Electrical terminal assembly

A terminal assembly for releasably connecting a branch lead to a through lead without disturbing the continuity of the through lead, the terminal assembly comprising an insulated housing assembly, having first and second housing parts releasably interlockable to close the housing assembly, and a conductive terminal member contained within the closed housing assembly, said terminal member and said first housing part having means interengageable to retain said terminal member captive within said first housing part, said terminal member being elongated and of unitary sheet metal construction and of generally partially flattened tubular form and having at opposite ends first and second terminal portions and having a base wall and side walls extending curvedly from opposite sides of said common base wall throughout its length, said common base wall being substantially flat and extending longitudinally through, and being common to, said first and second terminal portions, first marginal portions of said side walls in said first terminal portion being divided from second marginal portion of said side walls in said second terminal portion, said first marginal portions being rolled over to define a pair of resilient members extending towards the portion of said base wall in said first terminal portion, free ends of said resilient members being spaced from said base wall portion to form a socket adapted to receive a blade terminal of the branch lead;

• said resilient members in use serving to grip such a blade terminal inserted between said ends of said resilient members and said base wall portion, said second terminal portion having at least a part thereof protruding from the first housing part and being of open-ended generally tubular shape and having said side walls extending from opposite edges of said common base wall turned in towards one another but so as to leave a gap between confronting edges thereof and an open ended slot aligned with said gap being formed in said base wall, said gap and said slot being of similar width and at the end of said second portion of the terminal member being outwardly flared, said second housing part being shaped as a cap adapted to cover said protruding part of the second terminal portion in the closed housing assembly and having a projection shaped to enter the open end of the second terminal portion and through lead locating means for receiving a through lead laid across the second housing part when disengaged from the first housing part and locating said through lead over said projection and in line with said gap and said slot of said second terminal portion, the entry of said projection into said open end of said second terminal portion forcing said through lead into said gap and said slot as said housing parts are interengaged, and said second terminal portion being arranged to automatically pierce the insulating sheath of said through lead if necessary and to contact the conductive core of said through lead.