A lead wire storage mechanism stores most of a lead wire such that the lead wire can be taken out from a tip end portion. A tension adjusting mechanism including a dancer roller and two lifting and lowering guide rollers is formed with a partial space that is to be a part of a hand travel space at a time of a preparation state. A lead wire guide mechanism including an opening and closing lead guide is formed with a partial space that is to be a part of the hand travel space at the time of the preparation state. A lead wire grasping and moving mechanism can execute a grasping operation for grasping a tip end portion of the lead wire with a grasping part, and a grasping part moving operation for moving the grasping part through the hand travel space.

A wire harness manufacturing system includes a display unit, a wire cutting machine that draws an electric wire from a wire feed reel and cuts the electric wire to a predetermined length, a control unit that directs the display unit to display a wire laying image and wire work identification information for identifying a work regarding each electric wire, the wire laying image including a plurality of wire images showing the plurality of electric wire in the laid state and the wire work identification information being displayed in the vicinity of the corresponding wire image, and a memory unit that stores the wire laying image and work instruction information so as to correspond to the wire work identification information, the work instruction information including cut length of the electric wire. The control unit sends the cut length information to the wire cutting machine.

A wire harness manufacturing system includes a display unit, a wire cutting machine that draws an electric wire from a wire feed reel and cuts the electric wire to a predetermined length, a control unit that directs the display unit to display a wire laying image and wire work identification information for identifying a work regarding each electric wire, the wire laying image including a plurality of wire images showing the plurality of electric wire in the laid state and the wire work identification information being displayed in the vicinity of the corresponding wire image, and a memory unit that stores the wire laying image and work instruction information so as to correspond to the wire work identification information, the work instruction information including cut length of the electric wire. The control unit sends the cut length information to the wire cutting machine.

A clamp for inserting an elastic strand into an opening of a receptacle. The clamp includes a longitudinal housing capable of housing a segment of the strand and through which the strand may slide. The clamp further includes: a blocking element including a first portion of the housing, the blocking element deforming a first portion of the housed segment when an external pressure is applied to the blocking element, the elastic force of the strand returning the first portion of the segment to its initial shape when the external pressure is no longer applied, the sliding of the strand being blocked by the bending deformation of the first portion of the housed segment; a guide including a second portion of the housing, the guide at least partially surrounding a second portion of the housed segment, and configured to guide the clamp in the direction of the opening in the receptacle.

A computerized discrete wire inventory indexing system organizes and automates the intake of wiring used in a wire harness assembly work cell. Functions in a work cell may be duplicated into a second arrangement symmetrically opposite to a first arrangement so that an indexing system in accordance with the invention may operate between or alongside the adjacent work cells to execute its tasks in tandem and produce pairs of wires to be used within the two work cells. The wire indexing system operates with a tandem wire pulling machine on a movable shuttle that grabs pairs of wires from the indexing system and draws them to length. Both the shuttle and the wire indexing system may includes fixtures for stripping and terminating wires by crimping terminals onto prepared wire ends. Computer control enables rapid and correct wire production and efficient process change-overs.

The invention relates to a machine (100) for manufacturing an optical fibre (200), characterised in that the machine comprises: at least one capstan (20, 21) and at least one pulley (22), which define a run of the optical fibre in a main area (2) of the machine, an optical fibre guiding system comprising a transmission member (25) and a clamping element (26) that is rigidly connected to the transmission member (25) and is able to retain an end of the optical fibre (200), the transmission member (25) being arranged parallel to the run of the optical fibre, a device (5) for having the clamping element (26) automatically grip the optical fibre (200), said device comprising: means (53) for placing the optical fibre in a starting position in which the optical fibre runs at a distance from the clamping element in a direction extending substantially perpendicularly to the clamping element (26), a fibre-spacing finger (51), that can move between a neutral position at a distance from the optical fibre located in the starting position and a position in which the finger (51) keeps the optical fibre at a distance from the starting position in such a way as to bring the optical fibre into an intermediate position opposite the clamping element (26), said means being designed to open the clamping element (26) when the finger (51) has brought the optical fibre (200) into the intermediate position and close the clamping element again when the finger (51) has returned to the neutral position thereof.

The invention relates to a machine (100) for manufacturing an optical fibre (200), characterised in that the machine comprises: at least one capstan (20, 21) and at least one pulley (22), which define a run of the optical fibre in a main area (2) of the machine, an optical fibre guiding system comprising a transmission member (25) and a clamping element (26) that is rigidly connected to the transmission member (25) and is able to retain an end of the optical fibre (200), the transmission member (25) being arranged parallel to the run of the optical fibre, a device (5) for having the clamping element (26) automatically grip the optical fibre (200), said device comprising: means (53) for placing the optical fibre in a starting position in which the optical fibre runs at a distance from the clamping element in a direction extending substantially perpendicularly to the clamping element (26), a fibre-spacing finger (51), that can move between a neutral position at a distance from the optical fibre located in the starting position and a position in which the finger (51) keeps the optical fibre at a distance from the starting position in such a way as to bring the optical fibre into an intermediate position opposite the clamping element (26), said means being designed to open the clamping element (26) when the finger (51) has brought the optical fibre (200) into the intermediate position and close the clamping element again when the finger (51) has returned to the neutral position thereof.

An electric wire processing apparatus includes a gripping mechanism that grips a part of an electric wire, a driving mechanism that drives the gripping mechanism, an electric wire winding mechanism that winds the electric wire, and a rotating mechanism that rotates and drives the electric wire winding mechanism. The electric wire winding mechanism includes a winding drum, an electric wire clip provided on the winding drum to hold a leading end of the electric wire, and a holding member that holds an electric wire bundle. The driving mechanism moves the gripping mechanism toward the electric wire clip to hold the leading end on the electric wire clip, the rotating mechanism rotates the winding drum so that the electric wire is wound around the winding drum, and the holding member holds the electric wire bundle wound around the winding drum in the annular shape.

An electric wire processing apparatus includes a gripping mechanism that grips a part of an electric wire, a driving mechanism that drives the gripping mechanism, an electric wire winding mechanism that winds the electric wire, and a rotating mechanism that rotates and drives the electric wire winding mechanism. The electric wire winding mechanism includes a winding drum, an electric wire clip provided on the winding drum to hold a leading end of the electric wire, and a holding member that holds an electric wire bundle. The driving mechanism moves the gripping mechanism toward the electric wire clip to hold the leading end on the electric wire clip, the rotating mechanism rotates the winding drum so that the electric wire is wound around the winding drum, and the holding member holds the electric wire bundle wound around the winding drum in the annular shape.

The invention provides a linear winch assembly (10), gripper assembly (14, 16) and a method of use. The linear winch assembly comprises a first gripper assembly comprising a first gripper block (28b) operable to grip a cable and a second gripper assembly comprising a second gripper block operable to grip a cable (17). The winch assembly comprises a first mechanism (30, 31, 32) operable to move at least part of the first gripper block out of the pathway of a cable connector to allow the connector (19) to pass through the first gripper assembly. The winch assembly also comprises a second mechanism operable to move at least part of the second gripper block out of the pathway of a cable connector to allow the connector to pass through the second gripper assembly. It also comprises a pivotable lid (28a).