A welder having two generally parallel, closely spaced electrodes for manual or automatic welding of wire having displaceable insulation, for use particularly in the wiring of electronic circuit boards. The two electrodes have independent suspensions electrically isolated from one another, and have an aperture formed therebetween sufficiently large to allow a wire to pass therethrough. During the welding process, the wire is captured between the tip of one of the two electrodes and a conductive surface to which the wire is to be welded. As downward force is applied to the welder, the tip of the one electrode displaces the insulation on the wire adjacent thereto and adjacent the surface, while the other electrode tip is driven directly into electrical contact with the surface. Once sufficient force has been applied to the electrode to displace the insulation on the wire, a switch is actuated, supplying a current to the electrodes to weld the wire to the surface. The welder may be either automatically or manually operated, and may utilize either a pneumatic drive or a cable actuation system. The electrodes may be returned to an unactuated position either by a spring arrangement or by a pneumatic cylinder.

Parallel gap welder

A continuous thru-wire welding machine for welding a conductor to a terminal comprising a stationary support, first and second elongate arms having known weights, a pair of flexible plates for pivotally connecting first ends of each of the first and second arms to the stationary support with the arms being positioned in parallel, spaced, vertically aligned relationship, an electrode housing, a pair of flexible plates for connecting second ends of the first and second arms to the housing, a first conductive electrode mounted within the housing, the terminal being positionable below the electrode, and a structure for releasably supporting the arms with the first electrode spaced from the terminal, the supporting structure being adapted to release the arms whereby the weight of the arms moves the first electrode into contact with the terminal, the weight of the arms determining the force applied by the first electrode to the terminal.

Continuous thru-wire welding machine

Apparatus for welding a continuous insulated wire to numerous terminal pins of a circuit board, including a solid central electrode which presses the wire against the terminal pin to rupture the insulation and then weld the wire to the pin. A concentric second electrode has a pair of openings on diametrically opposite sides of the center electrode for closely guiding the wire across the face of the central electrode, one of the openings being a hole that completely surrounds the wire and the opposite opening being a slot which is open at its bottom end. After each point of the wire is welded to a terminal pin, the electrodes are lifted and then initially moved parallel to the axis of the wire portion that is welded to the previous terminal pin, and only then is the direction of electrode movement changed to carry it to the next terminal pin.

Method for feeding wire for welding

A high voltage transformer for a video display apparatus includes a bobbin-wound tertiary winding. The bobbin incorporates integral nonmetallic terminal posts about which the winding segment wire is wound and terminated. The winding segments are interconnected by electrical components. The component leads incorporate a solder coating and are flattened to provide a large bonding area with the wire on the terminal posts. The component lead overlays the winding segment wire and is joined thereto by a fusion bonding process. The fusion bonding removes the wire insulations and melts the component lead solder coating to form a reflow solder joint.

Transformer assembly and winding therefor

A method of joining first and second sheet metal parts along a common seam formed from a first surface on the first part and a second surface generally matching the first surface and on the second part. These surfaces define therebetween random spaces of variable thickness when the surfaces are assembled in a generally abutting coextensive relationship. The method includes applying a non-hardenable layer of corrosion resistant material to at least one of the surfaces with the material being thixotropic, cohesive with the metal and capable of forming a heat insulating, pliable, coherent gel upon being subjected to a given temperature generally sufficient to melt the metal of the parts, placing the surfaces together to jointly form the common seam with the material filling the random spaces, holding the surfaces in the placed positions and then welding the surfaces together at a temperature at least as high as the given temperature along a weld line generally coextensive with the seam whereby a line of the gel of the material forms along and generally parallel to the weld line.

Method of joining two sheet metal parts

A conductor, surrounded with cold flowable insulation, is welded to a terminal pin, e.g., by engaging the conductor and the pin between a pair of unheated welding electrodes. The electrodes are urged together with a force which reaches a value greater than a desired welding force value and is sufficient to cause the insulation to undergo cold flow out of a path between the electrodes via the conductor and the pin, thereby to render the path conductive. The force applied to the electrodes is then decreased to the desired welding force value and a pulse of welding current is passed along the conductive path when the desired force value is achieved. The current pulse is applied as the force applied to the electrodes decreases and is completed, and the molten metal formed by the current pulse is solidified, before such force is completely removed. The conductor is supplied through a passage formed in one of the electrodes.

Method for welding a conductor through cold flowable insulation

A CONDUCTOR, SURROUNDED WITH COLD FLOWABLE INSULATION, IS WELDED TO A TERMINAL PIN, E.G., BY ENGAGING THE CONDUCTOR AND THE PIN BETWEEN A PAIR UNHEATED WELDING ELECTRODES. THE ELECTRODES ARE URGED TOGETHER WITH A FORCE WHICH REACHES A VALUE GREATER THAN A DESIRED WELDING FORCE VALUE AND IS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE INSULATION TO UNDERGO COLD FLOW OUT OF A PATH BETWEEN THE ELECTODES VIA THE CONDUCTOR AND THE PIN, THEREBY TO RENDER THE PATH CONDUCTIVE. THE FORCE APPLIED TO THE ELECTRODES IS THEN DECREASED TO THE DESIRED WELDING FORCE VALUE AND A PULSE OF WELDING CURRENT IS PASSED ALONG THE CONDUCTIVE PATH WHEN THE DESIRED FORCED VALUE IS ACHIEVED. THE CURRENT PULSE IS APPLIED AS THE FORCE APPLIED TO THE ELECTRODES DECEASES AND IN COMPLETED, AND THE MOLTEN METAL FORMED BY THE CURRENT PULSE IS SOLIDIFIED, BEFORE SUCH FORCE IS COMPLETELEY REMOVED. THE CONDUCTOR IS SUPPLIED THROUGH A PASSAGE FORMED IN ONE OF THE ELECTRODES.

John F Weatherman

Papers

Method for welding a conductor through cold flowable insulation

Apparatus for welding a conductor through cold flowable insulation