Means and methods of joining conductors

Claim 2

An electrical connection of selected pairs of insulated wires, comprising: a body member of non-conductive material having walls defining a plurality of sockets arranged side-by-side; each of said sockets receiving a portion of at least one of said insulated wires; said body member including wire guide means initially positioning at least one of said wires in bridging relation across and beyond the entrance end of one of said sockets; a force transfer member engaging the bridging portion of each said wire and pressing said portion of said wire against one of said socket-defining walls and stripping a portion of the insulation from said wire; means in each said socket shearing that portion of said wire extending beyond the entrance end of said socket as said force transfer member engages and presses said portion of said wires; and conductive material in each said socket establishing electrical contact with said wire portion therein.

Claim 3

An electrical connecting Means, as defined in claim 1, wherein: the body member is flexible to permit shaping the body member in a circle to place the sockets in circumferential relation.

Claim 4

An electrical connecting means, as defined in claim 1, which further comprises: electrical connecting means disposed in selected sockets and extending therebetween effecting electrical interconnection therebetween.

Claim 5

A splicing apparatus comprising: an insulative terminal strip having a plurality of tapered cavities; a plurality of conductors received by the cavities; an insert snugly received by each cavity to secure a conductor therein; and each of the cavities including a shearing edge on one side thereof whereby with the insertion of the corresponding insert, one end of each conductor in the cavity is sheared.

Claim 6

A splicing apparatus comprising: an insulative terminal strip having a plurality of tapered cavities; a plurality of conductors received by the cavities; an insert snugly received by each cavity to secure a conductor therein; and each of the cavities including a shearing edge on one side thereof whereby with the insertion of the corresponding insert, one end of each conductor in the cavity is sheared.

Claim 7

A splicing apparatus, as defined in claim 4, which further comprises: at least one conductive bridge extending between selected cavities.

Claim 8

A splicing apparatus comprising: an insulative terminal strip having a plurality of cavities; a plurality of conductors received by the cavities; an insert snugly received by each of the cavities, and electrically connected to the conductors therein; means forming at least one slot adjacent each of the cavities for holding at least one conductor in bridging relation to the corresponding cavity prior to receiving the corresponding insert; and shearing means at one side of each cavity for severing the excess length of each conductor.

Claim 9

A splicing apparatus comprising: an insulative terminal strip having a plurality of cavities; a plurality of conductors received by the cavities; an insert snugly received by each of the cavities, and electrically connected to the conductors therein; means forming at least one slot adjacent each of the cavities for holding at least one conductor in bridging relation to the corresponding cavity prior to receiving the corresponding insert; and shearing means at one side of each cavity for severing the excess length of each conductor.

Claim 12

A method, as defined in claim 7, which is further characterized by: simultaneously, with completion of the electrical connection, severing the mating wires beyond their regions of electrical connection.

Claim 13

A method, as defined in claim 7, which is further characterized by: repeating the steps of joining mating of corresponding bundles to connector structures; arranging the completed connector structures in essentially parallel relation; and pressing the connector structures radially causing the wires and connector structures to be compressed into a composite bundle.

Claim 16

In an electrical connection of one or more insulated electrical wires, the improvement comprising: an insulative body member; a plurality of walls on said body member defining a plurality of outwardly opening cavities, each of said cavities receiving an end portion of at least one of said insulated electrical wires lying thereacross; said walls including insulation piercing means and wire severance means for respectively piercing the insulation on and severing the end portion of said at least one insulated electrical wire; and a force transfer member fittingly received within each of said cavities forcing the end portion of said at least one insulated electrical wire into each cavity against said piercing means and against said severance means piercing the insulation on the said at least one wire and severing the terminal end portion thereof.

Claim 17

In an electrical connection of one or more insulated electrical wires, the improvement comprising: an insulative body member; a plurality of walls on said body member defining a plurality of outwardly opening cavities, each of said cavities receiving an end portion of at least one of said insulated electrical wires lying thereacross; said walls including insulation piercing means and wire severance means for respectively piercing the insulation on and severing the end portion of said at least one insulated electrical wire; and a force transfer member fittingly received within each of said cavities forcing the end portion of said at least one insulated electrical wire into each cavity against said piercing means and against said severance means piercing the insulation on the said at least one wire and severing the terminal end portion thereof.

Claim 18

An electrical connecting means, comprising: a body means having at least a pair of open channels, each of said channels receiving the end portion of an insulated wire; an electrical conductor extending between the channels; wire retaining means received within each channel engaging the wire therein; insulation piercing means effecting an electrical connection between each wire and the electrical conductor; wire severing means positioned to sever each wire at a point spaced from each insulation piercing means; said insulation piercing means and said wire severing means including elements carried by the body means and the retaining means, the elements being movable toward each other on corresponding relative movement of the body means and retaining means to effect simultaneous, electrical connection between said wire and the electrical conductor, and severance of the excess end portion of said wire.

Claim 19

An electrical connecting means, comprising: a body means having at least a pair of open channels, each of said channels receiving the end portion of an insulated wire; an electrical conductor extending between the channels; wire retaining means received within each channel engaging the wire therein; insulation piercing means effecting an electrical connection between each wire and the electrical conductor; wire severing means positioned to sever each wire at a point spaced from each insulation piercing means; said insulation piercing means and said wire severing means including elements carried by the body means and the retaining means, the elements being movable toward each other on corresponding relative movement of the body means and retaining means to effect simultaneous, electrical connection between said wire and the electrical conductor, and severance of the excess end portion of said wire.

Claim 20

An electrical connecting means, comprising: an elongated body member having a series of juxtaposed channels, each having an open lateral side receiving the end portions of at least one insulated wire; wire retaining means received in each channel; wire insulation penetrating means penetrating the insulation on the wire in each channel to provide an electrical contact therewith; and wire severing means cutting the excess portion of the wire at a location spaced from said wire insulation penetrating means; said wire insulation penetrating means and said wire severing means including portions incorporated in the body member and the wire retaining means and essentially simultaneously effecting electrical contact with said wire and severing the excess portion of the wire, at least a portion of the wire penetrating means being conductive; and conductive means extending between at least two of said channels and establishing electrical connection between said wires in said channels.

Claim 21

An electrical connecting means, comprising: an elongated body member having a series of juxtaposed channels, each having an open lateral side receiving the end portions of at least one insulated wire; wire retaining means received in each channel; wire insulation penetrating means penetrating the insulation on the wire in each channel to provide an electrical contact therewith; and wire severing means cutting the excess portion of the wire at a location spaced from said wire insulation penetrating means; said wire insulation penetrating means and said wire severing means including portions incorporated in the body member and the wire retaining means and essentially simultaneously effecting electrical contact with said wire and severing the excess portion of the wire, at least a portion of the wire penetrating means being conductive; and conductive means extending between at least two of said channels and establishing electrical connection between said wires in said channels.

Claim 22

In an electrical connector, the improvement comprising: an elongated body member; a peripheral wall in said body member defining an outwardly opening socket receiving the end portion of an insulated electrical wire; said peripheral wall of said socket including insulation piercing means and wire severance means which pierce the insulation on said wire and sever the end portion of said wire forced into said socket; and a force transfer member engaging a portion of said electrical wire when said wire is extending across said socket to force a portion of the wire into said socket, pierce the insulation on the wire, and sever the terminal end portion of the wire.

Claim 23

In an electrical connector, the improvement comprising: an elongated body member; a peripheral wall in said body member defining an outwardly opening socket receiving the end portion of an insulated electrical wire; said peripheral wall of said socket including insulation piercing means and wire severance means which pierce the insulation on said wire and sever the end portion of said wire forced into said socket; and a force transfer member engaging a portion of said electrical wire when said wire is extending across said socket to force a portion of the wire into said socket, pierce the insulation on the wire, and sever the terminal end portion of the wire.

Claim 24

In a method of electrically connecting several combinations of insulated wires, the improvement comprising: a. laying the respective insulated wires of the several combinations transversely across an elongated body member adapted to receive and hold the respective wires of each of the combinations in separate wire-receiving locations containing wire severing means and disposed in spaced parallel relationsHip along said body member; b. simultaneously pressing together in forced relationship said several combinations of insulated wires and separate insulation piercing and wire connecting means positioned contiguously with said wire-receiving locations of said elongated body member, and c. in the same pressing operation of (b), simultaneously piercing insulation, connecting together each combination of wires of said several combinations, and severing each of said wires beyond the connection.

Claim 25

In a method of electrically connecting several combinations of insulated wires, the improvement comprising: a. laying the respective insulated wires of the several combinations transversely across an elongated body member adapted to receive and hold the respective wires of each of the combinations in separate wire-receiving locations containing wire severing means and disposed in spaced parallel relationsHip along said body member; b. simultaneously pressing together in forced relationship said several combinations of insulated wires and separate insulation piercing and wire connecting means positioned contiguously with said wire-receiving locations of said elongated body member, and c. in the same pressing operation of (b), simultaneously piercing insulation, connecting together each combination of wires of said several combinations, and severing each of said wires beyond the connection.

Claim 26

An electrical connector block for electrically connecting selected pairs of insulated wires from separate bundles of such wires, comprising: an elongated base of non-conductive material; said base having an entrance side edge and a back side edge substantially parallel to said entrance side edge; upstanding entrance wall means on said base adjacent said entrance side edge defining a plurality of generally parallel wire-entrance channels; upstanding exit wall means on said base adjacent said back side edge defining a plurality of generally parallel wire-exit channels in substantial alignment with said wire-entrance channels; means defining a plurality of sockets in said base, one socket being located between and substantially aligned with one of said wire-entrance channels and one of said wire-exit channels; each of said socket-defining means comprising a substantially continuous inner peripheral wall; said inner peripheral wall including wire insulation piercing means and wire severing means; said wire severing means including a relatively sharp cutting edge spaced from said insulation piercing means; said wire insulation piercing means and said wire severing means being adapted to cooperate with a force transfer member to simultaneously pierce the insulation and sever the terminal end portion of a wire forced into each of said sockets; and non-conductive material electrically insulating each adjacent pair of said sockets from one another.

Claim 27

An electrical connector block for electrically connecting selected pairs of insulated wires from separate bundles of such wires, comprising: an elongated base of non-conductive material; said base having an entrance side edge and a back side edge substantially parallel to said entrance side edge; upstanding entrance wall means on said base adjacent said entrance side edge defining a plurality of generally parallel wire-entrance channels; upstanding exit wall means on said base adjacent said back side edge defining a plurality of generally parallel wire-exit channels in substantial alignment with said wire-entrance channels; means defining a plurality of sockets in said base, one socket being located between and substantially aligned with one of said wire-entrance channels and one of said wire-exit channels; each of said socket-defining means comprising a substantially continuous inner peripheral wall; said inner peripheral wall including wire insulation piercing means and wire severing means; said wire severing means including a relatively sharp cutting edge spaced from said insulation piercing means; said wire insulation piercing means and said wire severing means being adapted to cooperate with a force transfer member to simultaneously pierce the insulation and sever the terminal end portion of a wire forced into each of said sockets; and non-conductive material electrically insulating each adjacent pair of said sockets from one another.

Claim 28

An electrical connection of selected pairs of insulated electrical wires from separate bundles of such wires, comprising: an elongated body member having an entrance side edge and a back side edge substantially parallel to and spaced from said entrance side edge; inner peripheral wall means defining a plurality of spaced openings in said body member, said openings being aligned in a row between said entrance side edge and said back side edge and substantially parallel to said side edges; a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel upstanding wall means adjacent said entrance side edge of said body member; said upstanding wall means defining a plurality of upwardly opening guide channels; each of said guide channels being substantially aligned with one of said openings; a plurality of insulated electrical wires extending through said guide channels and into said openings; each of said insulated electrical wires having an intermediate portion extending through one of said guide channels, and an end portion extending into said opening aligned with said guide channel; force transfer means pressingly engaging the end portion of each said insulated electrical wire and forcing said end portion into one of said openings; insulation piercing means forming a component of said inner peripheral wall of each of said openings; said piercing means piercing the insulation on said end portions of said wires forced into said openings by said force transfer means; wire severance means forming a component of said inner peripheral wall of each of said openings; said severance means severing the terminal end portions of said insulated wires forced into said openings by said force transfer means; said wire severance means within the peripheral wall of each said opening being spaced from said insulation piercing means within the peripheral wall of each said opening; and conductor means establishing electrical connection between selected pairs of said wires in said openings.

Claim 29

An electrical connection of selected pairs of insulated electrical wires from separate bundles of such wires, comprising: an elongated body member having an entrance side edge and a back side edge substantially parallel to and spaced from said entrance side edge; inner peripheral wall means defining a plurality of spaced openings in said body member, said openings being aligned in a row between said entrance side edge and said back side edge and substantially parallel to said side edges; a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel upstanding wall means adjacent said entrance side edge of said body member; said upstanding wall means defining a plurality of upwardly opening guide channels; each of said guide channels being substantially aligned with one of said openings; a plurality of insulated electrical wires extending through said guide channels and into said openings; each of said insulated electrical wires having an intermediate portion extending through one of said guide channels, and an end portion extending into said opening aligned with said guide channel; force transfer means pressingly engaging the end portion of each said insulated electrical wire and forcing said end portion into one of said openings; insulation piercing means forming a component of said inner peripheral wall of each of said openings; said piercing means piercing the insulation on said end portions of said wires forced into said openings by said force transfer means; wire severance means forming a component of said inner peripheral wall of each of said openings; said severance means severing the terminal end portions of said insulated wires forced into said openings by said force transfer means; said wire severance means within the peripheral wall of each said opening being spaced from said insulation piercing means within the peripheral wall of each said opening; and conductor means establishing electrical connection between selected pairs of said wires in said openings.