Abstract: Wire holder for holding discrete wires in side-by-side parallel coplanar aligned relationship comprises a rectangular frame having oppositely-facing major surfaces and oppositely-facing minor surfaces. Side-by-side wire-receiving cavities extend into one of the major surfaces and through the frame and between the minor surfaces, a removable wire guard is connected to the frame and extends beside one of the minor surfaces. Wires inserted into the cavities will have projecting tip portions which will be located in the clearance space between the guard and the adjacent minor surface. Use of the wire holder has the effect of conferring on discrete wires many of the desirable features of flat conductor cable.

Abstract: A multicontact electrical connector having individual terminals arranged in side-by-side cavities employed to interconnect a plurality of insulated conductors to terminal posts as positioned in a pin grid array. Each of the terminals includes an insulation displacement contact of the conductor at one end and a resilient contact at the opposite end formed by bifurcated members having opposed contact surfaces to engage intermediate sides of the terminal pins. Bifurcated members are twisted to define the opposed contact surfaces. The housings define open ended channels to receive a conductor inserted laterally of its axis into a slot defined in the contact terminal. Mass termination of a plurality of conductors to terminals fully inserted within the insulating housings is thus possible.

Abstract: A kit for making a connector permitting alternative interconnections between individual conductors of two parallel, planar arrays of conductors includes an insulating body with means to locate contact parts on opposite faces for alignment with chosen conductor to provide the alternative interconnections. The contacts are of three basic types comprising respectively a conductor engaging portion integrally joined to either a bus portion, a bus gripping portion or another conductor engaging portion. The locating means includes recesses on opposite faces communicating by contact receiving sockets extending between the faces and bus receiving channels extending between recesses on the same face.

Abstract: An electrical terminal for flat cable comprising first and second metal plate portions having a cable penetrating tab-like lance and a socket aligned with the lance, respectively, the socket having lips pushed out of the plane of the plate portion and converging towards their free ends to define a slot-form lance receiving mouth. During termination, the cable will be penetrated by the lance and a portion of the cable conductor will be drawn into the mouth by the lance and compressed between a face of the lance and one lip. A portion of the cable is deformed during termination, into an aperture provided in the first metal plate by lance formation and ribbon conductor material is displaced from between the face of the tab and one lip further into the socket.

Abstract: An electrical connector for undercarpet flat, flexible cable includes a metal plate having plural lands raised in relief, a terminal block constructed to overlie selected lands and a fastener carried by the block to secure in one of the overlaid lands and apply the block and the overlaid lands in clamped relationship on a flat flexible cable, terminals in the terminal block are urged by the block to penetrate into the cable conductors to establish electrical connections.

Abstract: A metal strip is stamped and formed with electrical terminals and is doubled back on itself to provide mounting legs for the terminals.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an improved terminal block in which each terminal is barrel shaped with a flared skirt, which locks the terminal from movement in one direction, and a plate portion of the terminal is bent over to lock the terminal from movement in an opposite direction. The plate cooperates with projecting ears of the terminal to prevent rotation.

Abstract: A single metal blank is stamped and formed to provide an electrical terminal which includes sets of jaws which are closed toward one another to penetrate through insulation of a wire conductor and to grippingly engage the conductor. The jaws are closed readily by a pair of pliers. The terminal may be applied as a tap-off along one of a pair of wire connectors without disturbing the other conductor.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a flat cable connector having miniature electrical contacts provided with closely spaced thin plates defining therebetween lengthy passageways for receiving closely spaced conductors of the flat cable. The edge margins of the plates are strengthened by coining, which also diagonally projects the edge margins inwardly toward the passageways to provide wire gripping jaws. The disclosure relates also to a method for assembling the cable to the connector whereby the conductors are successfully aligned and relocated, if necessary, in proper registration with the electrical contacts prior to insertion of the conductors in the contacts.

Abstract: A barrier block is disclosed which incorporates an electrical terminal in the form of a hollow cylindrical barrel provided with a longitudinal slot divided into one or more pairs of wire gripping jaws. The barrel is integral with a second electrical contact seatec on a web which interconnects a pair of partition walls. Opposite ends of the barrier block are molded with intermateable channels allowing a plurality of barrier blocks to be intermated and latched together.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a flat cable connector having miniature electrical contacts provided with closely spaced thin plates defining therebetween lengthy passageways for receiving closely spaced conductors of the flat cable. The edge margins of the plates are strengthened by coining, which also diagonally projects the edge margins inwardly toward the passageways to provide wire gripping jaws. The disclosure relates also to a method for assembling the cable to the connector whereby the conductors are successfully aligned and relocated, if necessary, in proper registration with the electrical contacts prior to insertion of the conductors in the contacts.

Abstract: A contactless key switch includes a manually operable actuating element mechanically coupled to a variable inductor fabricated from a resilient conductive material. The variable inductor biases the actuating element in an undepressed position, and depressing the actuating element compresses the variable inductor and changes its inductance. A detector circuit electrically coupled to the inductor senses the change in inductance and provides a signal indicating that the actuating element has been depressed.