Abstract: A flexible wiring system is disclosed for use with elevated floor systems and includes a grounding member which can be placed against, and mounted to, a metallic plate which forms a part of the elevated floor. An electrical receptacle is mounted to the grounding member for surface application of the receptacle on the floor. An electrical conduit is connected to the grounding member at one end and to an electrical connector at the other end. The electrical connector is flexibly movable in order to interconnect with other mating electrical connectors to perfect electrical continuity within the electrical system.

Abstract: A circuit board connector comprising an insulating housing and contact elements accommodated therein and each having a securing portion for securing on a circuit board, a contact portion for establishing pluggable contact with a complementary pluggable contact element of a complementary connector, as well as a mounting portion provided therebetween for mounting in said insulating housing. Through-passages located on the side of the circuit board and through which the securing portion of one contact element each can project through the housing floor are of a length and width, respectively, in connector mating direction and transversely thereof, which is at lest as large as the overall dimension of the associated contact element as seen in connector mating direction and transversely thereof, respectively, such that the insulating housing is adapted to be pluggably placed onto contact elements which are already mounted on the circuit board.

Abstract: An electrical wire connector comprises a female insulating housing receiving a male insulating housing. The female housing has anchored therein, a plurality of electrical terminals each having a wire receiving part comprising a pair of arms connected by a bight and defining a wire receiving slot between upper parts of the arms. The arms are resiliently deflectable away from each other as a wire is inserted into the wire receiving slot up to wire contact surfaces between the upper parts of the arms. The male housing has a row of wire receiving passageways each intersecting a slot in the male housing, which slot receives the wire receiving part of a respective terminal when the male housing has been fully inserted into the female housing. Wires previously inserted into the wire receiving passages are forced into the wire receiving slots of the terminals during the insertion of the male housing into the female housing. The parts of each arm are so dimensioned that the wire insertion force is desirably low.

Abstract: A wire transfer device for a harness making machine includes feed tracks (24) which carry a plurality of shuttle members (30). The shuttle members (30) are pushed down the tracks (24), and incrementally push the next shuttle member (30) further down. The shuttles (30) carry the wire for the harness further down the track (24) to further wire processing stations. When the wire shuttles (30) reach the elevator member 28, the shuttle member (30) is lowered to the level of the lower track (22), where it is pushed in the opposite direction via the air cylinder (34). The shuttle members (30) are thus continuously moving in a closed loop to move wires from a pick up position to a further processing station.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes an outer shell (400) which is profiled to receive a pin housing (450) therein. The pin housing (450) has mounted therein a plurality of pins (622). The interior of the housing shell (400) is sealed by placing a grommet (624) over the end of a wire (626) and placing the terminal (622), the grommet (624) and wire (626) into the rear of the connector shell (400). To prevent the ingress of water into the shell (400), the grommet (624) includes at its exterior end, an elongate collar (624b) which, if the wire is pulled, will compress. This prevents the exterior ribs from pulling away from the aperture allowing the ingress of water.

Abstract: The tab is for mating with an electrical receptacle having oppositely bowed, gold plated, contact surfaces. The tab has a gold plated contact portion, one side of which is formed with two small radius, smoothly convex ribs extending along opposite margins of the one side for good wiping contact with one of the contact surfaces of the receptacle. The opposite side of the contact portion is formed with a single, smoothly arcuate rib for engaging the other contact surface of the receptacle to provide high durability contact therewith, the single rib being of much greater radius than either of the two ribs.

Abstract: An electrical connector insulating housing (2) defines a single ring of cavities (8) each for receiving an electrical terminal (28). A central spigot (78) projects within the ring of cavities (8), as a cantilever, and acts as a pivot for annular terminal retainer (4) having thereon radially outwardly projecting terminal retaining studs (114) and a pair of diametrically opposed latching spurs (120), each spur (120) being engageable in first and second latching notches (108 and 108') in the spigot (78). Guides are provided to ensure that the terminal retainer (4) can be mated with the spigot (78) only in a first angular position in which each latching spur (120) engages in a first latching notch (108), in which position the terminal retaining studs (114) are outside the cavities (8).

Abstract: The press (2) comprises a housing (4) in the forward part of which a slide ram (22) is mounted on bearings (62). The ram (22) is driven by an electric motor (26) by way of reduction gear box (24), having an output shaft (79) to which is eccentrically mounted a stub shaft (78) surrounded by a roller bearing ring (80) in a bearing block roller (82). As the output shaft (79) is rotated by the motor (26), the roller (82) rolls back and forth along a guideway (74) formed in the rear face of the ram (22), to take up the eccentricity of the shaft (78). The ram (22) is centrally mounted in its bearings (62) to avoid its canting as it is driven.

Abstract: A wire spreading unit (6) for a harness making machine which is longitudinally moveable from a position proximate to a wire feed mechanism, where it picks up individual wires for the harness, to a position remote from the wire feed mechanism where it is aligned with a pitch setting station (8) which sets the pitch between individual gripper members (38) in the wire gripping mechanism (6). The pitch setting station (8) has a plurality of settings which are obtainable, through the use of machine balls (166) which sets stop rods (152) to various settings. When the desired setting is obtained, the rods (102) are moved against the stop rods (152) into an abutting relation, to set the wire grippers (38), and the wires which they carry, into their respective spacings.

Abstract: A press (2) having a three phase, brushless, direct current drive motor (26) driving a press ram (22) by a way of an eccentric shaft (78) is provided with a control circuit arrangement (89) comprising an incremental encoder (30) for measuring the angular position of the drive shaft (78), and Hall effect sensors (94) for continuously measuring the speed of the drive motor (26). The control circuit arrangement (89) also comprises a computer (108) having registered therein a desired motor speed program (112), and a motor control circuit (104) for comparing the outputs of the encoder (30) and the sensors (94) with the program (112) and feeding the result of the comparison to a motor drive pulse generator (96) to control the speed of the motor (26) in accordance with the program (112) and to stop motor (26) upon the press ram (22) reaching a position at least proximate to its home position (0.degree.) at the end of a cycle thereof.

Abstract: A high density ribbon cable connector includes bipartite strain relief halves adapted to trap between them a high density ribbon cable. The strain relief halves and ribbon are snap latchable into position within a fixture housing with the cable extending through an elongate slot in the fixture housing, and adjacent to a fixture face having conductor aligning grooves emanating from and fanning out in opposite directions from the elongate slot. The grooves form a template for the positioning of the conductors for accurate alignment prior to termination. The fixture housing also includes terminal clearance slots aligned with each groove, where two rows of clearance slots are provided on each side of the slot. The fixture housing is snap latchable into a terminal housing, where conductor receiving slots of electrical terminals are inserted into the terminal clearance slots, and electrically terminate the conductors to the electrical terminals.

Abstract: An electrical connector is shown which is mountable to a printed circuit board (200) which includes a plurality of insulating housings (4). The housings accept a plurality of terminal subassemblies (60) where the subassemblies integrally mold therein a plurality of electrical terminals (64-67). Cross talk shield members (180) are insertable into the rear of the connector housing (4) to shield adjacent vertical rows of terminals from cross talk. Resilient contact members (194 or 194') are stamped from the ground member (180) and are profiled to contact one of the contact members (64 or 65). Upper (100) and lower (100') shield members are insertable over the assembly to shield the assembly from EMI/RFI.

Abstract: An electrical connector (2) is disclosed which includes an insulating housing (4) which includes a plurality of electrical terminals (100). The connector (2) also includes an actuator (50) which is moveable relative to the housing (4) to open the contact portion (128) for a zero insertion force entry of a stripped conductor of a multiple conductor cable (150). When the actuator is moved vertically downwards, the actuator bottom edge (61) engages an actuator arm (122) which allows the contacts to open and accept the conductor (152).

Abstract: An electrical connector is disclosed having electrical terminals mounted within an insulating housing where the electrical terminals comprise surface mount contacts, pin receiving contact arms, and retention legs. The retention legs comprise cutting sections which cut uniform width sections through an irregular shaped stamped printed circuit board through hole. The retention legs also include projections extending from the side edges of the retention legs and include ramped portions which have an overall width greater than the width between the stamped side edges. A stamped through section is defined in the retention legs which defines two spring members which are compliant and expandable to accommodate for heat expansion of the printed circuit board through holes.

Abstract: An electrical connector is shown which is mountable to a printed circuit board (230) which includes a plurality of insulating housings (4). The vertical row of terminals is formed as a subassembly (60) where the terminals (72-75) are integrally molded within an insert 82 of dielectric material. The lengths of the sections (72a, 73a, 74a, 75a) of the terminals (72-75) which are within the molded insert (82) vary to alter the impedance of the terminals 72-75, thereby matching the overall impedance of the terminals (72-75). Cross-talk shield members (180') are insertable into the rear of the connector housing (4) to shield adjacent vertical rows of terminals from cross-talk. Upper (100) and lower (100') shield members are insertable over the assembly to shield the assembly from EMI/RFI.

Abstract: An electrical pin receiving socket (2,102) is disclosed which includes a base portion (6,106) having side arms (8,108) extending upwardly to a top wall (10) or contact arms (112). Back-up springs are positioned proximate the contact arms and cooperate with the contact arms to ensure that the contact arms will electrically engage a mating pin. The base section (6,106) also includes printed circuit board contacts (20,30,120,130), where the contacts (20,30,120,130) are reversely bent under the base section (6,106) and then vertically downwardly to form printed circuit board contacts (26,36,126,136), thereby allowing the electrical pin receiving socket to move relative to the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A switch for optical fibers includes two identical housing halves for retaining the optical fibers in a substantially fixed position. The fibers are retained within the housing halves forming two pairs of opposed optical fibers. An intermediate fiber is provided between the opposed fibers, and each end of the intermediate fiber is moveable into alignment with one of two fibers to form four switching positions. The intermediate optical fiber is externally plated with a metallic coating which provides a resiliency to the fiber, allowing the fiber to provide its own spring retention within an associated alignment groove. A switching plate is also provided for each free end of the intermediate fiber for switching movement of the free ends into optical alignment with the free ends of the optical fibers. Transverse movement also axially moves the optically aligned fiber out of an abutting relationship with the free end of the intermediate fiber to maintain the surface finish on the ends of the optical fibers.

Abstract: Hermaphroditic electrical terminals positioned within hermaphroditic insulative housings are suitable for electrical power distribution. Each terminal has an inclined contact arm opposed to a generally flat contact arm. Both contact arms are longitudinally coined. Each generally flat contact arm is sandwiched between the two arms of the other terminal when the two terminals are mated. The convex coined surfaces on the inclined arms engage concave coined surfaces on the generally flat contact of the other terminal to maintain the line contact between convex coined surfaces on the generally flat contact arms in static equilibrium.

Abstract: Connector assembly comprises an outer housing and an inner housing which is inserted into the outer housing. The inner housing has terminal receiving cavities which extend between its ends and which open onto one of the sides of the inner housing along the full width thereof as measured between the ends. The terminals are inserted into the cavities by aligning the terminals with the cavities and moving them laterally of their axes into their cavities. After assembly of the terminals to the cavities, the inner housing is assembled to the outer housing.

Abstract: An electrical terminal is shown which includes an insulation displacement type slot which is useable with stranded wire. The insulation displacement slot has two plates at each end of a base portion which are folded up to face one another. The plates form open slots for the receipt of the insulated stranded wire, and the plates are rotatable one towards the other, to bring side edges of the plates through the insulation and against the individual conductor strands for termination therewith. The side edges of the plate portions are formed into arcuate sections which prevent lateral movement of the strands within the slots.