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A modular terminal block for connecting leads or wires to an electrical body includes a module stack of side-by-side module assemblies and an alignment plate. Each module assembly includes a housing, a number of conductors extending from the housing, and a cover member to cover the conductors. The a

A modular terminal block for connecting leads or wires to an electrical body includes a module stack of side-by-side module assemblies and an alignment plate. Each module assembly includes a housing, a number of conductors extending from the housing, and a cover member to cover the conductors. The alignment plate accurately positions the conductors despite variations in housing dimension due to manufacturing tolerances. The housing includes walls supported on both sides when forming part of the module stack. The walls resist deflection of the conductors during installation of the alignment plate and electrical body. Each cover member engages and is held closed by a conductor extending from the housing.

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What I claim as my invention is: 1. A terminal housing for connecting with a multi-contact electrical component having a predetermined arrangement of contacts, the housing comprising: a plurality of module assemblies and an alignment member, each module assembly comprising a module and at least one

What I claim as my invention is: 1. A terminal housing for connecting with a multi-contact electrical component having a predetermined arrangement of contacts, the housing comprising: a plurality of module assemblies and an alignment member, each module assembly comprising a module and at least one conductor extending out of the module; the modules aligned with one another; the alignment member comprising a plurality of through holes to receive the conductors, a plurality of surfaces on the walls of the through holes, the surfaces in a predetermined arrangement, the conductors engagable with the surfaces to position the conductors in the predetermined arrangement for connection of the conductors to the contacts of the multi-contact electrical component, wherein the alignment member is moveable from a first position spaced from the modules to a second position adjacent the modules, the contacts engaged with the alignment member surfaces when the alignment member is in the first position, the contacts not engaged with the alignment member surfaces when the alignment member is in the second position; the portion of each conductor outside the module comprising a narrowed portion where the conductor first extends out of the module and a contact portion; the contact portions in the holes and configured to form press fits with the hole walls when the alignment member is in the first position; and the narrowed portions in the holes and configured to not engage the hole walls when the alignment member is in the second position. 2. The terminal housing of claim 1 wherein each conductor has some freedom of movement with respect to its module. 3. The terminal housing of claim 2 wherein the modules are configured to be aligned along an axis and each conductor has some freedom of movement parallel with the axis. 4. The alignment member of claim 1 wherein the alignment member comprises a plate. 5. The terminal housing of claim 4 wherein the conductors and the through holes cooperatively form press fits when the plate is positioning the conductors. 6. The terminal housing of claim 4 wherein the ends of the through holes have enlarged openings to receive the conductors. 7. The terminal housing of claim 1 wherein the alignment member comprises a plate, the conductors extending out of the plate when the plate engages the conductors whereby the conductors remain exposed when engaged with the plate. 8. An electrical connector comprising: a plurality of like contact housings, each housing comprising opposite sides, at least one conductor in each housing and projecting out of the housing to an exposed conductor end portion, each end portion comprising a contact portion, the housings arranged side-by-side along an axis whereby manufacturing tolerances cause variations in the overall length and relative position of the housings along the axis; an alignment plate comprising a plurality of apertures having a predetermined arrangement, the conductor contact portions and the alignment plate apertures configured to cooperatively form press fits when the alignment plate is locating the conductor end portions; the conductor end portions receivable in the apertures of the alignment plate to locate the conductor end portions in said predefined arrangement for connection of the conductors to another electrical component despite the variations in length and position caused by manufacturing tolerances; wherein the apertures of the alignment plate extend through the thickness of the plate and the conductor contact portions are each spaced away from their respective housings a distance not less than the thickness of the alignment plate, the alignment plate movable away from the conductor contact portions towards the modules to expose the conductor contact portions with the conductors extending through the alignment plate, and the conductor end portions and the alignment plate apertures are cooperatively sized such that the conductors do not engage the aperture walls when the alignment plate is against the housings and the contact end portions are in said predefined arrangement. 9. The electrical connector of claim 8 wherein each conductor is free to move with respect to it's housing to enable the conductor end portion to align with an aperture in the alignment plate. 10. The electrical connector of claim 8 wherein each aperture of the alignment plate comprises an enlarged opening to receive a conductor end portion. 11. The electrical connector of claim 8 wherein each housing comprises a sidewall located on one side of the housing, at least one contact support wall extending from the sidewall towards the other side of the housing, each said conductor in the housing supported by the at least one support wall, each said conductor movable on the support wall towards and away from the sidewall. 12. The electrical connector of claim 11 comprising a plurality of conductors in each housing, each conductor supported on a respective support wall of the housing. 13. The electrical conductor of claim 8 wherein each housing comprises a wall, each conductor in the housing extending through an elongated slot in said wall, the conductor movable in the slot. 14. The electrical conductor of claim 13 comprising a plurality of conductors in each housing, the conductor end portions defining a line, each conductor extending through a respective slot in said housing wall, each slot elongated in a direction perpendicular to the line. 15. The electrical conductor of claim 8 comprising a plurality of conductors in each housing, the conductor end portions arranged along a line, the conductor end portions having some freedom of movement in a direction perpendicular to the line. 16. A terminal housing for connecting with a multi-contact electrical component having a pre-determined arrangement of contacts, the housing comprising: an assembly including an assembly body and a plurality of conductors extending out of one side of the body, said conductors in a variation of said predetermined arrangement, each conductor having a first portion, a second portion smaller than the first portion and spaced from the first portion, and a free end; and an alignment plate overlying the body, the plate having an upper surface facing away from the body, a lower surface facing toward the body, and a plurality of plate holes extending through the plate from the upper surface of the plate to the lower surface of the plate, each plate hole having an enlarged conductor capturing end on the lower surface of the plate and a contact orienting portion above the conductor capturing end, said conductor orienting portions located in the pre-determined arrangement; the alignment plate having a first position with the conductor free ends extending into the enlarged conductor capturing ends of the plate holes, a second position with the conductor first portions in the conductor orienting portions of the plate holes so that the conductors are aligned in the pre-determined arrangement and the free conductor ends are positioned for engagement with contacts of a multi-contact electrical component in the predetermined arrangement, and a third position with the conductor second portions in the conductor orienting portions of the holes. 17. The terminal housing as in claim 16 wherein in each conductor the second portion is between the first portion and the body. 18. The terminal housing as in claim 16 wherein one conductor includes a first member adjacent the free end; and the body including a cover, a hinge joining the cover to the body, and a contact engagement member on the cover, said cover having a first position away from such contact and a second position overlying such contact, said engagement member and said first member forming a latch connection holding the cover in the second position. 19. The terminal housing as in claim 18 wherein said body is elongate, said conductors comprise pins, and including a plurality of transverse rows of pins with one pin in each row extending above the other pin or pins in the row and a first member on said one pin. 20. The terminal housing as in claim 18 wherein the engagement member comprises a hook and the first member comprises a recess to receive the hook. 21. The terminal housing as in claim 18, wherein the cover includes a number of parts, and including physical connections joining adjacent cover parts, wherein said cover parts are moveable together about said hinge. 22. The terminal housing as in claim 21 wherein each physical connection includes a bore in one cover and a plug in an adjacent cover part, the plug fitted in the bore. 23. The terminal housing as in claim 16 wherein the body includes a conductor support located under each conductor. 24. The terminal housing as in claim 16 wherein said conductors comprise pins. 25. The terminal housing as in claim 24, including a plurality of pins extending from each module. 26. The terminal housing as in claim 16, wherein said assembly body comprising a plurality of stacked modules.