U.S. patent number 3,778,750 [Application Number 05/225,089] was granted by the patent office on 1973-12-11 for wire termination and splicing system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Panduit Corp.. Invention is credited to John Jean Bulanda, Jack Edward Caveney, Roy Alleyne Moody.
United States Patent |
3,778,750 |
Caveney , et al. |
December 11, 1973 |
WIRE TERMINATION AND SPLICING SYSTEM
Abstract
A wire termination and splicing system including a frame having
a pair of upstanding frame members upon which two series of
elongated, two-sided, multi-contact, connectors are mounted for
rotation between pairs of rotational mounts having detent action
for successively positioning the sides of the connectors in
convenient wire installation orientation; each connector including
an insulative connector block having a plurality of wire-receiving
slots therein and carrying a plurality of recessed
insulation-stripping contacts in the slots, each slot having a wire
restraining structure for temporarily holdihg a wire to be forced
onto the associated contact and retaining structure for holding a
wire on the associated contact; the connector block being provided
with a color coding adjacent to the slots, reaction surfaces for
cooperating with a wire installation tool, and a cap for assisting
in holding installed wires therein; wire guiding channels are
provided, associated with the frame for bringing wires from cables
to the connectors and for guiding cross-connect wires between the
two series of connectors.
Inventors: |
Caveney; Jack Edward (Chicago,
IL), Moody; Roy Alleyne (Flossmoor, IL), Bulanda; John
Jean (New Lenox, IL) |
Assignee: |
Panduit Corp. (Tinley Park,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
22843476 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/225,089 |
Filed: |
February 10, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/392; 439/395;
361/823; 361/826 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04Q
1/141 (20130101); H04Q 1/142 (20130101); H04Q
1/149 (20130101); H01R 4/2429 (20130101); H04Q
1/06 (20130101); H01R 43/015 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04Q
1/14 (20060101); H01R 43/01 (20060101); H01R
4/24 (20060101); H04Q 1/02 (20060101); H01r
009/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/95-99,13R,126RS,128,113,198R,198J,206,208,21R,21M ;29/203,206
;308/DIG.7,238 ;317/122 ;179/98 ;74/10.41 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Champion; Marvin A.
Assistant Examiner: Staab; Lawrence J.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An insulated wire termination and splicing connector comprising
a first connector block segment of electrically insulating material
having a longitudinally extending essentially planar first
contact-retaining surface thereon and a plurality of pairs of
laterally disposed first indentations extending therethrough, a
second connector block segment of electrically insulating material
having a longitudinally extending essentially planar second
contact-retaining surface thereon and a plurality of pairs of
laterally disposed second indentations extending therethrough, at
least one of said contact-retaining surfaces having a plurality of
contact recesses therein respectively in alignment with certain of
said pairs of indentations, said connector block segments being
arranged with said contact-retaining surfaces in face-to-face
relation and with the pairs of laterally disposed first
indentations being in alignment with corresponding ones of the
pairs of laterally disposed second indentations to provide aligned
pairs of laterally disposed open-ended wire-receiving slots in
alignment with said contact recesses, a plurality of essentially
flat contacts disposed between the contact-retaining surfaces of
said connector block segments and in said contact recesses and each
including first and second stripping and gripping means extending
respectively into individual ones of one of said laterally disposed
pairs of slots for stripping insulation from and thereafter
gripping a wire forced thereon, and means holding said connector
block segments in proper alignment with respect to each other to
hold said contacts in said contact recesses and in positions with
respect to the associated pair of laterally disposed slots, said
means holding said connector block segments in proper alignment
comprising a plurality of alignment pins extending from at least
one of said connector block segments and a plurality of openings in
the other of said connector block segments receiving said alignment
pins to provide positive mechanical locking of the first and second
connector block segments with respect to each other and with
respect to said contacts, each of said contacts being provided with
a pair of apertures therein intermediate of said first and second
stripping and gripping means, and a pair of said alignment pins
being disposed in each of said contact recesses and extending
therefrom and through the apertures in the associated contact and
into the respective aligned openings in the other connector block
segment.
2. An insulated wire termination and splicing connector comprising
an elongated connector block of electrically insulating material
having a pair of longitudinally extending side surfaces and a pair
of edge surfaces respectively joining the edges of said side
surfaces, said connector block having a plurality of pairs of
laterally disposed open-ended wire-receiving slots therein
extending respectively from said edge surfaces toward each other
and into said side surfaces, a plurality of contacts disposed in
said connector block and each including first and second stripping
and gripping means extending respectively into individual ones of
one of said pairs of laterally disposed slots for stripping
insulation from and thereafter gripping a wire forced thereon, and
reaction surfaces on said block and spaced from said contacts for
engagement by a reaction tool to be used in forcing a wire into a
slot and onto a contact, said reaction surfaces being integral with
said connector block and each comprising a surface facing generally
in the direction of wire insertion for the respective slot, each of
said reaction surfaces being a convex surface adapted to cooperate
with alignment means on a tool to cause the tool properly to align
with a predetermined slot to assure proper insertion of a wire onto
a contact.
3. An insulated wire termination and splicing connector comprising
an elongated connector block of electrically insulating material
having a pair of longitudinally extending side surfaces and a pair
of edge surfaces respectively joining the edges of said side
surfaces, said connector block having a plurality of pairs of
laterally disposed open-ended wire-receiving slots therein
extending respectively from said edge surfaces toward each other
and into said side surfaces, a plurality of contacts disposed in
said connector block and each including first and second stripping
and gripping means extending respectively into individual ones of
one of said pairs of laterally disposed slots for stripping
insulation from and thereafter gripping a wire forced thereon, and
retaining means integral with said connector block and disposed in
said slots for holding a stripped and gripped wire in the bottom of
the associated slot, each of said retaining means comprising a pair
of wedge-shaped projections extending from opposite walls of the
respective slot toward each other to define a narrow passage having
an undistorted width less than the width of said slot, each of said
wedge-shaped projections having a sloped deflecting surface facing
generally toward the associated edge surface and a wire retaining
surface generally facing the bottom of the respective slot, the
wire retaining surfaces being spaced from the bottom of the
respective slot a distance approximately equal to the width of said
slot and cooperating to retain a wire at the bottom of the
respective slot after insertion of the wire onto the stripping and
gripping means of said contact.
4. An insulated wire termination and splicing connector comprising
an elongated connector block of electrically insulating material
having a pair of longitudinally extending side surfaces and a pair
of edge surfaces respectively joining the edges of said side
surfaces, said connector block having a plurality of pairs of
laterally disposed open-ended wire-receiving slots therein
extending respectively from said edge surfaces toward each other
and into said side surfaces, a plurality of contacts disposed in
said connector block and each including first and second stripping
and gripping means extending respectively into individual ones of
one of said pairs of laterally disposed slots for stripping
insulation from and thereafter gripping a wire forced thereon, and
insulated wire restraining structure integral with said connector
block and disposed in said slots and spaced from the associated
contact in a direction toward the associated edge surface a
distance to position an insulated wire in the associated slot in
position to be forced upon the wire stripping and gripping means of
the associated contact, each of said insulated wire restraining
structures comprising two pairs of facing protrusions on opposite
walls of the respective open-ended slot, one pair of facing
protrusions being located between the associated contact and a
first end of the respective open-ended slot and the other pair of
facing protrusions being located between said contact and the
second end of the respective open-ended slot thereby to restrain an
insulated wire on both sides of said contact prior to installation
of the wire onto said contact.
5. An insulated wire termination and splicing connector comprising
an elongated connector block of electrically insulating material
having a pair of longitudinally extending side surfaces and a pair
of edge surfaces respectively joining the edges of said side
surfaces, said connector block having a plurality of pairs of
laterally disposed open-ended wire-receiving slots therein
extending respectively from said edge surfaces toward each other
and into said side surfaces, a plurality of contacts disposed in
said connector block and each including first and second stripping
and gripping means extending respectively into individual ones of
one of said pairs of laterally disposed slots for stripping
insulation from the thereafter gripping a wire forced thereon,
insulated wire restraining structure integral with said connector
block and disposed in said slots for positioning an insulated wire
in the associated slot in position to be forced upon the wire
stripping and gripping means of the associated contact, and
retaining means integral with said connector block and disposed in
said slots for holding a stripped and gripped wire in the bottom of
the associated slot, said restraining structure including at least
one protrusion extending from a wall defining the associated slot
to provide an opening between said one protrusion and the opposed
wall of the associated slot narrower than the diameter of the
associated insulated wire, said restraining structure being located
in said slot outwardly of the associated contact and disposed from
said retaining means a distance loosely to hold an insulated wire
therebetween, said retaining means including at least one
projection extending from a wall of the associated slot to define
an opening between said projection and the opposed wall of the
associated slot narrower than the diameter of an associated
insulated wire, said retaining means being spaced from the bottom
of the associated slot a distance equal substantially to the width
of said slot, whereby an insulated wire can be manually positioned
between said wire-restraining structure and said wire retaining
structure in position for insertion and subsequent electrical
connection to the associated contact.
6. The insulated wire termination and splicing system connector set
forth in claim 5 wherein said wire-restraining structure further
comprises at least one additional protrusion extending from one
wall of said slot in registry with said one protrusion and located
on the opposite side of said contact.
7. A wiring system comprising an insulated wire termination and
splicing connector including an elongated connector block of
electrically insulating material, a first longitudinally extending
row of contacts on said connector block and a second longitudinally
extending row of contacts on said connector block angularly
displaced with respect to said first row of contacts, selected ones
of the contacts in said first row of contacts being electrically
connected to selected ones of the contacts in said second row of
contacts, each of said contacts including stripping and gripping
means for stripping insulation from and thereafter gripping a wire
forced thereon to make an electrical and mechanical connection
between the wire and said contact, and a pair of mounts
respectively mounting the opposite ends of said connector block for
rotation of said connector block about the longitudinal axis
thereof and upon said mounts, whereby said connector block can be
rotated upon said mounts to provide ready access to said first row
of contacts for connection of a first group of wires thereto after
which said connector block can be rotated upon said mounts to
provide ready access to said second row of contacts for connection
of a second group of wires thereto, at least one of said mounts
comprising a fixed mounting block having a central opening therein,
a yieldable wall portion extending along a part of the periphery of
said central opening and a multi-sided detent cap rotatably mounted
within said central opening and adapted to rotate to multiple
stable positions by causing the yieldable wall of said mounting
block to deflect during intermediate positions between said stable
positions, said connector block including longitudinally extending
mounting studs disposed at each end of said connector block, said
cam detent cap receiving a predetermined one of said mounting studs
so that the connector block is mounted in a predetermined
orientation for rotation on said pair of mounts, said cam detent
cap being provided with a stud receiving opening for receiving one
of said mounting studs and wherein the predetermined one of said
mounting studs is of a shape compatible with the stud receiving
opening in said cam detent cap thereby to positively assure the
proper orientation of the connector block in said pair of
mounts.
8. An insulated wire termination and splicing connector comprising
an elongated connector block of electrically insulating material
having a pair of longitudinally extending side surfaces and a pair
of edge surfaces respectively joining the edges of said side
surfaces, said connector block having a plurality of pairs of
laterally disposed open-ended wire-receiving slots therein
extending respectively from said edge surfaces toward each other
and into said side surfaces, a plurality of contacts disposed in
said connector block and each including first and second stripping
and gripping means extending respectively into individual ones of
one of said pairs of laterally disposed slots for stripping
insulation from and thereafter gripping a wire forced thereon, and
a cap mounted on and engaging said connector block for covering a
portion of each of the slots along one edge surface of said
connector block and accommodating wires connected to and extending
from the associated contacts in said slots along said one edge
surface of said connector block, said cap including an end wall
covering the outer lateral extremities of the associated slots, a
longer side wall covering all of one end of the associated slots
along one of said side surfaces of said connector block, and a
shorter side wall covering a portion of the other end of the
associated slots along the other of said side surfaces of said
connector block, the free edge of said shorter side wall being
spaced from the bottom of the associated slots a distance to
receive insulated wires therebetween.
9. An insulated wire termination and splicing connector comprising
an elongated connector block of electrically insulating material
having a pair of longitudinally extending side surfaces and an edge
surface respectively joining one of the edges of said side
surfaces, said connector block having a plurality of laterally
disposed open-ended wire-receiving slots therein extending
respectively from said edge surface and into said side surfaces, a
plurality of contacts disposed in said connector block and each
including stripping and gripping means extending respectively into
individual ones of said laterally disposed slots for stripping
insulation from and thereafter gripping a wire forced thereon,
insulated wire-restraining structure integral with said connector
block and disposed in said slots for positioning an insulated wire
in the associated slot in position to be forced upon the wire
stripping and gripping means of the associated contact, and
retaining means integral with said connector block and disposed in
said slots for holding a stripped and gripped wire in the bottom of
the associated slot, said restraining structure including at least
one protrusion extending from a wall defining the associated slot
to provide an opening between said one protrusion and the opposed
wall of the associated slot narrower than the diameter of the
associated insulated wire, said restraining structure being located
adjacent one end of said slot outwardly of the associated contact
and disposed from said retaining means a distance loosely to hold
an insulated wire therebetween, said retaining means including at
least one projection extending from a wall of the associated slot
to define an opening between said projection and the opposed wall
of the associated slot narrower than the diameter of an associated
insulated wire, said retaining means being spaced from the bottom
of the associated slot a distance equal substantially to the width
of said slot, whereby an insulated wire can be manually positioned
between said wire-restraining sturcture and said wire-retaining
sturcture in position for insertion onto and subsequent electrical
connection to the associated contact.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a wire termination and
splicing system. More particularly it is directed to a system for
terminating multiple insulated wires by utilizing
insulation-stripping contacts in a novel connector and connector
mounting system.
The connectors and the wire terminating assembly disclosed and
claimed herein find many applications in the electrical industry;
however, they are particularly useful in the telephone industry and
within that industry find application in cross-connect wiring
systems and wire-splicing devices.
Insulation-stripping contacts are themselves well-known in the
electrical art and have long been used extensively in the telephone
industry for forming end-to-end splices of cable segments and for
forming connections between feeder cables from a central telephone
office and distribution cables leading to various telephone units
within a building. The typical cross-connect wiring system consists
of two banks of terminal blocks or connector blocks mounted in a
cabinet. One bank of terminal blocks is permanently connected to
the wires of a feeder cable and the other bank of terminal blocks
is permanently connected to the wires of a distribution cable.
Selected terminals on the one bank of terminal blocks are then
connected by cross-connect wires respectively to selected terminals
on the other bank of terminal blocks. While the connections to the
feeder and distribution cables are seldom changed, the connections
to the cross-connect wires are often changed as individual phones
are installed and removed.
The most common terminal blocks in use in such systems at the
present time are bulky blocks of insulating material having 50
contacts made of heavy gauge metal for connecting 25 pairs of
telephone wires. Each contact contains two or more pairs of
insulation crushing jaws extending from an electrically common
conducting body and outwardly from the insulating block in
unsupported fashion.
Termination of a wire is made by manually placing the insulated
wire between a pair of the insulation crushing jaws and forcing it
down into a narrow slot between the jaws displacing the insulation
and establishing electrical contact between the bared wire and the
particular contact in question. The forcing action is normally
accomplished by a screwdriver-like hand tool pushing the insulated
wire downwardly toward the insulating block, the force of the tool
being transmitted through the contact to the insulating block.
Either the tool or the insulating block normally carries a metal
cutting edge for severing the waste wire after the connection is
made.
Other connections are then made in a similar manner to one jaw pair
on each contact. Selected ones of the remaining jaw pairs are then
connected to contacts on other terminal blocks by cross-connect
wires. The typical prior art terminal block suitable for the
interconnection of 25 pairs of telephone wires is a rather bulky
device having dimensions of approximately 3 .times. 12 Such devices
when used in large telephone cable terminating cabinets, either
inside or outside a building, occupy a significant amount of space
and the space required continues to grow with additional telephone
installations in a given area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By contrast to the prior art the termination system of the present
invention provides a miniaturized connector capable of
interconnecting 25 pairs of wires onto a connector block measuring
approximately 1 .times. 6 resulting in a much more compact wire
termination system. A novel mounting means and frame for multiple
connector blocks allows each connector block to be rotated for easy
access by the installer and further assists the installation of
wires by providing a wire separation system for separating
individual bundles of 50 wires after they leave the main cable and
extend toward the connector itself.
Furthermore, the connector of the present invention provides ease
of installation of the wires by providing a series of slots into
which the wires can be manually placed prior to the installation
onto insulation-stripping contacts buried within and protected by
the connector. The slots are so designed that the wires are
retained in the slots in proper position for installation by a
suitable compatible reaction type tool such as that described in
copending application Ser. No. 225,267, filed of even date
herewith, entitled Wire Installation Tool and assigned to the
assignee of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
wire termination and splicing system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an
improved insulation-stripping connector for the electrical
termination and splicing of wires.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an
improved insulation-stripping connector which is compatible for use
with a reaction type installation tool.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more
clearly understood and appreciated from the following detailed
description of the invention together with the drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wire termination system embodying
the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the wire termination system
illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along line 2--2 thereof;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the wire termination system
illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along the line 3--3 thereof;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view partially exploded of a portion of the
wire termination system of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a
rotational mount for use in the wire terminating system of the
present invention, a right-hand mount being illustrated;
FIG. 5A is a view like FIG. 5 illustrating a left-hand mount;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the mount of FIG. 5 taken along line
6--6 thereof;
FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the mount of FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a partial connector block in
accordance with the present invention illustrating its relationship
to a reaction type wire insertion tool;
FIG. 9 is a plan view, partially broken away, of a preferred
embodiment of a connector in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 10 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of the
connector of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is an end view taken from line 11--11 of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a connector in accordance with the
present invention;
FIG. 12A is a plan view of a contact forming a part of the
connector block of FIG. 12;
FIG. 13 is a plan view of the upper segment of the connector block
of FIG. 12 taken along line 13--13 thereof;
FIG. 13A is a fragmentary view of a portion of the connector block
segment of FIG. 13;
FIG. 14 is a plan view of the lower segment of the connector block
of FIG. 12 taken along line 14--14 thereof;
FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the connector of the present
invention taken along line 15--15 of FIG. 10;
FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a connector in accordance with the
present invention having a wire in position for manual insertion on
one side and an installed wire on the opposite side;
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 16
having the wire manually positioned and illustrating the
relationship of the installation tool;
FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 17 having the installation tool
in place to engage the wire;
FIG. 19 is a view similar to FIG. 18 illustrating the relationship
of the wire, the connector and the tool during an intermediate step
of the installation; and
FIG. 20 is a view similar to FIG. 19 illustrating the fully
installed wire and the relationship of the tool to the connector
and to the wire.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a preferred embodiment of the wiring system
of the present invention is illustrated in the form of a pedestal
wiring cabinet 10 including a frame 11 having an outer rectangular
base 12 to which is connected at one end thereof an inner base 14,
the outer base 12 being normally affixed to the earth by suitable
means known in the art and not illustrated. The opposite end of the
outer base 12 has secured thereto a fixed frame member 22 which
extends vertically therefrom. The inner base 14 and the frame
member 22 support a removable L-shaped frame member 16 which
includes a vertical leg 18 that extends upwardly from the base 14
and horizontal leg 20 supported at the outer end on the frame
member 22.
Two series of connectors 24 are rotatably mounted by mounts 26 and
29 respectively on the opposite sides of and extending between the
removable frame member 16 and the fixed frame member 22, each
connector 24 carrying two sets of contacts thereon. One set of
contacts in the first series of connectors 24 is connected to the
wires of a feeder cable 28 (FIG. 2) and one set of contacts in the
second series of connectors is connected to the wires of a
distribution cable 30. The other set of contacts on each of the
rotatably mounted two-sided connectors 24 is utilized on a
selective basis to extend cross-connect wires 32 from the feeder
side to the distribution side of the frame. The cabinet 10 is
further provided with a bundle separation channel 34 for separating
individual bundles of 50 wires of the respective feeder and
distribution cables to present the wires in position for attachment
to the respective connectors 24. A wire guiding duct 36 is also
provided on the outside of the removable frame member 16 for
guiding the cross-connect wires 32 from one side of the frame 11 to
the other in an orderly fashion. The entire assembly is provided
with an outer cover 38 which protects the other portions of the
wiring system from the elements.
The operation and interaction of the various elements in this
system will be better understood after the following detailed
description of each of the above noted components.
Referring now specifically to FIGS. 8-16, a preferred embodiment of
the novel connector 24 of the present invention is illustrated. The
connector 24 is made up of a connector block 25 manufactured from a
suitable thermoplastic resin, and preferably a nonflammable or
self-extinguishing and insulating thermoplastic resin; disposed
within the connector block 25 is a plurality of thin flat contact
strips 27. The connector block 25, in its preferred embodiment, is
an elongated body of insulating material made from two connector
block segments 40 and 42 (FIG. 12) which will, for purposes of
explanation, be referred to hereinafter as first and second
connector block segments, respectively. The first connector block
segment 40 comprises an elongated body portion formed from a block
rectangular in cross section and having a side surface 44
illustrated at the top in FIG. 12. The opposite longitudinally
disposed edge surfaces of the segment 40 carry a plurality of
laterally aligned indentations 48 and 53, respectively, forming a
plurality of flexible fingers 46 and 49, respectively, terminating
in outer surfaces 45 and 55, respectively, that are generally
disposed in planes defining outer edge surfaces for the connector
block segment 40. The fingers 46 are uniformly spaced from each
other and are generally of uniform thickness and have laterally
extending and generally parallel walls 47 that are disposed normal
to the longitudinal axis of the connector block segment 40. The
fingers 49 are also uniformly spaced from each other, are of
generally uniform thickness, and have walls 51 disposed generally
parallel to each other and normal to the longitudinal axis of the
connector block segment 40. As illustrated, each of the fingers 46
is in lateral alignment with one of the fingers 49, and the
indentations 48 defined between the fingers 46 are each in general
lateral alignment with one of the indentations 53 formed between
the fingers 49. In other words, the indentations 48 and 53 are
arranged in laterally aligned pairs, and the indentations have a
width in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the connector
block segment 40 that is approximately equal to the thickness of
the fingers 46 and 49 in that direction, the fingers 46 and 49
being also laterally aligned in pairs along the length of the
connector block segment 40. The first connector block segment 40
also includes a contact retaining surface 50 which, in the
illustrated embodiment, is planar, and intersects the surfaces 45
and 55 at their opposite ends from the side surface 44. The contact
retaining surface 50 includes in its central area two rows of
openings 52, each adapted to receive a pin as will be described
hereinafter. One opening 52 from each of the two rows is located in
lateral alignment with each aligned pair of indentations 48 and 53.
The first connector block segment 40 is also provided with a post
receiving opening 54 located at one end of the connector block
segment 40. Each of the openings 52 and 54 extends perpendicularly
into the central portion of the connector block segment 40 from the
contact retaining surface 50 and toward the side surface 44.
The second connector block segment 42 is compatible in design with
the first connector block segment 40 and includes an elongated body
portion formed from a block rectangular in the cross section and
having a side surface 56, see FIG. 15. The opposite longitudinally
disposed edge surfaces of the segment 42 carry a plurality of
laterally aligned indentations 60 and 65, respectively, forming a
plurality of flexible fingers 58 and 61, respectively, terminating
in surfaces 57 and 67 respectively, that are generally disposed in
planes defining outer edge surfaces for the connector block segment
42. The fingers 58 are uniformly spaced from each other and are
generally of uniform thickness and have laterally extending and
generally parallel walls 59 that are disposed normal to the
longitudinal axis of the connector block segment 42. Fingers 61 are
also uniformly spaced from each other and are of generally uniform
thickness and have walls 63 disposed generally parallel to each
other and normal to the longitudinal axis of the connector block
segment 42. As illustrated, each of the fingers 58 is in lateral
alignment with one of the fingers 61, and the indentations 60
defined between the fingers 58 are each, in general, laterally
aligned with one of the indentations 65 formed between the fingers
61. In other words, the indentations 60 and 65 are arranged in
laterally aligned pairs; the indentations have a width in the
direction of the longitudinal axis of the connector block segment
42 that is approximately equal to the thickness of the fingers 58
and 61 in that direction, the fingers 58 and 61 being also
laterally aligned in pairs along the length of the connector block
segment 42.
The various parts of the connector block segment 42 that correspond
in shape and function to like parts in the connector block segment
40 have the same general overall dimensions and spacings, whereby
assembly of the connector block segment 40 and 42 to form the
connector block 25 can be accomplished, all as will be explained
more fully hereinafter.
Referring specifically to FIG. 14, the second connector block
segment also includes a contact receiving surface 62 which is
generally planar and is adapted to mate with the contact retaining
surface 50 of the first connector block segment 40. The contact
retaining surface 62 includes a plurality of contact recesses 64.
Each contact recess 64 has a bottom surface which is displaced from
and parallel to the contact retaining surface 62. The depth of the
contact recesses 64 is, in the illustrated embodiment, just
sufficient to accept the thin flat metal contact strips 27. The
contact recesses 64 also have a generally rectangular profile
adapted to receive and hold such a contact. Two rows of alignment
pins 66 extend at right angles from the bottom surface of the
contact recesses 64. These alignment pins are of a proper diameter
and are properly located to mate with the openings 52 in the first
connector block segment 40. They serve a dual function, as will
become apparent hereinafter, of acting as alignment and fastening
surfaces for the connector block segments 40 and 42 as well as
bearing surfaces to absorb force from the contacts during insertion
of wires.
One heavier alignment pin or post 68 is disposed at one end of the
second connector block segment 42 and extends perpendicularly to
the contact retaining surface 62 to mate with the post receiving
opening 54 in the first connector block segment 40. This post and
opening combination 68, 54 serves primarily to assure that the
segments 40 and 42 are assembled properly and are not turned end
for end with respect to each other. It will, of course, be
understood that various combinations of alignment pins 66 with
mating openings 52 and alignment post 68 with mating opening 54 are
possible and that the configuration locating all pins and posts on
one connector segment and all openings on the other connector block
segment is presented for illustrative purposes only.
Each connector block segment is provided at its opposite end
surfaces with a mounting post or stud against extending
longitudinally therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, (FIGS. 9
& 10) the second connector block segment is provided with
oppositely extending identical mounting post segments 71. The first
connector block segment 40 on the other hand, has two different
mounting post segments 73 and 75 at its opposite ends. The first
segment 73 is provided with a key way 77 on its outer surface while
the second segment 75 at the opposite end includes a pair of key
ways 79 differing in position from the single key way 77. These key
ways are for the purpose of assuring foolproof orientation of the
connector block 25 in conjunction with the mounts 26 and 29 to be
described hereinafter.
The contact strip 27 illustrated in perspective in FIG. 12 and in
plan in FIG. 12A is an insulation-stripping contact strip which may
be of any suitable conductive material such as phosphor bronze. In
the illustrated embodiment, the contact strip 27 includes first and
second stripping and gripping areas 70 and 72 in the form of narrow
notches 74 and 76 defined by closely spaced arms 78 and 80. In plan
view the contact strip 27 is generally an elongated rectangle and
the thickness is of the order of 0.016 inch. The outer edges 82 of
the arms 78 and 80 are tapered slightly inwardly toward the outer
ends of the contact to provide a slight relief in the contact
recesses 64 (FIG. 14) to accommodate outward movement of the arms
78 and 80 due to the force exerted by an inserted wire. The contact
strip 27 is also provided with a pair of apertures 84 which in the
illustrated embodiment are adapted to receive alignment pins 66 in
the second connector block segment 42.
In assembling the connector block 25, the second connector block
segment 42 which, in the illustrated embodiment, carries the
alignment pins 66 and 68, respectively, is positioned with the pins
vertically disposed and contact strips 27 are placed in each of the
50 contact recesses 64 with the alignment pins 66 passing through
the apertures 84 in the contact strips 27. The alignment pins 66
thus act during assembly to properly position the contact strips 27
in the recesses 64. The first connector block segment 40 is then
lowered onto the alignment pins 66 and the alignment post 68 which
are respectively received into the openings 52 and the post
receiving opening 54 of the first connector block segment 40. The
connector block 25 is held in assembled position by means of
adhesive applied to the mating surfaces or by other suitable means.
Also the mounting post segments mate to form rectangular mounting
studs or posts 81 and 83 respectively containing one and two key
ways 77 and 79 and further each including a lateral flexure slot 91
and a pair of mounting ribs 93 for cooperation with the mounts 26
and 29. The assembled connector block is best illustrated in FIGS.
8-10 and 15. In the assembled form, the solid central portions of
the two connector block segments are mated to form a central
insulative core 85 of the connector block which like its mating
component halves is rectangular in cross section (FIG. 15). The
side surfaces 44 and 56 of the respective connector block segments
become the side surfaces of the finished connector block 25. The
edge surfaces 55 and 57 of the respective segments combine and
align to form the edge surface 87 of the connector block 25 and the
edge surfaces 45 and 67 of the respective segments combine and
align to form the edge surface 89 of the connector block 25, each
of the edge surfaces 87 and 89 extending between and intersecting
the side surfaces 44 and 56. Also, the indentations 48 and 65
combine to form a first plurality of wire-receiving slots 86 and
the indentations 53 and 60 combine to form a second plurality of
wire-receiving slots 86, each of the slots 86 being open-ended and
laterally aligned in pairs. The shape of the slots 86 is best
illustrated in FIG. 9 which indicates that the slots 86 are
U-shaped in plan view and have a bottom wall 88 as the bight, and
flexible side walls composed of the walls 47 and 63 in one series
of slots 86 and flexible side walls composed of the walls 51 and 59
in the other series of slots 86 as described previously with
respect to the first and second connector block segments. Each such
slot 86 is open at its outer lateral extremity at the respective
edge surface 87 or 89 and at both of its ends. The width of each
slot 86 as measured in a direction parallel to the longitudinal
axis of the block 25 is predetermined to be just larger than the
largest insulated wire which the connector 24 is designed to
accept.
Again referring to FIG. 9, it can be seen that while the main body
of each contact strip 27 is embedded within the central core of the
connector block 25, the wire stripping and gripping areas 70 and 72
extend from the bottom walls 88 of a pair of laterally aligned
oppositely disposed slots 86 and partway into the slots 86 in order
to provide a pair of opposed contacts to which access can be had by
a wire with which electrical contact is to be made. At the same
time as can be seen from the exemplary contact shown in FIG. 14,
almost the entire periphery of the contact strip 27 including the
outer edges 82 is securely supported by the periphery of the
contact recesses 64 of the second connector block segment 42
cooperating with the contact retaining surface 50 of the first
connector block segment 40. Thus, the contact strip 27 can be made
of thin springy material since it is not required to be
free-standing and is supported during the insertion of the wire and
thereafter. Also because the ends of the contacts are recessed well
back into the slots 86, the contacts are well protected against
bending or any unintentional electrical contact with other contacts
within the connector block, and the relief provided by the tapered
edges 82 prevents distortion of the ends of the contact strip 27
during and after the insertion of a wire.
In order to facilitate wire insertion when handling 50 wires in a
bundle each slot 86 in the connector block 25 also includes a wire
restraining structure for holding an insulated wire, prior to
insertion, in a position wherein it is easily inserted by a
suitable tool. This wire restraining structure in the embodiment
illustrated is in the form of a series of four protrusions 90
extending from opposite walls of each of the slots 86. The
protrusions 90 seen in plan view in FIG. 15 and in profile in FIG.
9 are positioned in pairs in each slot, one pair being located, for
example, on the walls 48 of the first connector block segment
protruding toward each other in registry to provide an opening
narrower than the diameter of the insulated wire to be used within
the slot. This pair of protrusions 90 is located on the wall of the
slot 86 approximately one insulated wire diameter toward the outer
lateral extremity of the slot beyond the outer end of the stripping
and gripping areas 70 of the contact strip 27. They are also
located a preselected distance from the outer end of the open-ended
slot 86 and a preselected distance from the contact retaining
surface 50 of the first connector block segment 40.
The second pair of protrusions 90 is located on the walls of the
open-ended slot 86 formed by the walls 65 of the second connector
block segment 42. These protrusions 90 also define a passage
narrower than the diameter of the insulated wire to be inserted and
they are positioned the same distance from the outer lateral
extremity of the slot 86, the same distance outside the outer end
of the stripping and gripping area 70 and the same distance from
the second end of the open-ended slot 86. Each of the slots 86
includes two pairs of the protrusions 90 located similarly to those
described above. Each protrusion 90 is illustrated in one dimension
as being rounded as seen in the profile in FIG. 9 and is in the
other dimension of a predetermined width for purposes of
accommodating a compatible insertion tool without destroying the
protrusion 90 so that they remain usable again should the wire in
the particular slot be removed and a new one inserted. The
particular shape of these protrusions 90 is a matter of choice so
long as they permit the insulated wire to pass with slight flexure
of the walls of the slot 86 without removal of the insulation and
define a passage narrow enough to hold the insulated wire after it
passes between the protrusions 90.
Each slot 86 is also provided with a retaining means best
illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 13a. The retaining means, in the
illustrated embodiment, takes the form of a pair of wedge-like
projections 92 extending from both walls of the slot 86 adjacent to
the bottom wall 88 of the slot 86. Each projection 92 has a sloped
wire receiving or deflecting surface 94 facing generally toward the
outer edge surface of the wall and a wire retaining surface 96
extending perpendicularly from the wall of the associated slot 86
and facing the bottom wall 88 of the associated slot 86. The space
between the wire retaining surface 96 and the bottom wall 88 of the
slot is approximately equal to the width of the slot and
consequently to the insulated diameter of the wire to be utilized
in the connector 24. The wire retaining means 92 is located at the
same distance between the first end of the open-ended slot 86 and
the contact strip 27 as was the wire restraining structure 90
described earlier, and is also of the same width so that an
application tool applied from the edge surface into the laterally
extending slots 86 can force the associated wire onto the contact
without destroying either the wire restraining structure 90 or the
wire retaining means 92. It should be noted that a similar wire
retaining means is not usually provided on the opposite side of the
contact because, as will become apparent hereinafter and as is
illustrated in FIG. 20, the wire is normally cut off on one side of
the contact during insertion.
As in the case of the wire restraining structure the exact shape of
the wire retaining means 92 can vary so long as it functions to
hold the wire adjacent to be bottom wall 88 of the slot. The wire
retaining means 92 acts after insertion of the wire as a means of
preventing pullout of the wire and also as a strain relief on the
gripped portion of the wire in the contact. It is also within the
scope of the present invention to form the wire restraining
structure 90 and the wire retaining means 92 extending from only
one wall of the slot 86 to define a narrowed passage functioning in
a manner similar to that of the illustrated embodiment.
The connector block 25 is also provided with reaction surfaces 98
which in the illustrated embodiment are disposed on the flexible
fingers 46, 49, 58 and 61 as the case may ne adjacent to the slots
86. The reaction surfaces which can best be seen in perspective in
FIG. 12 are formed by the inner surfaces of a series of discrete
channels 100 cut into the side surfaces 44 and 56 of the block near
the outer extremity of the fingers just inside the edge surfaces 87
and 89. Each channel 100 is symmetrically disposed with respect to
the edge surfaces of the connector block 25 and with respect to the
plane of the flat contact strip 27 which is located midway between
the channel 100 on the first side surface 44 and the channel 100 on
the second side surface 56. The discrete short channels 100 are
also aligned and of the same size and profile so that in an end
view of the connector block they appear to be a continuous channel
of generally U-shaped profile. It can be seen however from FIGS. 9
and 12 that the bearing surface 98 formed by the outer surface of
each discrete channel 100 is rounded convexly on the side facing
toward the central core 85 of the connector block. The purpose of
the convex reaction surfaces is to provide a self-aligning feature
for a reaction type installation tool when the tool is applied to
the reaction surfaces. Thus, if the tool is applied to the
connector block in a position where the insertion members or blades
would engage edge surface of the walls of the slots rather than the
slots 86 themselves, the reaction surfaces 98 cooperating with
suitable locating surfaces on the tool will cause the tool to
properly align itself without a conscious effort on the part of the
operator. The reaction surfaces 98 then engage suitable reaction
surfaces on the installation tool to cause the forces exerted
during installation of a wire onto the contact strips 27 to be
absorbed through the reaction surfaces 98 and back through the tool
so that no other force need be exerted on the connector block
during wire installation. In other words, the connector block could
be wholly supported by the reaction surfaces of the tool and free
of all mounts during installation of a wire. Thus the reaction
surfaces 98 in combination with an appropriate tool minimize
bending forces on the connector block and forces on the block
mounts during wire installation.
The channels 100 also cooperate to hold a cap 101, (FIG. 16) in
place on the connector block after all wiring has been completed.
The cap 101 is a plastic channel, rectangular in cross section
having a short side wall 103 and a long side wall 105 which enclose
the side surfaces 44 and 56 of the connector block. The short side
wall is positioned on the side of the block from which wires
extend, terminating just above the wire retaining means 92 and
cooperating therewith to prevent removal of the wire. The long side
wall 105 is positioned on the side of the block where the wires
have been cut off and covers the entire end of the slots 86 to
prevent dirt and corrosion in the contacts. The side walls 103 and
105 are provided with a pair of opposing ridges 107 extending
inwardly for the length of the cap. These ridges mate with the
channels 100 of the block to provide a positive lock holding the
cap in position. The cap may be applied by sliding it along the
channels 100 or by flexing the side walls and moving the cap
laterally onto the block 25.
Similar reaction surfaces 98 and similar channels 100 are disposed
respectively adjacent the four corners of the connector block
formed by the intersection of the side and edge surfaces of the
connector block. It will be evident to those skilled in the art
that similar reaction surfaces might be employed on the inner walls
of the adjacent slots or on the outer surfaces of the center core
of the connector block without departing from the scope of the
present invention. The location and design of the reaction surface
illustrated in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is
preferable to the other locations mentioned because it provides
superior visibility of the slots while making a contact and ease of
access for a reaction tool while providing a balanced reaction
force on either side of the contact thus eliminating any tendency
of a reaction tool gripping the oppositely disposed pair of
reaction surfaces 98 to twist due to the force of inserting a wire
onto the associated contact strip 27.
It should also be noted as seen in FIG. 9, that two additional
slots 102 are provided at either end of the connector block and
that each of the slots 102 is of a shallower depth than the
remaining slots in the connector block. Each of the walls defining
the slots 102 is also provided with a reaction surface 104 similar
to the reaction surface 98 described above. The purpose of these
additional reaction surfaces and slots is to accommodate a reaction
tool such as the tool 106 illustrated in perspective in FIG. 8
having a pair of relatively movable connector gripping members 108
and 110 each of which spans approximately six slots in the
associated connector block 25. The purpose of the additional dummy
slots 102 and reaction surfaces 104 is to facilitate insertion of
wires into the extreme end slots 86 of the connector block 25 shown
in FIG. 9, while still engaging reaction surfaces uniformly across
the width of the connector engaging members 108 and 110.
The connector 24 described above has many advantages as has been
pointed out during the foregoing description. One additional
advantage of the entire construction of the connector over the
prior art is that the intricate parts 40 and 42 having complicated
surfaces are all formed out of easily moldable plastic while the
metal part 27 is simple, flat and easy to manufacture.
It is believed that the operation of the connector 24 of the
present invention will be better understood by an illustration of
the insertion of a wire onto the connector as shown in the sequence
of drawings beginning with FIG. 16 and running through FIG. 20. In
referring to these figures, only brief references will be made to
the operation of the illustrated tool which is described and
claimed in detail in the above noted copending patent application.
FIG. 16 is a sectional view through one pair of laterally disposed
and aligned slots 86 in the connector block 25 embodying the
present invention; a wire 112 is shown positioned in the right-hand
slot 86 against the outside of the wire restraining protrusions 90
within the slot 86. It should be noted from this figure that the
outer end of the contact strip 27 is located at least three
insulated wire diameters from the outer extremity of the slot and
at least two insulated wire diameters from the first and second
ends of the open-ended slot thus affording complete protection and
insulation of the wire stripping and gripping area 70.
In FIG. 17, the wire 112 has been manually positioned inside the
wire restraining protrusions 90 and is held adjacent to the outer
end of the stripping and gripping area 70 of the contact strip 27.
This operation, although not illustrated, is accomplished manually
by gripping the wire at either end of the open-ended slot 86 and
forcing it past the narrowed passages defined by the protrusions
90. It should also be noted that the positioning operation has not
deformed or damaged the relatively hard insulation of the wire 112.
Rather it is accomplished by deflecting the flexible walls between
the slots 86 to allow the wire to pass to this intermediate
position. Also in FIG. 17, the nose of the reaction tool 106 or a
similar tool is shown being inserted into the channel 100 of the
slot 86. Proper positioning of the tool 106 is accomplished by a
series of alignment teeth 113 (one of which is shown in phantom in
FIG. 17) which extend into the slots 86 of the block.
At this stage of the installation, the first connector gripping
member 108 is positioned in the channels 100 and the locating
surfaces on the tool 106 in cooperation with the bearing surfaces
98 have positioned the tool 106 longitudinally with respect to the
connector block 25 so that a wire insertion member 114 in the tool
106 is in registry with the slot 86 in which the wire 112 is held
by the wire restraining structure 90.
Referring now to FIG. 18, the tool 106 is shown in position to
complete the insertion Of the wire 112 into the connector block 25.
In this position, both the first and second connector gripping
members 108 and 110 are in gripping position engaging the channels
100 and the bearing surfaces 98 disposed adjacent one edge surface
on the first and second side surfaces 44 and 56 of the connector
block 25, thus providing a symmetrical reaction force and providing
a balanced reaction to the force applied to the wire 112 and the
contact during insertion of the wire 112. In FIG. 18 the wire
insertion member 114 of the tool has moved to the left between the
connector gripping members 108 and 110 and is about to engage the
wire 112. The mechanism for moving the wire insertion member 114
and for causing the relative movement of the connector gripping
members 108 and 110 forms no part of the present invention and will
not be discussed herein.
In FIG. 19, the wire insertion member 114 has moved further to the
left and is extended beyond the extremity of the remainder of the
tool 106 and into the slot 86. In this position the flat front
surface 116 of the wire insertion member 114 is in engagement with
the wire and has partially forced it onto the stripping and
gripping area 70. It should be noted that the illustrated wire
insertion member 114 is recessed or relieved on the flat face 116
in three different areas spaced between the open ends of the slot
86. The first recess 118 is positioned midway between the ends of
the slot 86 and is of a suitable depth to accommodate the contact
strip 27 where it extends into the slot 86 without the wire
insertion member 114 physically engaging the contact strip 27. A
second relieved area 120 is provided midway between the recess 118
and the first end of the wire receiving slot 86. In the
illustration of FIG. 19 the recess 120 has already received the
upper pair of protrusions 90 of the wire restraining structure and
is about to receive the retaining means 92 as the wire passes
thereover. It will be apparent from FIG. 19 that the width and
location of the wire restraining structure 90 and the retaining
means 92 is important if they are to retain their usefulness after
a wire has been installed by a wire insertion member 114 similar to
that illustrated in the figure. It should also be noted that the
relieved area 120 is deeper than the recess 118 because, as has
been mentioned earlier, the wire restraining structure 90 is
positioned much closer to the outer extremity of the slot 86 than
is the outer end of the contact strip 27. A third relieved area 122
in the insertion member 114 is positioned on the opposite side of
the contact strip 27 approximately midway between the contact and
the second open end of the slot 86. In the illustration of FIG. 19
this slot has already received the wire restraining structure 90
which is also positioned in registry with the slot 122 to avoid
destruction of the restraining structure by the wire insertion
member 114. The wire insertion member also includes a cutting blade
125 near its lower extremity within the slot 86. The cutting edge
of this blade 124 is facing the bottom wall 88 of the slot 86 and
extends beyond the remainder of the outer end 116 of the wire
insertion member 114 as illustrated in FIG. 19, the cutting blade
124 engages the insulative covering of the wire 112 below the
contact and on its opposite side from the retaining means 92.
Referring now to FIG. 20, it can be seen that the complete
installation of the wire 112 into the connector block 25 has been
accomplished. The upper insulated portion of the wire 112 has
passed the retaining means 92 and is held between the retaining
means and the bottom wall 88 of the slot 86. The insulation has
been stripped from the wire 112 by the contact strip 27 leaving a
metal-to-metal electrical and mechanical contact 126. The cutting
blade 124 has forced the lower end of the wire into contact with
the bottom wall 88 of the slot 86 and has severed the excess wire
by passing therethrough and indenting the wall 88 of the slot. The
free end of the wire thus severed is recessed in the slot 86
slightly removed from the second open end thereof and protected
from undesired electrical contact with other wires in the system.
After the tool has been removed, the wire 112 is held in the
position shown in the FIG. 20 by a combination of the retaining
structure 92 and the mechanical grip of the gripping area 70 of the
contact 27 on the conductive portion of the wire 112.
The wires of each bundle utilized with the connector of the present
invention are commonly color coded in pairs each wire having a two
colored insulation. In order to facilitate insertion of the desired
wires onto the preselected contacts of the connector, the outer end
of each wire receiving slot 86 is provided with a pair of color
coded areas 128 (FIG. 15) each matching one of the two colors of
the appropriate wire. The color coded areas 128 are, in the
illustrated embodiment, positioned on either side of the recessed
center portion 128a of the edge surface 87 or 89 of the
corresponding wall of the slot 86 in question. This positioning of
the color coded areas 128 affords easy visual observation of the
proper slot 86 with which the wires 112 or 32 in question are to be
matched prior to the manual positioning of the wire within the wire
restraining structure 90. This is especially true since the wires
are positioned in the slots 86 by lateral movement past the edge
surfaces 87 or 89 of the connector block 25. The color coded areas
128 could, however, be positioned anywhere along the edge surfaces
87 and 89 so long as it remains on the edge surfaces 87 and 89 for
ease of observation and matching.
The mounts 26 and 29 referred to earlier in the general description
of the present invention are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 4
through 7. Referring specifically to FIG. 5, a mount 26, suitable
for mounting the right-hand end of the connector block of the
present invention having the single key way 77 (FIG. 9), is
illustrated in front elevation and includes a first or right-hand
mounting block 130 having a stepped generally circular central
opening 132, snap-in mounting means 134 and a mount index 136. Both
the snap-in mounting means 134 and the mount index 136 extend from
a flat base 138 and are perpendicular to the axis of the central
opening 132. They are designed and spaced to retain and orient the
mount in the desired manner on the frame of the wiring system 10.
As an added assurance to proper orientation the mount index has a
tab 136a along one side thereof to require a specially shaped
mounting hole described hereinafter. The stepped central opening
132 includes a large circular opening 140 and a smaller partially
circular opening 142 joined by a longitudinal bearing surface 144.
The small opening 142, best seen in FIG. 5, has a pair of spaced
cutouts 146 extending beyond the circular profile on one side
thereof. A secondary opening 148 extends through the mounting block
130 in the same direction as and parallel to the partially circular
opening 142 therein. The secondary opening extends partially
between the cutouts 146 and is separated from the central opening
by a flexible wall 150 which in its undistorted form is flat and
extends on one side between the cutouts 146 to form a flat surface
on one side of the partially circular opening 142 of the mounting
block 130.
A right-hand cam detent cap 152 having a hollow rectangular center
154, a multisided detent surface 156, and a circular bearing flange
158 is received in the central opening 132 of the right-hand
mounting block 130. The hollow center 154 includes a key surface
160 which is received in the single key way 77 of the mounting post
81, the post extending through the center 154 from the detent end
to the circular flange end of the detent cap 152. The outer end of
the hollow center 154 also has a retaining surface 162 which
cooperates with both of the mounting ribs 93 to positively retain
the mounting post within the hollow center 154 (FIGS. 6 and 7). The
detent surface 156 frictionally engages the walls of the smaller
central opening 142 of the mounting block 130 and the flat flexible
wall 150. The frictional engagement is made at the lines of
intersection of the multiple flat sides with the wall of the
opening 142 and is sufficient to maintain the cam detent cap 152 in
any desired position of rotation corresponding to the engagement of
a surface 156 with the wall 150.
During rotation of the connector block 25, the wall 150 of the
central opening 132 yields as the cam detent cap is rotated out of
a stable position to one where the edge of a pair of adjoining flat
surfaces engages the bottom wall 150. The position of flexure of
the bottom wall 150 although not unstable, is less stable than the
position in which one of the flat surfaces 156 on the periphery of
the cam detent cap engages the bottom wall 150 of the central
opening. For purposes of illustration, FIG. 5 includes a dashed
line position of the hollow center 154 of the cam detent cap 152
and the bottom wall 150 of the central opening each in its
intermediate position between adjacent stable positions of
rotation. In the illustrated embodiment the cam detent cap is 12
sided resulting in a stable position every 30 degrees of
rotation.
The left-hand mount 29 illustrated in FIG. 5A is identical to the
right-hand mount 26 described above with exceptions. First of all
the large circular opening 141 of the left-hand mount is smaller in
diameter than the corresponding large circular opening 140 of the
right-hand mount and receives a smaller circular bearing flange 159
of a left-hand cam detent cap 153. Secondly, the left-hand cam
detent cap 153 has a hollow rectangular center 155 having a pair of
key surfaces 161 therein and aligned to mate with the pair of key
ways 79 on the left-hand mounting post 83 of the connector.
Thirdly, the mount index 137 and tab 137a of the left-hand mount 29
are positioned on the opposite side of the snap-in mounting means
134A which is identical to the snap-in mounting means 134. All
three of these differences between the left-hand mount 29 and the
right-hand mount 26 cooperate to assure proper orientatiOn of the
connecJor 24 prior to wire installatiOn thereby assuring that the
wire retaining means 92 are disposed above the contact when the
connector is oriented for wire application to a given side. This
assures that the remaining wire (FIG. 20) will be held behind the
retaining means 92 on the side of the contact opposite cutoff of
the excess wire so that the retaining means 92, the metal-to-metal
contact 126 and later the cap 101 (FIG. 16) cooperate in
maintaining the electrical connection of the wire, the wire
retaining means 92 and the cap 101 simultaneously cooperating tO
provide strain relief for the insulated portion of the wire.
Having now described the various components of the wire termination
system referred to earlier, the cross-connect wiring system of
FIGS. 1 through 4 will be described in further detail to illustrate
the cooperation of the various components of the present invention
within the novel system. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the vertical
leg 18 of the frame 11 is in the form of a generally rectangular
sheet metal channel having a wide central wall 164 connecting
shallow side walls 166, the outer extremities of the side walls 166
being turned inwardly toward each other to provide vertical edges
168 which engage and enclose the bundle separation channel 34.
Referring now to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the horizontal leg 20
of the frame is formed as an extension Of the vertical leg 18 by
means of appropriate cutouts 170 permitting a right angle bend in
the channel. The profile of the horizontal leg 20 can best be seen
in FIG. 3 and is identical to the channel described with respect to
the vertical leg 8. The outer end of the horizontal leg terminates
in a flat metal mounting tab 172 (FIG. 1) having a pair of openings
for receiving fastening means such as screws 174. The vertical leg
18 is provided on each of its side walls 166 with a series of mount
receiving openings 176 and 178. The mount receiving openings 176
are spaced apart a distance equal to the center-to-center spacing
of two snap-in mounting means 134 or 134A when a pair of mounting
blocks are disposed end-to-end as illustrated in FIG. 4. They are
also of an appropriate size to receive and hold an assocaited
snap-in mounting. The remaining mount receiving openings 178 are
each spaced closely below their associated mounting opening 176 and
are of an appropriate size to receive the associated mount index
136 or 137 of the appropriately oriented mount 26 or 29. Each
opening 178 also includes a cutout 178a extending from the opening
toward the associated opening 176 to accommodate the appropriate
tab 136a or 137a. Thus only the openings 178 will accommodate the
mount indices 136 and 137.
The fixed frame member 22 is also in the form of a generally
rectangular channel (FIG. 2) and includes a central wall 180
connecting side walls 182 of similar dimensions to the central wall
and side walls of the vertical leg 18. The outer ends of the side
walls 182 are each turned in toward each other to form inner walls
184 which do not quite abut each other at their outer extremities,
are disposed adjacentto the cable 30 within the frame 11 and form a
mounting surface for the bundle separation channel 34. The upper
end of the fixed frame member 22 includes a folded tab 186 adapted
to underlie the flat mounting tab 172 of the horizontal leg 20 of
the movable frame member. The folded tab 186 is also provided with
a pair of threaded holes 188 which receive the screwS 174 rigidly
to affix the movable frame member 16 to the fixed frame member 22
thus forming the rigid frame 11 for the system. The fixed frame
member 22 is also provided on its opposite side walls 182 with a
series of mount receiving openings 176 and 178 which are sized and
spaced in like manner to those on the vertical leg 18 and cooperate
therewith to provide spaced pairs of mount receiving openings
disposed horizontally of each other on opposite legs of the frame
11. In other words, a mount receiving opening 176 is always
disposed horizontally across from a similar mount receiving opening
176 with the associated mount receiving opening 178 and cutout 178a
disposed in all cases just below the respective mount receiving
opening 176.
It can be seen that a series of connectors 24 are mounted on one
side of the frame 11 by means of a series of vertically arranged
right-hand mounts 26 positioned in the respective mount receiving
openings 176 and 178 on one side wall 166 of the vertical leg 18
and by a series of left-hand mounts 99 similarly disposed on the
corresponding side wall 182 of the fixed frame member 22. Because
the mount receiving openings 176 which receive the snap-in mounting
means 134 or 134A are spaced on centers as indicated above,
adjoining left-hand or right-hand mounts abut each other at their
bases and the remainder of the adjacent mounting blocks form a
U-shaped cross-connect wire passage 190 which provides for orderly
passage of cross-connect wires from the point of connection to a
contact, around one end of the frame 11 and to the desired contact
on the opposite side of the frame 11.
In each case, the mount receiving openings 178 are appropriately
spaced from and below the associated mount receiving openings 176
so that there is no possibility of improperly inserting a left-hand
mount 29 at the right-hand end of a connector 24 since as was
explained earlier, the mount index 137 and tab 137a for the
left-hand mount 29 are oppositely positioned with respect to the
snap-in means 134A than is the mount index 136 on the right-hand
mount 26.
Therefore referring to FIGS. 5 through 7, if the larger circular
opening 140 of the right-hand mount and the circular flange 158 of
the right-hand detent cap 152 are oriented outwardly from the
connector to be mounted, and if the smaller circular opening 141 of
the left-hand mount 29 and the smaller circular bearing flange 159
of the left-hand detent cap 153 are oriented outwardly from the
connector to be mounted, there is no possibility of inserting a
mount in the frame in any but a proper manner, i.e., in a manner so
as to present the connector 24 to the installation tool 106 in the
proper position with the wire retaining means 92 positioned above
the associated contact strips 27 on the side of the connector
presented for installation. It will further be seen that it will
not be possible to misorient the connector block by applying the
cam detent caps 152 and 153 to the wrong end of the connector due
to the mating single and double keys and key ways provided in the
respective ends of the connector and inside the respective cam
detent caps. Nor can the cam detent caps be inserted into the wrong
mount due to the different diameters of the large circular openings
140 and 141 and the cooperating bearing flanges 158 and 159.
In the illustrated embodiment, the bundle separation channel 34 is
illustrated as a piece of rectangular plastic wiring duct having a
flat mounting base 192 and right angled side walls 194 extending
from either side of the mounting base 192. Each of the side walls
194 further includes a series of separated bundle receiving slots
196 which are open-ended at their outer extremities away from the
flat mounting base 192. The outer ends of the side walls 194
include outwardly disposed beads 198 for receiving and holding the
vertical edges 168 on the vertical leg 18, see FIG. 2. The bundle
separation channel 34 is vertically disposed and extends between
the frame members 16 and 22 with its flat mounting base 192 affixed
to the inner walls 184 of the fixed frame member 22 by means such
as screws or rivets, not shown. The side walls 194 of the bundle
separation channel extend across the central portion of the frame
11 to the vertical leg 18 of the movable frame member 16. The beads
198 at the outer extremities of the side walls 194 are engaged by
the vertical edges 168 of the vertical leg 18 on the movable frame
member and are spring loaded slightly toward each other so that the
channel forming the vertical leg 18 acts as a cover for the bundle
separating channel, the bundle receiving slots 196 constitute long
flat horizontal openings, each corresponding to the space between a
pair of adjacent connectors 24 on either side of the frame 11.
The wire guiding duct 36 is in the illustrated embodiment also in
the form of a slotted plastic wiring duct common to the electrical
industry. It is mounted with its flat base 200 against the outer
side of the central wall 164 of the vertical leg 18 on the movable
frame member 16. Mounting is effected by suitable means, not shown.
The slotted side walls 202 of the wire guiding duct extend
outwardly from the base 200 and from the frame 11 and each includes
a series of spaced slots 204 which are open-ended and similar in
construction to the slots 196 of the bundle separation channel 34.
The outer extremity of each side wall 202 is provided with a bead
206 (FIG. 2) which acts to retain a removable duct cover 208.
In an illustrative embodiment of the wire termination and splicing
system of the present invention the wiring cabinet 10 for 600 pairs
of conductors would have base dimensions of 8-1/2 inches .times. 11
inches and a height of 29 inches. The frame 11 would accommodate 12
of the connectors 24 on each side thereof and the bundle separation
channel 34 would have 12 slots on each side thereof. Each of the
connectors 24 has an overall length from the end of one mounting
post to the end of the other of 7.7 inches an overall width of 0.9
inch and an overall thickness of 0.3 inch. Each of the slots 86 has
a width measured in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis
of the connector 24 of 0.05 inch, and a depth of 0.275 inch. The
outermost edge of the wire restraining protrusion 90 is located
0.10 inch from the adjacent edge of the connector 24 and is spaced
from the opposed protrusion 90 a distance of 0.025 inch; the
retaining projections 92 are disposed 0.075" from the adjacent
protrusions 90, are spaced from the bottom of the associates slot
86 0.045 inch and are spaced from each other to provide a gap
therebetween of 0.015 inch to accommodate a 22-26 gauge conductive
wire. The lateral dimension of the channel 100 is 0.05 inch and the
outer edge of the channel is spaced 0.050 inch from the adjacent
outer edge of the connector 24. The contact strips 27 has an
overall length of 0.53 inch, an overall width of 0.09 inch and the
notches 74 and 76 have a depth of 0.108 inch. The wiring of the
novel system is accomplished by removal of the movable frame member
16 which exposes the feeder cable 28 and the distribution cable 30
within the central cavity of the frame 11 and below the bundle
separation channel 34. Removal of the movable frame member 16 also
provides access to the open-ended slots 196 in the bundle
separation channel 34. The outer covering of the feeder cable 28 is
removed leaving a series of exposed bundles each containing 50
insulated wires in color coded pairs. The bundles are separated and
draped over consecutive slots 196 on one side of the bundle
separation channel 34 so that the wires extend outwardly from the
channel 34 through the preselected slots 196 therein. The same
operation is repeated for the distribution cable 30 with each
bundle of wires being brought out through one slot 196 on the
opposite side of the bundle separation channel 34 from those of the
feeder cable 28. The movable frame member 16 carrying the wire
guiding duct 36 with the cover 208 removed therefrom is then set
into place engaging the beads 198 at the outer ends of the side
walls 194 of the bundle separation channel 34 to form a closed
chamber having bundles of wires extending through the slots 196 at
either side thereof. Beginning at either side of the frame, the top
connector 24 is mounted in its respective mount-receiving openings
and the bundle of wires is positioned over the top of the connector
24 from the associated slot 196. The color coding of the wires is
matched to the color coding on the outer ends of the fingers of the
connector 24 and the wires are installed in the manner described
earlier with respect to FIGS. 15 through 20. To facilitate
installation of the 50 wires on the one side of the connector 24,
the connector 24 is oriented as illustrated in FIG. 1 through 4 at
an angle to provide easy access for the installation tool 106.
During installation, the excess wire in each contact is cut off so
that it does not interfere with other connections to be made at a
later time. After all connections have been made to the first side
of the connector 24, it is rotated on its mounts 180.degree. to a
position as illustrated in FIG. 3 wherein the 50 connected feeder
cable wires are out of the way and the second side of the connector
24 is oriented for easy installation of cross-connect wires 32.
This process is repeated for each succeeding lower connector 24 on
the same side of the frame 11 so that the wires extending from the
slots 196 below the connector 24 being worked upon do not interfere
with the connections being made. The same process is again repeated
vertically from the top to the bottom of the distribution side of
the system. After this phase of the installation is complete, it
can be seen that there is provided a neat, orderly bank of feeder
cable connections on one side of the frame 11 and an equally neat,
orderly bank of distribution cable connections on the opposite side
of the frame. It can be further seen that each of the connections
is protected by being made onto a buried contact within the
connector blocks 24 and is further protected by the application of
the cap 101 to the side of the connector block 24 having these
connections. Suitable cross-connect wires 32 are then connected to
the second sides of the connectors 24 which are readily disposed in
an easy access position to the installer. Each pair of
cross-connect wires 32 is connected to a pair of contact strips 27,
is brought out along the connector 24 through the cross-connect
wire passage 190 formed by the right-hand or left-hand mount into
the closest adjacent slot 204 on the wire guiding duct 36 upwardly
or downwardly inside the wire guiding duct 36 and out the
appropriate slot 204 adjacent the desired connector 24 on the
opposite side of the frame 11. The wires then are extended through
the associated cross-connect wiring passage 190 and are connected
to a predetermined pair of contacts thereby establishing a
completed circuit between a pair of wires on the feeder cable 28
and a pair of wires on the distribution cable 30. These second
connections are of the nature of temporary connections and may be
moved and reestablished as phones are installed and removed from
the buildings to be serviced. After the cross-connect wiring has
been completed, the cover 208 is placed over the wire guiding duct
36 to protect the cross-connect wires 32 from further disturbance
until changes are desired, and a cap 101 is placed on the
connectors 24 to cover the junctures of the cross-connect wires 32
with the connectors 24.
It should be noted that the location of the wire guiding duct 36 on
the outside of the movable frame member serves after installation
of the cross-connect wires 32 to act as a deterrent to removal of
the movable frame member 16 thereby acting as an anti-tampering
device for the wires in the cables 28 and 30 and the connections
thereof to the connectors 24.
It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the
relationship of the reaction surfaces on the connector and on the
tool to the contacts is not limited to the exact geometry shown. In
the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reaction
surfaces 98 have been illustrated as being symmetrically disposed
with respect to the particular pair of contacts 27 onto which a
wire or pair of wires is to be installed. It is within the scope of
the present invention for the geometry of the connector and the
tool to vary so long as certain conditions are met. Two or more
reaction surfaces are required to be simultaneously engaged by
compatible reaction members on a compatible tool. The balanced
reaction forces need not be equal on each reaction surface engaged
by the tool. It is sufficient for the purposes of the present
invention that the resultant of all reaction forces be essentially
equal, opposite and colinear with the resultant of all insertion
forces. It is inherent in such a structure that for a connector
having similar contacts and similar wires these resultant forces
will be located substantially within an area defined by the
particular reaction surfaces engaged by the tool and transverse to
the direction or path of wire insertion. In such a case, there will
be no rotational influence or twisting force on the connector as a
whole nor on the tool outside of the area bounded by the reaction
surfaces even if the reaction surfaces are disposed at different
distances from the stripping and gripping area or are displaced
laterally of each other on the connector block. In other words, if
the connector block were suspended in mid air within the gripping
members of the reaction tool, a wire could be inserted by operation
of the tool with no other force being exerted on the connector.
It is understood that the present invention is not restricted to
the specific embodiments set forth above in the specification and
is limited only by the scope of the claims.
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