At&t Bell Laboratories

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

Siecor Corporation

Philip Hughes

George Andrew DeBalko

Thomas A Dellinger

Larry W Dickey

Disclosed is a network interface unit which includes customer bridges and an array of circuits such as maintenance termination units (MTUs). The MTUs are provided on printed circuit boards, each including a male and female connector. Each board is inserted in between posts in the unit housing so that the female connectors plug into a mother board at the bottom. Jack wires are plugged into the male connectors and extend to the customer bridge portion of the unit.

Network interface unit

Apparatus inserted in series in a transmission line connecting subscriber equipment with a telephone central office and which apparatus is responsive to test signals from the central office to determine whether a fault is located on the office side or the subscriber side of the apparatus is enclosed in a housing. A plurality of leads from the apparatus project through an opening in the housing and the leads are connected to electrical terminals of a connector block. The housing in one embodiment has two spaced apart ribs which are lodged between tabs of fanning strips, located on both sides of the terminals. One of the ribs has an end with a width larger than the rest of the rib so that end projects inward from the fanning strip and prevents accidental dislodging of the housing from the connector block. In a second embodiment, the housing is supported by at least one tab from one fanning strip. Testing of the terminals is effected by removing the housing without disturbing the connection of the leads to the terminals.

Growing community of inventors

Randolph, NJ, United States of America

Philip Hughes