Abstract: A rotary switch has a control shaft (8) controlling electrical contacts (not shown). On being moved from the "OFF" position as illustrated towards an "ON" position by turning clockwise (arrow 9), a ramp (21) on a cam (2) engages a cam follower (41) mounted on a first lever arm (3). The first arm is held in position against the thrust of the cam follower's bias spring (42) by a catch (31) engaging a bearing surface (51) of a second lever arm (5). Similarly the second lever (5) is held in position by a spring (52) urging it against the moving part of an electromagnet (7). The electromagnet is shown in its powered position with spring (61) compressed thereby. Turning the shaft also winds up a return spring (not shown) tending to urge the shaft towards the "OFF" position. The shaft is held in the "ON" position by the cam follower (41) engaging in a notch (20) in the cam.When power to the electromagnet fails (i.e.

Abstract: The invention relates to an automatic-connection terminal block for connecting two conductor wires together, said terminal block including an insulating box and a cover which co-operates therewith. The terminal block is characterized in that the insulating box (1) includes two longitudinal channels (3) spaced apart from each other. The ends thereof, have openings (30) which lead to the periphery of the terminal block and said conductor wires are inserted through said openings. The channels each have a first transversal slot (31). The cover (21) is provided with a connecting part (4) which has two transversal contact blades (5) each with a transversal slot (50), so that when the cover is fitted on the box, each blade enters one of said slots, and said slots surround said conductor wires. The invention applies to connecting together conductor wires of telecommunications circuits.

Abstract: The locking arrangement relates to fixing a terminal block whose base (6) includes two fixing tabs (1,2) one of which is used in cooperation with a similar third tab (3) for fixing the block onto a supporting section bar with outwardly turned rims (51) and the other of which is used in cooperation with the third tab for fixing the block onto a supporting section bar with inwardly turned rims (52). Said tabs each have a fixing notch (11,21) for engaging one edge of a supporting section bar. The locking arrangement comprises a locking plate (7) slidable transversely with respect to the supporting section bars and having lock notches (81,91) disposed adjacent the fixing notches. A resilient member (61) is provided to allow one of said lock notches to engage under one of said rims. The invention applies in particular to producing connection strips.

Abstract: A rapid-connection terminal for a conductor includes an insulating housing bearing an upwardly open slotted contact blade at its center and parallel sidewalls on opposite sides of the blade which are also slotted, the slots of the insulating housing wall bearing sockets for pinching the insulation covering the conductor. A T-shaped cover functions as a tool and bears projecting tabs which lock within the slots of the housing sidewalls at a widened terminal part whose ends form sockets to further pinch the conductor insulation at the sidewall slots.

Abstract: A terminal block for ground conductors, includes, in an insulating casing, a tunnel type connector with contact shoes which co-operate with the edges of a metal section bar for supporting said terminal block. The connector is formed in two parts (5,5') each of which includes a longitudinal flat portion (7,7') disposed against the like portion of the other part and each flat portion including a part of contact shoes (8,8'), the contact shoe of one flat portion being associated with the contact shoe of the other flat portion, said parts being assembled together by crimping the flat portions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mechanism for assembling components side by side, said components including at least two components, namely, a front component and a rear component.

Abstract: A push button mechanism includes a housing (1) including a push button control key (2) and microswitches (4) actuated by pushing the key. There are two common modes of push button operation: either a non-locking operation in which the position of the switch contacts corresponds to the position of the key; or a locking operation in which pushing the key changes the position of the switch which then remains in the new position after the key is released. From the manufacturing point of view it is desireable to provide a single mechanism which can act in either mode depending on the position of a selection component (7). From the user's point of view it may be advantageous to be able to change the mode of a switch which is already installed and wired. The present invention provides an operating key which may be withdrawn from the mechanism through the end face of the housing. The key carries a selection finger (7) for actuating a locking mechanism (8).

Abstract: The terminal is mounted in a block of insulating material (1). Its purpose is to connect an axially inserted end of a conductor wire (6) to some other electrical circuit (not shown) via a connection strip (4). The connection strip includes a bent down tongue which passes through a wire-clamping cage (3). The cage pivots on shoulders (43) near the end (45) of the tongue. A screw (5) passes through the main portion of the connection strip and engages a flap (36) of the cage. The arrangement is such that tightening the screw rocks the cage so that a corner (38) at its end opposite to the screw wedges a previously inserted wire against the tongue of the connection strip. This arrangement uses a single component, the wire clamping cage, to perform a function that previously required a first component such as a lever or wedge to engage a second component such as a wire-receiving clip.

Abstract: The invention relates to a structure for positioning a clip on a generally flat tab disposed tonguewise in a cavity formed in the insulating casing of a connector. The structure relies on a rib extending from one wall one of the cavity and touching a large surface of the tab, said rib having, at its clip insertion orifice end, a spur which covers the end of the tab up to a level flush with the other large surface of the tab, the residual clearance between said other large surface and the facing wall of the cavity being less than the total thickness of the clip. The invention applies to clip-connected connectors.

Abstract: The device is characterized in that the casing comprises at its base and on one side a bearing flat on one of the rims of a section bar, said flat being flanked firstly by a first resilient fixing tab which comprises at the level of the flat a resilient lock notch and secondly by a second fixing tab which comprises a rigid fixing notch at the level of the flat, the end of one of said rims co-operating with one of these notches, while on the other side of the casing the end of the other rim co-operates simultaneously but respectively with a rigid fixing notch disposed at the root of a third fixing tab and a resilient lock notch disposed at the end of said third resilient fixing tab.

Abstract: The support rail is intended to allow access both to the back and to the front of through-connecting connection blocks mounted on the support rail to form a connecting strip. The support rail is constituted by two bars held parallel to each other by two spacers which are spaced apart from each other and each of which comprises a parallelepipedical insulating block which has an upper surface, a lower surface, two longitudinal walls and two side surfaces, said block having a transverse channel which is parallel to each of said longitudinal walls, and which has a cross-section which corresponds to that of the bars and which has one of the bars passing through it, said channel having, on the side of the longitudinal wall a longitudinal slot which is open to said longitudinal wall and on the other side a longitudinal slot through which a tightening screw passes which is disposed through the block between its upper surface and its lower surface.

Abstract: The junction block has four resilient fixing legs disposed in pairs about both of two fixing orientations of the block. Each leg has a lock notch facing the adjacent fixing legs and designed to catch under a support strip edge when the block is in position. The legs cam resiliently apart during fixing and the lock notches snap into position when the block is pushed home far enough.

Abstract: An electric connection block comprising a base carrying rows of contact pins, wherein this base carries two guide bars made of insulating material, disposed at the ends of the rows of contact pins at a distance from the ends of these rows so as to form wiring channels and also provide a support for the contact plugs or a protective hood.

Abstract: Support grating for electrical equipment boxes having a format which is a multiple of basic elementary dimensions, constituted by a grid formed by cooperating frame members connected together two by two by distance pieces, wherein the frame members comprise periodic transversal cut-away parts constituted by slots or notches, an intermediate cut-away part and a lower port, the sides of the distance pieces comprise protuberances and bosses, for cooperation with the cut-away parts in a rigid assembly which is locked by the bosses in the cut-away parts.

Abstract: A screw terminal disposed between two parallel partitions or cheek members, wherein the screw is held captive by retaining a neck of the screw in a keyhole of a support spring due to the fact that the screw head is restrained from lateral movement by the two cheek members.

Abstract: Device for fixing an object on a support formed by spaced parallel edges, forming an insertion face for the insertion of the device between those edges, an opposite face to the insertion face and a rim, has two opposite sides each co-acting with one of the edges of the support, a lateral stop on each side which is fixed and faces the fim facing the support, a flexible clip presses against the insertion face of the corresponding edge of the support, a rigid clip is arranged against the opposite face and a ratching and locking member locks the device on the support on one of the sides.