US1997143A - Conductor clamp - Google Patents

Description

April 1935- K. A.IHAWLEYY 1,997,143

conmic'roR CLAMP Filed June 17, 1927 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 r CONDUCTOR CLAMP '7 Kent I B altiinore Mdq. assignor to Locke Insulator Corporation, Baltimore, Md., a

' ,cofpoi'atioii 'gif Maryland v U Application'June17, 1927, Serial No. 199,512

' d 'ifiis. (atr a-'31) The invention relates to clamps such as are used for the suspension -of the conductorsof transmission lines, for securing a g'round'conductor, andforother p'urposes.=. V In transmission line: practice it is'customary to provide conductor clamps which are pivoted with respect to the insulator, string irom which the conductor is suspended. Thepivotpoint of the clamp generally several inches from the suspension device and the result that when the clamp moves in accordance with vibrations of the conductor the clamp must movelongitudinally as o well as pivotally. As such clampsare necessarily of fairly heavy construction so as ,to wi'th stand the service strains they have considerable inertia and will not follow the vibrations" o f theconductor. It consequently occurs thatthe} conductor may bend more or less sharply "at theedge of the clamp, resulting in crystallization. and-eventual breaking of the conductor strands. It therefore becomesfa matter of importancetofreduce the inertia so that the clamp may respond instantly and accurately to the Vibrations which are always present in the transmission line. g g

It is with the above factsiji n viewIthat I have designed the present invention whichhas for its principal object the provision of a clamp so constructed and having. such'a pivotal mountingit hat it will offer the minimum resistanceto, the con ductor vibrations, that ism say the inertia will be reduced so that the clamp may follow the vi brations without'lagging and. causing bending strains in the-conductor to. be set 1up.- V

The object of the invention, morespecifically stated, is to provide a clamp pivoted on an axis transverse to and intersecting the longitudinal axis of the conductor whereby necessary movement in a vertical plane will'be permitted without changingthe location of the" center of mass of the clamp and without any change in the sition of the supporting parts above it.

Still another object of the'inventio-n is to provide a clamp of such construction that there will be a rolling rather than a sliding contact at the pivot so as to facilitate oscillation.

Afurther objectis to provide a clamp having a novel arangement of pivot means and a novel mounting therefor on the suspension means whereby assembly, or disassembly, may be effected quickly and easily.

An additional object is to provide a clamp of this character which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture, positive in action, eflicient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

tionin this respect. In detail, the member l 'To the attainment of the foregoing and ot r objects and advantages, the invention preferably consists in the details-of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts-tobeheieinafter more fully described and Claimed,- aiid'il-f '5' lustrated in the accompanying drawing'in which: Figure l is a side elevation ofa clam constructed inaccordance with the preferred form of theinvention,

"Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof with the 10 suspension links in section,

Figure 3 is an end view, 1 I Figure e is a detail cross section taken on the line- 4+ of Figure 1. i "Referring moreparticularly t the drawing-, I have shown :the'clamp as comprising aulower clamping member indicated generally at];- this member being of suitable size andwei'g ht-de pending upon the size of the conductor tribe held. This member may conveniently be'foriried asia casting though there is no particular liniita comprises an elongated body channel shaped cross section or formed with a longitudinally tending groove 2 for the receptionand acc'oiir modation of the condue'tort, the central por: tion of the bottom of the groove'bein'g sutstait; tially straight and constituting a-seatql con formingly'enga'gedby the conductor.- The ends of the member I are preferably curved new wardly as clearly shown so that the conductor s will be out of contact with the ends.- -Atopp'o-j site'fsides, the member I shown as provided with a plurality of laterally extending-lugsor' ears 5' formed withholes s im a purpose t'o be described. In-orde'rito rigidify'the structure the underside of the member I is preferablyprovided with a central l longitudinally I extending ='rib",'l intersecting a transverse rib 8. Clearly-these ribs will act-as trusses for reinforcing the clamp, at the portion subject to the great'eststra-in However, many variations in the number and arrangement of reinforcement elements are pos-' l sible.

Theclamp further includes an upper clamp- 45 ing member 9 which may be of substantially the V same length asthe member i and of a size to be received within the groove 2 for clamping engagement with the conductor 3. The member 9 may conveniently be formed as a casting but regardless of this detail is preferably provided inwardly of its ends with pairs of spaced ribs I0 defining seats H for securing bolts l2 which might conceivably be of the J -type but which are here represented as U-shaped with the arms thereof passing through the holes 6 in the membets 5 and equipped with nuts I3. By providing the seats II it is clear that when thebolts are in place it will be impossible for the clamping member 9 to shift longitudinally with respect to the member I. V

Between the inner ones'of the pairs of ribs I0 the member 9 is preferably provided with a central longitudinally extending stiffening rib 14 for reinforcing purposes at the portion of greatest strain. Beyond the outermost ribs ID the end v thereon, danger ofocrystallization and consequent portions of the member 9 are preferably curved upwardly away from the conductor so as to avoid contact therewith even though violent vibration V of the conductor might occur from any; cause.

adapted to be connected in any suitable or-preferred manner with a suspension device :indicated by dot and dash lines ll. ;The principal feature of the invention is the particular mounting of the clamp with respect to the links l5. Preferably, the lower clamping .member I is formedwith .trunnions [8 which project outwardly from opposite sides betweenvther lugs or ears 5, reinforcing bosses I9 being provided at the base of. the trunnions or at their juncture with the member These trunnions are represented as of cylindrical form' and they prefer ably terminate in heads 20 whichrareelongateci downwardly was to project beyond the lower surface of the trunnions; .The links I6 are formed with elongated openings 2| receiving the trunnions and of preferably slightly greater width than the diameter thereof so asto permit the trunnions to have more or less of a rolling action rather than a sliding action when pivoting of the clamp occurs. The openings 2| must be at least slightly greater size than the heads 20 so as to permitthe links to be engaged upon the trunnions. When assembly. is effected it is of course apparent that the heads 20 will project beyond and overlie the material at the lower ends of the openings so that disconnection of the links from theclamp by lateral movement with respect thereto will be prevented. I While it is not. essential it maybe preferable to provide cotter pins 22 which extend through. the heads 20 for assisting the holding action. a

The above described clamp is assembled in an obvious manner and it will be apparent that in service the clamping members themselves may turn as a unit with the trunnions as a pivot mounting, the axis of rotation extending substantially through the center line of the conductor at right angles thereto. There is consequently no change in the position of the center of mass and the objectionable inertia effects in ordinary structures are thus avoided. In other words the clamp may accommodate itself to vibrations in the conductor so as to avoid the bringing of any bending strains whatsoever breakage being eliminated.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed and inexpensive clamp which may be quickly and easily assembled ordisassembled and which will in .utility and increase the adaptability of the device provided such changes constitute no depar- 'ture from the spirit of the invention or the scope or" the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: 1. In a clamping device ofthe character described, apair of clamping'members disposable against" opposite sides of a conductor, means for maintaining the clamping members in clamping relation upon the conductor; trunnions projecting laterally from one clamping member, and suspension links pivotally receiving said trunm'ons, the trunnions having elongated heads thereon, and the links having correspondingly elongated openings for the passage of the heads, whereby after assembly the heads'will overlap the openings for preventing withdrawal.

' 2. In a clamping device of the character described, a pair of clamping members disposable against opposite sides of a conductor, means for maintaining the clamping'members in clamping relation upon the conductor; trunnions projecting laterallyfrom one clamping member, and suspension links pivotally' receiving said trunnions, the trunnions having elongated heads thereon, and the links having correspondingly elongated openings for the passage of theheads, the openings being of slightly greater width than the diameter of the trunnionsto permit a rolling movement. a a v KENT A. HAWLEY.

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