Abstract: A transition device (10) is provided to facilitate the forming of a lightguide ribbon cable unit (22) from a plurality of individual insulated light conductors (24). The light conductors (24), which each include a light-conductive glass fiber (12) surrounded by an inner layer (14) of insulation and an outer layer (16) of insulation, are mounted into converging channels (44) of the transition device (10), such that portions of the glass fibers which have been stripped of insulation extend from an exit end (50) of the device arranged in a parallel side-by-side array between two strips of pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes (18 and 20) to form the ribbon cable unit (22). The assembled transition device (10), ribbon cable unit (22) and light conductors (24) produce an optical fiber assembly (93).

Abstract: A protective coating (13) on a printed circuit board (10) is formed to extend into spaces (22) between spaced contact pads (16) adhered along an edge portion of the board. The protective coating is selected to be thicker than the thickness of the contact pads to provide fillets between the contact pads that function to form pockets (33) with the contact pads (16) being at the bottom of the pockets. When a multi-terminal connector (21) is assembled on the edge of the circuit board, the terminals (18) tend to fall into and seat within the pockets.

Abstract: A chip carrier (5) having a plurality of first ends (21--21) is aligned with and bonded to mating lands (34--34) on a PCB substrate (31) by positioning the carrier in a recess of a nozzle (66) on the tool and directing individual streams of hot gas horizontally onto the terminals and lands to cause previously deposited solder thereon to reflow to bond the articles together. Alternatively, articles bonded with reflowable material may be de-bonded in a like manner.

Abstract: Several tubular wire-retaining anchor embodiments (10, 10') are disclosed, as are several methods of manufacturing and securing the same to a supporting substrate, such as a circuit board (24). In accordance with one preferred embodiment (10), the tubular anchor is either molded out of suitable plastic material, or preferably formed as a short, severed cylindrical segment of an elongated section of plastic tubing (12). As needed, the anchors (10) are positioned in a desired spaced array on the circuit board (24) and adhesively bonded thereto. This is most readily accomplished by positioning each anchor (10) on a different droplet (28b), preferably comprising the second part of a two-part adhesive or cement (28), with the first part activator (28b) being pre-coated on at least a portion of the outer surface of the anchor.

Abstract: A telecommunication cable splice closure is disclosed comprising a pair of elongated covers (10) having semi-cylindrical interior walls (12) extending radially about a closure axis (15). Two flat end walls (16) extend from opposed ends of each interior wall normal to the closure axis. A pair of cable clamp supports (22) is provided having annular rims (24) sized to be positioned with the cover interior walls (12) about a cable (46) in flush or in point contact with the end walls (16). Means (52) are also provided for securing the pair of covers (10) together about the clamp supports (22).

Abstract: In taking up drawn lightguide fiber (31), the fiber is distributed on the hub of one of two coaxially mounted takeup spools 42-42 which are driven independently of each other at ends of indexable turrets (94-94) that also have spools mounted on their opposite ends. Following takeup on one of the spools, a distributor 201 effects a cutover to a collector groove of the adjacent spool until several convolutions of the fiber are secured within the collector groove to provide access to a leading end of the fiber on this spool for testing purposes. Then the distributor begins its traverse across the hub of the empty spool and the lightguide fiber which extends across the adjacent collector spools is severed to form an end portion on the spool now being filled, said end portion advantageously being accessible for testing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for determining the presence of an out-of-service telephone in a building. The method comprises the steps of electrically isolating the building interior and exterior loops, determining if the electrical resistance of the interior loop is within a selected range, determining if the electrical capacitance of the interior loop exceeds a selected capacitance level, and generating a telephone present signal should either the determined resistance be within the selected resistance range or the determined capacitance exceed the selected capacitance level.

Abstract: In order to organize a plurality of fiber lightguides (33--33) into a planar array (40), so that they can be bonded together between two tapes (34--34) to form a ribbon (32), the fiber lightguides are payed out from individual supply spools (51--51) and advanced toward a takeup (43). Interposed between the supply spools and the takeup is at least one surface (72) past which the lightguides are advanced and which is effective to organize them contiguously into a single layer array (76). The surface is made with a curvature which is convex in the direction of advance of the fiber lightguides and which is concave in a direction transverse to the direction of advance. The single layer array (76) is advanced past and in engagement with another surface (86) which reforms the array into a planar configuration after which the lightguides are bonded together to form the ribbon (32).

Abstract: An indicating button 10 for a push-push actuated device 11 (e.g., a switch) is mountable on the device's plunger 20 which controls the "on" and "off" states of the device. Button 20 comprises a hollow casing 25 in which is rotatably mounted a quasi-spherical indicator 50 having two surface portions 101, 102 of different appearance which are selectively viewable through a plano-convex lens 90 in the top of the casing at different angular positions of the indicator. The indicator is driven to these different positions at "in" and "out" positions of plunger 20 by a resilient crank arm 70 coupling indicator 50 and device 11 and adapted by resilient bending to convert linear "in" and "out" movements of button 10 and plunger 20 into rotary movements of the indicator.

Abstract: An object (12) is raster scanned with a small, localized beam of laser light (22) and the backscattered radiation therefrom is monitored by a plurality of detectors (44). Each of the detectors (44) monitors a different characteristic of the backscattered radiation and an arithmetic operation is performed on the output of the detectors to provide a single composite video signal with enhanced contrast.

Abstract: A cable (20) specially suited for use in building plenums because of its low flame spread and smoke evolution includes a multiconductor core (22) which is enclosed in a sheath comprising an inorganic, cellular core wrap (31), a corrugated metallic barrier (40) and dual layers (51) and (52) of a polyimide tape which are wrapped helically about the barrier in a manner that avoids a compression of the core wrap. The sheath is effective to resist heat transfer inwardly toward the core by conduction while the metallic barrier reflects radiant heat. Advantageously, the sheath containerizes the core without unduly compressing it and thereby allows the intumescence of conductor insulation during a fire to form char which is effective to suppress the evolution of smoke and the propagation of flame.

Abstract: A jumper plug (11) for making an electrical connection between two terminal pins (15) has a housing (12) containing two holes (13-14) for accepting the pins. Mounted in the housing is a horseshoe-shaped spring clip (30), made of an electrically conductive material, having each of its legs (31) extending down into a hole such that as the pins (15) are inserted into the holes they come into contact with the legs. Additionally, the walls (17, 18, 19, 20) of the holes are tapered to insure a better contact between the inserted pins (15) and the legs (31).

Abstract: A gaff guard 30 for protecting the gaff 20 of a lineman's climber 10 having a leg iron 11 to which the gaff is secured comprises a body of synthetic resinous material having parts comprising, a scabbard 31 having a hollow interior 37 for receiving the point 22 of the gaff, a clip 32 adapted to straddle transversely opposite sides of leg iron 11 at a location above gaff 20 and to there attach to leg iron 11 by a snap-on action such that tabs 67 of the clip make contact with the back face of leg iron 11, and a resilient stem 33 coupling together scabbard 31 and clip 32 in fixed spatial relation when the stem is resiliently unstressed. Stem 33 is joined to scabbard 31 inwards of the outer side thereof and, moreover, is transversely offset from the centerline 48 of interior 37 to permit the stem to lie to one transverse side of the base 21 of the gaff when guard 30 is in use.

Abstract: A tool for assembling a plurality of conductors into secured engagement with a mandrel of a multicontact electrical connector includes a plurality of spaced combs which are positioned adjacent a nest to hold the conductors transversely above a mandrel which is supported in the nest. In each cycle of operation, a head of the tool is prepositioned with respect to the nest and moved into engagement with the conductors to cause a forming die of the head to partially form the conductors about the mandrel and cooperate with a blade adjacent the nest to sever excess lengths of free end portions of the conductors. The head is repositioned with respect to the nest so that when the head is again moved, in a second step of the cycle, forces are applied which are sufficient to form the conductors completely about the mandrel with each conductor being pressed into secured engagement with an associated recess on each side of the mandrel.

Abstract: An on-hook/off-hook detection circuit comprises a light-emitting device 54 connected across the tip T and ring R leads of a subscriber's telephone set 50 and between current source 56 and ground 57. A photo-transistor 60 is optically coupled to the light-emitting device 54 for signaling a line scanner 53. When the subscriber's telephone set 50 goes off-hook, a short circuit comprising tip T, telephone set 50 and ring lead R causes light-emitting device 54 to become non-conducting while the light-emitting device 54 is conducting when subscriber's telephone set 50 is on-hook.

Abstract: A fuse holder tester (50) is arranged with a plurality of conductive, resiliently mounted contact fingers (51, 52), for making electrical contact with leads (11, 12) embedded in the walls of the fuse holder (10). The tester also includes a spring-loaded probe (58) arranged to make contact with a third lead (13) located at the base of the fuse holder, upon insertion of the tester into the holder. In one example, a testing assembly (70) is provided, having six of the testers (50) capable of being simultaneously inserted into a typical fuse block (30) having six of the fuse holders (10).

Abstract: An apparatus for applying a relatively thin uniform thickness layer of a fluent coating material to each of a plurality of conductors includes a housing having aligned entrance and exit openings. An applicator tube is mounted within the housing transverse of the paths of the conductors and includes a plurality of spaced applicator openings through which the conductors are advanced. The tube is arranged so that each applicator opening includes aligned notches in front and rear walls of the tube and a slot in the top of the tube, the slot connecting an aligned pair of notches. The fluent coating material is supplied to the tube and is maintained at a level substantially at the top of the tube so that as the conductors are advanced through the applicator openings they are immersed in the coating material.

Abstract: A speech network (11) for a telephone set including a receiver (12) circuit and a transmitter (13) circuit connected in parallel between a tip lead (16) and a ring lead (17). An amplifying transistor (Q4) can be connected in either of two modes, including a normal receive mode for amplifying received signals from the line and applying the amplified receive signal to the receiver circuit. A voice-operated switching unit (Q6,20) is provided for sensing a voice-signal output from the transmitter and connecting the transistor (Q4) in a transmit mode, in which the transistor amplifies the transmitter output for transmission to the line. A sidetone generating circuit (R31, Q5) is connected in parallel with the receiver circuit in the transmit node, for applying a reduced portion of the amplified transmit signal to the receiver.

Abstract: A connector 10 (FIG. 1) is arranged with two hinged arms 30, 40 for protecting the terminations of electrical conductors 18 in the connector. Each of the two arms includes hood sections 31, 41, collar sections 32, 42 and clinching means 36, 46 arranged to mate with each other. As the arms 30, 40 are pivoted back over the termination end 21 of the connector, the clinching means 36, 46 mate with each other securely locking the collar section 32, 42 about the electrical conductors 18 thereby aligning the hood portions 31, 41 over the termination end 21 of the connector.