Method and accessory for testing the serviceability of telephone conductors

Claim 2

That improvement in checking pairs of communication lines at a central station facility equipped with a main frame supporting a multiplicity of terminal boards having rows of conductor terminal lugs extending therealong to which said pairs of conductors are connected and including a separate contactor connected to a respective one of said lugs and which contactors are compactly arranged in separate groups crosswise of the opposite ends of each terminal board and beyond the opposite ends of said rows of terminal lugs, testing equipment separated from and useable in testing any pair of conductors on any selected one of said terminal boards, said improvement comprising flexible cable means equipped at its end with coupling means detachably connectable at one end to said testing equipment and at the other end to all contactors at one end of a selected terminal board and including manually adjustable means engageable about the opposite lateral edges of the end of a terminal board to hold said coupling means positively anchored to the terminal board in an area spaced entirely outward of one end of said rows of terminal lugs, said last mentioned coupling means having a separate contactor pin disposed to engage a respective one of the adjacent contactors on said terminal board, and said manually adjustable means being operable as it is adjusted to move said coupling means and the contactor pins bodily toward said contactors to assure pressure contact between each pair thereof.

Claim 3

That improvement defined in claim 1 characterized in that said coupling means clampable to one end of a terminal board comprises a rigid main body equipped with a multiplicity of spring pressed contact pins each connected to a separate conductor of said flexible cable and spaced to bear against a respective one of said line contactors crosswise of one end of a terminal board.

Claim 4

That improvement defined in claim 2 characterized in that said manually adjustable means includes jaw means having a portion maneuverable about the opposite lateral edges of a terminal board and including means adjustable to hold said jaw means and said coupling means firmly assembled to the terminal board.

Claim 5

That improvement defined in claim 2 characterized in that said manually adjustable means includes separate jaw means engageable about a respective one of the lateral edges of a terminal board, and separate thumb screw means for each of said jaw means.

Claim 6

That improvement defined in claim 4 characterized in that said separate jaw means are pivotally connected to the opposite ends of said coupling means for limited movement of the jaw end thereof toward and away from the adjacent lateral end of a terminal board.

Claim 7

That improvement defined in claim 5 characterized in that said separate jaw means are loosely supported in slots extending along the opposite lateral edges of said coupling means and are effective to confine the pivotal movement of said jaw means to the plane of said slots.

Claim 8

That improvement in checking pairs of communication lines at a central phone station facility equipped witH racks of terminal boards of the type having a generally flat rectangular main body supported vertically along the face of a central station main frame and releasably supporting a separate line protector for each of a multiplicity of pairs of cable conductors, said line protectors being disposed laterally and to one side of a separate terminal lug for each conductor of said pairs of conductors which lugs are mounted in the main body of said terminal board and project outwardly from the front face thereof, each of said terminal lugs being connected to a respective one of a multiplicity of contactors compactly arranged in rows crosswise of the face and at the opposite ends of said terminal board, testing equipment for the terminal boards on said main frame which testing equipment is separated from but central to a multiplicity of said terminal boards, said improvement comprising flexible cable means equipped at its ends with separate coupling means detachably connectable at one end to terminal board testing equipment and at the other end selectively to the multiplicity of contactors at either end of a selected terminal board, said last mentioned coupling means having a rectangular hollow housing reciprocally supporting in one longer face thereof a separate spring-pressed pin disposed to have pressure contact with a respective one of said contactors at one end of a selected terminal board, a separate clamping jaw mounted on the opposite ends of said hollow housing and engageable about the opposite lateral edges of the main body of a terminal board, and manually adjustable means on each of said clamping jaws cooperating with one another to adjust said housing bodily toward the face of said terminal board to force said pins into contact with said contactors.

Claim 9

That improvement in checking pairs of communication lines at a central phone station facility equipped witH racks of terminal boards of the type having a generally flat rectangular main body supported vertically along the face of a central station main frame and releasably supporting a separate line protector for each of a multiplicity of pairs of cable conductors, said line protectors being disposed laterally and to one side of a separate terminal lug for each conductor of said pairs of conductors which lugs are mounted in the main body of said terminal board and project outwardly from the front face thereof, each of said terminal lugs being connected to a respective one of a multiplicity of contactors compactly arranged in rows crosswise of the face and at the opposite ends of said terminal board, testing equipment for the terminal boards on said main frame which testing equipment is separated from but central to a multiplicity of said terminal boards, said improvement comprising flexible cable means equipped at its ends with separate coupling means detachably connectable at one end to terminal board testing equipment and at the other end selectively to the multiplicity of contactors at either end of a selected terminal board, said last mentioned coupling means having a rectangular hollow housing reciprocally supporting in one longer face thereof a separate spring-pressed pin disposed to have pressure contact with a respective one of said contactors at one end of a selected terminal board, a separate clamping jaw mounted on the opposite ends of said hollow housing and engageable about the opposite lateral edges of the main body of a terminal board, and manually adjustable means on each of said clamping jaws cooperating with one another to adjust said housing bodily toward the face of said terminal board to force said pins into contact with said contactors.