Thomas & Betts Corporation

Ted L Kuo

Raymond F Piasecki

William S Greenwood

Karl Weinmann

Michael A Grundfest

An installation kit for wiring systems includes flat multiconductor cable having a displaceable overlying shield and a connection guide adapted for receiving first and second cables in mutually overlapped, shield-displaced relation and limiting connection of conductors to preselected connection zones.

Undercarpet wiring system installation kit

A cable assembly for use in undercarpet wiring systems has a flat multiconductor cable encased in electrical insulation and an electrically conductive shield overlying the cable insulation, extending lengthwise with the cable and having successive extents which are respectively unsecured and secured to the cable. Electrical connection of the shield to the cable ground conductor is made redundantly at each such secured extent of the shield whereby physical continuity of the shield may be interrupted without interrupting electrical continuity of the shield to ground. Folded cable assemblies and methods for folding are set forth which facilitate cable directional change in wiring systems.

Multiconductor cable

An installation kit for wiring systems includes flat multiconductor cable, insulation piercing connectors for electrically joining cable conductors and insulator-spacer elements, for disposition overlying a cable and insulatively spacing the connectors from the cable shield. The cable shield is in displaceable overlying relation to the cable conductors to permit installation of connectors and spacers and remains electrically connected to the cable ground conductor.

Installation kit for undercarpet wiring system

In connecting flat multiconductor cables, one cable is placed atop another to provide a matrix of zones in which connections may be made of any conductor of one cable to any conductor of the other cable. Selection is made of one zone and it is perforated. An insulating-piercing connector is inserted through the perforation and crimped to provide an electrical connection between the pair of cable conductors in registry with the selected zone. Selection of further zones for perforation and connector insertion is made progressively from those zones which do not have in registry therewith any conductor which was in registry with any previously selected zone. Apparatus for implementing preferred connection zone selection precludes use of connecting zones other than a singular zone for connection of one conductor pair and compels use of a selective few zones individually for connection of respective other conductor pairs, thereby lessening connection error likelihood.

Method for electrical connection of flat cables

A method of connecting electric cables includes providing perforations in overlapping portions of the cables and then connecting the cables through the perforations. The cables may be preperforated or they may be perforated at the job site.

Method of connecting flat electrical cables

A self-locking clamp member comprises a bendable member for bending along a bending line which divides the bendable member into first and second arm portions separated from one another by the bending line. The first arm portion includes a bendable tab extending away from the surface of the first arm portion and the second arm portion includes an opening for receiving the bendable tab and closing means associated with the opening for engaging the bendable tab to bend the tab when the tab enters the opening as the bendable member is bent along the bending to move the first and second arm portions towards one another.

Self-locking clamp member

Flat cable and installing method

A rotatable member which may comprise a toggle lever for a wiring device is supported by two sets of bearing elements, one set being located on a base and the other set being located on sidewalls integral with the base to provide a self-contained unitary assembly. In one embodiment, the rotatable member may be snapped into position and is simultaneously engaged by both sets of bearing elements in the housing portion of a molded wiring device to provide locational integrity independent of the location of other parts of the wiring device.

Bearing means for a rotatable member

A selectively deflectable tab hingedly coupled to the cover portion of a two part wiring device is positionally responsive to the presence or absence of an obstruction located within a cable receiving notched opening in the housing portion of the device so that, in the absence of such cable, the tab will enter the notched opening to provide a seal thereat but will selectively tilt away from the opening upon contact with an obstruction located therein.

Wiring device

A selectively applied crimping force is utilized to provide a stepped crimp to an electrical connection to create a discrete sacrificial anode from base conductor material thereby providing a controlled zone of corrosion which substantially increases the integrity and life of the electrical connection. This effect is achieved by crimping one portion of the connector to a greater extent than the remaining portion thereby extruding and work hardening a given length of the conductor to a predetermined degree to selectively alter the physical characteristics thereof. The degree to which each segment of the wire receiving portion of the connector is compressed may be defined as a ratio encompassing a given range of values designed to optimize the selective corrosion effect. Also disclosed are crimping dies for effecting the selectively stepped crimp, which dies are suitably proportioned to provide the necessary ratio of maximum to minimum crimp height.

Method of making an electrical connection between an aluminum conductor

A modular connector assembly comprises discrete connector members each having upstanding leg portions disposed in a specific alternating arrangement along opposite sides of a base portion so as to interlock with the leg portions of an adjacent connector member to provide a composite structure having discrete wire receiving cavities. Mating projections and recesses may be provided along opposing sides of the leg portions to serve as additional locking means between the connector members. In a further embodiment, a slotted divider may be interposed between opposingly positioned connector members to provide the discrete wire receiving cavities.

Growing community of inventors

Fanwood, NJ, United States of America

Ted L Kuo