Abstract: A strain relief apparatus which is especially useful with a standard fiber optic connector (10) having a cylinder backshell (12) with a pair of rearwardly-projecting arms (20, 22) that hold circular clamp elements (24, 26) to clamp to a circular optical fiber cable, which facilitates clamping to a fiber optic flat ribbon cable, or flat cable (40). A flat cable adaptor (50) has a groove (82) with front, rear, and middle groove portions (84, 86, 90) each of rectangular cross-section for receiving the flat cable. A jacket (94) of compressible material of about one inch length is wrapped around the flat cable and lies in the groove middle portion. Only the jacketed part of the flat cable is firmly pressed against the bottom wall (114) of the groove to clamp the flat cable to the adaptor. In one adaptor device, two identical adaptors (52, 54) are used, which form a circular recess (62) that receives the clamp elements.

Abstract: An optic fiber connector includes a housing (20) with a through passageway (70) and an optic fiber terminus assembly (22) lying in the passageway, the connector having a simple retainer assembly means prevents inadvertent rearward pullout of the terminus assembly from the passageway but which enables simple removal of the terminus assembly when desired. The housing has a rear portion with a groove (94) that extends circumferentially about the housing to weaken it at the groove, the groove lying forward of a retainer part 71 formed by a pair of housing projections (74, 76). A rear part (96) of the housing can be broken off from the main part (92) of the housing at the groove, to thereby remove the retainer part on the housing and allow the terminus assembly to be removed from the housing and inserted into a new housing. The rear part of the housing is broken when the cable is pulled partially rearward and at perhaps 45° to the housing axis (76).

Abstract: An optical fiber connector (12) has a terminus (34) lying in a housing passage (44) and biased forwardly by a spring (80), which enables removal of the terminus while the spring remains in the passage, in a compact arrangement. The terminus body has a groove (112) that forms a rearwardly-facing shoulder (120). A retainer (142) includes a clip (102) with tines (110) that engage the shoulder to push the terminus forwardly, the clip being pushed forwardly by a front end (92) of the spring. The retainer includes a sleeve member (100) which is slideable in the terminus passage and has a rear end (94) that abuts the front end of the spring to push the sleeve forwardly, the spring having a forwardly-facing shoulder (104) that abuts the rear end of the clip to push it forwardly. Each of two mating connectors (12, 14) has a spring that biases its terminus toward the other terminus to enable installation of a replacement terminus.

Abstract: An electrical connector is constructed for ease of fixing a sheet metal solder plate (25) to the bottom surface portion (70) of the connector insulator frame (12), so the solder plate can be soldered to one or more traces on a circuit board to hold down the frame. The frame has downwardly extending pegs (33-35) and the solder plate has corresponding peg-receiving holes (28-30). The mount plate forms at least one tongue (48, 49) at each of its holes, each tongue projecting against one of the pegs to form an interference fit against the peg that prevents removable of the solder plate from the insulator pegs. Each peg has a vertical slot (38, 39) that receives a nose (50, 51) at the end of the tongue.

Abstract: An economical jack stand for use with a power unit has a rectangular base plate with a tubular housing having a lower end attached to the base plate. A “U” shaped ratchet shaft with ratchet teeth on the forward edges thereof, is telescopically inserted within the housing and is extendable and retractable therein. The jack stand has a pair of pawls interconnected by a pin, with each pawl adapted to be engagable with a respective tooth on the ratchet shaft, and with the pin pivotally attached to the upper end of the housing. An actuator spring is secured to the pin forming a handle for rotating the pawls into engagement with the teeth of the shaft, and further for rotating the pawls for disengagement from the teeth of the shaft. The components are suitably formed from standard sheet metal and metal plate stock with minimal machining and welding required to form and assemble the economical jack stand.

Abstract: A control handle (10) for operating a machine, includes a largely vertical shaft (12) that can be grasped by a person's hand and a hand rest assembly (20) that supports a lower end of the hand opposite the thumb. The hand rest assembly is slidable along the shaft and includes a clamp that clamps against the shaft to fix the position of the hand rest assembly at substantially continuously variable positions along the shaft. The hand rest assembly has front and rear sections (26, 27) that are pivotally connected together, with the rear section being pivotable between a clamping position (27) wherein it draws the front section firmly against the front of the shaft to fix the hand rest position, and a release position (27A) wherein it allows the hand rest assembly to slide to a desired position. The shaft has recesses (36) on laterally opposite sides, that form vertically-extending fixing edges (41) that face largely rearwardly.

Abstract: A connector assembly with front and rear bodies (50, 40) and a surrounding shell (12), has a potting material (72) that is molded around the cable (20) and within a rear body passageway (70) in a manner that avoids leakage of the potting material. The shell outside surface has outwardly-projecting ridges (124, 141-144) for effectively grasping the connector, and the front body is latchable to the shell with robust latch arms (174). An O-ring (80) lying forward of the threading connections (52, 54) of the bodies limits leakage of the potting material flowed under pressure into the passageway. The outer shell is molded with ridges (124, 141-144) extending in loops that facilitate correct gripping and avoid slipping of the thumb on the connector. The front body has slots (170, 172) forming latch arms that latch to openings in the shell, the arms being formed by slots with enlarged ends (190, 192).

Abstract: The specification describes a mobile jack stand power unit for use with a jack stand that is convertible for use as a load-lifting jack. The power unit comprises a generally rectangular mobile chassis having a forward end and a rearward end with a lift means mounted on the chassis including a pushing means, and a pair of parallel lift arms. The lift arms are pivotal within the chassis and have forward ends and rearward ends, with the forward ends adapted to be raised and lowered by the pushing means for use with the jack stand, and are further adapted for use with a lift bridge. A lift bridge is adapted to be positioned on the forward ends of the lift arms whereby the power unit is operable for use as a load-lifting jack; and the bridge is further adapted to be displaced from the forward ends of the lift arms whereby the power unit is operable for use with the jack stand.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector system includes a rear connector (16) comprising a main rear shell (50) with a plurality of ports (52) and a plurality of rear module bodies (54) each lying in one of the ports. A plurality of backshells (84) extend rearwardly from the rear of the module bodies, with the jackets of multiple fiber cables stripped at a location within each backshell to leave free individual optical fiber devices that extend into passages of the module. Each backshell has a pair of backshell passages (162) that each holds a backshell fastener (172) that fastens the backshell to a module body, each backshell fastener having a wrench-receiving passage (192). Jackscrews (150) fasten each module body to the shell, and each backshell has a wrench-receiving passage (192) extending along its length for passing a wrench to screw in and unscrew a jackscrew.

Abstract: The specification describes a mobile jack stand power unit for use with a jack stand that is convertible for use as a load-lifting jack. The power unit comprises a generally rectangular mobile chassis having a forward end and a rearward end with a lift means mounted on the chassis including a pushing means, and a pair of parallel lift arms. The lift arms are pivotal within the chassis and have forward ends and rearward ends, with the forward ends adapted to be raised and lowered by the pushing means for use with the jack stand, and are further adapted for use with a lift bridge. A lift bridge is adapted to be positioned on the forward ends of the lift arms whereby the power unit is operable for use as a load-lifting jack; and the bridge is further adapted to be displaced from the forward ends of the lift arms whereby the power unit is operable for use with the jack stand.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector assembly includes a body (22) with passages (26) that hold optical fibers and a backshell (24) that can be removed and slid along the optical fiber cable to provide access to the fibers so a selected fiber can be removed while the rest of the fibers continue to carry signals. The removable backshell carries a mechanism (150) that can be manually operated to unlatch the connector from a housing (12), despite removeability of the backshell. The mechanism includes a cam (152) rotatable about the cable-receiving aperture (32) in the backshell and a cam follower (142) that is pushed forwardly by rotation of the cam. The cam follower presses forwardly against a pair of release elements (130) in the body to cause them to deflect a pair of latch arms (120) out of engagement with shoulders (124) of the body so the body can be pulled rearwardly out of the housing.

Abstract: An electrical contact (10) which can engage a mating terminal (50) for electrical connection and detachable latching thereto. The contact includes a piece of sheet metal bent to form at least one guide plate (13, 14) and a bias plate (15) lying facewise adjacent to the guide plate. The bias plate has a front end upper portion or nose (38) with a top (104) that lies above an adjacent location (24, 25) on the guide plate, but the nose can be resiliently downwardly deflected and then tends to spring up again. A recess (17) in the bottom of the guide plate front portion receives the mating terminal, and the upper bias of the nose of the bias plate keeps the guide plate pressed down against the terminal lying in its recess, to thereby latch the two connectors together.

Abstract: A connection arrangement enables rapid connection and disconnection of a cable wire (11) to a post-shaped automobile battery terminal (12). A battery terminal connector (16), has a platform (17) with a front end forming a post-receiving hole (18) that receives the battery terminal, the platform having a rear end with a pair of stationary shoulders (21) and a pin contact (22) lying between the shoulders. A cable connector (25) includes a socket contact (26) that can connect to the battery connector, and a locking device. The locking device has a pair of clamp arms (31) that are resiliently biased together but that are deflected apart by a separator (38) until the arm shoulders (35) snap behind the stationary shoulders.

Abstract: A smart card connector includes an insulative support (52) with contacts thereon and a sheet metal cover (54) with an upper portion (60) that lies over a support face (62) to form a front portion of a card-receiving cavity (58) between them, and with the cover having a lower portion (191) lying under opposite sides of the cavity. The opposite sides of the cavity extend rearward of the support. A card ejecting mechanism (141) includes a pusher (144) that can be manually pushed forward to pivot a lever (146) that pushes the card rearwardly so the card can be grasped and manually pulled out. The pusher is formed of sheet metal with lower and upper flanges (190, 188) that lie against upper and lower portions of the cover, the pusher being confined to solely slideable movement and the lever being pivoting mounted about a pivot axis (A1) on the support.

Abstract: An electrical switch assembly includes a dome-shaped switching element (100) that closes a switch when the dome center portion (118) is depressed against a terminal (104, 106), wherein an actuator member (36) has a lower portion (44) that extends through a hole (120) in the dome element and into a bore (46) that guides the actuator member lower portion in sliding movement. A coding wheel (52) that is fixed to the actuator member, includes a conductive portion (60) with at least one contacting tooth (62) and a non-contacting part or space (200) that both lie on an imaginary circle (220). A plurality of pairs of contacts (74, 84, 86) are in vertical alignment with the circle, and each contacting tooth engages a selected pair of the contacts in a selected rotational position of the actuation member about its vertical axis A.

Abstract: A retainer (60) at the rear of each passage (14) that holds an optical fiber terminus (30), abuts the rear end (62) of a spring to normally retain the terminus while allowing its removal, with the retainer being rugged, easily manipulated, and of small diameter to allow numerous passages to lie close together. Each retainer has a primarily cylindrical outer surface (74) but with a pair of projections (80, 82). The rear portion of the passage has a first part (90) through which the retainer can be slid forwardly while the retainer is in an initial rotational orientation. A third passage part (94) receives the retainer and allows it to be turned from the initial orientation (60A) to a lock rotational orientation (60B). A second passage part (92) that lies between the first and third passage parts, allows the projections to move rearwardly into recesses (112) that prevent rotation of the retainer and that have forwardly-facing shoulders (114) that abut the retainer to limit its rearward movement.

Abstract: The specification describes economical lifting devices. A consumer jack comprising a rectangular base; a pair of connecting arms that are pivotally attached to the front end of the base, and a pair of lift arms that are attached to the connecting arms and attached at the rearward ends thereof to a sliding block. A screw-threaded actuator shaft is engaged with the sliding block to raise and lower a lifting pad attached to the forward ends of the lift arms of the device. The components are stamped from steel sheet and plate, and folded into the desired configuration, and assembled without the need for machining or welding. An economical power unit, for use with an economical jack stand and also for use with a lift bridge, comprises an adaptation of the consumer jack. The power unit does not use the lifting pad, but rather utilizes a pair of separated leveling pads pivotally attached to the forward ends of the lift arm for engagement with a lift collar of the jack stand.

Abstract: A machine control (10) for controlling machinery, is disabled unless the hand (H) of a person grasps a handgrip (14) of the control, and thereby increases the capacitance at each of two electrodes (52, 54) lying within the handgrip surface and spaced about the handgrip axis (56). The handgrip is formed on a handle of a joystick (20) that can pivot about two perpendicular horizontal axes (22, 24). The joystick has a lower end (122) that lies in a cavity (120) where the joystick is pivotally mounted, the joystick has an upper end (121) forming a handle, and the joystick has a middle portion (124) that projects through an upper end of the cavity that lies within an aperture (114) of a housing top wall (112). A plurality of joystick detents (141-144) are mounted on the joystick middle portion, and a plurality of housing detents (151-154) are mounted on the housing to each engage a joystick detent.