Bell Telephone Laboratories

Western Electric Company, Inc.

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

Donald T Smith

William C Reed

Jerry Max Anderson

Bruce V Darden

Thomas C Cannon, Jr

Anthony T D'Annessa

Paul Rudolph Gustin

Janis John Zalmans

A solderless in-line connector has a U-shaped slotted contact member, with the slots extending the length of the respective upright portion of the member and into the base portion. This contact member geometry results, upon insertion of a wire into the slot, in elastic torsional as well as bending deformation of the contact member, which in turn permits accommodation of a wide range of wire sizes in a low profile connector. Further desirable features of the connector are the possibility of installation without use of special tools, and the possibility of sequential contact formation. The connector can advantageously be used for splicing small pair count cables, but it can also be adapted for making half taps.

Solderless electrical connector

Apparatus, and associated methodology, for testing shielded, multipair cables to verify conductor and splice continuity comprises: means (120,122) for magnetically coupling excitation source (110) to the conductor (106) under test; and means (121,123) for magnetically coupling a series path comprising the conductor under test to detector means (130,131,140-143,150,160,200-207,301-313). The detector means includes means (160) for indicating that the conductor (106) and splice (108) are electrically continuous whenever the detector means senses a signal above a predetermined threshold.

Cable conductor continuity tester with magnetically coupled drive means

A solderless electrical connector is disclosed having the capability of connecting a plurality of insulated wires. The connector includes a metallic contact having a plurality of keyhole-shaped slots. As the wire is inserted, the mouths and associated shoulders of these slots pierce and strip the insulation from the conductor. As the wire is forced further into the keyhole slot, the inner walls of the slot are caused to bear into the surface of the conductor. The connector further includes a means for positioning and retaining the wires to be interconnected, a means for enclosing the connection, and a means for protecting the connection from torsional and tensional stresses.

Solderless electrical connector for connecting a plurality of insulated

Growing community of inventors

Norcross, GA, United States of America

Donald T Smith