GB1087430A - Electrical plugboard assembly and plugs therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

1,087,430. Plugboards; two-part couplings. AMP Inc. Aug. 13, 1965 [Aug. 25, 1964], No. 34808/65. Heading H2E. A plugboard assembly comprises a front board 102, into which interconnected shielded contact members 141 are selectively plugged, a rear board having an array of shielded contact members 121, and a mechanism which moves the front board close to the rear board so that the two sets of contacts overlap and then moves it parallel to the rear board firstly in a direction to engage co-operating contacts and secondly slightly in the opposite direction so that a wiping action takes place but the contacts remain in engagement. The front board has hooks 112 and handles 106, 110 by which it is supported on a scissors linkage 40, 42 and 80, 82 which is closed by operating a handle 70 on a shaft 26. During this action the links 42, 82 are initially locked to the shaft 26 by latches 89, Fig. 6 (not shown), but when the linkage is closed, further rotation of the shaft 26 disengages the latches and eccentrics 72 act through arms 74, on which the links 40, 80 are pivoted, to lift, and then slightly drop, those links and the front board which is carried by them. A bar 22 on the rear board engages a grooved bar 107a on the front board to align it laterally This function is also performed by nylon projections 84 on the links 40, 80, and further projectons 41 on those links enter slots in the brackets 108 of the front board handles so as to locate that board vertically in relation to the links. Finally, rear extensions of the projections 84 engage behind locking members 15 to hold the linkage closed. Each rear board contact member is in two parts which mate with each other. One part 122, Fig. 9 (not shown), has an outer conductor 122a, 122d connected by a crimping ferrule 128 to the outer conductor of a coaxial cable, and a pin 127a within an insulating sleeve and crimped, through holes 122b in the outer conductor to the core of the cable. The other part 124 has a socket to receive the outer conductor 122d of the first part and a shield portion 124h which is cut-away at its lower section to allow the mating contact to engage laterally with the inner contact 126. The latter is forked, has a socket to receive the pin 127a of the first part and is mounted in an insulating sleeve 125 inside the part 124, which is retained in the board by spring fingers 124b and has a V-section portion to ensure its correct orientation in the board. Each front board contact member has one part 144, Fig. 10 (not shown), with coaxial conductors 144a, 149 crimped to the corresponding conductors of a coaxial cable. The inner conductor 149 is a pin which engages between the prongs of the inner contact 126 of the rear board contact member. A second part 142 fits over a plated contact ring 145 of the first part in such a way as to allow some relative movement and has sharp-edged bars 142c which bite into the board to hold the member in place. This part 142 acts as a shield but is open to one side to allow the lateral mating movement.