Electrical contact and connector means employing same

An electrical connecting device comprising:

• an elongate contact housing having an upper portion and a lower portion;
• there being a series of first transverse apertures extending through said upper portion of said contact housing and aligned along a first common axis;
• there being a series of second transverse apertures extending through said lower portion of said contact housing and aligned along a second common axis, said first common axis and said second common axis extending generally parallel to one another, said series of first transverse apertures being spaced from one another a first given distance, said series of second transverse apertures being spaced from one another a second given distance different than said first given distance, each aperture of said series of first transverse apertures being selectively aligned with a corresponding aperture of said series of second transverse apertures along a predetermined axis and thereby defining a series of pairs of apertures;
• and a series of electrical contacts, one for each of said pairs of apertures, each of said contacts comprising an elongate member having a first conductor engaging end portion, a second conductor engaging end portion, and a central portion connecting said first end portion to said second end portion, said central portion comprising a pair of spaced parallel struts each terminating in end portions rigidly affixed to a respective one of said conductor engaging end portions and bendable thereat in a preferred direction within a common plane so that said first conductor engaging end portion and said second conductor engaging end portion may be selectively axially offset from one another in a direction parallel to said common plane, each of said contacts being disposed between a corresponding one of said pairs of apertures in said contact housing so that said first conductor engaging end portion extends within a corresponding one of said first transverse apertures and said second conductor engaging end portion extends within a corresponding one of said second transverse apertures, said central portion of said contact being aligned with said predetermined axis, whereby said first conductor engaging end portions of said contacts are spaced from one another said first given distance, and said second conductor engaging end portions of said contacts are spaced from one another said second given distance so that said first conductor engaging end portions may be connected to conductive elements having a spacing therebetween generally equal to said first given distance, and said second conductor engaging end portions may be connected to conductive elements having a spacing therebetween generally equal to said second given distance.