US1540249A

US1540249A - Wire-grounding device

Info

Publication number: US1540249A
Application number: US634168A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred A Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1923-04-23
Filing date: 1923-04-23
Publication date: 1925-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 1942-06-02

Description

F. A. BROWN WIRE GROUNDING DEVICE Filed Apri 25, 1926 ffyj Patented June 2, 1925.

A'rEs ram) A. BROWN, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

WIRE-GROUNDING 'bE'vrcE.

Application filed A ril 23 To all whom it may concern: I

"Be itknojwn'that- I, FRED AjBRowN, a citizen of the United States, a resident of the city of Los Angeles, county of 'Los Angeles, andState of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in lVire-Grounding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with a wire grounding device, and it is an object of the invention to provide adevice for ground wires being strung onto or removed from poles, or the like, to protect workmen handling the wires. i i

ires 'being'strung onto or removed from poles, or the like, areu'sually dead while 'they are being handled; however, it occasionally happens that a wire while being strungcoine-s in contact with an energized wire, causing injury to the workmen handling the wire. Accidents of this kind are usually caused by the wire being handled sagging into contact with a live wire, or by its whipping'or snapping up into engagement with a live wire when it is being pulled tight.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for grounding a wire while'it is being strung or taken down so that the workmen are protected against the danger above outlined, in the event that the wire becomes energized.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character just specified which is simple and convenient to use and therefore commercially practical.

The various objects and features of "the invention will be best and more fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form of the invention, throughout which reference is had to the accon'ipanying drawings, in which: v r

F g. l is a view showing a typical pole adapted to carry electric wires, equipped with the device provided by this invention so that wires being strung on or removed from it are grounded;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by the line 2-2 on 'Fig. 1;

Fig. '3'is a view taken as indicated by the line. 3- 3 on Fig. 2; and

Fig. lis a detailsec tional'view, take-n indicated by the line H on Fig; 3.

In the drawings, numeral 10 designates a pole, provided at its upper end" with the usua1 form of cross-arm 11. The'cross-arm 11 1923. Serial no. 634,168.

is provided with a pluralitynf insulators i2,adapted to carry the wires to be supportedby the pole.

T he device provided 'by this invention includes, generally, aco'ntact 13 and agrounding conductor 14. The contact 12 is, in-accordance with my invention, adapted tobe arrangedor-mounted on the'cross-arm '11 in a manner so that it will be in position to make contact with a wire 15, ar 'anged over,

or 'otl'ierwise arranged inconnection with, the cross-arm. In the particular situation illustrated in the drawingsjthe cross-arm '11 is formed or wood and is substantially square in cross sectional configuration, so, therefore, the contact is provided with a lJOC y-part adapted to be mounted on this particular type of cross-arm. It is-to be understood that the term cross-armas used throughout this-speciticationand in the appended claims is intended to include in like or sim'ilardevices orconstructions to which this inveiition may be applicable. The body may includetwo

jaws

16 and 17 adapted to bearranged at opposite sides of the cross 'armll and a connectingpart 18 which joins the upper ends of the jaws and is adapted to engage the top of the cross arm. The body maybe adi' antageously formed of a single metal plate, and is preferably designed and proportioned so that it can be conveniently arranged on the cross-arm, in the manner illustrated in the drawings. It is to "bedistinctlyunderstood, of course, that the broader aspects of my invention are not in any way limited to this or any'other to provide a clamping screw 19in connection with one'of-th'e jaws'o-f'thebody so that it can be actuated to engage or clamp against the cross-ar1n 111 a manner to securely retain the body in position thereon. 1.11pmtice theclamping screw'19'is'preferably provided with a head '20, which can be convenie'ntly manipulated by hand. It will, of

course, be obvious that other forms of securing means may be employed, and that the particular form of securing means used in any given case will depend more or less upon the details of construction of the contact and upon the type or form of device on which the contact is adapted to be mounted.

In accordance with the preferred form of my invention, I provide means for guiding the wire in contact with a part of the body. The form of guiding means which I have illustrated in the drawings includes two spaced projections extending from a part of the body, which projections are preferably in the form of rollers 21 carried on pivot pins 22. The pivot pins 22 preferably extend from the body in a manner so that they carry the rollers at the connecting part 18 of the body, causing the guide means to guide the wire 15 in contact with the connecting part. In practice I prefer to crown the outer surface 23 of the connecting part somewhat so that it will make good contact with a wire 15 being drawn over it. When the guide means is of the type hereinabove described, that is, when it includes a pair of spaced projections, such as rollers, or the like, it is desirable to provide means for retaining the Wire 15 in position between the rollers. In the form of my invention illustrated in the drawings I provide a gate which, when closed, extends between the outer end portions of the rollers in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. One end of the gate 30 is pivotally connected with one of the pivot pins 29. by means of a suitable pivot pin 32, while the other end is adapted to be releasably connected with the other pivot pin 22 by means of a suitable spring catch 32%. The particular spring catch which I haveillustrated includes a single spring member attached to the pivot pin and provided with a hook part 34 which operates to hold the gate. The spring catch is designed so that it automatically catches the gate upon its being closed and releases the gate when depressed. The gate 30 is particularly desirable when the device is used in situations where the wire 15 is apt to whip in a manner to lift out of position from oetween the rollers 21. It will be obvious, of course, that the gate is provided mainly as an extra safety device and that it may in practice be eliminated.

The grounding conductor includes an insulated wire 40, having one end connected with the contact 13 and the other end adapted to be connected with the ground. In the drawings I have illustrated the wire connected with the jaw 16 of the body of the contact by means of a suitable screw 41-1. In practice it is desirable to connect the other, or ground, end of the wire 10 with a pipe line or other part that is well grounded, or to provide it with a metal stake 45, for instance, in the form of a piece of pipe that may be driven or otherwise arranged in the ground so that it has good contact therewith.

In operation the contact 13 is arranged in connection with the crossarm 11 by placing the body over the cross arm and tightening the securing screw 19. The wire 15, to be strung on the cross-arm or to be taken down, is arranged in connection with the contact 13 by arranging it between the rollers 21 so that it contacts with the connecting part 23. Then the wire is thus arranged between the rollers it is made secure by closing the gate 30. The grounding conductor is made ready for operation by connecting it with ground, for instance, by driving the stake 45 into the ground or by connecting the wire all with a grounded member. The wire 19 can be moved in either direction across the crossarm 11 and, in the event that it contacts with a live wire, the current will pass through the contact 13 and be carried to the ground by the grounding conductor.

It will be obvious that the device provided by the present invention thus operates to protect workmen handling the wire 15 so that they are not injured in the event that the wire becomes energized. l'l'hen it is desired to remove the device provided by the present invention it is merely necessary to release the securing screw 19 and remove the contact from the cross-arm and release the grounding conductor from its connection with the ground.

Having described only a typical preferred form of my invention 1 do not wish to limit myself to the specific details hereinabove set forth but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the follmving claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a contact adapted to be arranged at the cross arm to be engaged by the wire and clamp means for mounting the contact on the cross arm.

2. A device for gounding a wire being worked on a cross arm inchiding,.a contact adapted to be arranged. at the cross arm and embodying a part adapted to be engaged by the wire and means for guiding the wire so that it engages said part, and a grounding conductor connected with the contact.

3. A device for grounding a wire being orked on a cross arm including, a part adapted to be arranged at the cross arm to be engaged by the wire, means for mounting said part at the cross arm, means for guiding the wire so that it engages said part, and a grounding conductor connected with the contact.

4. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a part adapted to be arranged at the cross arm and embodying a part adapted to be engaged by the wire and means tor guiding the wire so that it engages said part, embodying spaced projections at said part adapted to have the wire arranged between them.

5. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a contact adapted to be arranged at the cross arm and embodying a part adapted to be engaged by the wire and means for guiding the wire so that it engages said part embodying two spaced rollers projecting from saidpart and adapted to have the wire arranged between them.

6. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a contact adapted to be arranged at the cross arm and embodying a part adapted to be engaged by the wire and means for guiding the wire so that it engages said part embodying a pair of spaced projections extending from said part and a member extending between the projections at a point spaced from said part.

7 A device for grounding a wire being worked on a crossarm including, a contact adapted to be arranged at the cross arm and embodying a. part adapted to be engaged by the wire and means for guiding the wire so that it engages said part embodying a pair of spaced projections extending from said part and a releasable member extending between the projections at a, point spaced from said part. A

8. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a contact adapted to be arranged at the cross arm and embodying a part adapted to be engaged by the wire and means for guiding the wire so thatv it engages said partembodying a pair of spaced projections extending from said part and av gate adapted to close across the outer parts of theprojections.

9. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a contact adapted to be arranged at the cross arm and embodying a part adapted to be engaged by the wire and means for guiding the wire so that it engages said part embodying a pair oi spaced projections extending from said part, a gate pivotally connected with one projectitm, and means for releasably connectin g it with the other projection.

gaged by the wire and means for guiding the wire so that it engages said part embodying a pair of spaced projections extending from said part, a. gate pivotally con.- nected with one projection, and spring catch means for releasably connecting it with the other projection.

11. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a contact ei'nbodying a body having jaw parts adapted to receive the cross arm and a part adapted to engage the wire.

12. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a. contact embodying aws adapted to receivethe cross arm, a part adapted to be engaged by the wire, and means for guiding the wire in engagement with said part.

13. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a body having two spaced jaws adapted to receive the cross arm, and a connecting part extending between the upper ends of the jaws and adapted to be engaged by the wire, a screw carried by one of the aws for clamping the body on the cross arm, a pair of spaced pivot pins extending upwardly from. the connecting part, rollers carried on the pins to guide the wire in engagement with the connecting part, a gate pivotally connected with the upper end of one of the pins, spring catch means for releasably connecting the gate with the other pin, a wire having one end connected with the body, and a grormding stake connected with the other end of the wire.

14. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a contact adapted to be arranged at. the cross arm, and embodying a. part adapted to be engaged by the wire and means for guiding the wire in. contact with said part.

15. A device for grounding a wire being worked on a cross arm including, a part adapted to be arranged at the cross arm to be engaged by the wire, means for detachably mounting said part at the cross arm, and means for grounding the wire in engagement with said part.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day or" March, 1923.

FRED A. BROWN.

Witnesses I. L. lVE-srLAKE, lVM. I-I. NIAXWELL.