US1629800A

US1629800A - Electrical-tube-connecter twisting device

Info

Publication number: US1629800A
Application number: US14342A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Leach
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-03-09
Filing date: 1925-03-09
Publication date: 1927-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 1944-05-24

Description

1,629,800 May 24. 1921. w. J. LEACH ELECTRICAL TUBE GONNECTER TWISTING DEVICE Filed March 9, .1925

18 20 Ziffl; 20/ /5502? j Y i" 1.214%? 3 5 f 33. uil -I 1 lNVl-iNTOR WJLEACH BY mwr.

ATTORNEYS is extremely simple in construction,

Patented May 24, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. LEACH, OF BURLINGTON, WISCONSIN.

EI'J'ECTRICAL'1UBE GONNECTER TWISTING DEVICE cal conductors together where these conductors are disposed at places that afi'ord very little room for the workmen to perform the operation, as for example, where the conductors are disposed close to theground or where the conductors are disposedclose to another conducting cable. In each of these instances, the'clearance room around the conductors being spliced is very small, and itis therefore impossible to completely rotatethe handles of the device due to this fact. With the present form of the device a ratchet mechanism is provided whereby the connecting tube may be twisted through a number of revolutions, thisbeing accomplished by swinging the handles through a very small arc and repeating this operation until the ratchet wheel has been rotated the required number of turns.

A further object of my invention is to provide adevice of the type described which is designed so as to employ dies of various sizes whereby the device may be used to twist tubes of different diameters.

A further object of my invention is ato provide a device and durable and elficient for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

My invention is illustrated-in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which I Figure 1 is a side elevatlon of the device,

Figure 2 is a section along the:li-ne22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 1s a side elevation of the'ratchet mechanism, portions thereof beingbroken' away,

Figure '41s a side elevation of a tube before the tube has been twisted,

, Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure' i but in this case the tube has lJBQDi'WlS tBElytII-Xd tube. :6 may be employed such as that shown in -F1gure-..6. The tube in'this Figure is not proy ided'with the-.reenforcing ribs.

of the type described which Application fiIedMaIQh B, 1 925. Serial No.14a342.

Figurefi is a sectional view of a tube of a different shapethan that SllOWIlilIl Figures 4 and 5.

In carrying out my invention 1 provide a tube twister Aand a tube twister B that are adapted to be'mount'ed upon the ends of a tube'l (see Figure 4), whereupon a. rotation of a tube twister A with respect to the tube twister B'will twist the'tube in the manner shownin Figure 5. Of course the tube has previously been threaded with cables .2 :and

'3. The twisting of the tube connects the cables together and also makes a perfect electrical connection between the cables. The special type of tube used in connection with the cables 2 and 3 is shown in cross section in Figure 1. Thetube has two reenforcing ribs 4 down Ithe center thereof, thus providing two passageways 5 for the cables 2 and 3, and also reenforcing the If desired, a different kind of tube I will now describe the tubeitwister A. This twister .is shownin Figures 1,12 and 3 and comprises a'body portion .7 and. handles 8 and 8. The body portion 7 is divided into two sections, these sections abutting each other along the line 9. Thesections 7' and 7 are pivotally connected to eachtother at 10 and are adapted to beclamped in closed position bymeans of a yoke 11 and a set screw 12. The yo-keispivotally carried by the handle 8 at 13 and H1Ely b6 swung into .the'full lineposition so'as to receive a tongue '14 carried by :the section 7. The

sections 7' and 7" .are then looked together .by means ot-a-set screw 12.

The

sections

7 and 7" form a housing clearly :shown in Figure 2. The housing has .a'bore l5: merging into a. larger *bore 16. Positionedbetween the two'bores .15 and 16 is agroove 17,for azpurpose now to be described. The bores 15 and =16act as journals for

cylindrical portions

18 and 19 of the ratchet mechanism 20. The "teeth 21 of the ratchet are received in the annular groove 17. From the GOIIStIUCtIOII :thus far described, it will be apparent thatthe

sections

7 and 7 may beswung into open position swung together and locked by means of the yoke 11 and set screw 12. The ratchet is now free to be rotated within the housing 7.

The ratchet mechanism 20 is adapted to be rotated in only one direction as the handles 8 and 3 are rocked back and forth through a small arc. To this end I provide ratchet teeth 21 that are shaped so as to permit the ratchet mechanism to rotate in only one direction. A spring pressed pawl 22 engages with the teeth 21 and permits the ratchet to rotate in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1.

In Figures 2 and 3, I show how the ratchet mechanism 21 is composed of two

sections

20 and 20". These sections are locked together by means of a spring pressed pin 24L. The section 20 carries a tongue 25 that is slidably received in a slot 26 in the section 20". The pin 23 passes through an opening in the tongue 25 and thus connects the two Sections together. The section 20 is also provided with a tongue 27 that is received in a slot 28 in the section 20 (see Figure 3). The tongue 27 has an opening 29 therein that is adapted to receive the pin 24. It should be noted that the outer edge of the tongue 27 is beveled as at 30 so as to cam the pin 24 in place.

The purpose for providing a ratchet mechanism 20 in two sections is to permit the ratchet mechanism to receive different dies. In Figure 1, I have shown the dies as being provided with an opening 31 that is shaped so as to receive the ribbed tube 1. The dies 32 are identical with respect to each other, and two of these dies are carried by the ratchet mechanism 20, each of the

sections

20 and 20 carrying one of the dies.

The means for locking the dies 32 in the

sections

20 and 20" is shown in Figures 2 and 3. I show the dies as being provided with flanges 33. Figure 2 shows how the flanges are slidably received in annular grooves 34;. Figures 2 and 3 further show how the flanges 33 are provided with locking flanges 36, these flanges being received in annular grooves 37 that project laterally from the grooves The flanges 36 terminate adjacent to the. edges of the dies 32 so as to permit the dies to pass stops 35 carried by the two sections of the housing. Thesestops are shown in Figure 2 although it will be apparent that the same stops are also used in Figure 1. To insert the dies in the ratchet mechanism it is necessary to manually release the spring pressed pin 24 from the opening 29 whereupon the two sectionsmay be swung apart. One of the dies 32 is now threaded into the

annular grooves

34 and 37 and the die is rotated with r spect to the section until finally the end of'the flange 36 abuts against the stop 35. Further movement of the die with respect to the section is prevented. Of course the stop 35 is positioned with respect to the section so as to abut the end of the flange 36 when the dies are in the proper position. The other die is disposed in the other section in like manner. The stops 35 have a further function which will be set forth hereinafter.

Thedies 32 are trictionally held against movement with respect to the sections by spring pressed balls 38 (see Figure These balls prevent the dies from moving with respect to the

sections

20 and 20 when the sections are swung into open position. Set screws 39 holdv the springs etO and balls 38 in place.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device. the operation thereof may be readily understood. hen connecting the cables- 2 and 3 together, the tube twisters A and B are used and are mounted upon the tube 1 in the manner shown in Figure 4. Before the tube twisters are mounted upon the tube 1, they are provided with the dies 32. In assembling the dies 32 in the tube twister A, the

sections

7 and 7" are first swung into open position so as to'permit the ratchet mechanism to be removed. The ratchet mechanism is then opened and the dies 32 are threaded into the

grooves

34 and 37 in the manner heretofore described. The stops 35 limit the movement 8 of the dies after the dies have been moved into the proper position. The ratchet mech anism is now closed andplaced within the housing 7. Of course the openings 31 in the dies are the same shape as the cross section through the tube 1 so as to permit the tube twisters to be disposed upon the tube 1 in the manner shown in Figure 4. One of the operators now holds the tube twister B while the other one actuates the tube twister A. The ratchet mechanism in the tube twister A permits the handles 8' and 8 to be swung through a small are. This slight swinging of the handles rotates the ratchet mechanism in one direction step by step, the ratchet mechanism turns the dies which in turn twist the tube in the manner shown in Figure 5. The stops 35 not only limit the movement of the dies when the dies are placed within the tube twisters, but also prevent the rotation of the dies with respect to the housings when the tube twisters are turned so as to twist the tube. The housing is provided with reentlorcing ribs so as to strengthen the device at the required point.

As stated in the first part of the specification, the ratchet mechanism is especially designed so as to permit the tube twisters to be used in places where the standard tube twisters cannot be used. This construction permits the tube/twister to be used where the ends of the two cables are connected to each other by rope and tackle. It is obvious that if the old style of twister were used, the rope and tackle would be wound about the cable and thus defeat the purpose of the device. \Vith the ratchet wheel the slight swinging of the handles will rotate the ratchet without in any way interfering with the rope and tackle. Another advantage lies in the fact that the tube twister may be used to join a cable that is disposed adjacent to a second cable. With the old style of tube twister, the second cable would interfere with the normal operation of the twister. lVith the present device, the slight swinging of the handles would overcome this disadvanage. The device is extremely simple in construction and durable and efficient for the purpose intended.

I claim:

1. A tube twister comprising a body portion, a ratchet mechanism removably carried by said body portion, said ratchet mechanism comprising two sections hingedly secured to each other, an arm carried by each section and extending outwardly, one on each side of said body portion, a die carried by each section, means for locking said dies together, and means for limiting the movement of said dies when said dies are disposed in said ratchet mechanism, said means being adapted to prevent the rotation of said dies with respect to said body portion.

2. A tube twister comprising a body portion, av ratchet mechanism removably carried by said body portion adapted to rotate with respect to said body portion, means carried by said body portion for preventing the rotation of said ratchet mechanism in one direction with respect to said body portion,

said body portion comprising two sections adapted to be secured together so as to lock said ratchet mechanism in said body portion, said ratchet mechanism comprising two sections adapted to be locked together, each of said sections having a locking groove there in, a die carried by each section, means for locking said dies together, and springpressed balls for holding the dies within said sections, said dies having locking flanges adapted to enter the locking'groove,

carrying a stop member in said groove, a

die carried by each section and having a locking flange adapted to enter the locking groove, said flange abutting said stops insaid grooves and disposed in operative position, means for positively locking said dies together, and means for frictionally engaging with said dies to hold the dies in operative position.

4. A device of the type described comprising a wiretwisting member, dies carried by said member, means for locking said dies together, spring-pressed balls for holding the dies within said member, said dies being interchangeable, means for limiting the movement of said dies when said dies are inserted in said member, said means being adapted to prevent the rotation of said dies with respect to said member when said dies are disposed in position.

5. A device of the type described comprising a wire-twisting member, a pair of arms extending outwardly, one on each side of said member, dies carried by said member, means for locking said dies together, springpressed balls for holding said dies in said member, and means for limiting the movement of said dies when said dies are inserted in said member, said means being adapted to prevent the rotation of said dies with respect to said member when said dies are disposed in position.

WILLIAM J. LEACH.