US3727176A - Electrical terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical terminal including an integral threaded shank and enlarged screw head having in the upper surface of the head a uniform depth cross-slot engageable with the tip of a screwdriver and a non-uniform depth wire slot which intersects the screw slot. One end of the bottom surface of the wire slot intersects the lower surface of the head at a point spaced from the head periphery by a distance approximately equal to one-half the diameter of the wire, while the other end of the bottom surface of the wire slot lies above the lower surface of the head. In use, a wire is positioned in the wire slot with the free end thereof at the intersection of the slots. A screwdriver is then positioned in the cross-slot overlying the inserted wire and is urged axially to clamp the inserted wire between the bottom of the screwdriver and the bottom of the wire slot. Simultaneously, the screwdriver is rotated to thread the terminal into a cooperative support member. As a consequence of rotating the terminal while simultaneously clamping the inserted wire with the screwdriver tip, the wire wraps around the shank of the terminal, and as the screw advances further the wrapped portion eventually becomes clamped between the lower surface of the head and the upper surface of the support member in which the terminal is threaded.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 Oezer 1451 Apr. 10, 1973 1 ELECTRICAL TERIVIINAL [75] Inventor: John J. Oezer, Cincinnati, Ohio [73] Assignee: Scovill Manufacturing Company,-

Waterbury, Conn.

[22] Filed: June 4, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 150,006

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1900 Keeler ..85/45 12/1915 Cuthbert ..339/27l 10/1917 Cuthbert ..339/271 Primary ExaminerJoseph H. McGlynn Attorney--Wood, l-lerron & Evans [5 7 ABSTRACT An electrical terminal including an integral threaded shank and enlarged screw head having in the upper surface of the head a uniform depth cross-slot engageable with the tip of a screwdriver and a non-uniform depth wire slot which intersects the screw slot. One end of the bottom surface of the wire slot intersects the lower surface of the head at a point spaced from the head periphery by a distance approximately equal to one-half the diameter of the wire, while the other end of the bottom surface of the wire slot lies above the lower surface of the head. In use, a wire is positioned in the wire slot with the free end thereof at the intersection of the slots. A screwdriver is then positioned in the crossslot overlying the inserted wire and is urged axially to clamp the inserted wire between the bottom of the screwdriver and the bottom of the wire slot. Simultaneously, the screwdriver is rotated to thread the terminal into a cooperative support member. As a consequence of rotating the terminal while simultaneously clamping the inserted wire with the screwdriver tip, the wire wraps around the shank of the terminal, and as the screw advances further the wrapped portion eventually becomes clamped between the lower surface of the head and the upper surface of the support member in which the terminal is threaded.

13 Claims; 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEB APR] 0 I973 if WwJ,

ELECTRICAL TERMINAL This invention relates to electrical terminals, and more particularly to electrical terminals to which electrically conductive wires are adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected.

ln numerous applications it is necessary to connect electrical wires to terminals to complete electrical circuit paths between the wire and an electrical device or circuit to which the terminal is connected or forms an integral part. For example, in many intercommunica tion systems designed for use in residential homes to permit voice and/or music transmissions between different rooms of the home, it is necessary as an incident to installation of the communication system to connect numerous electrical wires from the various rooms of the home to a connector panel associated with a central or master control unit. For example, in some existing home communication systems up to l24individual remote room speaker units, each having eight separate wires, are connected to a single connector panel associated with a master control unit. In such application the master connector panel has 96 separate electrical terminals. The terminals typically take the form of a conventional screw having an enlarged head, and threaded shank about which the wire wraps when the screw is threaded into the connector panel, to thereby establish a mechanical and electrical connection between the wire and screw terminal. The 96 terminals of the connector panel under consideration, due to space requirements, aretypically mounted on a single connector panel measuring approximately 6 inches by 8 inches. With 96 terminals on a 48 square inch (6 in. X 8 in.) connector panel, a terminal density of approximately 2 terminals per square inch results.

With terminal densities of the foregoing magnitude, when conventional terminals of the screw type are used it has been found in practice that the free end of the wire, the major portion of which in use is wrapped about the screw shank below the head, often projects laterally a distance sufficient to short-circuit a physically adjacent terminal. As a consequence, the remote speaker units of the room whose associated terminals are short-circuited do not function properly.

Since the majority of the remote speaker units are operative, only a few short-circuited remote speaker units not functioning properly, thefact that certain of the remote speakers are short-circuited and inoperative is often overlooked at the time the communication system is installed by the electrician. However, the inoperativeness of the short-circuited remote speaker units soon is discovered by the home owner, necessitating a service call by the electrician who installed the system. In addition to the cost of the service call, shortcircuit induced inoperativeness of the type indicated reflects adversely on the reputation of the manufacturer of the intercommunication system, particularly the manufacturer's reputation for producing a reliable, maintenance-free system. The adverse reaction to the manufacturer by virtue of the inoperativeness is in most cases undeserved since it is not the manufacturer's service personnel who have faultily installed the system in a manner such as to produce short-circuits, but rather an independant electrical contractor often hired by the contractor who built the home.

It has therefore, been an objective of this invention to provide an electrical terminal which is capable of high density use in a connector panel or the like without producing short-circuits between physically adjacent, closely spaced terminals by virtue of the free ends of the wires which may project laterally sufficiently to bridge and electrically short-circuit an adjacent terminal. This objective has been accomplished in accordance with certain principles of this invention by providing a conventional screw having a slotted head and threaded shank with a wire-receiving slot, also in thehead, which is uniquely and unobviously configured and related to the conventional cross-slot and screw head. More specifically, the invention involves providing a conventional slotted head screw with a wire slot of nonuniform depth which intersects the conventional cross-slot, and which has one end of its bottom surface intersecting the lower surface of the head at a point spaced from the head periphery a distance equal to at least one-half the wire diameter, while the other end of the bottom of the wire slot lies above the lower surface of the screw head.

By virtue of. having one end of the bottom of the wire slot intersecting the lower surface of the head in the manner noted, a wire placed in the wire slot with its free end adjacent the intersection of the slots will underlie the bottom surface of the screw head and wrap around the screw shank when the screw is rotated by a drive member placed in the cross-slot in overlying relationshipto the inserted wire. By virtue of having the other end of the bottom of the wire slot lying above the lower surface of the screw head, the free end of the inserted wire will be angled generally upwardly with respect to the axis of the screw, rather than laterally as is the case with a wire wrapped around a screw terminal in the conventional fashion, thereby avoiding a shortcircuit between closely spaced terminals.

. In a preferred form of the terminal of this invention the wire slot is configured and oriented relative to the driving cross-slot in a manner such that the bottom of the wire slot proximate its intersection with the driving slot does not underlie the bottom of the driving slot by an amount greater than the diameter of the wire. With the wire' slot so configured a wire inserted therein will be clamped between the bottom surface of the wire slot and the bottom edge of a drive member, such as a screwdriver, when the latter is inserted in its associated cross-slot and urged axially in the course of rotating the terminal and wrapping the wire about the threaded shank.

The screw terminal of this invention constructed in the manner indicated above is extremely inexpensive inasmuch as it requires only a single terminal element, namely, a screw with integral shank and head, and further requires only that an additional slot, albeit uniquely configured and related to the conventional cross-slot and screw head, beprovided in the screw head. The terminal of this invention is extremely easy to use in the field, facilitating rapidconnections and without the need for special tools. With this invention it is only necessary to position the end of the wire in the wire slot, insert the screw'driver in the cross-slot, and rotate the screw while simultaneously urging it axially as is customarily done in any screwdriving operation. The wire does not have to be pre-formed into a particular shape, such as a loop, to facilitate connection, nor does the wire have to be threaded through a cross-bore in the terminal which is necessary with certain types of prior art connectors, Finally, the screw terminal of this invention is re-usable, as is a wire which has previously been connected to a terminal of the type constituting this invention.

The foregoing as well as additional advantages and objectives of the invention will become more readily apparent from a detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a circuit board to which the terminal of this invention is secured.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views of the terminal of this invention, showing in progressive steps the manner in which a wire is secured to the terminal.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along lines S5 of FIG. 3, showing the relationship of the driving member, terminal with partially wrapped wire, and circuit board in which the terminal is threadedly engaged.

In order to more fully understand the structure and operation of the electrical terminal of this invention,

the terminal is disclosed in conjunction with its preferred use to mechanically and electrically connect the end of a conductive wire to a printed circuit member such as a connector or terminal panel. This preferred use of the terminal is best shown in FIG. 1. With reference to this figure, a circuit board, connector or terminal panel 10 is provided which includes an insulative base, substrate or the like 12 on which are mounted a plurality of electrically conductive circuit paths or strips 14-1, 14-2, 14-3 The conductive strips 14 may be provided on the insulative substrate 12 in any well-known manner, such as plating the strips on the substrate, providing a conductive layer on the entiresubstrate surface which is selectively removed or etched away in all areas except where the strip is desired. Alternatively, the conductive strips 14 may be thin bands or ribbons of conductive foil which are secured to the insulative substrate with a suitable adhesive. The conductive strips 14 have at their opposite ends enlarged annular conductive regions 16 through which the terminals 18 of this invention, to be described in more detail hereafter, are adapted to pass when threadedly engaged in holes 20 formed in the strips 14 and substrate 12. Depending upon the particular interconnection desired for a plurality of conductive wires 22-1, 22-2, 22-3 the number and orientation of the conductive strips 14 will vary. In the schematic circuit board representation of FIG. 1, the conductive strip 14-1 interconnects wires 22-1 and 22-2 via terminals 18-1 and 18-2, while strip 14-2 can connect the wire 22-3 via terminal 18-3 threaded into one end of the strip to another wire (not shown) via a terminal (also not shown) threaded into the other end of the strip. The terminal 18 of this invention, as one of its advantages, avoids short-circuiting of adjacent terminals, such as terminals 18-2 and 18-3, occasioned by a wire, e.g., wire 22-2, secured to terminal 18-2 projecting laterally to contact an adjacent terminal, such as terminal 18-3.

The terminal 18, considered in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2-5, is seen to include an elongated stem or shank 21 having a peripheral surface 24 which preferably is cylindrical and threaded to facilitate engagement with threaded hole 20 in circuit board 10. Alternatively, the hole may be unthreaded and threadcutting screw terminal used. In addition to the shank 21, the terminal 18 also includes an enlarged section or head 26. The bottom surface 28 of the head 26 is integrally connected to the upper end of the shank 21, leaving exposed a lower annular surface region 28A which forms a shoulder relative to shank periphery 24. The head 26 has an upper surface 30 which is remote from the lower surface 28. A cylindrical peripheral surface 33 interconnects upper and lower surfaces 30 and 28.

cross-slot 32 having spaced side walls 320 and 32b interconnected by a bottom 320. The cross-slot 32 divides the upper, surface 30 of the head 26 into first and second surface regions 30a and 30b, and preferably extends entirely across the head 26 through the center thereof and has a uniform depth with sides 32a and 32b parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head and stem.

The cross-slot 32 is adapted to receive a driving member 36, such as the tip of a screwdriver, to facilitate conventional screwing or unscrewing of the threaded shank 21 into hole 20 of circuit board 10, as well as for simultaneously performing a further function in a preferred form of the invention, namely, clamping a wire 22 to the terminal 18 during rotation of the terminal and wrapping of the wire around the shank beneath the head, in a manner to be described more fully hereafter.

The terminal 18, and in particular the head 26, further includes a second, wire-receiving slot 40 which intersects the cross-slot 32. In a preferred form wire slot 40 passes through cross-slot wall 32a as well as wall 32b. The wire slot 40 includes spaced side walls 40a and 40b which preferably are parallel to the longitude axis of head 26 and shank 22, and a bottom surface 40c preferably angled at 45 relative to the axis of the shank 21. The end 400-2 of bottomfsurface 400 of wire slot 40 must intersect the bottom surface 28 of the head 26 at a point inwardly spaced from the periphery 33 by a distance equal to at least one-half of the diameter of the wire 22. In the preferred embodiment the end 400-2 of bottom 400 of the wire slot 40 intersects the bottom surface 28 at point X which is spaced from the periphery 33 of head 26 by a distance equal to one-half of the head diameter, which is three to five times the diameter of the wire. If the end 400-2 of bottom surface 400 of the wire slot 40 does not intersect the lower surface 28 of the head 26 at a .point spaced from the periphery 33 by a distance at least one-half of the diameter of wire 22, the wire when it wraps around the shank 21 in a manner to be described will not underlie the lower annular surface 28a of head 26 and be gripped, as the terminal is advanced into the threaded hole 20, between the head 26 and annular conductive area 16 on the insulative substrate 12.

It is also essential that the end 400-1 of bottom surface 40c of the wire slot 40 at its other end lie above the lower surface 28. In a preferred form the end 40c-1 of the bottom surface'40c of wire slot 40 intersects the upper surface region 30b which is positioned on the opposite side of the cross-slot 32 from the surface region Provided in the upper surface 30 of the head 26 is a 30a which overlies wire slot bottom end 40c-2. However, it is possible and still within the scope of this invention to orient the bottom 400 of slot 40 such that the end 40c-1 intersects the peripheral surface 33, it being essential, as indicated above, only that the end 40c-1 lie above the surface 28. If the end 40c-1 of the bottom 40c of the wire slot 40 does not lie above the lower surface 28 of the head 26, when the wire 22 wraps around the shank 21 in a manner to be described, the free end 22a of the wire 22 will not project upwardly and away from adjacent terminals on the circuit board, but rather will tend to project horizontally or laterally and possibly electrically short-circuit an adjacent terminal.

Preferably the bottom surface 400, at the point at which slot 40 intersects cross-slot 32, does not underlie the cross-slot bottom 30c by the distance in excess of the diameter of the wire 22. With the bottom surface 40a of wire slot 40 so located at the point of intersection of the wire slot and cross-slot, the drive member 36, when inserted in the cross-slot transverse and overlying wire 22 inserted in wire slot 40, will clamp an intermediate section 22B of the inserted wire against the bottom surface 400 as shown best at point M. This clamping prevents the inserted wire 22 from slipping relative to the wire slot 40 as the wire wraps around the shank 21 in response to rotation of the terminal 18 by the screwdriver 36, in a manner to be described. If desired, the intermediate section of the bottom surface 400 of slot 40 may lie in part or in whole above the bottom surface 32c of cross-slot 32 in which case a wire inserted in wire slot 40 would still be clamped between the underlying portion of surface 40c and the bottom edge 36a of the drive member 36 when the latter is inserted in the cross-slot and urged axially downwardly.

In use, mechanical and electrical connection of the uninsulated wire 22 to the terminal 18 is accomplished by placing the free end 22a of the wire 22 in the wire slot 40 with the free end 22a thereof adjacent the end 40c-1 of the bottom surface 400 ofslot 40 and the intermediate section 22b adjacent the point where the slots intersect. The remainder of wire 22, i.e., the portion 220, projects from slot 40 adjacent the end 40c-2 of the bottom surface 400 of slot 40. With the wire 22 so positioned in wire slot 40, the bottom edge 36a of the driving member of screwdriver 36 is inserted in cross-slot 32, and urged axially downwardly relative to the head 26 and stem 21 thereby clamping the mid-section 22b of the inserted wire 22 at point M between the bottom surface 400 of the wire slot 40 and the bottom edge 36a of the drive member 36. Downward force on the drive member 36 when positioned in slot 32 overlying the wire 22 inserted in slot 40, in addition to clamping the mid-section 22b of the wire against the bottom surface 40c at point M, also performs a further function. Specifically, downward force on the drive member 36 urges'the section 22c of the wire 22 downwardly to a point below the lowersurface 28, particularly annular surface 280, of the head 26.

In practice, when the wire 22 is initially positioned in slot 40 wire section 22b is not parallel to slot bottom 40c due to interference between the wire section 22c and the circuit board which prevents the wire section 22b from being fully inserted into slot 40 against bottom 40c. Instead, upon initial positioning of the wire 22 in slot 40, wire section 220 is angled relative to slot bottom 40c as shown in phantom in FIG. 1. However, when axial force is applied to drive member 36 which is positioned in slot 32 overlying wire section 22c, wire section 22c bends, assuming the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. This bending of wire 22 further accentuates the generally upward axial disposition of the free end 22a of the wire, enhancing the short-circuit free characteristics of the terminal of this invention. Of course, if the head 26 of terminal 18 were, at the time of-ins'ertion of wire 22 into slot 40, spaced sufficiently above the circuit' board 10, the above-noted interference would not be present and the wire section 220 could be placed in slot 40 parallel to slot bottom 400 without the drive-member induced bending action. However, when the terminal head 26 is spaced above the circuit board sufficiently to avoidbending of wire section 220 under the action of drive member 36, un-

less the head has a height unusually large for a conventional screw or the pitch of the shank threads is unusually large, the wire will wrap around the shank more than is necessary to establish a good mechanical and electrical connection and as such may be undesirable from a practical standpoint.

The terminal 18, which prior to placement of wire 22 in wire slot 40 was screwed partially into hole 20 of substrate 12, is now rotated by the drive member 36 in a direction such to advance the shank 21 further into the hole 20, as shown best in FIG. 3.

The rotation of the terminal 18, with the wire section 22c of the wire 22 underlying annular surface 28a causes the wire section 220 to wrap around the shank 21 as indicated in FIG. 4. Further rotation of the terminal 18, in addition to producing additional wrapping of the wire about the shank 21, also operates to clamp the wrapped portion of the wire 22 between the annular surface 28a of head 26 and the annular section 16 constituting the end of conductive strip 14. This clamping of the wrapped portion of wire 22, in addition to providing good mechanical fastening action between the wire and terminal 18, also establishes electrical contact between the wire 22 and the annular contact area 16 of strip 14. Of course, even without clamping the wrapped portion of wire 22 between annular surfaces 28a and 16, electrical contact is established between the wire 22 and the annular area 16 of strip 14 via the shank 21 about which the wire is wrapped and which threads into the annular contact section 16 of strip 14.

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment it is apparent that a terminal has been provided which is very inexpensive inasmuch as the terminal, in a preferred form, is a conventional one-piece screw fastener which has been inexpensively and simply modified by inclusion therein of a wire-receiving slot having the unique geometry and relationship to the screw described above. Additionally, a terminal has been provided which is extremely easy to use in the field in that it is only necessary to position the end of the wire in the wire slot, and thread the terminal into its associated circuit board with a conventional screw driver positioned in the cross-slot overlying the inserted wire. in addition to being easy to use, the terminal of this invention also facilitates, and for the same reasons, rapid fastening of a wire to the terminal. It is unnecessary to preform the wire into a specific geometrical configuration, such as a loop, or to thread the wire through a bore in the stem or the like as is common with certain types of prior terminals. Furthermore, no special tools are required in securing a wire to the terminal of this invention, a conventional screw driver being all that is necessary. The terminal of this invention is itself reusable, as is a wire which has been previously secured to a terminal of this invention. Finally, the terminal of this invention, by virtue of the fact that the free end of the wire has a substantial upward component of projection, i.e., projects generally in an upward or axial direction relative to the terminal, does not short-circuit adjacent terminals which may be closely spaced.

While the invention has been described with respect to mechanically and electrically securing a wire constituting part of an electrical circuit, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the device of this invention can be used in other environments. For example, it is contemplated that the device of this invention can be used in non-electrical installations wherein it is desired to mechanically connect a wire, which wire does not constitute a conductor of an electrical circuit.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A terminal for securing a wire comprising:

a shank and a head formed integral therewith, said head having an upper surface remote from said shank, a lower annular surface adjacent said shank which constitutes a shoulder with respect thereto, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces, said head having a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member, said head having a wire-receiving slot in said upper surface which intersects said cross-slot, said wirereceiving slot having a depth atsaid intersection exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by an amount less than the diameter of said wire to facilitate clamping of a wire inserted in said wirereceiving slot against the bottom thereof by a drive member inserted in said cross-slot which overlies and is urged against said wire, said wire-receiving slot intersecting said lower annular surface at said periphery and for a distance inwardly therefrom at least equal to one-half of the diameter of said wire to permit a wire clamped against the bottom of said wire-receiving slot to wrap a section thereof around said shank beneath said lower annular surface when said terminal is rotated by a drive member inserted in said cross-slot and clamping said wire.

2. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said wire-receiving slot has a bottom which is angled at approximately 45 relative to said upper surface.

3. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said shank is threaded for advancing said lower annular surface toward a cooperating terminal member having a hole in which said shank is threadedly engaged to clamp said wrapped wire section between said terminal member and said head. 7

4. A terminal for securing a wire comprising:

an elongated shank having an elongated peripheral surface,

a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface remote from said shank, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces,

a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member, said cross-slot dividing said upper. surface into first and second surface regions,

wire slot in said upper surface intersecting said cross-slot, said wire slot having a bottom surface which (a) at one end of said wire slot intersects said peripheral surface of said shank at a point below said first surface region and which (b) has a depth at one point at said intersection of said slots exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by an amount less than the diameter of said wire to facilitate clamping of a wire inserted in said wire slot against the bottom thereof when a drive member is inserted in said cross-slot which overlies and is urged against said wire.

A terminal for securing a wire comprising:

an elongated shank, a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface remote from said shank, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces,

a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member,

6. An electrical connector comprising: a terminal member having an upper surface in which a hole is provided,

a shank adapted to engage said hole,

a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface remote from shank, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces,

a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member,

a wire slot in said upper surface which intersects said cross-slot, the depth of said wire slot at said intersection not exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by a distance equal to the diameter of a wire inserted in said wire slot, said wire slot intersecting said lower surface at said periphery and for a distance inwardly therefrom at least equal to approximately one-half the diameter of said wire to permit a wire inserted in said wire-receiving slot to wrap a section thereof around said shank beneath said lower surface when said head and shank are rotated by a drive member inserted in said crossslot and clamping said wire.

A terminal for securing a wire comprising:

an elongated shank,

a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface remote from said shank, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces,

a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member, said cross-slot dividing said upper surface into first and second surface regions,

wire slot in said upper surface intersecting said cross-slot, said wire slot having a bottom which at one point of said wire slot is located between said first surface region and said lower surface and which at another point spaced from said one point intersects said lower surface of said head below said second surface region and spaced from said periphery by a distance at least as large as approximately one-half the diameter of said wire.

8. A terminal for securing a wire comprising:

an elongated shank having an elongated peripheral surface, a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface,

remote from said shank, and a periphery separating said upper and lower surfaces,

a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member, said cross-slot dividing said upper surface into first and second surface regions,

a wire slot in said upper surface intersecting said cross-slot, said wire slot having opposite side surfaces and an intermediate connecting surface joining said side, said connecting surface at one end of said wire slot intersecting said peripheral surface of said shank at a point below said first surface region of said head and having another point spaced from said one end of said wire slot which is located above said lower surface.

9. The terminal of claim 8 wherein said wire slot at said intersection has a depth exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by an amount less than the diameter of said wire. I

10. The terminal of claim 7 wherein said wire slot at said intersection has a depth exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by an amount less than the diameter of said wire.

11. The terminal of claim 8 wherein said wire slot connecting surface intersects said peripheral surface of said shank at a point spaced from said periphery by a distance at least as large as approximately one-half the diameter of said wire.

12. A method of connecting a wire to a terminal having a shank and a head with an intersecting wire slot and a cross-slot in the upper surface thereof, comprising the steps of:

inserting a wire in the wire slot with the free end thereof adjacent the intersection of the slots and a section of the wire remote from the free end adjacent the periphery of the head,

positioning a driving member in the cross-slot overlying the inserted wire and urging it axially to position the remote wire section beneath the head of the terminal, and

rotating said terminal with said drive member to wrap said wire around said shank beneath said head.

13. The method of claim 12 including the further step of axially urging said drive member, during said rotating step, against said inserted wire to clamp said wire between said drive member and the bottom of said wire slot and thereby retard slippage of said wire relative to said wire slot as said wire wraps around said shank.

Claims (13)

1. A terminal for securing a wire comprising: a shank and a head formed integral therewith, said head having an upper surface remote from said shank, a lower annular surface adjacent said shank which constitutes a shoulder with respect thereto, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces, said head having a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member, said head having a wire-receiving slot in said upper surface which intersects said cross-slot, said wire-receiving slot having a depth at said intersection exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by an amount less than the diameter of said wire to facilitate clamping of a wire inserted in said wire-receiving slot against the bottom thereof by a drive member inserted in said crossslot which overlies and is urged against said wire, said wirereceiving slot intersecting said lower annular surface at said periphery and for a distance inwardly therefrom at least equal to one-half of the diameter of said wire to permit a wire clamped against the bottom of said wire-receiving slot to wrap a section thereof around said shank beneath said lower annular surface when said terminal is rotated by a drive member inserted in said cross-slot and clamping said wire.

2. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said wire-receiving slot has a bottom which is angled at approximately 45* relative to said upper surface.

3. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said shank is threaded for advancing said lower annular surface toward a cooperating terminal member having a hole in which said shank is threadedly engaged to clamp said wrapped wire section between said terminal member and said head.

4. A terminal for securing a wire comprising: an elongated shank having an elongated peripheral surface, a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface remote from said shank, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces, a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member, said cross-slot dividing said upper surface into first and second surface regions, a wire slot in said upper surface intersecting said cross-slot, said wire slot having a bottom surface which (a) at one end of said wire slot intersects said peripheral surface of said shank at a point below said first surface region and which (b) has a depth at one point at said intersection of said slots exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by an amount less than the diameter of said wire to facilitate clamping of a wire inserted in said wire slot against the bottom thereof when a drive member is inserted in said cross-slot which overlies and is urged against said wire.

5. A terminal for securing a wire comprising: an elongated shank, a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface remote from said shank, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces, a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member, a wire slot in said upper surface intersecting said cross-slot and having a depth which generally increases with distance from the center of said head, said wire slot at said intersection having a bottom which underlies the bottom of said cross-slot by a distance less than the diameter of a wire inserted in said wire slot, said wire slot bottom intersecting said lower surface of said head at a point spaced from said periphery by a distance at least as large as approximately one-half the diameter of said wire.

6. An electrical connector comprising: a terminal member having an upper surface in which a hole is provided, a shank adapted to engage said hole, a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface remote from shank, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces, a cross-slot in said uppEr surface for receiving a driving member, a wire slot in said upper surface which intersects said cross-slot, the depth of said wire slot at said intersection not exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by a distance equal to the diameter of a wire inserted in said wire slot, said wire slot intersecting said lower surface at said periphery and for a distance inwardly therefrom at least equal to approximately one-half the diameter of said wire to permit a wire inserted in said wire-receiving slot to wrap a section thereof around said shank beneath said lower surface when said head and shank are rotated by a drive member inserted in said cross-slot and clamping said wire.

7. A terminal for securing a wire comprising: an elongated shank, a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface remote from said shank, and a periphery which interconnects said upper and lower surfaces, a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member, said cross-slot dividing said upper surface into first and second surface regions, a wire slot in said upper surface intersecting said cross-slot, said wire slot having a bottom which at one point of said wire slot is located between said first surface region and said lower surface and which at another point spaced from said one point intersects said lower surface of said head below said second surface region and spaced from said periphery by a distance at least as large as approximately one-half the diameter of said wire.

8. A terminal for securing a wire comprising: an elongated shank having an elongated peripheral surface, a head having a lower surface whereat said shank and head are integrally connected, an upper surface remote from said shank, and a periphery separating said upper and lower surfaces, a cross-slot in said upper surface for receiving a driving member, said cross-slot dividing said upper surface into first and second surface regions, a wire slot in said upper surface intersecting said cross-slot, said wire slot having opposite side surfaces and an intermediate connecting surface joining said side, said connecting surface at one end of said wire slot intersecting said peripheral surface of said shank at a point below said first surface region of said head and having another point spaced from said one end of said wire slot which is located above said lower surface.

9. The terminal of claim 8 wherein said wire slot at said intersection has a depth exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by an amount less than the diameter of said wire.

10. The terminal of claim 7 wherein said wire slot at said intersection has a depth exceeding the depth of said cross-slot by an amount less than the diameter of said wire.

11. The terminal of claim 8 wherein said wire slot connecting surface intersects said peripheral surface of said shank at a point spaced from said periphery by a distance at least as large as approximately one-half the diameter of said wire.

12. A method of connecting a wire to a terminal having a shank and a head with an intersecting wire slot and a cross-slot in the upper surface thereof, comprising the steps of: inserting a wire in the wire slot with the free end thereof adjacent the intersection of the slots and a section of the wire remote from the free end adjacent the periphery of the head, positioning a driving member in the cross-slot overlying the inserted wire and urging it axially to position the remote wire section beneath the head of the terminal, and rotating said terminal with said drive member to wrap said wire around said shank beneath said head.

13. The method of claim 12 including the further step of axially urging said drive member, during said rotating step, against said inserted wire to clamp said wire between said drive member and the bottom of said wire slot and thereby retard slippage of said wire relative to said wire slot as said wire wraps around said sHank.

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