Forming Array Of Contacts Or Terminals Patents (Class 29/884)
  • Patent number: 4418475
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a printed circuit card edge connector having a pull through bellows contact and a lay-over insulator. Manufacturing steps include inserting contacts interconnected by a common support strip into the top openings of sleeves and positioning the projections of those contacts within alignment troughs such that the contact tails extend out of the bottom of the openings in alignment. The common support strip is removed and the tails of the contacts are inserted through apertures arranged in linear arrays through the substrate. Force is applied to the tails rigidly press-fit mounting the contacts to the substrate. Further disclosed are the forming of first and second extending ears as integral portions of the upper contactor and intermediate mounting regions of the contact, respectively, and the forming of alignment tracks configured to receive the first and second ears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Assignee: Elfab Corporation
    Inventors: J. Preston Ammon, Harry R. Weaver, Richard O. Norman
  • Patent number: 4417396
    Abstract: A multiplicity of integrated circuit connector contact sockets mounted to a plurality of carrier strips are moved between pairs of orientation rollers with tails of the contacts protruding upwardly whereby an upper socket portion of one contact is aligned with an upper socket portion of a contact on a carrier strip in an adjacent row. A plurality of integrated circuit connector insulators having socket receiving apertures formed therein are held together in an array and placed over the contact tails with one tail being received within each aperture of an insulator. The carrier strips are simultaneously advanced beneath a work station wherein a tool presses the insulators downwardly to tightly fit the contact socket portions into the receiving apertures in the insulators. A shearing tool then severs the insulators in the array from one another except for the continued affixation of the contact sockets to the parallel carrier strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1983
    Assignee: Elfab Corporation
    Inventors: J. Preston Ammon, Harry R. Weaver, Evan J. Evans
  • Patent number: 4412642
    Abstract: The attachment of leadless chip carriers to printed wiring boards by means of soldering techniques must provide for a spacing between the chip carrier and the board. Such spacing is required for cleaning the area under the chip carrier, protecting the underlying circuitry, and accounting for stresses which may develop due to thermal mismatch between the chip carrier and the board, and to board flexure. Herein disclosed is a lead (15) for semiconductor chip carriers comprising an elongated body of high melting point electrically conductive material, e.g., solder material. Also disclosed is a method for casting such a solder lead, and a method for attaching a plurality of cast solder leads (38) to a leadless chip carrier (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1983
    Assignee: Western Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventor: John R. Fisher, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4404744
    Abstract: To facilitate crimping, electrical crimp contacts comprising metal members and insulating members are manufactured in strip form. In a single injection molding operation, the insulating members are formed and attached to the metal members, and the insulating members are interconnected by integrally molding members. The latter may extend beyond the ends of the strip of contacts, so that such strips can be joined together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1983
    Assignee: C. A. Weidmuller K.G.
    Inventors: Paul Stenz, Manfred Wilmes
  • Patent number: 4395084
    Abstract: A frame type electrical socket for connecting leadless integrated circuit packages to a printed circuit board is disclosed. The socket includes a rectangular frame member and four contact assemblies. Each contact assembly is designed to detachably mate with each side of the frame. The contact assemblies include molded-in-place contacts which are shaped to provide pressure contacts after they are molded in place. Prior to molding, the contacts are in the form of flat ribbons, allowing them to be constructed in the form of a lead frame. The socket possesses all of the features of molded-in-place contacts as well as having the advantage of being able to replace damaged contacts without discarding the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1983
    Assignee: Teledyne Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard A. Conrad
  • Patent number: 4391039
    Abstract: A wire terminal connection by which a leaf-like contact may be electrically joined with a stripped end portion of a wire lead retained by a non-conductive mounting structure for the contact. As disclosed, the connection is embodied in a battery contact assembly of a photographic camera in which all electrical components are assembled as an interior module to be pretested for operational reliability prior to assembly of the module with an exterior housing. The retention of the wire leads by the non-conductive contact mounting facilitates module assembly and pretesting prior to applying the battery contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1983
    Assignee: Polaroid Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan I. Kaplan
  • Patent number: 4388757
    Abstract: Method for manufacturing an electric switching block of an electromagnetic relay wherein a rocking armature end or ends of an electromagnetic block drives respective movable contactor spring plates between opposing fixed contact terminals in respective switching sections of the switching block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1983
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd., Hans Sauer
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Takeyama, Siro Sakamoto, Koji Sagawa, Tokio Tanishi, Hiroaki Aihoshi, Takao Morimoto
  • Patent number: 4380119
    Abstract: An improved electrical connector assembly (10) is disclosed. The assembly is especially adapted for engagement with a printed circuit board (76) having electrical circuits formed on both sides thereof. The assembly includes a body (12) of molded dielectric material having four spaced rows of passages (24) extending therethrough from a front face (26) to a rear face (28) of the body. The assembly also includes brush wire electrical contacts (14) each received in its respective passage. Each of the contacts has a cylindrical body portion (62) and an elongated tail (64) attached to one end of its body portion. The ends (72) of the termination portions extend beyond the rear face and form two spaced straight line rows adapted to receive the printed circuit board therebetween. The ends (63) of the body portions opposite their respective termination portions comprise four spaced apart, straight line rows of body portion ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1983
    Assignee: The Bendix Corporation
    Inventors: Richard W. Normann, LeRoy W. Fairbairn
  • Patent number: 4380118
    Abstract: A hand tool is disclosed for separately inserting individual replacement terminals into a board mounted connector, the terminals having an active portion for electrically and mechanically engaging the board. The tool has an insertion head with a trident profile formed by two slots between three tines. One tine engages the connector housing and serves as a guide, another tine engages a shoulder of the terminal to apply insertion force, and the last tine engages the free end of the terminal to hold it in a preloaded condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1983
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Donald E. Driver, John W. Kaufman
  • Patent number: 4361955
    Abstract: An electrical jack and method of making the electrical jack wherein a housing is formed with at least one socket for receiving a circuit board edge connector, wherein a circuit card is fixed to the housing and has an end portion extending into the socket for reception in the connector upon insertion of the connector into the socket, and wherein a set of contact spring members are insertable through an aperture in the housing in the process of making the electrical jack. The contact spring members are removably trapped in place against cooperating surfaces on the housing and the circuit card at positions where they cooperate with conductors on the circuit card to normally interconnect two sets of terminals and where they are deflectable by insertion of the connector into the socket to electrically disconnect the two sets of terminals from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1982
    Assignee: Dynatech Laboratories, Incorporated
    Inventor: Jesse F. Lancaster
  • Patent number: 4344224
    Abstract: A switch assembly including a base member having a contact receiving cavity open at the top and defined by a floor that is laterally enclosed by side wall means, first terminal means in the cavity adapted for electrically connection to outside circuitry, second terminal means in the cavity adapted for electrical connection to outside circuitry having a resilient contact blade portion with an end above the first terminal means. The contact blade portion is moveable between a normally open position wherein the end is spaced from the first terminal means in a closed position wherein the end contacts the first terminal means. A thin, stretchable, resilient, impermeable sealing gasket is provided on the base member which overlies the cavity. A cover engages the periphery of the gasket and includes interengaging means cooperating with the base member to lock the covering gasket to the base member to form a hermetic seal over the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1982
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Albert F. Ditzig
  • Patent number: 4343529
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1982
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert P. Reavis, Jr., Lawrence P. Weisenburger
  • Patent number: 4342893
    Abstract: To permit direct bonding of a composite electric contact-and-bonding material to a carrier, such as a reed, magnetic strip, or the like, by thermo-electric heating, the side of the contact-and-bonding material is formed with projections, preferably projecting ridges, ribs, or beads, and a bonding or solder material in wire form is adhered, by rolling on to the valley between the projecting ridges, the bonding or soldering material leaving space free between adjacent ridges or ribs and not filling the entire recess, but projecting outwardly at least as far as the projections or ridges, and preferably slightly therebeyond. The soldering or bonding wire may have round or polygonal, preferably triangular cross section with a pointed tip extending outwardly to provide for concentration of heat upon resistance heating the contact material against the carrier strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1982
    Assignee: WC Heraeus GmbH
    Inventor: Heinrich Wolf
  • Patent number: 4337574
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrical connector of the telephone jack type by insert molding, is disclosed. The conductors for the connector jack are first stamped and formed in continuous strip form from conductive sheet metal with the continuous strip having groups of conductors extending therefrom and spaced along the length of the strip. The strip is fed to an injection molding apparatus and the leading set of conductors of the strip is clamped in the mold of the apparatus in a manner such that the contact portions of the conductors are held between core pins. These core pins extend into the mold cavity so that when the plastic material fills the mold, intermediate portions of the conductors will be embedded in the molding material. When the mold is opened, the core pins are withdrawn from the cavity, the core pins having formed the plug-receiving opening in the telephone jack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1982
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Donald W. K. Hughes, John H. F. Lauterbach
  • Patent number: 4330935
    Abstract: In order to facilitate the gang-insertion of a plurality of contact elements successively into a plurality of slots in each of a plurality of rows of slots in a plastic housing portion of a contact module of a connector system, an assembly fixture in the form of a block having a generally V-shaped trough formed therethrough is provided. The surfaces which form the V-shaped trough are generally normal to each other with one surface supporting portions of a surface of the plastic portion to which the slots open and the other surface supporting an edge surface of the plastic portion. A stepped surface is formed with each portion of the stepped surface adapted to support a plurality of contact elements at successively greater distances from the surface which provides edge support for the plastic portion and with overhanging portions to provide a passageway for receiving rows of priorly inserted contact elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1982
    Assignee: Western Electric Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas G. Blair, Jr., Alfred C. Kummer
  • Patent number: 4316321
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for aligning and press-fitting connector terminals into a substrate. The terminals are initially supported together by a bandolier strip, and an alignment tool aligns the terminals with apertures in the substrate to which the terminals will be press-fitted. A pressing tool engages the shanks of the terminals to fold the bandolier away from the terminals and thereafter press the terminals into the apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1982
    Assignee: Magnetic Peripherals Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Wickham
  • Patent number: 4315365
    Abstract: A ram tip component for inserting terminal posts in a wiring board includes an elongated body having an end face and a terminal post receiving passageway extending into the body through the end face and having outer and inner portions with respect to the end face. A terminal post entry slot extends laterally through the body and the end face and opens into the outer portion of the passageway, and a retaining spring is positioned in the inner portion of the passageway to bias the terminal post in the passageway against a wall thereof. The end of the body opposite the end face is provided with a bore communicating with the inner portion of the passageway, and terminal post stop pins of varying axial length are adapted to be supported in the bore to limit displacement of a terminal post axially inwardly of the passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1982
    Assignee: Elco Corporation
    Inventor: Jon Wigby
  • Patent number: 4312125
    Abstract: Two embodiments of apparatus and method for automatically inserting electrical contacts into an electrical connector (31) are disclosed. Each electrical contact (14) is of the type having a retaining shoulder (21) and the electrical connector is of the type adapted to retain the contacts in cavities (62) formed in the connector. The apparatus includes a vibrating bowl (12, 112) which orients the contacts by vibrating and releases the oriented contacts one at a time. In the first embodiment, a rotary indexer (26), having a plurality of contact receiving passages (40) formed about its outer periphery, receives the oriented contacts, rotates about its axis (27) and releases the reoriented contacts into a plastic transfer tube (52). A slide unit (28) allows the contacts one at a time into a lower part (55) of the tube and into an air chamber (29) at a loading position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1982
    Assignee: The Bendix Corporation
    Inventor: Robert D. Waghorn
  • Patent number: 4301325
    Abstract: A conduit end is sealed around one or more than one insulated conductor by using a chamber (4) having a peripheral wall, a base with an opening through it communicating with the conduit (2) and an opening opposite the base. The conductor(s) (3) extend through both openings; a pre-formed annular body of a setting resin composition (8) is inserted while in a pasty or viscous condition into the chamber to encircle the conductor or conductors. Axial pressure is then applied to the still pasty or viscous annular body to cause it to flow and form a sealing body in peripherally continuous contact with the chamber and with the, or each, insulated conductor, after which the resin composition sets. A kit for use in the method is also claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1981
    Assignee: BICC Limited
    Inventor: John B. Hutchison
  • Patent number: 4298242
    Abstract: A multi-sided contact is provided for use in electrical connectors. The contact sides define an open-ended enclosure for receiving a plug pin. Each side has a reverse bend substantially uniformly formed therein whereby the bend portions of the sides define a reduced throat section for effecting desired gripping engagement with the pin periphery received therein. The terminal end of each contact side defines in part a contact flared entrance-end which when inserted in a connector insulator opening effects a desired preload on the throat section as will hereinafter be explained in greater detail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1981
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventor: William H. McKee
  • Patent number: 4296550
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for manufacturing a jack type connector receptacle of the type comprising a housing having a plug-receiving end and a plug-receiving opening extending into the plug-receiving end. The housing is manufactured as a one piece molding having a single conductor-receiving opening extending therethrough from the rearward end to the plug-receiving end. The conductors are produced as stamped and formed conductors extending from a carrier strip. Conductors are assembled to the housing by severing a section of the strip having a group of side-by-side conductors extending therefrom, inserting the conductors through the opening from the rearward end of the housing, and bending the projecting ends of the conductors into the plug-receiving opening. The rearward end of the conductors are bent laterally so that they can be inserted into openings in a printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1981
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert J. Kobler
  • Patent number: 4292736
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a connector receptacle of the telephone jack type is disclosed. The jack housing is produced as a one-piece molding having conductor-receiving channels extending across one of its external sidewalls from the plug-receiving end to the rearward end. The conductors are manufactured by stamping a flat strip to produce groups of spaced-apart conductors extending laterally of the length of the strip. To assemble the conductors to the housing, a group of conductors is positioned in alignment with the channels and the conductors are inserted into the channels. First end portions of the conductors are reversely bent so that they extend diagonally into the plug-receiving opening of the housing and second end portions may be bent laterally and offset from each other so that the second ends can be inserted into staggered holes on a circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1981
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Donald W. K. Hughes, Ronald W. Myers
  • Patent number: 4284314
    Abstract: A test head 90 having a plurality of contact pairs 81 is formed in a simple monolithic manner. A plurality of first conductors 74 are aligned in a first row and, spaced therefrom, a plurality of second conductors 80 are aligned in a second row. Each conductor has a circuit end and a contact end and each first conductor 74 registers with a mating second conductor 80 to form a plurality of contact pairs 81 at the contact ends.A common base insulator 88 is formed transversely of the conductors 74 and 80 at the circuit ends to maintain conductor spacing in an electrically insulated manner. A common bar insulator 86 is formed transversely of the second conductors 80 to maintain the contact spacing within the pairs 81 when the conductors are flexed toward a device 27 to be tested.In a method of making a test head 90, the conductors are made in patterns 56 from sheet 55 having a substantially uniform metallurgical composition and each pattern 56 includes a member 72 connected to the circuit ends of the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1981
    Assignee: Western Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph N. Lesyk
  • Patent number: 4272879
    Abstract: This invention relates to methods and apparatus for making electrical connectors and, in one embodiment suitable for use with a multiplicity of parallel planar arrayed, spaced-apart insulated conductors, comprises means for and the steps of retainably positioning the conductor array above the crimp retainer portions of interconnected connector members, inserting the conductors into the connectors, positionally affixing the conductors to the connectors as by crimp means encircling the cable insulation and crimp means enveloping the exposed cable conductors, shearing the strips which interconnect the connector members to each other, and inserting the cables and their associated connectors into an associated connector block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1981
    Inventors: Jon Wigby, Ralph L. Piatt, James D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 4271581
    Abstract: An apparatus including feeding and assembling mechanisms by which a strip of terminals will be fed into a work station where a plurality of such terminals are separated from the strip and are forcibly inserted into a terminal holder that has been properly indexed in a receiving position. The apparatus provides a single drive source consisting of a plurality of operational cams for sequentially completing the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1981
    Assignee: Mid-West Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Eitzinger
  • Patent number: 4270267
    Abstract: A machine is disclosed for mass insertion of multiple terminals into preformed passageways in housings, printed circuit boards or the like. The terminals each have one end detachably secured to a flexible carrier strip and are transported to the insertion station thereby. The machine grips large groups of the terminal in the insertion station, removes them from the carrier strip, and inserts the terminals into the preformed passageways in a housing, printed circuit board, or the like. The terminals are carried and inserted in two parallel spaced rows, with the alignment therebetween being insured by a shuttle which is placed between the rows of terminals at the insertion station. The group of terminals to be inserted is grasped by jaw members and held against the shuttle during the insertion movement. The jaws then release the terminals and return the shuttle to its original position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1981
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Johannes C. W. Bakermans
  • Patent number: 4258469
    Abstract: In apparatus and method for installing a multi-contact electrical connector at the terminus of a multi-conductor cable, a plurality of electrical contacts are inserted in a dielectric body member of the connector with the installed adjacent contacts spaced apart a relatively short, accurately determined distance and the installation method and means provide for the insertion of the contacts sequentially, in interlaced groups of simultaneously inserted contacts, thereby enabling the adjacent simultaneously inserted contacts of each sequential group to be spaced apart a distance greater than the limited given distance during installation while maintaining the accuracy of the relatively short given distance between adjacent installed contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1981
    Inventor: William R. Salvesen
  • Patent number: 4233732
    Abstract: A method of assembling a relay device adapted to be removably mounted in plug-on relation to male terminals. The relay device has a housing portion with a pair of cavities therein adapted to seat a pair of female terminals electrically connected to electrical leads in circuit means of the relay device. In this method, the female terminal pair are arranged with respect to the cavity pair so that the female terminal pair may be seated therein. A cover is releasably secured onto the housing portion in a predetermined assembled position to capture the female terminal pair in the cavity pair, and a pair of openings in the cover are disposed with respect to the cavity pair and the female terminal pair for accommodating the passage through the opening pair of the male terminal into electrical contacting engagement with the female terminal pair when the relay device is removably mounted in the plug-on relation with the male terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1980
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Thomas J. Kindelspire
  • Patent number: 4231628
    Abstract: Electrical connector receptacle comprises an insulating housing having a plug-receiving end and a plug-receiving cavity extending into the plug-receiving end. A plurality of side-by-side stamped and formed conductors are insert-molded in the housing and have intermediate portions imbedded in the housing between one of the internal sidewalls of the opening and the adjacent external sidewall of the housing. First end portions of the conductors emerge from the one internal sidewall of the opening proximate to the plug-receiving end and extend diagonally from the internal sidewall into the cavity, these first end portions serving as spring contacts. The second ends of the conductors emerge from the adjacent external sidewall at a location adjacent to the rearward end of the housing. Stamped and formed metallic mounting posts are imbedded into the housing and extend from the adjacent external sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1980
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Donald W. K. Hughes, John H. F. Lauterbach
  • Patent number: 4197636
    Abstract: A method of producing a structure of connection terminals with contacts includes a step of forming a synthetic resin by molding with a comb-shaped intermediate material buried therein such that end portions of the terminals of the intermediate are left unburied and cutting off the portion of the intermediate material connecting the terminals from the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1980
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Osanai
  • Patent number: 4196959
    Abstract: A carrier strip assembly of continuous length having transversely mounted round lead wires with an integrally formed resilient clamp on each end of each lead wire for connection with an electrical component substrate. The carrier strip provides the transporting means for the attached electrical component substrate for the assembly stages of the electrical component. The lead wires are severed from the carrier strip portion to provide outwardly extending round lead pins or external connects for interface with an electrical circuit assembly. The method for making the carrier strip assembly is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1980
    Assignee: Beckman Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Chesemore, Thomas C. Burns