire either into the semicircular track or the straight track.

Preferably, the straight track extends tangential ly of the semicircular track , both tracks having a common entrance, the

pilot means being located at the entrance and operable to permit a leading end of the wire to enter either track.

Desirably, the tracks are formed by grooves in a face of a body member and the pilot comprises a disc formed both with a straight and an arcuate groove, the disc being mounted for rotation in the body member between first and second alternative positions in which the arcuate groove and the straight groove are aligned with the entrance, respectively, thereby to guide a leading end of the wire into the semicircular groove or into the straight groove.

In a preferred construction , the grooves open downwards and the head includes shutter means movable between positions extending across the openings trapping wire in the grooves- to permit wire feed and positions exposing the openings releasing wire therethrough to permit wire feed free of the tracks to form a loop of any desired length .

In a particular construction , the shutter means comprises a plurality of plate segments mounted adjacent the face of the body member , means being provided to move the segments between a contracted position in which they are located wholly within the semicircular track and an expanded position in which their peripheries extend across the opening .

Specifically , the plate segments comprise a front and rear pair of cam followers , one plate segment of each pair being symmetrically located on an opposite side of a medial axis of the semicircular track from the other plate segment of the respective pair and a cam member being mounted between the plate segments arranged for forward movement along the medial axis to cam the plates outwardly into the expanded position , with a leading edge portion of the cam plate extending across the opening between the front pair of plate segments .

The cam members comprise first and second cam plate portions fixed together by a pin passing through an axial slot in the body member to extend above and below the body member respectively, the first plate portion including a cam track

receiving a cam follower pin passing through a transverse slot in the body member and fixed to the rear pair of plate segments and the second plate portion including cam surfaces engaging the front pair of plate segments . This arrangement provides a relatively compact and reliable mechanism which can be operated by a conventional piston and cylinder assembly or other simple linear drive mechanism .

An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a harness making apparatus according to the invention ;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a wire holding head according to the invention;

Figure 3 is an underplan of the wire holding head with a base plate omitted and with the track closed and a pilot in loop-forming condition;

Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 3 but with the track open and the pilot in straight wire lead out condition;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding head with the track closed;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the pilot operating mechanism;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along an axis perpendicular to the section of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a loop-forming unit of a wire holding head;

Figure 9 is an elevational view of part of the wire holding head and associated wire terminating mechanism;

Figure 10 is a schematic elevational view of the wire guide and ejection mechanism in a wire-receiving position mounted on a crimping press aligned with the wire holding head; and ,

Figure 10a is a schematic perspective view of parts of the wire guide and ejection mechanism after ejection of a terminated wire.

As shown particularly in Figure 1 , the harness making apparatus comprises a frame 1 1 defining a guideway 12 providing a feed path extending past a series of work stations 13 , 13' and supporting a series of pallets 14, 14* carrying connector pairs 15 , 15' , respectively. A return path (not shown) for the pal lets is located beneath the feed path . Forward and return pallet indexing mechanism 17 and 17' are mounted for vertical movement into alignment with entry ends of the feed and return paths , respectively. The connector feed apparatus is closely similar to that described in Italian Patent Application No. 24063A/84 ( 13033) the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Each workstation 13 , 13' is closely similar to that described in the above-mentioned application and in U .S . Patent No. 4 ,428 , 114 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference , and which comprises a wire holding head 21 having wire entry and exit ends aligned with a pair of wire insertion rams 22 , 22' and wire feed means 23 ( Figure 9) . In operation , as in the above-described apparatus where the wire is to be terminated at both ends in connectors on the guideway , the wire holding head forms a loop 24 in a leading end portion of a wire 25 fed across the feed path from a supply, the ram 22' terminates a leading end of the wire in a preselected terminal of one of the connectors of the connector pair 15 , 15' , the head subsequently indexes into alignment with a preselected terminal of the other connector of the pair while releasing the wire loop from the head and feeding additional wire from the supply to increase the loop to desired length and the ram 22 severs and terminates the trailing end of the wire loop in a preselected terminal of the other connector of the pair. Additional wires are terminated in connector pairs at successive workstations enabling harnesses to be progressively fabricated as a connector pair is indexed along the feed path .

The present apparatus is a modification of the apparatus described in the above-mentioned patent specifications in that

the wire holding head is operable to provide either straight lead of the leading end of the wire or to form a loop .

As shown particularly in Figures 2 through 8 , the wire holding head includes a block 31 to a lower face of which is secured a body member 32 and a base plate 33. The lower face of the body member 32 is formed with two wire guiding grooves 34 and 35 , one 34 being semicircular the other straight, extending tangentially to groove 34. A common wire entry groove 36 is also formed in the lower face and a disc-form pilot 37 having arcuate and straight grooves 38 and 39 on one face is mounted in an aperture 41 in the body member between the entry groove and the grooves 34 and 35 for rotation between positions in which the arcuate and straight grooves 38 and -39 are respectively aligned with the entry groove 36 to form a wire loop or provide a straight lead out of a leading end portion of a wire passing through the entry groove. As shown particularly in Figures 2 , 6 and 7 , rotation of the pilot between positions limited by the engagement of shoulder 40 , 41 ' with a stop 50 on block 31 is effected by engagement of a pinion 43 extending axially from the disc with a rack 44 connected to a piston 45 extending through a bore in the block 31 . The condition of the pilot is indicated by the position of an arm 46 carried by the shaft of the pinion relative to a pair of proximity switches 46 and 47 (Figure 8) mounted on the block. The groove 34 is closed by a shutter mechanism 51 mounted between the body member 32 and the base plate 33. The shutter mechanism comprises front and rear pairs of identical plate segments 52 and 53 , each plate segment being located on an opposite side of a medial axis from its pair. A lower cam plate 54 is mounted between the plate segments and is formed with an arcuate leading end from which extend cam surfaces 60. The lower cam plate 54 is fixed to an upper cam plate 55 by drive pins 56 , 56' passing through axially extending slots 57 formed in the body member . The upper plate 55 is formed with cam slots 58 which receive cam following pins 59 fixed in rear plate

segments 53 and which extend through a transverse slot 61 in the body member 32. The body member is formed with an axial channel 63 receiving the upper plate 55 in a sliding fit. Guide pins 65 , 65' and 66 extend through the body member and are received in slots 67 , 67' and 68 , 68' in the rear plate segments 53 and lower and upper cam plates 54, 55 respectively.

The drive pins 56 , 56' are seated at upper ends in sockets 77 , 77' in pistons 78 , 78' received in working cylinders 79 , 79' formed in the block 31 . The pin 56 is of increased height extending through an axial slot 81 in the block into operative association with proximity switches 82 , 82' ( Figure 8) .

The front plate segments 52 are linked to each other by a return spring 86 and to the rear plate segments by return springs 87. It will be apparent that operation of pistons 78 , 78' will drive upper and lower cam plates 55 , 54 forward such that cam slots 58 and cam surfaces 60 , respectively , urge rear plate segments 53 laterally apart so that the peripheries of both close the semicircular groove. The cam plate 54 causes an initial pivotal movement apart of the adjacent tips of the front cam plates 52 and finally a lateral translational movement apart on full engagement of the cam surfaces , a leading portion of the cam plate filling the space left between the front plate segments completely to close the front portion of the groove . A leading end of the wire may then be fed either along groove 34 or 35 according to the position of the pilot 37. Release of the wire to enable a loop of desired length to be formed is effected by withdrawal of the plate segments under the action of the return springs on release of pressure from cylinders 79 , 79' .

In this manner , wires may be terminated selectively at both or one end in terminals of connectors on the guide path . Other leading ends can be crimped in terminals 81 applied by other tooling such as a crimping press 82 fixed to the frame and

transversely displaced from the guide path , as illustrated schematically in Figure 1 and in Figures 10 and 10a .

The crimping press 82 includes a frame 83 defining a wire admitting aperture 84 opening laterally at a downstream side and conventional crimping dies 85 mounted for reciprocal movement together in alignment with the aperture. A wire ejection mechanism comprises a wire engaging arm 86 pivotally mounted on the frame for reciprocal swinging movement by a piston and cylinder 87 across the aperture 84 to eject a terminated wire from the crimping press . A wire guide mechanism 89 is mounted on the front of the frame to extend between the aperture 84 and the groove 35 ^' in the head 21 . The wire guide mechanism 89 comprises a bipartite funnel consisting of a lower half 92 fixed to the frame 83 and an upper half 91 pivotally mounted on the lower half 92 for movement by a piston and cylinder 93 , mounted on the front of the frame , between open and closed wire entry and wire exit positions .

As shown in Figures 1 and 10 , in the wire feed position the funnel parts 91 and 92 are closed together to define a wire guide extending into the frame aperture 84 and a wire 25 is fed to a terminal 81 located on the die anvil 85. In this condition , the ejection arm 86 is held upstream of the aperture 84. Subsequent to termination of the wire 25 , the piston and cylinder 93 is operated to pivot the funnel part 91 to open the funnel on the downstream side and piston and cylinder 87 is operated to swing the ejection arm across the aperture 84 to engage and eject the terminated wire 25 laterally , in the downstream direction from the crimping press , as shown in Figure 10a . The wire guide and ejection arm are then returned to their wire feed conditions by the operation of their respective piston and cylinders .

The ejection mechanism is particularly advantageous as it ensures clearance of the terminated wire to permit unimpeded feed of a successive wire in spite of the very close pitch of the terminals in the connector.

Thus , a variety of harnesses can be manufactured automatically using the above-described apparatus .