Terminal contacting fixture utilizing torsional deflectable contacting elements

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SUCCESSIVELY MAKING TEMPORARY CONNECTION TO THE TERMINAL PINS OF EACH OF A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL DEVICE THAT ARE BEING TRANSPORTED THROUGH A TEST STATION, SAID PINS PROTRUDING IN PARALLEL RELATION FROM A DEVICE TRANSPORTING STRIP, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF L-SHAPED DEFLECTABLE CONTACTORS EACH FOR CONNECTING WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID TERMINAL PINS AND EACH HAVING A SUPPORTING BRANCH SECURED TO A BASE AT THE STATION AND A CONTACTING BRANCH PROJECTING AT RIGHT ANGLES THEREFROM AND INTO THE PATH OF AT LEAST ONE TERMINAL PIN OF THE ELECTRICAL DEVICE, WHEREBY UPON CONTACT WITH A TERMINAL PIN EACH SAID CONTACTING BRANCH DEFLECTS THEREBY CREATING A TORSIONAL FORCE IN SAID SUPPORTING BRANCH THAT OPPOSES THE DEFLECTION OF SAID CONTACTING BRANCH, SAID TORSIONAL FORCE RESTORING SAID CONTACTING BRANCH TOWARD ITS UNDEFLECTED POSITION UPON THE PASSING OF SAID TERMINAL PIN AND EACH OF SAID CONTACTORS BEING SECURED TO SAID BASE AT A POINT WHERE, WHEN SAID DEVICE IS AT THE TEST STATION, THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE OF EACH SUPPORTING BRANCH TO THE CORRESPONDING CONTACTING TERMINAL IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF THE RESPECTIVE CONTACTING BRANCH, WHEREBY AT ONE STAGE OF THE DEVICE PASSAGE THROUGH THE STATION EACH PIN IS SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CONTACT WITH A DIFFERENT ONE OF THE CONTACTORS.