Electric couplings

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY FOR USE AT HIGH TEMPERATURES AND IN ARDUOUS SERVICE CONDITIONS, FOR ESTABLISHING ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN AND ELECTRICAL DEVICE AND SHEATHED CONDUCTOR MEANS, SAID CONDUCTOR MEANS INCLUDING AN OUTER CONTINUOUS IMPERMEABLE METALLIC SHEATH AND AT LEAST ONE CONDUCTOR WITHIN SAID SHEATH, SAID CONNECTOR COMPRISING A SOCKET MEMBER AND A PLUG INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL POLE MEMBER SLIDABLY INSERTABLE INTO THE SOCKET TO A PREDETERMINED DEPTH THEREIN, SAID SOCKET MEMBER COMPRISING A STACK OF ANNULAR INSULATING ELEMENTS SHAPED TO DEFINE A CYLINDRICAL INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER SERVING AS A RECEPTACLE FOR SAID POLE MEMBER, SAID STACK OF ELEMENTS DEFINING ALSO A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERAL GROOVES IN SAID PERIPHERAL SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTS DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY IN SAID GROOVES, EACH SAID CONTACT ELEMENT BEING FITTED IN THE RESPECTIVE GROOVE SO AS TO BE PERMITTED A DEGREE OF DISPLACEMENT IN THE DIRECTION RADIAL OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACE BUT LIMITED AGAINST MOVEMENT IN THE DIRECTION AXIAL OF SAID SURFACE, EACH SAID CONTACT ELEMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED MEMBER SHAPED TO PRESENT AN ANNULAR PORTION LODGED IN THE RESPECTIVE GROOVE, SAID ANNULAR PORTION BEING RADIALLY RESILIENT AND HAVING A NON-CIRCULAR IN-