Abstract: A removable strain relief for flat multi-conductor cable connectors is disclosed. The strain relief comprises a rigid body portion having at least two cable-retaining ears extending therefrom which engage openings in a flat cable inserted into the connector. Latching arms flexibly connected to the body portion ends engage latching shoulders on the connector housing endwalls and permit the strain relief to be inserted on or removed from the connector.

Abstract: Multi-contact electrical connector comprises an insulating housing having contact terminals therein. The housing has oppositely facing endwalls on each of which there is provided a latching means for latching the connector to a complementary connecting device. Each latching means comprises a latch arm which extends forwardly beyond the mating end of the connector and a latching ear which cooperates with a latch arm on the complementary connecting device. The latch arms on the two endwalls are located on one side of a medial reference plane and the latch ears on the other side of the reference plane. The reference plane extends normally on the endwalls of the housing and parallel to the sidewalls. When the connector is coupled to an identical connector or other complementary connecting device, each terminal in the connector is coupled with a terminal in the complementary connecting device which occupies the same position in the complementary device as the terminal in the connector.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly comprises an insulating housing containing contact terminals and a conductor retaining plug member which is dimensioned to be fitted into the conductor entry face of the housing. The terminals have conductor connecting portion in the form of slots which extend inwardly in the terminals from the ends of the terminals that are adjacent to the conductor entry face. The conductor retaining plug member has retaining portions which are received in the slots in the terminals when the plug member is inserted. The plug member is provided with recesses on its sides through which the conductors extend when the plug member is fully inserted so that the conductors extend normally from the conductor entry face.

Abstract: Membrane switch comprises a substrate having first, second, and third switch contacts thereon. A flexible insulating film extends parallel to the substrate and has a commoning conductor on its underside. The flexible film has first and second contact projections extending towards the substrate, the first contact projection being against the first switch contact and the second contact projection being spaced from the second switch contact. A pair of supporting projections extend from the film and bear against the surface of the substrate at locations adjacent to the switch contacts. The film is supported by the first contact projection and the air of supporting projections. When the film is pressed towards the substrate, the second contact projection sequentially moves against the second switch contact and thereafter the commoning conductor is moved against the third switch contact.

Abstract: An electrical connector comprises an insulating housing having a contact receiving cavity extending therethrough from the wire entry face to the mating face. A contact terminal contained in the cavity has a wire connecting portion at its rearward end comprising a hollow cylindrical section of the terminal. A ferrule crimped or soldered to the end of a wire is received in this cylindrical wire connecting portion of the terminal. The ferrule is retained in position by a retaining spring on the terminal which has an integral shoulder or lance that bears against the ferrule. The ferrule can be readily removed from the terminal by flexing the spring radially outwardly and disengaging the lance from the ferrule. A wire can be fitted with a replacement ferrule by the use of readily available tools if repair of the connector is required.

Abstract: A connector of a type used with dry cell batteries comprises an insulating support having a snap fastener plug terminal and a snap fastener socket terminal on one surface thereof. The support has terminal supporting projections on its one surface and the terminals are stamped and formed sheet metal members. The terminals are partially inserted through the support so that the external contact portions of the terminals are against the terminal supporting projections and the internal or second contact portions of the terminals are on the reverse surface of the support. The connector can be used as a closure for the jacket of a 9-volt battery. A manufacturing method for the connector is also disclosed.

Abstract: Tap connector assembly comprises a housing having standard cable connectors mounted in its sidewalls in back-to-back relationship. A circuit board is contained in the housing and wire conductors extend from the terminals in the standard cable connectors across the surface of the circuit board to connect corresponding terminals in the connectors to each other. A plurality of displation type terminals are mounted in the circuit board and selected conductors extending between the standard cable connectors are inserted into the slots in the displation connectors. The displation connectors have integral solder posts which are soldered to circuit board conductors on the underside of the circuit board. The circuit board conductors extend to solder posts on modular jacks which are mounted on the circuit board adjacent to its end edges. The plug receiving openings in the jacks are accessible from the outside of the housing.

Abstract: Electrical connector intended for use in confined areas has an insulating housing having panel receiving grooves in its oppositely facing endwalls. A closure flap extends from the sidewall which is between the endwalls. The connector is mounted in a panel by providing a panel opening having an enlarged connector assembly portion and an adjoining connector retaining portion. The retaining portion has an outline which conforms to the outline of the connector housing. The connector is assembled to the panel by first passing the connector housing through the connector assembly portion of the panel opening and then moving the housing laterally of its axis into the connector retaining portion. Edge portions of the panel are received in the grooves in the endwalls of the housing and the closure flap covers the connector assembly portion of the opening in the panel.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrical interconnection assembly such as an automobile harness junction box, comprises laying a wire in a groove in a substrate; cutting the wire in the groove into a plurality of pieces; and then transferring the pieces of wire from the groove on to terminals carried by an insulating support to form the assembly.

Abstract: Electrical connector of the type comprising a plug and a receptacle has changeable keying means. Keying means comprises axially extending latent slots in the hood of the receptacle and grooves on the surface of the plug which receive a key. Slots can be obtained from the latent slots by removing a thin wall section in the hood. A key is then placed in the corresponding groove in the plug so that the key is received in the slot when the parts are mated. Several latent slots are provided in the receptacle hood to permit a plurality of keying arrangements.

Abstract: Apparatus for connecting individual wires to contact terminals contained in an insulating connector housing has a first wire insertion zone in which there is located a connector locator. The individual wires are fed from reels to the wire insertion zone and the ends of the wires are inserted into the terminals by individual inserters. The connector is thereafter moved away from the insertion zone and wire is withdrawn from the spools or reels. During movement of the connector, the wires are cut to produce a harness assembly. The apparatus also has a second insertion zone and a second connector locator therein. The apparatus can be operated in a mode such that a second connector is applied to the harness wires after the first connector has been moved away from the first insertion zone.

Abstract: An electrical contact terminal of the type contained in a connector housing comprises a yoke portion having extending therefrom a contact arm and a spring arm. The contact arm has an electrical contact portion on one side thereof and a bearing portion on the other side which bears against a bearing portion on the spring arm. When the contact arm is flexed toward the spring arm by a mating part, such as a circuit board, the contact force is developed in the spring arm and the contact arm serves primarily as a conductor. The terminal is of the complanate type in that it is produced by stamping sheet metal without subsequent bending, so that all parts of the terminal lie in the plane of the sheet metal from which it was produced.

Abstract: A miniature switching device, intended for mounting on a circuit board, is disclosed comprising a housing, having at least one switch cavity therein. Each switch cavity has therein an actuator and a spring contact member. When the switch is mounted on a circuit board, the spring contacts are directly engageable with fixed contact points on a circuit board. The switch has multiple, as well as single, function capability.

Abstract: Edge connector comprises a housing assembly having a board receiving trough which receives edge portions of a printed circuit board. The housing assembly comprises an insulating housing in which contact terminals are contained and a sheet metal frame of channel-shaped cross-section in which the insulating housing is nested. A camming means is mounted on the sheet metal frame for urging the circuit board against a board engaging surface portion of the insulating housing and an auxiliary spring is mounted on the frame to provide a high clamping force on the circuit board. The camming means is movable laterally towards and away from the board engaging surface so that the connector can receive circuit boards of widely varying thicknesses.

Abstract: Ink compositions especially suitable for printing electronic circuit patterns on a substrate such as a flexible polyester substrate; methods for developing electrolessly and electrolytically the circuit configurations as articles of manufacture; flexographic printing with the ink composition has been disclosed as the preferred method.

Abstract: Multi-contact connector for a flat conductor cable comprises a housing having a cable receiving face and a trough-like cable receiving opening extending into the cable receiving face. A plurality of contact terminals are mounted in the opening in side-by-side relationship. Each terminal has a spring contact portion which engages one of the conductors of the cable when the cable is inserted. The contact portions are arranged in three rows, the first row comprising the contact portion of every third terminal and which is adjacent to the cable receiving face. The second row and the third row are also formed from every third terminal and the contact portions in these rows are located at increasing distances from the cable receiving face. When the cable is inserted, its leading edge encounters the contact portions of the terminals in the first row and upon further movement into the opening, encounters the contact portions of the terminals in the second and third rows.

Abstract: Stamped and formed sheet metal terminal device has improved mounting means for mounting terminal on a circuit board. Mounting means comprises first and second coextensive mounting legs extending from the terminal and having free ends which are remote from the terminal. The legs have retaining portions adjacent to the terminal and reduced width portions extending from the retaining portions to the free ends. Camming means are provided on the reduced width portions which cause the retaining portions to move apart during final stages of movement of the legs into the circuit board hole and thereby establish an interference fit of the legs in the circuit board hole.

Abstract: Apparatus (26) for taping bundles of wires (4) into compact sheaves (8) comprises first and second bundling rolls (28, 30) having cylindrical surfaces (36, 38) which are in contact in a nip zone (40). First and second tapes (42, 46) are fed towards the rolls on one side of the nip zone and extend through the nip zone. Wires (4) are presented to the rolls on the one side (52) and passed through the nip zone during rotation of the rolls (28, 30). Tape is applied to each bundle from opposite sides of the bundle. On the other side (54) of the nip zone the tape is cut between adjacent bundles by knives (60) on a cutting wheel (56). A plurality of taping devices (26) can be provided on a harness making machine (12) so that the completed harnesses (2) are taped at several locations (10) along their lengths.

Abstract: An induction heating apparatus for heating an electrically conductive workpiece, comprising a C-shaped core made of a material having a high magnetic permeability and having two closely opposed tapered ends, an exciting coil surrounding the core, and a circuit for supplying a periodic voltage to the coil so as to cause a varying magnetic field to be produced in the core and to efficiently focus a field of high flux density between its two ends. In one embodiment the core is made of ferrite, a capacitance is connected with the exciting coil to form a resonant circuit, and circuitry is provided for detecting the phase of the current flowing in the resonant circuit and for controlling the frequency and phase of the periodic voltage supplied to the resonant circuit so as to maintain the circuit in resonance.

Abstract: One-piece stamped and formed switch device which is intended for mounting on a circuit board comprises an elongated flat base having mounting tabs or posts extending from its ends. A flange extends from one of the ends in the opposite direction from the direction of the mounting tabs and provides a fixed contact surface. A cantilever spring is integral with the base portion at the opposite end and extends alongside the base portion past the flange. In use, the switch device is mounted on the circuit board by inserting the mounting tabs through holes in the circuit board. Thereafter, an intermediate portion of the base is removed by shearing so that the remaining portions are electrically isolated from each other and the spring arm can be engaged with the flange to close a circuit between the conductors on the underside of the circuit board.