US2437339A

US2437339A - Connector

Info

Publication number: US2437339A
Application number: US542949A
Authority: US
Inventors: Benjamin C Webster
Original assignee: Bryant Electric Co
Current assignee: Bryant Electric Co
Priority date: 1944-06-30
Filing date: 1944-06-30
Publication date: 1948-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 1965-03-09

Description

Patented Mar. 9, A1948 CONNECTOR Benjamin C. Webster, Fairileld, Conn., auignor to The Bryant Electric Company,

Conn.,

Bridgeport.

a corporation of Connecticut Application June 3.0, 1944, Serial No. 542,949 4 Claims. (Cl. 173-324) This invention relates to connecting devices in general, and more particularly, to devices for ccnnecting electrical conducting wires.

In electrically connecting a plurality of electrical conducting wires, it is highly desirable to provide a means for eiiecting the connection which is as simple as possible, preferably having but a single mechanical adjustment for making a goed electrical connection of all the wires. One diculty encountered heretofore in providing satisiactory connecting means of this type, is the problem cf providing for adequate electrical contact where the wires to be connected are of dif- .ferent sizes, as often occurs, for example, at junction points in surface wiring.

@ne object of this invention, therefore, is to provide novel mechanical means for electrically connecting a plurality of wires, with the connect lng means having but a single adjustable member for obtaining good contact pressure with the wires, irrespective of variations in size or such w res.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel mechanical means having but a single pressure applying member for electrically connecting a plurality of wires converging toward a single point, under good contact pressure.

Another object of this invention is to provi-de novel mechanical means for electrically connecting a plurality of wires, with independent contact pressure applying means for each wire controlled by a single adjustable pressure applying member.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel pair oi' wire clamping members having a single adjustable pressure applying member for clamping a plurality of wires therebetween, with each wire segregated and independently clamped.

These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description or a preferredembodiment thereof, when taken in connection with the attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section view through a connector device embodying this invention taken substantially on the line I-I oi Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a plan view oi' the device shown in Fig. 1. with the clamping plate and screw removed;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the clamping plate I shown in Fig. 1: and

Fig. 4 is an end view shown in Fig. 1.

The embodiment oi the invention illustrated oi the connector device on the drawing comprises a connector adapted to be mounted on a supporting base 2 of insulating material, preferably of a molded insulating material. Supporting base 2 is provided at one side thereof with spaced integral side ilanges 4 between which there is mounted a .base plate 6, which should be of some good electrical conducting material, such, for example, as copper, brass, or the like. Base plate 6 is substantially rectangular in form and is provided at each end thereof with centrally located anchor lugs 8 extending laterally irom the base plate to be received in correspondingly shaped recesses 9 provided in supporting base 2. Base plate 6 also has integral side flanges i0, and with longitudinally extending depressed portions I2 located at each side of the central flat portion I6 of the base plate, and at each side of longitudinally extending central ilat portions I8 of the base plate, with the depressed portions I2 adapted to receive conductor wires between side ilanges Il) and central flat portions I8 of the base plate. The depressions I2 are preferably transversely corrugated for a purpose to be described. The base plate 6 has integral ilanges Il positioned at the outer end of each depression I2, on which a wire is adapted to rest when received in the corresponding depression I2. Base plate 6 is provided with a substantially centrally located threaded aperture 20 for threadedly receiving a clamping screw 25, which is adapted when taken up, to move a clamping plate 22 towards base plate 6.

Clamping plate 22 is provided with a substantially centrally located aperture 24 for receiving screw 25, and with a plurality of outwardly extending integral leg portions 26, which are bent towards base plate 6 and then reversely away from the base plate, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Preferably clamping plate 22 is of a resilient material, such, for example, as spring steel.

When it is desired to use the connector arrangement illustrated on the drawing for electrically connecting a plurality of wires, such as the

wires

28 and 30, clamping screw 25 is loosened so that the wires may beinserted in separate depressions I2. It will be noted that since the outer ends of legs 26 of clamping plate 22 are bent outwardly away from base plate 8, insertion of the wires between the plates is facilitated because the act of inserting the wires also causes the clamping legs 26 to raiseand permit insertion of the wires between the plates.' In the particular connector device illustrated, provision is made for connecting four wires. However. it -will be obvious that I6 of supporting plate 6.

plate cannot rotate assasao I2 which could be arranged in radial fashion about the central apertures -in the clamping plates.

After wires have been inserted between the

plates

6 and 22, screw 25 is taken up to cause the bent portions of clamping legs 26 to engage the wires. Wire 30, illustrated in Fig.. l, is larger than wire 28, so that tilting of clamping plate 22 may occur on the screw, or the clamping leg 25 engaging wire will be bent a greater amount than the clamping leg 2B. engaging wire 2B to compensate for the diierence in size of the wires. Each wire when inserted between the plates ex tends across its corresponding depression i2, being supported on a ilange'l and central portion When screw 25 is tightened and the portion of the wires intermediate flange l and central portion i6 of the base plate is engaged by a leg 26, the wires are de formed as shown in Fig. l, and held under spring pressure. Preferably clamping plate 22 is provided with integral struck-out locking lugs 2l to engage beneath the head of screw 25 in a manner such as to oppose loosening movement of the screw. While the screw is being taken up, iianges l0 on base plate 6 prevent rotation of clamping plate 22 with the screw, and the base because of flanges i on base 2.

The deformation of the wires caused by tight ening of screw 25, in conjunction with the fact that the wires are resiliently pressed into engagement with the corrugations in depressed portions l2 of the base plate, results in each of the wires being in pressure contact with base plate 6 at least at three points, to thereby form a good electrical connection therewith, irrespective of whether or not the wires are of different sizes. This effective electrical connection is accomplished merely by taking up a single screw 25, and due t'o the use ofthe separated clamping legs 26, each wire, regardless of its size, will be under predetermined spring pressure, to thereby form a good electrical contact with base plate 6.

Having described apreferred embodiment of the invention in accordance with the patent statutes, it :is desired that the. invention be not limited to this particular embodiment thereof, because it will be obvious, particularly to persons skilled in the art, that many modifications and changes may be made in this particular embodiment of the invention without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this invention. Therefore, it is desired that the invention be interpreted as broadly as possible, and that it be limited only as required by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an electrical connector, a pair of clamp- .ing members at least one of which is of good electrical conducting material, single pressure applying Imeans cooperating with said members for moving at least one of the other to clamp wires inserted between said members, one of said members having a relatively rigid central portion positioned to be engaged by said pressure applying means anda plurality of. integral independently movable resilienthf yieldable parts which project outwardly from edges of said rigid portion and toward the other memsaid members toward d ber to engage and res-iliently clamp each wire. re spectively, when inserted between said parts and said other member upon operation of ,said pressure applying means to eiect a clamping operation, said other member having projecting parts positioned at opposite sides. of each of said yieldable parts, respectively, during a clamping operation, so that a wire inserted between said members in engagement with said parts willl be bent A duringv a clamping operation, and one of said members having a plurality of spaced 'integral guide means for receiving said wires and'holding them at least when clamped, in position to be engaged by said parts, respectively.

2. In an electrical connector, a pair of clamp1 ing members at least one of which is of good electrical conducting material, single pressure applying means cooperating with said members for moving at least one of said members toward the other to clamp wires inserted between said members, one of said members having a rela1 tively rigid central portion positioned to be engaged by said pressure means and a plurality of integral independently movable resiliently yieldable parts which project outwardly from edges of said rigid portion and toward the other mem ber to engage and resiliently clamp each wire, respectively, when inserted between said parts and said other member upon operation of said pressure applying means to eiect a clamping operation, said other member having spaced de-t pressions formed therein positioned to receive said yieldable parts, respectively, during a clamping operation, so that a wire inserted between said members spanning one of said depressions will be bent during a clamping operation by engagement of one of said parts.

3. In an electrical connector, a pair of clamp-= ing members at least one of which is of good electrical conducting material, single pressure applying means cooperating with said members for moving at least one of said members toward the other to clamp wires inserted between said members, one of said members having a relatively rigid central portion positioned to be engaged by said pressure means and a plurality of integral independently movable resiliently yieldable parts which project outwardly from edges of said rigid portions and toward the other member to engage and resiliently clamp each wire, respectively, when inserted between said parts and said other member upon operation of said pressure applying means to effect a clamping operation, said other member having spaced depressions formed therein positioned to receive said yieldable parts, respectively, during a clamping operation, so that a wire inserted between said members spanning one of said depressions will be bent during a clamping operation by engagement of one of said parts, and said other member also having a turned up flange at least at one edge thereof adjacent one side of each of said depressions for guiding the movable clamping member during clamping movement and for guiding wires inserted between said clamping members.

4. An electrical connector comprising, a base plate, a plurality of depressions formed in said base plate adjacent to but spaced from the peripheral edge thereof, the base of each o f said depressions having a roughened surface, aclamping member comprising a relatively rigid central portion and a plurality of integral relatively nar row and resilient clamping nngers extending outwardly from said central portion and laterally toward said base 4plate and correspon in 5 number and relative position with the depressions in said base plate, guide means integral with one of said plates and cooperating with the other plate for maintaining said plates in alignment during a clamping operation such that said fingers will engage wires inserted between said plates across said depressions at points opposite said depressions, respectively, and pressure applying means cooperating with said plates for causing relative movement of the plates toward each other to cause said fingers to engage said Wires and bend a portion of each wire into its respective depression in said base plate and into engagement with an aforesaid roughened surface against which it is resiliently heldby its corresponding clamping finger.

BENJAMIN C. WEBSTER.

REFERENCES crrnn u The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Paul Mar. 28, 1882 Vogel Apr. 5, 1910 Randall Nov. 28. 1916 Hadeld Oct. 2, 1917 McIntosh Jan. 19, 1926 Zehnder May 26, 1931 Jackson Sept. 28, 1937 Hubbell et al June 23, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany 1909 Great Britain Jan. 28, 1926 Germany 1941