Abstract: An electrical contact (10) includes a central retention portion (16) adapted for insertion in a printed circuit board hole (38). The retention portion (16) includes first and second beam members (22, 24) and first and second collar sections (18, 20) which are rolled into a substantially cylindrical shape about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam members. The length of the beam members is at least as great as the thickness of the printed circuit board (40). The unstressed diameter of the substantially cylindrical retention portion is greater than the diameter of the circuit board hole (38). The retention portion (16) is formed with gaps (42, 44) so that it can be compressed for insertion into the hole (38). Since the spacing between the collar sections (18, 20) is at least as great as the thickness of the circuit board (40), the collar sections are on opposite sides of the circuit board outside the hole when the retention portion is inserted in the hole.

Abstract: A connector (22) includes a housing (24) having an array of first terminal-receiving passageways (34) each in communication with a spring arm receiving recess (38), each passageway (34) having a terminal member (50) disposed therein. Each terminal member (50) includes a body section (52) having a first connecting portion (54) adapted for surface mount engagement with a circuit pad (122) of a circuit board (120) and a spring arm portion (60). The spring arm portion (60) has a first transverse portion (62) extending laterally from the terminal member (50) proximate the first connecting portion (54), an axial portion (64) of a selected length extending from the first transverse portion (62) and toward a second connecting portion (72) of the terminal member (50), and a second transverse portion (68) extending toward the body section (52). The first transverse portion (62) extends essentially parallel to the mounting face (28) and is recessed therefrom.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing including a transverse body section and a shroud portion extending forwardly therefrom and defining a cavity, an array of pin contact members extending forwardly of the body section and within the cavity and at least one pair of closely spaced elongate members within the cavity. The elongate members extend to respective leading ends forwardly beyond the leading edge of the shroud portion and cooperate with the shroud portion and with each other to disallow inadvertent entry of a human finger into the cavity proximate pin contacts adjacent the elongate members. The pair of elongate members further provide aligning and keying means for the connector.

Abstract: A power connector for interconnecting power between printed circuit boards (12, 24) includes plug and receptacle contacts (40, 70) linked to signal connector halves (16, 28) alos mounted on the circuit boards such that the plug and receptacle contacts intermate along a given axis as the connector halves are intermated. The receptacle contact (70) includes an array of resilient contact fingers (80-82) spaced apart and staggered to engage the plug contact (40) upon mating along the given axis at given points to reduce insertion forces, preclude undue wear of the plug contact from repeated engagements while carrying sufficient current to effect a power transfer from one board to another board. The contacts further include a plurality of posts (48, 74, 76) spaced apart to distribute current to the thin conductive traces of boards to preclude undue resistance heating of such traces in the circuits defined thereby.

Abstract: An adjunct electrical connector (44-60) includes a mechanical line (52) added to a signal connector half (34) to increase power transfer between circuit boards (12, 24). The power connector includes contacts of a given cross-section to carry a given current with the contacts having a plurality of posts (50, 70) spaced apart and of a lesser cross-section to carry a fraction of the given current so as to distribute such current to thin conductive traces (32) on the said board half with said post being on the centers of holes in said printed circuit board (24).

Abstract: A card edge electrical connector 10 includes a dielectric housing member 12, a card receiving cavity 30, a plurality of contacts including signal contact members 35,35a arranged in opposed pairs along opposite sides of the card receiving cavity 30 and ground contact member 54 associated with each pair of signal contact members 35,35a. Each signal contact member 35,35a has a first contact surface 43 for engaging corresponding signal traces 184 on the daughter card 172 and second contact sections 52,52a respectively exposed along the mounting face 18 of the housing 12 and adapted to be engaged to corresponding signal contact means 92 of another electrical article 86. A ground contact member 53 is mounted into the housing 12 at each contact location and includes first ground contact sections 62 engageable with ground contact means 180 of card 172 upon full card insertion, the first ground contact sections 62 being spaced both vertically and horizontally from the associated first signal contact surfaces 43.

Abstract: A card edge electrical connector 10 includes a dielectric housing member 12, a card receiving cavity 30, a plurality of contacts including signal contact members 36, 36a arranged in opposed pairs along opposite sides of the card receiving cavity 30 and ground contact member 54 associated with each pair of signal contact members 36, 36a. Each signal contact member 36, 36a has a first contact section 44 for engaging corresponding signal traces 84 on the daughter card 72 and second contact sections 52, 52a respectively exposed along the mounting face 18 of the housing 12 and adapted to be engaged to corresponding signal contact means 92 of another electrical article 86. A ground contact member 54 is mounted into the housing 12 at each contact location and includes ground contact sections 62 engageable with ground contact means 80 of card 72 upon full card insertion.

Abstract: A coaxial contact element for use in receptacle connectors of the type used with printed circuit cards and the like. More particularly the contact element includes an inner contact for being electrically mated with a center contact of a post and an outer contact for being electrically mated with outer contacts of the post. A dielectric spacer electrically isolates the inner and outer contacts of the contact element.

Abstract: A high density, high frequency electrical connector system having ground contacts disposed between adjacent columns of signal carrying contacts to provide signal integrity. More particularly, the system includes two mating connectors with the ground contacts in one being blades and the ground contacts in the other being plates with blade engaging cantilever beams thereon so that when the two connectors are mated, the ground contacts complete a ground circuit and the plates provide a shield between adjacent columns of mated signal carrying contacts.

Abstract: An electrical modular connector (10) for interconnecting electrical wires to another connector is disclosed. The connector (10) includes signal and ground contacts (14,46) having a receptacle (38,50) at one end for engaging posts in a pin header and tabs (36,56) at another end to which the wires may be welded. Further, the ground contacts (46) include shielding plates (56) to maintain signal integrity in high speed applications.

Abstract: An electrical power connector for conducting electrical power from a power bus bar to a circuit card. More particularly, the connector includes contact elements having tab terminal receiving receptacles positioned in a dielectric housing in a staggered arrangement so that the forces requires to insert tab terminals into the receptacles are distributed. Further, the terminal-receiving space in each receptacle is defined by a stationary member on one side and dual side-by-side spring-biased members on the other side so that the force required to insert a tab terminal therein is initially incremental.

Abstract: A high current power connector has contact elements defining a pin receiving opening. The contact elements are spring loaded inwardly to increase the contact force between each contact element and a pin. The connector also has the capability for the contact members to float and to realign themselves if the pin and contact elements are misaligned.

Abstract: The invention disclosed relates to a device for stacking, securing and spacing printed circuit boards, one on top of another. More particularly, the device is stamped and formed from coplanar stock and includes a reverse bend upper end which provides a receptacle for receiving the lower end of a device mounted in an overlying board or a lead from an electronic device, a lower end and an intermediate section for retaining the device in the board or in dielectric body.

Abstract: Method of producing a group of wires, W.sub.1, W.sub.2, W.sub.3 . . . W.sub.n, which have predetermined lengths L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.3 . . . L.sub.n respectively comprises the steps of guiding the wires from substantially endless sources of wire and locating the leading ends of the wires on a feed roll in parallel side-by-side relationship with each wire disposed between the feed roll and a separate associated pressure roll. The pressure rolls are normally spaced from the feed roll so that they are in a non-feeding position but they can be selectively moved towards the feed roll into a feeding position. The feed roll is started during each of a plurality of wire feeding cycles and during each cycle, at least one of the wires is fed by selectively moving the associated feed roll to its feeding position.

Abstract: A hand tool for use with a rotary splicing connector which can be used to terminate a plurality of insulated wires is disclosed. The connector consists of two mutually rotatable housing components. Insulated wires can be spliced during rotation of the two housing components. The hand tool includes a lever to generate the required torque on the connector members. The tool includes a magazine used to sequentially feed a plurality of connectors in tandem orientation.