Abstract: A locking device attaches to a first end of a plug-supporting housing a telecommunications plug having a cable that extends through a longitudinal bore contained in the housing. The locking device includes at least one locking plate having a first end portion connected with the housing, and a second end portion containing a projection for engaging a corresponding retaining surface, thereby to retrain the plug within a first plug-receiving chamber contained within a first end of the housing. In a first embodiment, the locking plate directly retains in the first chamber either the plug, or a hollow adapter frame that contains the plug. In a second embodiment, an adapter body containing a second plug-receiving chamber is fastened to the housing first end, and a pair of locking plates lock within the second chamber either the plug, or an adapter frame that contains the plug.

Abstract: A crimping tool is provided for crimping upon on a shielded data cable a plug connector having a body portion, and a cable shield clamping portion that is initially angularly arranged in an open loading position, characterized by the provision of a pair of operating handles that are pivotally connected for relative movement from an open position toward a partially closed intermediate position, thereby to displace the cable shield portion toward a crimping position in alignment with the plug connector body portion. A crimping arrangement is subsequently operable upon displacement of the handles from the intermediate position to the closed position to crimp not only the clamping portion concentrically about the outer circumferential surface of the shielded data cable, but also the region at the end of the plug connector body portion adjacent the clamping portion, thereby to crimp the female contacts of the plug connector onto the bare conductors of the cable.

Abstract: An electrical distribution system includes a plurality of separate consumer modules for supplying power to a plurality of consumer loads, respectively. Each of the consumer modules includes an overload fault detection device for automatically interrupting the supply of power to a given consumer load upon the detection of a fault therein by an overload protection arrangement. When the voltage drop across a measuring resistor exceeds a given threshold value, a non-conducting transistor becomes conductive, thereby opening a gate circuit to disconnect the consumer load from its power supply. Resistors of varying resistance values may be selected manually or by remote control to correspond with the demand requirements of the consumer loads.

Abstract: An electrical connector for insulated conductors includes a housing containing a chamber and having a conductor opening communicating with the chamber, a bus bar mounted in the chamber adjacent the conductor opening, a compression spring mounted in the chamber for biasing the bare end of an insulated conductor inserted into the chamber via the conductor opening into electrical engagement with the bus bar, a retaining device normally retaining the spring in a retracted inoperable condition, and a manually operable release member for releasing the spring to its operable condition. In one embodiment, the release member is connected for sliding movement between releasing and retaining positions, and the housing contains a reset access opening. In a second embodiment, the release member includes a pair of rigid sections joined by a flexible section, the release member being movable between retaining and releasing positions by operating buttons at exposed ends of the sections.

Abstract: A sectional electrical connector for flat cables includes separable lower and upper horizontal sections formed from a relatively hard synthetic plastic material, at least one electrical contact having a horizontal bus bar portion mounted in the lower section, and a vertical portion extending upwardly toward the upper section, and seal strips integral with and arranged between the sections to seal the space between the sections surrounding the contact vertical portion, the seal strips being formed from a relatively soft synthetic plastic material. In one embodiment, the contact vertical portion comprises an insulation piercing contact for engaging the conductor of an insulated conductor contained in the flat cable. In a second embodiment, the vertical contact portion comprises a pin for connection with one or more components of a printed circuit board.

Abstract: An electrical connector arrangement taps off electrical current from a plurality of coplanar parallel input insulated conductors and supplies the same to a plurality of output conductors, respectively. A rectangular base member is provided having a horizontal upper surface that supports a plurality of parallel coplanar longitudinally-extending input conductors, respectively. A pair of pivot members are connected with the ends of the base member for pivotal movement about transverse horizontal pivot axes, respectively. As the pivot members are pivoted from disengaged positions toward engaged positions parallel with and directly above the base member top surface, bifurcated insulation-piercing knives on the pivot members pierce the insulation layers of the insulated conductors and electrically engage the conductors.

Abstract: A plug-in electrical bridge connector includes a pair of parallel bridge contacts that extend through contact openings contained in an insulated bus bar housing arrangement for electrical engagement with bus bars mounted in chambers contained therein, respectively. A locking device is arranged in at least one of the bus bar chambers for automatic locking engagement with the associated bridge contact, thereby to retain the bridge contact in engagement with the associated bus bar. A release device is moveably mounted on the bridge connector body for displacement from a retracted position toward an operable extended position in which the release member unlocks the locking device from the bridge contact, thereby to permit removal of the bridge connector from the bus bar housing arrangement.

Abstract: A distributor is provided for selectively connecting with a plurality of voltage sources a plurality of electrical load devices, such as the sensors or actuators of an electrical and mechanical installation. A pair of voltage supply connectors mounted on a housing include first pins that are connected to continuously supply power from a first voltage source to the internal electronics circuitry of the distributor, and second pins that are connected via a jumper switch to selectively connect a second voltage source with the groups of electrical load devices.

Abstract: An electrical connector arrangement includes slidably connected upper and lower connector body sections, at least one pair of first contacts carried by the upper body section, at least one pair of second contacts of the pin type carried by the lower body section beneath the first contacts, respectively, and a third contact arranged on the upper section body section for connecting the pairs of first and second contacts, the third contact having two upwardly extending arm portions in engagement with the two first contacts, respectively, and three downwardly extending spaced leg portions that define a pair of gaps that receive the two pin second contacts, respectively. A plurality of the first, second and third contacts are arranged in parallel rows on the upper and lower connector sections.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a chamber in which are mounted a bus bar, and a leaf spring that normally biases the end of a conductor that is inserted into the chamber into electrical engagement with the bus bar. A release member is connected with the housing for movement from a retracted position toward an extended release position, thereby to release the spring from the conductor so that the conductor may be removed from the housing. For ease of operation, the release member has a pair of angularly arranged surfaces that contain operating openings for selectively receiving the tip of an operating tool arranged at various angular positions relative to the housing.

Abstract: A pliers-type stripping tool includes a base, a pair of pivot levers pivotally connected with the base, a pair of clamping members connected for relative longitudinal displacement on one of the pivot levers, a pair of cutting members connected for relative longitudinal displacement on the other of the pivot levers, a first spring biasing the clamping jaws apart, a second spring biasing the cutting jaws apart, and a first operating arrangement operable by a pair of pivotally-connected handles to displace the clamping and cutting jaws together from their normal separated conditions toward adjacent positions in clamping and insulation-piercing engagement with an insulated conductor positioned therebetween. The cutting members sever a length of the insulation layer that extends concentrically around the conductor, and a second operating arrangement is operable by the handles to separate the pivot levers, thereby to strip the severed insulation layer from the bare conductor.

Abstract: A junction box containing at least one electrical terminal is connected for displacement between unfastened and fastened positions relative to a carrier element, whereby during movement of the housing toward the fastened position, a U-shape contact spring is progressively displaced on a contact tab portion of the terminal within the junction box from a retracted position to a clamping position, thereby to bend a deformable relatively small thin conductor into contiguous lateral engagement with the contact tab portion.

Abstract: A plug connector and printed circuit board assembly and method include a snap-on fastening arrangement wherein a row of resilient contacts on the plug connector are brought into engagement with a corresponding row of strip contacts carried by a planar surface of the printed circuit board, whereupon the plug connector is fastened to the printed circuit board in such a manner as to compress the resilient contacts against the strip contacts.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a connector body that contains an open-topped chamber in which is mounted a stationary, upwardly-directed insulation-severing electrical contact, together with an operating member for displacing an insulated conductor laterally downwardly in the chamber. The operating member includes a flexible intermediate portion that permits the leading end of the operating member to be introduced initially downwardly into the chamber, and subsequently to be diverted upwardly relative to the connector body by a guide surface arranged at the bottom of the chamber. As the leading and trailing ends of the operating member approach their final positions relative to the connector body, the insulation layer of the conductor is severed by knife edges on the stationary contact, and the conductor is brought into electrical engagement contact with the contact.

Abstract: An electrical connecting and fastening apparatus includes a guide arrangement for respectively connecting a plurality of conductors of a hollow cable with a plurality of stationary contacts mounted in circumferentially spaced relation within a bore contained in one end of a cylindrical socket member, the guide arrangement being so operable that as the cable is progressively inserted into the socket member bore, the leading end of the cable is rotated and twisted about its longitudinal axis relative to the remaining portion of the cable and to the socket member, thereby to effect positive electrical engagement between the conductors and the stationary contacts, respectively. In a first embodiment, the conductors are insulated, and the contacts are of the insulation piercing type. In another embodiment, the conductors are bare, and the stationary contacts are resilient and are biased toward engagement with the conductors. A lock nut arrangement serves to lock the cable to the socket member.

Abstract: A pliers-type handtool is provided for crimping an electrical connector upon one end of an insulated conductor, including a crimping drum that is mounted on a fixed member for rotation between first and second positions, and an actuating lever that is reciprocated by pivotal movement of the handle portions of the handtool to rotate the drum between its first and second positions. The actuating lever is connected with the drum by a lateral slot of divergent width that receives a drum pin that extends axially from one end of the drum, the slot having a width adjacent its bottom that corresponds generally with the diameter of the drum pin.

Abstract: An electrical distribution box includes a housing having a front wall containing an opening surrounded by a flange portion, a plurality of side and end walls cooperating with the front wall to define a chamber communicating with the front wall opening, and a lid connected with the front wall for movement between open and closed positions relative to the opening, characterized in that at least a first one of the side and bottom walls is contained in a plane that is angularly arranged at an acute angle relative to the plane of the front wall, the angularly arranged first wall containing an opening in which an electrical component is mounted.

Abstract: A connector junction block of flat thin design is adapted for connection with one or more insulated electrical conductors, and includes base and cover members that cooperate to define a chamber, and an operating member that is mounted in the chamber for movement between first and second positions relative to at least one of the base and cover members. One end of the insulated conductor is inserted into the chamber via a first conductor opening contained in the cover member, and extends into a second conductor opening contained in the operating member. The operating member carries an insulation piercing arrangement that is operable when the operating member is displaced toward its second position to pierce the insulation and electrically engage the conductor. In one embodiment, the cover and base member are connected to define a rigid housing within which the operating member is displaced by an external operating tool.

Abstract: A pliers-type handtool includes fixed and movable handle members pivotally connected intermediate their ends, a movable jaw member pivotally connected with the fixed handle member jaw end, and a toggle device connecting the movable jaw member with the movable handle member. A cutting member is mounted for reciprocation within a chamber defined between the fixed handle member and the movable jaw member. When the toggle device is operated from an expanded condition to a collapsed condition, the cutting member is displaced away from the clamping jaws, thereby to remove from the conductor the insulation layer that is severed from the conductor by opposed knife blades carried by the cutting member.

Abstract: An electrical connector arrangement includes a resilient contact adapted for direct engagement with the bare wire of an insulated conductor without the use of any assembly tool, characterized in that the resilient contact includes a first leg having a first end containing a window opening, a second leg having a first end extending at an acute angle through the window opening for clamping engagement with a conductor bare wire that is also inserted in the same direction therein, and a connecting portion connecting the other ends of the first and second legs to define a closed loop. A clamping edge at the extremity of the first end of the second resilient contact leg engages the bare wire and cooperates with a first edge of the window opening to prevent the withdrawal of the bare wire from the window opening.