Firewall terminal block

An electrical connector for the interconnection of pairs of terminated power cables having terminals including ring-tongue contact sections, comprising:

• a dielectric body member, at least one terminal bolt, a threaded clamping member associated with each said terminal bolt, and a top cover and a bottom cover of dielectric material;
• each said terminal bolt including a threaded shank of known length and diameter extending to a leading end from a body portion having a planar head;
• said dielectric body member including a transverse body portion having at least one connection site therealong defined by a bolt-receiving aperture extending from a mounting face to a termination face, each bolt-receiving aperture including a recess along said mounting face for receipt thereinto of a respective said bolt head, and said transverse body portion further including a cover-receiving channel extending thereacross intersecting each said recess for receipt thereinto of said bottom cover for retaining each said at least one terminal bolt in said body member and covering said bolt head thereof;
• said body portion of each said terminal bolt having a diameter larger than said shank diameter and defining a forwardly facing annular compression shoulder, and each said bolt head having a dimension larger than said diameter of said body portion, said diameter of a corresponding said bolt-receiving aperture having a diameter corresponding to said body portion diameter;
• said bolt head having a thickness corresponding to a selected depth of a respective said recess and having a selected cross-sectional shape and dimension, each said recess having a cross-sectional shape and dimension corresponding closely to said selected dimension and shape of a respective said bolt head and said selected shape being at least asymmetric whereby said bolt head is secured against rotation when disposed within a said recess upon assembly;
• said body portion further having an axial dimension approximately equal to said said selected axial length of said bolt-receiving aperture, whereby when said terminal bolt is assembled to said body member with said bolt head disposed in a respective said recess, said annular stop shoulder is disposed approximately flush with said termination face of said body member,
• whereby when a pair of contact sections of terminals terminating a pair of cables are placed onto a respective said threaded shank of a said terminal bolt and said clamping member is threaded onto said threaded shank and requisite substantial torque is applied to establish an assured electrical connection therebetween when pressed against said termination face of said body member, a bottom one of said contact sections engages and is compressed against said compression shoulder of said terminal bolt with no more than minimal compressive force being received by said termination face of said body member.