US3617983A

US3617983A - Terminal junction interconnection system

Info

Publication number: US3617983A
Application number: US805160A
Authority: US
Inventors: George Allen Patton
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1969-03-07
Filing date: 1969-03-07
Publication date: 1971-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-02

Abstract

Terminal device for a wire comprises a section of metal strip bent 180* intermediate its end to form two plate sections connected by a bight. A slot extends into the bight and partially into the plate sections. Wire is forced into the slot and electrically contacted by edges of the slot in each plate section. Modified version has a third plate section integral with other two plate sections. Third plate section may be slotted or unslotted; if unslotted, the third plate section functions as a wire trimming means in cooperation with an insertion tool. Housings and mounting means of various types for terminals are also disclosed to hold a plurality of terminals.

Description

llnited Inventor George Allen Patton Piaiitown, N.C.

Appl. No. 805,160

Filed Mar. 7, 1969 Patented Nov. 2, 1971 Assignee AMlP incorporated Harrisburg, Pa.

Continuation-impart in application Ser. No. 724,346, Apr. 26,1968, now abandoned.

TERMINAL JUNCTION llNTElRCONNECTION SYSTEM 10 Claims, 26 Drawing Figs.

[ 1 ammo Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorneys-Curtis, Morris and Safford, William J. Keating,

William Hintze, Frederick W. Raring, Adrian J. La Rue and Jay L. Seitchik ABSTRACT: Terminal device for a wire comprises a section of metal strip bent 180 intermediate its end to form two plate sections connected by a bight. A slot extends into the bight and partially into the plate sections. Wire is forced into the slot and electrically contacted by edges of the slot in each plate section. Modified version has a third plate section integral with other two plate sections. Third plate section may be slotted or unslotted; if unslotted, the third plate section functions as a wire trimming means in cooperation with an insertion tool. Housings and mounting means of various types for terminals are also disclosed to hold a plurality of terminals.

PATENTEU NW2 IBYI SHEET 2 BF 8 PATENTED wave 19?:

SHEET UF 8 PATENTEnwuvz IBTI 361K983 sum or a TEiiMllNAiL JUNCTIION lINTFlRCONNlECTlION SYSTEM This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 724,346, filed Apr. 26, 1968, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to terminal devices, methods of manufacturing terminal devices, and to connectors containing a plurality of terminal devices for making interconnections among a plurality of conductors. Some herein disclosed embodiments of the invention are particularly intended for use in telephone installations for making interconnections among numerous conductors. However, terminal devices in accordance with the invention might be used under a wide variety of circumstances.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved terminal device. A further object is to provide improved connecting device for making connections among a plurality of insulated conductors. A further object is to provide a connecting device which permits connections between different conductors to be made with relative ease by an unskilled or semiskilled technician. A still further object is to provide a connecting device having a combination means for establishing electrical contact with the conducting core of a wire when the connection is made and means for trimming the end of the wire at a location adjacent to the electrical contact. A further object of the invention is to provide alternative types of housings or mounting means for a plurality of terminal devices and to achieve thereby a composite connecting apparatus which can be made in varying sizes to suit the needs of many different individual situations. Further objects include the achievement of improved methods of manufacturing terminal devices and an improved blank from which a terminal device can be manufactured.

A terminal device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention comprises a strip of metal which has been bent through an angle of substantially 180 intermediate its ends to form two parallel plate sections connected by a bight. A slot extends into the bight and into both of the plate sections and is adapted to receive a wire in a manner such that the wire insulation is penetrated by edge portions of the slot to establish electrical contact with the wire core. The terminal device is produced by punching an elongated narrow opening in a metal strip and bending the strip.

A multicontact connector in accordance with the invention, for interconnecting a plurality of conductors, may comprise s plurality of individual terminal devices mounted on, and held on the surface of, a supporting block. Each terminal member has a third platelike section which functions as a shearing member in cooperation with an insertion tool in a manner such that as the wire is forced into the slots of the other two sections, the scrap portion of the wire which extends beyond the shearing plate is severed from the active or functional portion of the wire. In an alternative embodiment the third section is provided with a slot to permit connection of an intermediate portion of a wire thereto.

The individual terminals may be held on the supporting block or base by a clamping plate which fits snugly over the base member and surrounds the individual terminals locking them in place. In this embodiment of the invention, a cap member is provided to enclose the entire connector and means are provided at the corners of the housing for admitting a multiconductor cable and clamping the cable to thereby further improve the strain-relief means for the wires. In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, the individual terminal members are provided as associated pairs with a neck or shank connecting corresponding plate portions of the two terminal members of each pair. Terminal members of this type are supported on a modular composite mounting block which is composed of a plurality of block sections latched together. Recesses are provided in the adjacent sides ofthe block sections which are adapted to receive the neck or shank portions of the individual terminals. The block sections, in turn, are secured to a mounting plate through which the cables extend and which may be, in turn, secured to a suitable mounting surface.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of one form of connector in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view showing the base por tion and the clamping plate portion of the connector of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2 and showing an individual terminal member exploded from the base member and the clamping plate;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional side view of the connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. Sis a view taken along the lines 5-5 ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an individual terminal member in alignment with an insertion tool and illustrating the relationship of the parts when a wire is being connected to the terminal member;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a terminal member and an insertion tool showing the positions of the parts after the connection has been made and the end of the wire has been trimmed;

FIGS. 3 and 9 are views taken along the lines d% and 9-9 of FiG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a blank of the type from which terminal members for the embodiment of FIG. I are manufactured;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner portion of the connector of FIG. l and illustrating the manner in which a clamping plug is assembled to a strain-relief device to clamp an incoming cable;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. II but showing the clamping plug in its clamping position;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a connecting device in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of a comer portion of the connector of FIG. 13 with parts exploded from the assembly;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the terminal member used in the connecting device of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a plan view of the blank from which the terminal member of FIG. 15 is produced; 7

FIG. 17 is a side view of the connector of FIG. 13 and illustrating the manner in which the incoming and outgoing cables are interconnected by the terminals in the connector;

FIG. 18 is a side view of a double-ended terminal device having terminals on its end in accordance with alternative embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 19 is a side view on an enlarged scale of a terminal of the type provided on the terminal device of FIG. 18 and illustrating the manner in which insulated wires are temporarily positioned in the slots of the terminal device prior to complete insertion;

FIG. 20 is a view taken along the lines 20-20 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a view similar to FIG. I9 but illustrating the insertion of the wires into the terminal device and the trimming of the end portions of the wires;

FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 20 but showing a wire fully inserted into the terminal;

FIG. 23 is a side view of a double-ended terminal device in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 24 is a plan view of the sheet metal blank from which the terminal device of FIG. 23 is formed;

FIG. 25 is a fragmentary perspective view of a terminal block assembly having terminal devices of the type shown in FIG. 23 mounted therein;

FIG. 26 is a sectional end view showing a group of terminal devices of the type shown in FIG. 23 having wires connected thereto and illustrating the manner in which adjacent terminal devices can be electrically commoned.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-3, one form of connector 2 in accordance with the invention comprises a base member 4, a retaining or clamping plate member ti, and a cover plate d, these members being of suitable molded insulating material such as a high impact strength ABS (acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene) resin. A plurality of .terminal members are clamped against surface portions of the base 4 by means of the retaining plate 6, each terminal, in this embodiment, comprising three substantially

parallel plate sections

12, 14, and 16 which are connected by

integral bights

18, 20. A plurality of slots extend downwardly, as viewed in the drawing, through the bight 20 and form, in effect, side-by-

side slots

22a, 24a, 26a, and 22b, 24b and 26b in the

plate portions

14, 16 respectively, see FIG. 6. These slots, in the embodiment, are relatively wide at their upper ends in the vicinity of the bight 20 in order to facilitate positioning of the wires in the slots. The lower portions of the slots are relatively narrow, the width of the portions of the

slots

22a, 24 a, 26a in the plate portion 14 being less than the diameter of the conducting core 32 of the wire. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the lower portions of the

slots

22b, 24b, 26b in the plate section 16 are preferably relatively wider than

slots

22a, 24a, 26a, and may have a width substantially equal to, but slightly less than, the diameter of the metallic core of the wire. By virtue of this arrangement, when a wire is forced downwardly into the slots, as will be explained below and as illustrated in FIG. 7, the slots in the plate section 14 will penetrate the insulation and will deform the conducting core 32 of the wire by a substantial amount thereby establishing a low resistance electrical contact. The slots in the plate portion 16 on the other hand will penetrate the insulation and penetrate the core slightly so that they provide a strain-relief. The provision of a strain-relief of this type ensures that the electrical contact will not be disturbed by the application of a tensile force to the wire.

The plate section 30 of the terminal device, which functions as a shearing means, has a height which is substantially less than that of the

plate sections

14, 16 so that this plate section 12 provides an upper edge 30 which extends transversely of the

slot portions

22a, 24a, 26a. The bight 18 between the plate portions l2, 14 has transversely extending feet 17 on its sides and the plate portion 16 has similar feet 19 on its opposite sides. These projections cooperate with the retaining member 6 to secure the terminal members in the housing 2 as will be described below.

The individual wires are electrically connected to the terminal member by means of an insertion tool having a shank portion 38 and a head portion 36. A suitable handle can be provided on the upper portion of the shank member 38 or alternatively a self-tripping impact hammer can be provided as described, for example, in US. Pat. No. 2,774,133. Such impact tools with self-tripping hammers are desirable for making electrical connections for the reason that the technician making the connection will be assured that he has achieved the desired result and imposed the necessary force on the wire or terminal when he pushes on the tool with sufficient force to trip the hammer. As will be apparent from the explanation presented below, a self-tripping hammer of this type can be used in the same general manner as disclosed in the aboveidentified patent.

The lower end of the tool head 36 is provided with three depending

arms

42, 44, 46. The central arm 42 has a width substantially equal to the distance between the plate portions l2, 14 of the terminal and has a recess on its lower end at 46, the width of this recess being somewhat greater than the diameter of the insulation 34 of the wire. The arm 44 has a similar notch or recess 48 on its underside and is spaced from the arm 42 by an amount equal to the thickness of the plate portion 12 of the terminal. The arm 40 may be of any convenient thickness and is spaced from the arm 42 by an amount equal to the distance between the oppositely directed faces of the plate portions l4, 16 so that it can fit over the bight 20 as illustrated in FIG. 7.

When a wire is to be connected to a terminal member 10, the wire is positioned in the enlarged upper portion 28 of the appropriate one of the notches in the

plate members

14, 16. The tool is then located above the terminal member with the intermediate arm 42 in alignment with the space between

plate portions

12, 14 and with the arm 40 disposed adjacent to the plate portion 16. The tool is then pushed downwardly until the wire is forced into the lower portions of the notches. During such downward movement of the tool and the wire, the portion of the wire which projects leftwardly as viewed in FIGS. 6 and 7 beyond the plate portion 14 will be sheared in the plane of the plate portion 30 by the cooperative action of the edge 30 and the adjacent edge of the inner side of the recess 48 of arm 44. As previously noted, the

tool

38, 36 may take the fonn of a center punch type impact handtool so that the tool need only be pushed downwardly until the hammer in the tool handle is tripped thereby assuring that the wire is moved downwardly. The portion of the wire which is pushed into the slot portion in the plate 14 will be radically deformed and the sides of the slot will penetrate the conducting core of the wire thereby to establish the electrical contact as shown in FIG. 8. The portion of the wire which is moved into the slot in the plate 16 will have its insulation penetrated by the sides of the slot thereby to provide the strain-relief discussed above.

Another form of insertion tool for putting wires into the slots of connectors or terminals in accordance with the invention is disclosed in the copending application of Christopher K. Brown, Ser. No. 776,383, filed Nov. 18, I968. The Brown tool differs from the tool shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 in several respects, one significant difference being the provision of a reaction arm of the tool which embraces the bight 18 so that it supports the terminal device while the wires are being inserted and trimmed by the application of downward forces on the wires. The provision of this reaction device is advantageous in that the forces applied to the terminal during wire insertion are not transmitted to the housing or mounting means for the terminal (which may be of the types described below) and the housings or mounting means need not therefore be designed to withstand the imposition of the insertion forces.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the electrical connection of the terminal to the wire core and the mechanical strain-relief for the wire are achieved by the

plate sections

14, 16 of the embodiment described above and that the plate section 12 is not directly related to the electrical function of the terminal but is rather provided as a convenience for the operation of connecting the wire to the terminal. In an embodiment described below (FIG. 23) the plate section of the terminal corresponding to the plate section 12 is provided with a slot to permit the electrical connection of an intermediate portion of a wire to a terminal in accordance with the broad principles of the invention.

In its broadest aspect, then, the terminal in accordance with the invention comprises a metal plate which has been bent through an angle of substantially to form a pair of substantially parallel side-by-side plate sections connected by a bight. The wire receiving slot, or slots, extend into the bight and partially into each of the plate sections so that a wire inserted into the slot means is penetrated by the edges of the slots in both of the plate sections. Terminal members of this general type can be used under a wide variety of circum-' stances and in a wide variety of sizes. For example, a terminal in accordance with the invention might be provided on a printed circuit board or on a component or device such as a relay or resistor to connect wires thereto. Terminal devices in accordance with the invention have several advantages over previous slotted plate type terminal devices from both a manufacturing standpoint and from an electrical and mechanical performance standpoint as is described immediately below.

Referring to FIG. 10, the manufacture of a terminal device in accordance with the invention is achieved by punching elongated openings in a metal strip 10' and merely bending the blank about a transverse axis to form the two essential parallel plate sections shown in FIGS. 3,6, and 7. The blank 10 of FIG. 10 is ofa length such that it can be bent at two locations to provide the plate section 12 of the above described embodiment but a simpler version of a terminal device in accordance with the invention would, as noted above, not having this shearing plate. It will be noted from FIG. 10 that the

slots

26b, 24b, and 22b are somewhat wider than the

slots

26a, 24a, and 22a. The enlarged upper ends of the slots in the finished terminal which opens into the bight is indicated at 28 in FIG. 10.

The punching operation required to produce the blank of FIG. it) is relatively simple and can be carried out with simple and easily maintained tooling. Moreover, since the aligned slots in the two plate sections of the terminal device are formed when the blank is bent through an angle of 180, the slots 26a, 2619,24la, 241b, and 22a, 22b will be in alignment with each other and will be close together after final forming of the terminal device.

Terminal devices in accordance with the general principles of the invention appear to have substantial advantages over the previously known slotted plate type terminal devices. It is believed that the electrical and mechanical advantages of the instant terminal device stern in a large measure, from the U- shaped profile of the terminal device with the slot extending through the bight of the U and partially into each of the plate sections which comprise the legs of the U. In other words, it is believed that the advantages of the instant device stem from the facts that the edges of the plate sections into which the slots extend are connected by the bight.

When an oversized wire is passed through the gap in the bight and into the slots in the plate sections M, 16 the wire urges the edges of the slots apart and the reaction forces imposed on the wire by the edges of the slot establish the electrical connection between the wire and the terminal. Thus referring to FIG. 6, the wire, upon insertion, tends to urge the plate section specifically identified at 11 outwardly, the force imposed on this plate section being relatively high since the slot in this plate section is narrow and the deformation of the wire is extreme. The plate section 13 is also urged outwardly but to a much lesser degree because of the fact the slot is relatively wider than the slot in the plate portion 11 and the loads developed are not as high as in the plate section 14. The plate portion lll does not act as a simple cantilever when the wire is forced into the terminal device because of the fact that the end of the plate portion Jill is connected by the bight to the plate portion 113 which is not so heavily stressed by the inserted wire. The end of the plate portion 13 thus supports the end of the plate portion ll against lateral flexure and the edge of the slot in the plate section M is maintained in intimate engagement with the metallic core 32 of the wire.

These features of the terminal device discussed above can be translated, on a practical and utilitarian level, to the achievement of a terminal device which can be made much more compact than previously known slotted plate type terminal devices. Specifically, if a terminal device in accordance with the invention is designed with a given material, say a 70-30 brass, and if the stress level is limited to some practical value, then a terminal in accordance with the invention can be substantially narrower as measured between the edges of the plate sections, than previously known slotted plate-type terminals. This advantage results in the achievement of a higher density of connections in a given space and/or a saving in material cost. It will also beapparent that a high degree of space saving is achieved by virtue of the fact that the two plate sections M, 216 of the terminal are extremely close together rather than being spaced apart by a substantial distance.

It should be noted that the instant invention includes the broad combination of any desired slotted plate-type terminal with an adjacent shearing plate as exemplified by the plate section l2. In other words, the shearing plate 12 can be used in combination with one additional plate having a wire-receiving slot therein (rather than two additional plates) if desired and/or where a specific situation dictates the use of only a single slotted plate.

One form of housing or support for terminals in accordance with the invention is shown in FIGS. 2-5. The base portion d of the connector housing comprises a floor 52 having a plurality of spaced-apart upstanding ribs 50. The sides 56 of the base and the sidewalls of the ribs extend downwardly as viewed in FIG. 8 below the floor 52 so that the entire base structure is supported above the surface ofthe mounting panel to which it is secured. The base structure 4 may be secured to any con venient mounting panel by suitable means, for example, by means of fasteners extending through openings 57 in the floor. Each of the four corners of the base structure 4 is provided with a pair of spaced-apart upstanding columns 159 which define an arcuate recess 58 for reception of a cable. Additionally, clamping means are provided for clamping the incoming and outgoing cables in these recesses as will be described below.

The retaining plate 6, which is also of a relatively firm insulating material, comprises a plurality of spaced-apart hollow bosses or ribs 66 which are connected by integral web portions 62, the interior width of these ribs 66 being substantially equal to, and slightly greater than, the width of the ribs 56 on the base portion of the housing. The upper surfaces 66 of the ribs 60 have a plurality of spaced-apart rectangular openings 64 which are dimensioned such that the individual terminal members It) can be inserted through these openings from the underside of the retaining plate although the lateral extending feet l7, 19 of the terminal members will prevent their passage entirely through the openings. After the terminals have been inserted through the opening 64, the retaining plate 6 is moved downwardly onto the base member 4 until latch arms 68 on the ends of the ribs 66 pass through suitable openings 76 in the floor 62 of the base portion. These latch arms have hooked ends as shown so that they will lodge beneath the surface of the floor, as shown in FIG. 5, and hold the retaining plate in assembled relationship to the base.

When a plurality of conductors in two or more individual cables are being interconnected, the base member 4 is secured against a suitable mounting panel and the appropriate number of terminal members are mounted in the retaining plate 6. The retaining plate is thereafter assembled to the base member and the necessary electrical connections are made to the terminal members by means of an insertion tool as described above. The wires extending from the cable-supporting surfaces 58 at the corners of the base member are led to the appropriate terminal members along the passageways which are defined between the hollow rectangular bosses 60 of the cover plate.

After the electrical connections among the conductors of the several cables have been made, the incoming or outgoing cables are clamped between the columns 59 by means of plug members generally indicated at 84, FIGS. ill and 12. These plug members are adapted to be received between the opposed sides of the column members 59 and each plug member has a boss 86 on its underside with an arcuate surface d8 adapted to bear against the surface of the cable 82 on the opposite side thereof from the side supported on the surfaces 58. Shoulders 90 extend beyond the sides of the plug 84 and are adapted to lodge beneath internal shoulders 92 on the opposed sides of the column members 59. The upper portion 84 of the clamping plug is dimensioned such that it will be pushed downwardly against the cable and into locked relationship with the columns 59 when the cap member 72 is assembled to the connector,

The cap member 8 has sidewalls 72 which surround the walls 56 of the base and additionally has openings 7d at each of its four corners in alignment with the columns 59 to permit passage of the cables into the connector. If desired, these openings M can be formed by providing perforated plugs which would be knocked out when the connector is being installed and when the electrical connections are being made. With this arrangement, the technician would merely remove the portions of the sidewalls within the perforations where he wished to have a cable enter the connector. The cap member or cover member ii is held in assembled relationship to the base member by means of latch arms 7h integral with the extending upwardly from the sidewalls 56 of the base member adjacent to the column 59. These latch arms have booked ends which are adapted to extend through appropriately located openings 76 in the sides of the cover member. The sidewalls 72 may be made of relatively heavy material in the vicinity of these openings as shown at in order to achieve a secure latching of the cover member to the base member.

Connectors of the type described above can be made in any desired size, the specific connector shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 being adapted to hold a total of 50 terminal elements and is, therefore, capable of making interconnections among a total of 150 wires. A connector of this type might be used, for example, at one location in a room of a building containing 50 or more individual telephone handsets. Smaller connectors of the same general type can be used where a smaller number of handsets are being provided in a specific area.

In the foregoing description, the individual terminals are shown as being electrically independent of each other. However, if desired, two or more individual terminal elements 10 can be made electrically integral with each other by leaving a connecting slug or shank between the plate portions 16 of the two terminals or by any other suitable method.

FIG. 13 shows an alternative embodiment in which a connector 96 in accordance with the invention comprises a base plate 98, which is adapted to be mounted against a wall, having a plurality of openings 100 extending therethrough on each side of a stack of modular clamping blocks 104. In normal use, the plate 98 will be mounted on a suitable panel and the individual conductors or cables will be led through the openings 100 so that the wires thereof can be connected to terminal elements mounted in the clamping blocks. The clamping blocks 104 are substantially identical to each other, excepting for the uppermost block of the stack, and have ears 106 extending from their ends. These flanges have hooked ends 108 which are adapted to enter transversely extending recesses 110 in the adjacent clamping block. The lowermost block of the stack shown in FIG. 13 has its locking ears 106 extending through elongated slots 102 and the baseplate 98.

The adjacent sides of the clamping blocks are provided with transversely extending slots 112 which are adapted to receive the connecting shank or neck portions 114 of the individual terminal members shown in FIGS. and 16. The terminal members in this instance are of the double-ended type with the ends of each terminal element having the previously identified

parallel plate members

14, 12, and 16. The length of the neck or shank portions 114 is substantially equal to the thickness of the clamping blocks 104 so that when individual terminals are placed in the slots 112 of the block and an adjacent block is assembled to the previously stacked block, the terminals will be locked firmly in position. It should be added that the terminals lend stability to the stock of clamping blocks by virtue of the fact that the shanks of the terminal extend into the slots. The uppermost clamping block 116 in FIGS. 13 and 14 does not have slots on its outwardly facing side nor does it have recesses 110 which would permit assem bly of an additional block thereto. It is not essential to use this type of clamping block at the end of the stack, and, if desired, the previously described type of block 104 can be used although, of course, the outwardly facing slots would not be used for mounting terminals.

FIGS. 18-22 show an alternative form of double ended terminal device having an alternative embodiment of a terminal in accordance with the invention on its ends. The terminal device of FIG. 18 is intended for use in a connector of the general type shown at 96 in FIG. 13 and would be substituted for the terminals shown in FIG. 13. The terminal device of FIG. 18 has a neck portion 1140 which is notched on one side thereof as shown at 116 to facilitate positioning of the neck portion of the terminal device in the slots 112 and to prevent the possibility of movement of the neck portion after assembly of the connector 96. It will also be noted that the terminals 100 on the ends of the terminal device extend obliquely rather than axially from the neck portion. It is intended that terminal devices of the type shown in FIG. 18 would be oriented in the connector 96 such that the terminals 2c would be directed away from the baseplate 98 of FIG. 13. This modification has the advantage of rendering the terminals more accessible to the technician when the connections are made.

The individual terminals 100 differ from the previously described embodiment in that the gaps 120 in the bight c have width which is slightly less than the diameter of the insulation 34 of the wire. The slots in the plate sections extending from the bight 20c are enlarged as shown at 122 immediately beneath the gaps and have a width such that they are capable of receiving the wires as shown in FIG. 19. The lower or root portions of the slots are relatively narrow as shown in the drawing and as previously described with reference to the terminal 10.

An advantage of the embodiment of FIG. 18 is that when a large number of wires are to be connected to a group of terminals, as for example, when a large number of wires are being connected to the connector of FIG. 13, the wires can be temporarily positioned in the terminals by passing them through the gaps 120 and by reason of the interference fit and the wires will be retained in position while the technician proceeds to lead the wires to the terminal devices to which connections are to be made. Thereafter, and after the wires have been positioned, the technician can employ an insertion tool, either of the type shown in FIG. 6 or of the type shown in the above identified Brown application, on all of the terminals in the connector assembly to complete the wiring operation. It will be appreciated that this modification results in a substan' tial time saving since the technician is not required to alternate wire positioning and inserting operations with each other but can complete all wire-positioning operations and then complete all of the wire-inserting operations. FIGS. 20, 21, and 22 illustrate the inserting operation which is substan tially the same as with the previous embodiment. The blank for the terminal device 100 can be formed as shown on the right-hand side of FIG. 24 by providing a projection 18' on the sides of the punched openings which form the wire-receiving slots.

FIG. 23 shows a double-ended terminal device 124 having a terminal 100 on the right-hand side thereof which is similar to the corresponding terminals in the terminal device of FIG. 18. The left-hand side of the terminal device 124 has a terminal 128 which is formed in the same general manner as the previously described embodiments but which has only a single slot means 132. Also, in the embodiment, a slot 134 is provided in the end section 130 (which functions as the cutter plate in the previous embodiments) so that a wire can be pushed down into the terminal device without being severed.

Terminal devices of the type shown in FIG. 23 are used in connector arrangements of the type shown in FIG. 25, 26 in which a plurality of insulating blocks are clamped against each other with terminal devices 124 held between the blocks. Individual conductors can be led to the terminal devices on the left in FIG. 25 (that is behind the stack of blocks) and the terminal devices themselves can be electrically connected by means of wires extending through the slots in the devices as shown on the right in FIG. 25. In this manner, a single wire can be used to make all the required interconnections among blocks where such terminal devices are to be connected in series, rather than by the use of jumper wires which would extend from one block to the next block. Devices of this type are frequently used in the telephone industry to connect incoming trunk lines to switch gear.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only.

Iclaim:

l. A terminal device for use with an insulated wire comprismg a metal plate having one reverse bend therein to form a pair of parallel plate sections connected by a first bight,

slot means extending into said first bight and into said plate sections to define aligned slots in said plate sections and a gap in said bight, at least one of said aligned slots having a root portion of a width less than the diameter of the conducting core of said wire,

the width of said gap and the width of portions of said slots adjacent to said gap being sufficient to permit movement of said wire laterally of its axis through said gap and into said slots whereby, upon movement of said wire into said root portions of said slot, edge portions of said slot penetrate the insulation of said wire and establish electrical contact with the metallic core of said wire.

2. A terminal device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gap has a width which is less than the outside diameter of said wire and greater than the diameter of the metallic core of said wire, the width of said adjacent portions of said slots being greater than the outside diameter of said wire whereby, said wire can be forced third said gap and will be retained in said adjacent portions of said slots until said width is forced into said root portions of said slots.

3. A terminal device as set forth in claim 1 including a third plate section connected by a second bight to one of said pair of plate sections, said second bight being on the opposite side of said plate sections from the side on which said first bight is located, said third plate section having a width, as measured between said bights, which is less than the width of said first named plate sections, said third plate section being cooperable with an insertion tool to shear a wire extending past said third plate section during insertion of said wire into said slots.

4. A terminal device as set forth in claim 1 including a third plate section connected by a second bight to one of said pair of plate sections, said second bight being on the opposite side of said plate sections from the side on which said first bight is located, said third plate section having a width, as measured between said bights, which is less than the width of said first named plate sections, said third plate having a slot therein in alignment with root portions of said slots in said pair of plate sections to permit connection of an intermediate portion of a wire to said terminal device.

5. A terminal device comprising first and second platelike sections parallel to, and spaced from each other, at least one wire-receiving slot extending inwardly from one side of said second section, at least the inner portions of said slot having a width which is less than the diameter of the conducting core of the wire adapted to be connected to said device, said first section having a dimension in the direction of said slot which is less than the corresponding dimension of said second section, said first section having an edge which extends transversely with respect to said slot, said edge being cooperable with an insertion means movable between said first and second sections to trim a wire being connected to said device in the plane of said first section.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 including holding means adjacent to said second section for holding a wire connected to said device and providing a strain relief for said wire.

7. A device as set forth in claim ti wherein said holding means comprises a third platelike section having a wirereceiving slot in alignment with said slot in said second section, said slot in said third section having a width which is less than the diameter of the insulation of said wire but greater than the width of said slot in said second section.

8. A terminal device comprising folded sheet metal having first, second, and third platelike sections, said first and second sections being connected to each other by a first bight on one side of said device and said second and third sections being connected to each other by a second bight on the other side of said device, a plurality of wire-receiving slots extending inwardly through said second bight and into said second and third sections, at least the inner portions of said slots in said second section being relatively narrower than the conducting core of a wire adapted to be connected to said device, said first section defining an edge extending transversely with respect to said slots and spaced from said second section, said edge being adapted to cooperate with an insertion means during movement of a wire into one of said slots to sever said wire in the plane defined by said first section.

9. A termlnal unctron device as set forth In claim 8 wherein said edge extends transversely of intermediate portions of said slots.

10. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said slots have wide entrance portions intersecting said slots in said third section have innner portions which are relatively wider than corresponding portions of said slots in said second section whereby said slots in said third section grip wires connected to said device and function as a strain relief.

P0405) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,617, 983 Dated November 2, 1971 Inventor) George Allen Patton It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim 2, Column 9, line 14, "third" should be changed to through Claim 2 Column 9, line 15, "width" should be changed to wire Claim 10 is incomplete as printed and should read as follows:

" A device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said slots have wide entrance portions intersecting said second bight and said slots in said third section have inner portions which are relatively wider than corresponding portions of said slots in said second section whereby said slots in said third section grip wires connected to said device and function as a strain relief."

Signed and sealed this 18th day of April 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attestin Officer- Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. A terminal device for use with an insulated wire comprising a metal plate having one reverse bend therein to form a pair of parallel plate sections connected by a first bight, slot means extending into said first bight and into said plate sections to define aligned slots in said plate sections and a gap in said bight, at least one of said aligned slots having a root portion of a width less than the diameter of the conducting core of said wire, the width of said gap and the width of portions of said slots adjacent to said gap being sufficient to permit movement of said wire laterally of its axis through said gap and into said slots whereby, upon movement of Said wire into said root portions of said slot, edge portions of said slot penetrate the insulation of said wire and establish electrical contact with the metallic core of said wire.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said holding means comprises a third platelike section having a wire-receiving slot in alignment with said slot in said second section, said slot in said third section having a width which is less than the diameter of the insulation of said wire but greater than the width of said slot in said second section.

9. A terminal junction device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said edge extends transversely of intermediate portions of said slots.

10. A device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said slots have wide entrance portions intersecting said slots in said third section have innner portions which are relatively wider than corresponding portions of said slots in said second section whereby said slots in said third section grip wires connected to said device and function as a strain relief.