Abstract: The invention relates to a connector having an insulating central element including rows of connection elements each having a male terminal intended to be solidly attached to a flat support such as a printed-circuit daughterboard, and a female terminal, as well as a screening device disposed on either side of the rows of connection elements. It is characterized in that it includes at least one hot-deformable stud (110) firmly attached to the central element (81), in that the screening device has a portion (96) provided with at least one opening (100), the shape of the screening device (91, 101) being such that when it is mounted on the central element (81) of the connector, the opening (100) engages in the stud (110) and a space (120) intended for receiving one end (2') of the support (2) is left between the portion (96) and the central element (81).

Abstract: An attachable aircraft ground connector which includes a connector body insertable in the input power socket of a parked aircraft, the connector body having a replaceable nose and contacts at one end and a grommet mounted at the other end, the grommet being detachably retained in place by removable screws and the body and grommet having complementary resilient elements so disposed and cooperating as to maintain a sealing relationship between the two under the urging of said removable screws. Within the grommet, a peripheral clamp is provided to hold in place an input power line.

Abstract: A device for optically connecting an optical element, for example an end portion of an optical fibre (2), with a spherical lens (4), comprises a retainer (6) and a connector element (14). The retainer (6) fixes the optical element in a predeterment position in relation to an outer reference surface (8) of the retainer. The connector element (14) has at least one surface (18) for determining the position of the spherical lens (4) and at least one surface (16) for determining the position of the retainer (6) in relation to the spherical lens (4) and thereby for defining the relative position between the optical element (2) and the spherical lens (4). The surface (18) for determining the position of the spherical lens (4) is constituted by a conical surface (18) tapering in the direction of the optical element (2).

Abstract: An electrical device for surface mounting on a circuit board comprises a housing and a plurality of contacts wherein the distance between the region at which the pad-engaging portion of each contact engages its respective pad, and the region of the fulcrum about which the contact deflects, is maximized to reduce the magnitude of the biasing force resulting from the deflection. An improved mounting component for the device comprises a post having tangs that extend from its side which are deflected to allow the post to be inserted into the board opening and which skive into the sides of the opening to prevent the post from retraction therefrom. An improved positioning arrangement for the device comprises a pair of positioning posts having polygonal cross-sections, each having a maximum cross-sectional dimension in single, mutually orthogonal, directions.

Abstract: A construction toy is disclosed, which includes as principle components a hub-like connector having one or more gripping sockets, and structural elements, typically of strut-like configuration, having end portions specially configured to be received in the gripping sockets. The gripping sockets are comprised of pairs of gripping arms, formed of deflectable plastic material. Outer portions of the gripping arms are provided with concave grooves adapted for lateral, snap-in assembly of a structural element having complimentary cylindrical connector portions. The gripping arms also are provided, near their inner ends, with locking projections arranged to interlockingly mate with annular recesses provided near the ends of the structural elements. The end extremities of the structural elements comprise end flanges, which are received in an end cavity formed at the closed end of the gripping socket, in part by an end wall of the socket and in part by the locking projections.

Abstract: Daughter boards having edge pads thereon are inserted into a single in-line memory module (SIMM) connector on the mother board and are tilted up to latched position to increase contact pressure and retain the daughter board in place. In the present connector, the retainer which retains the inserted printed circuit board in the raised position is a metal spring wrapped around an upright post and is replaceable.

Abstract: A modular, light-weight, portable electric power distribution cabinet having high structural integrity and being readily adaptable for cost effective use in a wide variety of applications. The cabinet can be arranged to be a main power feed, trunk or branch feed type cabinet and a plurality of cabinets of said type can be selectively coupled to one another to provide a power distribution network of any desired configuration. The cabinet also provides for direct access of power cables to the interior of the cabinet so that cables with lugs at the ends thereof can be directly coupled to a bus feed arrangement within the cabinet. The direct access feature of the cabinet includes a cable clamp door to simultaneously engage and clamp a plurality of lugged cables for ancillary strain relief.

Abstract: A connector bar for use in above grade pedestals for the distribution for underground electrical power to residential housing includes a body member having a pair of completely enclosed cable openings for receiving the main power line cables and partially enclosed wire openings within the body member for receiving distribution cables. Each distribution cable is trimmed to the proper length by placing it adjacent the connector bar and cutting the connector approximately flush with the top of the bar and the insulation is trimmed from the cable at a location just below the connector bar. After these steps have been accomplished, the cable is installed into the connector bar by laterally placing it into the partially enclosed opening and securing it in place by means of the set screw.

Abstract: A construction toy system comprises a variety of molded plastic connector elements, arranged to be joined with rod-like struts, to form complex structural units. In the most basic form, the connector elements of the invention have one or more angularly related strut-receiving recesses, each arranged for lateral snap-in reception of a flanged strut. When a strut is snapped in place, it is held firmly against lateral and axial movement. A plurality of single socket connector elements can be connected with a succession of crosswise oriented strut elements to form an articulated structure, either endless or finite in length. Connector elements also may be joined to form connector assemblies with provision for mounting struts in several planar directions, to form a right angle corner structure, for example, or a Tee-shaped structure.

Abstract: A cable ready connector comprises a housing including a conductor holding member and a plurality of contact terminals for effecting insulation displacement engagement with respective ones of the cable conductors. Each of the contact terminals includes at least first and second insulation displacement sections capable of engagement with conductors having diameters within first and second ranges respectively. The connector housing also comprises a load bar for holding portions of the conductors in two groups situated in spaced parallel planes, the conductors in one group being staggered with respect to the conductors of the other group.

Abstract: A bus bar assembly including an elongated insulative base member and a plurality of modular insulative unit pieces attached to the base member and having contact receiving openings, conductive bus bars in an enclosed region defined by the base member and unit pieces, contact pins of the bus bar extending upward into insulative tubular members extending downward from and centered within the openings, insulative fins supporting the bus bars above a bottom wall of the base member, an insulative divider wall between adjacent bus bars extending upward from the bottom wall, mounting holes in the upper and lower walls, and an insulative shield between the region between mounting holes and the bus bars.

Abstract: A contact element of unitary construction, the contact element including a plurality of contact element mating portions which are connected via serpentine portions. The contact element being used in connector modules and providing both electrical connection and mechanical retention.

Abstract: A method of attaching a connector to a fiber optic cable without using epoxy, wherein the fiber optic cable includes an outer jacket, a strength member, a buffer, and an optical fiber and wherein the connector includes a backpost, a tubular body, and a crimp sleeve having first and second diameter sections, comprising the steps of crimping the backpost and tubular body of the connector onto the buffer of the cable using a crimping tool and crimping the crimp sleeve onto the outer jacket and strength member using a crimping tool.

Abstract: A connecting element for a construction toy is designed so that an assembly of two such connector elements provides for connections in each of two planes oriented at right angles to each other. Each connecting element is of generally flat form, of open construction, not unlike the configuration of a snowflake. The connector provides for a plurality of radially oriented strut-receiving sockets angularly spaced about the central axis of the connector. At one side, there is an open-sided recess extending from the outer edge to the central axis and of a size and shape to receive a connector element of like construction. Detent means are provided so that an assembled pair of connectors is locked together. In general, the sockets are arranged to require lateral, snap-in assembly of struts. However, the sockets located directly opposite the open-sided recess are designed to accommodate a twist-in assembly, as lateral assembly is precluded by the presence of a second, right angularly oriented connector element.

Abstract: A modular, light-weight, portable electric power distribution cabinet having high structural integrity and being readily adaptable for cost effective use in a wide variety of applications. The cabinet can be arranged to be a main power feed, trunk or branch feed type cabinet and a plurality of cabinets of said type can be selectively coupled to one another to provide a power distribution network of any desired configuration.

Abstract: An improved solderless electrical terminal connector includes a plurality of serrations or notches formed on its lower surface for improving the electrical and thermal contact between the connector and the surface onto which it is mounted. The wire receiving portion of the connector includes a set screw for holding the wire securely in place in a body member. The cross-sectional area of the body member in the direction of the wire is reduced so that it is less than the diameter of the set screw thereby to improve pullout characteristics. The opening for the wire in the body member extends into a tang to form a stop to provide for ease of installation of the wire. This placement of the wire will also reduce electrical resistance. In an alternate embodiment, a spiral groove may be formed in the wire receiving opening to cut into the wire as it is clamped in place both to improve pullout characteristics and to lower the electrical resistance between the wire and the connector.

Abstract: A crimpless coaxial cable connector is provided which can be secured to a cable simply by pushing the cable into the connector and subsequently pulling it back. The body of the connector has a bushing mounted within it near the cable receiving end having a diameter to closely receive the cable. The body of the connector also has within it an annular mandrel having a bore to receive the stripped core of the cable, and having a sleeve adapted to engage the cable beneath the jacket by pushing the cable and the mandrel together. This stretches the jacket of the cable to a diameter greater than the internal diameter of the bushing. The mandrel is movable from a position in which the sleeve is ot surrounded by the bushing in which the sleeve may be engaged to the cable, to a position in which the sleeve is at least partially within the bushing in which the jacket is frictionally engaged by the bushing, by pulling the cable away from the connector after it has been pushed onto the mandrel sleeve.

Abstract: A connector for connecting to helically corrugated conduit which comprises a bolt member having a passageway therethrough and a connecotr body having a hollow end portion for receiving the bolt member, In addition, the connector includes a helical spring within the passageway which is adapted to be received within the helical corrugations of the conduit. The connector further includes a means for forcing the bolt member into the hollow end portion of the body of the connector to squeeze the spring between the bolt member and connector body whereby the spring is axially forced against the corrugations.

Abstract: An improved solderless electrical terminal connector includes a plurality of serrations or notches formed on its lower surface for improving the electrical and thermal contact between the connector and the surface onto which it is mounted. The wire receiving portion of the connector includes a set screw for holding the wire securely in place in a body member. The cross-sectional area of the body member in the direction of the wire is reduced so that it is less than the diameter of the set screw thereby to improve pullout characteristics. The opening for the wire in the body member extends into a tang to form a stop to provide for ease of installation of the wire. This placement of the wire will also reduce electrical resistance. In an alternate embodiment, a spiral groove may be formed in the wire receiving opening to cut into the wire as it is clamped in place both to improve pullout characteristics and to lower the electrical resistance between the wire and the connector.