Abstract: A latching apparatus for coupling together two mating connector housings includes a toothed latch member supported on a spring arm which is attached to a first one of the housings. The latch member includes a transverse surface formed with one or more teeth. The second housing carries a release member having a spring portion, a manually operable portion and openings to receive the teeth. When the housings are joined, the latch member enters the second housing such that the transverse surface overlies a spring extension of the manually operable member. Movement thereof extracts the teeth from the openings to release the housings. The latching apparatus forms a ground between the connectors.

Abstract: The male portion of a connector assembly of the locking type has blades insertable into slots in the mating female portion, the male portion then being rotatable to lock the blades against direct axial extraction. A spring urged locking pin adjacent the trailing edge of at least one blade normally protrudes from the connector face, is pushed in by the female face, and then protrudes after locking rotation, entering the slot portion vacated by the trailing edge. A rotatable sleeve on the male connector body has a cam surface which, upon rotation of the sleeve in the unlocking direction, first retracts the locking pin, then engages the body of the connector to rotate the blades out of their locked position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a female contact of unitary construction employing a torsion bar joined at one end to one of two opposing, spaced apart, elongated contact blades. The two blades have a relatively high spring rate and are forced apart when a male contact is inserted between the blades to provide the desired contact retention forces. One of the two contact blades is oriented edgewise with respect to the plane of a rigid opposing blade to provide a high spring rate in the direction of outward displacement. The outward displacement of the edgewise-oriented blade and hence the contact pressures applied thereby to the male contact are primarily a function of the torsional characteristics of the torsion bar to which it is joined. If desired, this contact pressure may be essentially doubled by providing two juxtaposed edgewise-oriented contact blades, each joined to a respective torsion bar.

Abstract: A female contact has at least one contact arm with an outwardly diverging tip end for guiding the tip of a male blade inserted into the contact. A contact arm abutment is mounted on a contact chamber sidewall and projects inwardly into the chamber. The abutment is aligned with an elongated contact arm of the female contact and is spaced outwardly from that arm to set the limit of acceptable outward contact arm deflection. A portion of the contact arm extending rearwardly from the diverging tip end is channeled to allow this end to clear the abutment when the contact is inserted longitudinally into the chamber from the rearward end thereof. The abutment limits outward displacement of the contact arm to prevent the overstressing of the arm by an engaging male blade and in a preferred embodiment, is formed as a unitary part of the pocket sidewall.

Abstract: Two separate but identically shaped sections cooperate to form an electrical cord gripping device when they are brought together. The sections are insertable into recesses in cooperating halves of an electrical housing, by wedging or snapping them into place, and, when the housing is closed, the sections form a restricted opening and provide a clamp around an electrical cord passing through the opening and into the housing. The sections are readily removable from the housing, so that a single housing can be used with electrical cords of different sizes. Further, each section contains a diagonal rib, and, when the sections are brought together, their ribs criss-cross one another to grip the cord from opposite sides. The sections are also shaped to provide abutting surfaces which overlap each other to cam the sheathing of the electrical cord into the opening provided by the sections, and prevent crimping of the sheathing.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing a reliable grounding path between electrical fixtures and their mounting boxes, particularly where modifications to the conventional nature of the electrical fixtures are unnecessary. A metal clip is disposed as a conductive interface between the mounting yoke of the electrical fixture and the mounting screw utilized to secure the electrical fixture within the mounting box. Low resistance electrical contacts are maintained by disposing spring members on the clip to exert continual contact pressure against both the mounting yoke and the mounting screw. Sharp protrusions extend from the clip to concentrate the contact pressure exerted against the mounting yoke and the mounting screw is engaged by a screw-receiving means on the clip. A spring means is disposed within the screw receiving means to develop the contact pressure and also provides for self-adjustabliity to pitch variations of the mounting screws or to fixed pitch references of the mounting box.