Abstract: A cable termination assembly including a multiconductor ribbon cable of the woven or Teflon insulation type includes loop connection portions for respective conductors with a stiffening insert located in respective loops, the loops being coupled to contacts via a printed circuit board interface for connecting the cable conductors to an external member, and a strain relief system including a rigid bar-like member directly molded or otherwise affixed to the cable and to which a housing portion of the cable termination assembly may grab in order to transmit force between the cable and housing without applying forces to the connections of the loops and the circuit board and/or contacts to which such loops are connected.

Abstract: An outdrive system for watercraft includes use of plastic or other relatively flexible material, e.g., compared to metal, especially as a housing material, and techniques which enable and/or at least facilitate use of such housing material. One of those techniques employs a flexible member, such as a belt, to couple power between the input and output of an outdrive and another employs a cooling system to remove heat. The invention also relates to use in a vehicle drive, especially for watercraft, of housing materials that are not subject to corrosion, galvanic action and the like.

Abstract: An electrical interconnect system employs electrical connectors in which both the housing (or support) and the contact(s) thereof are hermaphroditic, i.e., without gender limitations. Therefore, two such connectors may interconnect with each other. Contacts are arranged in a header or other housing or support in which at least two contacts, for example, adjacent contacts, respectively face in opposite directions. Bifurcated and trifurcated contacts have contacting portions respective ones of which face in opposite directions and are supported on parallel cantilever arms.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for making an electrical device including a contact supported in a housing having a space within which at least part of such contact may move, wherein the contact is placed with respect to a mold core that resiliently deforms the moving part of the contact to a condition it ordinarily would be expected to take during use in connection with another contact and cooperates with at least such moving part of the contact to form a composite core that is placed in a mold cavity to mold a housing about part of the contact and to at least part of the contact while the composite core defines the space within which the moving part of the contact can deform during use. An electrical connecting device is made by the aforementioned process.

Abstract: A coaxial cable termination system, includes a coaxial cable terminator including a coaxial cable having signal and shield conductors and insulation separating the conductors, an electrical contact electrically connected to the signal conductor, the electrical contact having a contacting portion for electrically connecting with an external member inserted to engagement with respect thereto, and a strain relief body molded directly to at least part of the coaxial cable and electrical contact for holding the same in relatively fixed positions with respect to each other; a housing having an opening for receiving therein at one end the terminator to hold the same in position to make electrical connection with an external member inserted into the housing means to engage the electrical contact; and an insulator inserted into the opening from the opposite end to insulate the contact from the housing wall bounding the opening. Novel tube-like insulators and bow type contacts also are included.

Abstract: An electrical shunt includes a U-shape contact having a unitary body molded directly in a housing into which pin contacts may be inserted for connection to and via the shunt.

Abstract: An interconnection device in the form of a programmable integrated crosspoint switch includes a matrix of first and second pluralities of electrically conductive paths, e.g. an M line by N line matrix, and selectively permanently and affirmatively programmable switch elements for completing passive conductive circuit paths between one or more of the conductive paths of such first and second pluralities thereof. The programmable integrated crosspoint switch invention may be utilized in various hierarchical levels of interconnection.

Abstract: A termination system for coupling to further circuitry one or more miniature coaxial cables terminated with respective impedance matched terminators each including a center signal contact and a concentric tubular sleeve contact having an external contact surface. The termination system includes a receptacle for a single terminator or a carrier block for a plurality of terminators. The receptacle includes a center pin contact extending along an axial extent of the receptacle, an outer tubular shell contact coaxially positioned with respect to the pin contact and having an internal contact surface for electrically connecting with the external contact surface of a terminator sleeve contact, and a spacer for maintaining electrical isolation and spaced relation of the pin and shell contacts for matching the impedance of the receptacle to that of the terminator and cable.

Abstract: The printed circuit board system and method are characterized by the use of at least one integrated circuit path bridging device, preferably a programmable integrated crosspoint switch, mounted to a printed circuit board for enabling electrical interconnection or circuit paths to cross over other electrical interconnection or circuit paths whereby a single plane or surface interconnection system can be given multi-plane interconnection potential or a multi-plane interconnection system can be given increased interconnection potential, while avoiding or minimizing drawbacks associated with multi-plane circuit interconnection systems such as need for plated through holes and relatively high cost.

Abstract: A coaxial cable termination system, includes a coaxial cable terminator including a coaxial cable having signal and shield conductors and insulation separating the conductors, an electrical contact electrically connected to the signal conductor, the electrical contact having a contacting portion for electrically connecting with an external member inserted to engagement with respect thereto, a protective insulator for covering at least part of the contacting portion, and a strain relief body molded directly to at least part of the coaxial cable, electrical contact and protective insulator for holding the same in relatively fixed positions with respect to each other; and a housing for receiving therein the terminator to hold the same in position to make electrical connectioin with an external member inserted into the housing means to engage the electrical contact.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for making an electrical device including a contact supported in a housing having a space within which at least part of such contact may move, wherein the contact is placed with respect to a mold core that resiliently deforms the moving part of the contact to a condition it ordinarily would be expected to take during use in connection with another contact and cooperates with at least such moving part of the contact to form a composite core that is placed in a mold cavity to mold a housing about part of the contact and to at least part of the contact while the composite core defines the space within which the moving part of the contact can deform during use. An electrical connecting device is made by the aforementioned process.

Abstract: An electrical shunt includes a U-shape contact having a unitary body molded directly in a housing into which pin contacts may be inserted for connection to and via the shunt.A method of making an electrical shunt formed of an electrically conductive contact having plural contacting portions for connection with respective external members inserted to connection therewith and an electrically non-conductive housing includes molding electrically non-conductive material directly to at least part of such contact to form such housing, whereby such housing and contact form an integral structure, including forming relatively open chamber areas within the housing for exposure therein of such contacting portions, and forming an opening in such housing for insertion therein of respective external members for electrical connection with respective contacting portions.

Abstract: A socket can be programmed to adapt the pin out configuration of an integrated circuit for convenient plug-in use or substitution in an environment, such as a socket, ordinarily intended for a similar integrated circuit with a different pin-out configuration. The invention includes a support, a first plurality of electrical contacts mounted in a prescribed pattern on one side of the support, a second plurality of electrical contacts mounted in a similar prescribed pattern on the other side of the support, at least some of the first contacts and some of the second contacts being electrically isolated from each other on the same and opposite sides of the support, and printed circuit traces and plated through holes coupling respective first contacts on one side of the support to respective second contacts on the other side of the support.

Abstract: A card edge connector (10) includes electrical contacts (15) for engaging traces of a printed circuit card to establish electrical connection therewith, a housing (16) for supporting the contacts, a strain relief (17) directly molded to at least part of the contacts and housing for securing the same as an integral structure, the contacts having a compliance characteristic in the card edge connector, and a secondary compliance mechanism (95) for increasing the effective compliance characteristic of the contacts in the card edge connector. Such secondary compliance mechanism is provided by a shrinkage of some of the molded strain relief material during cooling thereof. The contacts and housing provide part of a shut of function and a shut off key (56) inserted into the housing for use during the molding provides another part of a shut off function to block flow of molding material into a contacting area of the housing (27).

Abstract: A cable termination assembly with an integral polarizing key, and method of molding the same, includes an electrical cable including at least one conductor, at least one electrical contact, a support body for at least preliminarily supporting the electrical contact, the electrical contact having an insulation displacement connection portion, a contacting portion, and an offset between said portions, and the support body having a land for cooperating with the offset to support the electrical contact during insulation displacement connection connecting of the insulation displacement connection portion to such conductor. Part of the electrical contact and the support body cooperate during the mentioned molding to effect a shut off function blocking flow of molding material of the strain relief into an area of the support body where the contacting portion is located. Molding material fills a cell of the support body during molding of the strain relief body to form a polarizing key.

Abstract: An electrical component for mechanical mouting and electrical connection with respect to plated through holes of a printed circuit board compatibly with a surface mount attaching process includes an electrically non-conducting body, plural generally elongate contacts extending from the body for insertion into such plated through holes, and the component having a reservoir for retaining solder type material for melting, for flow into respective plated through holes, and for re-solidifying to mechanically and electrically couple the component to such printed circuit board. Preferably the component is a connector, such as a header, and the contact pins or leads thereof provide an interface connection between the printed circuit board and a separate or portable connector.

Abstract: An electrical component for mechanical mounting and electrical connection with respect to plated through holes of a printed circuit board compatibly with a surface mount attaching process includes an electrically non-conducting body, plural generally elongate contacts extending from the body for insertion into such plated through holes, and the component having a reservoir for retaining solder type material for melting, for flow into respective plated through holes, and for re-solidifying mechanically and electrically to couple the component to such printed circuit board. Preferably the component is a connector, such as a header, and the contact pins or leads thereof provide interface connection between the printed circuit board and a separate or portable connector.A method for attaching such an electrical component to a printed circuit board compatibly with surface mount attaching processes and an apparatus to carry out such method also are part of the invention.

Abstract: A propeller includes a rotatable hub with a plurality of sockets, blades with roots that fit in the sockets and a plurality of pitch blocks which fit between the blade root and the socket walls. Hubs with two, three, and four sockets are shown. The blades have no twist and are formed of molded, glass reinforced nylon. The pitch blocks are also nylon and different pairs of pitch blocks may be used to hold the blades at different angles. All nylon components are designed to minimize stress concentrations. The hubs although also of nylon have steel reinforcing plates within them which take the centripetal forces. These forces are transmitted through bolts to passage walls in the pitch blocks, and from the pitch blocks through interengaging teeth to the blade roots. A snap on, snap off aerodynamic spinner is also provided.

Abstract: A socket can be programmed to adapt the pin out configuration of an integrated circuit for convenient plug-in use or substitution in an environment, such as a socket, ordinarily intended for a similar integrated circuit with a different pin-out configuration. The invention includes a support, a first plurality of electrical contacts mounted in a prescribed pattern on one side of the support, a second plurality of electrical contacts mounted in a similar prescribed pattern on the other side of the support, at least one of the first contacts and some of the second contacts being electrically isolated from each other on the same and opposite sides of the support, and printed circuit traces and plated through holes coupling respective first contacts on one side of the support to respective second contacts on the other side of the support.

Abstract: An electrical contact pair for use in a programmed socket, a programmed socket using the contact pair and a method of making such a socket are disclosed. The programmed socket includes a printed circuit board with tracings for transposing pin positions between the input and output sides of the socket. The tracings end in pairs of terminal pads located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board. Each contact pair includes a pair of bases to be soldered to respective terminal pads and a male contact extending from one base and a female contact from the other base. The two bases are at least temporarily interconnected by an arcuate resilient strip which causes the bases to grip the terminal pads. This facilitates assembly and soldering since the contact pair will remain in position without additional support. Further the strip serves to position the contact pair accurately with respect to the edge of the printed circuit board.