US1327844A - Connector-clip - Google Patents

Description

G. A. SCHAEFER.

CONNECVIOR CLIP. APPLICATION FILED Fin. n, 1918.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

GEORGE A. scnenrnn, or oH-icAso, rumors. I

CONNECTOR-CLIP.

v Application filed February 11, 1918. Serial No. 216,595.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. ScHAEFER, I. citizen of the United States, residing at Jhicago, in the'county of Cook and State )f Illin'ois, have invented a new and useful improvement .in Connector-Clips, of which be following is a specification.

My invention relatesto an improvedcon- ;truction of connector clip by which a strip )f conducting metal such as copper is sup- ;ortedlat its middle portion and bent at its ands to conform with and engage the conluctor with which the clip is to. be used and-- 11 addition to the structure referred to a iimilarly conformed springfpiefi'ably of tool surrounds the. conducting strip and is nsulated therefrom by a ,suitable strip of nsulatingmaterial, such for example as nica, all of the parts being secured together tIld "to asuitable support by fasten' derices engaging the middle portions saidrtrips. v As a res lt of my improved construction ahe conducting strip forming a part of the :onnector clip is supported and reinforced at lucting strip and the spring protects the.-

.pring throughout practically. its whole exent from the action of any heat which may e developed in the conducting strip, and.

furthermore said insulation prevents .the

lowof current through the-sprin and thus I he produ'ction in, thespring of eat as a 'esult of said current. flow.

My present invention is .an i'mprdve'mentj D11 that set forth in Patent Number 1,169,431-

vhich issued to me January 25,1916; My presentinvention is adapted for use n any connectionwhere'connector clips are imployed for 'rem'ovably engaging conduc-- ors such for example as for supporting-1n- :losed fuses and for electrical switches of he knife blade type. r

liy invention Specification of Letters Patent.

. supporting an inclosed Furwil best be. a age-.1 b

Patented Jan. is, i920.

reference to the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments thereof, in which Figure 1 shows two ofthe improved connector clips mounted on a suitable base and fuse of the ferrule Fig. 2 shows n elevation one of the connector clips on an enlarged scale removed from the base and separate from the con-, 1

I ductor to be engaged thereby,

Fig. 3 is a sectional "new of the parts shown in Fig. 2 taken along the line 3 3,

Fig. 4 shows a modified construction of clip for use with flat conductors, and,

.Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the use of clips of the. type illustrated in Fig. I

4 in a knife switch arrangement.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. o

, As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the connector clip "consists of a strip ofconduotingmetal 10 such as copper secured at its middle por tionby a fastenin device such as a nut 11 to a supporting r0 or stud 12. The rod 12' is threaded and carries lock nuts 15 for senut 16 for connecting a conducting wire to the rod 12. The ends of the conducting strip1'0 arebent away'from its middle por -tion so that they extend in the same general direction and-for the construction shown in .Figs. 2and 3 aregiven a circular conformation to engage a cylindrical conductor such for example'as the ferrule of a ferrule type curing the clip to a base and an additional fuse. The strip 10 issurrounded by a strip;:-="-

of insulation .13 preferably ofmica o'r-othen I heat and moisture resisting insulating ma terial and around'thisstrip 13 a spring 14 is disposed, the stripof insulation 13 and the spring 14 being of substantially the conformation of the conducting strip 10. The

[conducting strip, the strip of insulation. and

he spring are secured tbgether'by the niit 11 or an equivalent fastening deviceen'gaging' the projecting end 12" of reduced d1ameter which projects. from the rod 12"throughholes thereforfin said parts; construct .ing the connector clip the spring 14 which is preferably of steel is-conformedto hold the end. portions of-the conducting strip "10 somewhat closer together than the posl tion -theyoccupy-whenengaging the conductor for whichthe' clip is designed, as a. result oftwhich when the .conductorjs in.

place in the clip suflident pressure-1s'exf erted by the spring 14 upon the endportions of the conductor strip and thus upon the corresponding portion of the conductor engaged by the clip to insure good electrical contact between the conductor and the conducting strip. It is well known in the art that connector clips depending for their effectiveness on the spring of the conducting strip are not effective since said strip is usually of copper and the amount of spring possessed by it is insuflicient to maintain the strip in good electrical connection withthe conductor engaged thereby, and furthermore that little heating of the conductor strip is required to decrease the temper ofthe strip. The spring construction referred to as forming a part of my improved clipmaintains the conducting strip in good electrical contact with the conductor engaged thereby whether the conducting strip is of spring material or not and any softening of the metal of the conducting strip does not, therefore, decrease the effectiveness of the clip. The spring is preferably protected throughout its entire extent by the strip of insulating material both. from receiving heat from the conducting strip by conduction and also by radiation, and furthermore electrical contact between the conducting strip and the spring is; prevented by said insulating materialas a result of which there is no-current flow through said spring, and therefore the heating which would otherwise result from said current flow is eliminated and." the spring remains sufiiciently cold at all times'so that its full temper is retained.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 two of the connector clips '14 constructed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are mounted on a 'base'17 so as to engage the ferrules 18 of an inclosed fuse .19 so that thelatter may readily be removed from the clips and a new one inserted when the fuse is blown. Terminals 20 are shown upon the rods 12 for receiving the ends of the wires to be connected to the rods 12 and thus to the clips 14, these terminals being clamped in place between the nuts 15 and .16 when the wiring is completed. V

In the modified construction shown in Fig. l-the conducting strip 10*, the strip of insulation 13 and the sprm 14L are related to each other in substantia ly the manner shown above in Figs. 2 and 3, the only difference being that the end portions of these parts are substantially parallel-to each other so that the connector clip may engage a flat conductor as for exam'le the blade of a knife switch'or the con ucting'end portions of a. fuse of the knife type.

In the switch construction shown in Fig, 5 two of the connector clips 10 are shown mounted on a base 21 and a switch blade 23 is shown as pivotally connected at 22 with one of said clips, the other 'clip serving as the contact clip of the switch.

From the description above given it will appear that my improvedconnector clip is extremely simple to make and effective 1n operation. W

ile I have shown my invention in the particular embodiments above ends adjacent the opposite conductor engaging portions of said bent strip, and a flat spring having substantially the conformation of and surrounding said insulation and tending to hold said metal strip firmly in its conductor engaging position, whereby said metal strip is held firmly in engage- -ment with said conductor by said spring and said spring is by said insulation.

2. A connector clip comprising in combination, a strip of metal bent to make contact with opposite sides of a conductor to be engaged by said clip, a strip of insulating material extending around the outer surface of said bent metal strip and having its protected from heating ends adjacent the opposite conductor engaging portions of said bent strip, a flat spring having. substantially the conformation of and surrounding said insulation and tending to hold said metal strip firmly in its conductor engaging position, whereby said metal strip is held firmly in engagement with said conductor by said spring and said spring is protected from heatin 'by' said insulation, and-a mounting stu secured to and extending through the middle portions of said metal strip, insulation and spring to. hold the sametogether.

3. A connector clip comprising in combination, a one piece jaw of strip metal, said jaw having end portions conformed to engage an electrical conductor between them and a flat middle portion in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes of said end portions to engage a support, a strip of insulating material extending substanouter surface thereof, and a flat spring of substantially the conformation of and engaging theouter surface thereof for holdmg the end portions of said jaw in their conductor engaging position.

4. A connector clip comprising in combi- .tially from end to end of said jaw along the nation, a one piece jaw of strip metal, said jaw having end portions conformed to engage an electrical conductor between them and a fiat middle portion in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes of said end portions to engage a support, a strlp ductor engaging position, and means extending through the middle portions of said jaw, insulation and spring for holding the same together.

5. A connector clip comprising in combination, a one'piece jaw of strip metal, said jaw having end portions conformed to engage an electrical conductor between them and a fiat middle portion in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes of said end portions to engage a support, a strip of insulating material extending substantially from end to end of said jaw along the outer surface thereof,'a flat spring of substantially the conformation ofand engag-.

ing the outer surface thereof for holding the end portions of said jaw in their conductor engaging position, and a conducting I bolt extending through the middle portions of said jaw, insulationand spring for holding the same together and mounting said clip. 7 6. A connector clip comprising in combi-' nation, a one piece jaw of strip metal, said jaw having end portions conformed to engage an electrical conductor between them and a flat middle portion in a plane substantially at right angles to the. planes of said end portions to engage a support, a strip of insulating material extending substan tially from end to end of said jaw along the outer surface thereof, a fiat spring of substantially the conformation of and en- 4 gaging the outer surface thereof for holding the end portions of said jaw in their conductor engaging position, the end portions of said jaw being circular in conformation to engage and retain a cylindrical con ductor between them, and the end portions of said insulation and spring being of similar circular conformation to laterally support said jaw throughout the conductor en gaging portions thereof.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of January, A.;D.

GEORGE A. SOHAEFER. Witnessi JOHN WEINBERGER.

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