MANUFACTURING A WIRING HARNESS

摘要

Apparatus (10) mass terminates wires (12) to an automatically fed strip (22) of terminals, then mass inserts terminals on leading ends into cavities in a connector housing. A shuttle (14) having telescoping wire guide tubes and a wire clamp reciprocates to deliver wires (12) with leading ends in a straight array axially at a first fixed spacing to an operating zone and then to an insertion station. The telescoping tubes collapse to extrude leading ends of wires (12) into the operating zone where the wires (12) are deflected laterally of their axes various amounts and rolled into grooves in a template of the compensator (80) which restores the leading ends to a straight array at a second fixed spacing for termination to a strip (22) of terminals at the second fixed spacing. Shuttle (14) then retreats as tubes expand to draw in terminated wires, and then advances to insert terminals on leading ends into cavities at first fixed spacing in a connector housing. Clamp is released and shuttle (14) retreats over stationary wires (12) until wires (12) are exposed to strip and shear blades (40) remote from housing.