Terminal block construction

Claim 1

A terminal connector for an electrical conductor comprising a housing element having walls thereof which define a chamber therein, a wedging member mounted for pivotal movement within said housing element, said housing element and said wedging member having conductor contacting surfaces within said chamber which firmly engage an electrical conductor therebetween in a predetermined pivotal position of said wedging member, said housing element including a support plate with a hole therein, said wedging member including a supporting shaft extending away from the conductor contacting surface of said wedging member and through said hole in said support plate to provide for said pivotal movement of said wedging member, said supporting shaft including an enlarged portion at an end thereof remote from said conductor contacting surface and extending outside said chamber and of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of said hole in said support plate sufficient to retain said wedging member in place but permitting removal and insertion of said wedging member from and into said housing element by snap-out, snap-in action in a direction along the axis of said supporting shaft, said enlarged end portion not interfering with the conductor contacting function of the wedging member by virtue of its location outside said chamber.