Abstract: A power supply system for supplying electrical power to at least one load includes a base plate, a support rail and a power supply module fastened to the base plate, at least one bus bar module, and a rail mounting device for mounting the bus bar module on the support rail. The rail mounting device includes conductor members for supplying power from the power supply module to bus bars contained within the bus bar modules, respectively. A first plug has contacts that engage contacts of each of the bus bars of the bus bar module via access slots contained in the cover member thereof, thereby to supply three-phase power to a load such, as a motor, via a heavy-duty power switch and a circuit breaker that are both mounted on the base plate, and associated second and third connecting plugs. Single-phase power is supplied to an auxiliary load, such as an electrical appliance, from two or more bus bars of the bus bar module via a fourth plug.

Abstract: An electrical power distribution device such as a junction box or the like includes a status indicator that also serves not only to indicate the status of energization of a connector mounted in a first housing opening, but also to illuminate a translucent indicia-bearing plate mounted in second housing opening. The housing contains a chamber in which are mounted a light emitting diode that is energized simultaneously with the connector, and a light transmitting member that directs the light produced by the LED toward the second housing opening.

Abstract: A terminal block connecting arrangement includes a first terminal block having a first electrical contact, an electrical device having a second electrical contact, a test terminal block arranged between the electrical apparatus and the first terminal block for displacement between a first test position spaced from the electrical apparatus and a contact position adjacent the electrical apparatus, the test terminal block having a double-ended electrical contact. A spring-biased detent device normally retains the test terminal block in the test position. As the first terminal block is progressively displaced toward the electrical device, the first contact is brought into engagement with one end of the contact on the test terminal block. Upon further displacement of the first terminal block toward the electrical device, the detent device is released, and the test terminal block is displaced to effect connection of the first contact with the second contact via the two-ended test contact.

Abstract: An adapter assembly for connecting a multi-contact electrical plug within a cable support arrangement includes an elongated adapter body containing a through passage and having a rectangular first end portion containing a chamber for receiving the electrical plug, and a tubular second end portion threadably connected adjacent its free extremity with a concentrically arranged cable sleeve, an annular sealing device being provided for sealing one end of the annular space defined between the cylindrical outer surface of the adapter body tubular end portion and the inner surface of the adjacent end portion of the concentrically arranged sleeve. A second annular seal is supported within the cable sleeve for sealing the entrance of the cable into the adapter through passage, and a third sealing ring is provided for sealing the space between the outer surface of the adapter body rectangular end portion and a slidably mounted outer sleeve member.

Abstract: A marking device for identifying an electrical conductor includes a planar generally annular marker body containing at least one opening for receiving the conductor, and a plurality of coplanar outwardly extending portions containing mutually isolated pockets for receiving planar indicia-bearing tags, respectively. In one embodiment, the body is deformable and contains at least two creased portions that permit adjustment of the size of the opening to correspond with the diametrical size of the conductor that is to be identified.

Abstract: A connector arrangement includes a housing containing at least one open-topped chamber in which is mounted a stationary upwardly-directed knife device, and a rectangular carrier member arranged for downward insertion within the chamber, thereby to displace an insulated wire supported by the carrier member toward a position in which the knife device pierces the insulation layer and is brought into electrical engagement with the conductor contained therein. The carrier member includes a top surface containing a slot for receiving the tip of an operating tool that displaces the carrier member downwardly in the chamber, and a side wall containing at least one lug and slot arrangement by means of which the carrier member may be upwardly displaced upon lever-like operation of the tool in cooperation with a side wall of the chamber. Preferably, the housing includes a plurality of the chambers arranged in one or more rows.

Abstract: A connector arrangement for connecting the insulated conductors of a flat cable with a plurality of tap-off branch conductors includes a plurality of insulation-piercing contacts that extend upwardly from the horizontal upper surface of the rectangular base member of a connector housing. A horizontal actuator plate is arranged in spaced relation above the contacts to define a space for longitudinally receiving the cable. When a housing cover member is initially slidably displaced longitudinally of the base member from an open first position toward a closed second position, a first wedge arrangement displaces the actuator plate downwardly to force the cable into insulation-piercing engagement with the contacts. When the cover member is subsequently displaced to the fully closed second position, a second wedge arrangement clamps the ends of the actuator plate to the cable, thereby to provide the connector contacts with strain relief protection.

Abstract: An electrical distributor assembly includes a plug member connected with a socket member that is mounted on, and extends slightly above, the top surface of a distributor housing, characterized by the provision of an axially displaceable protective sleeve mounted concentrically about the plug and socket members. The plug includes an upwardly extending integral cable supporting portion that is also enclosed by the sleeve.

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.