Thermocouple reference junction calibrator

Claim 1

In combination with a temperature measuring system of the type having a multiplicity of thermocouple sensors, each comprising a measurement junction and a reference junction, the output of the multiplicity of thermocouple sensors being connected via leadwires to printed circuit boards for multiplexing each channel into a meter or analog-to-digital converter which provides computer compatible processing data, the improvement which comprises: a multiplicity of edge card connectors, one slipped over the end of each printed circuit board, said edge card connectors serving to encircuit said printed boards with said thermocouple sensors, each of said edge card connectors having a body formed of an insulating medium which contains the electrical circuit completing elements imbedded therein; means for forming said reference junctions in said edge card connectors, said means comprising use of hold down screws as terminations for said leadwires from the thermocouple measurement junctions, said hold down screws being formed of a material which generates a temperature varying electromotive force when brought in contact with at least one of the leadwires from said measurement junction; a heat conductive plate physically contacting the back side of all of said multiplicity of edge card connectors, said plate being of sufficient mass to form a heat sink for said edge card connectors; and an encapsulated temperature sensitive module in proximity to a mid-area point on said heat conductive back plate for measuring the temperature of the entire complement of said edge card connectors, reference junctions and adjacent heat conductive plate.