Abstract: A male contact 10 has an elongated contact pin 12 and terminal 24. The contact pin 12 and the terminal 24 extend along a longitudinal axis 14. The contact pin 12 has a first end 16, a second end 18, an upper surface 20 and a lower surface 22 and is quadrangular in cross-section, and in a preferred mode is square in cross-section. The terminal 24 has a first section 26 and a second section 28 spaced therefrom. The first section 26 has a pair of jaws 30, 32, in crimping engagement with the upper contact surface 20. The jaws are attached to a band or ribbon 34 that is in contact with the lower surface 22 of the contact pin 12. A box structure 36 is positioned between the first section 26 and the second section 28 and has an upper surface area 38 and a lower surface area 40. A polarizing key 42 is formed in the lower surface area 40, as by stamping. The key may be formed asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An electrical connector that comprises an electrically insulating housing having a front end and a back end displaced along a longitudinal axis. An electrical contact receiving aperture is formed in the housing and is arrayed parallel to the longitudinal axis. The back end of the connector housing further includes a contact receiving entrance that has a given cross-sectional, one-way footprint and has a given length “L” along the longitudinal axis. An electrical contact is positioned in the contact-receiving aperture, and has the same cross-sectional, one-way footprint as the entrance. At least a portion of the longitudinal length of the contact, designated “L1” is sufficient to retain engagement with the contact receiving entrance until the contact enters the electrical contact-receiving aperture in the insulating housing.

Abstract: A male contact 10 has an elongated contact pin 12 and terminal 24. The contact pin 12 and the terminal 24 extend along a longitudinal axis 14. The contact pin 12 has a first end 16, a second end 18, an upper surface 20 and a lower surface 22 and is quadrangular in cross-section, and in a preferred mode is square in cross-section. The terminal 24 has a first section 26 and a second section 28 spaced therefrom. The first section 26 has a pair of jaws 30, 32, in crimping engagement with the upper contact surface 20. The jaws are attached to a band or ribbon 34 that is in contact with the lower surface 22 of the contact pin 12. A box structure 36 is positioned between the first section 26 and the second section 28 and has an upper surface area 38 and a lower surface area 40. A polarizing key 42 is formed in the lower surface area 40, as by stamping. The key may be formed asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An angled lamp socket includes a body and a housing. The body contains therein opposing lamp retaining clips and a plurality of IDC contacts. The housing contains a plurality of holes to receive wire leads. The housing also contains a housing disc. The bottom portion of the IDC contacts are connected electrically to the wire leads and the top portion of the IDC contacts are connected to the lamp. When a lamp is inserted into the socket body, the horizontal axis of the lamp will extend at an angle in relation to the wire leads. In a preferred embodiment, such an angle is 90° thereby providing a right angle lamp socket.

Abstract: A connector assembly which includes inner and outer connector housings and a locking spacer attached to the inner housing. The connector assembly may be obtained by the user with the locking spacer in a pre-installed position relative to the inner housing. Such pre-installed assembly includes a gasket contained within the connector assembly and held in place by the locking spacer. Latching members are provided which permit the locking spacer to be moved from the pre-installed position to a final installed position wherein the locking spacer will serve to maintain the gasket, and contacts within the inner housing, in place during use of the connector assembly.

Abstract: A lamp socket is provided that includes slidably engaging body and housing components. Resilient retention members are attached within the body component to grasp the base of a wedge base lamp to attach the lamp to the body component. Contacts extend into the body component to engage lead wires of the lamp. Such contacts extend out of the body component and through respective apertures in the housing component for electrical and mechanical attachment to a mating connector. The contacts are held in place relative to the body component by being inserted into body openings within the body component structured and arranged to hold the contacts in place.

Abstract: A two piece male contact, such as a harness contact for use in a harness connector. The two piece male contact includes an elongated contact pin which is connectable to a mating female contact, and a terminal, one end of which is electrically and mechanically attached to the contact pin and the other end of which is connectable to a conductor.

Abstract: Electrical contacts are fixed in a connector by ultrasonic melting of a portion of the connector body. The contacts are positioned in appropriate apertures having one part formed with a boss which defines a well. A widened section of the contact fits into the well and the boss is melted and forced into the well, thus fixing the contact in position.

Abstract: A hand held tool for cleaving optical fibers including an elongated body having a longitudinal axis extending lengthwise thereof. A fiber support surface is attached to the body and extends in a plane which is transverse to such longitudinal axis. Fiber cutting means are attached to the body and are selectively moveable in the general direction of the longitudinal axis away from the fiber support surface, and towards the fiber support surface for severing an optical fiber extending across the fiber support surface such that the end face of the fiber is smooth and lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the fiber. Tension means for subjecting the optical fiber to tension during the cleaving operation are provided including a first tension arm and a second tension arm each arm being pivotally attached to the body for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis, the tension arms being spring biased away from each other.

Abstract: A hand tool for pulling a single wire or contact into a connector block includes a thumb lever for effecting a gripping action on the wire or contact and a trigger member for moving an outer holder and sleeve with respect to an inner holder and sleeve whereby gripping of the wire is independent of the movement between wire and connector block.