Importance

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Abstract

An electrical contact pair for use in a programmed socket, a programmed socket using the contact pair and a method of making such a socket are disclosed. The programmed socket includes a printed circuit board with tracings for transposing pin positions between the input and output sides of the socket. The tracings end in pairs of terminal pads located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board. Each contact pair includes a pair of bases to be soldered to respective terminal pads and a male contact extending from one base and a female contact from the other base. The two bases are at least temporarily interconnected by an arcuate resilient strip which causes the bases to grip the terminal pads. This facilitates assembly and soldering since the contact pair will remain in position without additional support. Further the strip serves to position the contact pair accurately with respect to the edge of the printed circuit board. Once the contact pair is soldered in place, the strip connecting them may be severed, either by grinding, sawing or cutting to break the electrical continuity between the male and female contacts of each pair so that the transposition effected by the tracings takes place.

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First Claim