, whereby each said inner contact pin body (14) comprises an upwards curve joined to a downwards curve, which curves form an “S” shape in a middle portion of said inner contact pin (10), and the said inner contact pin bottom end (16) extends vertically from a right-angle joint with said body (14). Similarly, each said outer contact pin body (24) comprises an upwards curve joined to a downwards curve, which curves form an “S” shape in a middle portion of said outer contact pin (20), and the said outer contact pin bottom end (26) extends vertically from a right-angle joint with said body (24).

Referring now to FIG. 4, once all contact pin pairs (10, 20) have been inserted into the first slots (44) and second slots (45), a first bottom plate (50) is lowered down along the z-axis and towards the underside of the socket body (40) above the first slots (44), and a second bottom plate (60) is lowered down along the z-axis and towards the underside of the socket body (40) above the second slots (45). The first bottom plate (50) is provided with a slit (52) elongated in the y-axis and a cut out (54) along an inner edge also elongated in the y-axis. The second bottom plate (60) is also provided with a slit (62) elongated in the y-axis and a cut out (64) along an inner edge also elongated in the y-axis.

In FIG. 4, it is shown that the first bottom plate slit (52) and first bottom plate cut out (54) has a straight alignment, and the second bottom plate slit (62) and second bottom plate cut out (64) has a crooked alignment. However, this is only to show that any type of alignment is possible for the slits (52, 62) and cut outs (54, 64). The alignment of these elements purely depends on the final desired alignment of the contact pin bottom ends (16, 26). In all other respects, the first bottom plate (50) and the second bottom plate (60) are mirror images of each other. As can be seen in FIG. 4, as the first bottom plate (50) is lowered towards the socket body (40), the first bottom plate slit (52) hovers roughly above the outer contact pin bottom ends (26), and the first bottom plate cut out (54) hovers roughly above the inner contact pin bottom ends (16) which were inserted in the first slots (44). The same is true for the second bottom plate slit (62) and cut out (64) over the outer contact pin bottom ends (26) and inner contact pin bottom ends (16) inserted into the second slots (45), respectively, in a mirror image of the first bottom plate.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show cross-sectioned and perspective views, respectively, of the first side of the socket body (40) with the first slots (44) having been populated by a row of the contact pin pairs comprising inner contact pins (10) and outer contact pins (20). As can be seen, the contact pin bottom ends (16, 26) are not aligned as desired, but in fact haphazard and misaligned. As the first bottom plate (50) is lowered towards the socket body (40) along the z-axis, a pair of through holes (56, 58) located on the first bottom plate (50) is positioned to receive a pair of dowel pins (442, 444) protruding upwards from the underside of the socket body (40). The dowel pins (442, 444) protrude upwards at least to a height that allows its engagement with the through-holes (56, 58) to happen before the row of outer contact pin bottom ends (26) reaches the slit (52) and also before the row of inner contact pin bottom ends (16) reaches the cut out (54), as the first bottom plate (50) is lowered onto the socket body (40). The pair of through holes comprising a first through hole (56) and a second through hole (58) are elongated in the x-axis, such that once the dowel pins (442, 444) are engaged through them, the first bottom plate (50) is restricted from movement with respect to the socket body (40) in the y-axis, and has limited movement with respect to the socket body (40) in the x-axis, the amount of x-axis movement dependent on the length of elongation of the through holes (56, 58). This allows the operator assembling the testing apparatus to “comb” the misaligned row of outer contact pin bottom ends (26) into the confines of the slit (52) and the row of misaligned inner contact pin bottom ends (16) to an inner side of the cut out (54), by slight movements and adjustments of the first bottom plate (50) in the x-axis.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show views of the first bottom plate (50) engaging with the rows of outer contact pin bottom ends (26) and inner contact pin bottom ends (16). The slit (52) is chamfered along its length on both its inner upper edge (522) and outer upper edge (524). This chamfering provides the slit (52) with a wider upper opening, which opening receives the outer contact pin bottom ends (26), and a narrower lower opening (since the entire assembly is upside down at this stage of the assembly, what we call “upper opening” is shown in these figures as being at the bottom, and vice versa). The cut out (54) is also provided with a chamfer on its upper edge (542), providing the cut out (54) with a wider upper opening and a narrower lower opening. The wider upper openings of both the slit (52) and cut out (54) allow for easier inclusion of all misaligned outer contact pin bottom ends (26) and inner contact pin bottom ends (16) into the slit (52) and the cut out (54), respectively.

Still referring to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the operator assembling the testing apparatus moves the first bottom plate (50) slightly back and forth in the x-axis direction as the first bottom plate (50) is lowered towards the socket body (40) so that all outer contact pin bottom ends (26) are “combed” into the slit (52), and all inner contact pin bottom ends (16) are “combed” towards the inner side of the cut out (54). The first bottom plate (50) is then lowered fully onto the socket body (40) so that the row of outer contact pin bottom ends (26) is aligned according to the profile of the lower opening of the slit (52) and locked in an x-axis direction by the slit (52). In this way, a misaligned row of outer contact pins (20) is easily aligned as desired by forming on the first bottom plate (50) a slit (52) with a wider upper opening and a lower opening having a profile according to the particular pin alignment as required in a test.

Still referring to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, a first bottom plate (50) is lowered down in the z-axis towards the socket body (40). The first bottom plate (50) is provided with a slit (52), which is a through opening in the first bottom plate (50) elongated in the y-axis. This slit (52) is chamfered along both its inner upper edge (522) and outer upper edge (524). This chamfering results in an upper opening of the slit to be wider than its lower opening. The wider opening of the upper side of the slit (