Abstract: A method of preparing stranded electrical conductors for subsequent attachment to the terminal pad of an electrical device or component whereby the tip portion of said conductors are fused to form a coalescent bead. The stranded wire conductor is placed in a holding fixture and the end surface thereof is brought into engagement with an electrode member. The electrode is then displaced from the end of the wire by a predetermined gap distance. Subsequently, the air or other gas in the gap is ionized by a high frequency, high voltage electrical field, creating a low impedance for a low voltage current source. The current flowing from this source, through the electrode and through the gap is sufficient to fuse the strands of the conductor being treated at the tip end thereof and when cooled, a tiny coalescent bead of metal is formed. A suitable inert gas may also be introduced into the gap during the process to prevent oxidation of the metal during the fusion step.

Abstract: A telephone fault detection system particularly suitable for use with a home telephone system is provided. The system includes a switching circuit coupled to a telephone company trunk line and to telephone customer equipment. In particular, the telephone customer equipment includes at least a monitoring device, such as a telephone handset, and at least one further telephone handset. When the switching circuit is in a first normally operative mode, the monitoring device and the telephone handset are coupled to the trunk line so that the monitoring circuit can provide indication of a fault condition on either the telephone company trunk line side or the internal telephone system side of the switching circuit. When the switching circuit is disposed in a second test mode, the additional telephone handsets are decoupled from the telephone trunk line and the monitoring device detects the location of the fault condition in either the telephone trunk line or the internal telephone system.

Abstract: Flexible wire cable and the flexible wire cable by the steps of the process for manufacturing the flexible wire cable. The flexible wire cable interconnects between two spaced plurality of terminals. The terminals can be equally centered at opposing ends or can be spaced on different centers at opposing ends. A plurality of wire conductors are laminated between two sheets of insulation, each sheet having a thermosetting polyester adhesive coating, which partially and fully cures as a function of time-temperature-pressure. Each of the plurality of wire conductors are substantially surrounded internally one hundred and eighty degrees by each sheet of the insulation. The insulation is offset to provide an overlap at opposing ends or at only one end to provide a solder stop and controlled flexings of the wire conductors.