Cable terminating and testing unit

Claim 2

An element for a terminating and testing unit suitable for use in a telecommunications exchange, said element comprising: a one-piece strip of insulating material having walls on one face of the strip defining a multiplicity of first conducting member locating slots and walls on the other face of the strip defining a like multiplicity of second conducting member locating slots, the first and second slots being distributed along the length of the strip and running transversely of the strip from one edge to the other; a part of said strip defining a like multiplicity of recesses in said other edge thereof in each of which respective first and second slots communicate, a like multiplicity of first conducting members located in respective first slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip, a like multiplicity of second conducting members located in respective second slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip, a like multiplicity of first socket portions provided on respective first conducting members and located in respective recesses, and a like multiplicity of second socket portions provided on respective second conducting members, located in respective recesses and cooperating with respective first socket portions to define respective sockets at said other edge of the strip.

Claim 3

An element according to claim 1 in which parts of the strip defining said recesses are provided with teeth projecting into said recesses to cooperate with a toothed plug member to resist accidental withdrawal thereof.

Claim 4

An element according to claim 1 in which each of said second conducting members has a spring portion stressed between a side wall of a respective one of said second slots and an anvil portion of the associated first conducting member abutting a surface of the insulating material strip.

Claim 5

An element according to claim 3 in which said anvil portion of each of said first conducting members abuts a corresponding portion of said strip but each of said second socket portions is resiliently biassed to a position spaced from said strip.

Claim 6

An element according to claim 3 in which each of said first conducting members has a body portion with said tag connection portion at one end and at the other end a cranked part forming said anvil portion.

Claim 7

An element for a terminating and testing unit suitable for use in a telecommunications exchange, said element comprising: a one-piece strip of insulating material having walls on one face of the strip defining a multiplicity of first conducting member locating slots and walls on the other face of the strip defining a like multiplicity of second conducting member locating slots, the first and second slots being distributed along the length of the strip, running transversely of the strip from one edge to the other and each of the first slots being offset from a respective associated second slot; a part of said strip defining a like multiplicity of recesses in said other edge thereof in each of which associated first and second slots communicate; a like multiplicity of first conducting members positioned edgewise in respective first slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip; a like multiplicity of second conducting members positioned edgewise in respective second slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip; a like multiplicity of first socket portions provided on respective first conducting members and located in respective recesses; and a like multiplicity of second socket portions provided on respective second conducting members, located in respective recesses and cooperating with respective first socket portions at said other edge of the strip, each pair of cooperating first and second socket portions comprising first and second plug engaging portions at the ends of the first and second conducting members respectively for engaging a test plug inserted therebetween and first and second contact portions on the first and second conducting members respectively spaced from the first and second plug engaging portions and resiliently biassed into contact with each other.

Claim 8

An element for a terminating and testing unit suitable for use in a telecommunications exchange, said element comprising: a one-piece strip of insulating material having walls on one face of the strip defining a multiplicity of first conducting member locating slots and walls on the other face of the strip defining a like multiplicity of second conducting member locating slots, the first and second slots being distributed along the length of the strip, running transversely of the strip from one edge to the other and each of the first slots being offset from a respective associated second slot; a part of said strip defining a like multiplicity of recesses in said other edge thereof in each of which associated first and second slots communicate; a like multiplicity of first conducting members positioned edgewise in respective first slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip; a like multiplicity of second conducting members positioned edgewise in respective second slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip; a like multiplicity of first socket portions provided on respective first conducting members and located in respective recesses; and a like multiplicity of second socket portions provided on respective second conducting members, located in respective recesses and cooperating with respective first socket portions at said other edge of the strip, each pair of cooperating first and second socket portions comprising first and second plug engaging portions at the ends of the first and second conducting members respectively for engaging a test plug inserted therebetween and first and second contact portions on the first and second conducting members respectively spaced from the first and second plug engaging portions and resiliently biassed into contact with each other.

Claim 9

A cable terminating and testing unit suitable for use in a telephone exchange, said unit comprising a plurality of elements clamped together in face-to-face relationship to form a block, each of said elements comprising a one-piece strip of insulating material having walls on one face of the strip defining a multiplicity of first conducting member locating slots and walls on the other face of the strip defining a like multiplicity of second conducting member locating slots, the first and second slots being distributed along the length of the strip, running transversely of the strip from one edge to the other, and each of the first slots being offset from a respective associated second slot, a part of said strip defining a like multiplicity of recesses in said other edge thereof in each of which respective first and second slots communicate, a like multiplicity of first conducting members positioned edgewise in respective first slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip, a like multiplicity of second conducting members positioned edgewise in respective second slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip, a like multiplicity of first socket portions provided on respective first conducting members and located in respective recesses, and a like multiplicity of second socket portions provided on respective second conducting members, located in respective recesses and cooperating with respective first socket portions to define respective sockets at said other edge of the strip.

Claim 10

A cable terminating and testing unit suitable for use in a telephone exchange, said unit comprising a plurality of elements clamped together in face-to-face relationship to form a block, each of said elements comprising a one-piece strip of insulating material having walls on one face of the strip defining a multiplicity of first conducting member locating slots and walls on the other face of the strip defining a like multiplicity of second conducting member locating slots, the first and second slots being distributed along the length of the strip, running transversely of the strip from one edge to the other, and each of the first slots being offset from a respective associated second slot, a part of said strip defining a like multiplicity of recesses in said other edge thereof in each of which respective first and second slots communicate, a like multiplicity of first conducting members positioned edgewise in respective first slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip, a like multiplicity of second conducting members positioned edgewise in respective second slots and having respective tag connection portions projecting from said one edge of the strip, a like multiplicity of first socket portions provided on respective first conducting members and located in respective recesses, and a like multiplicity of second socket portions provided on respective second conducting members, located in respective recesses and cooperating with respective first socket portions to define respective sockets at said other edge of the strip.

Claim 11

A unit as claimed in claim 7 in which said projecting portions of one set of said conducting members project further from said one face than said projecting portions of the other set, said projecting portions of said one set being provided with insulating collars over part of their lengths.

Claim 12

A unit as claimed in claim 8 in which said projecting portions of the other set of conducting members are located between respective aligned collars of adjacent elements to leave a plurality of passageways between adjacent rows of aligned collars.

Claim 13

A unit as claimed in claim 9 in which said strips are recessed along the paths of said passageways to form a plurality of channels.

Claim 14

A unit as claimed in claim 7 further including a pair of end plates clamping said elements therebetween, one of said end plates having an edge portion projecting outwardly from said one block face, which edge portion has holes therein aligned with said passageways.