Abstract: A compliant electrical connector pin for press-fit connection to a plated hole in a circuit board is disclosed. A compliant section is provided on the pin to frictionally engage the hole walls, thereby retaining the pin within the hole. The compliant section includes two V-shaped troughs having flat bottom faces. These faces define a web which compresses when the compliant section is pressed into the hole. Barrier walls in the bottom of each trough normal to the flat bottom face guide the compression of the web and prevent the web from splitting or shearing. The sides of the trough define two flanges, the exterior of which contact the hole in the circuit board. The outer corners of the flanges are angled to match more closely the circular shape of the hole, thereby reducing hole damage from sharp corners on the compliant section and enabling the pin to fit smaller diameter holes.

Abstract: A convertible connector which may be either a male or female pressfit connector uses a common metal shell that is reversed depending upon whether a male or female connector is used, and which receives one of two different insulators depending upon the type of connector to be made. The insulator is used to press fit the terminal pin into the printed circuit board, and a standard prior art male pressfit terminal pin is used with a metallic tube fitted over one end of the male pressfit terminal to adapt it for use in the convertible connector.

Abstract: A multiplicity of integrated circuit connector contact sockets mounted to a plurality of carrier strips are moved between pairs of orientation rollers with tails of the contacts protruding upwardly whereby an upper socket portion of one contact is aligned with an upper socket portion of a contact on a carrier strip in an adjacent row. A plurality of integrated circuit connector insulators having socket receiving apertures formed therein are held together in an array and placed over the contact tails with one tail being received within each aperture of an insulator. The carrier strips are simultaneously advanced beneath a work station wherein a tool presses the insulators downwardly to tightly fit the contact socket portions into the receiving apertures in the insulators. A shearing tool then severs the insulators in the array from one another except for the continued affixation of the contact sockets to the parallel carrier strips.

Abstract: A tool for and a method of inserting a printed circuit board on to a contact assembly is described in which the board is positioned between opposing contact fingers by rotating the circuit board on an alignment pin so that solder pads on the circuit board are aligned with and positioned between the contact fingers one at a time.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a printed circuit card edge connector having a pull through bellows contact and a lay-over insulator. Manufacturing steps include inserting contacts interconnected by a common support strip into the top openings of sleeves and positioning the projections of those contacts within alignment troughs such that the contact tails extend out of the bottom of the openings in alignment. The common support strip is removed and the tails of the contacts are inserted through apertures arranged in linear arrays through the substrate. Force is applied to the tails rigidly press-fit mounting the contacts to the substrate. Further disclosed are the forming of first and second extending ears as integral portions of the upper contactor and intermediate mounting regions of the contact, respectively, and the forming of alignment tracks configured to receive the first and second ears.

Abstract: A multiplicity of integrated circuit connector contact sockets mounted to a plurality of carrier strips are moved between pairs of orientation rollers with tails of the contacts protruding upwardly whereby an upper socket portion of one contact is aligned with an upper socket portion of a contact on a carrier strip in an adjacent row. A plurality of integrated circuit connector insulators having socket receiving apertures formed therein are held together in an array and placed over the contact tails with one tail being received within each aperture of an insulator. The carrier strips are simultaneously advanced beneath a work station wherein a tool presses the insulators downwardly to tightly fit the contact socket portions into the receiving apertures in the insulators. A shearing tool then severs the insulators in the array from one another except for the continued affixation of the contact sockets to the parallel carrier strips.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pull fitting contacts. Contacts tails initially are placed through apertures on a mounting member. A support member having a pair of clamping jaws which clamp the contact ends encloses an actuation plate which after the tails are clamped pushes the mounting member relative to the support member thereby inserting the contacts completely into an insulative housing.

Abstract: A plurality of integrated circuit lead clips having a circular top opening and four resilient planar tines are positioned in a holding fixture in a rectangular matrix array. A carrier strip including a plurality of equally spaced, transversely extending projections each having a generally rectangular cross-section is positioned above a row of clips positioned in the fixture. The strip is vibrated and then lowered to pass one projection into the top opening of each clip and through the four resilient planar tines. Vibrations of the projections at the same time the tips of the projections touch the clips causes the clip to rotate in the fixture so that the planar ends of the tines orient with respect to the four flat sides of each projection. The projections are pushed through the clips so that they are held to the projections by the resiliency of the tines.

Abstract: A printed circuit board plating line which includes a plurality of trucks mounted on trolleys for linear movement above a series of spaced cleaning, plating and etching tanks for transportation of printed circuit board material through the tanks under continuous computer control. The cleaning, plating and etching operations are arranged in two groups of tanks. Following the traverse of the first group of tanks, the printed circuit boards are removed from their respective plating racks which depend from the moveable trucks, and sent through an inspection operation which ensures the image plated thereon is accurate. The boards are then removed on truck suspended racks and proceed through the second group of tanks for image plating. The continuous printed circuit board manufacturing line minimizes the quantity of work in process, requires only a few personnel of relatively unskilled background, and is environmentally clean and non-polluting.

Abstract: Pull through contacts and receiving sleeves within a connector insulator cooperate to permit the contacts to be inserted into the sleeves of the insulator in either direction and to be held there by interference between laterally extending, coined portions on the contact of a bellows type and the walls of the sleeve. Card edge connector contacts are formed from square wire stock by coining a central portion of each contact into a press fit region and a pair of lower alignment ears. The receiving sleeves formed in the insulator are constructed to permit the contact to be initially top loaded therein and held in position within the insulator by means of engagement of the lower ears on the contact with the side walls of the sleeves.

Abstract: Press fit contacts having upper mating portions are stamped, formed and oriented out of sheet material for simultaneous insertion and housing in a removable connector insulator. Receiving sleeves formed in the insulator are constructed to permit the contacts to be bottom loaded into the sleeves, seated and lightly held therein. Each contact includes an intermediate press fit collar portion which engages a mating shoulder in the insulator. The insulator serves as a holding fixture and seating tool for transmitting insertion force applied to the top of the insulator to each one of the contacts for press fitting them into contact receiving apertures in a mounting substrate. The contacts held by each insulator are all simultaneously press fitted into the substrate by continuing to apply pressure to the top of the insulator until it is mounted flush upon the substrate.

Abstract: A solderless electrical connector comprising a printed circuit board and electrical contact terminals mounted therein. A printed circuit board is fabricated to the construction stage wherein conductive circuitry interconnects plated through holes formed therethrough. The exposed circuitry and plated through holes are covered with a conformal coating of insulative material which seals the outer surfaces of the conductive materials from the environment and its effects. The insulative coating obviates the need for solder to protect the conductive materials as well as precludes the use of solder for electrical interconnection therewith. The plated through holes are constructed for press fit insertion of contact terminals in tight frictional engagement therein. The press fit insertion of a contact having an angular edge portion effectively penetrates the insulative coating by deforming it away from that portion of the plated through hole brought to bear against the contact.

Abstract: An edge connector for a circuit board includes a plurality of contact terminals each having a contact head, each contact head having a loop portion. The contact terminals are supported in a cavity in an insulative housing in such relation that the loop portion of the contact head bears against a shoulder portion of the housing. In one form of the connector, the contact terminals are fixedly mounted in a mounting substrate in such an arrangement that the loop portion of the contact heads bias the insulative housing against the substrate to hold the assemblage. In another form of the connector, the substrate may be eliminated, and the contacts include a lower flange portion adapted to bear against lower surface of the housing and an upper tongue portion adapted to bear against an upper shoulder surface of the housing between the tongue portion and the flange portion.

Abstract: Press fit contacts having upper mating portions are stamped, formed and oriented out of sheet material for simultaneous insertion and housing in a removable connector insulator. Receiving sleeves formed in the insulator are constructed to permit the contacts to be bottom loaded into the sleeves, seated and lightly held therein. Each contact includes an intermediate press fit collar portion which engages a mating shoulder in the insulator. The insulator serves as a holding fixture and seating tool for transmitting insertion force applied to the top of the insulator to each one of the contacts for press fitting them into contact receiving apertures in a mounting substrate. The contacts held by each insulator are all simultaneously press fitted into the substrate by continuing to apply pressure to the top of the insulator until it is mounted flush upon the substrate.

Abstract: A solderless electrical connector comprising a printed circuit board and electrical contact terminals mounted therein. A printed circuit board is fabricated to the construction stage wherein conductive circuitry interconnects plated through holes formed therethrough. The exposed circuitry and plated through holes are covered with a conformal coating of insulative material which seals the outer surfaces of the conductive materials from the environment and its effects. The insulative coating obviates the need for solder to protect the conductive materials as well as precludes the use of solder for electrical interconnection therewith. The plated through holes are constructed for press fit insertion of contact terminals in tight frictional engagement therein. The press fit insertion of a contact having an angular edge portion effectively penetrates the insulative coating by deforming it away from that portion of the plated through hole brought to bear against the contact.

Abstract: Press fit contacts having upper mating portions are stamped, formed and oriented out of sheet material for simultaneous insertion and housing in a removable connector insulator. Receiving sleeves formed in the insulator are constructed to permit the contacts to be bottom loaded into the sleeves, seated and lightly head therein. Each contact includes an intermediate press fit collar portion which engages a mating shoulder in the insulator. The insulator serves as a holding fixture and seating tool for transmitting insertion force applied to the top of the insulator to each one of the contacts for press fitting them into contact receiving apertures in a mounting substrate. The contacts held by each insulator are all simultaneously press fitted into the substrate by continuing to apply pressure to the top of the insulator until it is mounted flush upon the substrate.

Abstract: Contacts and receiving sleeves within a discrete connector insulator are sized to permit the contacts to be inserted into the sleeves of the insulator and secured therein by a small force applied to the top of the contacts. Receiving sleeves formed in the insulator are constructed to permit the contacts to be top loaded therein and lightly forced over detent means comprise a downwardly facing shoulder having an upper body portion tapering to the edge of the shoulder region complementarily formed for abutting engagement against the insulator shoulder for securing the contact in the insulator. The contacts are inserted into the insulator simultaneously while depending from a common support strip for facilitating assembly of the connector. The connector receives and electrically connects a mating printed circuit board through insertion thereof into the upper part of the insulative housing.

Abstract: Press fit contacts having upper mating portions are stamped, formed and oriented out of sheet material for simultaneous insertion and housing in a removable connector insulator. Receiving sleeves formed in the insulator are constructed to permit the contacts to be bottom loaded into the sleeves, seated and lightly held therein. Each contact includes an intermediate press fit collar portion which engages a mating shoulder in the insulator. The insulator serves as a holding fixture and seating tool for transmitting insertion force applied to the top of the insulator to each one of the contacts for press fitting them into contact receiving apertures in a mounting substrate. The contacts held by each insulator are all simultaneously press fitted into the substrate by continuing to apply pressure to the top of the insulator until it is mounted flush upon the substrate.

Abstract: Contacts and receiving sleeves within a connector insulator are sized to permit the contacts to be inserted into the sleeves of the insulator and lightly held in position. Each contact includes a press fit shoulder portion which protrudes from the bottom of the insulator and is adapted for press fitting into a receiving aperture formed in a mounting substrate. After the contacts are press fitted into the mounting substrate, a flat blade-like contact portion protrudes from the top of the insulator for electrical engagement with a female contact (not disclosed) while a contact tail portion extends below the substrate for wire wrap termination. The assembled connector configuration permits removal of the insulator by lifting it from around the contacts which it lightly engages. Further, with the insulator in place, any individual contact may be removed from both the insulator and the substrate for replacement in the event of damage.

Abstract: Electrical contacts are stamped and formed into a right angle configuration for simultaneous insertion and housing in an effectively removable connector insulator. Linear receiving sleeves may be formed in each of two sections so the insulator, which sleeves meet at right angles, one to the other, when the insulator is assembled. Each linear sleeve is constructed to permit one of the linear portions of the contact to be inserted therein. The assembled insulator serves as a holding fixture and seating tool for transmitting forces applied to the top of the insulator to each one of the contacts for inserting an extended portion thereof into a contact receiving aperture in a mounting substrate for rigid mounting therein, with the orthogonal portion of the contact lying generally parallel to the substrate. The contact of the assembled connector is then in a configuration for electrical engagement with a mating contact aligned generally parallel to the mounting substrate rather than perpendicular thereto.