US3529279A

US3529279A - Separable adapter for terminal boards

Info

Publication number: US3529279A
Application number: US707594A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vernon J Logue; Maurice E Westfall; Stuart G Fields
Original assignee: US Department of Navy
Current assignee: US Department of Navy
Priority date: 1968-02-23
Filing date: 1968-02-23
Publication date: 1970-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1987-09-15

Description

Sept. 15, 1970 V..J. LOGUE ETAL I SEPARABLE ADAPTER FOR TERMINAL;v BOARDS Filed Feb. 23, 1968 S L R 4 M m M 2 l M E W S M V EH" LYF mm ,J E M m N T E H v wmm mfi mmmmmmmmmmmmmm v R U U \& 7///// a; \\\\\R 4 WW f ..H.[ Q

United States. Patent US. Cl. 339-176 '1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adapter is provided with a plurality of female contacts on one side designed to fit onto a like plurality of conventional squared, elongated terminals. The opposite side of the adapter is provided with a like plurality of prongs in direct electrical communication wfth the corresponding female terminals. The prongs on the latter side are adapted for the soldering of wires of larger diameter than could be attached in any practical manner to the squared terminals.

GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes Without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Much of the electronic equipment available today is supplied with a circuit board having banks of squared contact pins designed to facilitate connection of wires by wrapping so that wires may be quickly and easily attached when connecting the equipment with means of other electronic equipment. Such connections are quickly and easily made and the method is very eflicient when making permanent installation and when all connecting Wires are to be of the same diameter. However, when temporary installation is desired or an installation which is of a semipermanent nature such as in search, experimentation and the like, it is often desirable to use wire of large diameter and to connect cables between items of equipment.

Heretofore cables were attached to such a circuit by means of an intermediate board which plugged into a bank connector. The adapter according to the present invention allows cables to be directly attached to and easily detached from a squared connector terminal board. Wires and cables of larger diameter can be soldered to the adapter prongs and the adapter when in place on the equipment maintains positive contact between the terminals of the circuit board and the connector cables without damage to the terminals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The adapter according to the present invention comprises a bank of female connector elements designed to resiliently fit onto a like plurality of elongated squared terminals on a terminal board. These female terminal members are embedded in an insulating block which carries on the opposite side a like number of prongs or pins of a type adapted for making soldered connections with wire and cables. The adapter is further provided with mounting means to hold the same firmly in place over the terminal board.

3,529,279 Patented Sept. 15, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adapter according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a detail of the adapter pins according to the invention; and FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of a conventional Wire- Wrap terminal board attached to a mounting means modified to accept the adapter of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the accompanying drawings the adapter 10 is composed of an insulated block 24 in which holes 30 are provided to receive pins 28. The hollow pins 28 have been selected so that they have an internal bore which will fit resiliently over the Wire-Wrap pins 18 of a conventional terminal board 12 bolted to an instrument ,case 14. The adapter 10 is fashioned to fit snugly over each end of the terminal board 12 and fasten to the instrument case 14 by means of screws 22 running through a bore 32 in the adapter. The screws 22 fit into openings 20 in instrument case 14. The ends 38 of the hollow pins 28 are adapted to have wires attached thereto by soldering and will easily accept larger diameter wire than could be be attached by any means to pins 18. Wires are preferably soldered to the ends 38 and lugs 28 before adapter is placed into position on the terminal board. The pins 28 are provided with slots 26 and are fitted into holes 30 with appropriate clearance so that pins 18 may be forced into the bores of pins 28 with slight pressure and the resiliency of the metal in pins 26 will maintain good electrical contact between the terminals 18 and pins 28.

The adapter block 24 is shown counterbored at 34 to accommodate the heads of pins 28 but it is obvious that other pins of diiterent configuration may be used within the scope of the invention. The only requisite for pins 28 being that they have means for gripping common wrap type terminals on the one hand and provide means for easily attaching and detaching on the other hand conductors of greater diameter than could be as readily attached and detached from the wrap type terminals.

What is claimed is:

1. An adapter for making electrical connections to terminal boards of the type which comprises a plurality of terminal pins having extending portions of a rectangular cross-section adapted to have wires of small diameter connected thereto by means of a conventional wire wrapping tool comprising:

(a) body means comprising a block of material with good electrical insulation properties;

( b) a plurality of electrically conductive adapter pins carried by said body means;

(c) said adapter pins having one end adapted to fit onto and frictionally engage said terminal pins and having another end protruding from said body;

(d) said another end being of hollow tubular construction and being angularly cut oif on the extremity to present a surface wall adapted for the attachment of conductors by soldering or the like; and

(e) means for removably fastening said body to said board;

said adapter pins having a central bore and a counter-bore;

3 4 said counterbore having a diameter slightly smaller 3,088,087 4/ 1963 Colton 339276 X than a diagonal of the rectangular cross section 3,288,915 11/1966 Hatfield et a1. 339-276 X of the terminal pins to be engaged; and having diametrically opposed kerfs throughout the OTHER REFERENCES greater part of the length of said counterbores.

5 Publication: Augot Inc., Attleboro, Mass., Data Sheet References Cited No. 562, February 1963, Titled Connector.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,416,285 2/1947 Buckingham et a1. 339193 X 7 2,691,771 10/1954 Burtt et al. 339-275 X 10 US. Cl. X.R. 2,746,022 5/ 1956 Gilbert 33992 9.425 275 27 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner