US2136366A

US2136366A - Electrical terminal

Info

Publication number: US2136366A
Application number: US39421A
Authority: US
Inventors: James S Martin
Original assignee: Sangamo Electric Co
Current assignee: Sangamo Electric Co
Priority date: 1935-09-06
Filing date: 1935-09-06
Publication date: 1938-11-15
Anticipated expiration: 1955-11-15

Description

Nov. 15, 1938. J. s. MARTIN 5,

4 ELECTRICAL TERMINAL Filed Sept. 6, 1935 llllfl lllllmllllIlllllih- Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL TERMINAL James S. Martin, Springfield, Ill., assignor to Sangamo Electric Company, Springfield, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 6, 1935, Serial No. 39,421

3 Claims. (01. 173-259) This invention relates generally to electrical Furthermore, where the conductor is merely terminals, and' is more particularly concerned wrapped about the post, the application of too with electrical terminal assemblies of the type much pressure on the conductor by the nut is commonly mounted upon and carried by electrical apt to sever part of the conductor or to force the apparatus, such as electric meters and the like, conductor away from the shank of the post, 5 for receiving relatively small. sized conductors. ,thereby resulting in a faulty connection. Like- These conductors electrically connect various wise, in this latter method of making a connecpieces of electrical apparatus together, and it is tion, if tension is placed upon the conductor, or of prime importance that the terminal assemif the terminal assembly is subjected to vibral0 blies be of such a nature that a positive mechanition, the conductor is apt to loosen under the cal and electrical connection can bemade between nut, thereby de oy t e Clamping action of the conductor and the terminal assembly with the nut with the conductor and the head or rapidity and facility. mounting plate of the post, resulting in a faulty Heretofore, it has been the general practice connection.

to provide electrical apparatus with a terminal .Broadly, the a O j of the P t 15 assembly comprising a binding post having a nut ventlon resides in the construction of a terminal threaded thereon, and connection between the assembly of s a nature that a p v conductor and the terminal assembly has genchanical andelectrical connection can be made erally been established in one of three different between e ee duc end the rminal asse ways. Most often, the conductor was merely -Withrap1dity and facility- In t preferred form, 0

wrapped about the shank of the post and fricthe terminal assembly mprises abase or mounttionally held between the nut and the head of 8 plate having One leg of right angle c p the post, or between the nut and the mounting S c ed t e e Other leg of the p plate of the post. In some cases, the free end tends Parallel to a is spaced ov the plate of the conductor has been bent back upon itself at its forward ca a locking screw 25 in the form of a loop and the terminal end of the which has threaded engagement in the P en loop then wrapped about the conductor and solmaking a Connection, the conductor is merely dered thereto, to form a closed loop at the end slipped between the Plate and the p and they of the conductor, while instill other cases, a seplocking Screw tightened to Clamp the ductor arat lug, m th form of a, l ed l ha b therebetween. The security of the connection is 30 soldered to the free or terminal end of the conentirely ind p nd of an Contact we the ductor. In both of these latter cases, the loop conductor and the Screw and, eensequently, t embraces the ha k of t post and is damped terminal assembly is not subject to the disadbetween the nut and th head or mounting p1atevantages inherent in the above described types of 5 of the post. terminal assembles formerly employed.

There are numerous objections to the above M 5De0ific811y,the1'ef0re,the present invendescribed construction of terminal assembly, and tion has one of its Objects the P ion of the methods of connecting the conductors thereterminal assembly for ce v a conductor,

" to. The connection is uncertain, both electrically Without the necessity of formin IOODS ecurand mechanically, where the conductor is merely e u s o e fre end eo 40 wrapped about the termi al pgsi; and clamped Another feature of the invention resides in by the nut; and, on the other hand, a considerthe Particular manner attaching the clip to able amount of time is consumed in making a the plate- J nectio wh r th free d of th conductors Still another feature of the invention resides is formed t closed loop and soldered, or in the provision of a. terminal assembly wherein 45 where a separate lug has to be soldered to the the main Derts ay be formed 0! metal pfree end of the conductor, In each case, the lugs or the like, and which are capable of ecoconductor must be accurately measured to maine nomical mass production and ready assembly.

, tain a fixed length of conductor between the Other objects and advantages of e P sent devices which it electrically connects,- and likeinvention will appear more fully from the follow- 0 wise, in each case, care must be exercised that ing detailed description which, taken in conthe nut is not turned down against the conducnection with the accompanying drawing, will distor to the extent that the nut would serve' to close to those skilled in the art the particular rotate the conductor about the shank of the post, construction and operation of a preferred form '58, thereby resulting in breakage of the conductor. of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an enlarged'perspective view, partly in section, of a terminal assembly embodying the principles of the present; invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the mounting plate for the clip, and showing a slot formed in the plate for receiving the clip;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the clip; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevational view showing a conductor clamped between the mounting plate and clip.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the

terminal assembly of the present invention comprises a base or mounting plate 5, which may be stamped from any preferred conducting material. The mounting plate shown is a flat rectangular plate intended for use with an electric meter, but it is to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted to this particular shape of the plate, as any other suitable shape of mounting plate may be employed, the only requirement being that it permit of mounting the clip thereon in the manner hereinafter described. As a general rule, the particular shape of the plate will be determined by the form of the particular electrical device with which it is to be employed. As shown, plate 5 is provided with a slot 8 which is cut entirely through the plate and extends longitudinally thereof. Substantially centrally of its length, the slot is provided with an enlarged circular opening, as indicated at I. The slot is adapted to receive andmount one leg of a right angle clip, indicated generally at 8. While the slot is shown as being located adjacent to one end of the plate, it is to be understood that it may be located at any other desired point on the plate, and, if desired, additional slots may be formed in the plate for receiving additional clips.

Clip 8 may be stamped from any preferred flat stock conducting material. The clip is then bent to the form shown to provide a downwardly extending leg, indicated generally at 9, and the horizontally extending leg, indicated generally at l0, extending substantially at right angles to each other. Substantially midway of its vertical height, leg 9 is provided with slots II and II, which extend inwardly from the opposite marginal edges thereof. This slotting of leg 9 forms, in effect, an inverted T having the flanges l3 and I4 connected to the clip by leg |5 of the T.

Clip 8 is mounted upon plate 5 by first inserting the flanges l3 and I4, which are of slightly less thickness than the width of slot 6,, through slot 8, and with the portion I5 of vertical leg 9 disposed in the enlarged portion 1 of the slot. It

will be noted, at this time, that the horizontal leg III will extend transversely of the plate 5. By

now rotating leg in of the clip through substantially a right angle, the leg l5 of the clip being permitted to rotate by virtue of the enlarged portion I of the slot, the flanges |3 and I4 will be revolved into locking positions beneath solid portions of the plate 5. Slots II and I2 are slightly larger in width than the thickness of plate 5 to permit of a slight rocking movement of clip I with respect to the plate, the shoulders l6 and I1 and the flanges i3 and ll of the clip serving to limit the extent of such rocking movement and also vertical movement of the clip with respect to the plate.

After the clip is rotated as above described, leg in of the clip will extend parallel to plate 5 and will be disposed above the plate 5 a distance approximately equal to the height of the shoulders |5.and I, the leg iii of clip 8 and the plate 5 thereby defining a space for the reception of a conductor iii. The height of these shoulders l6 and i1 and, consequently, the height of the space It between clip 8 and plate 5 may be proportioned to accommodate widely different sizes of conductors which it may be desired to employ in connection with the terminal assembly. As its forward end leg 10 is provided with an aperture 20 for loosely receiving a threaded locking screw or bolt 2|, the aperture being substantially larger than the shank of the screw to enable the screw to be passed therethrough even though the top portion of the clip is vertically inclined in accommodating different thicknesses of conductors. This screw preferably, although not necessarily, has a portion 22 seating upon clip 8 and threads into an opening 23 formed in plate 5 immediately in front of slot 5. Preferably, the forward edge of plate 5 is doubled back, as indicated at 24, to provide a relatively thick portion of metal for a greater length of threaded hole 23.

In connecting a conductor to the clip, the terminal end of the conductor is merely slipped into the space between the clip and the plate, and between the leg 9 of the clip and the screw 2|. By tightening screw 2|, the conductor will then be rigidly clamped to plate 5 by the clip.

The terminal accommodates strap types of conductors as shown, and of wide or narrow widths, and also accommodates circular conductors. The clip 8 is capable of vertical rocking movement about the T-shaped interlocking head 9, and hence the clamping portion of the clip 9 can as sume inclined positions for accommodating conductors of different thicknesses.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that with the terminal assembly of the present invention, a connection between such terminal assembly and a conductor can be made with rapidity and facility. The time consumed in making numerous connections with terminals of the .above construction is considerably less than While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described by way of example, it will be obvious that changes may be made therein withinthe spirit and scope of the invention, and, therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the form herein disclosed, except insofar as it may be so limited in the appended claims. For example, the plate 5, as an independent element, might be eliminated by forming the slot 6 and threaded hole .23 directly in some unitary part of the apparatus or device to which the electrical connection is to be made.

I claim:

1. A terminal assembly of the class described comprising a mounting plate having a slot formed therein, a. right angle clip, one of the legs of said clip having a plurality of slots formed therein and defining flanges disposed adjacent the lower end of said leg and shoulders disposed adjacent the top of said leg, the other leg of said clip de+ amazes fining with said plate a space for receiving a conductor therebetween, said flanges being adapted to be inserted through the slot in said plate and said clip to be rotated with respect to said plate to dispose said flanges beneath said plate and said shoulders above said plate to secure said clip to the plate, said flanges and shoulders being disposed in substantially the same plane and positioned relatively closely together to limit rocking movement of said clip with respect to said plate, and a locking screw bearing against the other leg of said clip and threading into said plate, said conductor being received between said clip and plate and positionedbetween said screw and theflrst named leg of said clip whereby tightening of said screw will rock said clip about said conductor to bring said flanges into engagement with the under surface of said plate, said flanges thereby resisting tightening oi! said screw and cooperating with said screw to clamp said conductor between said clip and plate.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the slot in said plate is provided with a substantially centrally disposed enlarged circular opening and the width of the straight portions of said slot are substantially equal to the thickness of the slotted leg of said clip.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the plate has a portion thereof doubled back upon itself to provide for a greater amount of metal for reception of the threaded portion or said locking screw.

JAMES S.