Federal Industries 45-11056

TERMINAL BLOCK

A terminal is an electrical connector acting as the reusable interface to a conductor and creating a point where external circuits can be connected. A terminal may simply be the end of a wire or it may be fitted with a connector or fastener. Most electrical connectors have a plug that connects to a socket. The connection may be removable, require a tool for assembly and removal, or serve as a permanent electrical joint between two points. An terminal adapter can be used to join dissimilar connectors.

A screw terminal is a type of electrical connector where a wire is held by the tightening of a screw.  The wire may be wrapped directly under the head of a screw, may be held by a metal plate forced against the wire by a screw, or may be held by what is, in effect, a set screw in the side of a metal tube. The wire may be directly stripped of insulation and inserted under the head of a screw or into the terminal. Otherwise, it may be either inserted first into a ferrule, which is then inserted into the terminal, or else attached to a connecting lug. which is then fixed under the screw head. The terminals easily can be re-used in the field, allowing for the replacement of wires or equipment, generally with standard hand tools. Screw terminals usually avoid the requirement for a specialized mating connector to be applied to the ends of wires.