US1969529A - Terminal - Google Patents

Description

A11g- 7, 1934 l. c. SHAFER, JR 1,969,529

TERMINAL Filed Feb. ll, 1931 /Nl/ENTOR [OSHA/:ER JR. By

aamZg( A T TORNEV Patented Aug. 7, 1934 ''his' invention relates to electrical terminals and more particularly to electrical terminals for use fin connection with emergency cables and the like v "t The object o f this invention is to provide means for" quicklyl and securely interposing an emergency cablel or cables in a transmission line which has' becomesevered. or rendered ineieci tive ffortransm'ission purposes. Y

la Features of'- this invention reside in a body mem-ber of insulating material which incorporates` with insulation of a cable and has accommodations for ends of lan open wire line, in'terminal'members which are molded into the '15 body memberand in'bolt members by which two emergencyterminals may be clamped together and which may also be used to secure the ends of open wire lines to the terminal members within-th il insulating body member.

Other features including means for securely holding the terminalm'embers within the insulating body and means for preventing accidental dislod'gement of the bolts from the terminal me'n'ibers are further disclosed and referred to in this specication.

, -In the drawing, Fig. 1v is a view in perspective of a terminal of this invention; Fig.,2 is-a side elevational *view partlyv n'section of the terminal ofA Fig.r 1;- Fig. 3A is a plan view of the terminalV taken in the direction of the arrows shown inA Fig. 2; Fig. 4 isY aside elevational view'partly in` section showing two terminals clamped together; Fig-5 is a side elevational view partly rp innsection of the clamped terminals as shown in Figi and' with'v tape wrapping applied thereto;

Fig. 6Y is a'side'elevational view partly in section of vv'a'terminal member and a retaining ring for a bolt member; Fig'. 7 is a view in perspective of U a modification 'oi the invention showing two 40 terminals anda gasket which may be interposed between them. l

I t isfcommon practice when a break or other defect 'occurs ina transmission line for a repair Y crew'to' temporarily by-pass the portion of the 45 line l wl'ierein-the unstandard condition prevails with va''sectio nv ofline in conditionfor carrying onfthe normal transmission. The interposed or temporary portionoii the line 'must be attached securelyhto theI permanent line and the inter- '50 posing A`of. the"t ernpcrary line must be'done as quickly as possible to avoid' any undue impairment' 'in theservice.' When service has again beenvreestablished by interposition of the temporaryjorjemergency line, the emergency line remains inservice until such `time as the un- TERMINAL Ira CfShafer, Jr., New York, N.- Y., assigner to Bell Telephone Laboratories, New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork 'Applicatnm February 11, 1931, serial 10.514.923 7 A 5 claims. (cina-27s) PAT Incorporated,

serviceable Aportion of the permanent linel has beenreplaced by a new permanent'portion'bf line or restored to serviceable condition.v

Sometimes in storm conditions,comparativelyl .long stretches of transmission lineV are rendered unserviceable, such for instance, lasV when pole lines are down or wiresare'severe'd"due'ftoin crustations of ice on the wires, or yinv Hood conditions wire lines maybe submergeda-nd p transmission service interfered vvitlri;v Under conditions such for instance, as above-mentioned', emergency lines may have to lie in snow-'or water and still be capable of maintaining 'tr'ans mission. Emergency cables suitably insulated and protected by comparatively heavy rubber coverings, therefore, are now furnished repair crews. These emergency cables are-of vs'uit."ible`l length to facilitate their transportation and handling by the repair men. In the present invention a terminal-for an emergency cable is' provided which' facilitates; the connectingl of the cable* to permanent lines; This terminal is adaptable for connecting to fa like terminal of another emergency cable -where more than one cable length is required; 'l' Referring to the drawing,V l is a: molded lbody member of comparatively soft rubber composition or the like having a lower latface vportion'2V and an upper flat face portion 3. 'Molded' into the body member 1 are spaced t'erminallmembe'rs 4 and 5 to which have been'attached, prior'to the molding-in operation, conductors 6 vand respectively, of a cable 8. The individual conductors 6 and '7 of the cable '8 are'coveredwith insulation as shown at Q'and 10, 'which maygffor instance; be rubber or othersuitable insulatingmaterial; Over the insulated 'conductors B'and vTand com'- bining them into a cable is an insulating covering 11, which preferably isv of rubber or rubber "corn-l position. n* When the vterminal members vfian'd' 5 with their attached portions of the conductors@ and 'I are""molde`d vinto the rubber composition body member 1, V the insulationoi' thercable botti on the individual conductors,:6'and. '7 and .the insulating coveringA 11 which'l combines the conductors 6 and '7 into acablevulcanizesfwithand becomes a part of the, molded -body `,rnembeiul;

the insulating covering 11 of the cable withth material ofthe bodymember '1, the emergency vic Y is an annular groove 18.

counterbored at 19 to receive a ring member 20,:

the purpose of which will be later explained.

The end flanges 13 and 14 andY thespaced intermediate flanges 15 and 16 provide .good.'hold.-`v ing surfaces for the moldedljinsulating material forming the body member and prevent longif tudinal dislodgment of -thei terminal'member 'from the body member.

'I'he terminal member 4 is transversely bored' at 2l as shown in Fig. 6, thevbo'ring being. atv the lower portion-oit the terminal lmember and between the end flangev 14 and the intermediate flange 16. -m

The terminalmember 5 istransversely bored at 22 as shown in Fig. 2. This boring is located in about the center of the -terminal -mernber `between the intermediate flanges 15 and 16.

The'transverse borings 21` and 22 above mentioned, are provided for the reception Aof open wires wherethe emergency cable is to be con-1 nected to open wire lines. y The openwire lines 23 and 24 enter apertures 25 and 26 in the side of the emergency terminal and extend inward to theterminalmembers 4 and vifrespectively, to which they may be attached by means as will be later explained. i Y

The terminal members 4 and 5 when molded into the body member l do not extend-quite to the lower flat face portion 2 of the body member,

' but are set a little above the flat surface as shown invFig. 2 With the outer face of the lower llange 14 not quite flush with the nat surface 2.

Within the terminal member 4 isa bolt member 27 comprising a head portion .28,k a comparatively long shank .portionl 29, and an vexternally threaded lower end portion 30. This comparatively long bolt member 27 servesas a means for securing an open wire line 23 to the terminal member 4. This comparatively' long bolt member 27Y also serves in cases where one emergency terminal is-to be connected` to another asa means for clamping the terminals together. In the terminal member 5 is a comparatively short bolt member 31'comprising a head. portion 32, a .comparatively short shank portion, and anexternally threaded loweixend portion 34.

Each bolt member 27-and 3l when turned into therrespective terminal members 4 and 5 is prevented from being withdrawn from the terminal member by a locking ring 20. The locking'ring 20 is a split spring ring and is slightly, smaller thanthe threaded end portion cfitlie ybolt inember. After the boltmember has been turned into its terminal member the locking'ring 20 is sprung about'thel shank of the bolt niemberand set down withinthe counterbored portion 19 'of the boss 17;r The Ytop portion of the Yboss 17 is'then spun over the ring 20 so that the Vring islocke'd within thevcoun'terbored portion 19 and withdrawal of the bolt member from the terminal memberl isV prevented. .i vWhen an'emergency cablegis Yto be connected to open wirelines the ends-ofthe open-wire lines are inserted in the aperturesu 25 and 26 inthe body member land extended through these apertures into the aligned apertures 21 and 22 respectively, of the terminal members 4 and 5. The ends of the wires are extended across the longitudinal borings 12 of the terminal members 4 and 5 and the bolt members 27 and 31 are then turned down within the terminal members 4 and 5 until they come into engagement with the ends of the open Wire lines. The ends of the open wire lines are' thereby secured to the terminal memnbers 4 and 5 and brought into electrical connection with the conductors 6 and 7 of the emergency The other end of the emergency cable which is equipped with a like emergency terminal is thenconnected yto the open wire lines at a distant point so that the defective area .in the open' wire lines vis by-passed by the emergency cable.

To prevent the access of moisture to the terminal members and the bolt members the emergency terminal is wrapped with a suitable moisturefproot adhesivetape, the tape wrap-l ping extending .over the terminal membersV and the 'bolt members and completely enclosing the emergency; terminal. v

Where the` section of line tobe by-passed by an emergency `cable is greater than the length of a single cable, two emergency cables may be connected by means ofthe emergency terminals; To make such a connection, emergency terminals of two cables, are brought with their dat surfaces 2in face-to-face relationship as shown in Fig. 4, with the molded-in terminal member v4 of one emergency cable terminal aligned Awith, the molded-in terminal .memberof' the other emergency cable terminal. The long bolt members 27 are then turned 'down to fullV traverse kwithin the molded-in terminal members 4 and into the lower ends of the aligned mnldedfin terminal members 5 of the other emergency terminal. When the long bolt meme bers 2 7 are turned down tofull traverse and into engagement with the threaded portions of the corresponding` molded-in terminal members 5, the two emergency terminals are securely clamped together and the two flat surfaces 2 of the clamped emergency terminals are squeezed together so that a water tight connection between the two emergency terminalsv is established. With the.- lower yendsof the terminal members 4-and 5 not extending to the flat surface 2V of the emergency terminal, suiiicient space is allowed between the aligned terminal membersfor the squeezing together of the emergencyterminals to such van extent as to form theI water tight connection above referred to. While the aligned portions of the terminal members 4- and 5 are not brought into physical .con-

tact, electrical connections betweengthe aligned terminal members are established by the long bolt 'and the vother serving 36 is wrapped around the emerg'rencyV terminals transversely of the rst serving and over the boltmembers 27 and 31,'. thus. completely enclosing the emergency` terminals .and the bolt members. f

. 1n a modification of this invention shown in Fig1 7, Ya gasket .37suitably apertured to allow the passage therethrough of the long bolt members 27 of the emergency terminals has been provided. This gasket may be interposed between two emergency terminals which are to be clamped together. When the emergency terminals are clamped together by the long bolt members 27, the gasket 37 may be compressed to such an extent as to form a moisture-proof connection between the flat surfaces 2 of the emergency terminals.

It will be obvious that an emergency cable equipped with terminals of this invention may without any undue delay be securely connected to transmission lines, and that as many emergency cables, as needed, may be connected together by the clamping together of their emergency terminals to extend the emergency cable any distance required to by-pass a section of transmission line which is not in operating condition. With the points of connection wrapped with moisture-proof insulating tape and the emergency cable enclosed in moisture-proof insulating material, the emergency line comprising the emergency cable or cables may, while permanent repairs are being made to the permanent transmission line, lie in snow or Water and still be operative to continue the transmission service while the permanent line is being repaired.

While in this specification a particular structure is described, it is clear that various modications may be made in the structure without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A terminal comprising an insulated cable, a molded insulating body member attached to the insulating material on the cable, tubular conducting terminal members attached to conductors oi the cable and molded into said insulating body member, and bolt members supported in said tubular conducting terminal members, said tubular conducting terminal members and said body member being transversely apertured to receive open wire lines, a second insulated cable and a terminal which are a duplicate of the insulated cable and terminal first mentioned, said bolt members serving in one instance as means for connecting open wire lines to said tubular conducting terminal members and one of said bolt members in another instance serving to clamp the terminal of said insulated cable to the terminal of said second insulated cable.

2. A terminal comprising an insulated cable, a body member of insulating material molded onto an end of said cable, hollow conducting terminal members molded into said body member and attached to conductors of said cable, and bolts secured within said hollow conducting terminal members, said hollow conducting terminal members and said body member being transversely apertured to receive open wire lines, a second cable and a terminal therefore which are a duplicate oi the rst mentioned s terminal and cable, said bolts serving in one instance to attach open wire lines to said hollow conducting terminal members, the bolt in one of said hollow conducting terminal members being of sufficient length to extend through its associated hollow conducting terminal member and into a hollow conducting terminal member of the terminal of said second cable so that the rst mentioned cable may be connected to said second cable.

3. A terminal comprising an insulated cable, a molded body member of insulating material attached to said cable, a plurality of hollow conducting terminal members molded into ysaid body member'and attached to conductors of said cable, said hollow conducting ,terminal members, and said body member being transversely apertured to receive open wire lines a first bolt member supported in one of said hollow conducting terminal members and a second bolt member supported in another of said hollow conducting terminal members, a second insulated cable including a terminal like that of lsaid rst mentioned cable,`v said rst'bolt member being of suiicient length to extend from its associated hollow conducting terminal member and threadedly engage a hollow conducting terminal member of the terminal of said second insulated cable so that in one instancethe terminals of the two insulated cables may be clamped together, and said irst and second bolt members serving in another instance to secure open wire lines to the hollow conducting terminal members of said insulated cable.

4. A terminalcomprising an insulated cable, an insulating body member molded on to the cable, a tubular conducting terminal member f molded into said body member and attached to a conductor in the cable, said body member and molded-in tubular conducting terminal member being transversely apertured to receive an open wire conductor, and abolt engaging said tubular conducting terminal member and the open wire conductor to secure the open wire conductor to said tubular conducting terminal member.

5. A terminal comprising an insulatedvemergency cable, an elongated body of insulating material molded onyto said cable, internally threaded conducting terminal members embedded in said body and attached to conductors in said cable, a second emergency cable like the rst mentioned including a terminal having an elongated body of insulating material and internally threaded c onducting terminal 125 members molded into the body of insulating material, said bodies of insulatingvmaterial and said internally threaded conducting terminal members being transversely apertured to re-

Images