Contact sockets and manufacturing method

Claim 2

A stamped and formed electrical contact socket adapted to receive a contact pin, said socket comprising at least four contact arms arranged in parallel surrounding relationship to the axis of said socket, said arms having free ends and fixed ends, said free ends defining the entrance to said socket and said fixed ends defining the inner end of said socket, said fixed ends being integral with, and extending from sheet metal strip means, said arms having twisted portions at locations intermediate their ends, said arms being twisted, at said twisted portions, about their own longitudinal axes thereby to orient intermediate surface portions of said arms in facing relationship to said axis of said socket, said intermediate surface portions being adapted to be engaged by an inserted contact pin and to establish electrical contact therewith.

Claim 3

A contact socket as set forth in claim 1 including spring means in surrounding relationship to said arms for urging said arms against said inserted pin.

Claim 4

A contact socket as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strip means extends substantially normally of said axis of said socket, said arms extending from opposite sides of said strip means and being bent adjacent to their fixed ends in a common direction.

Claim 5

A contact socket as set forth in claim 3 wherein said strip means extends laterally beyond said socket and including an additional socket identical to said socket, said additional socket comprising arms integral with, and extending from, said strip means.

Claim 6

A contact socket as set forth in claim 3 wherein said arms extend obliquely from said twisted portions towards said strip means.

Claim 7

A contact socket as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strip means comprises first and second separate strips extending substantially normally of said axis of said socket, two of said arms extending from one side of said first strip and two of said arms extending from one side of said second strip, and including an additional contact socket having arms extending from the remaining sides of said first and second strips.

Claim 8

A contact socket as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second strip extends medially along said first strip.

Claim 9

A contact socket as set forth in claim 6 wherein said first and second strips are suBstantially identical and are disposed against each other in parallel planes, the axes of said sockets being parallel to the

Claim 10

Electrical connecting means comprising at least two contact socket means, each of said socket means being adapted to receive a contact pin, said connecting means comprising: first and second stamped and formed bus sections, each of said bus sections comprising a flat strip of conductive metal, said strips being disposed against each other in parallel planes, each of said contact socket means comprising first and second contact arm means, each said contact arm means having a free end and a fixed end, said fixed end of said first contact arm means of each of said contact socket means being integral with said first bus section and said fixed end of said second contact arm means of each of said contact socket means being integral with said second bus section, said first contact arm means of said first bus section being opposed to said first contact arm means of said second bus section to define at least one said socket means, and said second contact arm means of said first bus section being opposed to said second contact arm means of said second bus section to define at least another one of said contact socket means.

Claim 11

Electrical connecting means comprising at least two contact socket means, each of said socket means being adapted to receive a contact pin, said connecting means comprising: first and second stamped and formed bus sections, each of said bus sections comprising a flat strip of conductive metal, said strips being disposed against each other in parallel planes, each of said contact socket means comprising first and second contact arm means, each said contact arm means having a free end and a fixed end, said fixed end of said first contact arm means of each of said contact socket means being integral with said first bus section and said fixed end of said second contact arm means of each of said contact socket means being integral with said second bus section, said first contact arm means of said first bus section being opposed to said first contact arm means of said second bus section to define at least one said socket means, and said second contact arm means of said first bus section being opposed to said second contact arm means of said second bus section to define at least another one of said contact socket means.

Claim 12

Connecting means as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first and second contact arm means each comprises a pair of contact arms.

Claim 13

Connecting means as set forth in claim 9 comprising pairs of socket means in axial alignment with each other.

Claim 14

Connecting means as set forth in claim 11 wherein said first and second bus sections are of substantially equal width and are against each other in substantially coinciding relationship, said socket means extending in opposite directions from opposite edges of said bus sections.

Claim 15

Connecting means as set forth in claim 9 in which said socket means are axially offset from each other.

Claim 16

Connecting means as set forth in claim 13 wherein said socket means are disposed on parallel spaced-apart axes.

Claim 17

Connecting means as set forth in claim 14 wherein said first bus section has a width which is substantially greater than the width of said second bus section, said second bus section being centrally disposed on said first bus section, said socket means extending from said bus sections in the same direction.

Claim 18

Connecting means as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first and second contact arm means each comprises a plurality of arms extending from said first and second bus sections respectively, said arms in each of said socket means being arranged in a circular array around the socket axis.

Claim 19

Connecting means as set forth in claim 16 including spring means in surrounding relationship to each of said pluralities of arms.

Claim 20

Electrical connecting means comprising a plurality of contact sockets disposed in single file, side-by-side, spaced-apart, parallel relationship, said connecting means comprising: an elongated bus strip of conductive metal, each of said sockets comprising four contact arms, two of said arms being integral with, and extending from, one side of said bus strip and two of said arms being integral with, and extending from, the other side of said bus strip, said arms being in alignment with each other on opposite sides of said strip, each of said arms having a twisted portion intermediate its ends and being twisted, at said twisted portion, with respect to its own longitudinal axis thereby to orient an intermediate surface portion of each arm in facing relationship to the axis of said socket, said intermediate surface portion being adapted to be engaged by an inserted contact pin to establish electrical contact therewith, each of said arms extending from its twisted portion generally obliquely towards said bus strip, and each of said sockets having spring means in surrounding relationship to said arms for urging said arms against an inserted pin.

Claim 21

Electrical connecting means comprising a plurality of contact sockets disposed in single file, side-by-side, spaced-apart, parallel relationship, said connecting means comprising: an elongated bus strip of conductive metal, each of said sockets comprising four contact arms, two of said arms being integral with, and extending from, one side of said bus strip and two of said arms being integral with, and extending from, the other side of said bus strip, said arms being in alignment with each other on opposite sides of said strip, each of said arms having a twisted portion intermediate its ends and being twisted, at said twisted portion, with respect to its own longitudinal axis thereby to orient an intermediate surface portion of each arm in facing relationship to the axis of said socket, said intermediate surface portion being adapted to be engaged by an inserted contact pin to establish electrical contact therewith, each of said arms extending from its twisted portion generally obliquely towards said bus strip, and each of said sockets having spring means in surrounding relationship to said arms for urging said arms against an inserted pin.

Claim 22

Electrical connecting means as set forth in claim 18 including an insulating housing, said connecting means being contained in said housing.

Claim 23

Electrical connecting means comprising a plurality of contact sockets arranged in first and second rows, the sockets of said rows being in side-by-side, parallel, spaced-apart, relationship, said connecting means comprising: first and second bus strips of conductive metal, said first strip being relatively wider than said second strip, said second strip being against said first strip and extending medially therealong, each of said sockets comprising four contact arms, two of said arms extending from one side of said first bus strip and two of said arms extending from the one side of said second bus strip which is proximate to said one side of said first bus strip, said arms on said bus strips being in alignment with each other, each of said arms having a twisted portion intermediate its ends and being twisted, at said twisted portion, with respect to its own longitudinal axis thereby to orient an intermediate surface portion of each arm in facing relationship to the axis of said socket, said intermediate surface portion being adapted to be engaged by an inserted contact pin to establish electrical contact therewith, each of said arms extending from its twisted portion generally obliquely towards its respective bus strip, and each of said sockets having spring means in surrounding relationship to said arms for urging said arms against an inserted pin.

Claim 24

Electrical connecting means comprising a plurality of contact sockets arranged in first and second rows, the sockets of said rows being in side-by-side, parallel, spaced-apart, relationship, said connecting means comprising: first and second bus strips of conductive metal, said first strip being relatively wider than said second strip, said second strip being against said first strip and extending medially therealong, each of said sockets comprising four contact arms, two of said arms extending from one side of said first bus strip and two of said arms extending from the one side of said second bus strip which is proximate to said one side of said first bus strip, said arms on said bus strips being in alignment with each other, each of said arms having a twisted portion intermediate its ends and being twisted, at said twisted portion, with respect to its own longitudinal axis thereby to orient an intermediate surface portion of each arm in facing relationship to the axis of said socket, said intermediate surface portion being adapted to be engaged by an inserted contact pin to establish electrical contact therewith, each of said arms extending from its twisted portion generally obliquely towards its respective bus strip, and each of said sockets having spring means in surrounding relationship to said arms for urging said arms against an inserted pin.

Claim 25

Electrical connecting means as set forth in claim 20 including an insulating housing, said connecting means being contained in said housing.

Claim 26

Electrical connecting means comprising a plurality of contact sockets arranged as axially aligned spaced-apart pairs of sockets, said connecting means comprising: first and second bus strips of conductive metal, said strips being substantially identical to each other and being disposed against each other in parallel spaced-apart planes, each of said sockets comprising four contact arms, two of said arms extending laterally from one side of said first bus strip and two of said arms extending laterally from one side of said second bus strip, said sides being adjacent to each other, said arms on said bus strips being in alignment with each other, each of said arms having a twisted portion intermediate its ends and being twisted, at said twisted portion, with respect to its own longitudinal axis thereby to orient an intermediate surface portion of each arm in facing relationship to the axis of said socket, said intermediate surface portion being adapted to be engaged by an inserted contact pin to establish electrical contact therewith, each of said arms extending from its twisted portion obliquely with respect to said axis thence substantially normally of said planes of said parallel planes to said bus strips, and each of said sockets having spring means in surrounding relationship to said arms for urging said arms against an inserted pin.

Claim 27

Electrical connecting means comprising a plurality of contact sockets arranged as axially aligned spaced-apart pairs of sockets, said connecting means comprising: first and second bus strips of conductive metal, said strips being substantially identical to each other and being disposed against each other in parallel spaced-apart planes, each of said sockets comprising four contact arms, two of said arms extending laterally from one side of said first bus strip and two of said arms extending laterally from one side of said second bus strip, said sides being adjacent to each other, said arms on said bus strips being in alignment with each other, each of said arms having a twisted portion intermediate its ends and being twisted, at said twisted portion, with respect to its own longitudinal axis thereby to orient an intermediate surface portion of each arm in facing relationship to the axis of said socket, said intermediate surface portion being adapted to be engaged by an inserted contact pin to establish electrical contact therewith, each of said arms extending from its twisted portion obliquely with respect to said axis thence substantially normally of said planes of said parallel planes to said bus strips, and each of said sockets having spring means in surrounding relationship to said arms for urging said arms against an inserted pin.

Claim 28

Electrical connecting means as set forth in claim 22 including an insulating housing, said connecting means being contained in said housing.