Terminal blocks

Well, I know what I mean but I suspect that the term I've always used for them might be wrong...

I'm looking for a neat way of combining/splitting (depending on your perspective) wires. In the past I've used what I thought were "terminal blocks" that had a number of terminals connected together physically and electrically. I preferred them to just twisiting lots of wires together and slapping a ton of solder and some electrical tape on the resulting mess :whistle:

However... when I search for that term I'm only finding the blocks with multiple isolated single poles.

I know what I want and I've used them before but I'm blowed if I know what search term I need for them. Can anyone give me a pointer?

Is this it? All you need to do is link them together.
038046 SAK2.5/35 - WEIDMULLER - TERMINAL BLOCK, DIN, 2.5MM2, 2 | Farnell United Kingdom

If I am thinking of the same thing we use to call it chocolate block in the Navy, if you go a google search for chocolate block connectors you will get loads of links. Can't help with best place to buy but any electrical factors should be able to help.

The ones I was thinking of looked very much like the "other" terminal blocks/strips that you often see in household wiring.

Not that I need that exact kind, but they were cheap and neat. The ones you've linked look like they're tophat DINs and need wiring up to link together.

In theory I could get the single-pole blocks and daisychain them together to make what I want, but I'd prefer something made for the job as it were, especially if I'm using mains. This is to split one 240VAC input out to 3 or 4 bits of kit (ie transformers 'n' stuff)

Mains voltage is not a problem. Further down the page on the right hand side you will find a link to jumper kits for these connectors which are used to correctly link them together. These are standard kit in industrial stuff and make for a really good job. You can also get fused terminals as well if you want individual protection for each circuit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by martin54

If I am thinking of the same thing we use to call it chocolate block in the Navy, if you go a google search for chocolate block connectors you will get loads of links. Can't help with best place to buy but any electrical factors should be able to help.

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Aha! Chocolate block sounds familiar.

"Multiple screw terminals can be arranged as a barrier strip, with each short metal strip having a pair of screws. This is used for connecting two different components, one on each side of the pairs. This arrangement is common in luster terminals, as pictured at left. These are known as connector strips or chocolate blocks in the UK. Conversely, terminals can also be arranged as a terminal strip or terminal block, with several screws along (typically) two long strips. This creates a bus bar for power distribution, and so may also include a master input connector, usually binding posts or banana connectors."

That's what I'm after, but most of the stuff I see actually seems to be a "connector" strip.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Web Goblin

Mains voltage is not a problem. Further down the page on the right hand side you will find a link to jumper kits for these connectors which are used to correctly link them together. These are standard kit in industrial stuff and make for a really good job. You can also get fused terminals as well if you want individual protection for each circuit.

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Aha, then we're onto something!

edit: On reflection, while I like the idea the sheer size of them is out of proportion for the project.

How many mains cables do you want to join? Another option would be a 2 or 3 way mains junction box like these

30A 3 WAY WHITE JUNCTION BOX - MAINS POWER CABLE JOINER TERMINAL on eBay!

I'll slip in a link to one of Irving2008's posts to save me having to describe or draw too much >check image in this post< note the mains here splits to three outputs. This was the image that triggered the search though I want the stuff for a few other projects as well, where 5-8 connections would be useful. Something which works without taking up a lot of space would be nice as well.

My usual approach would be lots of twisting, a bit of solder and some 'leccy tape. This time I want to make it look neat, tidy and semi-amateur (as I doubt I'll ever achieve full amateur status).

I guess something like this would work, but the blocks I was thinking of would be simple to fix in place and make it easy to add/remove/change wires if needed.

Mostly I'm annoyed because I know what I want, it seems simple enough but I can't find it and I'm too stubborn to move on :bull_head:

I bought some of these lever connection blocks. They can handle wire upto 4mm2 stranded wire or 2.5mm2 solid wire and rated at 400v 32A. Attachment 6923

or something like this for 8 wires they are push to lock and twist to release.
Attachment 6924
I went ahead and bought a mixed 100 piece bulk pack of 2-8 input connectors. They always come in handy.

If Rapid carried the Wago blocks I'd go for it. They have the push-wire kit but I've not really heard anything about it. From your experience is it a decent connection? For some reason "push to fit" sounds a bit... weak.

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Originally Posted by Rogue

From your experience is it a decent connection?

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When I got them in the post the first thing I tried was push the wire in and see how easy it was to take it out again. Trust me it wasn't easy to get it out, even using the removal technique given. The mechanism inside really does grip it hard.

Personally I would only use it on solid core wires, for the strand ones I'd use the level type connectors. Even these are very solid. A sparky mate of mine uses them all the time in residential and commercial lighting circuits. That's where I found out about them.

Iwant1, if you want to use stranded wires in the push lock terminals, get some straight pin crimps.
We've got some cranes at work that use them for the main control unit, and we never have any problems with the wiring at the control units.


Rogue, I think I know the terminals you're on about.
DIN rail mounted, with several screw terminals per section/slice?

Nope, not DIN mounted. They looked just like the "chocolate blocks" except they had a central metal strip connecting all the terminals (both sides - the whole block was a common connection). Great for securing with a few splodges of hot glue!

Edited to add: unless it was a very tiny DIN rail, or memory has made them shrink. I remember having to hold them up to the light to check I wasn't using the single-pole versions by mistake so they must have looked quite similar.