US2004999A

US2004999A - Ground rod

Info

Publication number: US2004999A
Application number: US630202A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Mcilvane
Original assignee: Bridgeport Brass Co
Current assignee: Bridgeport Brass Co
Priority date: 1932-08-24
Filing date: 1932-08-24
Publication date: 1935-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1952-06-18

Description

June 18, 1935. w. J. MOILVANE GROUND ROD Filed Aug. 24, 1932 Patented June 18,1935

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GROUND ROD William J. McIlvane, Bellerose, N. Y., assignor to Bridgeport Brass Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application August 24, 1932, Serial No. 630,202

Claims. (01. 173-31) This invention relates to ground rods used for Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the parts shown in grounding electrical apparatus. Customarily, Fig. 3; such rods are driven into the earth to provide Fig. 5 is an edge view of the structure shown electrical grounds for lightning arresters, radio in Fig. 3;

i5 circuits, transformer cases, and other electrical Fig. 4a shows the clamping block illustrated in 5 apparatus d i t, Fig. 4 but with the transverse bolt and side In providing a ground rod or ground electrode clamping plates omitted and with a lead wire which would be long-lived and would not be subclamped to the front edge portion of the block; ject to attack by corrosion, it has been considered Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a still further modi- 1 necessary in many cases to make the rod itself fied form; and 10 of copper, or steel covered with copper. With Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the parts shown in such a rod, it was possible to connect the copper Fig. 6. lead wires to therod body having an outer sur- It is understood from what has been said above face of copper without causing corrosion due to that in the practice of my invention, the ground galvanic action between the rod and the wires or r d pr p r i pr f r y n ru d f Wr ht 15 parts th n However, copper d d t ha iron or other ferrous material; that the lead wire the necessary rigidity to be driven into hard Wires are preferably made of pper 0 Other earth, and steel rods covered with copper have non-ferrous m t and hat it is aimed to probeen wh t im it, expensive t produce, vide a structure for connecting the lead wire or one of the objects of my invention is to prowires to the IOd in a manner which is simple and 20 d a tr t h h permits th enlplgyconvenient and which overcomes the setting up ment of a. rod proper made of wrought iron, so of a van c action in the structure.

that the rod may be 'suificiently strong and rigid In the form Shown in 1 a e OImd and may at the same time be relativelyinexrod prop h h is i a d t m y e aspensive "and have very satisfactory resistance to sumed to be a long p d d of Wrought iron. 25 underground corrosion, which is a condition real- T this od is connected a substantially c g ized very efiectively when the rod is made of clamping block ll of 1 1 y e s of puddled iron, for example. However, my imwhich the copper lead Wires 1 2 are connected elecprovements are not limited to the use of wrought trically With the irOIl The pp block l 3o m as t rod proper may b d f copperis preferably grooved at one side, as indicated at bearing steel or other alloy steel or iron which 50 as t0 Conform to the Curvature Of th 0Y- resists underground corrosion. lindrical electrode body, and where the block con- Another object of my invention is to provide orms to the electrode body, it is secured thereto a non -corroding construction in which the lead by a Corrosion-proof J'O Such as p d y wire or wires can be effectively clamped to the Welding, z Soldering, wis Derma- 35 'rod by a. releasable mechanical clamp of Simple nently securing the blocli to the rod. In the parnature. It is intended t provide a device which miller form shown In Flgs- 1 and 2, ground Wires is very convenient in use and yet relatively inexmay attached 9 the m at Opposlte sldes pensive thereof1 lslg that1 wires ltlllinilzllitlpll; cafi be; cotnniectted 40 Another object is to provide means for connect- 0 gm r c S 1 e W0 i to iiiiiii t: eat ries? grains; are: ferrousgrandmas-1reslmpleaneeeeemmenblock throughout the height of the block, and ner andwith the avo dance of galvanic corrosion.

I betweenthese grooves is located a bore IE to i To these and otherends, the invention consists receive a clamping bolt '5 having a head n on 45 in the novel features and combinations of parts one end and a nut l8 engaging threads on the to be ere a described and Claimedopposite end of the bolt shank. Round copper In the d w washers I 8 may be employed for clamping the g Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ground rod conwires to the faces of the block in an obvious 59 structed iniaccordance with my invention; manner.

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the parts shown in In the form shown in Figs. 3, 4, 4a and 5, the .Fig. 1; 7 f structure is modified in some particulars. In Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified structure this instance, the block 20, instead of having in which approximately rectangular wire clampgrooved side faces, has plain flat side faces, and

65 ing plates are employed; wires are clamped against it and held against lateral dislocation by substantially rectangular clamping plates 2| of copper having grooved side portions 22 which engage the lead wires and in turn are engaged by round copper washers 23. One of the washers 23 is located beneath the head Ila of bolt "a, and the other washer is located in engagement with a nut i8a. engaging the threaded shank of bolt IGa.

In this second form, a lead wire may be secured to the front or outer edge of the clamping block, if this is desired. In such case, the removable clamping devices shown in Fig. 4 are taken off the block, and a small clamping plate 24 is secured in position at the front face of the block by the small bolt 25 having a threaded shank engaging a threaded socket'26 in the clamping block, as shown in Fig. 4a. In this case the lead wire He is held in place by plate 24 in a groove 21 at the front edge of the block, a shown more particularly in Fig. 5. I

It will be understood that in the constructions so far described, the copper or similar non-ferrous clamping block is attached to the ferrous rod in a manner which prevents the setting up of galvanic action between the block and the rod;

contacts with rod I0 is made of the same material as said rod, it can have a releasable clamping engagement with said rod. Thus, in the particular form shown, the ferrous attaching plate 28 has formed integral with it a ferrous sleeve member 29 adapted to be slid along rod [0 and to be held in the desired position thereon by means of ferrous set screw 30. At opposite faces of plate 28, non-ferrous plates 3| are secured thereto in a manner which provides against the setting up of galvanic action, for example, by welding, brazing or soldering members 3| to member 28, thus forming a composite clamping block. The members 3| are provided with grooves 32 similar to the grooves l4 previously described, and the, non-ferrous ground wires l2b are releasably held in these grooves by means similar to those described with reference to the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The structure shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is, in fact, similar to that shown in Figs. land 2, the principal difierence being that in the former arrangement a ferrous supporting frame for the clamping block is employed, such frame having releasable mechanical engagement with the body of the electrode.

While I have illustrated and described several embodiments of my invention, I have not attempted to describe all of the different forms which may be taken by the invention without departure from the principles of my invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for connecting electrical apparatus to ground, the combination of a ground rod body adapted to be driven into the ground, said body being made of ferrous material and resistant to bending, a clamping block located adjacent the upper end of the rod body and extending parallel to said body in the plane thereof and presented edgewise to said body and curved to conform to the periphery thereof, said block having at the side face thereof a non-ferrous surface adapted to be engaged by ground wires for preventing electrolysis, means of connection between the edge portion only of said block and the rod body for securing the block to the rod body in rigid relation thereto, a clamping member of non-ferrous material located at one of the side faces of said block and adapted to clamp ground wires against said block, and a bolt extending into said block and clamping member for holding said clamping member in clamping relation to the wires.

2. In a device for connecting electrical apparatus to ground, the combination of a ground rod body adapted to be driven into the ground, a clamping block located adjacent the upper end of the rod body and extending parallel to said body in the plane thereof and presented edgewise to said body and shaped to conform to the periphery thereof, said block having at the side face thereof a surface of a different metal from that of the rod body adapted to be engaged by ground wires for preventing electrolysis, means of connection between the edge portion only of said block and the rod body for securing the block to the rod body in rigid relation thereto, a clamping member located at one of the side faces of said block and adapted to clamp ground wires against said block, and a bolt extending into said block and clamping member for holding said clamping member in clamping relation to the wires.

3. In a device for connecting electrical apparatus to ground, the combination of a solid ground rod of round cross section adapted to be driven into the ground, a substantially rectangular clamping block of a thickness approximating the diameter of the rod body located adjacent the upper end of the rod body and presented edgewise thereto so as to lie in the plane of the rod body, said block being in abutting relation to the rod body and curved to conform to the periphery thereof, said block having side faces of a different metal from that of the ground rod body adapted to be engaged by ground wires, means for securing the block rigidly to the rod body, said block having a hole extending horizontally therethrough between the rod body and the outer edge of said block, clamping members at the side faces of said block, and a bolt passing through said hole for holding said clamping members in clamping relation to said block, the clamping parts intermediate the bolt and the rod body being provided with vertical wire-receiving grooves located at the side faces of the block and there being similar wire-receiving grooves at that side of the bolt which is remote from the rod body.

4. In a device for connecting electrical conductors to ground, the combination of a solid continuous ground rod body adapted to be driven into the ground and of substantially uniform round cross-section throughout the major part of its length, a clamping block of substantially rectangular shape extending parallel to the rod body and presented edgewise thereto so as to lie in the plane of said body, said block being of a thickness approximating the diameter of the rod body and having a curved edge portion presented and conforming to the rod body, means of integral connection between the curved edge of said block and said rod body whereby said block is rigidly and intimately connected with said body, a side face of said block being adapted to engage one or more electrical conductors and being of a diiferent metal from said ground rod body and of a similar metal to the conductors, for preventing electrolysis, a clamping member located at said side face of said block and adapted to clamp the conductors against said face, and a bolt in said block and said clamping member for holding said clamping member in clamping relation to the conductors.

5. In a ground rod structure, a ground rod body of ferrous material and of solid round cross-section, a, non-ferrous clamping block substantially rectangular in shape located adjacent the upper end of the rod body and extending parallel to said body and presented edgewise thereto so as to lie in the plane thereof, said block being of a thickness approximating the diameter of the rod body and having a curved edge portion presented to the rod body, means of intimate connection between the curved edge portion of said block and the rod body for securing the block to the rod body in rigid integral relation thereto, clamping members of non-ferrous material at the side faces of said block, and a bolt extending through a hole in said block and adapted to hold the clamping members in clamping relation to vertical wires interposed between the clamping members and the block, the clamping portions being provided with vertical wire-receiving grooves, certain of said grooves being between the bolt and the rod body and others being at the remote side of the bolt.

WILLIAM J. McILVANE.