US3883211A

US3883211A - Non-shearing solderless electrical connector

Info

Publication number: US3883211A
Application number: US354645A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alvin E Shugarman; Lowell E Linder
Original assignee: ELECTRO CLAMP Corp
Current assignee: ELECTRO CLAMP Corp
Priority date: 1973-04-26
Filing date: 1973-04-26
Publication date: 1975-05-13
Anticipated expiration: 1992-05-13
Also published as: FR2227463B3; BR7403394D0; CH596676A5; GB1428634A; DE7414321U; FR2227463A1; JPS5030076A; AU6821574A

Abstract

In a solderless electrical connector of the type comprising relatively rotatable male and female jaws having respective mounting tails adapted to be secured against a support and alignable bores adapted to receive the bared end of a conductor which is securely clamped between the jaws when they are rotated to a closed position, there is disclosed the improvements wherein the bore in the male jaw is slightly larger than the bore in the female jaw to permit the conductor to ''''bird-cage'''' when the jaws are rotated to the closed position, wherein a chamfer or countersink is added to the entrance of the bore in the female jaw for ease of insertion of the conductor thereinto, wherein the aperture in the tail of the female jaw is drilled at a slight angle therethrough, and wherein the tail of the male jaw is slightly concave to increase the area of contact between such tail and the adjacent support in the closed position of the jaws.

Description

United States Patent Shugarman et al.

[ NON-SHEARING SOLDERLESS ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR [75] Inventors: Alvin E. Shugarman; Lowell E.

Linder, both of Santa Ana, Calif {73] Assignee: Electro-Clamp Corporation, Beverly Hills, Calif.

[22] Filed: Apr. 26, I973 [2i] Appl. No.: 354,645

[451 May 13, 1975 Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hume, Clement, Brinks Willian, Olds & Cook, Ltd

[57] ABSTRACT In a solderless electrical connector of the type comprising relatively rotatable male and female jaws having respective mounting tails adapted to be secured against a support and alignable bores adapted to receive the bared end of a conductor which is securely clamped between the jaws when they are rotated to a closed position, there is disclosed the improvements wherein the bore in the male jaw is slightly larger than the bore in the female jaw to permit the conductor to bird-cage" when the jaws are rotated to the closed position, wherein a chamfer or countersink is added to the entrance of the bore in the female jaw for ease of insertion of the conductor thereinto, wherein the aperture in the tail of the female jaw is drilled at a slight angle therethrough, and wherein the tail of the male jaw is slightly concave to increase the area of contact between such tail and the adjacent support in the closed position of the jaws.

19 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures NON-SHEARING SOLDERLESS ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to non-shearing solderless electrical connectors and. more particularly, to an improved connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type.

2. Description of the Prior Art Solderless electrical connectors of the type having relatively rotatable jaws with alignable bores therein adapted to receive the bared end of a conductor which is securely clamped between the jaws when they are to tated to a closed position are well known in the art. Such connectors are disclosed in the following US. patents: Tracy, US. Pat. No. 2,752,583; Shuck et al, US. Pat. No. 3,118,720; Lawlor, US. Pat. No. 3,138,422; Tracy, US Pat. No. 3,169,818; Lawlor et al, US. Pat. No. 3,351,889; Lawlor, U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,372, Beaudion, US. Pat. No. 3,437,979; Lawlor, US. Pat. No. 3,477,060; and Law1or,U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,177.

These patents disclose solderless electrical connectors comprising, in general, male and female jaws coupled for relative pivotal movement between an open position in which the bared end of a conductor can be freely inserted through aligned bores in the jaws and a closed position in which the conductor is securely clamped between the jaws thereby establishing a good electrical and mechanical connection. Movement of the jaws from the open to the closed position is controlled by a stud or bolt or other fastening means which is utilized to secure the tails of the male and female jaws to a suitable support.

In solderless electrical connectors of this type, a significant object is to permit clamping of the conductor between the relatively rotatable jaws without any shearing action so as not to weaken the conductor by the clamping action of the jaws. For similar reasons, it is also an object to secure the tails of the jaws to the support without bending the tails, If either the conduc tor is damaged or the tails are bent, the electrical con ductivity from the conductor to the support through the connector is diminished. Shearing of the conductor decreases conductivity by decreasing the area thereof and bending of the tails decreases conductivity by decreasing the area of electrical contact between the tails and the support. Furthermore, shearing of the conductor decreases the strength thereof thereby decreasing the ability of the connector to withstand pull-out of the conductor.

Other objects of this type of solderless electrical con nector are to permit ease of insertion of the conductor thereinto and to permit ease of assembly to the support. With respect to the former object, the end of the conductor has a tendency to expand when it is cut and stripped, making insertion difficult. With respect to the latter object, drilling of the holes in the tails of the jaws to conform to the standards of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) makes it extremely difficult to pass a bolt through the holes because of the angular misalignment of the tails.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided an improved non shearing solderless electrical connector which is effective in satisfying the objectives discussed above to a degree unobtainable heretofore. With the present connector, the conductor is permitted to deform as the jaws are rotated to the closed position without any shearing action and without decreasing electrical conductivity or the strength of the conductor. in addition. the manner in which the conductor deforms significantly increases the force required to separate the conductor and the connector. Furthermore, with the present design, the area of contact between the connector and the support it is mounted on is maximized so as not to decrease electrical conductivity through the connector. Still further, with the present connector, it is easier to insert the conductor into the opening in the female jaw than has been possible here tofore and it is also easier to pass a stud or bolt through the apertures in the male and female jaws for connection to the support.

Briefly, the present non-shearing solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type, compris ing male and female jaws having respective mounting tails adapted to be secured against a support and alignable bores adapted to receive the barcd end of a concluctor which is securely clamped between the jaws when they are rotated to a closed position, is improved in several significant respects. The bore in the male jaw is slightly larger than the bore in the female jaw and has a chamfer at the opposite ends thereof to permit the conductor to bird-cage" or spread when the jaws are rotated to the closed position thereby preventing shearing and increasing the required pull-out force. A chamfer or countersink is added to the entrance of the bore in the female jaw for ease ofinsertion of the conductor thereinto. The aperture in the tail of the female jaw is drilled at a slight angle to a line normal to the plane thereof to allow a stud or bolt to pass more easily through the apertures in the male and female jaw tails. Due to the tendency of all materials to bend when a force is applied thereto, the tail of the male jaw is slightly concave to increase the contact area between such tail and the support It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a non-shearing solderless electrical connector.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type which permits a conductor to bird-cage" when the jaws are rotated to the closed position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type wherein a chamfer is added to the entrance of the bore in the female jaw for ease of insertion of the conductor thereinto.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type wherein the aperture in the tail of the female jaw is offset from a line normal thereto for ease of insertion of a stud or bolt therethrough.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type wherein the tail of the male jaw is slightly concave.

Still other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts in the several figures and wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a solderless electrical connector constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with a conductor clamped therein;

FIG. 2 is a medial longitudinal section view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a medial longitudinal sectional view thereof in an open position ready to receive the bared end of a conductor, and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 44 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, there is shown, as an example of one form in which the present invention may be embodied, a solderless electrical connector, generally designated 10, comprising, in general, male and female jaws A and B, respectively, coupled for relative pivotal movement between an open position, seen in FIG. 3, in which a conductor C can be freely inserted into jaws A and B, and a closed position, seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which conductor C is securely clamped be tween jaws A and B and connected thereby to a suitable support D. Connection to support D is achieved by a suitable fastener, such as a stud or bolt E, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

Male jaw A comprises a cylindrical head or knuckle 11 formed integrally on one end of a tail 12 which is adapted to be mounted against support D, tail l2 having an aperture 13 through which bolt E can be extended through and into support D. An offset neck 14 joins head 11 to tail 12, thus positioning head 11 above the plane of tail 12. The back of neck 14 is generally normal to the plane of tail 12 whereas the front of head 11 protrudes forwardly from neck 14, overhanging a transverse recess 15. Tail 12 is slightly concave so that only the opposite ends thereof contact support D in the open position of jaws A and B, as seen in FIG. 3.

Jaw A has a bore 16 which extends diametrically through the center of head 11 for reception of conductor C. Bore 16 is inclined downwardly and forwardly with reference to the plane of tail 12 at an angle which is substantially equal to the angle between the tails of jaws A and B when connector is in the open position, seen in FIG. 3. This angle may vary from approximately 12 to approximately depending upon the size of conductor C. In other words, as the diameter of conductor C increases. the angle of bore 16 decreases.

A cutter of approximately the same diameter of bore 16 through head 12 may be used to chamfer or flare the respective end portions of bore 16, at 17 and 18, to eliminate a sharp edge which would tend to shear connector 10 as jaws A and B are rotated to the closed position. The upper half of bore 16 is chamfered, at 17, at the front of head 11 whereas the lower half of bore 16 is chamfered, at 18, at the back of head 11. Furthermore, chamfers 17 and 18 should be rounded so as to completely eliminate any possibility of fracturing or cutting conductor C. This may be accomplished by oscillating the cutter during the chamfering operation.

Female jaw B comprises a C-shaped head or yoke 20 formed integrally on one end of a planar tail 21 which is adapted to contact tail 12 ofjaw A in the closed posi tion. In the open position, tail 21 only contacts tail 12 adjacent its intersection with neck 14 due to the concavity of tail l2. Yoke 20 defl. 1 a transverse cylindrical socket 23 in which head 11 ofjaw A is loosely fitted for tilting movement of jaw B between the open position shown in FIG. 3 and the closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Yoke 20 has the general form of a U- channel, modified by a re-entrant lip 24 which extends beneath head 11 into recess 15 so as to retain head 11 captive within yoke 20. Recess 15 is positioned relative to lip 24 so that the two are in contact when jaw B is in its open position.

Tail 12 has an aperture 22 therein through which bolt E can be extended through and into aperture 13 in tall 12 and support D. According to the present invention, aperture 22 in tail 21 is positioned at a slight angle relative to a line normal to the plane of tail 21, the angle being approximately one-half of the angle between

tails

12 and 21 when connector 10 is in the open position.

Yoke 20 is provided with diametrically opposed

cylindrical bores

25 and 26 aligned on a common diameter of yoke 20, generally parallel to tail 21, so as to be alignable with bore 16 in head 11 of jaw A when jaw B is in its open position, seen in FIG. 3. Bore 25 is positioned in the side of yoke 20 which terminates in lip 24 whereas bore 26 is positioned in the side of yoke 20 connected to tail 21. When connector 10 is open, bores 16, 25, and 26 are aligned so that conductor C can be freely passed thereinto. Yoke 20 is also provided with a conical chamfer or countersink 27 at the entrance to bore 25. Furthermore, the diameter of bore 16 is slightly larger than that of

bores

25 and 26.

OPERATION The basic operation of connector 10 is similar to that of many of the connectors of the before-mentioned US. patents. In the open position ofjaw B, seen in FIG. 3, bores 16, 25, and 26 are aligned, ready to receive the bared end of conductor C. At this time, lip 24, at the end of yoke 20, extends into recess 15 and into engage ment with neck 14 thereby limiting the movement of jaw B beyond the open position.

Because of chamfer 27 at the entrance to bore 25 in yoke 20 of female jaw B, it will be relatively easy to insert conductor C into bore 25, even with the tendency of the end of conductor C to bird-cage" or separate when it is cut and stripped. The provision of chamfer 27 also reduces the tendency for the previous sharp edge to cut into and shear conductor C in the presence of vibration thereof.

After insertion of conductor C into the aligned bores i6, 25, and 26 in jaws A and B, jaw B may be closed upon jaw A by application of a downward force on tail 21. This may be achieved by passing a stud or bolt E through

apertures

22 and 13 in tails 2] and 12, respectively, and into support D. With aperture 22 drilled at the previously described angle relative to the plane of tail 21, it is much easier to insert bolt E through aperture 22 and then into aperture 13.

Tightening of bolt E into support D moves tail 21 towards and into contact with tail 12. However, due to the tendency of all materials to bend when any force is applied thereto, it has been found, in practice, that tail 21 bends downwardly and tail l2 bends upwardly.

While the downward bending of tail 21 does not pres ent a problem, the upward bending of tail 12 limits the contact area between tail l2 and support D, thereby decreasing the electrical conductivity. By making tail 12 slightly concave so that

tail

21 and 12 meet just before the yield point of the material, not only is a good surface contact guaranteed between tail 12 and support D, but a spring force is established to maintain bolt E tight.

As known in the art, with movement of tail 21 into contact with tail 12, bores 16 and 25 become angularly misaligned so as to distort the bared end of conductor C, as seen in FIG. 2. This distortion of conductor C securely grips the bared end thereof within connector 10, preventing the removal thereof. However, in the prior art, with the diameters of

bores

16, 25, and 26 being equal and just slightly greater than the diameter ofconductor C, this gripping action tends to put conductor C in direct shear, leaving almost no area for conductor C to deform into. According to the present invention, this problem is overcome by enlarging

bores

16, 25, and 26 sufficiently to allow conductor C to become elliptical when it is clamped. The diameter of bore 16 in male jaw A is slightly larger than the diameters of

bores

25 and 26 in female jaw B to allow the strands of conductor C to bird-cage" or expand into this larger area, as seen in FIG. 4.

The difference in the diameters of

bores

16, 25, and 26 and conductor C will vary as a function of the diameter of conductor C. In other words, the increase in the diameters of

bores

16, 25, and 26 over the diameter of conductor C should be such that the individual strands of conductor C expand up against the walls of bore 16. If the diameter of bore 16 was too large compared to the diameter of conductor C, contact between the individual strands of conductor C and the wall of bore 16 would be decreased, thereby decreasing conductivity through connector 10. Since different sizes of conductor C have a different ability to deform, the percentage increase of

bores

16, 25, and 26 over the diameter of conductor C is a function of the size of conductor C. The smaller sizes of conductor C, which may have as few as seven individual strands of wire, have been found to readily deform and the diameter of bore 16 may be approximately 12% larger than the diameter of conductor C. As the size of conductor C increases up to approximately 50 or 60 individual strands of wire, there is less tendency to deform and bore 16 should have a diameter only approximately 6% larger than the diameter of conductor C. In either case, the increase in the diameter of

bores

25 and 26 over the diameter of conductor C is less than the increase in the diameter of bore 16. It has been found that ideally, the increase in the diameter of

bores

25 and 26 is only 60% of the increase in the diameter of bore 16 over the diameter of conductor C. Tests have shown that these dimensions substantially increase the force required to pull conductor C out of connector when jaws A and B are in the closed position.

It can therefore be seen that in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved nonshearing solderless electrical connector which is effective in satisfying the objectives of the prior art to a degree unobtainable heretofore. With connector 10, conductor C is permitted to deform as jaws A and B are rotated to the closed position without any shearing action and without decreasing electrical conductivity or the strength of conductor C. In addition, the manner in which conductor C deforms significantly increases the force required to separate conductor C and connector 10. With the present design, the area of contact between connector 10 and support D is maximized so as not to decrease electrical conductivity through connector 10. Furthermore, it is easier with connector 10 to insert conductor C into bore 25 in female jaw B than has been possible heretofore and is also easier to pass bolt E through

apertures

13 and 22 in male and female jaws A and B, respectively, for connection to support D.

While the invention has been described withwespect to a preferred physical embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the spe cific illustrative embodiment, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type comprising male and female jaws having respective mounting tails adapted to be secured against a support, said male jaw including a transverse cylindrical head joined to one end of said male jaw tail and having a bore which extends diametrically through the center of said head for receipt of a conductor, said female jaw including a C-shaped yoke joined to one end of said female jaw tail and defining a transverse cylindrical socket which receives said head of said male jaw for relative angular movement of said jaws between an open, conductonreceiving position and a closed, conductor-clamping position, said yoke having opposed cylindrical bores on a common diameter of said yoke which are alignable with said bore in said male jaw in said open position of said jaws, the improvement wherein the diameter of said bore in said male jaw is throughout its length slightly larger than the diameter of said bore in said female jaw to permit said conductor to expand when said jaws are rotated to said closed position.

2. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 1, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position and wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support.

3. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 1, the improvement wherein the end portions of said bore in said head are chamfered at the same diameter as said bore to eliminate a sharp edge from said end portions of said bore.

4. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 3, the improvement wherein the upper half of said bore in said head is chamfered at the front of said head and wherein the lower half of said bore in said head is chamfered at the back of said head.

5. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 1, the improvement wherein the diameter of said bore in said head of said male jaw is larger than the diameter of the conductor to be inserted therein by an amount lying within the range of 6 to 12%.

6. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 5, the improvement wherein the difference between the diameters of said bore in said head and said conductor decreases as the diameter of said conductor increases.

7. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 5, the improvement wherein the diameter of said bores in said yoke is larger than the diameter of said conductor by an amount approximately equal to 60% of the increase in the diameter of said bore in said head over the diameter of said conductor.

8. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein one side of said yoke is joined to said one end of said female jaw tail, the improvement wherein a chamfer or countersink is positioned at the outer end of said bore in the other side of said yoke to facilitate insertion of said conductor thereinto.

9. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein said male and female jaw tails have alignable apertures therein adapted to receive a fastener, the improvement wherein said aperture in said female jaw tail is positioned at an angle relative to a line normal to the plane of said tail which is approximately equal to one-half of the angle between said male and female jaw tails when said jaws are in said open position.

10. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 9, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position and wherein said rnale jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support.

11. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein said male and female jaw tails have alignable apertures therein adapted to receive a fastener, the improvement wherein said aperture in said female jaw tail is positioned at an angle relative to a line normal to the plane of said tail which is approximately equal to one-half of the angle between said male and female jaw tails when said jaws are in said open position.

12. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 11, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open posi tion and wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially pla nar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support.

l3. In a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type comprising male and female jaws having respective mounting tails, said male jaw including a transverse cylindrical head joined to one end of said male jaw tail and having a bore which extends through the center of said head for receipt ofa conductor, said female jaw including a C-shaped yoke, one side of said yokde being joined to one end of said female jaw tail, said yoke defining a transverse cylindrical socket which receives said head of said male jaw for relative angular movement of said jaws between an open, conductor-receiving position and a closed, con ductor-clamping position, said yoke having opposed cylindrical bores on a common diameter of said yoke which are alignable with said bore in said male jaw in said open position of said jaws, the improvement wherein said aperture in said female jaw tail is positioned at an angle relative to a line normal to the plane of said tail which is approximately equal to one-half of the angle between said male and female jaw tails when said jaws are in said open position.

14. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 13, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position and wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are se cured against said support.

15. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 13, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position and wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support,

16. In a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type comprising male and female jaws having respective mounting tails with alignable ap ertures therein adapted to receive a fastener and to be secured against a support, said male jaw including a transverse cylindrical head joined to one end of said male jaw tail by a neck and having a bore which extends diametrically through the center of said head for receipt of a conductor, said female jaw including a C- shaped yoke joined to one end of said female jaw tail and defining a transverse cylindrical socket which receives said head of said male jaw for relative angular movement of said jaws between an open, conductorreceiving position and a closed, conductor-clamping position, said yoke having diametrically opposed cylindrical bores on a common diameter of said yoke which are alignable with said bore in said male jaw in said open position of said jaws, the improvement wherein said aperture in said female jaw tail is positioned at an angle relative to a line normal to the plane of said tail.

17. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 16, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support.

18. In a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, damping type comprising male and female jaws having respective mounting tails adapted to be secured against a support, said male jaw including a transverse cylindrical head joined to one end of said male jaw tail by a neck and having a bore which extends diametrically through the center of said head for receipt of a conductor, said female jaw including a C shaped yoke joined to one end of said female jaw tail and defining a transverse cylindrical socket which receives said head of said male jaw for relative angular movement of said jaws between an open, conductorreceiving position and a closed, conductor-clamping position, said yoke having diametrically opposed cylindrical bores on a common diameter of said yoke which are alignable with said bore in said male jaw in said open position of said jaws, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position.

19. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 18, the improvement wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support.

Claims

1. In a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type comprising male and female jaws having respective mounting tails adapted to be secured against a support, said male jaw including a transverse cylindrical head joined to one end of said male jaw tail and having a bore which extends diametrically through the center of said head for receipt of a conductor, said female jaw including a C-shaped yoke joined to one end of said female jaw tail and defining a transverse cylindrical socket which receives said head of said male jaw for relative angular movement of said jaws between an open, conductor-receiving position and a closed, conductor-clamping position, said yoke having opposed cylindrical bores on a common diameter of said yoke which are alignable with said bore in said male jaw in said open position of said jaws, the improvement wherein the diameter of said bore in said male jaw is throughout its length slightly larger than the diameter of said bore in said female jaw to permit said conductor to expand when said jaws are rotated to said closed position.

10. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 9, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position and wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support.

12. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 11, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position and wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support.

13. In a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type comprising male and female jaws having respective mounting tails, said male jaw including a transverse cylindrical head joined to one end of said male jaw tail and having a bore which extends through the center of said head for receipt of a conductor, said female jaw including a C-shaped yoke, one side of said yokde being joined to one end of said female jaw tail, said yoke defining a transverse cylindrical socket which receives said head of said male jaw for relative angular movement of said jaws between an open, conductor-receiving position and a closed, conductor-clamping position, said yoke having opposed cylindrical bores on a common diameter of said yoke which are alignable with said bore in said male jaw in said open position of said jaws, the improvement wherein said aperture in said female jaw tail is positioned at an angle relative to a line normal to the plane of said tail which is approximately equal to one-half of the angle between said male and female jaw tails when said jaws are in said open position.

14. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 13, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position and wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support.

15. In a solderless electrical connector according to claim 13, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position and wherein said male jaw is sufficiently flexible to permit said male jaw tail to bend to a substantially planar position when said male and female jaw tails are secured against said support.

16. In a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, clamping type comprising male and female jaws having respective mounting tails with alignable apertures therein adapted to receive a fastener and to be secured against a support, said male jaw including a transverse cylindrical head joined to one end of said male jaw tail by a neck and having a bore which extends diametrically through the center of said head for receipt of a conductor, said female jaw including a C-shaped yoke joined to one end of said female jaw tail and defining a transverse cylindrical socket which receives said head of said male jaw for relative angular movement of said jaws between an open, conductor-receiving position and a closed, conductor-clamping position, said yoke having diametrically opposed cylindrical bores on a common diameter of said yoke which are alignable with said bore in said male jaw in said open position of said jaws, the improvement wherein said aperture in said female jaw tail is positioned at an angle relative to a line normal to the plane of said tail.

18. In a solderless electrical connector of the rotatable jaw, damping type comprising male and female jaws having respective mounting tails adapted to be secured against a support, said male jaW including a transverse cylindrical head joined to one end of said male jaw tail by a neck and having a bore which extends diametrically through the center of said head for receipt of a conductor, said female jaw including a C-shaped yoke joined to one end of said female jaw tail and defining a transverse cylindrical socket which receives said head of said male jaw for relative angular movement of said jaws between an open, conductor-receiving position and a closed, conductor-clamping position, said yoke having diametrically opposed cylindrical bores on a common diameter of said yoke which are alignable with said bore in said male jaw in said open position of said jaws, the improvement wherein said male jaw tail is slightly concave when said jaws are in said open position.