Abstract: The invention is directed to a die set wherein both the upper and lower die members are molded of a semi-rigid, flexible material. The physical properties of the materials from which the die members are formed are such that they resemble those of typical conductor and connector insulations. The dies can deform around the insulation of the conductor and shield without nicking, cutting or otherwise damaging the metallic conductor or other portions of the insulated conductor. The dies can conform to concentric and nonconcentric conductor configurations and are thus not sensitive to the conductor concentricity and to the conductor size in the range of conductor sizes the dies are formed to handle. The use of alignment ribs, along with the die interlocks serve to center the two die members and stops serve to prevent rotation of a connector in the die set and control the maximum die set opening.

Abstract: A die set comprising a pair of die members one ofwhich is provided with discretely mounted and independently laterally movable die elements cooperable with extending leg portions on the other die member to provide a variable opening die nest to assist in releasing a ferrule or similar article therefrom after the deforming operation.

Abstract: An electrical contact for use preferably in connection with ribbon-type flat cable comprises a rectangularly configured head portion having discrete, individually sloped cutting edges at the upper end thereof for piercing through the webbed insulation between adjacent conductors of the cable, the front and rear walls of the head portion being suitably slotted to receive a conductor and make electrical contact therewith.

Abstract: An improved tubular ferrule which may be employed in a wire connector or the like comprises a helical coil of closely wound turns of generally elongate tubular form with each of the turns of the coil being bonded to an adjacent turn to form a crimpable tubular structure having an undulating interior surface and readily adaptable for use as an electrical connector or the like. The individual turns of the coil may be bonded to one another either by the selective application of a bonding material to the coil or by pre-coating the wire with a preferably heat responsive fusible material and subjecting the coil to a heating operation to fuse the turns together. Wire having a circular, rectangular, or other suitable cross section may be employed and selectively oriented to provide a variety of selective interior and exterior surface configurations. The wire may be pre-worked, prior to winding, to provide sharp protrusions thereon to enhance the engagement between the ferrule and external parts joined thereto.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a hand tool of the pliers configuration having a set of crimping nests located in jaw members and having the expansion zones of the crimping nests overlap so as to permit placement of each of the nests closer to the optimum distance from the handle pivot. A visual indicator permits the operator to crimp terminals of different discrete sizes in a single one of the crimping nests and a hook member used to lock the handles in a closed position further provides discrete limits of crimping nest closure. A compression spring located in overlapping slots of the handle member provides a recessed means to rapidly open the handles when the hook member is released. Discretely sized insulation cutting edges located between the pivot and the handle free ends permits the edges to overlap one another and thus provide an almost complete cut about the wire periphery and provide a wedge to break through the uncut land of insulation.

Abstract: Means for simultaneously interconnecting selective conductors of an insulated multiconductor flat cable include a pair of mating metallic strips adapted to overlie opposite sides of a given segment of the cable and include a first strip having bifurcated contact elements arranged to pierce through the cable insulation about selective conductors and enter preformed apertures in the other strip, which apertures are dimensioned to snugly receive and contain the tines of the bifurcated contact elements. A dielectric housing may be provided to enclose and insulate the various elements of the assembly.

Abstract: The wall of a thin walled hollow member such as the ferrule portion of an electrical terminal or the like is subjected to a longitudinal pinching force which may be applied by one or more pair of spaced parallel elongate forming surfaces at selective locations along the length of the perimeter of the thin walled member to produce one or more obliquely angled double thickness fins which are then subjected to an inwardly directed radial force causing the fins to be folded back against the outer surface of the hollow member which is thus tightly contracted about a further member located within the hollow member.

Abstract: Apparatus for slitting a sheathed three-conductor cable having two outer conductors and a central ground conductor preparatory to installing the slit segment into a specially prepared electrical fixture comprises a slitting assembly reciprocatingly slidable towards and away from a cradle member arranged to support and align a given length of the cable for engagement with a pair of spaced blade members affixed to the slitting assembly. The sheath of the cable is slit on either side of the central ground conductor, one of the outer conductors being displaced out of the plane of the conductors while the other outer conductor is displaced laterally away from the central conductor. The slit portion of the cable is thus suitably arranged for installation in a specially prepared electrical fixture which may be placed between extending portions of the jaw members of a further embodiment of the invention to complete the installation.

Abstract: The interior passageway formed at the central axis of a bundle of at least three cylindrical elements which are drawn together within a contractable outer member serves to maintain the ends of optical fibers or the like in accurate axial alignment to provide a splice joint or connection thereat.

Abstract: An electrical contact adapted for resilient engagement with a substrate having a conductive surface thereon includes a highly deflective preferably spirally looped tail portion arranged to provide relatively uniform contact pressure over its elastic range of deflection. In one embodiment the tail portion is interconnected to a generally tubular head portion having cutting edges thereon for piercing through the insulation of an insulated conductor, a plurality of such electrical contacts being further designed to be contained within a connector housing adapted to interconnect a flat cable to a conductively surfaced substrate and including mounting means on the housing for maintaining the tail portions of the contacts in firm engagement with the substrate while minimizing the force required to assemble the connector to the substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a hand tool of the pliers configuration having a set of crimping nests located in jaw members and having the expansion zones of the crimping nests overlap so as to permit placement of each of the nests closer to the optimum distance from the handle pivot. A visual indicator permits the operator to crimp terminals of different discrete sizes in a single one of the crimping nests and a hook member used to lock the handles in a closed position further provides discrete limits of crimping nest closure. A compression spring located in overlapping slots of the handle member provides a recessed means to rapidly open the handles when the hook member is released. Discretely sized insulation cutting edges located between the pivot and the handle free ends permits the edges to overlap one another and thus provide a complete cut about the wire periphery and provide a wedge to break through the uncut land of insulation.

Abstract: An improved connector for coupling the individual conductors of a multi-conductor flat cable to a termination point which may be a socket for receiving the pins of a further connector or the like comprising a base member having a plurality of apertures extending from a first to a second surface, the number of apertures being equal to the number of individual conductors found in the flat cable. Placed in each of these apertures is a contact having a first end which can pierce through the insulation of the multi-conductor cable and make contact with an individual conductor placed in association therewith and which end is placed adjacent the first surface of the base member of the connector. The contact terminates in a contact tail portion which extends towards the second surface of the base member in a socket for receipt therein and contact with the pin of a further connector, or the like.

Abstract: A plurality of flat elongate flexible metallic strips are arranged in spaced parallel relationship within a length of flat flexible dielectric material so that the curled tubular ends of the strips are exposed at either end of the dielectric material to provide contact means thereat. Stiffening means which may comprise coined rib portions are interposed between the exposed tubular ends and the central portion of the strips to prevent flexing of the metallic strips at their juncture with each end of the dielectric material.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a thin adapter member arranged to be adhered by means of a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer contained on one surface of the adapter and prior to use protected by a release layer, which adapter has disposed, along one or two rows, apertures arranged to be aligned with individual flat conductors of the cable, such that when the flat cable and adapter are inserted into a connector, the individual contacts of the connector are permitted to enter the apertures of the adapter and insure proper contact between each contact and its associated flat conductor when the connector is assembled.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a hand supported, hand operated tool for drawing up the loop formed by a self-locking strap about a plurality of articles to be bundled. A slide means translates across a stationary base member bearing at one end pawl means for grasping the strap and along its length finger grips to cause translation of the slide means. An internally confined return spring returns the slide means to an initial position and opens the pawl means. The repetition of the cycle permits the pawl means to grasp the strap at a different location and further translation of the slide means causes further tightening of the strap loop. When the operator determines that sufficient tension exists in the loop, he merely rotates the tool in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about its longitudinal axis and causes the strap body portion to engage the sharpened sides of the slot in the tool nosepiece causing the strap body portion to be severed.

Abstract: A snap-in connector for coupling a flexible metallic raceway to an electrical enclosure formed from a shell member, to engage the material about the knock-out in an electrical enclosure, and a core member, to engage, hold and ground a flexible metallic raceway. The core member has a cylindrical central portion about which is positioned an inwardly facing rib in the form of a portion of a helix to engage the voids between the covolutions of the raceway to hold the raceway and provide electrical continuity therewith. The shell member and core member are coupled together and provide a first lip to limit connector insertion into the knock-out and in cooperation with latch means to hold the connector to the material about the knock-out while the latch means prevents withdrawal of the connector from the knock-out.

Abstract: A double-ended electrical contact includes a selectively bendable central portion arranged to permit the opposing ends of the contact to be selectively offset from one another along parallel axes and generally within a common plane. In one embodiment, the central portion comprises a pair of spaced struts connecting the two ends of the contact together and arranged to define a parallelogram to retain the original axial orientation of each end of the contact after offset. The contacts may be selectively offset and disposd in a contact housing having differently pitched apertures in its upper and lower portions, respectively, to provide mating electrical engagement between differently pitched conductive elements such as a flat cable having a first given spacing between conductors, and a pin or socket connector having a second given spacing between its elements different than the spacing between the flat cable conductors.

Abstract: A plurality of conductor grasping and piercing ridges are selectively disposed at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of a metallic crimpable ferrule and extend outwardly from its interior wire receiving surface so that upon crimping the ferrule about a wire inserted therewithin, the ridges penetrate the periphery of the wire along an obliquely oriented path defining a number of incrementally displaced transverse planes longitudinally offset from one another to avoid shearing or severing the wire along any one common transverse plane.

Abstract: The resiliently biased movable tool jaw in, for example, a strap applying tool is maintained in closed contact with the other jaw of the tool against a counteracting force during a critical phase of the tool cycle by the selective deployment of a lock pin engageable with the movable jaw and which is operatively coupled to an actuator cooperative with a reciprocating plunger employed to drive the movable tool jaw into its closed position. Movement of the lock pin is synchronized with the movement of the plunger to insure correspondence between the relative positions of the lock pin and the movable jaw.

Abstract: A fastener assembly comprising in overlying, stacked relationship a flat washer, an elastically deformable washer and a nut all enclosed in a shroud which assures all components of the assembly are used and in their proper order. The shroud is fashioned with a retaining lip at one end which, as the assembly is tightened, causes the shroud to retreat from the assembly to prevent its retention between the flat washer and the surface about the threaded stud to which the assembly is fastened. By the inclusion of an additional lip the retention of the shroud, after the torque limiting device coupled to the nut has been removed, can be assured.