Abstract: A flat multiconductor cable has a reworked and sized portion in which the span tolerance (distance between the outside conductors in the cable) is substantially reduced as compared to the unsized portion of the cable. An apparatus is also disclosed for reworking and sizing a flat multiconductor cable in order to reduce the tolerances in the reworked cable. A multi contact electrical connector can be installed on the reworked portion of the cable although the same connector may not be capable of accepting the cable in its original condition because of the relatively wide dimensional tolerances in the cable.

Abstract: Continuous strip material for bundle ties comprises two identical sections. The material is ladder-like in form and each section comprises a side piece and rung parts extending from the side pieces. The rung parts are coupled by a coupling system to form the rungs and the coupling system is disengageable to permit movement of the side pieces away from each other. Ratchet type latching ears are provided on the side pieces. In use, the side pieces are moved apart at the leading end of the strip of material to permit placement of an intermediate portion of the strip between the side pieces at the leading end. The side pieces are moved back together and the intermediate portion can be tightened onto the bundle in a ratchet-like manner.

Abstract: Connector for a substrate such as an IC chip carrier comprises a housing assembly which in turn comprises a housing frame and a plurality of contact modules on the frame. Each module has a group of contact members therein. The contact members are located in predetermined positions in the frame and within predetermined dimensional tolerances. The housing frame and the substrate have substrate locating means for locating the substrate so that contact pads on the substrate will be in registry with the contact positions. Module locating means are also provided for locating the modules in the frame so that the contact members in the modules will be located in the predetermined positions. Each module has its own locating means which is directly related to the substrate locating means. The contact members in each module are thereby located within cumulative dimensional tolerances which are limited to the respective modules and are not cumulative beyond the individual modules.

Abstract: Dual-in-line switch comprises a housing assembly having a plurality of side-by-side slide housings therein. The slide housings each have a spring means therein which bears against a pivoted contact bar which overlaps the first and second switch conductors and is pivoted on one of the conductors. When the slide housing is moved, it causes rocking of the contact bar to change the condition of the switch. The spring means in the slide housing comprises two bellows springs, each of which has a fixed end which bears against the interior wall of the slide housing and a free end. The free ends are integral with each other and bear against the rockable contact bar.

Abstract: Belt conveyor comprises first and second endless belts in side-by-side relationship which move in opposite directions. Articles such as connector housings are loaded onto the first belt at its first end and carried towards the second end of the first belt. The articles may be in either of two stable attitudes. A sorting guide extends transversely across the first belt and separates the articles in the second stable attitude from those in the first attitude, the articles in the second attitude being pushed onto the second belt. The articles pushed onto the second belt are carried to the first end of the second belt and transferred laterally to the first end of the first belt. The attitudes of the articles transferred are changed during transfer so that they are then in the first stable attitude.

Abstract: 44A tool and method are described for removing a chip carrier socket housing from terminals which are received in the housing and which are mounted on a substrate. The tool comprises a yoke having pulling arms pivoted thereto which have free ends that engage the housing at the corners thereof. A central axial opening extends through the yoke and a slide is slidable in the opening. The slide has a reaction plate on its end which is shaped to engage the upper free ends of the terminals. A locking cam is provided which locks the pulling arms in their engaged positions with the housing. An actuating means causes the yoke and the pulling arms to move upwardly (relative to the substrate on which the terminals are mounted) with respect to the reaction plate. The housing is thus pulled by the arms upwardly and from the terminals.

Abstract: Electrical terminal having wire-receiving slot comprises two plate-like members in parallel aligned relationship. The plate-like members have opposed internal surfaces which are spaced apart in a wire-receiving and contact section so that the slot is the gap between the two surfaces. The plate-like members are secured to each other, preferably by welding.

Abstract: Wire jig intended for use in a wire processing machine comprises a plurality of wire clamps in side-by-side aligned positions forming a stack. The stack is supported on a frame and the individual clamps are movable laterally from the stack in a direction parallel to the axes of wires held in the stack. Each clamp has a first actuator engaging portion which is engageable by a first actuator for sliding the individual clamp from its aligned position to its extended position.

Abstract: Continuous strip material for bundle ties comprises two identical sections. The material is ladder-like in form and each section comprises a side piece and rung parts extending from the side pieces. The rung parts are coupled by a coupling system to form the rungs and the coupling system is disengageable to permit movement of the side pieces away from each other. Ratchet type latching ears are provided on the side pieces. In use, the side pieces are moved apart at the leading end of the strip of material to permit placement of an intermediate portion of the strip between the side pieces at the leading end. The side pieces are moved back together and the intermediate portion can be tightened onto the bundle in a ratchet-like manner.

Abstract: A sealed insulation displacement connector comprises a first housing member in which is located an electrical terminal having a slotted insulation displacement section, and a second housing member in which an elastomeric body of sufficient rigidity is disposed so that when an insulated conductor is aligned with the slotted insulation displacement section the housing members are moved relative to each other causing the elastomeric body to forcefully move the insulated conductor into the slotted insulation displacement section thereby terminating the conductor with the elastomeric body sealingly engaging the connection formed between the conductor and the electrical terminal.

Abstract: Chip carrier socket has contact terminals therein comprising a web portion and first and second arms extending from the web. The first arm has a contact portion adjacent its free end for contacting a pad on a chip carrier and the second arm has a bearing portion adjacent to its free end. The intermediate portion of the second arm is not supported against wall surfaces of the chip carrier socket. The web is connected to a mounting portion by a neck which is compliantly responsive to stressing of the arms. When the contact portion engages a contact pad on a chip carrier, the entire system including the first and second arms and the web is stressed. The second arm is flexed and the freely supported end of the second arm is moved along its fixed support surface. The design permits the achievement of a high contact force and is capable of accommodating manufacturing tolerances in the chip carrier while maintaining the required contact force.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding a strip of articles and severing the leading article from the strip comprises a cylindrical surface having a helical feeding thread thereon which is dimensioned to enter gaps in the strip of articles being fed. The strip is fed along a strip feed path to an operating zone adjacent to which one end of the cylindrical surface is located. The cylindrical surface has movable shearing blades thereon at the one end which are cooperable with fixed shearing blades to shear the leading article from the strip in the operating zone.

Abstract: Switch assembly, such as a keyboard switch assembly, comprises a plurality of polled conductors, a plurality of scanned conductors, and switch sites, each of which has an associated scanned conductor and polled conductor adjacent thereto. When a switch at each switch site is closed, the associated polled conductor is connected to the associated scanned conductor and closure of the switch is determined by a polling and scanning means. Each switch has a switch resistor in series therewith and each scanned conductor has a scanned conductor resistor between the scanned conductor and one side of the power supply. The analyzer associated with the switch assembly has the ability to determine whether a signal indicating that a particular switch is closed is a true signal caused by actual closure of the signal or alternatively is a phantom signal caused by the closure of a group of switches in the switch matrix.

Abstract: Chip carrier socket 2 comprises a socket body 24 having a rectangular base 30 and walls 34 extending normally from the edges 32 of the base. The walls can be pivotally moved inwardly of the recess which is defined by the walls after a chip carrier 12 has been placed in the recess. A frame 28 is provided in surrounding relationship to the walls 34 and is movable relative thereto between a first position and a second position. When the frame 28 is moved to the second position, the walls 34 are moved inwardly thereby to move the contact terminals 26 in the walls against terminal pads 20 on the leadless chip carrier 12. The frame 28 also may have an ejector means integral therewith which will eject the chip carrier from the socket when the frame is moved from a second position to the first position. The frame may also cam the walls outwardly to permit placement of the chip carrier in the recess under ZIF conditions.

Abstract: Electrical harnesses comprising wires having a multi-contact connector on one end and discrete terminals on the free ends of the wires are produced by feeding individual wires, cutting a lead from the fed wire, moving the cut ends laterally to terminating zones, and attaching a terminal to one cut end and connecting the other cut end to a terminal in a multi-contact connector. The process is then repeated until wires have been connected to all of the terminals in the connector. An apparatus is also described for carrying out the method.

Abstract: A device for optically coupling a fiber to a solid state laser is taught. Briefly stated, a fiber is held by a pedestal or holder and, after alignment between the fiber and the laser, the holder is attached to the same mounting platform upon which the laser is also mounted. The holding or attachment material exhibits the same thermal properties as the base material, thereby minimizing any thermal expansion or contraction which would cause misalignment between the fiber and the laser.

Abstract: Electrical connector housing assembly 2 comprises a frame 26 which contains a plurality of individual housing modules 28, 30, 32 which are received in openings 34, 35 in the frame. The modules each have contact-receiving cavities 46, 70 in which contact terminals are positioned. For each module, a single key 62, 88 is provided which extends through the housing frame 26 and through the housing modules 28, 30, 32. The key 62, 88 serves to secure the module to the frame and to positively retain the individual terminals in their cavities in the modules.

Abstract: Electrical connector assembly intended for use in confined spaces comprises first and second housings which, when mated, from an L-shaped structure. The first housing has an integral radially extending collar and latch arms on its external surface by means of which it can be mounted in an opening in a panel. When the second housing is coupled to the first housing, the second housing will extend parallel to the surface of the panel and will not project a substantial distance beyond the surface. Blade type terminals are used in the first housing and terminals having opposed spring arms are used in the second housing. The terminals having spring arms are mated with the blade type terminals by moving the spring arm terminals against and past the side edges of the blade type terminals.

Abstract: Connector assembly comprises first and second connector housings and a camming slide for mating and unmating the housings. The first housing has flanges extending from the mating face thereof and has slots in the flanges which receive cam followers on the cam slide. The second housing has cam tracks in its sidewalls which also receive the cam followers. The camming slide is generally U-shaped and has a web which is spaced from the rear face of the second housing and arms which extend from the web across the sidewalls of the second housing and which overlap the flanges on the first housing. The cam followers project from the internal surfaces of the arms and extend through the slots and are dimensioned to be received in the camming slots on the second housing.

Abstract: Electrical contact socket comprises a flat face having a circular opening therein adjacent to one edge of the face. Diametric slots extend from the opening parallel to the one edge and have blind ends. Contact flanges extend from the periphery of the opening perpendicularly of the plane of the face and serve as contact surfaces when a pin is inserted into the opening. The portion or section of the face between the opening and the one edge is resiliently deflected when the pin is inserted and serves as a contact spring.