Patents by Inventor Howard R. Shaffer

Howard R. Shaffer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4828516
    Abstract: An electrical connection of a terminal contact to an electrical conductor is crimped by applying compressive force to the right and left sides of the barrel of the contact but not at the center and not applying it directly toward the center, thus forming an "oblique" crimp. Such an oblique crimp can be formed using a punch die and an opposing anvil die each having a crimping surface with a central recessed relief area whereby the crimping surface does not compress the center of the contact barrel. On each side of the relief area is a substantial diagonal portion of the crimping surface, and outward therefrom is a transverse shoulder, both of which engage the contact barrel during crimping. This crimp is especially useful for contacts having closed or seamless barrel walls and also especially for crimping a slightly oversized barrel to a many-stranded conductor without an intermediate sleeve, and it is particularly useful where confined crimping is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4808115
    Abstract: An LRM connector is joined to printed circuit boards and secured to cover plates of the LRM at an end thereof to be mated with mother board connector mounted within a black box. The LRM connector is float mounted within cover plates on said LRM and aligns itself with the mother board connector when the LRM is inserted into the black box while maintaining sealing engagement with the cover plates. A metal shroud of the LRM connector provides EMI shielding and engagement with the metal shroud of the mother board connector even if the two metal shrouds are slightly misaligned with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Norton, Edward J. Paukovits, Jr., William J. Rudy, Jr., Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4804342
    Abstract: A cable strain relief assembly has a first cover (30, 180) fastenable to a cable face (26) of an electrical connector (20) having an array (28) of cables (22) extending therefrom such that the cable array (28) extends over a transverse aperture (50, 184) near the rearward end (36) of the first cover (30, 180). The second cover (80, 182) is securable over the cable array (28) to the first cover (30, 180) at their rearward ends (36, 86) in a manner clamping the cables (22) into the aperture and against surfaces (52, 54, 190) adjacent the forward (56) and rearward (58) sides of the aperture (50, 184).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: William J. Rudy, Jr., Howard R. Shaffer, Daniel E. Stahl
  • Patent number: 4786258
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (10) includes a receptacle (12) and a plug (14) engageable with the receptacle (12) to form electrical connections between terminals (42,20) carried by the receptacle and plug. A shunt (52) in the plug (14) is in engagement with a pair of socket terminals (42) when the plug is at least partially disengaged from the receptacle; but when the connectors are fully mated, a cam post (90) on the receptacle (12) enters the plug (14) and moves and holds the shunt (52) out of engagement with the socket terminals (42). The commoning connection is broken when the plug is fully mated with the receptacle, and will become reestablished when plug (14) is or begins to become disconnected from receptacle (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Howard R. Shaffer, Brent D. Yohn
  • Patent number: 4784262
    Abstract: A cassette (12) for loose-piece parts, such as electrical terminals (3), comprising a housing (14) having a storage chamber (22), a feeding portion (32), and a discharge station (38). The parts are mounted in spaced-apart relationship in individual cells (10) of a belt (2) which is wound in a coil in the storage chamber (22). A confined passageway (56) extends from the storage chamber (22) to the feeding portion (32) to guide the belt (2) into the feeding portion where it is engaged by a feeding means on a machine, such as a crimping machine, when the cassette (12) is mounted on the machine. The parts are removed from the cells (10) at a discharge station (38) which may be in the feeding portion (32) of the cassette (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Gerald J. Duddy, William J. Rudy, Jr., Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4780958
    Abstract: A contact terminal for insertion into a plated through-hole of a printed circuit board is formed from thin metal stock of uniform thickness with a tubular compliant mounting section. A plurality of slits are spaced around the mounting section, and along one side of each slit are a pair of outward projections to engage the wall of the plated through-hole so that the metal on one side of each slit is deflected radially inwardly by the plated through-hole when the terminal is inserted, to mechanically secure the terminal therein. Outer edges of the projections along the slits penetrate the plating material during insertion. A method for making such a terminal includes piercing the mounting portion area of the blank, forming slits therein, forming projections along one side of each slit to extend out of the plane of the blank, and rolling at least that portion of the terminal into a tubular shape so that the pairs of projections extend radially outwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4778411
    Abstract: A key member (50) for an electrical connector (10,100) is removably securable in the housing (12,110) thereof without fasteners and has a rearward retention section (56) comprised of preferably four radially inwardly deflectable quadrants (70) which ride over retention projections (42,130) within connector passageways (28,114). The retention projections (42,130) seat in a recess (82,86) of the key member retention section (56) to secure the key member (50) in the passageway (28,114) against axial movement or misalignment while another polygonal shaped passageway section (36,122) secures a polygonal shaped section (52) of the key member (50) against rotation. The retention projections (42,130) are preferably annular or semiannular to seat in an annular recess (82,86).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: William J. Rudy, Jr., Howard R. Shaffer, Daniel E. Stahl
  • Patent number: 4762507
    Abstract: A system of removably retaining a terminal (16) within a housing passageway (40) includes opposing resilient walls (46A,46B) defining a forward end of the passageway (40) with opposing stop projections (54) extending toward each other and disposed in corresponding notches (26) along first and third sides of the terminal (16), which stop axially rearward terminal movement. A bored shaft (98) of a removal tool (70) is placed over a contact section (18) of the terminal (16) extending outwardly from the housing (12), which tool (70) has a pair of triangular tines (100) at the work end of the tool shaft (98) to be disposed along second and fourth sides of the terminal (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: William J. Rudy, Jr., Howard R. Shaffer, Daniel E. Stahl
  • Patent number: 4752248
    Abstract: A dielectric protector (50) for an array of wire wrap posts (18) includes a transverse body section (52) having a like array of holes (56) therethrough corresponding to ends (22) of respective posts (18), with body section (52) just forwardly therefrom; holes (56) permit access to post ends (22) by test probes. Pairs of latch arms (70,80) extend to housing (12) from sides (72,82) of body section (52) having latching recesses (76,86) at outwardly deflectable free ends (74,84), which latch to latching projections (24,26) in channels (30,34) along sides (28,32) of housing (12). Gripping sections (78,88) extend in pairs outwardly of outer face (66) from integral hinge joints (90) joining latch arms (70,80) to body section (52) and are manually deflectable together to deflect free ends (74,84) outwardly and delatch post protector (50) from housing (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: William J. Rudy, Jr., Howard R. Shaffer, Daniel E. Stahl
  • Patent number: 4735583
    Abstract: Plug connector modules (22) are ganged together side-by-side by a pair of integral spring latch members (70) secured along commoned end surfaces (42) of the modules (22) to comprise a plug connector assembly (20) manipulatable as a unit. Integral spring latch members (70) include discrete securing sections (76) securable to axial key members (50) within modules (22) near end surfaces (42). Forward ends (84) of spring latch members (70) include latching recesses (100) to latch to latching projections (152) of a receptacle connector (150), latching plug assembly (20) to receptacle connector (150) in mated engagement. Gripping sections (110) of spring latch members (70) are deflectable toward each other about fulcrum sections (112) which action deflects free ends (84) outwardly and disengages latching recesses (100) from latching projections (152) to delatch assembly (20) from receptacle connector (150) for unmating thereof. Spring latch members (70) may be removable from plug connector modules (22) for repair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: William J. Rudy, Jr., Howard R. Shaffer, Daniel E. Stahl
  • Patent number: 4735575
    Abstract: A contact terminal for insertion into a plated through-hole of a printed circuit board is formed from thin metal stock of uniform thickness with a tubular compliant mounting section. A plurality of spring vanes are spaced around the mounting section and extend tangentially outwardly to be deflected radially inwardly by the plated through-hole when inserted, to mechanically secure the terminal therein. Outer edges on the free ends of the spring vanes penetrate the plating material during insertion. A method for making such a terminal includes piercing the mounting portion area of the blank, forming slits therein, and rolling at least that portion into a tubular shape so that short tab-like metal portions extend tangentially outwardly to become the spring vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4726791
    Abstract: A receptacle connector (10) has a plurality of plug-receiving cavities (24) defined along major sides by either outer major walls (36,38) of the receptacle hood (20) or by lengths of polarizing walls (28) parallel thereto, and along minor sides or ends thereof by minor walls (42) of the hood (20). Individual plug connector modules (100) such as single-row modules (100) receivable into the cavities (24) each include along one major side (124) thereof an elongate polarizing recess (128) to receive a polarizing wall (28). One outer major wall (38) of the hood (20) includes an elongate inward boss (44) shaped to act as a polarizing wall portion (144) from an end module, and the plug connector modules (100) when ganged together (210) will enter the receptacle section defined by the hood (20) only when in a proper polarized orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: William J. Rudy, Jr., Howard R. Shaffer, Daniel E. Stahl
  • Patent number: 4684192
    Abstract: A shielded breakaway connector assembly has mating polarized conductive shells and mating respective dielectric inserts mounted therein having mating terminals therein. A plug insert is mounted in its shell permitting limited axially normal movement in a selected direction against spring bias so that during mating said plug insert is cammed in that direction by a cam member secured to the receptacle insert's shell to achieve a tentative mating condition wherein the respective contact sections engage and electrically connect. Full mating is achieved when the plug insert is further pushed against the receptacle insert in order for a latch surface of the plug to latch behind a cooperating latch on the cam member which latches are adapted to be delatchable solely when limited tensile force pulls the plug insert away from the receptacle insert's shell to overcome the axially normal spring bias on the plug insert and the resistance to delatching of the latches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: William B. Long, Gary L. Over, Howard R. Shaffer, John R. Shuey
  • Patent number: 4655526
    Abstract: A passive cam follower comprising a bracing means and a compression means is provided for an electrical article (such as an active socket terminal) having spring contact arms, which holds the spring contact arms in a spring biased position for mating with another electrical article (such as a pin terminal) requiring subtantially lessened insertion force. Upon mating the bracing means is urged away from the spring contact arms by the mating article and into a compressed state. Upon withdrawal of the mating article the bracing means is urged forward by the compressed compression means and follows the mating article and resumes its original bracing position relative to the spring contact arms. The bracing means may be a compression spring and have a cap on the forward end and may be a coil spring or an integral molded plastic spring. In a card edge connector a bracing means may be disposed in the card-receiving cavity and comprise an integral molded plastic spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4591222
    Abstract: A passive cam follower comprising a bracing means and a compression means is provided for an electrical article (such as an active socket terminal) having spring contact arms, which holds the spring contact arms in a spring biased position for mating with another electrical article (such as a pin terminal) requiring substantially lessened insertion force. Upon mating the bracing means is urged away from the spring contact arms by the mating article and into a compressed state. Upon withdrawal of the mating article the bracing means is urged forward by the compressed compression means and follows the mating article and resumes its original bracing position relative to the spring contact arms. The bracing means may be a compression spring and have a cap on the forward end and may be a coil spring or an integral molded plastic spring. In a card edge connector a bracing means may be disposed in the card-receiving cavity and comprise an integral molded plastic spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1986
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4585294
    Abstract: An active electrical pin contact comprises a hollow contact having a longitudinal gap extending from one end to the other and having a pin contact section. A spring member is disposed and secured in the hollow contact and it includes a rear section, a bowed section, a short front section, and a long flexing section intermediate the rear section and the bowed section. The rear section and the short front section extend along inside surfaces of the hollow contact and the bowed section is disposed in the longitudinal gap including a contact-engaging section extending outwardly beyond an outside surface of the hollow pin contact section. The hollow contact also includes a relief section associated with the long flexing section of the spring member such that the spring member may flex within the relief section when an inward force is exerted on the contact-engaging section when the active pin contact is interconnected with a socket contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1986
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: James P. Wolowicz, Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4483579
    Abstract: An electrical connector part is disclosed of the type comprising a cylindrical housing having contact terminals therein which are mated with complementary terminals in a complementary connector part when the two parts are coupled. A cylindrical coupling ring is rotatably mounted on the housing and has on its internal surface coupling means, such as helical slots, for cooperation with a pin on the complementary connector part. The coupling ring is a composite member comprising an outer metallic cylindrical portion and a relatively thick inner metallic cylindrical portion adjacent to the leading edge of the coupling ring. The slots are provided in the inner cylindrical portion of the coupling ring and are produced by stamping slots in a flat blank, forming the blank into a cylindrical shape, and then assembling it to the outer cylindrical portion of the coupling ring. The invention eliminates the need for a separate metallic shell in surrounding relationship to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1984
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Paul B. Derr, Clarence L. Paullus, Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4397517
    Abstract: An electrical connector comprises an insulating housing having a contact receiving cavity extending therethrough from the wire entry face to the mating face. A contact terminal contained in the cavity has a wire connecting portion at its rearward end comprising a hollow cylindrical section of the terminal. A ferrule crimped or soldered to the end of a wire is received in this cylindrical wire connecting portion of the terminal. The ferrule is retained in position by a retaining spring on the terminal which has an integral shoulder or lance that bears against the ferrule. The ferrule can be readily removed from the terminal by flexing the spring radially outwardly and disengaging the lance from the ferrule. A wire can be fitted with a replacement ferrule by the use of readily available tools if repair of the connector is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1983
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Howard R. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 4269472
    Abstract: An improved electrical terminal is disclosed having a smooth surface of transition between a contact portion and a crimp portion of the terminal providing both strength for the terminal and an exterior surface which allows the terminal to be moved through a sealing membrane without damage to the membrane. The terminal is stamped and formed from conventional metal stock and has additional base material in an area formed into a conical shape by die tooling. When the terminal is crimped to a conductor, the transition and crimp area are simultaneously closed to provide a smooth strong transition between the crimp and the remainder of the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1981
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Howard R. Shaffer, Thomas H. Wycheck
  • Patent number: 4245875
    Abstract: A heavy duty connector is disclosed having a plug member and a receptacle member each including a first set of standard terminals and a second set of auxiliary terminals. The subject receptacle will accept a standard plug in a partially mated condition, engaging the first terminals without damaging the second terminals. The subject plug member will fully mate with the subject receptacle, engaging both sets of terminals, and fully mate with a standard receptacle, the second terminals not being engaged. Thus, any combination of the subject and standard connector members are intermatable. The cover of the subject receptacle member is profiled to hold a standard plug in the partially mated condition and the subject plug in a fully mated condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1981
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Howard R. Shaffer, Thomas H. Wycheck