US1979117A

US1979117A - Electric cable clamp

Info

Publication number: US1979117A
Application number: US462594A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry J Muehleman
Original assignee: DELTA STAR ELECTRIC CO
Current assignee: DELTA STAR ELECTRIC CO; DELTA-STAR ELECTRIC Co
Priority date: 1930-06-20
Filing date: 1930-06-20
Publication date: 1934-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 1951-10-30

Description

Oct. 30, 1934. H. J. MUEHLEMAN 1,979,117

ELECTRIC CABLE CLAMP Filed June 20, 1930 2 SheetsSheet l HHHL w w v grvue-nfo'c 17 y 4 Henry, J J zzahlemam Oct. 30, 1934. J MUEHLEMAN 1,979,117

ELECTRIC CABLE CLAMP Filed June 20, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zlwuemtov dmw Patented Oct. 130, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC ELECTRIC CABLE CLAMP Application June 20, 1930, Serial No. 462,594

12 Claims.

' mm connections so as to provide an electrical clamp with an efliciency which avoids heating by reason of the constant pressure on the parts in contact.

A feature of this electrical clamp resides in a structure adapted to overcome bending or fatigue of parallel groove clamps which may cause heating and eventual failure. The clamping bolts are located so that they exert pressure directly on to the conductor (not between) as is the case in ordinary clamp design, thereby insuring constant mechanical pressure and providing an electrical clamp wherein the clamp remains cooler than the conductor at all times. This clamp permits the making of an electrical connection quickly on a power line or at the station and the unitary structure holds the members together in a desirable manner.

A further feature of my electrical clamp resides in a particular design having means for receiving the clamping bolts which may be of a straight formation having a head portion engaged by means adapted to hold the bolt collectively with one of the clamping plates. This structure prevents the bolts from becoming disengaged and provides a unitary structure desirable to the linemen in the use of the clamp.

A further feature of my electrical clamp resides in diagonally disposed clamping bolt means which provide a. narrow formation to the clamp and which provides a structure adapted to permit the clamping bolts to be spaced on opposite sides disposed between each other between the ends of the clamp and with an angularly disposed bolt clamping means in a criss-cross formation of the longitudinal center line of the electrical cable being clamped, togetherwith reinforcing ribs ex. tending through the clamping plates in a crisscross manner, thereby providing a very sturdy clamp adapted to firmly connect electrical cables together with considerable tension and thus providing the efficiency for a clamp of this nature.

The particular objects and details will be more fully and clearly set forth in the specification and claims. a

5o In the drawings forming part of the specification:

Figure 1 is a side view of the electrical clamp. Figure 2 is an end view of the same, showing the cable in section. 55 Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 1.

filler to space the ends of connecting portions of Figure 4 illustrates a plan view of the electrical clamp with a multiplicity of clamping bolts criss-crossly disposed of the longitudinal center line of the cable.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the electrical 0 clamp where a multiplicity of clamping bolts are used and the clamp is inverted.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail of a portion of the clamp.

Figure 8 is a side view of an alternative form.86

Figure 9 is an end view of the form illustrated in Figure 8.

' This electrical clamp A is designed to connect electrical cables 10 in a manner so as to firmly secure the same together to make an electrical connection in straight parallel lines and to provide an efllcient electrical connector.

The clamp A is formed with the

main clamping plates

11 and 12. These plates are formed with a longitudinally extending angular cable engaging channel 13 which adjustably connects over the electrical cables 10 to secure the same together. Interposed between the cables 10 I provide a spacer 14 which may be made up of two portions rigidly connected together at 15 and which is formed with longitudinal angular cable engaging channels 16 on the oppositely disposed, faces. This spacer 14 is positioned between the clamping bolts 17 and is adapted to form the the cables apart in the clamp A.

The

clamping plates

11 and 12 have an angular formation to form the channel clamping platelike portion 18, the outer shape of which may follow the inner cable engaging channel grooves 13. This provides the portions 18 which fit closely to the cables 10. Integrally formed with the portions 18 I provide the bolt receiving bosses 20 which project from the channel portions 18 and which are formed with flat surfaces 21 against which the heads 22 and the nuts 23 of the bolts 17 engage so as to form a. fiat bearing surface to permit the bolts 17 to be securely attached with considerable force to draw the portions 18 against the cables 10. The boss portions 20 of the clamp A blend into the body of the portions '18 and are formed with tapered off faces 24 which taper from the side edges of the portions 18 to the outer edge of the bosses 20.

The bolts 17 pass through the boss portions 20 of the plate 12 and in the formation of these plates 12 lugs 25 are formed projecting upward from the surface 21 of the plate as illustrated in Figure 7, which are adapted to be bent down overthe head 22 of the bolts, to hold the bolts as a unit with the plate 12 and prevent the bolts from becoming disengaged therefrom while the clamp A is in use or being attached to a cable. This bolt holding means'is important because it provides a simple structure for holding the bolts 17 to the plate 12 and the linemen may readily connect the cable clamp A to the cables 10 using the plate 12 as the bottom plate of the clamp, While the plate 11 may be the top plate, and this permits the nuts 23 to be readily attached to the bolts 17. When the clamp A is used in this manner the bolts 17 will not drop out and the nuts may easily be connected to the same so that the linemen may make an electrical connection by the connector A quickly and efficiently.

The plate 11 is formed with a diagonally disposed reinforcing rib 26 which extends across the surface 21 on the plate 11 between the bolts 17. The formation of the lugs 25 also provides a rib-like reinforcing portion 27 which is diagonally disposed-across the surface 21 of the plate 12. These reinforcing ribs strengthen the'portions 18 between the bolts and provide a structure for the clamp A which more evenly distributes the force of the'clamping bolts 17 in holding the cables 10 clamped between the same. To avoid heating in the connection of electrical cables such as 10, it is necessary to keeep constant pressure on the partsin contact. My clamp accomplishes this result by providing clamping plates, such as 11 and 12, which may be drawn together by the bolts 17 with a powerful force and the give in the cables will provide the necessary spring tension between the parts so that a constant pres sure is maintained on the contacting parts of the clamp and cables and thus an efficient low-loss electrical connection is'made without the necessity of soldering or integrally connecting the electrical cables such as 10. This is important as it permits the clamp to be used onthe line to quickly connect electrical cables. The

plates

11 and 12 may be made of copper or other suitable material which provides the most efficient clamping means in making of electrical connections of this nature. P

The clamp A may be made with a multiplicity of clamping bolts 17, such as illustrated in Figures 4, 5, and 6, where the bolts are criss-crossly disposed in relation to the longitudinal center line of the connecting cables in the clamp A. By placing the bolts in this diagonal relation to each other the clamping force of the bolts can be more "evenly distributed in relation to the sides of the clamp and where a multiplicity of bolts are used in a large cable clamp, such as illustrated in Figure 4 and Figure 5, the clamping force of a bolt on one side of the clamp is interposed between two clamping bolts on the other side of the clamp between the ends of the same. A powerful clamping grip can be obtained by this formation and the bolts 17 can be placed closely to the sides of the cables being clamped as well as the clamping plates 18 and the channel filler 14. The diagonal reinforcing ribs 26 carry the strain from one bolt to the other, to opposite sides of the clamping plate 11 over the flat surface 21 and similar angu- -larly disposed ribs 28 extend over the surface of the plate 11 from one side to the other between the portions which form the flat surfaces 21. This provides an angular reinforcing means extending back and forth across the plate 11 which distributes the force of the clamping bolts 17 evenly from one side to the other of the clamp A. The plate 12v has the same diagonally disposed reinforcing means as the

ribs

26 and 28 in the rib-like portions 27 between the lugs 25 and the diagonally disposed ribs 29 which extend between the fiat surfaces 21. Thus diagonal reinforcing ribs extend across from bolt to bolt in either of the

plates

11 and 12 and thereby form a criss-cross distribution of the clamping strain of one bolt to the other in relation to the diagonal center line of the cables held in the clamp A. The clamps A are designed to provide a powerful clamping means for connecting electrical cables together and they are equally adapted to either small or large cables so as to permit the linemen to make an electrical connection between electrical cables at any time veryquick-ly. The neat compact formation of the clamp together with its advantage of making such a close connection between the cables as to remain cool at all times during its operation, accomplishes very desirable results.

The clamp A may be made in the form illuso5 trated by the clamps B where the clamping bolts 17 are directly oppositely disposed across in relation to each other rather than diagonally disposed. This clamp 13 is provided with a filler 32 positioned between the bolts 17. The filler 32 is 100 formed with rib portions 33 which extend on either side of the shank of the bolts 17 to hold the filler portion 32 against sliding in the clamp B. In this form of the clamp the headsp22 of the bolts 17 are held by the lugs 25 which are bent down over the heads after the bolts 17 are positioned in the lower plate 34. The plate 34 performs the same function as the plate 12 in the clamp A.

The clamp B will also clamp the cables tightly 110 together but does not provide the efllciency of distribution of the clamping forces of the bolts 17 as evenly as in the clamp formation A. However, this clamp has the same structure in the holding of the bolts as a unit with the plate '34 and 5 permits the operator to connect the clamp easily over the electrical cables 10 in a manner to engage the same with considerable force.

The formation of my clamp A with the parts closely associated together provides an electrical clamp wherein straight clamping bolts such as 17 may be used and wherein the clamping plates are formed with boss and rib portions which distribute the force of the clamping bolts evenly from side to side and which interpose the forces of the 25 clamping bolts on one side with a pair of the clamping bolts on the other side, particularly in the large type of clamps where themultiplicity of clamping bolts are employed so that a very eflicient and desirable electrical clamp is provided. 136

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described theprinciples and features of my electrical clamp and I have endeavored to represent the best embodiment thereof, nevertheless, obvious variations and adaptations of my clamp may 13 5 be made within the scope of the following claims maintaining the principles and purposes and intent of the invention.

I claim: 1. An electrical cable clamp including main 140 clamping plates, one of said plates having bosses for receiving straight clamping bolts said plate including means for holding the heads thereof as a unit with said plate and the other of said plates having bosses for receiving the threaded and nut end of the clamping bolts, and interconnected diagonally disposed parallel force distributing ribs in each of said plates distributing the strain alternately from one side to the other.

2. In combination, a pair of clamping plates each having a channel-like formation adapted to receive electrical cables, a channel-like filler adapted to be interposed between the connecting cables held by said plates, bolt receiving bosses extending from said plates'diagonally disposed on either side of said plates, and reinforcing'diagonally disposed ribs adapted to distribute the strain of the bolts extending through said bosses alternately from one side to the other to provide a strong clamp for electrical cables,

4. An electrical cable clamp including a pair of clamping plates each havinga channel-like formation, bolt receiving bosses with bolt holes'extending therethrough diagonally disposed on ,opposite sides of said plates, flat working surfaces on said bosses for the engagement with the head and nut respectively of, the clamping bolts, and diagonally disposed strain distributing ribs extending from one boss'to the other in said flat surfaces, some of said diagonally disposed ribs on one clamping plate forming means for holding the bolts as a unit with said plate.

5. An electrical cable clamp including, a pair of channel clamping plates, bolt receiving bosses having bolt holes extending therethrough formed on opposite sides of said plates and diagonally disposed one to the other to provide an electrical clamp and a series of parallel criss-cross reinforcing ribs diagonal in relation to the center of the electrical cables held by said clamp.

6. In combination, a pair of highly electrically conductive clamping plates having grooves for receiving electrical cables, a highly conductive electric spacer adapted to be positioned in said clamp by cables clamped therein, oppositely disposed V-grooves in said spacer, straight clamping bolts in staggered relationship on opposite sides of the cable extending through said plates, rib means having free ends for holding said bolts against disengagement from one of said plates, and reinforcing means for distributing the strain from one bolt to the other and from side to side of said plates.

'7. An electrical cable clamp formed of a material having a high electrical conductivity, clamping plates each having a channel-like formation, integrally formed bolt receiving bosses having bolt holes therethrough projecting from the outer surfaces of said plates, said bosses being diagonally disposed in relation to the sides of said plates, diagonally disposed reinforcing rib portions extending criss-cross in relation to the diagonal channel center line of said plates to distribute the clamping strain of bolts extending through said bosses from side to side of said plates and to interpose the strain of one bolt on one side of said clamp centrally between two bolts disposed on the opposite side of said clamp.

8. An electrical clamp comprising clamping plates having cable receiving channels, a cable spacer having cable receiving channels adapted to space the cables in said clamp, straight bolts positioned in longitudinal staggered relationship on either side of said clamp and extending through said clamping plates, a diagonal rib extending between each pair of said bolts, free ends on said rib on one of said plates adapted to be bent over the heads of said bolts after said bolts are positioned in said plate.

9. An electrical clamp including, a pair of clamping plates, bolt receiving openings formed in said plates in staggered relationship, andzigzag'strain distributing ribs formed in said plates extending from one bolt hole to the other to distribute the strain from bolt to bolt and side to side of said clamping plates.

10. An electrical cable clamp including, a pair of clamping plates, bolt receiving openings formed in the opposite sides of said plates diagonally one to the other, straight clamping bolts, means for holding said bolts as a-unit with one of said plates, and zigzag criss-cross strain distributing reinforcing means formed in each of said plates extending from one bolt on one side of the plates to the next adjacent bolt on the opposite side of 'ends of said ribs, and connecting ribs connecting one end of one rib on one side of said plates to the other end of the next adjacent rib on the other side of the plate.

HENRY J. MUEHLEMAN.