MLU FORUM - Brass Claw Terminals

These little suckers are proving to be quite elusive. They were at one time a very common electrical terminal that came in two parts and were crimped into place to form a ring connector. Modern, cheaper, flat, one piece ring terminals seem to have forced these earlier bits off the market.

Interestingly enough, however, there terminals are very common in England still in Low Tension Control Panels and it is not unusual for electricians working on this equipment to uncrimp older terminals to salvage and reuse them. They came in hole sizes from approx 1/8-th inch to one inch in diameter. My interest in them is that they show up fairly often in wartime Wireless equipment and it would be nice to track down a supply of them for restoration work.

Two major manufacturers used to be in England. One, Ross, Courtney and Company, went out of business about 10 years ago. Some of their NOS terminals show up on the web from time to time with Antique Auto Parts suppliers. A second company, Collett, is still in business and still shows these terminals on the cover of their current catalog but there are no listings to be found for it and attempts to contact them about these parts prove somewhat evasive.

I have found out that these terminals still show up in some modern Black and Decker equipment so it is possible there is/was a North American supplier and possibly even an Asian one still operating out there. Hand crimping tools were available from RC and Collett in England and it appears one company's tool would work with any other makers terminals.

The attached photos show this product and a Collett Hand Tool kit. The end of the wire is wrapped around the terminal, a brass flat washer placed over it and the terminal then crimped. If anyone has ever run across these things in quantity and various sizes, it would be great to know.

David