Socket assemblies

Claim 2

An assembly of connected socket assemblies mounted upon predetermined patterns of holes in a substrate, each constructed to receive a component and each comprising: a wafer of insulative material with a plurality of holes formed therethrough in said predetermined pattern; a plurality of sockets having an open ended tubular portion individually positioned in said holes with said open end of said sockets being on a first side of said wafer and the tubular portion of said sockets extending through said wafer; said tubular portions of said sockets constructed to contact fit within the holes in said substrate; flexible connecting means connected between adjacent ones of said socket assemblies and being of a length to separate adjacent wafers a distance equal to the distance between adjacent patterns of holes to enable mounting of at least two of said socket assemblies upon said substrate with the tubular portions of the sockets of a given wafer, while being mounted, being aligned with the predetermined pattern of holes by the established alignment of said tubular portions of said sockets of the adjacent wafer which was mounted immediately preceding the mounting of said given wafer.

Claim 3

An assembly as in claim 1 in which said flexible connecting means is integral with said wafers and is narrower than the width of the adjacent connected wafers to an extend which enables error compensating elongation and contraction of the spacing between the groups of second terminals on adjacent connected wafers in order for such spacing to coincide with the spacing between adjacent predetermined patterns of female receptacle holes in said substrate.

Claim 4

An assembly as in claim 1 which said flexible connecting means further comprises an aperture therein which forms strips of said flexible insulative material on either side thereof which extend between said adjacent connected wafers to further facilitate elongation and contraction between said adjacent connected wafers and also to facilitate complete separation of said adjacent connected wafers.

Claim 5

An assembly as in claim 1 in which each of said wafers further comprise a plurality of embossments on that side thereof which faces said substrate; said embossments providing pedestals for said wafer to maintain the said wafer above the facing surface of said substrate a predetermined distance.

Claim 6

A component mounting means for mounting components having mounting terminal pins upon a substrate and comprising: a plurality of socket assemblies each mountable within a predetermined pattern of holes in said substrate, each constructed to receive and retain a component thereon, and each comprising: a flat, wafer-like element of an insulative material with a plurality of holes therethrough; and a plurality of terminals each having a tubular body with a first end thereof open, and individually positioned in said holes with the open end being on a first side of said wafer-like element and with the tubular body extending through said holes in said wafer-like element and into the holes in said substrate, and constructed to receive the terminal pins of said component in said tubular bodies extending through said wafer-like elements; a flexible connecting means connected between adjacent ones of said socket assemblies and being of a length to separate adjacent wafers a distance equal to the distance between adjacent predetermined position patterns of holes in said substrate to enable successive mounting of adjacent socket assemblies contained in a strip of at least two of said socket assemblies upon a receiving substrate with the alignment of the tubular bodies of each socket assembly, when being mounted, being determined by the established alignment of the tubular bodies of the immediately preceding mounted socket assembly; and in which said flexible connecting means is integral with said wafer-like elements and is narrower than the width of the adjacent connected wafers to an extent which enables error compensating elongation and contraction of the spacing between the groups of pin-like portions on adjacent connected wafers in order for such spacing to coincide with the spacing between adjacent predetermined patterns of holes in said substrate.

Claim 7

A component mounting means for mounting components having mounting terminal pins upon a substrate and comprising: a plurality of socket assemblies each mountable within a predetermined pattern of holes in said substrate, each constructed to receive and retain a component thereon, and each comprising: a flat, wafer-like element of an insulative material with a plurality of holes therethrough; and a plurality of terminals each having a tubular body with a first end thereof open, and individually positioned in said holes with the open end being on a first side of said wafer-like element and with the tubular body extending through said holes in said wafer-like element and into the holes in said substrate, and constructed to receive the terminal pins of said component in said tubular bodies extending through said wafer-like elements; a flexible connecting means connected between adjacent ones of said socket assemblies and being of a length to separate adjacent wafers a distance equal to the distance between adjacent predetermined position patterns of holes in said substrate to enable successive mounting of adjacent socket assemblies contained in a strip of at least two of said socket assemblies upon a receiving substrate with the alignment of the tubular bodies of each socket assembly, when being mounted, being determined by the established alignment of the tubular bodies of the immediately preceding mounted socket assembly; and in which said flexible connecting means is integral with said wafer-like elements and is narrower than the width of the adjacent connected wafers to an extent which enables error compensating elongation and contraction of the spacing between the groups of pin-like portions on adjacent connected wafers in order for such spacing to coincide with the spacing between adjacent predetermined patterns of holes in said substrate.

Claim 8

A component mounting means as in claim 5 in which said flexible connecting means further comprises an aperture therein to form strips of said flexible insulative material on either side thereof which extend between said adjacent connected wafers to further facilitate elongation and contraction between said adjacent connected wafers and also to facilitate complete separation of said adjacent connected wafers.

Claim 9

A component mounting means for mounting components upon a substrate having a plurality of first terminals arranged in a series of predetermined position patterns and comprising: a plurality of socket assemblies each constructed to be mountable within one of said predetermined position patterns of said first terminals in said substrate, to receive a component having a plurality of second terminals each of which is positioned within one of said positions of said predetermined position patterns, and each comprising: a wafer of flexible, insulative material with a plurality of third terminals mounted therethrough; each of said plurality of third terminals comprising a tubular body opened at a first end thereof and positioned to coincide with one of the positions of said predetermined position pattern, with said first ends of said third terminals being on a first side of said wafer and constructed to mate with one of the second terminals of one of said components, and with the tubular bodies of said third terminals extending through and beyond the other side of said wafer and constructed to mate with one of said first terminals of said substrate; and a flexible connecting means connected between adjacent ones of said socket assemblies and being dimensioned to enable successive mounting of the tubular bodies of said third terminals of adjacent socket members in a strip of at least two of said socket assemblies in the first terminals of said substrate with the alignment of the third terminals of each wafer, while being mounted, being aligned with said first terminals by the established alignment of the third terminals of the immediately preceding mounted wafer.

Claim 10

A component mounting means for mounting components upon a substrate having a plurality of first terminals arranged in a series of predetermined position patterns and comprising: a plurality of socket assemblies each constructed to be mountable within one of said predetermined position patterns of said first terminals in said substrate, to receive a component having a plurality of second terminals each of which is positioned within one of said positions of said predetermined position patterns, and each comprising: a wafer of flexible, insulative material with a plurality of third terminals mounted therethrough; each of said plurality of third terminals comprising a tubular body opened at a first end thereof and positioned to coincide with one of the positions of said predetermined position pattern, with said first ends of said third terminals being on a first side of said wafer and constructed to mate with one of the second terminals of one of said components, and with the tubular bodies of said third terminals extending through and beyond the other side of said wafer and constructed to mate with one of said first terminals of said substrate; and a flexible connecting means connected between adjacent ones of said socket assemblies and being dimensioned to enable successive mounting of the tubular bodies of said third terminals of adjacent socket members in a strip of at least two of said socket assemblies in the first terminals of said substrate with the alignment of the third terminals of each wafer, while being mounted, being aligned with said first terminals by the established alignment of the third terminals of the immediately preceding mounted wafer.