US1304075A - Electrical connector. - Google Patents

Description

J. LOFGREN. ELECTRICAL coNNecroa. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29. 1911 JOHN LOFGBEN, OF CI'IICAGQ'ILLINOIS, AssIGNon To. RALCO MAI:UIaC'rUnINefV Comm, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS..-

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

To all whom/fit may Concern: .i

Be it known that I, JOHN- citizen of the United States, resid-ingl at Chicago, inthe county of lCook and' State of Illinois, -have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connectors, of which the' following ia a specificain electrical Connectors, and moreparticul'arly to connectors of the plural-contact type wherein the contacts are longitudinally movable into or out of engagement.

One .of the objects of the-invention is to provide a two-part` separable connector carrying a plurality of longitudinal, slidably .'Other and further engaglng contacta Another .object 0i. the invention-ils to -provide such a connector in which the con-A ltacts are' mounted to' permit of a slight, floating movement, insuring free andv easy alinement of the separable contact members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sturdy, rugged constructionupar# ticularly ada work.

objects will become app arent'ftothose skilled in the art from a consideration' Vof the followingV description' and drawings wherein, y. Figure 1 is a* longitudinal sectional view of4 the improved connector with, Ithe con-A tacts engaged.

Fig. 2 1s a fragmentary side-elevation with parts broken away.-

Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectlon view lon the line 3-.3 of Fig. 1; and

' Fig. 4 is a transverse, sectional view oni the-line 4-4of Fig. 1. p

In large, heavy connectors such, for ex'- ample, `as are used in locomotive work, a

sturdy,- rugged construction is essential. In

cost of production.

In large sized connectors carrying a heavy" current, end engaging contact pieces are unsatisfactory due to corroslon and burnlng, vresulting from poor Contact surfaces. I

specification 'of Letters 'Patent'.

This invention'i relate-s: to improvements l .-duced.

ted for large, heavy service and tting the insulating blocks' members'carrie in coperating casing members. The f connector, members arel spaced BatenteufMay 2o, 191er- Appnion med' september 29,' 19;?. Samarra-193,869. Y I' i "i have therefore rovided telescoping contact 155 LOFGBEN, a x` apart a' considerable distancel and it will be i' apparent that very careful, accurate work- -inanslp and interittin of parts,'is'essen t1al lto/insilre accurate a inement of the telescoping Contact members such as is necessary 41f ya smooth working `device is;to.be. pro- It is to i'elimini'latek the necessity .for accurate 4 -itting yand'formation ofthe 4separable connect'or parts, and to thereby cheapen the expense ofproduction and increase the ease Kof separationkorconnection, that I have loosely mounted fone ofthe insulating block ttings 'withi'n" its incasing vshell and loosely mounted the contact in the other insulating block thus permitting a, floating movement of the', contacts allowing for such displacement as may be necessary to aline the interengaging parts. y

, ,As the connector shells are held in engagement by means of a bayonet lock, I have mounted one of the contact carrying insulating blocks to permit of limited rotative displacement with respect to its shell. This permits relative rotation, -of the shell' parts Referring now to the specific apparatus g'agementv with the slots 13 in the shell v10, the slots 13 opening on an axial line to the end of the shell 10 and at their inner ends being offset as at 14 to provide the usual 95 form of bayonetlock for holdingv the two parts in engagement.

. in locking or unlocking the bayonet joint f while the contacts are in; engagement.

. Accap '15 is screw threaded over .the oliter A end of the shell 11 having'an yopening 16 at vits center to receive the current carrying wires`1`7. A rubber button 18 surrounds the wires' and is squeezed between. the end of, the shell.. 11 and cap 15 to weatherproof the connection. A

yI'nembers 19 are positioned within spaced The two tubular contact apart openings 4inan insulating block 20 securely held in position within the shell. 11 by means vof the. screws 21 which extend in the block, pins 22 extending through en-` larged holes in the tubes serving to prevent the contacts from droppingv out. At the outer end each contact carries a terminal screw 23 for connection with the ends of the wires 17.

In the shell 10 of the connector, I have positioned a second insulating block 24 which is of a diameter somewhat less than the inner diameter of the shell so as to leave a space 25 around the block to permit slight radial displacement or floating movement of the block with respect toits casing. The

block 24 carries a pair of split Contact members 26 which are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the distance between the opposing contacts 19 and are securely held in place in the block by means of the pins 27. Contact screws 28 take into the outer ends of the contacts 26 -for engagement` with the wires 29 which extend through .the opening 30 in the outer end of ythe shell 10.

A coil spring 31 positioned in the base of the shell 10 engages the rear end of the block 24 and tends to press the same outwardly toward the o'pposite connector. Outward movement of the plug under the influence of the spring is prevented beyond a certain point by means of the screws 32 which extend radially inwardly through the shell 10 into engagement with axially extending slots 33 formed at opposite sides of the wall of the block. These slots 33 terminate at their inner ends in the shoulders 34 which engage the screws 32. The slots are formed not only with an axial dimension but also extend in an arcuate form through an angle suliicient to ermit the relative movement of the block with respect to its casing, when the bayonet lock formed by the slots 13 and pins 12, is engaged or released.

The outwardly extending ends of the split contacts 26 are tapered somewhat so as to insure their alinement with the coperating,

tubular contacts 19 when the two parts of the plug are brought together.

Withthe above construction, it will be apparent that the parts may be easily assembled without careful fitting and adjust-- ment, and a smooth, easy engagement of the contact members will at all times be insured because of the freedom of the block 24 to float within its incasing shell 10 and the loose mounting vof contacts 19 within their insulating block. It will also be evi dent that in a heavy, large-sized connector of this character, unnecessary wear and unevennessV of action inherent in connectors wherein the contacts are held rigidly in position, will be eliminated. By permitting limited movement of the contact carrying members, free and easy working alinement of the sliding contact parts is insured.

Whereas I have illustrated and described but a single embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made therein, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim is A two part separable connector comprising two interengaging members; one member providing a cylindrical shell open at one end; an insulating block having limited axial and rotatable movement therein; means to limit the axial and rotatable movement of said block; a spring in said yshell to yieldingly hold the block near the open end of the shell; a pair of electric terminals carried by the block and movable therewith; in combination with another member providing a cylindrical shell telescopically engaging the shell of the rst mentioned member; an insulating block fixed in the shell of the second mentioned member; a pair of electric terminals carried by the said block telescopically engaging the terminals of the first mentioned member and a coperative bayonet joint to lock the members together.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

JOI-IN LOFGREN.

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