US3519980A - Electrical conductor plug - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1 97() 1 R MOSLEY 3,519,980

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR PLUG Filed March 11, 1968 rro QNEYS United States Patent O 3,519,980 ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR PLUG Jack R. Mosley, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Mosley Electronics Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Mar. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 712,050 Int. Cl. H01r 13/58, 33/06 U.S. Cl. 339-105 5 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An electrical conductor plug having separable body components for retaining hollow conductor prongs. Conductor wires extend into the prongs to make electrical connections and are held in place by the clamping action of the separable body parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In this electrical conductor plug, a plug body comprises a cap having a recess in its lower end for receiving a base insert, A plurality of conductor prongs extend through openings in the base insert. There are enlarged heads or shoulders at the upper ends of the prongs enabling them to be clamped in place when the base inser-t is tightened into the recess in the cap. The lupper ends of the prongs extend into recesses formed in the cap. Wire conductors extend into openings in the upper ends of the prongs and are tightly clamped in place by the tightening of the base insert into the cap. The recesses in the cap into which the prongs extend cause the wires to be turned in a plurality of directions for more positive clamping action.

The construction eliminates the need for connecting the wires by soldering or by terminal lugs, and yet, the connections of the wires are tight. Also, the plug can be easily assembled and disassembled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. l is a bottom plan view of the electrical conductor plug.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the electrical conductor plug.

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a View in section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. l.

FIG 6 is a top plan view of the base insert.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view of the cap.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view in longitudinal medial section through a conductor prong.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view similar to the view of FIG. 5, but showing a modified form of the electrical conductor plug.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Two forms of the plug are illustrated and described. However, it will be understood that different plug configurations having different numbers of prongs may incorporate the concepts of this invention. The electrical conductor plug 20 comprises a cap 21 having a top wall 22, side walls 23 and 24, a front wall 25 and a back wall 26. There is a well 27 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 28. The well 27 is of generally a rectanguar cross section with a at upper surface 29. An opening 30 in the back wall 26 of the cap 21 communicates with the well 27.

There are recesses 31, 32 and 33 in the cap 21 extending upwardly from the upper wall 29 of the well 27. The

3,519,980 Patented July 7, 1970 Mice number of receses 31, 32 and 33 will vary with the number of prongs used for the particular conductor plug 20. There is also a hole 34 extending upwardly from the upper wall 29 of well 27.

A base insert 37 has a top wall 38, a bottom wall 39, side walls 40 and 41, a front wall 42, and a back wall 43. A recess 44 is formed in the upper rear edge of the base insert 37. There are countersunk holes 45, 46 and 47 through the base insert, the countersunk hole formation providing a recessed shoulder 48 surrounding the upper end of each hole 45, 46 and 47. There is another bore 50 through the base insert 37 with a countersunk recess 51 at its lower end. The base insert 37 is held in place by a self-tapping screw 52 extending through the hole 50 and threaded into the hole 34.

There are a plurality of conductor prongs 55, 56 and 57 extending through the holes 45, 46 and 47 of the base insert 37. Each conductor prong may be shaped like the conductor prong 55 illustrated in FIG. `8 with a fully or partially hollow cylindrical body 59 extending between upper and lower ends 60 and 61. Of course, any other shape for the prongs 45, 46 and 47 is possible. The upper end 60 has an opening 62 through it. The lower end 61 may also have an opening 63 through it. An outwardly turned annular rib or shoulder 64 extends about the circumference of the body 59 in a plane spaced slightly below the upper end 60 of the prong 55 so that the upper end portion 60 above the annular rib or shoulder 64 provides a head for the prong.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the prongs 55, 56 and 57 extend within the holes 45, 46 and 47 with their shoulders 64 resting upon the recess shoulders 48 of the body insert 37. In these positions, the heads 60 of the prongs above their shoulders 64 project into the recesses 31, 32 and 33. It will be noted that the radius of each prong 55, 56 and 57 is less than the radius of each recess 31, 32 and 33 by an amount approximately equal to the diameter of a conductor wire lead.

In the conductor plug 20 illustrated, a lead 66 of the kind used for connecting television antennas is used. This lead 66 has two wire conductors 67 and 68 separated and covered with insulation 69. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the insulated portion 69 of the lead 66 extends into the space between the upper wall 29 of the well 27 and the slot 44 in the base insert 37. Beyond the insulated portion 69, the ends 70 and 71 of the wires 67 and 68 are extended and inserted into the opening 62 of the prongs 55 and 57. As FIGS. 4 and 5 show, when the screw 52 is tightened, the wire ends 70 and 71 are tightly clamped between the upper ends 60 of the prongs 55 and 57 and the recesses 31 and 33. Since the thickness of the wire ends 70 and 71 constitute the only obstacle between the cap 21 and the base insert 37, and since the wire ends are forced around the heads 60 of the prongs, tightening of the screw 52 positively locks the wires in electrical contact with the prongs, The control prong 56 is an orientation prong, as is conventional.

FIG. 9 illustrates a modication of the invention and fis typical of many modifications that are possible. The plug of FIG. 9 has the same general components as the plug 20 except that there are channels 81 and -82 in the cap 21 communicating with the recesses 31 and 33. A lead 83 extends through an opening 84 through the cap 21. The insulated portions 85 and 86 of the wires extend in the channels 81 and 82, and the bared wire ends 87 and 88 extend through the holes 62 into the pins 55 and 57. Again, tightening of the screw 52 clamps the 'wires and pins tightly in place.

It is apparent that either the plug 20 or the plug -80 can be assembled or disassembled by removing the screw 52. It is also apparent that the prongs S5-57 may be interchangeable for dilerent plug constructions, and the rnumber of prongs used will vary dependin-g upon the number of wires of or upon the orientation of the plug.

Various changes and modications may be made within 'the purview of this invention as will be readily apparent rto those skilled in the art. Such changes and -modicartions are 'within the scope and teaching of this invention las dened by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical conductor plug having removable prongs and means for automatically holding a conductor wire in electrical contact with the prongs and automati- Ically positioning the conductor within the plug to relieve strain on the wire Where it is received in the prong, said lplug comprising a cap and an insert, the insert having at Ileast one opening, the cap having a well Ifor receiving the insert, at least one conductor prong having means for receiving an electrical conductor wire at the upper end of the prong, the prong having an annular shoulder spaced below the upper end of the prong, the prong having an lelongated lbody portion below the annular shoulder for 'extending through the opening in the insert, a recess in fthe cap opposite the opening in the insert, the recess lbeing defined by a top wall and an annular side Wall, the fupper end of the prong extending into the recess so that fthe walls of the recess surround and extend below the mpper end of the prong where the electrical conductor lwire is secured, the clearance between the upper end of the prong and the walls of the recess being slightly smaller than the diameter of the electrical conductor wire, and uneans to tighten the insert against the cap, whereby the 'wire is wedged between the walls of the recess and the upper end of the prong into electrical contact with the "prong y2. The electrical conductor plug of claim 1 wherein fthe opening in the insert has an annular recess shoulder surrounding the upper end of the opening for seating the annular shoulder of the prong.

3.* The electrical conductor plug of claim 1 wherein vthe means for receiving an electrical conductor Wire comprises at least a partially hollow prong with the wire extending into the prong.

4. The electrical conductor plug of claim 1 including mutually cooperating opposing walls on the ca-p and insert between which the conductor wire is held, the said opposing walls cooperating with the walls of the recess land the upper end of the prong to cause the wire to turn yat least two corners and thereby positively lock the wire in place when the insert is tightened against the cap.

5. The electrical conductor plug of claim 2 wherein the lprong is removably received in the opening and the recess 'without soldering or other adhesive and is held in place Asolely by the walls of the opening, recess in the cap, the annular recess shoulder, and the walls of the prong.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,050,440 "8/ 1936 McFadden 339-196 X 2,482,965 9/1949 Cook 339-174 2,522,341 9/1950 IBrus 1 339-196 2,764,748 9/ 1956 Heller 339-196 X y3,023,394 2/1962 Hubbell f 339-174 X 3,293,591 12/1966 Mayer 339-196 FOREIGN PATENTS 96,331 3/ 1924 Austria. 395,830 5/1924 Germany.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Prima-ry Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 339-196

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