Pluggable modular splicing connector and bridging adapter

A plurality of wire-splice modules for allowing individual pairs of wires to be connected to another pair of wires, and disconnected, without exposing the electrical connection between any wires of said pairs of wires and the contacts of each module, each module comprising

• an elongate base, formed of an insulating polymeric material, having opposite longitudinal sides and opposite surfaces, having slotted openings extending through said base between said surfaces along one longitudinal side, and having wire-retaining members positioned along one surface adjacent the opposite side, said wire-retaining members forming channels for receiving the wires,
• an elongate body of insulative material having opposite surfaces, and
• a plurality of conductive contacts,
• said body supporting said contacts, each said contact having a bifurcated wire-receiving end portion, a second connecting members at the other end and a third connection portion intermediate the ends of the contact,
• said bifurcated wire-receiving end portion extending from one surface of said body for making an electrical junction with a said wire in a channel of said base and said second connecting member extending from said one surface of said body and extending through said slotted openings in said base when said base and body are assembled with a wire junction being formed therebetween, and said third connection portion being accessible from the other surface of said body,
• whereby the second connecting members extend beyond the second surface of the base of each module for connection to the third connection portion of contacts on a second module to splice wires in the two modules together and permit a third module to be connected to the third connection portion of the first module or to permit the second connecting members of the second module to connect to the third connection portion of the third module, and permit disconnection without exposing the electrical junction of the wires to any of the modules.

A contact element for use in a pluggable splicing body for splicing telecommunications wires wherein pairs of wires from one cable are to be spliced to pairs of wires from another cable and from other transmission and termination equipment, said contact element comprising

• a U-shaped resilient conductive member having a bight portion having opposite sides and ends, a pair of legs of different length extending in the same direction from opposite ends of said bight portion, one of said legs defining a first connector plate disposed in a first plane and having a free end deeply grooved to form a wire receiving slot having narrow edges for affording insulation displacement spring reserve electrical connection with a wire, the narrow edges defining said slot being generally parallel and including smoothly diverging terminal portions defining a wire-accepting opening, the second leg of the U-shaped member being formed with a connecting means on the end for making a second electrical connection, and said conductive member being formed with a cut in said second leg adjacent the end of the bight portion for forming a third electrical connection, whereby an electrical connection can be made to a wire in a first plane parallel to the bight portion, in a second plane spaced further from said bight portion to another contact, and in a third plane adjacent the bight portion to another similar contact.