Spring-biased fiber optic contact

In a fiber optic contact which comprises a first fiber optic cable having a first free end, and a sleeve member surrounding said first free end and proportioned to support said free end in abutting relation with the free end of another fiber optic cable for optical transmission between them, and a second fiber optic contact defining a second fiber optic cable having a second free end positioned in said abutting relation with the first free end of said fiber optic cable, the improvement comprising ,in combination:

• a collet slidably mounted on the sleeve member of said first fiber optic cable;
• compression spring means carried on said sleeve member between said collet and said first free end, whereby said contact may be retained in said abutting relation by retention means that engages said collet in a position to bias said free end toward said second fiber optic cable free end through the spring means, said sleeve member carrying an inner spacing sleeve, said spacing sleeve surrounding said abutting first and second free ends, said sleeve member defining first means for engaging an end of said spacing sleeve to limit the advancement of said sleeve member relative to said spacing sleeve, said second fiber optic contact defining second means engaging another end of said spacing sleeve, said spacing sleeve being proportioned so that as said first and second means abut opposed ends of said spacing sleeve, the first and second free ends also abut each other, said sleeve member also carrying outer sleeve means secured at one end to said sleeve member and surrounding and enclosing said abutting first and second free ends, said outer sleeve means carrying in its bore said inner spacing sleeve.