Abstract: An electrical connector for establishing electrical connection between spaced printed circuit boards, for example, comprising a spiral-wound elongated spring member formed of a one-piece blank and being longitudinally resilient for establishing firm surface contact between circuit boards and radially resilient to provide firm contact in a surrounding receptacle when either end of the connector is compressed. A signal connector is fitted into a carrier block and surrounded by ground connectors to protect the signal from interference. The connector design is small in overall length to minimize connector-length related disturbances to the signal.

Abstract: A float/guide member is provided with contact receiving cavities for receiving the contact members of an electrical connector. The contact receiving cavities are provided with a portion which is oversized with respect to the size of the contact members, thereby allowing the electrical connector to float laterally with respect to the float/guide member by floating or bending of the contact members within the enlarged portions of the contact receiving cavities.

Abstract: A robotic feeding mechanism for feeding electrical connectors. Connector magazines having a plurality of electrical connectors therein can be held in a magazine feeder which comprises at least two worm gears for holding and moving connector magazines therebetween. The magazine feeder also comprises gates for holding a connector magazine received from the worm gears for dispensing individual connectors and means for operably moving the worm gears and gates for controllably advancing connector magazines towards the gates and moving the gates to replace an empty magazine with a new magazine. The feeding mechanism also comprises a device for feeding and inverting individual electrical connectors comprising a sloped feed path; a gate for holding a row of connectors; means for holding the row of connectors while a leading connector is allowed to advance along the feed path; and a tipping ledge and curved guide for inverting the lead connector as it advanced along the feed path.

Abstract: An electrical connector for connecting a first conductor to a second conductor. The electrical connector includes a generally E-shaped body which defines first and second conductor receiving cavities for accommodating the respective conductors. An intermediate member extends generally centrally in the interior of the body member, serving to separate the conductor receiving cavities. The body member is provided with an opening communicating with the conductor receiving cavities, by means of which the conductors are adapted to be positioned within the cavities. A plurality of rib members project from the body member into each of the cavities, and are deformable under pressure to vary the size of the cavities.

Abstract: A valve for use in a hydraulic compression tool. The valve has a frame with a central chamber, a first inlet, a second inlet and a discharged outlet. A first gate is located at the first inlet. A plunger assembly having a first plunger member and a second plunger member are movably mounted in the central chamber with a spring biasing the plunger member against the second plunger member. The second plunger member has a conduit between the second inlet and the first plunger member. The valve has a first home position that substantially prevents fluid from flowing therethrough. The valve has a second manual release position wherein fluid can flow into the first inlet and out the discharge outlet. The valve also has a third automatic relief position such that in the event a predetermined maximum fluid pressure is exceeded a gate will open between the first plunger and the second plunger member to allow fluid to flow from the second inlet through the valve and out the discharge outlet.

Abstract: A power actuated tool having an explosive cartridge for applying connectors to power lines wherein the tool is armed as the power tool is loaded with a cartridge and engaged with a connector, and disarmed if the tool operator disengages the connector leaving the connection unfinished.

Abstract: A hydraulic tool for crimping connectors to electrical power lines includes a C-shaped crimping head which is infinitely rotatable with respect to the main body of the hydraulic tool for ease of positioning the tool with respect to workpieces. The invention particularly relates to the means for having a C-shaped head on the tool to achieve universal rotation while maintaining integrity of the hydraulic system across the rotational interface.

Abstract: A controlled impedance connector assembly comprised of a mutually engageable plug and receptacle for termination of coaxial cable leads in a manner which enables rapid attachment to and detachment from a user board of a very large number of signal leads while ensuring an acceptable level of controlled impedance from the coaxial cable to the user board. The receptacle includes a backup plate and a plurality of metallized grounding segments fixed to the backup plate and having a plurality of spaced parallel terminal receiving bores therein extending between opposed surfaces. An insulation plate is fixed to each grounding segment and overlies one of the surfaces. A plurality of pin contacts are fixed to the insulation plate such that a head member extends into an associated terminal receiving bore and an oppositely directed tail member is adapted for termination at available circuitry.

Abstract: An electrical connector for connecting a first conductor to a second conductor. The electrical connector includes a generally C-shaped body which defines first and second conductor receiving cavities for accomodating the respective conductors. The body member is provided with an opening communicating with the conductor receiving cavities, by means of which the condutors are adapted to be positioned within the cavities. An integral hingedly connected retaining member is associated with one of the conductor receiving cavities whereby, once a conductor has been placed in the latter cavity, the retaining member may be manually rotated to a position wherein it secured the condcutor in the cavity. The connector is then intended to be placed over a second conductor, such that the second conductor is received in the other conductor receiving cavity. The connector is adapted to be compressed, by means of a compression tool, so as to substantially close the opening in the body member.

Abstract: A bi-level connector for making mechanical and electrical contact between a mother printed circuit board and a daughter printed circuit board. The connector comprises lower level contacts with a varied spring rate when a daughter printed circuit board is inserted. The method of manufacturing the connector comprises forming a strip of two types of contacts, upper contacts and lower contacts, on a single carry strip in alternating fashion such that both the upper and lower contacts can be simultaneously inserted into a connector housing in a single insertion process.

Abstract: A tool for extracting one lead including a cable and its associated contact from a dense grouping of leads connected to a receptacle. In this instance, each contact is held in position in an associated bore of the receptacle by means of a locking tab integral with the receptacle and engaged with an annular shoulder on the contact to prevent its inadvertent removal. The tool is readily attachable to the cable, then said along the cable until extraction jaws are caused to engage the contact. They displace the locking tab and permit withdrawal of the lead from the receptacle. Subsequently, the jaws can be opened and removed from the cable. A reverse procedure can be utilized for returning the contact to its original position or inserting a new contact in its place.

Abstract: A selective electroplating apparatus includes a flexible conveyor belt for receiving contact pins, one portion of each contact pin extending from one side of the conveyor belt and a second portion extending from the opposite side of the conveyor belt. A reel constrains the travel of the conveyor belt into a loop which is defined by a substantially vertical plane, the web of the conveyor belt being oriented in a substantially horizontal alignment and the loop having upper and lower elongated regions. By this structure, the reel causes one portion of the contact pins to be oriented downwardly from the belt in the upper elongated region and another portion of the contact pins to be oriented downwardly from the belt in the lower elongated region.

Abstract: A contact pin for a printed circuit board comprises a compliant portion for mounting the contact pin in a hole in the printed circuit board. The compliant portion includes two legs extending in the longitudinal direction of the contact pin and joining a solid contact pin portion at both ends. These legs are twisted into a position in which seen in cross section these legs extend obliquely outwardly before insertion of the contact pin in a hole. The legs are separated from each other by a slot and each solid contact pin portion is provided with a positioning element projecting from the corresponding solid contact pin portion into said slot and being displaced outwardly with respect to the solid contact pin portions.

Abstract: A connector assembly enables a dense grouping of contacts to be joined in one step to a printed circuit board (PCB) while assuring that impedances are matched among all components. A receptacle intended for mounting on the PCB matingly receives a plug which carries terminal contacts of multiple coaxial cable leads. The plug includes a honeycomb grounding block to engageably receive the outer conductor of each coaxial terminal, an inner conductive sleeve being electrically coupled to a signal lead by a first contact. Signal pin contacts within the receptacle and electrically coupled with the PCB are electrically coupled with each inner conductive sleeve when the plug is inserted into the receptacle. Likewise, ground pin contacts within the receptacle and electrically coupled with the PCB have second and third spaced resilient contacts, respectively, engaging the grounding block at distances farther from the nearer to the PCB than the first contacts.

Abstract: An electrical connector terminates ribbon cable intended for electrical connection to a PCB. The connector presents multiple contacts from the ribbon cable for engagement with mating terminals on the PCB as the connector is first moved into position for mounting on the PCB. Guide pins on the connector are slidably received in associated guide holes in the PCB to assure that each contact is properly positioned to engage its mating terminal. Thereupon, fasteners are tightened for firmly securing the connector to the PCB and, in the process, the contacts are moved relative to their mating terminals in a wiping action while still in engagement with them. Relative movement between the contacts and the terminals ceases when the fasteners are fully tightened. Individual groups of contacts are independently biased into engagement with the terminals with a predetermined minimum of force.

Abstract: A ground connector for securing a ground conductor with respect to a vertical support post. The connector includes a body member, a hook member and fastening means for securing the body and hook members to the support post. The body member is provided with a hook-like formation for receiving the conductor, and is adapted to be associated with the hook member. The hook member is intended to be disposed around the support post, and the fastening means is adapted to secure and to urge the body member into engagement with the support post such that the conductor directly contacts the post. The body member is specifically designed to accept conductor of various sizes. The hook member and the body member are particularly configured to engage support posts of square and round cross-section. The body member may be adapted to receive more than one conductor.

Abstract: Apparatus for installing connectors onto flat conductor cables. An improved installation station including the apparatus includes magazines for supporting a plurality of connector portions and a transport station to sequentially move them includes magazines for supporting a plurality of connector portions and an transport station to sequentially move the connectors from the magazines to the installation station. The installation station includes surfaces for retaining cables in a horizontal plane and a press having an avil and ram for coupling connector portions to the cable and to each other. The surfaces are spring biased and include abuttment surfaces for proper positioning of the cables.

Abstract: A connector adapted to be attached to a mother printed circuit board and to removably receive a daughter printed circuit board of the edge card type and adapted to mechanically and electrically couple the mother and daughter printed circuit boards, the connector comprising an electrically insulating housing; and a plurality of electrically conductive contacts extending through the housing in rows of spaced pairs for removably receiving an edge of a daughter printed circuit board in a central plane between the rows, each contact including a lower section formed as a solder tail positionable to depend from the housing for coupling with the mother printed circuit board; an intermediate section extending upwardly from the solder tail and inwardly toward the central plane for supporting a received daughter printed circuit board; and an upper section extending upwardly and outwardly to define, at the bight of the upper and intermediate sections, a contact area of compound radii configuration on the radially exterio

Abstract: A low insertion force electrical connector system comprises a receptacle having a plurality of electrical contacts arranged in at least two opposing rows. A low insertion force system selectively spaces apart or closes the electrical contacts to limit insertion of a circuit board with a low force. Devices are provided for aligning and locking the circuit board within the receptacle and an actuating system is arranged to serially operate the aligning and locking devices first followed by the low insertion force system.

Abstract: Power tool for the assembly of electrical connectors including a chamber for receiving an explosive element and a firing element associated therewith.