Breadboard system

A breadboard assembly to facilitate connecting electrical circuits comprises a breadboard member including a housing, plural electrical contacts in the housing, openings, in at least one surface of the housing for permitting access for connection to respective contacts by a member inserted therein, and a tray for adjustably holding at least one member in operative position therein. The breadboard member may be a terminal strip including in its housing contacts for electrically connecting plural members inserted to engagement therewith, a distribution strip including in its housing one or more contact sets for distributing power to members inserted into engagement therewith, a discrete strip having in its housing contacts arranged in a pattern to accept relatively large size electric or electronic components, a display strip having in its housing an arrangement of contacts for facilitating connections of seven segment alphanumeric displays or the like, a light emitting diode strip having in its housing a contact arrangement that facilitates connections for light emitting diodes, and possibly other types of strips. Means are provided to connect plural trays side-by-side and end-to-end.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates generally, as indicated, to breadboard 
systems and, more particularly, to a relatively low cost, versatile 
breadboard system having multiple interchangeable and versatile parts 
intended to facilitate effecting electrical connection among electrical 
and/or electronic components to construct operative electrical circuits. 
BACKGROUND OF PRIOR ART 
A typical prior electrical breadboard apparatus has an electrically 
non-conductive housing of, for example, injection molded plastic or 
plastic-like material, formed with a plurality of compartments with each 
typically having an opening in a top housing surface for access to the 
compartment usually by insertion of an electrical lead or the like 
therethrough. An electrical contact is positioned in each compartment to 
connect electrically with an electrical lead inserted therein. Moreover, 
in those electrical breadboards used as element connecting and signal 
coupling devices, hereinafter referred to as terminal strips, the 
compartments and contacts are arranged at equidistant spacing in a 
two-dimensional array, say having approximately five contacts and 
compartments across the strip and say approximately thirty or more 
contacts and compartments along the length of the strip. Each row of five 
contacts across a terminal strip may be considered a set of contacts and 
provision is made usually within the housing electrically to connect the 
contacts of each respective set in parallel. Thus, by a single set of five 
contacts five individual electrical leads, which are inserted to 
engagement with respective contacts of the set, such leads become 
electrically connected in common. One reason for having the contact sets 
arranged five across, even though all five contacts of a given set often 
may not be used, is to provide size versatility for the electrical 
breadboard for use with electrical components of a wide variety of sizes. 
Usually the prior electrical breadboard housing is fixedly, i.e. usually 
non-adjustably, connected or attached to a support board for use. 
Another type of breadboard member is a distribution strip, the purpose of 
which typically is to provide power distribution to a variety of locations 
in an electrical circuit. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a breadboard 
assembly to facilitate connecting electrical circuits comprises a 
breadboard member including a housing, plural electrical contacts in the 
housing, openings in at least one surface of the housing for permitting 
access for connection to respective contacts, and a tray for adjustably 
holding at least one member in operative position therein. 
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided for 
use in a breadboard assembly to facilitate connecting electrical circuits, 
including a tray-like support or holding means for adjustably holding at 
least one breadboard member in operative position therein, an improvement 
which comprises a breadboard member including a housing, plural electrical 
contacts in the housing, openings in at least one surface of the housing 
for permitting access for connection to respective contacts, and means on 
the housing for cooperatively interengaging the tray-like support to mount 
the member on the tray-like support. 
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a tray is 
provided for holding breadboard members as an assembly to facilitate 
connecting electrical circuits. Such tray comprises a tray support body, 
walls upstanding from the body to guide such breadboard members 
therebetween, and mechanical means for mechanical interengagement with at 
least part of at least one breadboard member adjustably to hold the same 
in the tray secured against substantial relative movement in at least one 
direction. 
Other features of the invention include a means for interlocking one 
breadboard member to another and/or to a tray-like support for breadboard 
members as well as a means for interlocking tray-like supports in 
side-by-side or end-to-end relation. Further features include a variety of 
breadboard members, including spacers, breadboard member carriers, 
terminal strips, distribution strips, power packages, binding post strips, 
specialized strips, and so on, all of which will be described in greater 
detail below. 
With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention 
to provide a breadboard assembly having a high level of versatility, being 
capable of facile formation in a wide variety of configurations. 
Another object is to reduce the cost for breadboard assemblies. 
An additional object is to minimize the space requirements for a breadboard 
assembly. 
A further object is to facilitate expansion of a breadboard assembly. 
Still another object is to provide specialized breadboard members for use 
in a breadboard assembly. 
Still an additional object is to provide a breadboard assembly and parts 
thereof improved in the noted respects. 
Still a further object of the invention is to facilitate assembling, 
maintaining assembled, and disassembling a breadboard assembly. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become 
more apparent as the following description proceeds. 
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, 
then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described in the 
specification and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following 
description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain 
illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, 
however, of but several of the various ways in which the principles of the 
invention may be employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals 
designate like parts in the several figures, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 
2, a breadboard assembly in accordance with the present invention is 
generally indicated at 1. The purpose of the breadboard assembly 1 is to 
facilitate using electrical components, connecting electrical circuits, 
distributing power to electrical circuits, effecting connections to, 
signal input and retrieval with respect to, and control of electrical 
circuits and electrical and electronic components, preferably with minimal 
cost. 
Thus, the fundamental features of the breadboard assembly 1 include one, or 
in the preferred embodiment a plurality of them, breadboard member 
generally designated 2 and a tray 3 for adjustably holding at least one 
breadboard member in operative position therein. The breadboard member 
itself includes a housing and at least in some instances also includes 
plural electrical contacts in the housing with openings in the latter in 
at least one surface thereof for permitting access for connection to 
respective contacts within the housing. 
An example of a type of breadboard member and contact including a housing 
body, internal compartment within the housing, an access to each 
compartment through a wall in the housing for insertion of a member 
therethrough, and electrical contacts in respective compartments with 
plural respective contacts being connected together in individual sets, is 
disclosed in copending, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 
107,352, filed Dec. 26, 1979, for "Variable Effective Length Cantilever 
Contact and connector", the inventor thereof being John N. Tengler. Such a 
breadboard member disclosed in the mentioned patent application may be 
used with the modifications apparent below as a breadboard member in the 
present invention, and, accordingly, the disclosure of such patent 
application hereby is incorporated by reference. 
As is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the breadboard assembly 1 includes a 
plurality of breadboard members 2 adjustably mounted in the tray 3, 
including a pair of side-by-side terminal strips 10, 11, a distribution 
strip 12, a spacer 13, a discrete component strip 14, a further or 
supplemental tray-like carrier 15, a terminal post strip 16, and a power 
supply containing strip 17. Moreover, mounted in the supplemental carrier 
15 are shown (in FIG. 2) a light emitting diode (LED) terminal strip 18 
and a multiple, say seven, segment alphanumeric display terminal strip 19. 
Also, an additional support plate 20 may be mounted by tabs 21 fitting 
into slots 22 in the spacer strip 13. The additional support plate 20 may 
have openings or other means for mounting light indicators 23, 24, switch 
25, or the like, which may be electrically coupled to various circuits 
connected in the breadboard assembly 1 for display and/or control 
purposes. 
For convenience, each of the members 10-19 will be referred to as a 
breadboard member, vis-a-vis its ability to be slid into and held by a 
tray 3, even though, for example, the spacer 13 and supplemental carrier 
15 may not, in fact, have their own contacts nor need the terminal post 
strip 16 and power supply containing strip 17, if desired. However, each 
of the breadboard members 10-19 commonly has a housing designated by the 
suffix H joined with the reference numeral of the particular member, and 
each housing preferably is formed of electrically non-conductive material, 
such as plastic or plastic-like material made by an injection molding 
process. The remaining parts of the breadboard member (terminal strip) 10 
will be described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 3-6; 
however, it will be appreciated that the various letter suffixes used in 
such description to designate parts of such breadboard member are 
applicable, as is appropriately illustrated in the drawings, to the 
various other breadboard members of the breadboard assembly 1. 
Turning now more particularly to FIGS. 3-6, the housing 10H of the terminal 
strip 10 has a pair of side walls 10S, a pair of end walls 10E, and a top 
wall or surface 10T. Openings 10-O through the top surface 10T provide 
through access by members inserted therein to engage respective contacts 
10C (FIG. 6) within internal compartments (not shown) in the housing 10H. 
If desired, there need not necessarily be a separate compartment for each 
contact 10C as long as means are provided to hold the contacts in 
relatively fixed spacial relation within the housing 10H. Moreover, in the 
terminal strip 10 the contacts 10C are arranged at equidistant locations 
relative to each other in an array or pattern generally depicted in FIG. 
6. Preferably, three contacts 10C in a common row are electrically 
interconnected, and perhaps mechanically so as well, by an electrically 
conductive connecting strip 30 to form a contact set 31. Typically there 
would be more than ten, and frequently as many as 25 to 30, rows of 
contact sets in a single terminal strip 10, although, if desired, more or 
fewer such contact sets may be used. 
At the bottom of each end wall 10E is a projection or protrusion 10P, the 
purpose of which is to cooperate with an open channel-like recess 35 in 
each side wall 36, 37 of the tray 1 or the supplemental carrier 15 to 
assure holding of the terminal strip 10 securely in the tray resisting 
movement in at least one and, relative to the tray, usually at least two 
directions, although the terminal strip ordinarily may be slid in the tray 
in the direction parallel to the axial extents of the respective 
channel-like recesses 35. 
Furthermore, in accordance with the preferred embodiment and best mode of 
the invention, adjacent the bottom of each side wall 10S of the terminal 
strip 10 is a respective open channel-like recess or undercut 10R. Thus, 
with two breadboard members, such as terminal strips 10, located at spaced 
apart locations in a tray, such as the tray 3, with the respective 
projections or feet 10P holding the breadboard members in position in the 
tray in cooperation with the channel-like recesses 35, thus providing a 
cooperative mechanically interengageable means 40 operable to permit the 
slidable holding of the members in the tray, the opposing channel-like 
recesses 10R of such spaced-apart members may be used to hold other 
breadboard members in the breadboard assembly 1 by cooperative 
interengagement with the respective projections, such as projections 10P, 
thereof in a spacial orientation generally perpendicular to that of the 
breadboard members held in the tray 3. This arrangement is shown in FIG. 
13. 
As is illustrated representatively in several of the figures, and 
particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, a resiliently deformable interengaging 
indexing mechanism 40 is provided for forgivingly resisting sliding 
movement of members in the tray 3 thereby to hold respective breadboard 
members relatively securely in desired positions in the tray of a 
breadboard assembly. The mechanism 40 includes plural male points or 
projections 41, preferably having sidewalls that define a right angle at 
their apex, and plural similarly shaped female recesses 42. The points 41 
and recesses 42 are equidistantly spaced, respectively, along the end 
walls of the breadboard members and along the sidewalls of the breadboard 
members and sidewalls 36, 37 of the tray 3. The materials of which the 
tray 3 and breadboard members are made and the size and shapes of the 
points 41 and recesses 42 are such that resilient deformation of the 
indexing mechanism 40 is permitted allowing a sliding of members in a 
tray, e.g. as seen in FIG. 1, upon application of adequate force. The 
indexing mechanism 40 holds the breadboard members in position, e.g. as 
seen in FIG. 1, in the tray 3, and, e.g. as seen in FIGS. 12 and 13, in 
position with respect to other breadboard members, which themselves are 
held in the tray. 
The spacing patterns of the points 41 and recesses 42 in the respective 
walls in which they are formed preferably are the same as that of the 
openings, such as openings 10-O, to provide relatively optimum versatility 
of usage and positioning capability in a breadboard assembly. 
Although points 41 and recesses 42 are shown for convenience of 
illustration in several figures and on part or all of various side and end 
walls of respective members and walls of the trays, it will be appreciated 
that such points and recesses preferably extend along the entire walls in 
the manner described. Also, although the points and recesses preferably 
extend along the entire height of respective walls in which they are 
formed, shorter heights may be used. Furthermore, it will be appreciated 
that other types of resiliently deformable indexing means may be used, 
such as interengageable bumps and recesses formed in the bottom wall 43 of 
the tray 3 and bottom walls of respective breadboard members. 
If desired, the bottom 10B of the terminal strip 10 may be solid or closed, 
such as the bottom 18B of the LED terminal strip 18 (FIG. 2), or, if 
desired, the bottom 10B may be relatively open in the manner disclosed in 
the above-mentioned patent application. 
A distribution strip 12, shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, includes two sets of 
contacts 51 (FIG. 7), the other set not being seen being beneath the top 
wall 12T of the housing 12H. Each contact set extends over the length of 
the housing 12H and has multiple contacts 12C to achieve access through 
the top wall 12T is provided via openings 12-O. In using the distribution 
strip 12, the opposite polarity terminals of a power supply may be 
connected to the respective contact sets at one respective contact of 
each, and the other contacts of each set then may be connected to various 
points in circuits connected via the breadboard assembly 1 to provide 
power thereto. 
As was noted above, the spacer 13 may or may not include contacts, although 
in the preferred form the spacer simply provides a spacing function and/or 
a support function for the additional support plate 20. Moreover, if 
desired, slots 52, 53 may be formed at certain locations in the side walls 
36, 37 of the tray 3 to provide independent support of an additional 
support plate 20 or the like without the need for a spacer 13. 
In the discrete strip 14 a plurality of contact sets, not shown, for they 
are beneath the top wall 14T of the housing 14H in alignment with 
respective openings 14-O, are placed in a pattern intended for 
facilitating physical support and mechanical and electrical connection of 
discrete, usually relatively large, electrical components, such as a 
relatively large capacitor, resistor, or the like. Moreover, the discrete 
strip 14 may be designed insofar as its contact placement is concerned to 
accommodate a particular type of electronic component, such as a large 
scale integrated circuit package. The openings 14-O are arranged, as is 
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, in an exemplary pattern in groups of three, 
with there preferably being a set of mechanically and electrically 
interconnected contacts, three in a set, beneath each group of three such 
openings in a manner similar to that described above with reference to the 
contact sets 31 in the terminal strip 10. However, if desired, more or 
fewer contacts may be provided in each set both in the discrete strip 14 
in the illustrated or other patterns as well as in any of the other 
breadboard members in accordance with the invention. Thus, it will be 
appreciated that the discrete strip 14 not only facilitates connection of 
particular types of electrical components but also minimizes cost to 
effect the same in the breadboard assembly 1 by reducing the total number 
of necessary contacts to be housed in the discrete strip 14 and thus the 
materials and labor cost for manufacturing the same. 
Turning now to the further or supplemental tray-like carrier 15, such 
carrier has side walls 15S with channel-like receses 35, and a bottom wall 
15B joining the side walls, all formed and cooperative in a manner similar 
to those corresponding parts of the tray 3 to provide a support function 
for breadboard members, such as the members 18, 19, inserted therein. In 
addition, the carrier 15 has a base 54 preferably integrally formed as a 
single molded part with the side walls and bottom wall, and at the bottom 
of the base is a mounting means 55 including a projection 15P and an open 
channel-like recess 15R for mounting the carrier 15 in the tray 3 and/or 
for providing a mounting mechanism for additional breadboard members, as 
aforesaid. Thus, with the carrier 15 supported in the tray 3, the carrier 
15 provides an additional dimensional direction for supporting breadboard 
members, such as the members 18, 19, in the manner generally illustrated 
in the drawings, thereby providing space efficiency of multiple 
connections effected in the breadboard assembly 1 in accordance with the 
present invention. 
In the housing 16H of the terminal post strip 16 are mounted three 
conventional terminal posts 56, 57, 58 which may be used for a variety of 
electrical connection functions, as is well known. Moreover, in the top 
wall 16T there may be formed an index groove 60, the purpose of which is 
to enable placement of a decal or other tag-like label on which certain 
identifying information may be written. Furthermore, if desired, the 
housing 16H may include three sets of openings 16-O, each set including 
two or three such openings, with contacts therein placed and held in a 
manner similar to those contacts mentioned above with reference to the 
breadboard member 10. Such contact sets may be connected internally to the 
respective terminal posts 56-58. 
In the housing 17H of the power supply containing means 17 may be formed a 
compartment 61 for containing a standard battery, such as a standard 
9-volt battery or the like. Battery contacts 62, 63 may be provided to 
connect with the terminals of such a battery, and such battery contacts 
may be internally connected with respective contact sets, not shown, 
located beneath the two sets of three openings 17-O in the top wall 17T of 
the housing 17H. The power supply containing means 17 may also be 
designed, as will be well appreciated, to contain other types of power 
supplies, other size batteries, etc. 
Referring now to the LED terminal strip 18, which is seen most clearly in 
FIGS. 2 and 8, such strip includes a plurality of sockets 64 for receiving 
and providing electrical connections to respective light emitting diodes 
65. Terminals in the sockets 64 may be connected to respective contacts, 
not shown, for they are located beneath the top wall 18T, by connections 
66, 67. Therefore, for example, a connection to one terminal in the socket 
64 may be effected via a lead inserted through the opening 18-O to engage 
the contact therebeneath coupled to the connection 66, and a similar 
opposite polarity connection may be provided via a lead inserted through 
the opening 18-O to engage the contact therebeneath coupled with the 
connection 67. Ordinarily the light emitting diodes 65 may be removed 
and/or replaced in the respective sockets 64. Also, if desired, a 
plurality of contact sets of, for example, three contacts each, as was the 
case in the above-described terminal strip 10, may be provided in the 
housing 18H positioned and grouped in the manner shown generally at 68 to 
facilitate joining connections leading up to respective light emitting 
diodes. 
The multiple segment alphanumeric display terminal strip 19 (FIGS. 2 and 8) 
includes in the housing 19H a plurality of openings 19-O beneath which are 
located respective contacts arranged in sets of three in the same manner 
as the illustrated pattern for the openings 19-O as shown, thus being 
similar to the contact sets 31 described above with respect to the 
terminal strip 10. In particular, the patterns or arrangements of contacts 
in the strip 19 are such that conventional seven segment display elements 
may be conveniently connected thereto, for example with the multiple leads 
along one side of one such display package being connected to the 
respective contacts located in the column 70 and the respective leads 
located along the other side of such package connected to the respective 
contacts in the column 71. The remaining contacts in each set of which one 
respective contact is in one of the columns 70, 71, may be used for 
electrical connection purposes by insertion of leads through respective 
openings 19-O to input signals to the respective leads or terminals of the 
display package. The display terminal strip 19 may be adapted to support 
and connect one, preferably three, and even more, depending on the 
physical size requirements, such display packages. 
Referring now to FIG. 9, there is illustrated a mechanism for interlocking 
plural trays in parallel side-by-side arrangement generally designated at 
72. Such mechanism includes at one side wall of each tray a U-shape 
receptacle 73 and in the opposite side wall of each tray an inverted 
U-shape receptacle 74. The U-shape receptacles may interengage each other 
in the manner generally illustrated at 72 in FIG. 9 to provide relatively 
secure interconnection of a pair of adjacent trays. 
Turning to FIG. 10, the U-shape receptacle 73 has a central open volume 75 
bounded on two sides by the arms 76, 77 which are joined at base 78; these 
arms appear as arms in FIG. 10, although it will be appreciated that they 
actually represent walls of the elongate U-shape or trough-like receptacle 
73. At the remote end of the arm 76, i.e. remote from its connection at 
base 78, is a chamfered corner 79 and a sharp corner 80. The inverted 
U-shape receptacle 74 also has an open volume 81 bounded by a similar pair 
of arms 82, 83 joined at base 84. Both corners of the remote end of arm 82 
are chamfered at 85. 
Each of the inner arms 77, 83, i.e. inner or closer to the functional part 
of the tray 3 that holds breadboard members, may be considered a reference 
arm having a reference wall surface 86, 87, respectively. The reference 
wall surfaces preferably remain directionally fixed relative to other 
parts of the tray 3, such as the bottom 43 thereof, thus providing a 
reference direction for the interlock mechanism 72. Each of the relatively 
outer arms 76, 82 may be considered an insertable arm in that it is 
insertable into the respective open volume 81, 75 of a mating inverted U 
or U-shape receptacle of, for example, another tray 3 or as otherwise 
disclosed herein. 
The outer wall 90 of insertable arm 82 preferably is parallel to the 
reference wall surfaces 86, 87, and it is the purpose of the wall 90 to 
mate in flat abutment with reference wall surface 86 when the insertable 
arms 76, 82 of respective trays 3 are inserted in volumes 75, 81. The 
inner wall surface 91 of insertable wall 82 is angularly disposed by angle 
92 at other than parallel relative to the outer wall 90 and thus effects a 
narrowing taper of volume 81 in an insertion direction thereto. However 
the dimension of the open volume 81 between the arms 82, 83 at the base 84 
is such that the volume preferably receives relatively closely or snugly 
there the remote end of insertable arm 76, and, therefore, is about the 
same as or slightly larger than the cross sectional dimension of such 
remote end; the same is true for the dimensional relation between the 
remote end of insertable arm 82 and the volume 75 near the base 78. 
Moreover, the inner wall 93 and the outer wall 94 of insertable arm 76 are 
angularly disposed at angles 95 in non-parallel relation to reference wall 
surface 86, in a manner to effect a narrowing taper of volume 75 in the 
insertion direction and in a manner to cause a narrowing tapering of the 
cross-sectional dimension of the arm 76 in a direction leading away from 
base 78. Preferably the angles 95 are equal and each individually as well 
as the sum thereof is smaller than angle 92. 
To interconnect two trays 3 configured in the manner illustrated in FIG. 
10, the arm 76 of one tray is inserted into the volume 81 of the other 
tray and the arm 82 of the latter is inserted into the volumne 75 of the 
former. The chamfers 79, 82 facilitate such insertion. Moreover, during 
such insertion the unchamfered corner 80 of arm 76 follows generally along 
the wall 91, and one or both of the arms 76, 82, but preferably only the 
former, will deflect or deform resiliently to an equilibrium position with 
respect to the opposite arm and respective arms 77, 83 with which they 
also are engaged. So inserted, a relatively large surface area of 
engagement occurs between the walls of respective arms of coupled U-shape 
and inverted U-shape receptacles; and due to the resilient force applied 
by the deformed arm or arms and the coefficients of static friction of 
respective walls, preferably the force required to overcome static 
friction to separate such side-by-side interengaged trays 3 will be 
sufficiently great to avoid inadvertent separation of the trays. 
More particularly, as the arm 76 is inserted into volume 81 the angles and 
tapers are such that the corner 80 at some point will have to engage the 
wall 91. At that point during the insertion act, the reference wall 
surfaces 86, 90 will be in flat abutting engagement. Further insertion of 
arm 76 will cause corner 80 to slide along the guiding slope of wall 
surface 91, and cantilever beam-like resilient deflection of the arm 76 
will occur in a left-hand or counter-clockwise direction relative to the 
drawing illustration about a reference location theoretical fulcrum at 
base 78. The reaction force of the resiliently deflected arm 76 draws the 
wall surfaces 86, 90 together increasing the normal force therebetween 
and, thus, the force required to overcome static friction to separate the 
interconnected trays 3. Preferably the angles, dimensions, tapers, 
materials, etc. of the interlocking mechanism are such that upon 
completing insertion of the insertable arms 76, 82, a substantial extent 
of the respective interengaged walls will be abutting while flat parallel 
alignment of the tray bottoms 43 is maintained. 
Moreover, referring to FIG. 11, one or more of the breadboard members 2, 
such as the distribution strip 12', which is similar to the above 
described distribution strip 12, primed reference numerals here 
designating parts corresponding to those in the above described 
distribution strip, also may be formed with such U-shape and inverted 
U-shape receptacles 73, 74 in the respective side walls 12S'. Accordingly, 
using such receptacles, plural breadboard elements may be mechanically 
interlocked in the same manner as the trays are interlocked by the 
mechanism 72 described above with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. In 
addition, an added dimension may be provided for the breadboard assembly 
of the invention in the manner illustrated in FIG. 11 by cooperatively 
using the U-shape or inverted U-shape receptacle of the tray 3 to 
side-wise mount a breadboard member thereto, such as the distribution 
strip 12'; also, the breadboard member 12' or the like may be used to 
connect two trays together in side-by-side or end-to-end relation as shown 
in FIGS. 13 and 14. 
As is seen most clearly in FIGS. 1, 2, 11 and 13, the outer arms 82 of 
respective inverted U-shape receptacles 74 are linearly discontinuous and 
define between adjacent arm portions, such as 82a, 82b, voids 96 that are 
open on one side. When the open side of void 96 is covered or closed, e.g. 
by the wall surface 86 of arm 77, a receptacle 97 (FIGS. 11 and 13) is 
formed to receive a tab 21 of an additional support plate, such as the one 
shown at 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2 or the speaker plate 20a (FIG. 11), which 
contains holes 98 for mounting a speaker and sound transmitting openings 
99. The wall 93 of arm 76 within the volume 81 also forms a boundary for 
the receptacle 97. Thus, the receptacles 97 provide for edge-wise or 
side-wise mounting of the plates 20, 20a, or the like, as desired. 
If desired, labels, such as letters, numbers, or the like, may be applied 
to the members to facilitate identifying the respective contacts and 
connections provided in the various breadboard members 2. Also appropriate 
labeling may be applied along the surface of one or both of the sidewalls 
36, 37 of the tray 3 or the carrier 15 further to facilitate identifying 
areas of connections and locations to which to slide respective breadboard 
members for optimum utilization in the breadboard assembly 1. 
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the breadboard 
assembly 1 in accordance with the present invention provides a high degree 
of versatility, expansion capability, utilization facility, etc., for 
circuit breadboarding purposes. Any breadboard member 2 may be located at 
any location in the tray 3 or in a supplemental carrier 15, as desired, 
for optimum space utilization and connection convenience, vis-a-vis the 
electrical and electronic components intended for connection thereby. 
Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, a multiple arrangement 110 of breadboard 
assemblies 1 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. Each 
individual breadboard assembly will be referred to below by a numercial 
suffix, such as the breadboard assembly 1--1 in which an arrangement 
employing four distribution strips 12 and two terminal strips 10 is shown 
with such various breadboard members being held in a tray 3. The area 111 
circumscribed by a phantom line may be, for example, the assemblage of 
elements which are illustrated in exploded view in FIG. 12. 
The tray 3 of the breadboard assembly 1-2 is connected at 72 to the tray of 
the breadboard assembly 1--1 using the above described interconnection of 
respective U-shape and inverted U-shape receptacles 73, 74. The breadboard 
assembly 1-2 includes in its tray 3 seven distribution strips 12, four 
terminal strips 10, a discrete component strip 14, a terminal post strip 
16, and a power supply containing strip 17. 
The tray 3 of a third breadboard assembly 1-3 is connected to the tray 3 of 
the breadboard assembly 1-2 by the intermediary of an elongate 
distribution strip 12a, which is similar to the distribution strip 12' of 
FIG. 11 but preferably extends over the entire length of the respective 
trays 3. Alternatively, several individual distribution strips 12 may be 
used to join the breadboard assemblies 1-2 and 1-3 in the manner described 
above generally with respect to FIG. 11. The intermediary distribution 
strip may be used as a main power bus, for example, for the adjacent 
breadboard assemblies. 
A lazy-S-shape, i.e. the shape of the letter S lying on its side, locking 
connector 112 is shown at several places in FIG. 13. Such locking 
connector 112 may be used in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 to 
connect side-by-side trays 3 of the breadboard assemblies 1-3 and 1-4. 
Alternatively, such locking connectors 112 may be used to enable 
end-to-end connection of adjacent trays 3 of, for example, the breadboard 
assemblies 1-4 and 1-5 or the trays 3 of the breadboard assemblies 1-1 and 
1-6. The locking connector 112 provides a pair of U-shape and inverted 
U-shape receptacles 73a, 74a which cooperate with respective inverted 
U-shape and U-shape receptacles 73, 74 of adjacent trays 3 to hold the 
same together in the manner illustrated in FIG. 14 for side-by-side 
connection. In the case of end-to-end connections, such as that 
illustrated between the breadboard assemblies 1-4 and 1-5 of FIG. 13, only 
the U-shape or inverted U-shape receptacle portion of the locking 
connector 112 is required to join the adjacent trays 3. 
Moreover, it will be appreciated that the distribution strips 12' or 12a 
may be used in the same manner as the locking connectors 112 to join 
end-wise adjacent trays of respective breadboard assemblies. Furthermore, 
it will be appreciated that the angles of the various arms and walls of 
the locking connectors 112 preferably are the same as those of the various 
arms and walls of the receptacles 73, 74 described above with reference to 
FIG. 10. Further, it will be appreciated that the locking connectors and 
other similar elements just described may be used to connect trays in 
end-to-end relation while permitting the tray ends to be relatively open 
allowing breadboard elements to be slid from one tray to the next and also 
permitting such connection of trays that have open ends for optimum 
facility of insertion of breadboard members from both ends. 
Although the resiliently deformable interengaging indexing means 40 may be 
in the form of the above described points 41 and recesses 42 or bumps and 
recesses, in accordance with the present preferred embodiment and best 
mode of the invention such means 40 may be only a force or friction fit 
effected between members 2 or between respective members and the tray 3 
without requiring such projections or bumps and recesses. Thus, for 
example, the size relationship between the open channel-like recess 35 in 
the tray 3 and the projections or feet, e.g. 10P, on respective members 
preferably is such that there is a resiliently applied force tending to 
resist sliding of such feet within the channels. Therefore, a prescribed 
amount of force would be required to slide a member 2 in a tray 3 avoiding 
unwanted sliding. Such size relationship may be either in a vertical 
direction whereby the applied force between the walls of recess 35 and 
feet 10P, etc., is in a vertical direction or, more preferably, in a 
lateral or horizontal direction to apply force laterally to the members 2 
tending to resist sliding of them in a tray 3. A similar vertical type of 
size relationship may exist between such feet and the respective open 
channel-like recesses, e.g. 10R, in the members. 
To facilitate identifying locations of openings in respective members 2 
indicia preferably are provided on the top wall of each member. Such 
indicia generally designated 120 in FIG. 13 preferably are of 
alpha-numeric type for easy use but may be of other types as well, such as 
color coding, pictorial coding, etc. The indicia 120 should enable 
convenient useage in the X-Y or Cartesian coordinates of the top plane of 
each member; therefore, for example, preferably along one edge alphabet 
letters are used, say A, B and C, to identify the individual contacts 10C 
of each contact set 31 beneath the respective horizontally shown rows of 
openings 10-0 in the terminal strip 10 in the lower right quadrant of FIG. 
13, and numbers along another edge identify the individual contact sets 
31. As is seen in FIG. 13, the number indicia may be applied at intervals 
of every five contact sets or at closer or further intervals as space or 
other restrictions permit. Accordingly, in the terminal strip 10 
mentioned, a location B-3, for example, identifies the middle contact, 
i.e. in the B column, in the third contact set, as shown. 
Moreover, it is preferred that there be a distinction made between the 
indicia applied to at least several of the different types of members 2 to 
facilitate distinguishing between the members both in physical viewing and 
in instructional useage or text materials. Thus, although terminal strips 
10 may be one set of alphabet letters, e.g. the A, B, C shown, the 
distribution strips 12 preferably use a different set of letters to 
identify the two contact buses therein, such as the X, Y shown. A similar 
manner of distinction may be employed in connection with the indicia of 
the various types of members 2 of the breadboard assembly 1 of the 
invention. 
Furthermore, it also is preferred to employ indicia 121 on the top tray 3. 
Such indicia identify the locations along the tray at which members 2 are 
located or are to be located, at which connections are made or are to be 
made, etc. Preferably such indicia 121 are located on the top surface 122 
of the tray wall 36 which ordinarily would not be expected to be covered 
by one of the several types of interlock mechanisms 72 described above. 
STATEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION 
Thus, the breadboard assembly 1 in accordance with the present invention 
may be utilized to facilitate connecting electrical circuits for testing 
purposes, utilization purposes, and the like.