Abstract: A pliers-type insulation stripping tool includes a releasable fastening device for fastening a knife cassette to at least one of the knife carrier members that are longitudinally displaced by the pivotally connected tool handle members to remove a severed length of insulation from a longitudinally-arranged insulated conductor that is clamped between by the tool gripping jaws. A U-shaped resilient fastener spring wire has leg portions that are resiliently biased apart, at least one of the legs containing a laterally extending bulge portion that extends into a corresponding locking slot contained in a side wall of the knife cassette. To release and replace the knife cassette, the protruding free extremities of the leg portions of the spring wire are displaced together, thereby to remove the leg bulge portion from the slot contained in the cassette outer wall.

Abstract: A pliers-type insulation stripping tool includes an adjusting device for adjusting the cutting profile provided by the knife edges of a stack of parallel lamellar cutting blades pivotally connected at one end with a knife holder for independent pivotal movement about a first pivot axis parallel with the tool handle pivot axis. The knife holder is connected for longitudinal displacement on one the clamping jaws of the tool handles, thereby to remove a severed length of the insulation layer from the insulated conductor.

Abstract: The method comprises positioning a diffraction grating with a two-dimensional meshing on the path of the beam to be analyzed and processing at least two interferograms of at least two different colors, each interferogram being obtained in a plane from two sub-beams with different diffraction orders. The invention can be used to analyze and correct divided wavefronts.

Abstract: A pliers-type insulation stripping tool includes a pair of blade holders that are removably connected with the pull rod that longitudinally displaces the blades relative to the handle shell when a severed length of insulation is stripped from the insulated conductor. A resilient ejector arrangement in provided for ejecting from the handle shell the length of stripped insulation. In order to permit use of the insulation stripping tool with insulated conductors of various sizes and diameters, a blade depth adjusting device is provided for adjusting the distance between at least one of the blade holders and the associated clamping jaw.

Abstract: A method and a system for analyzing the wavefront of a light beam, wherein a diffraction grating is arranged in a plane perpendicular to the light beam to be analyzed and optically conjugated to the analysis plane. Different emerging beams of the grating interfere to generate an image having deformations linked to the gradients of the wavefront to be analyzed. The method is characterized in that the grating carries out the multiplication of an intensity function which is implemented by a two-dimensional grating with hexagonal meshing of surface S transmitting the light of the beam to be analyzed into plural emerging beams arranged in a hexagonal meshing, by an phase function which is implemented by a two-dimensional grating with hexagonal meshing of surface 3S which introduces a phase shift close to 2?/3 (modulo 2?) between two adjacent secondary beams.

Abstract: A connector arrangement connects the flat conductors that extend upwardly from a horizontal photovoltaic cell panel with the insulated conductors of a cable via the circuits of a printed circuit board, respectively. A flat conductor support member is adhesively secured to the upper surface of the horizontal photovoltaic cell panel and includes upwardly extending bridge portions having flat upper edges about which are reversely bent the upper free ends of the flat conductors. A hollow sectional connector housing includes a lower body section containing a bottom opening that receives the flat conductor support member when the lower body section is seated on the panel upper surface. Bifurcated resilient contacts mounted on the lower section have first portions that engage the bent flat conductor ends, respectively, and second portions that engage the circuits on a replaceable printed circuit board carried by the removable upper cover section of the housing.

Abstract: An optical system comprises a first image capture device for capturing an image of an observation area, a first display device, a semi-reflecting plate, a concave mirror disposed facing the first display device, and a second display device for displaying a background image. A light beam is scattered by the first display device through the semi-reflecting plate and then reflected by the mirror and the semi-reflecting plate in order to display an aerial image between the semi-reflecting plate and the observation area. A projector projects a light beam toward one of the display devices. The first image capture device is adapted to capture the image of the observation area via said one display device. A alternating control device alternates capture of an image of the observation area by the first image capture device and projection of the light beam projected by the projector.

Abstract: A compressible sealing gasket for supporting a cable in a wall opening contained in a housing wall includes a pair of gasket sections each having a planar surface that contains a recess, and at least one integral compressible sealing projection extending from the planar surface adjacent the recess. When the gasket sections are placed in an assembled condition with their planar surfaces in contiguous engagement, the recesses cooperate to define a cable opening for receiving a cable, and the projection is compressed between the gasket sections to seal the space between the gasket sections adjacent the cable opening. Preferably two laterally spaced integral sealing ribs are provided in each recess, which sealing ribs extend transversely completely across the recess and terminate at each end in a sealing projection that extends upwardly from the associated planar surface.

Abstract: A printed circuit board arrangement and method includes a planar generally-rectangular vertically-arranged printed circuit board having front and rear surfaces terminating in a peripheral edge, at least one of the front and rear surfaces having a conductive printed circuit thereon. The printed circuit board has a vertical side edge portion containing a recess, and arranged adjacent the recess is a fixed contact connected with a conductor portion of the printed circuit. A relatively narrow conductor housing arranged outside the peripheral edge of the printed circuit board is mounted in the recess with a movable contact carried by the housing in electrical engagement with the fixed contact. The connector housing is supported by a rear wall mounted on the rear surface of the printed circuit board, and by a resilient clip on the connector housing that engages the printed circuit board adjacent the recess.

Abstract: An insulation stripping tool for flat cables includes a clamping device adapted to be clamped to a flat cable and to provide a linear guide edge for guiding a knife holder to accurately sever the outer insulation sheath of the cable in a transverse direction. Upon removal of the clamping device from the cable, the knife holder is inserted into a chamber contained in the clamping device with the knife edge protruding from the chamber, whereupon a curved side of the flat cable is inserted within first guide grooves contained in the clamping device, and the clamping device is displaced circumferentially of the cable to sever the curved cable side transversely of the cable. The curved cable side is then inserted into a second pair of grooves contained in the clamping device, and the knife holder is displaced longitudinally to sever the insulation sheath longitudinally of the cable.

Abstract: A connector assembly for printed circuit board terminal blocks and the like includes a housing having spaced side and end walls defining a chamber, and a first connector component mounted in the chamber adjacent an access opening contained in the housing walls. A second connector component external of the housing is displaceable between an engaged position in electrical engagement with the first connector component, and a disengaged position disengaged from the first component. A separating lever pivotally connected with the second connector component includes a cam arrangement that cooperates with the housing side walls to displace the second connector component from the engaged position toward the disengaged position relative to the first connector component. A locking arrangement may be provided for locking together the connector components in the electrically engaged condition.

Abstract: The yoke member of Cardan joint is made in one unitary part of one piece and includes a pivot fork including two pivot arm portions each comprising a crossing hole, the axis of which is the pivot axis of a cross-piece, and a connecting element for the motion transmission shaft and having two tightening portions connected via a junction portion. Each of the two tightening portions comprises a tightening hole. Four reinforcing appendices are arranged on the tightening portions and opposite one another in pairs to form together with the portions a housing for the motion transmission shaft. The yoke member is stamped in order to give it the desired thickness in highly stressed and lowly stressed regions.

Abstract: A connector arrangement connects the contacts of a stack of terminal blocks, including a first conductive bridge extending longitudinally of a given terminal block for selectively connecting together the contacts thereof, and a second laterally-extending conductive bridge for connecting together corresponding contacts of various selected terminal blocks of the stack. The terminal blocks are mounted in parallel vertical orientation on an orthogonally arranged horizontal mounting rail. Vertical branch lines extend upwardly from a plurality of horizontal vertically-spaced bus bar members contained in each of the terminal blocks, and intermediate branch lines connected with the upper ends of the vertical branch lines contain offset tiered first and second contact areas. Resilient fingers on the longitudinal and lateral conductive bridges extend into and electrically engage openings contained in the first and second contact areas, respectively.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector arrangement includes a locking device for fastening together a pair of male plug and female socket components, which locking device consists of locking elements mounted solely on a pair of telescopic adapter housings that support the plug and socket components when in the engaged condition. In order to increase the operational life of the connector components, one of the plug and socket components contains a recess for receiving an auxiliary second locking device that extends longitudinally in a normally non-stressed unlocked inoperative condition from the other component.

Abstract: A connector assembly for a planar vertical printed circuit board includes a housing having a pair of parallel space planar vertical side walls defining an open-topped vertical chamber in which the printed circuit board is mounted. First electrical connectors mounted on the vertical end edges of the printed circuit board include body portions that extend outward beyond the vertical edges of the side walls, which extending body portions contain access openings affording communication with first connector contacts in electrical engagement with the printed circuit board. Protective side cover members are fastened to the housing side walls to partially enclose the extending connector body portions, which cover members contain openings opposite the connector body access openings. The cover members contain ventilation openings for cooling the printed circuit board, and the housing includes a mounting foot arrangement for mounting the printed circuit board assembly on a support rail.

Abstract: A cable includes a cable sheath in which are embedded a plurality of insulated conductors at least two of which are helically twisted, the cable being provided with visible markings that indicate where one can electrically engage a selected one of the conductors by an insulation-piercing contact. The cable is formed by arranging a plurality of insulated conductors in a light-transmitting synthetic plastic sheath layer, two or more of the insulated conductors being helically twisted about a longitudinal axis, which cable is optically scanned to determine locations at which contiguous portions of the twisted insulated conductors are superposed orthogonally relative to a reference plane, whereupon markings are formed on the cable sheath layer at locations laterally spaced from the contiguous conductor portions, whereby a selected one of the twisted conductors may be engaged by an insulation-piercing contact.

Abstract: A connector arrangement includes a universal terminal block having a body containing a chamber in which is removably mounted one of a plurality of function control modules as used in commercial, industrial and residential installations, wherein a pair of module contacts on the module are brought into electrical engagement with a pair of stationary contacts mounted in the chamber, thereby to connect the module to a pair of external insulated conductors via bus bars and terminals contained in the terminal block body. Various types of function control modules may be used with a single universal terminal block. The modules may include locking devices for locking the module to the universal terminal block. The terminal block includes mounting feet on the side thereof remote from the chamber, whereby selective modules may be substituted for one another when the terminal block is mounted on a support rail.

Abstract: A connector fastening arrangement locks a connector housing to a printed circuit board, thereby to effect engagement between a resilient contact on the housing and a corresponding electrical element on the adjacent top surface of the printed circuit board. A rotary locking member carried by the connector housing extends within a locking bore contained in the adjacent surface of the printed circuit board, the locking member being rotatable between locked and unlocked positions relative to the connector housing. In a preferred embodiment, the locking bore is a through bore, and the locking member extends completely through the locking bore. When the locking member is rotated toward the locked position, an eccentric locking device carried by the extremity of the locking member extends in locking engagement beneath the bottom surface of the printed circuit board. In a second embodiment, the locking device comprises a bayonet fitting arrangement.

Abstract: Connector apparatus electrically connects together a plurality of shielded cables, including a housing containing a chamber including a first opening for receiving one end of a first shielded cable, and at least two second openings receiving the one ends of at least two second shielded cables, respectively. A conductive shield associated with the housing connects together the shielding layers of all of the cables, and a printed circuit board arranged in the housing connects at least one conductor of at least two of the second cables with a corresponding conductor of the first cable.