U.S. patent number 3,692,966 [Application Number 05/057,050] was granted by the patent office on 1972-09-19 for multi-circuit patch plug and jack.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Cooke Engineering Company. Invention is credited to Jesse F. Lancaster.
United States Patent |
3,692,966 |
Lancaster |
September 19, 1972 |
MULTI-CIRCUIT PATCH PLUG AND JACK
Abstract
A shielded multi-circuit, self normalling, patch plug and jack
for developing test boards or patch fields for testing, rerouting,
and maintaining multi-circuit electrical systems and substituting
equipment in circuits in event of circuit or equipment failure by
connecting various multi-lead electrical components of the system,
particularly television and like communication systems by circuit
patching. Substitution of components can be effected by connection
in series with the system or in other commonly known circuitry
patterns such as double series, double parallel, normal through,
looping, holding loop, or set jack arrangements. The jack provides
multiple paired movable contacts spanning respective slot-like plug
sockets to engage stationary intermediate stationary contacts and
provide a normal through connection of the multiple circuits
between a transmitter and receiver. Respective plugs are provided
for each socket and comprise multi-circuit cables terminated within
the plug in a printed circuit board composed of an elongated
generally rectangular body of insulating material the opposite
faces of which are provided with respective paired and
interconbected strip-like contacts.
Inventors: |
Lancaster; Jesse F. (Great
Fall, VA) |
Assignee: |
The Cooke Engineering Company
(Alexandria, VA)
|
Family
ID: |
22008210 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/057,050 |
Filed: |
July 22, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
200/51.1; 439/61;
439/188; 439/455; 439/680 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
24/60 (20130101); H01R 12/721 (20130101); H01R
13/64 (20130101); H01R 2107/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/64 (20060101); H01r 033/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;200/16R,16A,14,51R,51Z,59,61,153R,153D,154,166R,166PC,166J,168R,51.1
;339/17R,17L,17LM,17M,17N,18R,18P,75M,75MP,13R,13M,176M,176R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
635,434 |
|
Jan 1962 |
|
CA |
|
1,481,922 |
|
Apr 1967 |
|
FR |
|
Other References
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, "Switching Connector" by N. K.
Perkins, Volume 7, No. 6, November, 1964, page 424..
|
Primary Examiner: Novosad; Stephen J.
Assistant Examiner: Lewis; Terrell P.
Claims
What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters patent is:
1. A multi-circuit plug-in switching connector comprising a jack
defining at least one slot-like socket having a first set of
mutually insulated contact elements each disposed in a fixed
relation in a single row along one side of said socket, means
adapting a portion at least of each of said contact elements of
said first set of contact elements for limited movement
transversely of said slot-like socket between aligned normal
positions cross-wise of said slot-like socket and aligned shifted
positions spaced from said normal positions toward said one side of
said socket, said jack having a second set of contact elements
disposed in a fixed relation in a single row along the other side
of said socket opposite each contact of said first set of contact
elements and engaged by its opposed contact element of said first
set of contact elements when said movable portions of said first
set of contacts are in their aligned normal positions; and a patch
cord plug in the form of a printed circuit board having a third set
of mutually insulated, fixed contact elements arranged in a single
row along a face of said printed board in spaced relation similar
to and opposed to said first set of contact elements; and coacting
means on said plug and socket limiting insertion of said plug into
said slot-like socket in a predetermined endwise orientation to
effect engagement of the third set of contact elements with said
portions of said first set of contact elements to shift them from
their normal to their shifted positions and engage each of said
first set of contact elements with an aligned one of the contact
elements of the third set of contact elements.
2. The switch connector of claim 1 wherein said jack comprises a
main insulating body of generally rectangular configuration having
at least one longitudinally directed slot-like through opening in
its front face intersecting a rectangular recess opening through
its rear face; said first and second set of contact elements are
supported respectively by the opposite side walls of an insulating
channel body disposed in said rectangular recess with the channel
opening facing and longitudinally aligned with said slot-like
through opening; and clamp means, overlying a marginal back wall
edge of said channel body, is removably fixed to the recess
defining end portions of said main insulating body for clampingly
retaining said insulating channel body in its longitudinally
aligned position relative to said slot-like through opening.
3. The switch connector of claim 2 wherein said first set of
contact elements comprise respective strip-like, spring metal,
contact elements having an elongated body return bent upon itself
inwardly from one end to form an attachment tab spaced from one
face and extending toward said one body end and having its other
end oppositely return bent around the bend of said attachment tab
to an inclined position relative to said other face to form the
limited movement portions of said first set of contact elements and
wherein at least one side wall of said insulating channel body is
provided with spaced ribs extending from its connecting base wall
toward its free edge to define respective spaced inwardly opening
passages for receiving the portion of said contact body adjacent
said attachment tab, said respective spaced passages adjacent said
free edge of said one side wall are provided with axially directed
pockets receiving said attachment tabs, the base wall adjacent the
opposite ends of said inwardly opening, spaced passages are
provided with through slots dimensioned to freely pass said one end
of the respective contact bodies to a protruding position beyond
said base wall as said attachment tabs are entered into said
pockets, and said protruding portion of said contact body adjacent
said base wall is deformed by dimpling to provide a locking
protuberance to prevent axial retrograde movement of said contact
body through said slot and secure said first set of contact
elements to said one side wall of said insulating channel body
whereby a multi-conduit equipment cable associated with said jack
may have its conductor leads at the jack solder connected to said
protruding ends of said first set of contact elements.
4. The switch connector of claim 2 wherein said recess defining end
portions of said main insulating body are respectively provided
with tapped bores adapting said jack for threadedly receiving
mounting screws provided to mount the jack on a jack panel
board.
5. The switch connector of claim 2 wherein said printed circuit
board patch cord, plug comprises an insulating body of generally
rectangular plate-like configuration the opposing marginal faces of
which adjacent one edge are provided with lateral directed,
longitudinal spaced contact strips disposed to pick up and engage
the movable portions of said first set of contacts upon insertion
of said plug in a socket of said jack and the opposite corners and
midportion of said insulating body adjacent said opposite edge are
provided with through passages; a pair of mating, plate-like, metal
shielding covers the opposing faces of which are provided with
respective generally rectangular recesses defined along their
opposite ends and along one side by upstanding abutment ribs of a
height greater than the thickness of said insulating body and along
the opposite edge by a rib of sufficiently lesser height to provide
when assembled an edge opening passage dimensioned to freely pass
the major contact bearing area of said insulating body and form a
protruding multi-contact bearing plug portion for cooperating
insertion and contacting engagement with said jack first set of
contact elements, said recesses in opposed relation to said
insulating body through passages being formed with respective
through apertured lands of a height to grippingly engage the
through passage defining areas of said insulating body when
matingly assembled to support said printed circuit board plug with
its protruding multi-contact bearing plug portion out of contact
with said ribs of lesser height; and respective clamp screws
entered through the apertures in the lands of one cover plate, the
through passages of said insulated body, and threaded into the
apertures of the lands in the other cover plate to secure said
printed circuit board in clamped sandwiched relation between said
cover plates.
6. The switch connector of claim 5 wherein said upstanding abutment
ribs along said one side of said respective cover plates is
provided midway of its ends with a longitudinally directed recess
intersected midway of its length by a crosswise directed arcuate
recess of lesser depth and the patch cord cable, a multi-conductor
cable associated with said plug and having its conductor leads at
one end exposed and solder connected to respective paired contacts
of said printed circuit board plug, is provided inwardly of its
exposed conductor leads with an encircling clamp sleeve having a
reduced diameter end formed to closely fit said crosswise directed
recesses, and provided intermediate its end with an enlarged
diameter section having flattened opposite sides to abuttingly
contact the bottom walls of said longitudinally directed recess and
of a length to dispose its opposite end faces in abutting contact
with the side walls of said longitudinally directed recess thereby
directly fixedly connecting said patch cord cable to said cover
plates so as to relieve said soldered connections of disruptive
stresses resulting from pulling and twisting forces applied to the
patch cord cable.
7. The switch connector of claim 3 wherein said jack is provided
with an open ended shielding cover the open end of which is of
generally rectangular cross section dimensioned to closely enclose
said main insulating jack body and the opposite closed end is
provided with through aperture means, including a clamp pad fixedly
secured thereto and having a clamp face arcuately recessed midway
of its ends to form a continuation of the closed end cover
aperture, for passing the jack terminating end of at least one
multi-conductor equipment cable, a matingly arcuately recessed
clamp plate, said clamp face of said pad and said clamp plate
respectively having screw passages and tapped screw openings
disposed at opposite sides of said arcuate recesses, and clamp
screws entered through said passages and threaded into said
openings to clampingly fix said multi-conductor equipment cable to
said shielding cover so as to relieve said soldered connections of
disruptive stresses resulting from pulling and twisting forces
applied to said equipment cable.
8. The switch connector of claim 1 wherein said jack comprises a
main insulating body of generally rectangular configuration having
a pair of side-by-side longitudinally directed slot-like through
openings in its front face intersecting a common rectangular recess
opening through its rear face; said respective first and second
sets of contact elements are supported respectively by the opposite
side walls of respective insulating channel bodies disposed in
side-by-side spaced relation in said rectangular recess with their
respective channel openings facing and longitudinally aligned with
a respective one of said slot-like through openings, said second
set of contacts comprise the opposite reduced diameter ends of a
series of contact pins spanning the space between said respective
insulating channel bodies to establish a normal through circuit
within the jack between the respective first sets of contacts; and
clamp means, overlying the adjacently related marginal back wall
edges of said channel bodies, removably fixed to the recess
defining end portions of said main insulation body for clampingly
retaining said insulating channel bodies in their longitudinally
aligned positions relative to said slot-like through openings.
9. The switch connector of claim 8 wherein said first sets of
contact elements comprise respective strip-like, spring metal,
contact elements having an elongated body return bent upon itself
inwardly from one end to form an attachment tab spaced from one
face and extending toward said one end and having its other end
oppositely return bent around the bend of said attachment tab to an
inclined position relative to said other face to form the limited
movement portions of said first sets of contact elements and
wherein the remotely related respective side walls of said
insulating channel bodies are provided with spaced ribs extending
from their respective connecting base walls toward their free edges
to define respective inwardly opening passages for receiving the
portion of said contact body adjacent said attachment tab, said
respective spaced passages adjacent said free edge of said remotely
related side walls are provided with axially directed pockets
receiving said attachment tabs, the base walls adjacent the
opposite ends of said inwardly opening spaced passages are provided
with through slots dimensioned to freely pass said one end of the
respective contact bodies to a protruding position beyond said base
wall as said attachment tabs are entered into said pockets, and
said protruding portion of said contact bodies adjacent said base
walls are deformed by dimpling to provide a locking protuberance to
prevent axial retrograde movement of said contact body through said
slots and secure said first sets of contact elements to said
remotely related side walls of said respective insulating channel
bodies.
10. The switch connector of claim 9 wherein said second sets of
contact elements comprise the reduced diameter ends of respective
pin contacts and said other side walls of said insulating channel
bodies, the adjacently related side walls, are provided adjacent
said base walls and opposite the free ends of said limited movement
portions of said first sets of contact elements with through
passages for receiving said reduced diameter ends of said pin
contacts thereby mounting said pin contacts in spanning relation to
the space between said respective insulating channel bodies.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Shielded multi-circuit patch plug and jack assemblies of the prior
art operative for the purpose of this invention comprise insulated
bodies elongated in a direction axially of the cables to which they
are connected and providing jack elements defining either (1) a
side-by-side pair of axially directed, generally cylindrical
sockets intersected at axially spaced intervals by diametrically
opposed pairs of contacts the ends of which are bent oppositely to
form opposed semi-cylindrical separable contact portions the free
ends of which normally contact to form respective normal through
circuits or (2) side-by-side pairs of axially directed, generally
cylindrical sockets slotted longitudinally through one side face to
expose the protruding, longitudinally slotted portions of plug
receiving barrels to the underface of laterally opposed, paired
leaf spring type contacts fixedly supported at one end to the
marginal longitudinal portions of the one side face with their
respective free ends normally contacting respective laterally
directed conductor strips disposed between the spaced slots to form
respective normal through circuits. These leaf spring type contacts
in overlying relation to their respective slots are each provided
with protuberant pick up contact elements designed to extend
radially into the barrel slots and form plug engaging contacts.
In both types of jacks, the cooperating plug comprises an axially
elongated cylindrical member having at least one longitudinally
directed row of axially spaced, radially protuberant contacts which
are disposed as to freely pass the jack contacts upon axial entry
of the plug into the jack and then, upon full entry and rotation of
the plug in the entered jack barrel, to bring the plug contacts
into engagement with the jack contacts and separate the jack
contacts from each other or their respective conductor strips
thereby breaking the normal through circuit through the jack and
coupling at least one of the separated jack contacts to the plug
and its patch cord conductors to incorporate a further component in
a predetermined circuit pattern with the separated jack contact or
contacts. The barrel type jack and plug construction is exemplified
by applicant's copending application Ser. No. 377,270 filed June
23, 1964, and entitled Multi-Circuit Switching Connector.
The present invention provides a simplified, more rugged, and
longer life multi-circuit patch plug and jack for accomplishing the
purposes heretofore mentioned and in addition provides a structure
which may be fabricated more readily than those of the prior art
described above.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It, accordingly, is a primary object of this invention to provide a
simplified, more rugged and longer life multi-circuit patch plug
and jack for testing and maintaining multi-circuit electrical
systems by interrupting the normal through circuit of the jack and
selectively switching various multi-lead electrical components of
the system into and out of the system.
Another object of the present invention resides in constructing a
multi-circuit patch plug and jack according to the preceding object
of separable components which are constructed to simplify the
connection of the multi-circuit cables of the electrical system to
the jack and the multi-circuit patch cord to the plug.
A further object of the present invention resides in providing a
jack for a multi-circuit patch plug and jack composed of a main
insulating body of generally rectangular configuration defining a
rectangular recess opening through one face and intersected by a
pair of slot-like, laterally spaced, passages opening through its
opposite face, respective channel-shaped contact banks comprising a
body of insulating material mounting respective spring contacts in
longitudinally spaced relation along the channels of the body
disposed in the main body recess in side-by-side spaced relation
opposite each slot-like passage, contact pins spanning the space
between the contact banks to maintain the spaced relation of the
contact banks and normally through connecting the opposed spaced
spring contacts of the respective contact bank, and a metallic
shielding cover of rectangular configuration defining an open well
for receiving the main insulating body with its opposite slotted
face disposed to close the open side of the well.
A further object of the present invention resides in providing a
patch cord plug for a multi-circuit patch plug and jack composed of
a thin, main insulating body of generally rectangular configuration
having strip-like contacts fixedly spaced longitudinally along the
opposite faces of the insulating body adjacent one edge and
provided along the opposite edge with through screw passages, and a
pair of mating metallic shield plates having respective side face
edge opening recesses shaped and dimensioned to enclosingly receive
the inner ends of the contact bearing portions of the insulating
body and formed inwardly beyond the inner contact ends with spaced
apertured lands disposed to grippingly engage the screw passage
defining portions of the main insulating body when clamp screws
entered through the apertured lands of one shield plate and the
screw passages of the main insulating body are threaded home in the
through apertures of the other shield plate.
Still another object of the present invention resides in providing
the jack slots adjacent one end of said main insulating body with
respective enlarged passageways and the plug main body at one end
with an enlarged end fitting matingly shaped to interfit in the
enlarged passageways to predetermine the relative orientation of
the plug for entry into the jack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further objects of the invention will appear from the following
specification and appended claims when read in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a multi-circuit patch
plug and jack made in accord with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear end view of the jack of FIG. 1 with the lower
portion of the jack shield back wall broken away to expose the
lower end of the retainer plate, screw fastened at its opposite
ends to the main insulating body of the jack, to overlap the
adjacently related edges of the bottom faces of the channel shaped
contact banks and firmly clamp the contact banks in place;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the jack taken
substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the
arrows and illustrating the details of the jack spring contacts
showing a plug according to FIG. 1 inserted in the upper plug slot
cooperating with one of the spring contacts to disrupt the normal
through circuit;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the plugs of FIG.
1 with the uppermost shield plate removed to illustrate the plug
contact structure and the manner of connecting the individual leads
of the multi-conductor patch cable to the plug contacts;
FIG. 5 is an end view of the plug as seen from the right of FIG. 4
with the omitted shield plate in place;
FIG. 6 is an edge elevational view of one of the channel shaped
jack contact banks as seen when looking into the channel with
certain of the contact pins provided to establish the normal
through circuit between the two contact banks in place; and
FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the main insulating body of the jack
of FIG. 1 removed from its shield and omitting the jack contact
banks as seen from the right of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
With continued reference to the drawings wherein the same reference
numerals are employed throughout the several views to indicate the
same parts, numeral 20 designates generally a multi-circuit patch
plug and jack made in accord with the present invention. The
multi-circuit patch plug and jack 20 comprises a jack assembly 21
designed to be fixedly secured to a jack panel (not shown) of
conventional construction provided to mount a plurality of jacks in
juxtaposition at a switching or test station by means of suitable
attachment screws (not shown) entered through screw passages
provided in the jack panel and threaded into the tapped screw
openings 22 of jack 21 and a pair of patch cord plug assemblies
23.
Referring for the moment to jack assembly 21, this assembly
includes an outer metallic shield member 24 of generally
rectangular box-like configuration the back wall 25 (FIGS. 2 and 3)
of which midway between its ends is provided with through drilled
cable passages 26 disposed in laterally spaced side-by-side
relation. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, each cable passage 26 is
provided with a cable clamp assembly 27 made up of an L-shaped
clamp pad 28 the short leg 29 of which is fixedly secured to the
portion of back wall 25 which defines the respective through cable
passages 26 by rivetting, butt welding, or other suitable fastening
means and a clamp plate 30 removably secured to pad 28. Pad 28 is
drilled, preferably after attachment to wall 25 and at the time
passages 26 are drilled from the inside of wall 25, to form an
arcuate recess 31 forming a continuation of the respective passages
26 throughout the entire length of the inner face of the long leg
32. Clamp plate 30, suitably provided with an arcuate recess 33
disposed to matingly cooperate with arcuate recess 31, is removably
screw fastened to pad leg 29 by means of clamp screws 34 (FIGS. 1
and 3). When clamp screws 34 are loosened, plates 30 may be shifted
away from legs 29 so that multi-conductor cables 35 and 36
respectively extending from "source" equipment (for example a
transmitter not shown) and load equipment (for example a receiver
not shown) may be inserted into member 24 through the respective
recesses 31-33 and their associated passages 26 and terminated, as
will be presently pointed out, at the contacts of a pair of
respective contact banks 37 (FIGS. 3 and 6). Once cables 35 and 36
are terminated and jack assembly 21 is assembled the cables may be
clamped to shield 24 by threading screws 34 home into suitably
tapped appertures in pad leg 29 to draw clamp plates 30 toward legs
29 to grippingly engage the arcuate recesses 31 and 33 around the
cables.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, the contact banks 37 each comprise an
elongated channel shaped body 38 of insulating material, for
example a phenolic thermosetting plastic, molded to provide inner,
opposed side wall faces having opposing paired ribs 39 (FIG. 3)
extending upwardly from the connecting base wall 41 and terminating
at their outer ends in divergent, planar end faces 42 (FIG. 6). The
space between adjacently related ribs 39 of each side wall face is
spanned by a somewhat shallower rib 43 (FIG. 3) terminating at its
outer end in a thin, wall segment 44 spaced inwardly from the base
wall face to form shallow, rectangularly shaped pockets or recess
45 (FIG. 6) and the connecting base wall 41 inwardly from the base
of each shallow rib 43 is formed with a rectangularly shaped,
through slot 46 (FIGS. 3 and 6). Pockets 45 and slots 46 are
respectively dimensioned to closely receive the elongated
strip-like body 47 and return bent tab 48 of the jack contacts of
the respective contact banks 37. As best seen in FIG. 3, each of
the jack contacts comprises a single strip of metal, preferably
beryllium copper, with body 47 extending in opposite directions
from slot 46 and return bent upon itself opposite wall segment 44
to form tab 48 and dispose its free end 49 at an inward inclination
across the channel of body 38 to terminate short of base wall 41 in
a contact tip 51 directed generally parallel to base wall 41. The
elongated body 47 lies within the groove-like recess defined by the
opposing side walls of adjacent ribs 39 with its back face
abuttingly engaging the opposing face of shallow rib 43 due to the
hooking of tab 48 around the wall segment 44 to fixedly connect the
return bent section of the contact to the inner face of the channel
defining wall of insulating body 38. As a consequence, the
respective contacts are fixedly supported in predetermined spaced
relation along one wall of channel shaped insulating body 38 with
their free ends directed toward the opposite channel wall forming
movable contact sections the tips 51 of which are disposed to
normally engage the protruding reduced diameter ends of normal
through pin contacts 52 supported by their oppositely directed
reduced diameter ends in passages 54 (FIG. 3) formed in the opposed
channel walls of the respective insulating bodies 38. The
midportion of each contact 52 is enlarged to form spacers 53 the
opposite ends of which abut the opposed channel walls of the
respective bodies 38 to maintain the respective contact banks 37 in
predetermined spaced relation so as to be snugly inserted, channel
face forwardly, into the rectangular recess 55 (FIG. 7) provided in
the main phenolic thermosetting plastic jack body 56. Body 56 is
fixedly supported at the open end of metallic shield member 24 by
mounting screws 57 (FIG. 1) entered through screw passages (not
shown) formed in the end walls of member 24 and threaded into
tapped openings 58 (FIG. 7) in the ends of the base 59 of body
56.
As best seen in FIG. 1, the exposed or front face of base 59 of
jack body 56 inwardly of tapped openings 22 has integrally formed
thereon a forwardly projecting rectangular body section 61 the
opposite ends and side walls of which are adapted to snugly fit in
and protrude outwardly from suitable rectangular through openings
formed in the jack panel board (not shown). As a consequence, the
jack panel board will conceal the major portion of the jack
assembly 21 at the switching or test station contemplated by this
invention. The face of body section 61 is intersected by laterally
spaced through receptacle slots 62 (FIGS. 1 and 7) terminating at
adjacently related ends in intersecting generally cylindrical
passages 63. These slots and passages extend completely through the
jack body 56 intersecting the bottom wall of recess 55 opposite the
respective forwardly facing channels of contact banks 37 and are
provided with flared entrance mouths 64 at their intersection with
the front face of body section 61. These slots and passages are
dimensioned to closely but freely pass the protruding printed
circuit board portions 65 of the respective patch cord plug
assemblies 23, the flared mouths 64 serving to guide the plug
assemblies into the slots 62.
As will be apparent from an inspection of FIGS. 2 and 3, a clamp
bar 66 having wing shaped ends 67 is provided to overlie the
adjacent marginal portions of the back faces of base wall 41 of the
respective contact banks 37 to retain the contact banks against
retrograde movement relative to recess 55 upon insertion of the
printed circuit board portions 65 of the patch cord plug assemblies
23 into the channels of the contact banks 37. To this end, the back
face of base wall 41 is provided with upstanding, laterally
directed ribs 68 (FIGS. 2 and 3) of a height to abuttingly contact
the center bar portion of clamp bar 66 as the clamp bar securing
screws 69 engaging the wing shaped ends 67 are threaded home in the
tapped through passages 71 formed in main jack body 56 on the
opposite sides of tapped passages 22.
Referring again to FIG. 3, the respective spring contacts of
contact banks 37 are connected in conventional paired relation to
the individual conductors of the respective multi-conductor cables
35 and 36 by soldering the conductors to the rearwardly protruding
ends of contact body portions 47. In order to lock the individual
jack contacts against axial movement in their respective rib
defined slots in body 38, the protruding portion of each contact
body 47 is dimpled in well known manner after insertion through its
respective mounting slot 46 to form a locking protuberance 72 (FIG.
3). To assure electrical isolation of the rearwardly protruding
ends of the jack contacts, respective insulating sleeves 73 are
provided to enclose the soldered connections and protruding contact
ends.
It will be appreciated from the preceding description that the
present invention provides a self normalling jack terminating the
multiple conductors of cables 35 and 36 wherein the respective jack
contacts are disposed in side-by-side spaced rows extending at
right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cables. As a
consequence of this relation, entry of a suitably constructed plug
in either or both of the jack slots is effective to reroute the
circuits of either the source equipment or load equipment for test
purposes or the substitution of equipment in the event of circuit
or equipment failure.
A suitable plug as contemplated by the present invention comprises
the printed circuit board plug 23 of FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, two of which
are conventionally provided on the opposite ends of a common
multi-conductor cable 75 for breaking the normalling circuit path
inside the jack. The plugs 23 are identical in construction and
comprise a main insulator body 76 (FIG. 4) having respective
contact strips 77 disposed in opposing side-by-side spaced relation
along one marginal edge of the opposite faces of insulator body 76
formed in conventional printed circuit board practice. One end of
the insulator body, the lower end as viewed in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, is
provided with opposed metal contact strips 78 which extend from the
rear edge 79 of insulator body 76 (FIG. 4) forwardly to terminate
just short of the forward edge along the line of termination of
contact strips 77 the opposite ends of which terminate along a line
slightly rearwardly of the longitudinal center line of insulator
body 76. The opposed strips 78 and the adjacently related end of
insulator body 76 are inserted in a longitudinally directed slot 81
opening through the peripheral face of a cylindrical metal, bullet
nosed, orientation guide member 82 of a diameter to freely enter
the cylindrical passages 63 of jack body 61. Guide member 82
protrudes beyond the lower end and forward edge of body 76, extends
rearwardly along the lower end to a point short of the aligned rear
ends of contacts 77, and is fixedly secured to strips 78 by solder
or the like to provide a means assuring proper orientation of plug
23 for entry into the jack slots 62.
Insulating body 76 adjacent its opposite rear corners and midway
between its opposite ends in longitudinal alignment is through
drilled as shown at 83 to form screw passages for a purpose to be
presently pointed. The respective paired contacts 77 adjacent their
rear ends and the intervening portions of insulator body 76 are
also through drilled at 84 (see uppermost contact 77 FIG. 4) so the
individual conductor wires of the multi-conductor cable leads 85
may be passed through and solder connected as indicated at 86 to
the paired contacts 77 adapting the printed circuit board portions
65 to pick up the spring contact portions 49 of jack 21
irrespective of the particular slot into which the plugs 23 are
inserted.
As best seen in FIG. 4, the cable 75 inwardly from its opposite
ends immediately adjacent the circular cut made to remove the
insulating cable covering and expose the respective leads 85 for
connection to contacts 77 is provided with an encircling, gripping
metal sleeve member 86. Sleeve member 86 has a reduced diameter end
87 which is provided midway of its length with an enlarged annular
body portion 88 flattened over diametrically opposed areas as
indicated at 89 serving to anchor cable 75 to the two part,
metallic shielding cover 91 of plugs 23 as hereinafter pointed
out.
It will be appreciated from the preceding description of plug 23
that the electrical connections of the multiple conductor leads 85
to the printed circuit board portions 65 of plugs 23 can be readily
effected since they can be made in the open before the printed
circuit board and anchoring sleeve 86 are sandwiched between the
mating sections 92 of cover shield 91. These mating sections are
identical in construction. They each comprise a metal plate of
generally rectangular configuration having an irregularly contoured
recess 93 in one face of a depth exceeding one half the thickness
of the printed circuit board plug portions 65 and delimited along
the rear edge and opposed ends by marginal abutment ribs 94 and 95
and along the forward edge by an upstanding rib 96 of less than
half the depth of recess 93. The rib 94 at its opposite ends is
widened at 97 and the planar surface formed by the upper surfaces
of ribs 94 and 95 provide respective surfaces of abutment when the
mated sections 92 are assembled as in FIGS. 1 and 5. The upper and
lower corners of recess 93 adjacent the intersection of ribs 95 and
the widened areas 97 of rib 94 and the recess area midway
therebetween are formed with planar faced lands 98 the upper planar
faces of which define a plane lying below the abutment faces of
ribs 94 and 95 a distance equal to about one half the thickness of
insular body 76 of the printed circuit board. The lands 98 are
adapted to supportingly grip the rear corners and rear midportion
of insulator body 76 therebetween when the mating cover sections 92
are assembled and drawn into clamping engagement by clamp screws 99
passed through suitable screw passages in one cover section, the
passages 83 of insulator body 76 and threaded into tapped passages
101 (FIGS. 4 and 5) of the other cover section 92. As will be
apparent from an inspection of FIG. 5, the relative dimensions of
printed circuit board insulating body 76 and its contacts 77 and
the recess 93 and rib 96 are such that the forwardly projecting
portions 65 of the printed circuit board plug will freely pass
between the opposed ribs 96 with adequate clearance to avoid arcing
or short circuiting between rigs 96 and the opposed contact strips
77. Furthermore, the depth of recesses 93 inwardly from rib 94 and
adjacent lands 98 is sufficient to clear the solder connections 86
of leads 85 and to house the insulated sections of the respective
leads 85.
The respective ribs 94 of the cover sections 92 are formed midway
of rib 94 with opposed longitudinally elongated recesses 102 (FIG.
4) of a depth slightly less than the radius of annular rib 88 of
the associated sleeve member 86 and a width to closely abut the
opposite ends of the laterally opposed arcuate portions of annular
rib 88 resulting from the flattened areas 89. The recesses 102 are
intersected along their transverse centerlines by an arcuate recess
having a radius equal to the reduced diameter end 87 of sleeve
member 86 and forming laterally spaced arcuate lands 103 closely
receiving the spaced reduced diameter portions of sleeve end 87.
When assembled, the flat bottom walls of recesses 102 of the mating
cover sections abuttingly engage the flats 89 preventing relative
rotation of sleeve 86 and cover 91 and the abutting engagement of
the side walls of recess 102 with the opposite ends of the arcuate
portions of the flattened annular rib 88 lock the sleeve member
against relative axial movement relative to the cover 91. It
follows, therefore, that cable 75 is positively retained through
sleeve member 86 between the mating sections 92 of cover 91 so that
angular twisting of cable 75 around its axis and axial pull forces
applied to cable 75 can in no way be transmitted to the respective
leads 85 with resulting breakage of their soldered connections 86.
As a consequence, the patch cord of the present invention assures
that the plugs can be inserted and pulled by grasping cable 75 as
well as shielded cover 91 without damaging the patch plug
assembly.
In normal usage, one of the patch cord plugs is inserted into a
selected jack slot or receptacle and picks up the jack spring
contacts 49 of the selected jack receptacle as shown in the upper
slot of FIG. 3 breaking the normalling path through the jack and
transferring the circuits associated with the selected receptacle
to the plug contacts at the opposite end of the patch cord
assembly. The contacts of the other slot or receptacle are thereby
open circuited back to the equipment associated with the other
circuit, in the illustration of FIG. 3 the source equipment. This
open circuited source equipment can then be patched to load
equipment located elsewhere or to a test jack on the jack panel
board by insertion of one of the plugs of a second patch cord
assembly or momentarily left open circuited while the load
equipment of the selected receptacle can be connected to other
selected source equipment by plugging the other plug of the
inserted patch cord into the source equipment receptacle of another
jack on the panel board. Alternatively the picked up load equipment
can be patched to a test jack of the jack panel board in
conventional manner for testing the outgoing circuits to the load
equipment. It will be appreciated, therefore, that by appropriate
patch cord wiring and usage the present invention provides jack and
patch cord equipment of simple, compact and rugged construction for
disrupting the normalling path through any selected jack at either
the source equipment contacts or the load equipment contacts for
the purposes of rerouting, testing, or transferring the source or
load equipment as may be required.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without
departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The
present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as
illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being
indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing
description, and all changes which come within the meaning and
range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be
embraced therein.
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