[1]U,-ql"ted Stqtts Pateil,.t Office 3@079@957 3,079,957 TE@P,YiP-TAL W= FORIM!NG Al'@@@D AE-C@E,,Vi-RL"FZ @kPPA-P-ATUS FOR ELECTR;,CA-L CO@,,,Z@-ONT:,@:NTS Felim S. Weiss, ch,-stuut IEll, Mass., assigpor to CorneflDub!Her Electric Cor-peration, South pi-n!nfi@-I id, a corpi)i,ation of Delaware app'@icql@on A,@-@;r. 20, 1956, Ser. 579,679. D.@vi-ned and tMs nr,@pucat:on Mar. 13, 1959, Ser. Nlo. 799,179 3 CMr-is. (Cf. 140-71) Th-'s invent-ion relates to certain improvemenfs iTi machir@,-' s for manu,'acturina capacitors, or sirriilar relativ,-Iy small electrical instru@-netatalities incorporating a 1)lurality cf exlcnding terminal wires, by production line metbods ;.n which an effectively endless conveying mediun, such as, in the p,-eferred form here shown, a dispei-isable strip of flexible pap,-rlike material, advances the matcrial froni V,;-bic'A the capacitor or other electrical inst.-umentality is to be asz,:eribled and finally the ca-oacitor or other electrical instrlm@-ntality itself through various operating s'Lalio@-is at vvh:,cb seq-,iential steps of assembly and eventually final processing, and if desirable, testin.@ of the coirpl-,ted units are performed. T-Iiis app,ication is a division of my application Serial L@lo. 579,679 filed April 20, 1956, now abardoned, and is particularly concerned, as will hereinafter more fully be dp-scrib,-d, Nith imdroved st,-ucti,@re for a processin- or operatin@ station at whica the conveying medium is conditioned to receive a term@@'nal wire subassembly and at which a t,-ripinal wire subassembly is formed and is disposed in reriovably secured operative relationship with said conveying medium to provide a novel and us-,ful product i-,i the fo@-m of a web mounted terminal wire subasserqbly. Th-- mechanical impro,,,ements and product which are the sil-bj-,ct of this inveti@lion are adaptable to the above dzscribed gen@-ral assembly rnethod of production for the pr;nciples, purpos-I and object of inereas-.n.- efficiency of production of such methods and the quality and uniformity of the articles so produced. While its principles may be advantageously used in the production of capacitors and other siriiiiar cle-,trical instrumentalities such as resistors and recti-Rers iTi varioi-is sizes and shapes nrd @vhich inc-@roorate a plurality o' extending terminal wires and may @e applied whether t'he conveyiii- strip be made o f one fl,-xible mqerial or another, the present invention is particulq-riy useful in the production of ceramic disc ca pacitors ,,ibic'n include a relatively small ceramic dielectric d-isc with a lay.-r ol' conductin.- mate.-ial dis-,osed on each o@ the opposite faces tbereof apd servi-@ig as the electrode elements 'Lor the capacitor units. In the assembling of such i-inits, suitable tcrin-inal or lead N@iires are secured to the cor@duct'ng layers on th@- ceramic disc and the disc a,id adjacent i)ort;ons of the tertrinal wires secured thereto are covered with a coatin of suitable insi -ilating material. The success of the use of coptinuoils assembly methods of the general type described in the manufacture of these c,-ramic d;sc type capacitors dep@-nds not only upon the rap:dity ald continuous flow of operations at the various as,,-.mbly and processin,@ stations, but also 1-ipon th.- accuracy and reproductab:@lity of those operations at each station, all to the eiid that each capacitor, as it cornes to a point of completion, is as much like the precedin.@ and follo@,;in- capacitors as possible. These'objectives are materially aided by the provision c)f unil'Ormly positioned web mounted terminal N@iire subass.-mblies on a conveying medium in such manner as to perm't d--sired posit-oning and manipulation thereof for subsequent op-,rations and yet prevent any undesired displacement thereof occasioned by conveying niedium displac.-ment. Patented Mar. 5, 1963 2 'ne i-@ivention may be briefly described as including riovel and improved apparatus for forming a generally Ushaped, hairpin type, terminal wire subassembly of predetermin,-d character from a length of strai.-ht wire stock . conjtinction with the preparation of a web of suitably In precondilioned co-.iveyor material to form a terminal wire sub-,ss.-mbly receiving channel therein together with associated means for effectin- the introdiiction of said hairpin type terminal wire subass'embly in said channel to produce 10 a useful p.-oduct in the form of a conveying medium havin,@ terminal wire subassemblies mour.-ted in releasably secured operation relationship thereon for continuous assembly production line n-ethods of manufacture of capacitor and similar reialively small electrical instrumenma 15 ta'ities i-@icorporatin- a plurality of extending term' I wires. Ar@iong the advantag.,s attendant the practice of this iiiveilt;on, apart from the obvious manufacturing economics that flow therefrom, is the provision of uniformly 20 disposed web mour@ted term;nal wire subassemblies wherc;n such wire subassen-blies are disposed in slotlike chann'els trans@,icrsely of th,- conveying web in which the characteristics ol both the de4ormed web material and the U-shaped termilial wire subasse mblies cooperate to pro25 vide a releasably secured operative engagement thereb@- tween which p.-rmits desired positioning and manipulatioi of the wire subassembli-.s for subsequent operation aiid yet prevents any undesired displacement thereof that mi.-ht be occasioned by displacement of the conveying to medium. The object of this invention is the provision of improved apparatus for automatically fabricating web mounted terminal wire subassernblies in the fabrication of capaci'Lors and similar small electrical insl.-umentalities 3@5 iticorporating a plurality of extendin- terminal wires and by contintious assembly productionoline manufacturin-, methods. Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel and use-'Lul product in the form of a web mounted do terminal wire subass,-mbly. Other objects and advantages of the invention herein dis-,Iosed will be described in the l'Ollowing disclosure and clairns a-@id will be ;Ilustrated in the accompanying drawiiigs which show, by way o'l examdle, the prine-1ples un45 derly-ng the invention and the presently preferred embodiment inco@Dorating those pr:nciples and by which @@aid principles may be usefully employed in the production li-,ie fabricatio,@i of ceramic disc capacitors of a high de.-ree of uniformity and with reduced fabrication costs. 50 Referring to the drawings: Fy@G. 1 is a schematic pla-.i view of a strip conveyor coilven,e-.itly e.-nployed i.,i the practice of the herein disclosed invention and showing the preferred configuration thereof imm,-diately pr;or to its introduction into the apFIG. 2 is a s.-ctidnal view taken on the line 2-2 of 55 paratus forming the subject matter of this invention; FIG. 4; FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of F@TG. 4; FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of 60 FIG. 3; Fi-G. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; FT.G. 6 ;s a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of 65 FIG. 4; FIG. 7 is an obliqi,-e view showin.- the die and punch slrfac.- conliguration of web manipulating components included .n the apparatus forming the subject matter of th;s invention; 70 FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view representative of operations effected at the described terminal wire insertion apparitus;
[2]3 FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 10 is a sectional view tak-en on the line 10-10 of FIG. 8; -@ 'FIG.-lla-isasectionalvie wastakenonthelinell11 5 QF,FIG. 8 immediately prior to web deformation; FIG. i lb is a sectional view as iaken on the line 11-11 -of )FIG.- 8 subsequent to web deformaiion and prior to the iiise.-fion of the terminal wire subassembly thereon; @F.T,G.'12 is a schematic plan vi@-w of the presently pre- 10 ferred-terminal forming and insertion components; F.LCT. --13 - i@ @a -schematic plan view of the web mounted ,teri-.il]3al wire,subzis-semblies as the same are delivered from@the apparatus-illustrated in the above enumerated drawin@,s. 15 As indic-ated a@4ove, the subject matter of the herein disclos@d and, cumed invention is of particular utility in the fabric@Ltioii of ceramic disc type capacitors by produe-tioia@line m6thods; howevdr,,as will,be apparent to those skilled in the art, some or all of the advantages attendant 2( :the @ractice of th6 invdntion are obtaina-blei for si=.ila@r operations for other and varied articles such as resistoi@s and iectifiers and similar instrunientalities th@at incorpo,rate a pliiiality of exteiiding terminal wires.that wo@Lild uiidergo 'fdbrication by the produdtion line methods as 25 :g6n6r6lly d6scribed above. - F6r the purpgse of convenience, th7e h&rein specifica-Ily disclosed @ind described embodiment will- be on6 that is particularly adapted for use -in conjunction with the fabriration of cer@amic disc canacitors by pr6duction line methods incorporating a convey<)r 30 strip. R6ferrin.- to the drawings, FIG. 1, illustrates a portion of an elongate'convoyor strip 10 which may be formed, for example, of heavy paper or cardboard. 'ne strip 10 -sh@uld pre'f6rably-h,ave the prope'rties'of flexibility, inter35 nal resilience or elastir, resistance to deformation a-.id condition impervious mechanical stren,@th as described in my ibopendiiig bpplicatibn Seria-1 No. 799,200 filed March 13, 1-959: @AS: described thereiii 'a.material having the desired pt operti I es is C--@3@Kraft Insiilatidn@8heet a@ manufactured 40 by the Stevens Paper Mills, Inc., of Windsor, Conn-., in @a thi'ck-ness of @ about .010 inch. conveyor strip 10 is pr6f6fably prdvided with a plurality of, succes@ive pilot 4ole perforations 12 uniformlk spaced equal distances 15 @apaft And pyefefably di l@osed substailtially equidistant fioni the edges @of th6 web. The perforations 12 permit c@feful -indeiing of 'the conveyor mat6rial in the various o@eiating stdtions as well'as 66nVeniently providinmeans 'b@.which@ the web df conveyor mat-erial may b6 incrementall advanced during 6a6h opera@tional cycle. Sue6essive '50 'Y perforati6ns'i[2 seive to define an article siibassembly r6-ceiving,area disdosed therebetween as generahy indicated by the area 13 disposed intermediate the dotted lines. Disposed within each area 13 i@ 'a pair of spaced pairs Of 55 @fisveikly lali@ned longitudinally disposed slits 14 the lbngliudiiial ext6nt@ of ,,@hicfi serves to define. a pair of web -il@t@grai-ret-a,.ming straps 16., The str4ps 16, when raised abo@ve the.plane.of the iemainder-of the strip 10, serve to -form in cooperative relation with@the adjacent portions of the Web @a transversely disposed terminal wire subassembly 60 ,receiving channel. Iii--order to eff@ct the desired mounting of a terminal -wir.e subassembly on the conveygr strip 10, it is necessary to'(d) M'anipulate the strip or web of conveyor material 65 .10 so as to-raise the straps 16-and form the subassembly rec . ei ving channel and (b) simultaneously form the terTainal wire subassemblv and manipulate the same so as to effedf its-insertion in the subassembly receiving channel. - FIGliUS 2 to 7 illustrate the mechanical essentials of 70 .t4e'preseritlk @referred web manipulating apparatus includ@ble'iri an o@eiating station a apted to effect thefa@brication of w6b -mo -u-nted term- inal wire subassemblies for .ceramic disc c4pacitors. The web manipulating apparatus is 4dapted to upivard@y Oi5place, the strap portions 16'Of 75 4 the web 10 disposed intermediate each of slits in each of Oe pairs of Ion-itudinal slits 14 therein rclative to the remainder of said web to form -a transverse terminaf wir'-e subassembly receiving channel for insertion therein of ia terminal wire assembly 18 of the U-shaped hairpin type as illustrated in FIGUPE 13. Referring to the abov6 indicated drawin-gs, th ere is provided a stationary die blbck 20 having the iapper surface thereof pos@itioned tb underlay the path of travel df th6 web 10. Mounted in the stationary die bl6ck 20 are five particularly contour,ed die inserts 22, 24, 26, 281_and AO respectively (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The upwardiy disposed operating surfaces of the die inserts 24 and 28 @arelsimilarly contoured and ar'e po'ition'd, tiansversely to the s e direction of the web advance, so as to be disposed rest)ec@ively, beneath those portions 16 of the web 10 disposed ini - ermediate each @ of the slits in each olf the, longitudiii-dl pairs of slits 14.; The operatin-g surface of each of the die inserts 26, 28 is provided 5 with a rectangularly s4aped reces 32 b'oiiiided by a pair of transversely displosed iipw,ardly ditect@d sh,oulders 34 -and 36. The shoulders 34, 36 are sized to extend upwardly @eyond the oiltwardly adjacent, die s-urface and @are preferably sloded a8 indicated - in the draiv'- 'm s. The'die inserts 22 -and 30 are, p either I 9 -!a@itioned on ' .' side of the above described d@'e,inserts'24. 28 Eind the di@ insert 26 -is positione-d between said insert 24 -and 28 SO positioned, the die inserts-'22 26 and 30 are locAted to bo disposed beneath thbse portions of the web material 10 _positioned both exlernally to and intermediate th6 pairs of. lotigitiidinallv dist)osed slits 14. The operating surfaces of the die inserts 22, 26 and.30 are provided with rectangularly shaped recesses 33, 40 and 42 respeptively, the edges of which are sloped q@s at 44. As best showii in FIG,URES 4. and 71 the centrally disposed die insert 26 is provided with a pair of pilot pin receiving bores 46, 48 :idjaqent the recess 40 therein. The die block 20 and thd abov.- described die inserts therein ar6 p6sitioned,below,a portion of. a channeled web guide member'SO which is s.uitably apertuied as at 52 to p@rmit oveiative eng'agement of the die inserts by complementarv verficaliv -Te,ciprocable @pressure pad inserts to w.hich we will now turn. Cooperatively associated.with the die pad 20 is @a vertij@ally-i6cipr cable pliiich @ad 5.4 hav te(f th q ijig un. erem five bressur6 pad inserts 56, 58, 60, 62 and 64. -The pressure pad 'mserts 59 and 62 aie position6d to coop.rely a,tiv6ly 6ngage the die 'Mserts 24 and 28 respectiv and the operating siirfaces thereof are provided with rectangular recesses 66 sized to conform with the c rr ondo esp. . ing rec6sses 32 in s-a'd die ' serts 'ne sides of the reI m cesses 66 are@ Sloped 6@ at 68 and.@ 70 so as to conform v@ith -the sloped surface of the shoulders 34 and 36 oii the die inserts 26 and 23. in a similar manner the pi@nch pad 'mserts 56, 60 and 64 are positioned to engage the die inserts 38, 40 -and,42 respectively, and the operating surface's thereof are recessed as at 72, 74 and 76. The recesses 72, 74 and 76 are bo.unded by dependent shoulders such as at 781, 80, sized to extend downwardly beyond the adjacent punch pad surface and are provided with sloping sides contoured to c I onform with the sloping s ide walls 44 of the correspondin.- recesses 32, 40 and 42 in the die inserts 22, 26 and 30 respectively. The centraliy disposed pressure pad insert 60 has mounted therein two dependent pilot pins 82 and 84 positioned to operatively en.-age, upon downward displacement theregf, the -above described pilot pin receiving bores 46, 48,in the die-insert 26. 'In operation of the above described presently preferred web manipulatina components, th6 veftically reci]@rocable pressure punch pad 54 ahd. the in@ressure pad inserts 56, $3, '60, 62 and 64 mount6d therein 'a@e maintained at or n6ar the limit of -upward displacemenf during the periodiii-.wluch the w&b 10@is advanced intermediate the chaii-
[3]heled web gliide 50 and fne upper surface of the stationary die block 20. Upon cessation of the web advance Dortion of the cycle of operat;on, the web material will be disposed upon the upper surface of t'ne die block 20 wilh successive pil@ot pin per.'Lorations 12 therein dispc)sed L-1 approximate ali.-nment with the P:@lot pi@l receiv;ng bores 46, 48 in the die ins-,rt 26. So positioned, the portions of the web material disposed intermediate the longitudinal slits in each of the pairs of slits 14 will be dispdsed in approximate alignm.-nt over the recesses 32 in the die inserts 26 and 2o' respect-ively. Downward displacement of the p@.inch pad 54 results initially in en.-a.@e@ne-@it of tl,-e pilot pin perforations 12 in the web material by the depende-it rounded end pilot pins 82 and 84 and, if required, in minor corrective alignment of the web material 10 relative to the die inserts 22, 24, 26, 23 and 30. FIGURE 1 la shov@,s ,he disposition of t'-he vieb material '.1 0 immediately prior to comp.-essive enga,@ement thereof inlermedi@ate the die inserts 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 and the pressure p,ad inserts 56, 58, 60, 62 and 64. Furthe,- downward displacement of the punch pad 54 r--sults in corr@pressive en,@a-,emen', ol' the web material 10, as illustr@ated in FIGURE llb, intermcdiate the above identified di.- -'@nserts and pressure pad inserts. Such compress;ve enga,@enie-it of the web material 10 will result in the dispos-itio-.i of the portion 16 of the w,-b material 10 included beti7@,-,en t,ie slits in the pa:irs of !on.-itudinal slits 14 against tiae surface of the recesses 66 in the pressure pad inserts 58 and 62 by the action of the slioulders 34, 36 in the die :Inserts 24 and 28 and in the disposition of the remaiii;ng portions of th-, web material 10 a.-ainst the sur-'Laces of the recess,-s 30, 40 and 42 in the die inserts 22, 'A6 and 30 by the action of the dependent shoulders 78, 30 i-i the pressure pad inserts 56, 60 and 64. With the w-@b material so disNsed, there is formed a transverse substantially rectan.@ular terminal wire subasserilbly receiving chaninel 86 defined in part by the dispos@tion of the web material 10 as described above and in part by the recessed,areas disposed intermediate the extending shouldcrs on both the die inserts and pressure pad inserts. Tle above described COMPTessive en,@a,,ement of the web material 10 intermediate the die block 20 and its above described die iii.,erts and the pi-,nen pad 54 and its above described pressure pad inserts is maintained while insertion of a suita!)Iy shaped terr@iinal wire subassembly in the receiving cnannel 86 is eitected. FIGURES 12 and 8 il'@Ustrate the essent,@'als of the associated wire manipulatin.- components adapted to cooperate with tne heretofore described web nianipulatin@ components to e,@Tect the desired foripatio-n of a termina@l wire subassembly and the insertion of said subassembly into the terminal wire stibassembly receivin,@ ciiannel 8@j' formed in the web mater;al 10. Referri-ilg to the above identified draw;ngs, there is provided an associated terminal wire cutting assembly (schemat,'.cally sbown at 38 on FIGURE 'o) arran,@ed to sever an advanced length of terminal wire 90 positioned in front of a pair of stationary wire forming d-les 92 and 94. As shown in more detail in FIGURE 12, the presently preierred term@ inal wire cuttin.- assembly includes a stationary wire guide bushing 96 having an axially dispesed bore 93 therewith sized to freely pass an advanc;ng lenglh of terminal wire 90 and to prop.-rly direct the advance of the same into operational location in front of the wire i'o-rmiin,.P, d-.-'e,, 92 , 94. Positioned in slidin.@ contact agaiist the cutting ed-e 100 of the wire gu:.de bushing 96 is a horizontally recipr@cable cutting k@iife 102 having a substaitially con@'cally shapcd aperture 104 therethrough w-Ith the apex @I."'reof disposed adjacent to and in alignment with the bore 93 of the wire guide bushing 96. The terrr-nal wire ctitting knife 102 is mounted in a su-ita'ole fixed slid-- platform 106 and is horizontally reciproca'p-d therei-ii through the connecting pin 103 a-,id an adjacent horizontally disposed slide I.ILO. The drive slide 110 is connected to a cani fol3,079,957 6 lower 112 disposed in en,@a.-ement with a suitably contoured drive cam 114 mounted o-@i a drive shaft 116. 1-@l operatioti of the unit, a length of straightened terminal wire 90 is advanced, by a suitable wire feed mechar, nism through the bore 98 in the termiiial wire guide bushin.- 96 and through the aperture lqj'J@ in the cuttin.- knife 102 and into position in frcnt of the wire forming dies 92, 94. Wilh the advanced length of teririnal wire 90 so loca-ed, the driv@- sl.ide 110 under control of the drive 10 cam 114 is retracted. The retraction of the drive slide 110 is transmitted through the connecting pin 103 into equivalent retraction of the cuttin.- knife 102 relative to the bushin.- 96. The retraction o4L the cuttin.- kni'Le It",12 effects a horizontal displacement ol. the apex of the aper15 ture 104 therein relative to the bore lig in the b-ashing ,"6 and effects a sharp severing of the advanced len,-th of the terminal wire 90. Followin- the severing of the terminal viire as described above, the drive slide I'@-0 is advanced to agai-@i rep' ace the aperture IC4 in the Knif-- 102 in align20 ment with the bore 93 in '@he wire guide bushin.- 96 to permi, the subsequent advance of another le-.i.ath of ternih-lal wire 50 into operative posi*,.on in front of the wire formir@.- dies 92, 94 durin.- the nexl cycle cf machineoperation. 25 At the conclusion of tne above described sequence ofoperation, a severed len.-th of terminal wire 90 is positioried in .'ront of the wire forming dies 92, 94. I@i o.-der to form this len.-th of terminal wire 90 into a terminal wire subassembly of the so-called "hai-,pin type" and to 30 effect the insertion of such formed subassembly into terminal wire subasser.-i@bly r,- ceiving channel 86 formed in the web 10, there is provided an elon.@ated horizo-itally reciprocabl@e pressure iin,,,er lic' position,-d to be -advanced in@o the terminal wire receiving channel 85 as defined by 35 the web material 10 and the operative surfaces of the pressure pad inserts 56, 53, 60, 62 and 64 and the die inserts 2,-@, 24, 26, 28 and 30. The pressure finger 113 is sized to pass throu,-h said channel and to abut the cut len.-th of terminal wire 90 pos-'@tioned immediately in front 40 of the wire formin.- die memb@-rs 92, 9-1. The pressure finger is mounted on a horizontally reciprocable drive slide 120 and is accurately positioned, with res ect to its path p of horizontal displacement, by a iixed sl,'.de platform 122. The drive slide 120 is connected to a cam follower 124 45 disposed in operative en.@a.-cirent with a suitably contoured drive cam 126. Cooperatively associated with the pressure fin.aer 118 is an elongatehorizontally reciprocable wire formin.- fi-@iger 123 positioned in front of the openin- intermediate the die members 92, 94. The wire 50 formin-,a finger 128 is mounted on a horizontally reciprocable drive slide 130, -,lnd is accurately positioned, with respect to its path of rec;Procation, by a iixed slide pla',FOTM. The drive slide 130 is connected to a cam follower 55 134 disposed in operative engagement with a suitably contoured drive cam 136. In operation of tiie unit and subsequent to the folmation of the terminal wire subassembly receiving cha-@inel 86 by the previously d,@@scrib-.d web man.@pulating compo60 ne-iits, the horizoitally-reciprocable pressure fi-@iger lig is advanced throil-gh said terminal wire subasserribly receivin,@ channel 86. At its limit of advance the end of the press-Lire fin,@er 113 extends 'Lhrou,-h the cpeiin.- intermediate the die members 92, 94 and is disposed in abutting 65 en.-ag-ment with the termi-@ial wire 90 posi'Lioned in front of said die members. W:th the pressure finger lig so positioned, the wire formin.- finger 123 is advanced into abutting engagement agairst the other side of said tern-tinal wire 90 positioned in front 6-f sa@d die members 70 92, 94. With the pressure finger 118 and wire forming finger 1-25 so positioned, tiie pressure fin.@er 113 is retracted in conjunct-@'on with an advance of the wire forming finger 120. The advance of the wire forming flnger 123 results in displacement of the terminal wire 90 throu.-h the open75 ing be,,Ween the wire forming dies 92 and 94 and in
