US2026490A - Connecter - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 31, 1935. R, LL 2,026,490

CONNECTER Filed Oct. 14, 1933 INVENTOR ATT ORNEY Patented Dec. 31, 1935 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONNECTER Robert A. Bell, Montclair, N. J., assignor to The Rajah Company, Bloomfield, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 14, 1933, Serial No. 693,574 2 Claims. (61.173-269) This invention relates to a connecter terminal A preferred embodiment of my invention is for electrical conductors. The connecter of this shown in the accompanying drawing, in which invention is particularly adapted for use with fe- Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing a terminal male terminals, such for example as are common embodying my invention inserted in the female on the high tension distributor of automotive igterminal in the top of a distributor cap; 5 nition systems. More particularly, the invention Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the terminal emrelates to a spring connecter adapted to accombodying my invention, e. g., as illustrated in- Fig. modate itself to a variety of female connecters of l, with a part of the coil spring broken away various sizes and proportions, and to form with to show the method of attaching the spring terany a satisfactory tight electrical connection. minal to the ferrule: 10

In a Patent No. 1,933,304 I disclose a spring Fig. 3 is an end View of the male terminal terminal formed of an open helix of spring wire, shown in Fig. l; and

i. e., having the turns thereof spaced apart, the Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a helix being slightly flattened from cylindrical differently proportioned female terminal.

shape. The open helix and the flattening there- Fig. 5 shows the terminal in relaxed condition. 15 of were used in that case in order to permit the In Fig. 1 is shown a portion of a distributor turns of the helix better to engage in grooves in cap Ill, into which is molded a female terminal the female terminal so as to secure the spring ll open at the top through a throat I2 in the connecter in position within the female terminal. distributor cap. A recess l3 in the terminal I I is I The flattening of the helix, moreover, was found provided to serve as a latch for holding the con- 20 to be important, because upon inserting the male necter against accidental separation from the spring into the female terminal, the pressure terminal.

tended to close the turns of the helix together, The connecter in this case consists of a ferrule and thereby to expand it radially. With the 20 crimped at its upper edge about an insulated flattened helix, additional pressure permitted the conductor 2|. The ends of the conductor are 25 expanded helix to be forced into the female terbared and bent back over the insulation so as to minal by forcing the spring back into a circular contact with the inside of the ferrule 20. The form, whereas, upon being released, the spring end of the ferrule is constricted and bent over, as returned to its elliptical form, and made secure shown at '22, to secure one end of the spring 23 contact in the female terminal. to the ferrule. The opposite end of the spring 30 I have now found that it is not necessary to may be left free as shown at 24 on the drawing. use the flattened terminal, and that the expense The upper edge of the ferrule 20 is crimped so of the flattening operation may be eliminated if as to form spaced folds which are pressed into th pr heliX i made tight, 1- with its turns the insulation on the cable and form a secure enclose together. Whereas it had been supposed gagement therewith, whereby the cable and 35 ha t Sp Would have to be capable of terminal maybe twisted together for the inser-- resilient deformation when axially pushed into t of the spring into t female terminal, as the female terminal to permit its insertion, and already described above This crimping, or some to calfse one or more turns of the hehx equivalent method of securing the spring to the gage the groove of W female tenflmal I insulator cable so that it may be twisted without 40 have now found that a fight spn'al sprmg may slippage between the terminal and the cable, and

be made to fit into the female terminal and be without injury to the cable, is extrmeh,

securely held therein if it is twisted upon inserportant when the tight Spiral terminal is used as tion so as to wind up the spring. The effect of Shown and described above this is to attenuate the spring to a smaller di- It is to he understood that many changes and ameter, and thus to permit its insertion into the modifications other than those Specifically female terminal. Uponrelease, the spring again cussed above may be made within the scope of expands and forms an even more secure contact my invention.

than in the case of the open helix, even when rwhat I claim 50 flattened as described 1n my prior Patent No. I A terminal cc,nhecter comprising a female 1,933,304. The terminal is pOSSeSSed Of all terminal cup shaped and having an electrically of the advantages of that described and claimed conductive portion at its inner urface adapted in y P pp ut to a greater degree, to contact with a male terminal inserted therein .55 and furthermore, may be made more cheaply. as hereinafter specified, a male terminal comprising an electrically conductive coil spring of normal diameter slightly greater than the corresponding inside dimension of the female terminal and the turns of which coil spring are substantially touching one another, an insulated conductor electrically connected to said spring, and means mechanically connecting the outside of the insulated conductor to the end of said spring which when the terminals are connected 10 is outermost from the bottom of the cup-shaped terminal whereby an axial pull tends to elongate the spring, said connecting means being adapted to transmit a twisting torque to said spring for insertion of the male terminal into said female terminal and an axial pull thereto for removal of the male terminal from the female terminal.

2. A terminal connecter as defined in claim 1 in which the coil is substantially circular in cross section.

ROBERT A. BELL.

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