US2027220A

US2027220A - Clamping device

Info

Publication number: US2027220A
Application number: US580109A
Authority: US
Inventors: George O Benson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-12-10
Filing date: 1931-12-10
Publication date: 1936-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1953-01-07

Description

G. O. BENSON CLAMPING DEVICE Jan. 7, 1936.

Filed Dec. 10; 1951 wnuuununnnl Patented Jan. 7, 1936 3 UNlTE'D STATES, PATE T Lori-ices; 2 v,g z' ggtgt A :p

v env ronments Gemgoo. Benson, Niagara Falls, N. Y. Application December 10, 1931, Serial Nb. 580,109

'a-c aims; retainer The invention relatesto a newand improved clamping device and is particularly concerned with the provision of new and improved means for-joining. electrical conductors.-

Clamps made in accordance with my invention provide asimpleyet highly effective way of connecting one electrical conductor to anotherwithoutlthe aid of tools and without manual difficulties. Inadditionthey provide, a firm connec- 10 1; tion thatis reliable and which remains intact over indefinite periods, while at the same time providg aneasy and rapid',.method of discontinuing the connection when its continuation is desired no longer.

This latter feature of my clamping device is particularly advantageous in] making connections ofa relatively temporarynature; because removal of the clamp in no wiseimpairs its effectiveness for subsequent applications and consequently it Q maybe moved from one location to another with ease and facility.v Its usefulness in this manner is enhanced by the fact that it is capable of gripping conductors of a wide range of sizes withoutthe'need of adjustment of its-parts.

The cost of manufacturing clamps embodying my invention is low; This is brought aboutby' the simplicity of theircomponent parts, which are few in number, and by the ease of assembly. Not only are the parts simple and few in number, but

they require no elaborate nor expensive auxiliary equipment for their production.

My invention may be understood to better advantage by reference to the attached drawing which has been appended for the purposes of illustration without intent to limit the scope of my-invention to embodiments shown therein.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one em bodiment of my invention in use; Y

40 Figure 2 is a view, partly in section, showing a clamp before engagement with a second conductor; and

Figure 3 shows an elevation of a. modified form of U-shaped yoke.

The clamp l shown in Figure 1 comprises a U- shaped yoke 2, each leg of which has been perforated to permit of the yoke being slipped over and along the rod or conductor 3. One leg 4 of the yoke is made shorter than the other leg 5 and is perforated with an elongated slot 6 close to the open end of the yoke. The other leg 5 is provided with ears 1--'|, which are positioned to provide a gap in said leg at the open end of the yoke, and which serve to hold the conductor I5.

The yoke 2 can be made of any suitable material possessing s'ufiicient strength in moderatewthick nesses .to provide the necessary rigidity and; eed not be, although preferably is, of conductiveii flr turebecause the spring lever '8 engages both conductors and thus provides the necessary pathfop 5, the current. 0 g .The lever Blshownin Figure lis pfa u shape, one leg 9 of which is bent out to provide 'a con ductor-engaging foot I 0, the end of whiqh can. be of the same'contour as the conductor it; engages 195 orcan'be provided with notches on teeth to engage or. bite' into the conductor. The other leg]! n; the .lever is made longer than the leg 9 with the conductor-engaging foot, in order ,to it span the opening between the legs 4 and 5 o M UV-shaped yoke -2-and toprojectpbeyond on e h side. In its preferred form, the leg is bent slightly away from the shorter leg 9 in Qrderto provide greater pressure. against the conductors 3 and I5, butthis same effect can be obtain d'zby 2a,. making thelegs=9 and. I] straight but .diverging to any desired degree. p

The levert can be madeof steel,.br ass or; drawn copper, but, for the best results andgreate est permanency, it should be made preferably 2h. spring steel and plated witha protective andconductive material, such as copper or Because of its flexibility, I characterize the lever 8 as a spring-lever. 1

Figure 2 shows another positionof the clarnp .39; illustrated in Figure 1. In this figure the spring lever is shown with its foot III in engagement with the conductor 3, whereas the opposite leg I l is free. This figure also shows an off-set l3 in the short leg 9, which ofi-set restrains end-wise 5 movement of the spring lever by its engagement with the yoke, and thus assures engagement of the spring-lever with its fulcrum M at substantially the same place each time. End-wise movement of the spring-lever can be restrained by 40 other means than the off-set I3, as, for example, by a rivet through the spring lever toward its open end or by a rivet through the spring-lever on each side of the leg 4 of the yoke. By such means, the spring-lever can be prevented from becoming disengaged from the yoke when the clamp is not in use.

When it is desired to attach the conductor l5 shown in Figure l, the end l6 of the spring-lever, as shown in Figure 2, is depressed. The conductor 5 is then placed under the ears 1-1 and above the spring-lever, which is then permitted to go back against the conductor Hi. In this way the ears 1-1 serve to position the conductor and the conductor serves as a detent for the spring-lever. It

at their free ends so that the yoke can be slipped over rather than slipped along the conductor, as in the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The shorter leg I! is provided with notches |8-l8- in order to'provide a fulcrum for the spring-lever which can be of the same nature and shape as that shown in Figures 1 and 2, except that it is wider. The longer legl9, like the leg H of the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2, is provided with ears to hold and position the second conductor as a detent for the spring-lever.

'Whi1e I have illustrated my invention by a drawing showing specific embodiments and modifications, and have given specific details concerning these modifications, my invention is not limited in its scope to these particular features because numerous modifications are possible; for example, the yoke 2 can be made of V-shape or other shape instead of the 'U-shape illustrated in the drawing. It may be perforated also to accom-. modate a conductor 3 of any shape; such as, hexagonal, rectangular or elliptical, or the perforations for the conductor 3 may be extended to one side of each leg, instead of to the top as shown in Figure 3, in order to permit it being slipped onto a conductor ofgreat length. Other modifications include spring levers of difierent shape than the fiat rectangular shape illustrated in the drawing. 'It may be round or elliptical in cross-section, in which case the yoke is perforated accordingly to accommodate it properly, and the conductor'engaging foot is provided with the required sharp edge or point to engage the conductor firmly.

- Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1.'In combination, a rigid U-shaped yoke having its legs parallel and perforated, a conductor passing through perforations in said legs, ears on a freeend of one of said legs to engage a second conductor, and a spring member having two legs one of. which presses against the first conductor and the other presses the second conductor against the ears, said spring member passing through a perforation in one leg of said yoke and v being supported by said yoke.

2. A clamp comprising a rigid U-shaped yoke and a spring lever in combination, said yoke having its legs substantially parallel and perforated to receive a conductor, one leg of said yoke being perforated to receive the spring lever, the other leg of said yoke having ears at a free end to engage a second conductor, said spring lever being of U-shape with one leg shorter than the other and having a normally projecting foot of suflicient length to engage a conductor passed through the perforations in the legs of the yoke, said short leg of the spring lever being received in the perioration in the leg of the yoke and said longer leg being of. sufficient length to pass between the ears on the other leg of the yoke.

3. A clamp comprising a rigid yoke and a spring lever in combination, said yoke having substantially parallel legs with two openings in each leg the openings in one leg being substantially opposite those in the otherleg and one of said openings being located at a bend in the leg of said yoke positioned adjacent the free end of said yoke, said spring lever having a generally U-- shape with one leg substantially straight and longer than'the other and withthe shorter leg bent outwardly of the U to form a foot, the combination being efiected by the U-shaped spring lever being received in an opening in one leg with the bent over foot substantially parallel to and between the legs of said yoke and directed toward the other oppositely disposed openings in the legs of the yoke, whereby the longer leg of the spring lever becomes receivable in the corresponding opening in the other leg of the yoke, and 'the combination being characterized when in use by having the bent over foot of the spring lever in engagement with a conductor passing through oppositely positioned openings in the legs of. said yoke and the longer leg of said spring lever being in engagement with another conductor which conductor is pressed against the yoke at the bend located at the opening receiving the longer leg of the spring lever.

' GEORGE O. BENSON.