US3235832A

US3235832A - Solderless multi-terminal plugs and method of connecting wires thereto

Info

Publication number: US3235832A
Application number: US212867A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stephen N Buchanan; Walter S Pawl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-07-27
Filing date: 1962-07-27
Publication date: 1966-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1983-02-15

Description

6 s. N. BUCHANAN ETAL 3,235,832

SDLDERLESS MULTITERMINAL PLUGS AND METHOD OF CONNECTING WIRES THERETO Filed July 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lll l M m AL JHWf Zn 5 1% R TM W H fiWv M lll lmam. G a H "a ||||T4. 2 n 7 Feb. 15, 1966 s. N. BUC N ETAL 3,235,832

SOLDERLESS LTI-TE IN P 5 AND METHOD OF NECTING WIRES RETO Filed y 1962 s She-sts-She-et s Ham F/Q/A' INVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent SOLDERLESS MULTl-TERMINAL PLUGS AND METHOD OF CONNECTING WIRES THERETO Stephen N. Buchanan, 5141 Massachusetts Ave. NW.,

Westmoreland Hills, Md., and Walter S. Paw],

10480 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, Md. Filed July 27, 1962, Ser. No. 212,867 Claims. (Cl. 33964) This invention relates to the construction of multi-terminal plugs and methods of solderless connection of the wires to these terminals and tools therefor.

The object of this invention is to eliminate the soldering of wires to the terminals of multi-terrninal plugs by stepping the terminal blocks of these plugs on their wire terminal faces so as to raise the bases of the protruding terminal ends in each succeeding row behind the outer row, to the level of the top of the ends in the row in front of it, thus providing easy access to each row of terminal ends from the outer side of the block, with a special tool for fixing the wire in each terminal.

A further object is thus to pyramid the rows of terminal ends in a symmetrical pattern about the center of circular or polygonal blocks and about the longitudinal axis of oblong blocks.

A further object is to correspondingly step the plug face of a block inwardly so as to enable the use of terminals of the same length in all the rows of the block in one block, preferably the male plug block, to provide a protective hollow for the protruding male plugs, in which hollow the male plugs are protected against damage in handling, the female plug block being pyramided outwardly to fit into this hollow for connection of the protruding male plugs with the hollow female plugs which are set ino the faces of the steps of the femal plug block.

A further object is to make both blocks inwardly stepped on their adjacent faces, so as to be able to use the same length of terminals in all the rows in each block, and provide light insulated extension rods of various lengths on the plugs of one block for connection with the plugs in the other plug block, thus eliminating the weight of the mass of block material that these lightly insulated rods, displace in this form of terminal plug.

A further object is to use a tool with jaws that will fit around a wire terminal end with sufiicient clearance to be brought down over one such end in relatively opened condition and then closed around this tubular end in which a wire has been inseried, in order to dent the tube at one side tightly into the wire for a strong high-pressure contact. A further object is to use the terminal ends on both sides of the one being dented, as guides for corresponding shoulders on the tool jaws, to facilitate centering the jaws over the end to be dented.

Other and more specific objects will appear in the following detailed description of the invention as illustrated in the several views of the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a face view of a circular terminal block made in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a plug assembly as taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are similar views of a rectangular terminal block,

FIGS. 5 and 6 are similar views of a polygonal terminal block,

3,235,832 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 FIG. 7 is a sectional view of male and female block plug terminals,

FIG. 8 shows in side elevation a denting tool applied to a wire terminal,

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the same assembly,

FIG. 10 is a sectional view through the jaws taken on the line 1010 of FIG. 9,

FIG. 11 is a plan view of another form of denting tool being applied to a terminal tube,

FIG. 12 is a different form of tool similarly applied,

FIG. 13 is a side view thereof,

FIG. 14 is a detail sectional view of the tool jaws taken on the line 1414in FIG. 12,

FIG. 15 is a side view of the same tool with the handles angularly offset from the jaws for more convenient operation over the steps of the block, and

FIG. 16 is a section similar to FIG. 2 of a portion of a modified form of blocks, using insulated conductor pins extending through the hollow space between the plugs to connect the respective terminal plugs together when the plug connection is made.

The present plug blocks may take any form crosswise and are formed with steps for each successive row of terminals back of the outer row toward the center of the block. FIG. 1 shows a distribution pattern of rows in a circular block 20, where the circumferential or outer row of terminal ends 22 extends from the lowest step 24, the successive rows back to this row toward the center of the block extending from

steps

26, 28, 30 and 32, which are each substantially at the level of the top of the terminal ends 22 in the row in front of it.

A similarly stepped conformation raises the successively shorter rows of terminal ends 22 back of the peripherally outer row 34, in the polygonal form of plug block 36 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In the rectangular form 38 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the successive rows back of the outer rows 42 of terminal ends 22 toward the longitudinal axis 40 extend from steps raised substantially to the top of the terminal ends 22 in the preceding rows.

Quick disconnect casings may be provided of any wellknown types, or as illustrated in section in FIGS. 2., 4 and 6, having cable openings 21.

The terminal pins 44 with male plug ends 46 and the terminal pins 48 with female plug ends 50, used in the outer rows in any form of block may be made of a standard short shank length as shown in enlarged sectional view in FIG. 7. Each

44 and 48 is provided with a wire terminal end 22 in the outer row of terminal ends of each block.

In the form of blocks shown in FIG. 6, the terminal pins having wire terminal ends 22 in the successively raised steps toward the center of the blocks have correspondingly longer shanks. Terminal pins 44 44 44 and 44 having male plug ends mating with the alined female plug ends of terminals pins 48 48 48 and 48 respectively, in opposed flat plug faces 52 and 54 of the blocks 36.

While a tubular end is shown as the wire terminal end 22 of the terminal pins here illustrated, adapted for receiving the bared end of a wire 55, any other suitable form of wireterminal ends may be formed on these terminal pins. The purpose of stepping the rows of terminal ends is to facilitate the fixing of the wires to the terminal ends by making them more accessible than they have been in the prior art. The stepping of the rows furthermore provides an increased insulator surface distance between pins, so

that the lateral spacing may be considerably reduced without danger of surface current leakage between the pins, so that a more compact plug block may now be made for the required number of terminal pins in the block.

The plug end faces 52 and 54 have substantially identical counterbore pockets 56 in the oversize bores 58 through the block for loosely receiving the shanks of the terminal pins. The lengths of these bores 58 correspond to the thickness of the block at the several steps of the block.

To provide some protection of the protruding male plug ends when the blocks are disconnected, the block 20 has its male plug face stepped inwardly, forming a protective hollow for the male plug ends, the outer row of these ends being surrounded by the peripheral shoulder 62 on the reinforcing collar 64. The terminal pins 44 are all of the same minimum length. The mating plug block 60 is stepped outwardly to fit into the hollow inwardly stepped plug end face of block 20. Block 60 requires a different length of terminal pins for the different steps of the block, viz. pins 48 48 48 and 48 The terminal pins have a loose fit in the bores 58 for limited lateral adjustment at their plug ends to facilitate alignment of corresponding plug ends when plugging blocks together. Counterbores 56 in the plug faces of each block provide pockets forming shoulders 57 against which an upset ridge 59 on the pins is engaged, upon assembly of each pin as its wire terminal end 22 is passed through the bore 58, and the outer edges of a collar 53 fixed at the proper place on the pin, is swayed outwardly to fit loosely over the end of bore 58, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7.

In order to lighten the weight of block 60, it may be hollowed out by inward steps like block 20, as shown in FIG. 16, and insulated

extension plug pins

62, 62 62 and 62 are used in this case, between the

corresponding terminal pins

44 and 48. These extension plug pins are each provided with a male plug end 46 and a female plug end 50, and the insulating tubes are counterbored at their ends to form pockets 56 for the

plug ends

46 and 50.

The terminal ends 2 are tubular and are provided with peep holes 23 for inspection when inserting a wire, to see that it is fully pushed in before denting the tubular end over into the side of the wire.

The tool for fixing the wire in the tubular end is provided with a pair of

jaws

64 and 66 adapted to fit around a tubular end 22 and having plier handles 68 pivoted at 70. One of the jaws has an inwardly protruding edge 72 for pressing into one side of the tubular end 22 as the jaws are moved together around the end 22, thus denting the tubular end in with the high leverage provided by the short jaws to depress the dent firmly into the side of the wire 55. The jaws are provided with guide shoulders 74 for sliding against the adjacent tubular ends to guide the jaws over the end 22 between them, and the denting protrusion is brought to the proper level of the tubular end' 22, when the jaws of the tool are brought down flush on the face of the block. The handles 68 are angularly formed to extend upwardly from the plane of the jaws, to facilitate working from the top of the tubular ends, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The tool may take other forms. FIG, 11 illustrates a form similar to that shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 but for the handles 76 which are in the same plane with the jaws 65 and 67.

The

jaws

78 and 80 in the tools illustrated in FIGS. 12 to are operated by handles 81 in the vertical plane, the hooked jaw 78 being lowered behind the tubular end 22 with the jaws open, and as they are closed the cam jaw 80 dents the near side of the tubular end 22 in against a wire that is inserted therein for a high pressure contact therewith.

The handles 82 in FIG. 15 extend at an angle upwardly from the plane of the block face, to facilitate using the tool from the top of the tubular ends 22.

Many obvious modifications in the form and arrangement of parts of the present blocks may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wire terminal plug comprising a terminal plug block having a wire terminal face having a stepped configuration defining a series of raised ledges, a plurality of terminal plug elements mounted in said plug block and having a terminal end extending out of said raised ledges for receiving the end of a wire and adapted to have the wire fixed thereto, the terminal ends in a lower ledge extending only to the level of the next higher ledge, said terminal plug elements extending through the terminal plug block, said terminal plug block having a plug face, the plug face being flat, each plug element having a plug end at the plug face of said block adapted to be connected to a mating plug element of a terminal plug element in a mating terminal plug.

2. A wire terminal plug as claimed in claim 1 in which said terminal plug block has a plurality of bores therethrough corresponding in number to the number of terminal plug plug elements, each bore having a smaller diameter portion and a larger diameter portion defining a shoulder therebetween, and each terminal plug element having an enlarged portion thereon abutting against said shoulder and having a flange fitted tightly thereon and bent over and in engagement with the face of said terminal plug block out of which the smaller diameter portion of said bore opens for mounting said terminal plug element in said bore for permitting movement of the ends of said plug element laterally of the bore.

3. A wire terminal plug comprising a terminal plug block having a wire terminal face having a stepped configuration defining a series of raised ledges, a plurality of terminal plug elements mounted in said plug block and having a terminal end extending out of said raised ledges for receiving the end of a wire and adapted to have the wire fixed thereto, the terminal ends in a lower ledge extending only to the level of the next higher ledge, said terminal plug elements extending through the terminal plug block, said terminal plug block having a plug face, the plug face having an inwardly stepped face corresponding to the stepped configuration of the wire terminal face, the terminal plugs in all of the ledges being the same length, each plug element having a plug end at the plug face of said block adapted to be connected to a mating plug element of a terminal plug element in a mating terminal plug.

4. A wire terminal plug as claimed in claim 3 and a plurality of extension pins equal in number to the number of terminal plug elements in the recessed portion of said plug block said extension pins having ends complementary to the plug ends of the terminal plug elements in said plug face, said extension pins being adapted to connect with corresponding plug ends in an opposing plug block having the same configuration as said plug block.

5. A wire terminal plug comprising a terminal plug block having a wire terminal face having a stepped configuration defining a series of raised ledges, a plurality of terminal plug elements mounted in said plug block and having a terminal end extending out of said raised ledges for receiving the end of a Wire and adapted to have the wire fixed thereto, the terminal ends in a lower ledge extending only to the level of the next higher ledge, said terminal plug elements extending through the terminal plug block, said terminal plug block having a plug face, the plug face having an outwardly stepped face adapted to mate with an inwardly stepped plug face having an inwardly stepped plug face with a corresponding stepped shape, each plug element having a plug end at the plug face of said block adapted to be connected 5 to a mating plug element of a terminal plug element in a mating terminal plug.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,955,695 4/1934 Veling 81-15 2,435,562 2/1948 Swengel 8115 2,437,358 3/1948 Mowery 339-192 X 6 10/1956 Luebking 339198 6/1957 Wells 339276 12/1959 Steans 339192 X 1/1962 Nava et a1. 33964 FOREIGN PATENTS 805,422 12/1958 Great Britain.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A WIRE TERMINAL PLUG COMPRISING A TERMINAL PLUG BLOCK HAVING A WIRE TERMINAL FACE HAVING A STEPPED CONFIGURATION DEFINING A SERIES OF RAISED LEDGES, A PLURALITY OF TERMINAL PLUG ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN SAID PLUG BLOCK AND HAVING A TERMINAL END EXTENDING OUT OF SAID RAISED LEDGES FOR RECEIVING THE END OF WIRE AND ADAPTED TO HAVE THE WIRE FIXED THERETO, THE TERMINAL ENDS IN A LOWER LEDGE EXTENDING ONLY TO THE LEVEL OF THE NEXT HIGHER